Office of Marketing and Communications
Attachment 7
Communication Plan for Higher Education Reforms
Contents
1.
Background ......................................................................................................... 2
2.
Strategy ............................................................................................................... 2
3.
Tactical approach ................................................................................................ 2
4.
Key audiences ..................................................................................................... 3
5.
Key messages ...................................................................................................... 3
6.
Key documents, publications and websites ........................................................ 4
7.
Table summary……………………………………………………...…………..6
February 12, 2016
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1. Background
The Commonwealth Government’s Backing Australia’s Future policy has brought about
far-reaching legislative and administrative changes to universities and their students,
most of which takes effect for universities in the latter half of 2004 and for students, from
2005. UQ’s Communication and Change Management working party is charged with
developing a communication plan for internal and external stakeholders. Its members are
Colleen Clur - OMC Director (chair), Lisa Gaffney - Dean of Students, Kim Lamb –
Senior Manager, Academic Administration and SASD Web Administrator, Anne
Gilmore – Analyst, Higher Education Reforms Implementation Project. Faculty, campus
and other staff will be invited to join the working party if needed.
2. Strategy
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UQ is committed to open communication with students, prospective students and the
wider community on far-reaching changes in higher education
The changes are a consequence of Commonwealth Government policy and law
changes and especially with regard to the decision to increase student fees, UQ will
point to the Government for adopting a partial user-pays system.
UQ will explain its position and continue to emphasise the quality of teaching and
learning at Queensland’s premier institution.
Information should be confined to documents approved at a corporate level, eg,
websites, Open Day program, Enrolment Guide. Faculties should avoid developing
additional or conflicting material in their offer material per program, and rather refer
to the Enrolment Guide.
3. Tactical approach
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UQ will be available to answer media inquiries – most calls will be fielded by the
Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor Paul Greenfield. All media calls must be
directed through the Office of Marketing and Communications.
Making useful and straight-forward information available to students, prospective
students and influencer groups through a variety of communication media, including
relevant publications, web material and face-to-face briefings.
The peak student recruitment activity occurs around TSXPO and Open Days –
relevant materials and briefings will be prepared for these events.
UQ staff who regularly interact with students and prospective students will be
provided with training material and information to enable them to deal with student
inquiries.
February 12, 2016
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In addition, all UQ staff will be given briefings on the activities of the HER Steering
Committee and taskforces via communications arranged by the Communications
taskforce.
4. Key audiences
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General and academic staff
UQ students
Prospective UQ students
Key influencers, especially schools and guidance officers
Media (Note a separate media communication plan has already been developed and
many parts of the plan subsequently executed.)
General community, including parents and families of students/prospective students
5. Key messages
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The Commonwealth Government has initiated comprehensive change of the higher
education sector.
Most of the changes affect students commencing study for the first time in 2005.
UQ, like other universities, is required to manage many administrative changes which
the Commonwealth Government has ordered.
For eligible Commonwealth undergraduate students, HECS-HELP replaces HECS,
but as with the previous scheme, students can defer upfront fees and begin repaying
HECS-HELP loans after they earn above $36,000.
Only Australian citizens and holders of permanent humanitarian visas qualify for
HECS-HELP, FEE-HELP (for full-fee-paying students) and OS-HELP (for students
wishing to study overseas).
All UQ undergraduate courses will be open to full-fee-paying students from 2005,
with the cut-off OP score a maximum of two OP bands below that for
Commonwealth-supported students
A range of new Commonwealth learning scholarships, for education costs, or
accommodation costs, will be offered by UQ each year for high academic achievers
who also experience financial hardship
UQ will be offering a range of additional undergraduate scholarships in 2005 on the
basis of merit to those experiencing financial disadvantage and to high achievers.
UQ, like many other Australian universities including the major Brisbane institutions,
has reluctantly decided to increase student contribution fees. This has occurred
because the Commonwealth Government has opted for a partial user-pays system to
address the underfunding of Australian universities.
UQ would have preferred not to have increased fees, and believes the Government
should provide greater funding for universities.
February 12, 2016
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6. Key documents, publications, powerpoints and websites
Documents
A number of basic documents will form the basis of text to be displayed in publications,
websites, and for use in presentations. The basic topics to be covered are:
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Domestic undergraduate students - changes to Commonwealth supported
place fee regime, including introduction to HECS-HELP and that it applies
only to Australians and holders of permanent humanitarian visas.
Implications for New Zealand citizens and permanent residents who are still
eligible for Commonwealth supported places but not for HECS-HELP.
Full-fee students and FEE-HELP scheme.
