Celebrating student commitment to widening participation in tertiary study

When the opportunity arose for Bachelor of Business / Bachelor of Medical Science student Cathleen Phimdert to assist Years 11 and 12 students from southwest Sydney with their studies, she jumped on board.

"As part of the HSC Tutorial program we work one-on-one and in small groups to give them help with exam preparation, essay writing, homework tasks and assignments. We also act as positive mentors for them and provide insight into what university life is like."

HSC Tutorial ambassador Cathleen Phimdert (centre) with Summer School ambassador Herbie Huskiamp (left) and teacher Grant Odei (right) from Granville Boys High School. Photo by Ansh Bose

Phimdert is just one of more than 100 students formally recognised this week at the UTS U @ Uni Ambassador Celebration. The evening celebrated their commitment and achievements in developing the aspirations, confidence and capacity of high school students involved in the university's U @ Uni Summer School, HSC Tutorial Scheme and TAFE Outreach programs.

The ambassadors' work feeds directly into the success of UTS's Widening Participation Strategy, which aims to improve participation rates for students from backgrounds less represented in higher education, particularly in schools in South Western Sydney.

With UTS currently ranked number two against other universities in the Sydney metro area in terms of workplace success rates, the work of the U @ Uni Ambassadors provides them with an opportunity to increase their employability prospects through the strengthening of their skills in communication, problem-solving, critical thinking, time management and leadership.

Provost and Senior Vice-President Professor Peter Booth with the UTS U @ Uni Ambassadors and Acting Director of the Equity & Diversity Unit Tracie Conroy. Photo by Ansh Bose

UTS Provost and Senior Vice-President Professor Peter Booth emphasised the importance of the ambassadors' wide-reaching work in the programs. "At UTS we're committed to engaging students in learning that helps build the professional identities and capabilities required to participate as global citizens.

"The U @ Uni programs allow students to explore these notions of citizenship as they actively support the learning of other young people – many from the communities in which they themselves live."

Representatives of 10 partner U @ Uni high schools and TAFEs attended the event hosted by the university. Engagement & Support teacher at Merrylands High School Jonathan Connal has seen the benefits of the HSC Tutorial Scheme at his school.

"Apart from our students receiving much needed academic support that they usually wouldn't be able to afford, the U @ Uni Ambassadors are able to change a student's perspective regarding access to higher education. These interactions enable many of them to realise that tertiary study can be a reality. The expectation that they attend university has never been presented to many of them; they simply assume they're not academically able."

Under the umbrella of U @ Uni, high school students take part in interactive and engaging faculty workshops run on UTS campus by faculty staff, U @ Uni ambassadors and high school teachers as part of January's Summer School program; while the HSC Tutorial Scheme provides in-school tutoring opportunities by trained U @ Uni ambassadors to improve student confidence and exam results.

UTS is also working to create better pathways for non-current school leavers to access study later in life, with more mature U @ Uni ambassadors speaking to TAFE students about their journey to UTS via vocational training and study.

Acting Director of the Equity & Diversity Unit Tracie Conroy said the event provides an opportunity to celebrate the positive impact the equity ambassadors have in their relationships with the high school students.  "A plus is that these programs also create opportunities for our students to enhance their own learning by providing well designed experiences that contribute to their own personal and professional identities."

Listen to U @ Uni Ambassadors speak about their experiences in the programs and the impact it's had.