Engaging engineering and agriculture students to sustainability principles has changed from a marginal issue to mainstream with time. Current professionals in engineering, agricultural and environmental sciences require a clear understanding of the principles of sustainability; supported by accredited bodies such as Engineering Australia. At this regional university these students are required to complete two units of study in sustainability of rural environment, the first of which will be discussed in this paper, which outlines the unique Australian environment. To understand the concept of sustainability, students need to see the relevance in their lives and chosen career. Therefore care needs to be taken in the choice of topics for assessments such as 1500 word essay; and in this article how these topics are chosen will be discussed. This article will outline the process of topic selection that follows a partnership approach between a lecturer, first year advisor and librarian. Placing such importance, on the sustainability of Australia in first year of such a diverse group of students shows innovation in the higher education sector. These degrees that fall within the School of Environment and Rural Science whose aim it is to save the planet, feed the world.

The evaluation of academic skill support programs presents a number of challenges. Many of these challenges are directly related to the complex interaction of events that determine a student's outcome; and many of these are beyond the scope of learning support. The literature reports a variety of approaches to evaluating academic skill support programs, including user rate, student survey on usefulness and satisfaction, teacher reflection, retention rate, learning approaches and student achievement. ... This roundtable invites discussion about this approach and welcomes input about other approaches currently in use to evaluate academic skills programs targeting first year students.

This paper provides a brief overview of current concerns about the learning needs of tertiary science students and a description of a specific student learning support program aimed at first year science students. The Faculty Mentor Program is an effective amalgamation of a range of learning support approaches. It is student centred, discipline-specific and is delivered via group work and one-to-one contact. Although designed primarily to meet the challenges related to tertiary literacy deficit, qualitative evaluation suggests the program also supports students in the more traditional mentoring areas. It has been effective in assisting in the integration and engagement of students in university life in the important first year of tertiary study.

The issue of persistence, particularly of students in their first year of study, is high on the agenda of Australian universities. While such an interest in the progression of students is not new, the prevailing characteristics of the tertiary sector, for example diminishing resources, increased competition and retention based performance indicators, give prominence to student persistence as a matter of concern. There is, however, a lack of clarity around what persistence means, and a multitude of causal factors have been proposed. It is widely accepted that for many students, balancing differences in their beliefs, norms and expectations and those encountered within tertiary institutions can be difficult, and programs that support the academic and social integration of new students are now commonplace. Despite this, retention rates remain largely unchanged. Perhaps consideration should be given to harnessing the potential of difference rather than simply addressing it.

This paper describes some broad changes in tertiary education in Australia since 1978, and a case study of changes in a Bachelor of Rural Science degree at a regional Australian university. Studies at UNE in 1978 and 1981 showed significant financial difficulties for first year students, and that BRurSc students, compared with BSc students, demonstrated less satisfaction, higher attrition, and more use of surface learning approaches. Information from UNE in 2001 suggests that financial issues are still of major concern, and BRurSc students, when compared to BSc students, demonstrate more satisfaction, lower attrition and no significant difference in learning approach. These relative changes in BRurSc experience have correlated with curriculum changes since 1978, involving reduced work pressures, increased independence, increased relevance, and reduced content. These parallel changes are in accord with current theory of the relationships between the tertiary context, and students learning experiences and learning approaches.

A collaborative approach was used to re-design an early first-year essay type assessment. The aim was to develop a task that encouraged success and confidence through making expectations explicit and by allowing for the development of core skills in information literacy and academic writing.

In 2012, University of Southern Queensland (USQ), Australia, piloted the Student Personalised Academic Road to Success (SPARS) initiative. SPARS is a student-centred framework that offers personalised academic learning support and resources to enhance student success. The framework is underpinned by Chickering & Reisser's (1993) vectors of development and Bronfenbrenner's (1979) integrative ecological approach in development, situated on Tait's (2000) student support framework for open and distance learning (ODL). It further adds a layer of connection to student engagement (Kuh et al, 2007). The framework facilitates a repositioning of student experience by marrying the co-curricular (professional) and curricular (academic) 'places' of learning harnessed by technologies (core learning and student management systems) - three common milieus - that Pascarella and Terenzini (2005) call the interconnections that are more likely to produce a more effective educational experience. SPARS provides a personalised 'place' of learning for all students, across the various phases of the student learning journey, from first inquiry to post graduation. It does this by pulling all relevant academic, administrative and personal resources situated 'outside classrooms' to facilitate students' learning 'inside classrooms'. The analytics of these systems provide affordances for on-going development strategies and reporting. The accompanying proposed assessment framework, (figure 2,) will generate assessment data based on measurable outcomes that consider external and internal priorities for the individual student and the university as a whole. The interconnectedness of different 'places' will position students well in today's world where true power of learning is making sense and use of information.

What is an appropriate structure for reporting a study of the impact of epistemological beliefs and learning environment expectations on persistence, following the interpretive paradigm, and adopting a survey method?

In this project, a collaborative three-way partnership approach to assessment design utilising the combined skill set of a lecturer, librarian and first year learning advisor was taken. The project aimed to design a first year assessment task that encouraged success and confidence by allowing for the development of core skills in information literacy and academic writing whilst maintaining disciplinary standards. Team skills were identified, tasks were negotiated and carried out collaboratively, and the process documented and reflections noted. The agreed-upon key tasks underpinning the success of the new scaffolded design were selective topic selection and careful question formulation to improve student engagement and understanding. The new scaffolded approach to assessment was rewarding for staff, and preliminary student feedback suggests an enhanced learning exercise for students.

UNE has a strong tradition in supporting distance education students. Recognition of the importance of establishing learning communities that extend beyond the university campus to within the students' community has resulted in the introduction of new concepts in student support that aim to create tangible links between the university and past and present students in their local communities. Graduates of UNE have been recruited to two new and innovative programs that increase the level of social and academic support available to DE students. The tUNEin@distance peer support program links students with graduates trained in peer mentoring. The attUNE study skills program is offered in regional Access Centres and is facilitated by local UNE graduates who are qualified and experienced in education. These two innovations to student support are establishing communities of practice in rural NSW and facilitate DE students' integration into the university.