Education & Student Life: Moving Online

Moving Online: An Update from the Education & Student Life Department

According to Google, use of the search term ‘unprecedented’ increased tenfold between January and March of this year. For Andrew’s, 2020 was expected to present at least one unprecedented challenge: managing the largest student population increase in the College’s history (thanks to the opening of the Thyne Reid Link building). But it was of course a different unprecedented challenge that transformed the College from a vibrant, bustling community of excited adults (some of whom were just starting to penetrate the surface of collegiate life) into an online community longing, like the rest of the world, for things to get back to normal.

When the College campus closed in March, the Education & Student Life Department (which is responsible for running tutorials, competitions, online events, leadership training, music programs, well-being programs, and so on) resolved to adapt – rather than suspend – programs. Fortunately, this approach proved to be the right one. Six weeks after College programs had moved online, the Department’s new Zoom accounts had already recorded more than 200,000 minutes of tutorials, mentoring sessions, professional development sessions, professional skills workshops, and other online activities involving more than 4,500 participants in 15 countries.

The experience of moving online has highlighted several things. The first is how valuable the connection between students and the broader College community can be. From Councillors to alumni to parents, many friends of College have agreed to ‘pitch in’. Already, many have participated in the Drews Forum, a platform dedicated to sharing interesting, challenging and useful ideas and information with current students; more than a dozen talks have already taken place, traversing topics such as presentation skills, starting your own brewery, working in the construction industry and rowing 5,000km across the Atlantic Ocean.

Meanwhile, others have taken part in the College’s new language courses, which are intended to give students of any faculty the chance to learn a second, third or fourth language. Our most popular language tutor is a current student’s parent (who has been voluntarily running French

tutorials from overseas, a contribution for which the College is especially grateful).

The experience has also highlighted how powerful online platforms can be. These platforms have enabled the College to facilitate meaningful conversations between exceedingly busy people who ordinarily could not travel to College (including those living overseas). Another example of the richness of digital connection has been exhibited through the Pre-Tertiary Mentoring and Tutoring Program, which the Admissions Office and Education & Student Life Department set up this year. Zoom has enabled 140 College students to engage with 200 HSC students across hundreds of mentoring and tutoring sessions. This initiative, which draws together individuals from all around Australia, could not take place without online platforms. Online programs are not a longterm substitute for in-person activities, but there have been so many superb ‘Zoom moments’ that it would be remiss of the Education & Student Life Department not to integrate this technology into future programs. The decision to move online has also served as a reminder of the value of university colleges. While most University of Sydney and UTS students are winding down for the day, College students are clicking Zoom links to an ‘Industry Insights’ presentation run by an alumnus, tuning into a tutorial taken by a high-achieving senior student, running a mentoring session for HSC students, participating in a writing competition, attending a presentation skills workshop, or seeking the support of staff and student mentors.

A former Vice-Principal of St Andrew’s College used to say that ‘if our buildings burned to the ground, the College would not cease to exist’. If his argument were ever awaiting vindication, it has finally arrived; uninhabitable though the College campus has been, the connection between members of the community has endured. In many ways, what promised to be a fun and successful semester has been just that.

Will Cesta

Director (Education & Student Life)