The Student Representative Council (SRC) is a fantastic way to get involved in the heart and life of Excelsia College’s community. The SRC plays an important role in fostering good communication among students and staff and, more formally, it helps to run campus-wide student-focused programs and events like student cruises and orientations. Both Zoe Sadler and Tihana Vulcik were Presidents of Excelsia College’s SRC committee during their time as students and they both have gone on to serve as valuable staff members at the College. So why should you think about joining?

For Zoe, the SRC enabled her to engage deeper throughout her experience at Excelsia, as well as providing her with opportunities for self-growth. ‘Before being a part of the SRC, I’d never been particularly drawn to representative groups and certainly didn’t see myself as the leader of one. When I was encouraged by a staff member to run for SRC President, I was very hesitant, but it ended up being one of the most rewarding experiences I had as an Excelsia student.’ Zoe learned that there was space and use for every individual skill set and strength. ‘From creative to organisational, analytical to interpersonal, I can speak from experience that you don’t need to be a confidently assertive or extraverted person to contribute, or even to lead! There are so many different types of students, so what is better than seeing them and representing them by having a variety of different types of students on the team.’

A student’s time at Excelsia is about so much more than just the unit content that they study, and being involved in the SRC meant Tihana and Zoe were actively aware of ways to complement and enhance their fellow students’ experience. Zoe shares, ‘It became an absolute joy of mine to be able to love and support the students through both advocating for them and providing time for something on the fun side (which is equally as important, in my eyes). This kind of work and perspective can be transferred to any area of your life, and this has continued in how I approach my work as an Excelsia staff member. The students and their experience are still the core focus of what we do.’ On top of this, both Zoe and Tihana formed connections with staff and students they might not have normally interacted with outside of their Bachelor of Dramatic Art course.

Like Zoe, Tihana found the SRC a good platform to practise and learn leadership skills. ‘As an introvert, I wanted to challenge myself even though the idea of being responsible scared me. At the same time, I really wanted to make the student experience super fun, so that highly motivated me! A great skill I learned to implement was time managing well whilst studying full time, which serves me well in my admin job today at the College. I also got to practise not taking being a leader too seriously so I could enjoy experiences without feeling all the pressure on me. It was nice to be part of a good team where I could also distribute the load and each member was gifted in a specific area.’ Tihana also got to use her creative flair for student events. ‘My favourite events were “Just Dance”, which we put on as a casual way to end the week; it was very popular and requested by students. Seeing students have fun after a full-on week was cathartic, for myself included! This was a big highlight of my time at Excelsia,’ explains Tihana.

Being able to problem-solve and change the student culture one step at a time was also a rewarding by-product of Tihana’s involvement in SRC. ‘As a staff member now, walking through reception and seeing a student receptionist is a small way we changed the culture by bringing up the fact that we should produce student jobs to give jobs to current students. Another small way we changed the culture was to include more plants and greenery, which seems so miniscule, but takes me back to the meetings where we suggested more greenery in the College to bring more life and oxygen into the typical office building!’

If you want to bring your personality to the table, see real changes made to the College and help be part of the collaborative nature of the student body, why not consider signing up for the SRC? With Covid-19 restrictions now over, we are excited to bring more student events and initiatives back to the campus, so now is the BEST TIME to get involved!

If you would like to know more about what is involved, please contact Nicole O’Keeffe at assistant.registrar@excelsia.edu.au. You never know the skills or friendships you will develop!

Excelsia College has received excellent results in the 2021 QILT Student Experience Survey (SES), Australia’s only comprehensive survey of current higher education students, registering scores higher than the national average for undergraduate skills development and teaching quality.

Combined 2020 and 2021 QILT SES data shows that Excelsia College is leading the way in its creative and performing arts courses, rating first for skills development and third for teaching quality among New South Wales (NSW) creative arts undergraduate courses. Joy Chayna, Bachelor of Music alumnus, relished the hands-on experience she gained at Excelsia in front of house roles as well as behind-the-scenes work. ‘Because you’re known by everyone, you can get involved in more unique ways. We got to be stage manager one week or pack down equipment another week and I feel like these tasks encouraged a sense of ownership. You get to do every job at least once … I also got to meet lots of students and, through my assessments, people in the industry, which was super formative not only for being in the industry but also for life.’

Within Excelsia’s School of Education, teacher education students experience a combination of both theoretical and practical learning. This strategy to prepare our students for the classroom has resulted in Excelsia being rated by students as second for skills development among NSW teacher education undergraduate courses and second for teaching quality for NSW teacher education undergraduate courses.

