Dr Tash Hawkins has been appointed the new Academic Director, Residential Colleges and Jane Schmude has taken up the role of Residential Wellbeing Co-ordinator as UNE moves to bolster student wellbeing and academic success.
Director, UNE Residential System Leah Adams, said the pair complement the existing suite of UNE supports, adding a person-centred approach at a time of considerable financial and mental health challenges.
“Many of our college residents are from regional and remote areas, with a number being first-in family to study at university. They are juggling increased cost-of-living pressures and work responsibilities along with the management of their health and wellbeing.
“Having staff dedicated to academic and welfare support means we can wrap a stronger safety net around our students, allowing them to thrive personally, navigate their studies with greater confidence and stay on track to reach graduation.”
Tash has a Graduate Certificate in Clinical Teaching and Education from UNE, as well as a PhD in nursing, while Jane is completing a Master of Counselling to add to her UNE Graduate Diploma in Counselling and Graduate Diploma in Secondary Education. Both have worked across UNE, Tash as a nursing academic and researcher, and Jane in administrative, student support and wellbeing positions.
“My research has focused on improving rural health outcomes through innovative education and workplace change,” said Tash. “The role of Academic Director aligns with this, and I bring real lived experience as a unit and course coordinator and former first-in-family university student. It will be my job to strengthen ties between students, academic staff and support services to ensure college residents maximise their learning at UNE.”
As well as becoming a nexus for all things academic, Tash hopes to encourage more residents to take advantage of existing tutoring services. She has also introduced face-to-face education sessions that will rotate through the colleges, to which all residents are invited.
“We have some amazing supports already in place at UNE, so it’s about fostering relationships and awareness. Introducing Atrium to the colleges has been a gamechanger and represents another way we can monitor student engagement and progress.”
But there can be no student success without student wellbeing, which is something Jane understands as a former resident of Wright Village (then known as the Claude Street flats) and, most recently, Head of Mary White College and Co-Head of Duval College.
“I know what it’s like when money is tight and you feel overwhelmed – and we are seeing higher demand for support from residents right now, as a reflection of what’s happening in broader society,” Jane said. “As well as adjusting to college life, residents are variously struggling with their finances, disability, physical and mental health concerns and/or learning difficulties. We rarely deal with one issue alone.
“But I also know what a great experience college life can be, and I am here to provide an extra layer of scaffolding and support. It’s about creating a strong and healthy residential college community that features partnerships between college leaders, Education Futures, the Academic Skills Office, Student Accessibility and Wellbeing Office, and Counselling and Psychological Services.”
As well as responding to college needs and connecting students to appropriate support networks, Jane is developing a series of proactive wellbeing activities and works across every college during evening mealtimes to meet residents. She will closely collaborate with Tash, who shares Jane’s understanding of how life-changing education can be.
“I grew up with a single Mum in a Housing Commission home and am still the first in my family to have gone to university; there was no expectation for me to go on to get a PhD and live this life,” Tash said. “Like Jane, I am passionate about ensuring that students have opportunities to achieve their absolute academic best in an environment that is not only academically rigorous but also culturally safe, inclusive and proactively supporting their total wellbeing.”
Image: Jane Schmude and Tash Hawkins speaking with college students.
