Award Finalists Showcase – Best Digital Initiative

 

The ANUSA Cooking Show is an innovative digital wellbeing initiative designed to help students build cooking confidence and promote sustainable food use by transforming surplus produce into simple, healthy meals. Inspired by a discussion at a SEN Welfare and Wellbeing Forum and modelled after a similar program by USCA, the show is hosted by ANUSA Executive members and Admin Assistants, featuring engaging, peer-led cooking tutorials using rescued food from the Student Bites program in partnership with OzHarvest. Created with low-cost production and shared through ANUSA’s social media channels, the show connects with students in an accessible and relatable way. Since its launch, it has attracted over 11,000 views, inspired students to recreate recipes, and strengthened engagement with welfare programming by turning food relief into a learning experience. The initiative has proven a successful model of digital innovation, enhancing student wellbeing, sustainability, and community connection.

University of Newcastle – myUni: The Digital Key to Unlocking Orientation Success

 

The University of Newcastle’s Welcome Week Integration Initiative transformed the student onboarding experience by embedding all Welcome Week events and information directly into the myUni app. Aiming to replace fragmented registration systems with a seamless, centralised platform, the project enabled one-click event registration, personalised schedules, real-time notifications, and integrated campus maps to enhance accessibility and engagement. Developed through a collaborative, agile design process involving students, staff, and the Student Communications team, the initiative went live in January 2025 and achieved remarkable results. Over 4,700 new students downloaded the app to register for more than 90 events, driving a 40% increase in attendance compared to the previous year. With 80% of students reporting improved planning and navigation and 70% feeling more connected to peers, the initiative successfully combined technology, strategy, and communication to deliver a more cohesive, data-driven, and student-centred Orientation experience.

UNSW – Improving the Digital Onboarding Experience for New UNSW Students

 

The UNSW New Student Checklist initiative was developed to simplify and improve the onboarding experience for new students by consolidating essential setup information—such as offer acceptance, enrolment, ID cards, and residency—into one streamlined, user-friendly webpage. Previously, students had to navigate seven different pages across 27 separate links, often missing key steps and increasing demand on support services. Launched in December 2024 as part of the Current Students Website migration, the project used a user-centred design approach, including stakeholder interviews, UX research, prototyping, and student testing, to ensure relevance and ease of use. The resulting New Student Checklist allows students to filter information by residency, program type, and campus location, providing tailored guidance in one place. Since launch, the page has achieved an engagement rate of nearly 78%, reduced the average time spent finding information by 60%, and increased student retention to over 81%. It has also reduced enquiries to support services by 10.8%, demonstrating its effectiveness as both a self-service and service-deflection tool that enhances the onboarding journey and overall student experience.