STEPS - Library - Central Queensland University

STEPS 

Celebrating 20 years 

1986–2006 

‘Come to the edge,’ he said 

They said: ‘We are afraid’ 

‘Come to the edge,’ he said 

They came 

He pushed them 

And they flew 

Guillaume Apollinaire

Map of Queensland showing Central Queensland. The highlighted locations are 

CQU STEPS sites. 

(Adapted from: Cryle, D 1992, Academia Capricornia: a history of the University of 

Central Queensland, University of Central Queensland, Rockhampton.) 

ii 

CENTRAL QUEENSLAND 

UNIVERSITY CAMPUS



1986–2006 

Stacey Doyle 

www.cqu.edu.au 

www.steps.cqu.edu.au 

iii

© Copyright 2006 Central Queensland University 

This book is copyright. Except for the quotation of short passages for the purposes 

of criticism and review, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a 

retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, 

mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written 

permission of the publisher or the Copyright Agency Limited. 

All rights reserved 

Stacey Doyle 

Central Queensland University 



1986 – 2006 

ISBN: 1 921047 25 9 

Proudly published by 

Central Queensland University 

Rockhampton Queensland 4702 

Australia 

Financial support provided by the Division of Teaching and Learning Services at 

Central Queensland University. 

iv

Contents 

Acknowledgements ......................................................................................vii 

Preface ...........................................................................................................ix 

Introduction ..................................................................................................xi 

Part One: The history of STEPS ..................................................................1 

The vision ...................................................................................................3 

Preparing for students.................................................................................4 

STEPS begins .............................................................................................8 

Early reflections........................................................................................13 

Pilot to program........................................................................................14 

Spreading to Gladstone.............................................................................16 

Welcome Bundaberg and Mackay............................................................21 

New found funding...................................................................................26 

The vision evolves....................................................................................30 

STEPS and Emerald .................................................................................35 

Community support ..................................................................................37 

Taking shape.............................................................................................42 

Tackling change........................................................................................45 

Today and tomorrow ................................................................................49 

Staff and student photos — 2006 Term 1.................................................52 

Part Two: The STEPS philosophy .............................................................61 

The theory of transformational learning...................................................63 

The Hero’s Journey ..................................................................................64 

Transformational learning applied to STEPS...........................................70 

The student-centred model .......................................................................73 

Part Three: The student learning journey ................................................75 

The decision to join STEPS......................................................................77 

Fears of the first day.................................................................................80 

From tragedy to triumph...........................................................................86 

A juggling act ...........................................................................................90 

Doors open ...............................................................................................94 

The surrender value ................................................................................101 

v

Learning for life......................................................................................112 

Interconnectedness and perpetuation......................................................114 

Part Four: Student transformations........................................................119 

My life, my journey: living my dream....................................................121 

Curiosity, fascination and a thousand questions of ‘Why?’ ...................125 

A new chapter.........................................................................................130 

One STEP at a time ................................................................................132 

My life: my way .....................................................................................135 

Einstein and Dion ...................................................................................137 

STEPS — The vital rung........................................................................140 

Nothing is impossible .............................................................................143 

Kicking and screaming ...........................................................................146 

It’s never too late to learn.......................................................................149 

Taking STEPS: learning in leaps and bounds ........................................150 

STEPS — A guide to learning, a guide to living....................................153 

Lucy’s steps of change ...........................................................................156 

The pleasure was worth the pain ............................................................159 

Stepping stones of life ............................................................................162 

Run with it ..............................................................................................165 

If the desire is great enough....................................................................168 

Turning point..........................................................................................173 

Memories of the first STEPS group in Gladstone — 1989 ....................175 

Journey to who knows where .................................................................178 

Appendices, Index and Endnotes .............................................................181 

Appendix A — A thumbnail sketch of CQU .........................................183 

Appendix B — Staff writing on STEPS.................................................185 

Appendix C — STEPS program offerings — 2006 ...............................190 

Index.......................................................................................................196 

Endnotes .................................................................................................202 

vi

Acknowledgements 

This book was commissioned by the Division of Teaching and Learning 

Services (DTLS) at Central Queensland University (CQU) to celebrate the 

20 th anniversary of the STEPS program. 

