News Archive

It’s difficult to adjust to coming back to work after an extended period of parental leave. Just ask Michelle Teasdale, Senior Study Abroad Adviser in the Global Learning Office in Student Central.

Michelle returned to UWA in March 2012 after five-and-a-half years raising her three daughters – Luka, Ruby and Asha, now 8, 7 and 5 respectively.

“I was only back one day a week, but I remember it was really overwhelming,” said Michelle. “My girls had been the focus of my life for such a long time. When I came back I couldn’t even remember how to use Outlook, especially when about 8000 unread emails appeared!”

As a Study Abroad Adviser, Michelle liaises with UWA’s partner institutions in the US and Europe to organise inbound exchange students. One thing she noticed after returning to work was that the number of exchange students coming to UWA from the US seemed to be falling.

“We were really struggling to get exchange and study abroad students from some of our partners in the US. In some cases the number had dropped from about 40 students a year to none!” said Michelle.

“This was a big problem because there was a risk our partnerships might dissolve. But also, we have reciprocal agreements with many of our partners, which means the fewer students coming to UWA on exchange, the fewer of our own students we can send to study at our partner institutions,” she said.

Michelle wanted to find out how to better market UWA to prospective exchange students. So last year, she successfully applied for a Fay Gale Fellowship.

The Fay Gale Fellowships are open to both academic and professional staff at UWA. They aim to assist staff at an early stage in their careers to spend a period of time interstate or overseas attending a conference or engaging in other activities that support their career.

The selection committee gives preference to applicants who show a particular need for assistance because of their family commitments.

With support from a Fay Gale Fellowship, Michelle undertook a four week study tour, visiting partner institutions and promoting UWA as a study destination.

“With the US ‘Generation Study Abroad’ program, it was an excellent opportunity to learn what US students want and how to better market UWA to them,” said Michelle. “I was also able to meet my counterparts in our partner institutions in person. The US is a popular destination for UWA students so we need to attract equivalent numbers.”

Michelle ended up visiting the University of Washington and the University of Pennsylvania in the US, the University of Calgary in Canada, and Aalto University and the University of Helsinki in Finland.

Michelle learned a lot on her tour. “It was amazing how little knowledge US students had about Perth,” she said. “Most had never heard of it. I kept getting asked, is it near Sydney?”

But Michelle also learned the more the students heard about Perth and UWA, the more they liked them.

“The minute students see a photo of our campus, they fall in love. Their eyes go wide considering their options!” said Michelle.

Of course, leaving her young family for four weeks was tremendously difficult.

“It was much harder than I thought it was going to be, but I got a lot of support from home and my colleagues,” she said. “My husband was able to stay home the entire month and I have a really great mum who was helping too.”

Michelle says her return home from the tour was overwhelming. “My little one just looked at me for a couple of hours, and asked if I was home to stay!”

But she hopes that by participating in the Fay Gale Fellowship, she was able to be a role model for her three girls. “I wanted to show them that mums can be many things and you can achieve your own goals,” she said.

With applications for the 2016 Fay Gale Fellowships now open, Michelle has a few words of encouragement for those considering applying. “It’s ok to be proactive in achieving your own goals and seeking out opportunities.”

Further information on the 2016 Fay Gale Fellowships is available at https://www.hr.uwa.edu.au/development/grants/fellowships (Note: Pheme access required).

Online applications close Friday 2 October 2015.