Academic life

Students at St Hilda’s College are full time students enrolled in courses at the University of Melbourne, at Monash School of Pharmacy, and a few exceptional faculties of RMIT. Central to the purpose of St Hilda’s College is its clearly stated aim to support and enhance the university experience of its students. As an academic community, the College expects students to treat their studies seriously, and in a balanced way, throughout the year. Establishing balance between study and other activities is critical to the achievement of academic success.

ACADEMIC ADVICE OVERVIEW

We care about your academic progress and provide appropriate assistance and support. If you are having difficulties with study, with a particular subject or in settling down to work, you should discuss your problems with someone. The Principal, Dean of Students as well as our Associate Dean and Senior Residential Advisors are available to assist students with studies and related concerns. The College has also appointed College Fellows, who are either past residents or have a significant connection with the College. As distinguished academics or exceptional contributors to their professions and the community, they are a resource for both students and staff seeking academic or professional advice and are regularly invited to participate in special College functions such as faculty dinners and colloquia. They run 2 special academic events per year called the Whitby Series. The Dean of Students oversees the academic program alongside the Associate Dean. Both the Dean of Students and Associate Dean live in College and have offices located on the first floor of the administration building near the western entry to the Alice Paton Library. Students are able to contact them directly on 03 9248 8274 (office) or by email on fiona.cadorel@hildas.unimelb.edu.au or Adrian.oats@hildas.unimelb.edu.au respectively. The academic program of the College has two main elements: the Tutorial Program and the Mentoring Program.

THE TUTORIAL PROGRAM

College tutorials

The College offers an opportunity for students to receive small group teaching by non-resident tutors who are outstanding university graduates at various stages of their academic or professional careers. First year tutorials start in week 2 of semester, with senior students’ tutorials starting in week 3. Tutors offer weekly one-hour tutorial classes in their subjects on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings. Where four or more students are enrolled in the same subject, a tutorial will be generated by the Associate Dean at the start of each semester. Where there are only three students enrolled in a subject, a case can be put to the Associate Dean to run a fortnightly tutorial for that subject or we can help you sign up for an established tutorial at another college. We try to provide academic support for each student.

However, some subjects may not be possible to support due to unavailability of a suitable tutor, insufficient student enrolments or the subject falling outside of the University of Melbourne. There may also be subjects that will not have a tutor provided despite high enrolment rates due to the perceived ease of the subject and the historical lack of need for tutorial support. In these instances, students can still seek support through the Associate Dean for one-off consultations with an appropriate tutor. The timetable is displayed on the College portal, The Quad. It is important to check the timetable regularly to be aware of any changes. College tutorials are intended to supplement and extend the work covered in your university classes and it is expected that all students will attend the tutorials arranged for them. If you are unable to attend, you must email

your tutor in advance and make an apology.

The College closely monitors your attendance and performance at tutorials: tutors keep rolls and report attendances to the Associate Dean at the end of each week. Students consistently absent from tutorials will be followed up. At the conclusion of each semester, students are asked to assess the value of college tutorials, as is the practice at the university. Students’ assistance with these evaluations contributes to the overall quality of the tutorial program.

Use of tutorial rooms

In determining the use of tutorial rooms and their facilities, first priority is always given to the tutorial program. The library is available for students who need a venue for private study. Students who use tutorial rooms are required to leave the rooms tidy and ready for use by the next tutorial. Food and drinks are not allowed in tutorial

rooms. Tutorials at other Colleges

In cases where St Hilda’s does not provide a particular tutorial, students may have the opportunity to attend a tutorial at another college. Students seeking permission to attend a tutorial at another college should see the Associate Dean. They will consult with the other college on the availability of a place in the tutorial and, when approval is given, issue you with a confirmation email to present to the receiving college tutor. Should you stop attending a tutorial at another college, it is important to inform the Associate Dean to enable them to notify the other college to ensure that St Hilda’s is not charged for your attendance. Where a tutorial is not provided by another residential college of the university or where a student has been ill or has missed university classes for valid reasons, extra academic support will be sourced and provided where possible. Students who require such assistance should speak with the Associate Dean.

