Visual Contracts – improving student understanding of student accommodation contracts
Tracks
Stream 3
| Tuesday, August 6, 2024 |
| 2:25 PM - 3:15 PM |
| Gallery 4 |
Overview
Emily Sutton, Dunmore Lang College
Details
Graduate House (GH) and University House (UH) are two unique residences at the Australian National University (ANU) that are available to 220 postgraduate students. The residences emphasise building a community fostering a sense of belonging and shared purpose among students pursuing their academic goals.
The Houses are dedicated to supporting and enhancing the experiences of graduate students pursuing Higher Degree Research (HDR) and postgraduate coursework. We provide social environments that enable graduate students to excel and offer residential activities that provide development opportunities and growth. Our community encourages residents to interact with others who perform research in different areas, fostering collaborations and enhancing the learning experience. We understand that some residents may find living away from their families challenging. Therefore, we strive to create a safe and welcoming environment for all.
The objective of this workshop is to share and reflect on the strategies that have been employed to build a strong community at GH and UH. The workshop also aims to discuss effective practices that can be implemented in other graduate residences. As a dedicated graduate residence, we have a unique opportunity to connect students and create meaningful interactions. We intend to share our experiences and lessons learned, highlighting what has worked and what hasn't. We will also detail the steps we have taken to ensure the best outcomes for our community.
During the workshop discussion, we will focus on how we have formed productive relationships with residents and collaborated with the broader academic community. Our conversation will cover various aspects, including cultivating partnerships, enhancing graduate attributes in the residential community, and the lessons learned from collaboration.
Speaker
Ms Emily Sutton
Dean Of Students
Dunmore Lang College
Visual Contracts – improving student understanding of student accommodation contracts
Abstract Overview
The successful implementation of visual accommodation contracts in 2023 (for which we were recognised by the APSAA Excellence in Customer Service), saw 86% of student’s surveyed agreeing they preferred a visual contract and 76% of saying they felt the visual contract helped them remember the terms of the contract better.
Dunmore Lang College have continued to review and improve the implementation and accessibility of our contracts, including the use of embedded multiple-choice questions to test that the students had read the content, moving to an online model, improving the efficiency of the administration process for staff as well as the overall readability and usability for the incoming student residents.
Accommodation Contracts are pivotal to all aspects of our operations, from ensuring students are aware of their social responsibilities and financial obligations as well as acting as an enforcement tool, particularly in disciplinary circumstances or financial disputes.
Visual contracts contain all the necessary information (and are legally enforceable) to ensure students are as aware and informed as possible of the key points to which they are agreeing in the contract.
This workshop offers an opportunity to understand visual contracts better and to learn from our experience.
Dunmore Lang College have continued to review and improve the implementation and accessibility of our contracts, including the use of embedded multiple-choice questions to test that the students had read the content, moving to an online model, improving the efficiency of the administration process for staff as well as the overall readability and usability for the incoming student residents.
Accommodation Contracts are pivotal to all aspects of our operations, from ensuring students are aware of their social responsibilities and financial obligations as well as acting as an enforcement tool, particularly in disciplinary circumstances or financial disputes.
Visual contracts contain all the necessary information (and are legally enforceable) to ensure students are as aware and informed as possible of the key points to which they are agreeing in the contract.
This workshop offers an opportunity to understand visual contracts better and to learn from our experience.
Biography
Emily joined Dunmore Lang College in 2022, bringing 10 years’ experience from the Tertiary sector, with a particular focus on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander student engagement and wellbeing support.
Emily is passionate about diversity and inclusion, with a drive to ensure that every student feels welcome, safe and a sense of belonging during their Residential College experience.