Student contribution fee increase, why it is needed and what money will be
spent on
New Commonwealth Learning Scholarships
New UQ scholarships
Seven-year learning entitlements
Details about HECS-HELP
Details about FEE-HELP
Details about OS-HELP
Current students, especially covering HECS (no change for most); changes to
upfront discount from 15 percent to 10 percent
Rule changes and fee changes
Pre-2005 undergraduate students transferring to UQ or changing courses –
likely all will have to apply through QTAC (to be confirmed)
(Other documents to follow)
Publications
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Copy for Open Day program
FAQs copy for website (to be printed out for Open Days)
OS Help application forms
Rule changes and fee changes document
Enrolment guide
(Other publications to follow)
Powerpoints
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Powerpoint summary for TSXPO briefing session
Powerpoint more detailed explanation for Open Days training sessions
February 12, 2016
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Websites
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2005 Information (latest information promoted on homepage – links to page in
Programs and Courses site): All documents can be uploaded to this site
myAdvisor (various updates)
Guidance officer site – used HER-Guidance_officer copy
Fees wizard module
February 12, 2016
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7. Table summary
Deadline/
completed
Responsible
people
30 June
CC/AG
* Develop HER website to ensure
it is usable; (site designed by OMC
Corporate Web Services team)
Members of HER
groups and other
UQ staff
HER website
1 July
CC/AG
* Announce launch of what is
happening with Higher Ed reforms
and working parties; also announce
communications strategy for HER;
* Invite subscribers to join email
list;
* Provide info about new website
HER members; all
UQ staff
End June
CC/LG/A
G/MB
*Complete document for
prospective students for use in
Open Day program; use document
for prospective students on 2005
information websie;
* Develop Open Day Powerpoint
presentation (CC to provide text to
LG who will liaise with MB);
* Develop FAQs for website –
input from AG and MB;
Prospective
students; Parents;
schools (esp
guidance officers);
current students;
HER members
email ACTION
AG; UQ Update
email; SASD
Weekly email
list; Staff Portal
listing; ACTION
CC
2005 information
in Study at UQ
website; Open
Day program;
Powerpoint
presentation –
ACTION CC
AND LG
30 June
LG/AG
Academic and
admin staff
Email to relevant
staff and UQ
Update notice –
meeting to be
convened by LG
– ACTION LG
28 July
LG/MB/A
G/
*Initial briefing to explain latest
developments to UQ staff
attending TSXPO and Open Day,
including HER reforms (AG will
do presentation); participants will
be informed of further briefing on
28 July where more information
and FAQ documents will be
available
*Arrange follow-up briefing with
relevant staff especially those
attending Open Days; (LG to
organise - MB and AG to address
groups – CC to provide text to MB
for powerpoint) – important
preparation for Open Days.
Email groups;
HER website
announcements;
UQ Update
announcements;
convene meetings
– ACTION LG
July - TBC
AG
Training details for UQ staff - AG
to involve Sue Small from TEDI
DETAILS TBC
17-18 July
(TSXPO)
LG/AG/C
C
UQ Open Day program to be
distributed at TSXPO; FAQs for
Academic advisers;
Faculty office staff
who interact with
students;
Scholarship
administration staff
and advisers; FEOs
and marketing
officers
Academic Board;
Student
administration
managers; Directors
of Studies; Faculty
board members
(meetings) School
staff members
Prospective
students; parents of
February 12, 2016
What messages
communicated
Target audiences
Communication
media
Email to relevant
groups; arrange
forums –
ACTION AG
UQ Open Day
program; printed
6
7. Table summary
Deadline/
completed
Responsible
people
What messages
communicated
Target audiences
website to be printed out for
TSXPO (CC to write for web; LG
to action copies of web printouts)
prospective
students; guidance
officers; current and
changing students
School guidance
officers (St Lucia)
LG to liaise with
Ipswich and Gatton
re guidance officer
needs.
Prospective
students; current
students; parents;
guidance officers
Guidance officers
Communication
media
FAQs –
ACTION CC
AND LG
10
September
at UQ
Centre
LG/MB/C
C
*Explain changes to school
guidance officers; FAQs to be
provided - printed from website
(LG to action copies of web
printouts)
2 July
CC/LG/A
G
Mid-July
LG
Late July
AG/LG/C
C/KL
Update 2005 information website
in Study at UQ site – CC to
improve presence of HER reforms
on UQ homepage
Update and explain changes to
Guidance officer page in Study at
UQ site – link to 2005 information
site?
Communication to current students
about implications of changes – ie,
HECS to stay same; changing
programs via QTAC (tbc); up-front
discount drops from 25 to 10 %;
new threshold for repayments of
HECS debt
August
(Open
Days:
August 1 –
St Lucia;
August 15 –
Ipswich;
August 22 Gatton
August
AG/LG/C
C/MB
*Explain changes at St Lucia
special forum (MB to address)
provide FAQs from web – LG to
arrange printouts
Prospective
students; parents;
current students
Forum at St Lucia
Open Days;
FAQs; ACTION
LG
OS HELP application form must
contain HER
Prospective and
current students
Publication and
website –
ACTION AG
September
KL/AG/K
W from
HELP
working
party
KL
Complete all changes in
my.Advisor
My.Advisor site –
ACTION KL
1
September
HELP
WP/AG
Provide calculating module – fees
wizard- for fees on website; TB in
OMC webservices can assist ;
STILL TO BE DETERMINED:
WHICH UQ SITE TO HOUSE
Prospective
students; current
students
Prospective
students; parents;
current students
February 12, 2016
Current students
and changing
students from other
institutions
Email; letter or
phone calls
Special meetings
to be held at UQ
CentreACTION LG
2005 information
website in Study
at UQ; ACTION
CC
Guidance officers
website in Study
at UQ; ACTION
LG
Student portal
notice and student
email; 2005
information
website in Study
at UQ ACTION
CC/LG;
my.Advisor;
special briefing
during mid-year
Orientation –
ACTION KL
Module for
calculating on
relevant websites.
ACTION AG
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7. Table summary
Deadline/
completed
Responsible
people
What messages
communicated
Target audiences
Communication
media
THIS MODULE
Extract
taken
September;
final
deadline
November
October
KL
Rule changes and fee changes
document explained; recoding of
courses needed
Prospective
students; parents;
current students
Publication of
handbook and CD
– ACTION KL
KL
Enrolment Guide to explain HER
changes – NOTE THIS
INFORMATION SHOULD
NOT BE CONTAINED IN
FACULTY OFFER
INFORMATION
Prospective
students; parents
Print publication
as part of offer
material and
update on UQ
website –
ACTION KL
February 12, 2016
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