To respond to current and future business needs and focus on the success of students in alignment with the 2025 strategy, the Learning Centre and Careers and Employment have recently merged as part of an organisational change to form UNSW Student Academic and Career Success (SACS), in the PVC (Education) Portfolio. The changes are designed to facilitate the level and quality of support and collaboration necessary to support UNSW stakeholder needs and to be more responsive to the changing requirements both within UNSW and externally. Success will be benchmarked by tracking and improving QILT and International Employability scores, along with enhancing the integration of SACS across Faculties and Divisions, including the Library and the PVC (Indigenous) Portfolio, and increased collaboration with external partners.
The new unit is being led by Associate Professor Megan Kek, Academic Director SACS, and consists of 2 pillars: Student Learning and Development and Student Career-Ready Connections, both supported by Service and Improvement team. A number of current staff from Careers and Employment and the Learning Centre have been retained and/or been successful in a competitive recruitment process to take on new roles within SACS. SACS will officially stand up on 1 November 2019. Shortly after, communication will be provided to key stakeholders to ensure existing collaboration continues and the success of our students remains paramount.
Key changes include:
- The introduction of a new SACS structure designed to expand existing support in career/employment and academic language and learning to students and offering multi-channels to access support.
- A new student support model that is underpinned by student development and learning world views and inclusive education practices.
- A new student support model to enhance student experience by both integrating career/employment and academic language and learning opportunities in the Faculties and providing these opportunities centrally.
- Greater access to career/employment, academic language and learning support to students through leveraging digital technologies.
- Higher level of collaboration and engagement with key UNSW stakeholders across Faculties and Divisions, including PVC (International) and external partners such as alumni, employers and industry.
New Operating Locations of the Student Academic and Career Success Team
The Student Academic and Career Success (SACS) will operate from two locations for T1 2020.
The Student Learning & Development section which comprises the Career Development Learning, Academic Language and Learning, and Enabling and General Education teams will operate from a new location at Morven Brown (former Student Hub).
The rest of SACS, comprising the Student Career-Ready Connections, Services and Improvement, and English Language Support Strategic Project teams will operate in the East Wing Quad (former Careers & Employment office).
All student consultations formerly at the Learning Centre and Careers & Employment offices will be offered through the new location at Morven Brown.
In the transition, staff will be relocating in groups and stages, starting on 17 October and ending by 4 November.