I would like to thank Dr Jeanne McConachie, Director of DTLS, for giving 

me the opportunity to work on this project, and Karen Seary, Head of 

STEPS, for her endless support and direction. 

It has been an absolute delight writing this book and I can honestly say that 

I have been truly touched by the stories and memories that have been 

recounted to me by staff, students and supporters. Accordingly, I would like 

to thank the STEPS staff, both present and past, at the Rockhampton, 

Gladstone, Bundaberg, Mackay and Emerald campuses, who have given up 

their valuable resources and time to paint a vivid picture of the events that 

have occurred over the past 20 years. I would also like to show my 

appreciation to Jenny Simpson for writing The STEPS philosophy included 

in this publication, as well as to Mike Connon and Megan Morris who, in 

conjunction with Jenny, helped me to edit this book. 

Belinda Loakes and Vicki Dyer at the CQU Library have been extremely 

dedicated, and I thank them both for going the extra mile and finding some 

brilliant iconic photographs and invaluable information that we thought was 

lost forever. Also, thank you to the staff within DTLS for your 

administrative support. 

Finally, I would like to acknowledge the STEPS students. Their input and 

stories make up a major part of this book and I thank them for volunteering 

their truths. Their stories are truly inspirational and spurred me on 

throughout this project. 

It is these students who are responsible for the perpetuation of the STEPS 

program. They persevere to complete the program, often against many 

odds, and then honestly and passionately promote STEPS by circulating 

their moving achievements and proudly displaying their ‘anything is 

possible’ attitude. These students are the program’s greatest believers and 

advocates. 

vii

Their courage, determination, impact and unprecedented accomplishments 

are the grounds on which this book has been composed. From all of the 

staff and supporters of the program, congratulations and thank you for your 

undying support. 

Stacey Doyle 

viii

Preface 

Kelly Beckett 

The core aim of the STEPS program is to provide people with both the 

necessary knowledge and the opportunity to achieve an entrance score that 

will qualify them to gain entry to further tertiary studies. The STEPS 

program covers subjects such as academic communication, mathematics, 

computing, independent learning skills, study skills and library and 

information literacy skills. 

Although the STEPS program achieves these objectives admirably, they are 

not the essence of what makes STEPS the exceptional program that it is. 

The essence of the STEPS program is the empowering of second-chance 

adult learners, effecting change in their lives, and providing the avenue for 

them to achieve individual personal development. 

If you were to ask the majority of STEPS graduates about their experiences 

whilst in the program, they would have very different stories to tell. But I 

am confident that most of those accounts would have words such as: 

• enlightenment 

• empowerment 

• self belief 

• awakening of their true abilities 

• shattering self-imposed limitations 

littered throughout the telling of their STEPS journeys. 

When I commenced the STEPS program, I thought I was signing up for a 

basic academic course. I never for a moment thought I was going to walk 

away from STEPS empowered with the belief that I could achieve anything 

that I set my mind to. That is truly an amazing gift to bestow upon so many 

people. STEPS was one of those defining experiences in my life that 

changed my outlook and direction, and I will forever be grateful to the staff 

for their unfailing belief in me during that time. 

ix

Another reason that STEPS is such a success is, of course, the other 

students. STEPS provides an environment for students to enjoy the sheer 

stimulation of sharing ideas and dreams, and I was constantly amused, 

surprised and amazed at the ideas of my classmates. Besides having 

different ideas, STEPS students have different lifestyles and backgrounds. 

They have different reasons for attending STEPS, and different 

expectations of what it will mean in their lives. They also have a wealth of 

generosity and kindness. They are supportive when we struggle, and 

delighted when we succeed. 

