Springfield welcomes student experience coordinator

Springfield welcomes  Events and Student Experience Coordinator Samantha Miles to the campus.

USQ Springfield campus has welcomed its new Events and Student Experience Coordinator, Samantha Miles - fresh from Florida USA.

Having studied at the University of Central Florida, the second largest university in the United States and worked in a similar position at Florida Atlantic University with a student population of more than 32,000 Ms Miles comes to the position with some great ideas to enhance the student experience of Springfield students.

'I find, and research has proven that the more students are engaged with their campus and activities, the better they do academically,' Ms Miles said.

'My role at Springfield campus is to support and enhance the academic experience of our students by providing ways they can engage with the campus and the community.

'I hope to add to their experience, making them happier and increasing their loyalty towards USQ, and this will result in greater academic achievement.”

Ms Miles said her experiences as a student at the University of Central Florida while doing her undergraduate degree in teaching set her on the path to this field of work.

'It was through the experiences provided to me by staff at the university that I was able to realise that teaching elementary school was not the career for me.

'This is when I became very interested in providing student with hands on opportunities to engage - I’m a big believer in experiential learning.

'Both of the universities I studied and worked at were extremely diverse and had excellent student development and engagement programs and I am looking forward to working with students here to implement some of those ideas.'

Ms Miles, who is currently living on campus is enjoying the change of pace Springfield offers in comparison to her native southern Florida.

'I’m not a city girl at heart and am enjoying being a little away from the rush here in Springfield.

'My husband and I are enjoying the adventure of living in Australia and I can’t wait to meet all of our new and existing students when semester one begins in a few weeks.'

Contact Details:
Jo-Ann Sparrow, USQ Media, +61 7 3470 4119 or 0438 309 096