CHENALI AMARATUNGA, Future Students Advisor, Victoria University

Hello everyone. Welcome to the pathways to law courses at VU. My name is Chenali and I'm a Future Students Advisor at Victoria University.

In this webinar, we will be talking to you about the possible pathway options from Victoria University Polytechnic to Victoria University for this course.

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Pathways to Law courses at VU

CHENALI

And joining us is Diana Rector, Pathways Coordinator for Admissions, Dr. Lydia Xynas, Deputy Dean and Director of Learning and Teaching for the College of Law and Justice. And Scott Murray, Manager Pathways and Retention at Victoria University.

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Meet your panel

  • Diana Rector, Pathways Coordinator - Admissions
  • Dr Lidia Xynas, Deputy Dean / Director of Learning and Teaching - College of Law and Justice
  • Scott Murray, Manager Pathways and Retention at Victoria University.

CHENALI

Before we start, I would like to acknowledge my country and pay my respects to the custodians of the land we live, work and study on today. And I would also like to pay my respect to the elders, past, present and emerging.

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Acknowledgement of Country

CHENALI

So as a student who's completing or already completed a program at VU Polytechnic, why transfer to university? There's a few reasons. You would have an easier transition to university from TAFE where you can enhance and expand your scope of knowledge. You also have a wider range of career options and would be able to get your degree in a shorter period of time as you will be granted credits for your previous study. This also means you'll finish off with two qualifications. And most importantly, you'll be studying in our award-winning block model.

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Why transfer to university?

  • Easy transition to university from TAFE
  • Enhance and expand your learning
  • Wider range or career opportunities
  • Obtain a degree in a shorter period of time with credits
  • Two qualifications
  • Victoria University Block Model.

CHENALI

At Victoria University, we have revolutionised tertiary education with our award-winning block model. The block model allows students to focus on one subject at a time, rather than juggling multiple subjects over a six-month period, like at other universities. And is offered to students in all years of our undergraduate degree. With the VU Block Model, you'd be fully focused on each subject. If you are fascinated by one particular subject, you can immerse yourself in it and enjoy all that subject has to offer. And if you don't enjoy it, you will be pleased to have it finished in only four weeks without having to wait until the end of the semester to know your result. Up next is a brief video to show what your year is going to look like while studying under the block model at Victoria University.

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VU Block Model

The first university delivering undergraduate degrees using a block model of teaching.

  • 1 subject at a time
  • 87% pass rate^
  • 40% distinction or above^
  • Under 35 students in a class
  • Results within 3 days

[THE VU BLOCK MODEL VIDEO PLAYS]

INSTRUCTOR

We've been teaching the same way for hundreds of years now but the world around us has changed and along with it, employer and industry needs. So at VU, we changed the way you learn with our Australian first VU Block Model.

Traditionally, you juggle the demands and deadlines of four units at once.

Instead, the VU Block Model has you focus on one unit at a time.

Each semester will be broken into four blocks which run for four weeks.

You focus on one unit in each block completing all your assessments before moving on to the next.

So instead of this

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Traditional university, with a diagram showing 4 units running at the same time each semester.

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the VU Block Model looks like this

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The diagram shows VU Block model with 1 unit following the other each semester.

INSTRUCTOR

VU Block Model gives you greater focus by studying just one unit at a time in smaller more collaborative classes and provides flexible study options to suit your lifestyle.

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Improved student success

INSTRUCTOR

With the introduction of Block Model, students success is soaring.

More students are passing first year and second year too

and over 40% of students are now enjoying grades at or above distinction levels.

VU students more engaged and satisfied with their uni experience.

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Pass rate 13% up arrow first year

Pass rate 90% up arrow second year

40% distinction level

82.2% overall student experience

INSTRUCTOR

Employers have also noticed the difference ranking VU graduates in the top 10 of more than 40 universities for work readiness.

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Top 10 for work readiness

INSTRUCTOR

And more than 90% of graduates are ranked highly for employability.

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90% ranked highly

INSTRUCTOR

So when you study with the VU Block Model, you know it's proven to give you the support and skills you need to succeed.

