UWA will be recognised as a global leader in university education.
Leadership in education
The education mission of UWA is intrinsic to the purpose of the University. A fundamental way in which the University advances “the prosperity and welfare of the people”, both individually and collectively, is by educating students and producing graduates, who will contribute economically, culturally and socially, and provide leadership to their communities.
To achieve this purpose, it is important that the University attracts students of the highest potential, locally and internationally, and delivers our students an excellent educational experience: by offering highly-sought-after educational courses, delivered with leading contemporary educational methods, and an outstanding holistic student experience; and achieving high levels of student satisfaction.
UWA aspires to be recognised as a global leader in university education. The introduction of New Courses in 2012 demonstrated our preparedness and capability to implement major changes in curriculum and course structure, motivated by a clear vision regarding the academic preparation required of future leaders, professionals and academics. Having successfully implemented the first cycle of New Courses, a major focus of the next period is the successful introduction of our new postgraduate coursework (or cycle 2) degrees.
Complementary to the curricular focus of New Courses, the University has articulated a vision for teaching and pedagogy in 2020: UWA’s Education Futures Vision. This vision comprises seven statements that are consistent with UWA’s overall educational principles, with a focus on the practices of teaching and learning across undergraduate and postgraduate courses. These statements encompass the education strategy of UWA for the period 2014-2020.
Teaching practices at UWA will be designed to engage, challenge and transform students throughout their courses.
- UWA will provide evidence-based, quality teaching practices.
- We will provide students with a rich variety of learning experiences, including service learning, that connect them to the University, professional, local and global communities.
- Learning and teaching experiences at UWA will be integrated with, and informed by, research.
- UWA teaching and learning activities will be supported with an extended range of quality resources, facilities and technologies.
- We will value and provide a supportive, collaborative learning environment within our attractive campus encompassing a broad and vibrant student experience.
- We will prepare our students to be contributing members and leaders of local, national and global communities.
Measures of success
- Increase in student satisfaction ratings, including the University Experience Survey (UES) and Good Universities Guide.
- Achievement of plans for development and take-up of cycle 2 courses.
- Implementation of innovations arising from UWA Education Futures project.
- Increase in the utilisation of educational technology.
- Increase in the percentage of students with study abroad/student exchange (on our current sector leadership position of 20 per cent).
Internationally renowned research
The University of Western Australia strives for an international research agenda of relevance to the communities we serve.
Our ambitions and activities are influenced by more than a century of learning, scholarship, research and public engagement “to advance the prosperity and welfare of the people”.
UWA’s Strategic Plan 2014-2020 expresses a commitment to disciplinary excellence across the spectrum of the sciences, medicine, the social sciences and the humanities, including supporting research in strategically important and vulnerable subjects. We value high performance and continuous improvement, academic freedom, respect, honesty and openness, and sustainability of environmental, economic and social dimensions.
We aim to maximise the benefits of research by advancing fundamental knowledge and contributing to better public policy, improved health outcomes, economic prosperity, social cohesion, international development, community identity, and the creative arts. We commit to progressing the welfare of indigenous peoples through recognising and engaging with the traditional custodians of our land, promoting a greater level of understanding of indigenous culture and knowledge, and educating future indigenous researchers.
UWA will undertake research across all our disciplines, focused on issues of relevance to our communities and industries, while generating understanding and solutions of global value.
- We will focus on areas relevant to our strengths, assets, geography and partners.
- We will build problem-oriented multidisciplinary teams.
- We will communicate our research globally through high quality publications, presentations at international conferences, and through social media.
- We will improve our national standing in gaining competitive research funds by diversifying our funding base and building a high-performing culture.
- We will build our scholarship resources to support world-class research training.
- We will translate the results of our research to the community and industry to ensure that we provide value to our partners.
- We will provide the academic and administrative services and infrastructure needed to facilitate research excellence and knowledge transfer.
Measures of success
- Improving our position on a basket of international ranking indicators.
- Improving our ERA results.
- Increase in Web of Science publications and citations data, with an increase in publications in top 20 per cent of journals.
- Increase in our research income, including ACG income.
- Increase in our HDR completions, the proportion of timely completions and the impact of our HDR programs.
Community and global engagement
A world-class university serves its communities not only by the excellence of its education and research activities and outcomes, but through its broader contribution to the intellectual, cultural and social life of those communities, locally, nationally and internationally.
Engagement impacts on the quality, relevance and impact of the work of the University. Our engagement with partners expands the capabilities and resources available to us. The feedback from business, government and the community, focuses and aligns our activity with community need, and provides the greatest opportunity for our research and education to find application and use.
- UWA will be recognised for the strong and mutually beneficial relationships we have forged with our stakeholders. These will be developed in co-ordination across UWA:
- with business, industry and the professions
- with government at local, state and national levels
- with our alumni around the world
- with the arts and scientific communities
- with a variety of constituencies such as parents, schools, local residents, and collaborators around the world.
- We will build our brand and reputation as a leading global university.
- We will engage proactively and strategically to garner support for our mission and to provide value to our stakeholders.
- We will communicate our successes and demonstrate our impact and value to the societies we serve.
- We will collaborate with high quality international partners in research and education.
- We will engage with communities in regional WA in the context of a strategy to enhance educational opportunities for WA communities outside of Perth, as evidenced by our campus in Albany.
- We will recognise and engage with indigenous people as the traditional custodians of our land.
Measures of success
- Increase in position in rankings that use reputational indices.
- Implementation of the brand review project, and annual reputational surveys.
- Development and implementation of political and corporate engagement plans.
- Increase in media presence (number of media mentions).
- Increase in the number of visitors to community outreach activities, such as the cultural precinct and community lectures.
- Increase our collaborations (institutional, networks, joint publications, industry contacts, study leave, visits).
- Achieve the goals of the New Century Campaign.