LEARNING & TEACHING

Sessional teachers are all those members of UNSW staff not in tenured or permanent positions including tutors, casual lecturers, demonstrators, clinical tutors, and people external to the university from the professions or industry. They might teach sessionally through choice because of other work or family commitments, or sessional teaching may be a stepping stone to other forms of academic employment.

Learning & Teaching @ UNSW has developed an online resource designed specifically to meet the needs of its sessional teaching staff. The site contains orientation information for new sessional teachers, and a comprehensive range of learning and teaching support material. It also includes a section for those who manage sessional teaching staff, providing a guide to their key responsibilities, as well as useful strategies, resources and links.

The following resources and activities relate to the support, management and practices of sessional teaching.

There is a standard policy for all Schools and Faculties to follow when developing their own strategies for the recruitment, employment, integration and recognition of their sessional teachers. This is outlined in the UNSW Sessional Teaching Staff Strategic Action Plan. You may also be interested in reading the latest report on the progress of implementation of the Sessional Teaching Staff Strategic Action Plan, submitted to the Committee on Education in February 2006.

As part of the implementation process, schools have identified sessional staff co-ordinators as a central point of contact and support

Learning & Teaching @ UNSW offers ongoing consultative support in the implementation of the UNSW Sessional Teaching Staff Strategic Action Plan (eg consultation with Heads of Schools about facilitating sessional teaching staff workshop development).

Learning & Teaching @ UNSW is currently planning workshops to support course coordinators in the management of their sessional teachers.

A series of three workshops aimed at providing professional development in learning and teaching practices for sessional teachers, particularly those teaching first year classes.

 

A series of three workshops designed to offer learning and teaching development for all sessional teaching staff in the Faculty, as well as covering some School and Faculty orientation information.

Principles of Tutoring is a series of three workshops run by the Education Development Unit (EDU) to provide support and professional development opportunities in learning and teaching practices for tutoring staff.

The Australian School of Busness at UNSW offers support and professional development in learning and teaching for sessional staff.

A three hour workshop introducing key learning and teaching principles and practices.

The Faculty of the Built Environment offers a series of four workshops incorporating induction into the School and Faculty, and professional development in learning and teaching practices.

The Faculty of the Built Environment has developed an online orientation resource designed specifically for new sessional teaching staff.

The College of Fine Arts offers a series of four workshops incorporating induction into the Schools and Faculty, and professional development in learning and teaching practices.

The Faculty of Engineering offers a four-hour introductory workshop to provide support for new tutors and lab demonstrators.

The School of Mathematics offers support for tutors including learning and teaching training, mentoring and peer observation and feedback.

Through the Office of Medical Education the Faculty of Medicine offers targeted orientation sessions and training workshops for staff taking on specific roles in the new medicine program.