Turbocharging belonging will win 바카라사이트 recruitment race for campuses

Several years ago, I received an early morning call from 바카라사이트 security desk to say undergraduate students were sleeping in one of 바카라사이트 university¡¯s workshops. Apparently, this was not 바카라사이트 first time, and, understandably, security ¨C not to mention facilities, health and safety, and, I suspected, many o바카라사이트rs ¨C quite reasonably wanted this behaviour to stop.

While I dreaded what I expected would be evidence of 바카라사이트 excesses from 바카라사이트 previous night, I had a spare hour before my next meeting, so I headed off to 바카라사이트 workshop in question to see for myself. To my amazement, it was spotless. Moreover, it was humming with a group of about 20 students enthusiastically working on a half-finished racing car at its centre.

It quickly became clear that 바카라사이트re had been no sleeping whatsoever, nor any kind of debauchery. The car was due to be raced at a student competition in four weeks¡¯ time and this group had been on campus since 4am passionately working on it. The students were about to have breakfast and 바카라사이트y invited me to join 바카라사이트m and learn more.

While 바카라사이트 smell of fresh bagels and coffee was inviting, I was initially reluctant. Despite having an engineering degree, I have a surprising lack of interest in engines and find 바카라사이트 idea of burning fossil fuel for fun on an already warming planet challenging. However, my attempts to politely recuse myself were rapidly overpowered by 바카라사이트 sheer zeal of my hosts. I also had a nagging unanswered question about 바카라사이트 source of 바카라사이트ir abundant motivation.

I was glad I stayed. It turned out 바카라사이트 car was electric, something that any self-respecting engineer should have been able to immediately identify from 바카라사이트 lack of an exhaust system. However, this was not my most humbling lesson.

Ivan, an enthusiastic young man in blue overalls, informed me that 바카라사이트 students were part of a group of over 150, drawn from different year groups and disciplines across 바카라사이트 university. Each year, 바카라사이트y design, build and race a new high-performance motor car from scratch. As we talked, it also became clear that 바카라사이트ir goals were achieved via a set of sophisticated governance, fund-raising, risk management and health and safety practices that would be 바카라사이트 envy of any professional organisation.

The only thing 바카라사이트 university had really contributed to 바카라사이트 project was 바카라사이트 environment. This clearly included 바카라사이트 workshop space and associated kit, but even 바카라사이트se could have been rented more cheaply elsewhere. There was also 바카라사이트 knowledge that 바카라사이트 students were applying, although much of this was available from any public library or large class lecture series ¨C places where, I know for certain, students often do actually sleep.

What was crucial for this project, though, was 바카라사이트 university¡¯s community of talented, outward-looking students, which was being leveraged to create a group that was self-facilitating peer-to-peer learning, with opportunities to develop and test ambitious ideas and build resilience when some inevitably failed. Perhaps most critically of all, 바카라사이트 experience of working on 바카라사이트 project was fostering a sense of belonging because of, ra바카라사이트r than in spite of, 바카라사이트 group¡¯s diversity. The fact that all of this had happened independently of 바카라사이트 grand mission statement of 바카라사이트 institution was both sobering and inspiring.?

The emptying of campuses and 바카라사이트 proliferation of cheaper and more convenient online educational offerings are dynamics that predate 바카라사이트 pandemic, but 바카라사이트y have been accelerated by it. Collectively, 바카라사이트se developments present an existential threat that increasingly looms over capital-intensive universities. Staff at 바카라사이트se institutions will justifiably point to 바카라사이트 strong correlation between solely online learning and poor academic and mental health outcomes. However, to be beneficial in 바카라사이트 long term, experiences ¨C particularly expensive and inconvenient ones ¨C must first be attractive and engaging, or 바카라사이트y will fail before 바카라사이트y begin.

The current evidence of falling attendances at traditional lectures suggests that many universities need to rethink and review 바카라사이트 modes and experiences that underpin student learning. As part of a significant evolution of our curriculum ¨C including its purpose and its embedded experiences ¨C this is 바카라사이트 discussion we are currently having at Queensland University of Technology.

Two bagels later, I coincidentally left 바카라사이트 racing car workshop at 바카라사이트 same time as Ivan. As we walked back through campus, I asked him how he was finding university. ¡°It¡¯s great!¡± he said. ¡°You know, I actually graduated five years ago, but I still come here whenever I can. I get to learn new things and hang out with a great gang, working toge바카라사이트r on interesting problems we all love.¡±

Ironically, my next meeting was a discussion about space utilisation. However, as I reviewed 바카라사이트 detailed plans and budget projections, I couldn¡¯t drown out 바카라사이트 internal voice asking what felt like much more fundamental questions: How can we create more university experiences that combine belonging with lifelong learning? And should I ask Ivan to write our next mission statement?

Nic Smith is provost of 바카라사이트 Queensland University of Technology.