THE ACADEMIC MENTORING PROGRAM

First year mentoring program

The College has an Academic Mentoring Program for first year students to assist them in managing their transition to university life and to support their academic progress and personal development. Each first-year student is allocated a mentor Senior Residential Advisor who will maintain contact in general as well as meeting more formally with them throughout the year. Each mentor will dine with their academic mentor groups in the dining hall for the first six weeks of Semester 1. Further, during first semester, a member of our residential staff team will meet with each first-year student to discuss their academic progress and transition to university life.

Senior student mentoring program

St Hilda’s College offers a Mentoring Program for senior students of the College that seeks to provide them with opportunities to learn about future career options and to assist with their movement into chosen professional fields. The specific objectives of the Program are to: • enable senior students to acquire knowledge about particular career and work environments, including organisational cultures and expectations • provide senior students with opportunities to develop new personal and professional skills • improve the future employment options for senior students • enable networking activities for both senior students and their mentors • enhance the connections between the College and professional/business individuals and organisations.

Academic results

The College has the rights to all residents’ academic results and University enrolment details. Re-enrolment or continuing residence in College is dependent on students’ academic performance. Following the release of semester results, students whose academic progress gives cause for concern will be required to meet with the Dean of Students.

Academic Improvement Plans

Many residents will be hoping to advance their studies in to a graduate degree at University of Melbourne following their undergraduate degree. Our experience is that in order to access a University of Melbourne graduate degree, you will need a minimum WAM of 65; although, achieving a WAM above 65 does not guarantee enrolment. Recognising this, any resident who achieves average results between 50 – 65 at the end of a semester will be placed on an academic improvement plan that aims to support the resident to increase their overall academic standing. Academic Improvement Plans will involve a meeting with the Dean of Students or Associate Dean and a pairing with an academic mentor. The College will then work with the resident to provide routine mentor meetings and help to determine if there are additional supports, tutorials or services that the resident might benefit from.

Academic Show Cause

Residents must achieve a minimum pass mark in threequarters (75%) of their subjects, each semester. If a resident fails to achieve a pass mark in at least three-quarters (75%) of their subjects in a single semester, they will be required to meet with the Dean of Students to discuss their academic results. Unless there have been marked extenuating circumstances that have contributed to the resident’s less than satisfactory academic results, the resident will be placed on Academic Show Cause. Being placed on Academic Show Cause requires that the resident demonstrates cause as to their failure to meet the minimum academic requirement and that they are working proactively to improve their academic outcomes in the following semester. As a minimum expectation, the resident will be required to; • be proactive in informing the Dean of Students if their academic performance does not improve, • attend all academic tutorials as co-ordinated by the

College relevant to their subjects • Meet at least fortnightly with a designated academic mentor that aids with study planning etc. During this meeting the resident should provide an overview of and discuss any upcoming exams/assignments and preparation work to date; results achieved throughout the semester and strategies for prioritising study and managing workloads and college engagement • The academic mentor will report back to the Dean to confirm attendance from residents on Academic

Show Cause If a resident on Academic Show Cause does not comply with the above expectations and fails to pass at least threequarters (75%) of their subjects in the subsequent semester, their position in College may be terminated unless extenuating circumstances can be demonstrated.

Special consideration

Students who are experiencing difficulty with the demands of their degree due to illness or other special circumstances affecting their academic progress, should consult the Dean of Students or Associate Dean at the earliest opportunity. They will help and support you in dealing with the problem and in submitting a Special Consideration application to the University. The Dean and Associate Dean can also support any students who may need ongoing and permanent adjustments to their study plans due to learning difficulties, disability or chronic health conditions.

Subject or course choice

These are important issues. Students are reminded that the SRAs, Associate Dean, and Dean of Students are available to discuss these matters. Students are required to inform the Admissions Manager of changes made to their courses or subjects as soon as such changes are known so that your information is correct in our database for future tutorials.