My time in the STEPS program was very special. In fact, many of my 

fellow STEPS graduates and I continue to recognise the significance of the 

experience as time passes and our achievements grow. Lessons learnt in 

STEPS have become the foundation of our successes, as we continue to 

utilise the skills and mental attitudes taught whilst participating in this 

program. 

The 20 th anniversary of the STEPS program is an ideal opportunity to look 

back and recall with affection the process we all went through to get here 

today, and marvel at our achievements. Central Queensland University 

(CQU) needs to be congratulated for developing and providing a program 

that has led to such positive fundamental changes in so many students’ 

lives. I would like to say a heartfelt thanks to all the STEPS team for what 

they do for us while we try to come to grips with subjects some of us have 

long forgotten existed, and with other subjects that are totally uncharted 

territory. The STEPS teaching staff are patience and understanding 

personified. I valued every bit of advice and knowledge that I could glean 

from these amazing people. Our success is undoubtedly due, in no small 

part, to their efforts on our behalf. 

I am proud to have this opportunity to congratulate CQU and all past and 

present STEPS staff for their foresight in initiating, and their continued 

success in delivering, such a quality program. 

Thank you, CQU! 

x

Introduction 

How do you measure the success of the STEPS (Skills for Tertiary 

Education Preparatory Studies) program? 

By the number of graduates who enrol in tertiary studies? Each year, 

approximately 80 per cent of STEPS graduates go on to enrol in a bachelor 

degree. 

By the growth of the program over the last 20 years? STEPS began with 

22 students on the Rockhampton campus. Today the program yearly enrols 

more than 450 students on the Rockhampton, Gladstone, Bundaberg, 

Mackay and Emerald campuses. 

By the impact the program has had on the community? There are many 

stories that demonstrate the impact STEPS has had on the community. One 

of them happened to me just the other day. 

My partner invited me to have a drink with two of his colleagues I had 

never met before. We all sat down with our drinks and started to get to 

know one another. Soon the conversation was directed at me, and one of the 

women asked what I was working on at the moment. I launched into telling 

them about the STEPS program and how I was writing a book to celebrate 

its 20 th anniversary. I could see from the expression on their faces that they 

knew how influential this program was. In quick succession, one after the 

other they said: 

‘My Aunty completed the program.’ 

‘My Dad graduated from STEPS a few years ago.’ 

‘My Mum taught in the STEPS program.’ 

I was blown away by this telling example of how well the program is 

known in our community. 

The ‘quick drink’ automatically turned into a lengthy conversation about 

what led their families to the STEPS program and what they were doing 

now. Once again, my whole body was swept over by goose-bumps as each 

person told their remarkable story. 

Finally, does quality of teaching indicate the success of the STEPS 

program? On the same day that I met my partner and his colleagues for that 

xi

drink, Jenny Simpson, a Rockhampton STEPS lecturer, was informed that 

her outstanding contribution to student learning was to be recognised with 

the prestigious National Carrick Award for Australian University Teaching. 

This prize, a remarkable achievement for STEPS, is the icing on the cake 

for a program that has transformed the lives of thousands of students and 

shaped the communities where these students live. 

STEPS, Celebrating 20 years, 1986 – 2006, celebrates 20 years of 

revolutionary success for the STEPS program by recounting the tales of 

students and staff since 1986. The narrative is based on interviewees’ 

individual ‘truths’ and their recollections of how events occurred, and also 

on a collection of oral histories from STEPS staff, students and supporters. 