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Graphic of an employment contract and signature shown on screen

THE NEW WAY TO DO UNI

VU logo

(this video is shown on the VU Block Model page)

CHENALI

Once you successfully complete your diploma you may be eligible for a guaranteed pathway to the mentioned bachelor-level courses at Victoria University. What it means by a guaranteed pathway is that you have a confirmed entry to a course once you meet all the admissions criteria stated in the conditional offer letter. As you can see, there are a number of different pathway courses, which are being offered. Once you complete an Advance Diploma of Legal Practice, you may be eligible for the listed credits once you transition into the Bachelor of Laws, or the Bachelor of Legal Services, or the below double degrees, which are the Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Arts, or the Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Business. Or the Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Psychological Studies.

There also is an option where you can transition to the bachelor degrees upon completing the foundations at VU. Certain bachelor degrees might also have additional admissions criteria to be met, which will be listed on the course web page. I would now like to hand over to Diana, who is the Pathways Coordinator for Admissions, to talk to you about the admissions process relating to pathways.

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Your pathway to university

[TABLE]

Pathway course (Code, Credit):

  • Advanced Diploma of Legal Practice (22565VIC)

VU course:

  • Bachelor of Laws (BLAW, 72)
  • Bachelor of Legal Services (LBLS, 84)
  • Bachelor of Laws/Bachelor of Arts (LBLA, 72)
  • Bachelor of Laws/Bachelor of Business (LBWB, 72)
  • Bachelor of Laws/Bachelor of Psychological Studies (LBWP, 72)
  • Bachelor of Laws/Bachelor of Criminology (LBLC, 72)
  • Foundations at VU (JYAC, 0)

*Please refer to the VU and VUP course pages on the website for additional information

DIANA RECTOR, Pathways Coordinator – Admissions

Thank you Chenali.

So what is a conditional offer? A pathway conditional offer means you have a guaranteed place into an eligible pathway course upon successfully completing your current course and meeting any additional admissions criteria that may be required for the course. So what is the conditional offer process?

New conditional offers currently go out twice a year, in approximately May and October. At the same time as new offers are sent, acknowledgement emails are also sent to those that are previously accepted their pathway conditional offer. These emails are sent to your student email account. Information regarding next steps in the pathway process are also provided in both emails. I'm now going to talk a little bit about the full offer process.

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Admissions – pathways

What is a conditional offer?

  • A pathway conditional offer means you have a guaranteed place (and in some cases with advanced standing) upon:
    • successfully completing your current course
    • meeting any additional admissions criteria for the higher education course (if required).

Conditional Offer process

  • New offers sent – twice a year.
  • Accepted offer acknowledgements sent – twice a year.
  • Once offer accepted:
    • completion in your current course is monitored
    • additional entry requirements for the higher education course are validated (if required).

DIANA

Once successful completion in your current course is confirmed, we process your offer as well as the eligible advanced standing. From there, you will be sent your ‘Enrol now’ email with your full offer into the Bachelor for the next available admissions intake.

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Admissions – pathways

Full offer process

Once completion and any additional entry requirements are confirmed:

  • the offer is processed
  • eligible advanced standing is processed
  • full offer ‘Enrol in your Pathway course’ email into the Bachelor is sent for the next available admissions intake.

DIANA

To enrol into the Bachelor, you need to simply follow the prompts within the email, log into your, MyVU portal, accept the full offer and enrol into available units. Please be aware that students receive pathway full offer emails at different stages as successful completion is confirmed and pathway full offers are made right up until classes commence for each intake period.

If you ever have any questions about your pathway full or conditional offer, please email Pathways. And we're always happy to answer your questions.

Thank you Chenali.

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ENROLLING INTO A HIGHER EDUCATION COURSE

Follow the prompts within the email:

  • log into your MyVU portal
  • accept the offer
  • enrol into available units.

MORE INFORMATION?

Email: [email protected].

CHENALI

Thank you, Diana. I would now like to hand over to Dr. Lidia Xynas, the Deputy Dean and Director of Learning and Teaching for the College of Law and Justice to speak to you about industry insights and a bit more about this course.

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Dr Lidia Xynas, Deputy Dean / Director of Learning and Teaching - College of Law and Justice

LIDIA XYNAS

Hello, everyone. I'm here to talk about the Bachelor of Laws and also the Bachelor of Legal Services and the pathways into those bachelor degrees. In particular, the Bachelor of Laws will provide you with units of study that cover what we call the Priestley 11 units, which are required to be completed so that you can go on and complete the academic requirements for you to be admitted as an Australian lawyer.

