A fundamental purpose of College life is to help students achieve well academically and provide a secure environment in which to work.
The College has a number of senior staff living on site, including the Principal, the Deputy Principal, Visiting Fellows and Residential Advisors whose primary focus is academic assistance as well as pastoral care.
The College places an expectation on all residents to contribute to the academic support and welfare of other residents through networking, peer assistance, co-operative group study and direct assistance to students doing shared earlier year subjects.
Academic Assistance Network
The most effective learning does not necessarily happen in lectures and tutorials...
At Burgmann College, residents study within an Academic Assistance Network that involves people from the entire college.
Under the direction of the Principal and Deputy Principal, the Network is lead by Residential Advisors who coordinate Academic Portfolios.
The role of the RAs is to help residents make connections with the many other talented and experienced members of the college who are able to give you a hand with your studies.
RAs can help you with your academic studies in a number of ways. They will help you get in touch with someone with real expertise who has done your course before if you need some specific help.
The RAs in charge of the Academic Portfolios will also organise tutorials or study groups for subject areas within their portfolio, not only for subject content, but also to help with examination and essay writing skills, writing good lab reports and strategies to help you get through your course.
Typically each RA will organise special events that are related to their portfolio. These will take the form of forums, round-tables and panel discussions.
Our Academic Portfolios
Arts & Languages
This portfolio aims to support students across the spectrum of Arts (humanities) subjects, from those who are enrolled in a Bachelor of Arts with a development studies focus to those with a language bias. Arts and Languages can exist as two distinct portfolios that work closely with each other. The responsibilities in this portfolio include: running events to bring together Burgmann’s Arts and Language students and invited guests, promoting arts events run by the ANU and wider Canberra community, coordinating academic support for Arts and Languages students and coordinating weekly Language tables.
Law
This portfolio aims to support students studying Law subjects as well as residents who are interested in law-related topical issues. This portfolio’s responsibilities include: running events to bring together Burgmann’s Law students and invited guests, promoting Law related events run by the ANU and wider Canberra community and coordinating academic support for Law students.
Science
This portfolio aims to support students studying Science and Psychology subjects as well as residents who are interested in science related topical issues. This portfolio’s responsibilities include: running events to bring together Burgmann’s Science students and invited guests, promoting science related events run by the ANU and wider Canberra community and coordinating academic support for Science students.
Economics and Commerce
This portfolio aims to support students studying Economics, Commerce and Finance subjects as well as residents who are interested in topical issues related to these disciplines. This portfolio’s responsibilities include: running events to bring together Burgmann’s Economics and Commerce students and invited guests, promoting relevant events run by the ANU and wider Canberra community and coordinating academic support for Economics and Commerce students.
Medicine
This portfolio aims to support students studying Medicine as well as residents who are interested in topical issues related to Medicine. This portfolio’s responsibilities include running events to bring together Burgmann’s Medicine students and invited guests, promoting relevant events run by the ANU and wider Canberra community and coordinating academic support for Medicine students.
Academic Exchange
The aim of this portfolio is to continue developing opportunities for residents to engage with each other at an academic level. The undergraduate and postgraduate RAs leading the Academic Exchange portfolio will together facilitate interdisciplinary Burgmann Forums in the form of discussions, debates and Q&A-sessions that give undergraduates and postgraduates opportunity to participate in academic discussions. These forums will predominantly be in-house events featuring our own residents on the panels, rather than visiting academics. The Academic Exchange portfolio will also have responsibility for organising roundtables or information sessions that are not specific to individual portfolios - e.g. information sessions for public service careers, international exchange, careers in research roundtable etc.
Research Portfolio
The Research Portfolio RA will foster the community of Research students (PhD, MPhil) and undergraduate and postgraduate residents engaging in a research project as part of their coursework program. The RA responsible for this portfolio will facilitate regular informal research presentations/discussions to allow research students to discuss their research, their preliminary results and their implications. Furthermore, they will coordinate roundtable events and organise informal gatherings for research students to meet, socialise and network.
Burgmann Journal
The Burgmann Journal is an interdisciplinary, peer-reviewed publication of collected works of research, debate and opinion from residents and alumni of Burgmann College designed to engage and stimulate the wider community. The RA responsible for this portfolio is the editor-in chief of the Burgmann Journal and works with a team of undergraduate and postgraduate editors to coordinate the planning, promotion and production of the journal.