The STEPS program has emerged as a premier bridging program in 

Australia, receiving uncountable accolades. The program, beginning with 

one man’s vision and 22 students, has seen more than 4,500 students 

graduate and change the direction of their lives. Free to participants, this 

program removes the moat from around the University for the ordinary 

citizen in the communities of Rockhampton, Gladstone, Bundaberg, 

Mackay and Emerald as well as for adults who live in isolated areas. 1 

Over time, STEPS has been customised to suit the 450 students it now 

serves and will continue to transform itself in the years to come. The 

program has evolved from teaching basic skills to now include information 

literacy, critical literacy, the use of technology, statistics and dealing with 

change to meet adjustments in society’s expectations. Today, the 

curriculum emphasises themes such as valuing life-skills, diverse learning 

styles and temperaments as well as transformative learning. 

As a consequence of STEPS, many students go on to enrol in tertiary 

education, seek new employment, and give back to the community and their 

families. Many students graduate from Central Queensland University and 

other tertiary institutions across Australia with degrees in disciplines such 

as nursing, teaching, psychology and engineering. In essence, students 

become lifelong learners constantly searching for new ways to enhance 

their lives and to serve others. 

1 The STEPS Program, Gateway to Learning, Jeanne McConachie, 1999. 

xii

The program is sustained by the ability of lecturers to identify the differing 

learning styles of their students and adapt their teaching styles accordingly. 

Their effort, which in many cases goes well beyond the call of duty, is 

rewarded by the fact that a continual stream of former students visit, email 

and call their teachers to say thank you and inform them of their latest 

achievements. 

The STEPS students rise above competing external pressures to pass 

assessments and ultimately complete the program. Propelled along by the 

support of their peers and a ‘can do’ mindset, it is these students, aided by 

the funding of CQU, who ultimately perpetuate the program. They continue 

to spread the word to their parents, brothers, neighbours and friends, 

throughout their communities and beyond. These students engender a proud 

community, one that is inspired by remarkable stories of student 

transformations. 

To mark the achievements of all STEPS students and the dedication of staff 

over the past 20 years, this book has four parts. The first is a succinct 

history of the program and tells the story of how, from humble beginnings, 

STEPS has cleverly adapted and evolved over time to continually meet the 

needs of students and mirror the changing world around them. 

In the second part, Jenny Simpson details the philosophy of the STEPS 

program and explains how it provides a solid foundation for adult learning. 

Part Three takes you on the journey of STEPS students from their initial 

decision to sit the entrance test to the point where they emerge as lifelong 

learners. 

Finally, Part Four presents 20 stories written by former STEPS students 

from the Rockhampton, Gladstone, Bundaberg, Mackay and Emerald 

campuses. They describe their specific STEPS experiences which, you will 

see, are truly inspirational. 

xiii

Part One: The history of STEPS 


1

The vision 


Dr Arthur Appleton, who was the Director of the Capricornia Institute of 

Advanced Education, had a vision to increase the chances of adults wishing 

to enter tertiary education. He elaborated on his vision to Greg Harper, who 

had conducted some research on adult students and had found that they did 

better than their direct entry counterparts. 1 Dr Appleton thought the solution 

might be to offer more community-based courses aimed at up-skilling 

adults in the community who were currently ineligible for tertiary 

education. 2 

Dr Appleton assigned Greg Harper the task of working out how the 

Institute could practically offer continuing education courses. At the time, 

Greg Harper was working under Dr John Dekkers who was the Head of the 

Division of External and Continuing Education (DECE). They both initially 

responded to Dr Appleton’s vision by providing short external courses for 

trained nurses. Although the money derived from this service became the 

Division’s bread and butter, the courses were short lived. 3 

While Greg Harper and Dr Dekkers were devising strategies to offer 

continuing education locally, the Federal Government was revisiting its 

education policies, particularly those focussing on university education and 

equity. Evidence collected by the government showed that specific clusters 

of people were under-represented in university student enrolments. 

