STARS 2016

The 2016 STARS (Students Transitions Achievement Retention & Success) conference will provide attendees with an opportunity to disseminate and discuss research, practice, initiatives and ideas aimed at enhancing tertiary students’ learning experiences:

• Students – Who are they? What are their needs? What works for different cohorts? Strategies for broader social inclusion and increasing participation in tertiary education, and the participation of First Nation peoples
• Transitions – Pathways to tertiary education; transitions into (the first year experience), during (work integrated learning) and from tertiary education including graduate employability, and capstone experiences
• Achievement – Strategies promoting student achievement including curricular and co-curricular reform, employability, gamification and simulation enhanced learning
• Retention – Program, discipline, whole of institution, inter-institutional and sector collaborations designed to improve student retention, threshold skills and concepts, and
• Success – Student engagement, technology enhanced learning, understanding students expectations and realities, psychological wellbeing, application of learning analytics.

Who should attend:

• Equity practitioners in universities who are responsible for widening the participation of equity groups and supporting their transition into university study
• Tertiary teachers and learning support professionals
• Academic and professional staff keen to enhance their knowledge and engage in discussions
• Researchers in higher, tertiary and adult education
• Academic and professional institutional leaders
• Assistant and Associate Deans Learning and Teaching, and
• Directors of Learning and Teaching, Students, Academic Staff Development and Digital Learning Strategies.

What will you get out of it:

• Join an international community dedicated to enhancing students experiences
• Engage with others in discussions about the breadth and depth of learning and teaching and student support issues
• Hear about best practice from the people involved
• Present and discuss your ideas with interested colleagues, and
• Gather information about successful initiatives for implementation within your institution.

2016 Conference Keynote Speakers:

• Professor Barney Glover – Vice-Chancellor and President, Western Sydney University, Chair of Universities Australia
• Associate Professor Brydie-Leigh Bartleet – Director, the Queensland Conservatorium Research Centre, Griffith University and 2014 Australian University Teacher of the Year.

For more information and to register, please visit the UniSTARS website. Early-bird registrations close 30 April 2016. Follow @Unistarsconf in Twitter and #unistars