Education Focussed (EF) Retreat

The EF Retreat is an annual event held since 2017, that gathers the EF community off site to discuss common goals and challenges, workshop and collaborate on innovative ideas and solutions, participate in interactive sessions centred around educational skills and career development, and to foster deeper personal and professional connections within and across the EF community.

Returning to the picturesque Oaks Cypress Lakes Resort in 2023, 142 UNSW Education Focused (EF) academics gathered for a three-day retreat (6-8 August 2023) aimed at fostering collaboration, innovation, and camaraderie. As the very first EF Retreat in 2017 had been held at this venue, it was a perfect opportunity for reflection on how the EF program has evolved, drawing on the theme From Little Things Big Things Grow, inspired by the iconic Australian song by Kev Carmody and Paul Kelly, that encapsulates growth, resilience, and community.  

The EF Retreat was initiated and is organised by the EF Development team in the portfolio of the Pro Vice Chancellor Education & Student Experience (PVCESE Portfolio).

UNSW Staff can access resources from the 2023 EF Retreat here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

UNSW Education Focussed Retreat Highlights 2023

2023 EF Retreat at a glance

What First-time attendees have said:

AMAZING!! It was my first year so everything was brilliant. Everyone was friendly and knowledgeable, the activities were challenging, clever, and engaging. I loved every minute. Thank you.

Connecting with positive educators from UNSW, stopping to reflect more on how I can improve my teaching, having some really enjoyable conversations with colleagues in different disciplines about their work. What a welcoming group the EF community is. It was a very stimulating and meaningful Retreat ( my first EF Retreat).

Biggest takeaways from the EF Community following the EF Retreat:

How lucky I am to be an EF at UNSW, with feelings of deep inclusion due to the service and  joyousness of the main team, which trickles into every part of the experience. The EF community is imbued with compassion and a genuine interest in collaboration.

A great experience to reflect on teaching practices. Reflection on the idea of community as a dialogue. This ideology helps guide my teaching philosophy and practices.