Consequently, in 1985, the Higher Education Equity Program was 

introduced. This program allocated funds to appropriate institutions to 

establish bridging programs aimed at increasing the proportion of certain 

groups in tertiary education. These groups included: Aborigines, migrants, 

women, and people from low socio-economic backgrounds and isolated 

areas. 4 

Finding that the government was issuing grants to bridge the gap between 

these groups and tertiary education, Greg Harper enlisted Gene Dayton to 

help him write a convincing application. 5 The hours spent perfecting the 

submission were recognised by the government, and the Institute was 

awarded a $30,000 grant to fund a tertiary bridging program that would 

comply with the rules and objectives set out by the Higher Education 

Equity Program. 6 

3


In order to be eligible for the program, adults would need to meet the 

following criteria: 

• over 25 years of age 

• unemployed and have been looking for full-time work for at least four 

months in the last 12 months (registered with the Commonwealth 

Employment Service [CES]) 

• ineligible for entry into accredited Capricornia Institute of Advanced 

Education courses under normal admission requirements 

• away from full-time education for at least four months in the last 

12 months 

• socially disadvantaged people — Aboriginal and Islander, female, 

handicapped, migrant, poor, family dysfunction, or technologically 

redundant. 7 

After careful deliberation over the objectives of the Institute’s program, 

Greg Harper came up with the name STEPS — Skills for Tertiary 

Education Preparatory Studies. His idea was to use the government grant to 

fund a program that would be free of charge for adults in the community 

who could demonstrate the potential to succeed at university. 8 

Although this small, informal program in the initial stages of development 

had been called STEPS, it was also referred to as STEP, which stood for 

Skills for Tertiary Education (or Entrance) Preparatory Program. By 1992, 

it had been decided that the formal name of the program would be STEPS, 

and it has remained this way ever since. 

Preparing for students 

A number of events took place leading up to the first intake of students in 

1986. Greg Harper tendered out the design of marketing materials including 

a pamphlet which would be distributed around the Institute and community 

organisations. He approached the Commonwealth Employment Service 

(CES) and notified them that the program could potentially assist many of 

the unemployed people who visited its offices in Rockhampton. He also 

approached lecturers in the Mathematics Learning Centre (MLC) and 

requested they assist him with the preparation and design of relevant 

courses. He also recruited Suzanne McGrath to help him teach 

Communication. 9 

4


Below is the first pamphlet designed by the Institute, which was placed at 

organisations such as the CES. 

5

10 


6


Milton Fuller was the Head of the Mathematics Learning Centre (MLC) and 

remembers Greg Harper approaching him in 1986 with details of a bridging 

program for which the government had provided funding. Milton recalls 

Greg relaying that, if these students were going to be successful in tertiary 

education, they would need a sound level of mathematics. 11 Milton, like 

many of the other lecturers Greg approached, including Suzanne McGrath 

and Phillip Farrands, began preparing materials for the first group of 

STEPS students. 12 

Dr Jeanne McConachie and Milton Fuller. 13 

In the time leading up to the first intake of STEPS students, the Institute 

received over 100 phone calls from interested people wishing to find out 

more about the new program. The CES also recommended suitable 

candidates, including those who were classified as long-term unemployed. 

After some preliminary tests were conducted, 22 students were enrolled in 

the first STEPS pilot program, which was set to be launched in June of 

1986. 14 

7

STEPS begins 


In June 1986, a no doubt nervous bunch of 22 adults from the underrepresented 

groups as specified by the government attended their first 

STEPS class. The program would run for 13 weeks during term two, 

involve 20 contact hours, and have face-to-face engagement from nine to 

three each day. From the very outset, Greg Harper and his colleagues 

recognised the demographic makeup of students and, therefore, allowed 

participants to finish at three so that they could collect their children from 

school if they needed to. 15 

Parts of the very first press release concerning STEPS are shown below. 