Excelsia’s team of dedicated social work and counselling staff are passionate about providing practical training and industry placements and the latest social work and counselling theory within a supportive Christian environment. As a result, Excelsia is rated second for teaching quality and third for skills development among NSW social work and counselling postgraduate courses. For Master of Counselling alumnus Priyanka Reddy Allu, the course exceeded her expectations, and this was evident when she went for a job interview at a mental health unit. ‘I was able to confidently answer all the questions and that’s when I realised that Excelsia College prepared me so well … I feel complete after doing this course; I’m not lacking anything.’ Priyanka ended up succeeding in getting the job is enjoying fulfilling work, using her skills learnt at Excelsia. As part of their rigorous training, Master of Counselling students are required to undergo 200 hours of counselling and 100 hours of practicum. ‘The last unit students complete is about counselling and their personal experience with clients. I picked up a lot of tricks to compartmentalise and do a lot of self-care as well,’ said Priyanka.

Within Excelsia’s School of Business, 86.3 per cent of postgraduate business students were positive about their skills development, rating above the national average of 78.7 per cent. Similarly, 86.5 per cent of postgraduate business students rated teaching practice positively, rating above the national average of 78.9 per cent.

Excelsia College’s Chief Executive Officer, Peter McKeon, welcomed the results. ‘These figures are reflective of Excelsia’s desire to walk alongside each student on their unique and individual journey; as well as the College’s ongoing commitment to delivering an excellent education to our students.’

If you want to study in an environment that combines real-world skill development with a high-quality teaching experience, why not consider Excelsia College? https://excelsia.edu.au/study/

Sources

Compared. (2022). Excelsia College. https://www.compared.edu.au/institution/excelsia-college/undergraduate  

QILT. (2022). 2021 SES Report Tables. https://www.qilt.edu.au/surveys/student-experience-survey-(ses)

Have you wanted to study and upskill but haven’t had the time or inclination to commit to a three-year or four-year degree? Whether you want to reach career goals, grow your work responsibilities or simply upskill, you can’t go wrong with micro-credentials or short courses. Why not consider one of Excelsia College’s eight short courses? The courses include areas such as counselling, education, disability, aged care, song writing, Christian leadership and social science.

The Graduate Certificate in Classroom and Curriculum Innovation helps teachers to meet the increasingly diverse needs of students and find opportunities for pedagogical and curriculum innovation. Upon completion of the course, graduates can become future education leaders, promoting positive change in their skills and classrooms. They can use this course to enter postgraduate studies such as Excelsia’s Master of Education (Primary) or Master of Education (Secondary). The short course can be completed within six months of full-time online study.

The Graduate Certificate in Counselling provides a taster to students considering whether to continue further studies in counselling, developing core counselling skills, and covering ethics of counselling and how relational dynamics function in personal and professional contexts. Educators, nurses, those involved in ministry and other care-based professions may also find this counselling knowledge helpful in extending their current relational skill set. The short course can be completed within six months of full-time study.

The Graduate Certificate in Disability provides students with contemporary case-management and person-centered approaches to service delivery, framed within the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) practice standards and quality indicators. Relevant prior knowledge is required including subjects of psychology, social work, education and health sciences. The short course can be completed online within six months of full-time or one year of part-time study.

The Graduate Certificate in Aged Care addresses the demand for the industry and the need for high quality leaders and managers within residential and community-based agencies. By 2060, the number of Australians over the age of 75 is estimated to rise to four million. Prior knowledge for this course is required, including degrees that cover subjects in human services, psychology, social work, or education. This short course can be completed online within six months of full-time or one year of part-time study.

The Graduate Certificate in Educational Studies allows students to explore the foundations of education, the function of schools and schooling and responsibilities of classroom teachers. It’s a helpful overview of education, pedagogy, curriculum, assessment and diverse classrooms and whilst it doesn’t qualify graduates to teach, it can lead to further studies in the Master of Teaching program. This short course can be completed within six months of full-time study.

The Undergraduate Certificate in Song Writing helps students with a singer/worship or songwriter background broaden their technical skills and theoretical knowledge and graduate from the course with a high quality, self-recorded demo of original songs. This course can be completed within six months of full-time study.

The Graduate Certificate in Christian Leadership is a blend of business, theology, and professional leadership from a Christian world view. Studying at a College that is grounded in Christian values sets Excelsia apart from secular universities and colleges that provide generic leadership and care-based courses. This short course can be completed within six months of full-time or one year of part-time study.

The Graduate Certificate in Social Science can be used as a bridging course to the Master of Social Work (Qualifying) program, provided students have at least six months of full-time studies in social and behavioural sciences areas. Students are introduced to sociological and psychological theories, social and political institutions in Australia, and critical thinking and reflection in social work. This short course can be completed within six months of full-time study.

If you’re interested in undertaking a short course at Excelsia College to develop in your career or challenge yourself, why not enquire with us today? Visit https://excelsia.edu.au/