ALSA Education Showcase

ALSA Education Showcase
Access the report at: http://uqls.com/?p=6474

Education Report 2013 Education Board Survey of Students Survey Monkey Emailed by Law School 350 responses Group of Eight comparisons Internal data on Honours and GPAs

Key Issues Courses & Electives Honours Teaching & Learning Assessment Practical Legal Skills

Electives & Compulsory Courses

Key Recommendations Offer a selection of law electives during summer semester Increase the diversity of law electives Increase the number of elective law courses within the LLB program by two and decrease the number of compulsory law courses by two, so that the number of elective law courses students can undertake is eight; a number that is not to include any law courses required for legal admission.

Summer Semester UQ has no coursework subjects over summer and is falling behind other Go8 universities.

Students were strongly in favour of summer courses

Elective Diversity Students are dissatisfied with diversity.

Law Electives offered at Go8 Universities’ Law Schools in 2013

Elective-Compulsory Balance Again, students dissatisfied with balance Two less compulsory, two more elective courses UQ fails to meet balance attained by other Go8 universities:

Honours

Key Recommendations The Law School take steps to advise students of the current honours system, keep them abreast of proposed changes to the system and allow for regular updates as to how the system operates. The Law School, where possible, seek to encourage and facilitate student input into the process of implementing changes to the Honours system in line with the AQF. Adopt a policy of transparency aimed at ensuring students are aware of the changes, what those changes will mean, and that no students are disadvantaged by any changes to the system. The Law School should seek to remedy the current comparatively low number of first class honours recipients. A new method of calculation should be adopted in the interim aimed at bringing the number of first class honours recipients in-line with other universities with a no disadvantage policy.

Understanding of Honours Requirements

Response to Preferences as to New Methods of Honours Calculation Stand alone research course counted as an elective, requiring a research paper Larger elements of assessment embedded into current courses A number of assessment pieces spread across a range of courses which were cumulatively counted toward honours ‘Other’ methods submitted by students

What do you think is more important to gaining employment: graduating with Honours or your exit GPA?

Percentage of Students Awarded First Class Honours

Percentage of First Class Honours at Go8 Universities

Take-Away LSS’s and ALSA should lobby to ensure that: There are comparable law electives being offered across universities in terms of quantity and diversity. Course requirements are similar; and that compulsory versus elective courses percentages are consistent. Honours systems are fair and turn out comparable numbers. If new Honours systems are implemented: updates, consultation with student body, no disadvantage policies.

ALSA Education Showcase