This article was submitted by the Community Relations Officer, 

Aidan Burke. It shows that an introduction to research and communication 

techniques, elementary mathematics, word processing skills, organisational 

and study skills, and knowledge of basic science were the components of 

the first STEPS program. 16 

17 

8


Upon completion of the STEPS program, it was expected that the 

participants would be able to demonstrate the following skills: 

• read effectively and write precisely and accurately for academic 

purposes 

• deal with basic mathematical concepts and methods 

• develop computer literacy and basic word processing skills 

• gain confidence in themselves as learners 

• acquire organisational skills for effective learning. 18 

Milton Fuller remembers the first day of teaching and just how nervous the 

students were. Some of the students’ highest mathematics qualifications 

were at primary school level. Milton, however, was able to empathise with 

his class as he, too, had gained his tertiary qualifications as an adult 

learner. 19 

Here is Milton Fuller’s story. 

In 1986, the MLC was housed in Building 19, which was the 

Information Technology Building, and so the STEPS students came 

to us. At the time, this was a bit of a problem because it was quite a 

walk for students. 

I had gained my tertiary qualifications as an adult learner and so 

could identify with how the new STEPS students felt. Some were 

nervous having only completed the top end of primary school 

mathematics. Others did not understand why we needed 

mathematics and were very opposed to mathematics as a concept. 

And some were quite keen. We had female mathematics tutors and 

males in their forties attending the course, so in some cases there 

was some resentment there because of their own inadequacy in that 

discipline. 

The very first curriculum that I wrote was based on my knowledge, 

and it was a bit of a disaster. I had assumed that they would have a 

certain level of prior knowledge, but it was beyond them. We 

realised this very quickly and adapted the curriculum so that we 

would start at the beginning. 

We also devised appropriate written entrance tests, which would be 

carried out prior to adults being accepted into the program. They 

would ensure that students had adequate literacy and numerical 

skills to undertake the program. Greg Harper encouraged adults who 

9


were not successful in gaining a place to enrol in a TAFE course to 

get their skills up to speed and then apply the following year. 

It was very much a challenge for me as it was for the students, but 

once we had the measure of the type of people we were getting, we 

were able to tailor a good course, which would not only increase 

their level of knowledge but also build their confidence. 20 

Gina Yarrow had been a nurse since she left school and wanted to go down 

a different path. Now that her children were at school she decided to enrol 

in the STEPS program. She talks about her experience below. 

The 1986 STEPS group was a fairly mixed bunch in age and 

diversity. Many of the students formed deep bonds with one another 

which assisted them as they progressed through the program. Two of 

the women that I was close to went on to become teachers. One is 

now a Principal at a local Rockhampton school. 

English was my love. I had always been pretty good at writing 

stories, but I had forgotten the basics and wasn’t sure how to write 

an assignment. The communication part of the program really 

assisted me by giving me the confidence to discover new things; 

how to research; how I learn. 

The lecturers were all very helpful and did not make any of us feel 

inferior. They de-mystified university life for us! 

Gina has been working at Central Queensland University as an Events 

Manager in the University Relations department since 1996 and is the 

coordinator of the successful CQU Multicultural Fair and Uni Open Day. 

Greg Harper, who taught the communications module (today known as 

Language and Learning), and his colleagues used the face-to-face 

interactions of the STEPS classes to formulate distance education materials. 

In his term of teaching, Greg produced a Study Skills booklet as well as an 

Academic Writing Skills book that would be distributed to direct entry 

students to assist them in their first year of university study. In addition, all 

lecturers began revising and modifying their STEPS resources with the 

vision of eventually spreading the program to other regional locations. 21 

To maintain the initial positive reactions of the community, one of the first 

students to successfully complete the STEPS program, Alan Douglas, was 

profiled in the local Rockhampton paper, The Morning Bulletin. Alan, like 

many of his STEPS peers, went on to enrol in a program at the Institute. Of 

the 22 adults who began the STEPS program, 18 enrolled as first year 

10


students. 22 STEPS was adhering to the stipulations set out by the 

government, and was also reaching the Institute’s desired objectives to 

increase the chances of adults gaining entry into tertiary education. Hence, 

the program showed great potential, even at this early stage of development. 