Now, these units will cover things like real property law, commercial law, company law, equity and trusts, evidence and even criminal law. So once you complete those types of units, you also have an opportunity to undertake what we call the electives and this is where it gets very interesting. Students can undertake study in human rights law, in taxation law, in wills and estates, in privacy and media law and we also have a number of practically based units, which are very helpful for students when they're entering into their law careers. So advocacy and interviewing skills, legal writing and drafting are just some of the practical units.

Most interesting is that we now require students to undertake placement units and so here we actually have a placements officer who works with us in the college to assist students to get internships and this will set our law students apart from other law students from other law schools because we actually have students that will graduate with actual practical experience in the field. This is an advantage that we have. Mind you, we are centrally located also in the city legal precinct. So we are just across the road from the Children's Court. Around the corner, you'll find the Supreme Courts and also the County Courts and the Magistrates' Courts and we have placement opportunities with all of these courts, assisting lawyers and also barristers in their chambers.

What sort of employment opportunities will you have with a law degree? The world is your oyster. You will be able to practise either in commercial law or in human rights law or go on and undertake a Bar Readers' course and become a barrister where you can actually demonstrate the advocacy skills that you've gained in your law degree. You can also work in house in a law firm or perhaps in a company, in a large commercial company or even in banks. With respect to the Bachelor of Legal Services, this too is a degree designed for those students who are interested in the law but perhaps do not wish to go on to be a lawyer. You might be interested in other areas that are connected with the law. So for example, legal secretaries, legal placement officers working in the community legal centres, working in corrections or even working for the government and perhaps companies and organisations like ASIO or the ATO or ASIC as well. So you can have very long careers with these types of bachelor degrees ahead of you and I do encourage you to have a look at the additional information that is available in the VU portal website.

Thank you, Chenali.

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Industry insights:

  • scope of employment
  • career advancement
  • earning potential
  • job options
  • international employment
  • career longevity.

CHENALI

Thank you, Lidia. Last but not least, I would like to hand over to Scott who is a Manager, Pathways and Retention to speak to you about VU Employ and opportunities at VU.

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Scott Murray, Manager – Pathways and Retention

SCOTT MURRAY

Thanks very much Chenali.

One of the key services that we offer at VU, which will help many different pathway student decide on whether or not to take up their pathway opportunity is VU Employ. VU Employ is our careers service and we offer career advice through email, consultations, one-on-one appointments with a qualified careers consultant, a range of different resources, including the VU Employ Collaborate space, Careers Toolkit and the VU Employ Career Directory, a range of different programs offered throughout the year, including Talent Connect Mentoring, Beyond VU and GVIP, as well as a huge calendar of events, including fairs and expos, industry events and a range of different workshops.

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VU Employ services

  • Career advice – email support
  • Consultations – career chats (15 minutes via phone), career counselling (45 minutes via Zoom)
  • Resources – VU Employ Collaborate, Career toolkit, VU Employ career directory
  • Programs – Talent Connect Mentoring, Beyond VU, GVIP
  • Events – career fairs and expos, industry events, workshops.

SCOTT

VU Employ can help you with the decision-making in transitioning to higher education and what you need to consider. We can assist you in identifying values, skills, interests and personal situation when deciding what it is that you want to study. Work with you in exploring the different course options that are available. Provide the tools to research whether or not the study path will lead to strong job opportunities after graduation or beyond. And explore the different job opportunities available after you complete your HE degree.

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VU Employ can:

  • help you with the decision-making and transitioning to higher education study and what you need to consider
  • assist you in identifying values, skills, interests, and the personal situation when deciding what to study
  • work with you in exploring the course options available
  • provide the tools to research whether the study path will lead to strong job opportunities after graduation
  • explore those job opportunities available to you after you complete your HE degree.

SCOTT

This is one of many different opportunities available to VU students. These include VU Learning Hub, which is staffed by a dedicated team of staff and student mentors. The study abroad program, financial advice, VU Vollies, which is our volunteer program, student mentors in the library, leadership opportunities, wellness and counselling services, as well as huge range of different student clubs and societies.

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Opportunities at University:

  • VU Learning Hub
  • study abroad
  • financial advice
  • VU Vollies
  • student mentors in library
  • leadership opportunities
  • wellness counselling
  • student clubs.

SCOTT

If you have any questions about anything that we've spoken about today, for admissions information, you can email [email protected]. For specific course information, contact [email protected] and if you'd like to book a one-on-one appointment with a careers consultant, you can simply email [email protected]. We'd like to thank you very much for listening to this webinar.

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Questions

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Victoria University