Mr Nicoll Joshua Paatan1, Ms Yaping Peng1
1Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Australia
The first-year transition is particularly challenging for international students as they learn to navigate and settle into a new environment. A key challenge for universities is to provide timely support and opportunities for international students to connect with both each other and the university. As a university in remote northern Australia, Charles Darwin University faces unique circumstances that increase the challenges faced by students.
Semester 1 2023 saw a rapid increase in commencing international students choosing to study at CDU in the post-pandemic environment. In response to the challenge, CDU established Welcome Centres. Run by staff and students, Welcome Centres are a ‘one-stop shop’ for commencing students keen to gain information and answers to common questions, as well as providing a safe, comfortable, and welcoming space to seek advice from support services and make friends.
High engagement in the Welcome Centres and feedback from students has led to the project being rolled out across the other CDU campuses, with Semester 1 2024 being the first trial run at CDU’s Sydney campus. The emergent themes and response to need has also seen the Welcome Centres become an integral part of the university’s shift towards a holistic Orientation and Transition program.
In this session, we will share our approach to the Welcome Centre model, its student-centred design, and key learnings and reflections from the initiative.
Biography:
Nicoll Joshua (Josh) Paatan is a Registered Counsellor with the Australian Counselling Association with a background in mental health and biotechnology. With a passion for holistic international student wellbeing, Josh accepted the role of International Student Support Officer at Charles Darwin University in April 2023 with the goal of overseeing the general wellbeing of all CDU international students and making meaningful change to improve the student journey.