Greg Harper was promoted from Continuing Education Officer to Senior 

Administrative Officer at the end of 1987 for his contribution to Continuing 

Education. 23 

The article below, Program a STEP in the right direction profiled Alan 

Douglas to entice community members to enrol in the STEPS program in 

1987. Soon, however, the Institute would recognise word of mouth as the 

most powerful advertising medium. 

Alan Douglas researches an assignment ... STEPS changed his life. 

11


12 

24

Early reflections 


Gail Godden began lecturing mathematics to STEPS students in 1987. ‘The 

students in each cohort became a real little community — there to support 

each other’. She remembers alternating different teaching styles to 

communicate mathematics principles in a variety of ways to students who 

were having difficulty understanding a topic. The self-paced design of the 

course enabled her to do this and keep the course friendly and informal. She 

also recalls focusing on such topics as percentages and basic algebra. At 

one stage, she brought in two Apple IIe computers and placed them down 

the back of her classroom so that students could enhance their knowledge of 

mathematics by doing exercises using mathematics tutoring programs on 

the computers. 

She saw many students arrive for the first day fearing maths and convinced 

that they weren’t capable of dealing with it. She also witnessed many 

students complete the course, confident they could handle mathematics and 

use it in everyday life or within a university course. One student, she 

recalls, even went on to complete a mathematics degree. 

One of the early lecturers, Irene Sharrock (then Irene Veach), ensured that 

the students would be able to practice their mathematics on computers 

provided by Gail. Irene was the Program Coordinator in the Business and 

Law faculty at that time and taught the computing component of STEPS. 25 

Also known as Word Processing Skills, it was taught on the ground floor of 

the library. Students were taught DOS, Word, Lotus (and later Excel) 

spread-sheeting with the aim of helping them to produce their 

assignments. 26 

Irene championed the use of computers and loved helping the students. As 

the STEPS program did not have the history and reputation that it does 

today, students were nervous and viewed university as something only for 

the elite. She saw her job as making students more comfortable and 

confident with computers as well as changing their mindsets so that they 

viewed themselves capable of tertiary study. Like Gail, Irene revelled in the 

joy of seeing students emerge as confident learners ready to tackle 

university. 27 

13

Pilot to program 


From the end of the first STEPS pilot in 1986 up until 1989, the STEPS 

lecturers would continue modifying the STEPS modules and updating 

flexible courses. Eventually, Milton Fuller, Gail Godden and Phillip 

Farrands produced a mathematics textbook. 28 They also continued to 

promote the program both within the Institute and externally. To ensure that 

the bridging program perpetuated from one year to the next, Greg submitted 

grant applications each year. The government provided $25,000 in both 

1987 and 1988. 29 Student evaluations of STEPS, modifications to the 

program and close consultation with government agencies meant changes 

such as an extension of the contact hours from 20 to 25, and a decrease in 

the minimum age to now include participants who were 21 years of age. 30 

The introduction for a Rockhampton local news story in 1988 highlights 

these changes: 

In addition to local news air time, the STEPS program was also being 

promoted by the Institute’s photographer at the time, Doug Steley. On the 

next page is an iconic picture of a STEPS graduate, Judy Fisher, taking that 

extra STEP. 

14 

31


STEPS Graduate Judy Fisher. 32 

15


Between 1986 and 1989, the Institute added more campuses to its portfolio. 

The Mackay campus opened for lectures in 1987, and the Bundaberg 

Institute began its operations in 1988. The following year, the Emerald 

campus would also open for operation. 33 

Below is one of the first photographs taken of the Mackay College of 

Technical and Further Education. 

Mackay branch campus (from left) Steve Mathieson and David Haussmann. 34 

Spreading to Gladstone 

In 1989, the Institute was again successful in securing a government grant 

to continue providing STEPS as a much needed pathway into tertiary 

education for local adults who had been marginalised from formal 

education. 

