Deakin University has made a triumphant return to business as usual this week, welcoming domestic and international students to its 2023 Orientation Week.
Deakin’s O-Week kicked off at the Waterfront campus in pre-pandemic style on Monday with a smoking ceremony, free pizza lunch, student clubs out in full force, information sessions, the launch of ABC Radio Geelong and a glitter-themed party that night.
The hubbub of first-year student voices ringing through the halls and courtyards began the process of dispelling the memories of the social and cultural devastation wreaked on university campuses by COVID-19.
Acting Vice-Chancellor, Alfred Deakin Professor Liz Johnson, said seeing the influx of new students from the local area, around the country and abroad was a shot in the arm for Deakin staff.
“It’s an absolute lift; they’re fresh, they’re excited, they’re keen and they’re active,” Professor Johnson said.
“I regularly work with and talk to our student union, Deakin University Student Association (DUSA), and coming into this they were just so excited after having had three years of very sombre commencements.
“In 2022 we opened the campuses again, but people were still reorganising their lives, and there were a lot of pressures on students.
“But this year we’re seeing a lot more enthusiasm about spending time on campus, not just coming to classes, but getting much more of a feel for the vibe, the culture on campus. And that’s lovely for everybody because it really makes the place come alive.”
In her usual role as Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic, Professor Johnson said she focused on “the student journey”, and stressed the importance of students building connections with others from all over Australia and the world at events such as O-Week.
“For students, their first experience of higher education helps to set them up for lifelong learning, so we want that to be as rich as possible,” she said.
“We know lots of learning comes from just interacting with other students, so we want them to be in touch with each other.
“International students are a really important part of our campus; they help our students to think globally, think out and beyond. Those connections build a lot of understanding, and connecting with people globally provides introductions for our students to go out into the world.”
