Enhancing Opportunities for College Cooperation

St Paul’s College and The Women’s College within the University of Sydney are working closely on increased practical cooperation between the colleges to further improve the all-round educational experience of students in both colleges.

For over 125 years, the two colleges have been partners in collegiate education for all their students.

This partnership is evident in many ways, including in academic, co-curricular, and social interaction and cooperation between the colleges, their students and staff. For example, some students of each college informally share tutorials, perform in each other’s dramatic and choral performances, take part together in community service initiatives, and share various social activities.

We are convinced that the experience of our students will benefit from further practical cooperation. Amongst other things, this will take advantage of the new world-class facilities in both colleges – especially The Sibyl Centre at The Women’s College, and the Ivan Head and Graduate House buildings at St Paul’s College.

To deepen this partnership and practical cooperation, the two colleges:

• are working on more targeted cooperation in their academic programs, including more actively promoting tutorials in each college to students in both colleges (including with up-to-date tutorial programs accessible online), working towards a fully shared tutorial program;
• will share various student and staff leadership training activities (for example, workshops on ethical leadership, and on sexual ethics and respectful relationships) and other personal and professional development activities;
• at the initiative of their student community service leaders, will jointly host a concert and BBQ in aid of drought relief on Sunday 28 October, to which all students and staff of both colleges will be invited;
• will plan towards such an event in aid of charity being an annual event;
• will build on that initiative with future joint community service and social activities along similar lines, and with more systematic cooperation between community service representatives in the two colleges;
• will host several dinners each year with guest speakers, to which students from both colleges will be invited, and
• will initiate joint musical performances and other cultural activities alternating between the two.

The Women’s College and St. Paul’s College already share a long history and a strong focus on academic challenge. These enhanced opportunities will further benefit the intellectual and professional development of our young men and women.

This heightened cooperation between the two colleges will be in the context of working cooperatively with the other colleges within the University of Sydney, and with the University of Sydney.