Context The first year of university is a pivotal experience in students’ transition from high school to university, and is strongly influenced by their interactions with their teachers and other students, as well as the content and learning environment of the subjects they study. Universities have acknowledged this by the range of support services and initiatives aimed at assisting students socially and academically. There is also a role for academic schools and departments in transition, as lecturers and tutors are a key point of contact for students in their discipline areas. In mathematics there is often also a significant gap between students’ mathematics education at school and expectations of them at university. The role of the first-year subject and program coordinator in assisting students’ transition from high school to university is an important part of the support structure that universities provide to ensure students succeed. As the numbers of mathematics graduates in Australia continues to decline, it is important that faculties maximise the opportunities to support first-year students and encourage their progress in the discipline.
Academics that coordinate and teach in first year often possess special attributes that give them an affinity for these students’ needs and aspirations. They usually have a significantly different role from the typical teaching and research academic. Their responsibilities include: running large transitional programs for students of varied backgrounds; providing classroom support; designing curriculum and assessment; giving course, careers and general wellbeing advice to students; managing permanent and casual teaching staff; moderation and quality-assurance activities; and team-building and coordination responsibilities. While institutions vary in their staffing approach to these roles, often staff with these responsibilities operate in isolation and have a limited awareness of what is done in other institutions or faculties. The role is typically very busy with limited time for networking or consideration of how the role may be developed.
