“For those of us who work in the support roles or are involved in teaching students, there is a responsibility to not only acknowledge [students’] strengths but also foreground them in how we define and also, assist student cohorts. This then is the challenge as student populations increase in number and diversity, working within… Read More
“Rather than focus on what people lack, better understanding is gained from focusing on strengths in order to develop ways of understanding first-in-family students that seek to challenge notions of access and participation.” (O’Shea,2015) In November 2015, I was invited to the QUT Caboolture Campus to run a workshop on first-in-family learners. During the day,… Read More
“Our understanding about how this student group navigate and engage in higher education remains limited and we fear they may be slipping through the cracks.” (O’Shea, 2015) Part of this Fellowship is to collate the experiences and reflections of practitioners across the country, recognising the importance of input from individuals working with students who… Read More
“Adopt a strengths based approach to university outreach that seeks to empower students by recognising what they bring to the university environment and also, encourages students to reflect upon the support that exists outside the university environment.” (Draft Principles for Support First in Family Students) I know that there are many institutions already successfully… Read More
“More than 50 per cent of Australian tertiary education students are the first in their family to go to university and that number is increasing.” (O’Shea, 2015) In February 2015, we ran a very successful forum entitled Breaking the Barriers Forum on First in Family Students in Higher Education. The forum was very well… Read More