Study and Support

2010 Results: Every year Duval performs extremely well academically. In 2010, our results were notable. 61% of units studied by Duvalians earnt a Credit or above. An amazing 34% were at Distinction or High Distinction level. As always we are extremely proud of the studious effort made by Duval's students.

At Duval College we appreciate and acknowlegde the vast and consistent effort that many of our students put in throughout the year. Unlike High School (where it is sometimes 'uncool' to do well and be 'nerdy'), University students respect and value their fellow students' success, and Duval College proudly celebrates this every year.

Presentation night is a formal evening, held annually, and is a night to celebrate the academic achievements of Duval College students. High achievers in each university year are rewarded for their academic effort and success.

Duval College has two important academic honour boards. The 'Award for Highly Commended Academic Acheivement' (Silver) board rewards students with a monetary prize of around $200 and requires students to achieve at least a Credit average. The 'Award for High Academic Acheivement' (Gold) board rewards students with an average of Distinction or higher and the prize is over $300. The money for these boards is gathered by the Duval College Senior Common Room. Each year they hold a number of fundraising events, including the wine tasting evening at Parent's Weekend where parents have a chance to donate to the honour board Bursaries.

Each year Duval appoints 8 Resident Fellows. They must go through a complicated interview process and prove their intimate knowledge of the College and a sense of true responsibility and honesty. RFs are normally in their 3^rd or 4^th year at College and doing well with their studies at university. They are kind, approachable and dependable members of the College. Each RF is responsible for their block staircases and all of the students living there, eg. F block has three larger floors and is looked after by one RF where as B and C blocks are smaller and have one RF for both of them. RFs ensure that there is plenty of encouragement of a successful mix of academic, cultural, social and sporting involvement by the residents. They organise Block meetings and get-togethers as well as birthday parties and block jerseys. They are trained in counseling and first aid and are there to help with any questions at any time. If there is a problem, even in the middle of the night, they are happy to help.

At Duval College there is always someone on Duty. This means that they will answer the College phone number and can help with queries. This includes noise complaints, fire alarms, or students locking themselves out of their rooms. During office hours, the ladies in the office are able to help with queries. After office hours the RFs (who have a weekly roster) are on duty. They check that everything is locked up and secure at night time. They make sure that noise is kept to a minimum, and deal with any emergency situations. They also help respond to fire alarms and with any disciplinary issues. Duty is another way that Duval College ensures that students feel comfortable in a safe and secure environment. During holiday periods their is still somebody on duty in the role of External RF. This RF is responsible for looking after external students, conference delegates or internal students who need to stay in the College for work or residential schools, or for those international students for whom it is to far to travel home.

Safety and Security: Duval College is a very secure college. It’s completely enclosed with gates that only Duvalians have the keys for. The RF on duty checks that everything is locked up and secure on their nightly rounds. All Rooms and Blocks at Duval are lockable. There are also lockable cupboards and drawers in each room. UNE’s Safety and Security does nightly patrols and are always available if needed.

Duval College has a Senior Academic Mentor and 8 Academic Mentors. Varying faculties are appointed an AM has consistently achieved high academic success and been a responsible example of a student. The AMs do training in academic areas such as assignment and essay writing techniques, tackling plagiarism, communication and organisational skills. Each week the AMs run formal academic sessions for their students. The Senior Common Room members also help out with these sessions.

Senior Academic Mentor:

Academic Mentors:

An important part of the Duval support network is the common room structure. The Junior Common Room is responsible for most of the entertainment at College and involvement in College Life. The Senior Common Room is a link between students, support and the community.