It is an exciting time to be a student at the University of Western Australia. The student experience of today is a dynamic, transformative and globally connected one. The UWA campus is bustling with activity. In 2017 alone, there were over 7,000 students involved in a UWA sporting club, while a team of 20 Cultural Ambassadors from the Cultural Precinct worked together to encourage engagement in the Arts among students year-round. In the same year, 958 students completed a wide range of for-credit programs in over 45 countries and in 2018 our students continue to represent the University in countries across the globe. This includes training for the Olympics at the world-class Dojo in Japan’s Tsukaba University and championing social justice in Indonesia.
In an environment where the future of work is uncertain and the nature of jobs is evolving, the importance of transferrable skills is heightened. In response, the UWA experience is building on a rich institutional history of extra-curricular activities, strong community partnerships and links to industry. This year UWA, with the support of Rio Tinto, will be the first university in Western Australia to run the international Common Purpose program. The leadership development program inspires and equips students from across the University to work to solve societal problems and create change.
We’re currently working to extend these opportunities and recognise how the valuable skills gained can extend a student’s education and enhance their employability. The UWA Careers and Employability Award introduced this year encourages students to effectively articulate their knowledge, skills and attributes and celebrates their extracurricular activities, assisting them to successfully navigate their future career journey.
The UWA experience can vary from paddle boarding on the peaceful waters by Matilda Bay to living in one of our fantastic residential colleges unique to WA in a community of over 2000 residents. Experiencing UWA is about building connections and establishing partnerships to extend the reach beyond the campus grounds. Community can take on different shapes and forms, and the UWA student experience aims to provide a personalised experience for all.
The University is currently working on a distinctive Student Experience Strategy that articulates a transformative, inclusive and student-centred educative experience that exceeds the expectations of students. The strategy recognises that the student experience means different things to students at different stages of their UWA journey, and engages with different parts of the University throughout their degree.
The lifelong connections made at UWA are an integral part of the student experience. Our alumni continue to play an important part in creating an experience that prepares our students for the future, with skills that can be sustained and adapted over the course of their lifetime. We invite alumni to get involved with the University, contributing to the rich tapestry of activity that makes up the UWA student experience.
Chris Massey [BPEd '89, GradDipEd '90, MEdRM '10] is currently the Director of Student Life and Student Experience at The University of Western Australia. Chris originally commenced at UWA as Principal of Currie Hall, a residential college now known as University Hall, in September 2006. Since 2010 Chris has been a Director at The University of Western Australia. In 2014 Chris was Director, Campus Life at The University of Aberdeen, Scotland as part of a staff exchange.
Tertiary qualifications include an MBA, Master of Education, Bachelor of Physical and Health Sciences and, under way, a Doctorate of Education at UWA. Chris is also a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD) and award recipient from the School of Indigenous Studies for programs that enhance learning. Chris is a Fellow of Leadership WA (2008), a Life Member of the UWA Football Club and a member of the International Advisory Committee for the Collegiate Way International. He is a board member of West Coast Fever Netball Club, UniSport Australia, UWA Club and UWA Sport Pty Ltd.