Since joining Macquarie in February as Executive Director, Student Engagement and Registrar, Gail White has been one busy woman.

As well as leading Project Beacon – modernising the University’s curriculum management and student management systems – Gail and her team have been working closely with colleagues across the University to develop a more cohesive approach to student success. The new approach will be shared at an all-staff Town Hall on 12 November.

We sat down with Gail to find out a bit more about her and how her passion for education drives her in her work.

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TW: You began your career as a teacher in both primary and high schools. What drew you to teaching and why did you leave?
I’d wanted to be a teacher from the time I was a girl. I grew up in a small country town on the mid-north coast where career expectations for girls were limited.  For the academically inclined, teaching was considered a very sensible choice.  As I had enjoyed being a student and loved school, I expected that teaching would be the career for me. But the realities of the work required far more than academic aptitude and I found I wasn’t comfortable with the performance aspect of teaching. I maintained my strong attraction to education and after a stint in the public service, working with the unemployed, I took up a role at the University of Newcastle.

What attracted you to working in the tertiary sector?
I was really interested in equity and access – which was sharpened by my experience in working with disadvantaged people in accessing employment – and had also maintained my interest in education. Joining the University of Newcastle as the Student Equity Manager allowed me to use my government policy experience to advance widening participation initiatives there.

One of my proudest achievements to this day is the first things I did in that role: creating the Newstep pathway program for disadvantaged students who hadn’t completed the HSC. I taught in the program, so my teaching background was useful there! The program has been running for over 25 years now, and has transformed the lives of many people who may otherwise have missed out on the opportunities afforded by higher education. My interest in students and their success has never waned and remains my career focus.

What kinds of things do you like to do outside the office?
I try to keep active to stave off the effects of my love of good food, but I especially enjoy “exercising with a purpose”. I’ve done a number of fundraising walks to raise money for student scholarships, including a five-day 50-kilometre walk along the Great Wall of China. I also walked the Larapinta Trail last year, raising money for indigenous scholarships. I feel much more motivated when I have these sorts of a goals in mind.

I try to make exercise a regular part of my day and get along to the University gym when I can. Now that I am getting to know more people around the University, I’m definitely more conscious of who’s on the treadmill next to me, and I find myself picking up the pace when I see someone I know passing by!

I also travel back to Newcastle – where my husband and younger daughter are based – on the weekends and we spend a lot of time walking our dog, Hugo, around the streets and parks in our Bar Beach neighbourhood. The dog is a big deal in our household!

You’ve been at Macquarie for eight months now. Anything about us that has surprised you?
In my early discussions with Macquarie, talking to people like the Vice-Chancellor and Kevin Jameson (DVC Academic), I recognised the strong sense of egalitarianism in the Macquarie DNA. This resonated with my own personal values and I knew I would feel at home in the Macquarie culture, working alongside these great people.

I have been very generously welcomed into the Macquarie community. In the early days when I would remark to people that I was obviously in the honeymoon period, and that they were just  being gentle as I settled, I was assured that actually this friendly, collegial approach is, in fact, the Macquarie way.

So that’s been the biggest – and best – surprise. That all the great things about Macquarie that I heard about from the leadership team is truly reflected in the way people interact with each other here.

On 12 November the University will be sharing a new approach to student success, with a framework that highlights the role we all play as staff in helping our students achieve their best. What do you see as your role in this?
We all work hard at Macquarie and offer a range of excellent opportunities and experiences to students. However, we don’t always work together to share best practice and to ensure that all students realise their potential. The Framework describes the commitment of our staff to working collaboratively with – and for – our students. I like to think of it as joining together all the different dots that contribute to student success – it describes the purposeful design of all that we do, with the success of students at the centre.

My role at Macquarie brings together a range of aspects of student service and engagement that have not previously been under a single umbrella. It gives me an opportunity for me to observe and influence all the aspects of the student lifecycle, with a view to promoting student success. I am fortunate to be standing on the shoulders of others who have established a reputation for the University in student experience and success and I look forward to working with colleagues in building on this great tradition.

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Register to join Gail, the Vice-Chancellor Professor S Bruce Dowton and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) Professor Kevin Jameson at the All Staff Town Hall ‘Understanding Student Success at Macquarie’ on Monday 12 November.