Responses to FAQs concerning the Melbourne Student Services Model Implementation Project
Please submit questions via email to the Project Manager, (Craig Bird).
Question: Where will the Arts/Music Student Centre be located in 2008?
The 2008 Arts/Music Student Centre will be a slightly expanded version of the current Arts Student Support Centre (SSC) located on the ground floor of the Old Arts Building. In late 2007, major works will be undertaken to renovate the current student enquiries section and the back office area of the SSC.
Question: Where will the Arts/Music Student Centre be located in 2009?
At this stage, it is planned that a permanent Arts/Music Student Centre will be set up in 2009 in what will be an "Arts Precinct" in the area that currently houses the Economics and Commerce Building, Old Arts, the Law Quad and the Babel Building.
Question: How many professional staff will be in the Arts / Music Student Centre?
Process mapping is underway to determine how many professional staff will be needed to staff the 2008 interim Student Centre and to estimate how many might be needed in the permanent Student Centre in 2009.
Question:What are the timelines for new staffing arrangements in the Arts / Music Student Centre?
Week beginning 12 November 2007:
- Advertise positions within the Faculty for all interested continuing staff. Applications for positions to close on Sunday 2 December 2007.
Week beginning 19 November:
- Greg Pantelios, Sian Owen, Jo Ligouris and Sarah Griggs available for confidential discussions with professional staff about career development.
Week beginning 3 December 2007:
- Assess applications, short-list and commence interviews.
Week beginning 10 December 2007:
- Advise staff of outcome of interviews. Attempt to fill any remaining vacancies from existing Faculty of Arts staff.
Week beginning 17 December 2007:
- Start induction and any further training for Student Centre staff.
January 2008:
- Student Centre opens and staff induction and training continues.
February 2008:
- Re-forecasting professional and academic staffing needs across the Faculty.
Question: Which services will be delivered from the Student Centre?
All student-facing administrative services will be delivered from the Student Centre. Activities that are deemed to be "Academic Support" or "Not Student Facing" - areas such as RQF processes, ARC grants, committee service, curriculum design, policy development, for example - would not be Student Centre-based although for many academic support activities there will need to be a close association with Student Centre staff.
Question: I've heard that students will be able to book appointments with academic staff from the Student Centre. Is this true?
Students will not be able to make appointments with all academic staff. Academic (and professional) staff who opt into the system would nominate the times they are available. Students would only be able to make appointments with staff who choose to participate - and for times nominated by the staff member.
Question: I've heard that students will be required to hand in essays at the Student Centre. Is that true?
From 2008 the Faculty will trial the electronic submission of essays for its eight new interdisciplinary first year subjects. Students enrolled in these subjects will submit essays online through LMS. The essays will be printed in the Hub, automatically grouped according to tutorial group, and distributed to tutors. It is hoped that the process will eventually be rolled out to other subjects with essay-based assessment. Other faculties have been using the system for some time. The University wishes to see electronic submission of assessment made available wherever possible but it is understood that the process won't be suitable for all subjects.