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kate sheppard MANAGER PATHWAYS | JAMES COOK UNIVERSITY
After 10 years at Kirwan High (as a teacher, Head of Department and Deputy Principal) Kate Sheppard joined James Cook University (JCU) in 2014 to work as an Educational Designer. In this role she collaborated with a range of staff to embed learning technologies into their teaching. In October last year, Kate moved to JCU’s new open access Pathways program, which provides students with an opportunity for a supported transition to university. “It was the first whole-of-institution program of its kind to be launched and I was really impressed by the approaches being adopted in the program,” Kate says. “This year, we’ve had close to 600 students move through the Pathways programs in Townsville, Cairns, Singapore, Brisbane and Thursday Island, which has been really wonderful.” Kate’s role oversees JCU’s Tertiary Access Course and also the Diploma of Higher Education. These are open access courses that provide students with a pathway to a degree with specialist support. Within the program, there is a strong emphasis on pastoral care and the student experience, as well as explicit teaching of core skills and career planning. “We work with staff to closely manage the pathway of students from pre-enrolment to transition into a degree,” Kate says. “I also meet with students regularly to review study plans, track future pathways and revise their programs.” Kate’s role also involves close consultation with external organisations to make sure that the program and curriculum are responsive to what is needed in North Queensland. “In some spaces, education can be rather ‘closed door’ and isolated, with staff working in silos. What I really enjoy about the unit I’m in is that it works across the whole of the institution. This results in a much improved experience for students. “I love what education does for individuals, their families and communities. It’s a real game changer. I love that I work in a job where you see people changing their lives for the better and that we live in a time where your postcode doesn’t need to determine your life outcomes.
James Cook University 1 James Cook Drive Douglas Telephone 4781 4263 Email pathways@jcu.edu.au www.jcu.edu.au
104 DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2015 duomagazine.com.au
“Forty years ago, only the privileged could attend university. Now, we have targets of 40 per cent of the population under 25 having a Bachelor degree by 2020.”