Otago appoints inaugural Director of First-Year Experience

Friday 27 November 2015

Otago appoints inaugural Director of First-Year Experience

The University of Otago has appointed Dr Stephen Scott to the new position of Director of First-Year Experience.

The Director’s goal is to enhance the transition of students from school to the University, so as to optimise their chance of success in a new learning environment. Dr Scott moves into the position from his current role of Associate Dean (Māori) in the Division of Sciences.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) Professor Vernon Squire says that Dr Scott will work to consolidate and streamline a number of existing initiatives at Otago that focus on supporting first-year students.

Professor Squire says the University’s aim is to ensure the first-year experience of both domestic and international students enrolled at the University is second-to-none and provides them with every opportunity for academic success and extra-curricular achievement.

As Director, Dr Scott will also develop and advance an overarching strategy for the new First-Year Experience Programme.

“Dr Scott is very well-placed to take on this task given his extensive experience in student-focused roles throughout his career at the University. Over the past nine years he has had a particular focus on the first-year experience of Māori and Pacific students and those not living in residential colleges.

The University’s Locals Programme, which supports students living in the local Dunedin community—those living at home, flatting or boarding—during their first year of study, is Dr Scott’s brainchild, and he has been the nominal Director of the programme while working at the Division of Sciences.

As part of this new role Dr Scott will continue his close association with the Locals Programme, now formally overseeing the initiative and supervising its staff.

Dr Scott has presented and published research on the first-year experience at a national and international level and has had a significant input to academic orientation activities at the University.

A new First-Year Experience Committee (FYEC) covering both academic and social themes will be established to support Dr Scott’s programme of work.

Dr Scott says he is very happy to be appointed to the position.

“It is always great to see students achieve and this role will enable me to work with people who have a passion to support first-year student achievement and to promulgate best practice across the University to ensure all first-year students have access to the best support during their transition to university study.”

Dr Scott is a zoologist by training who began his career at the University studying snapper reproduction before undertaking a PhD on stress response in trout.

“From a fish focus I have ended up with a student focus and it’s been a great journey along the way.”

Dr Scott takes up the Director role at the beginning of 2016.

ends

© Scoop Media