With three years behind them, Greg Harper and his colleagues decided that 

this would be a good time to extend the STEPS offering to the Gladstone 

campus. This would enable the Institute to widen the geographical scope of 

the program, thereby enabling more people to benefit. By this stage, the 

Gladstone campus had been operating for 11 years. 35 

16


Greg approached Rex Metcalfe, who was the Head of the Gladstone 

campus and remained so until 2001, to work out how to set up the already 

successful program in Gladstone. Rex remembers sitting down with Greg in 

the campus office and discussing how the program would be executed. 36 

Rex Metcalfe presents a student with her graduation certificate. 37 

A Gladstone STEPS Coordinator would need to be appointed in order for 

the STEPS program to be successfully incorporated into the Gladstone 

campus offerings. In response to this requirement, Marian Metcalfe (then 

Marian Knapp) was appointed as the first STEPS Coordinator (1989 – 

1993) and would be responsible for overseeing the program and ensuring 

that it ran smoothly. 38 As in Rockhampton, the Gladstone campus would 

have to work hard to promote this new program and secure appropriate 

students. 

17


To assist with this challenge, a team of lecturers were asked to teach the 

first classes. Lynne Campbell and Julie Lovell (then Julie Millington) were 

among the first lecturers to be approached. 39 

Lynne Campbell 40 

Prior to the first year of teaching, many enquiries were received regarding 

the program. Before students were eligible for enrolment, they were subject 

to a face-to-face interview so that the lecturers were able to gauge whether 

the interviewees had the right level of skills to endure the STEPS program. 

Megan Hindmarch (who, as Megan Grayson, began teaching STEPS in 

Gladstone in 1994 and was the Gladstone STEPS Coordinator until early in 

2003) always found this process extremely fascinating. She enjoyed the 

stories of people from all walks of life who, for so many reasons, wanted to 

embrace university study. 41 

In 1989, 12 students enrolled in the Gladstone STEPS program. 42 They 

would come to a small classroom on Dawson Road to be taught subjects 

including Communication, Mathematics and Study Skills. At this stage, the 

Gladstone Marina Campus as it is known today was not constructed, and so 

lecturers and students had no choice but to suffer the strange odours coming 

from the vet next door, and the smell of fresh prawns oozing from the fish 

market when the wind was blowing in a specific direction. 43 

18


Aerial photograph of CQU Gladstone Marina campus as it looks today. 44 

Below is a photograph of the first Gladstone STEPS students and lecturers. 

Front row (L to R): 

Linda Grundon, Cheryl Lee-Brown, Julie Lovell (staff), Marian Knapp 

(Coordinator), Lynne Campbell, (mathematics tutor), Gwen Forrest, 

Ulysses Aquilizan. 

Back row (L to R): 

Wendy Tomlinson, Jill McLeod, Lesley Greig, Jenny Wilson, Raelene Thams, 

Pat Rose, Christine Petersen. 45 

19


Julie Lovell found the first class to be a delightful bunch of people whose 

prior work experience and skills developed from raising children provided 

the foundation that allowed them to meet the challenge of independent 

learning. 46 

The demographical composition of the first Gladstone group reflected that 

of the first Rockhampton class. They were mostly women wanting to make 

a career change, and a small percentage of men. However, over the years, 

with fluctuations in the economy and changes in societal attitudes, the 

demographic makeup of STEPS classes would no longer depict the above 

ratio. 

While the lecturers had to adhere to mandatory assessments as set out by 

the STEPS curriculum, the Communications lecturers enjoyed the great deal 

of flexibility. The program was very ‘outcomes’ focussed. Megan 

Hindmarch recalls: 

We were a little law unto ourselves. Of course we had a basic 

curriculum and we had certain assessment items we needed to do, 

but there was flexibility in how we could get to the end result. 47 

Marian used this flexibility to begin her classes with self esteem and team 

building, along with other exercises designed to create an effective support 

network among the students. She and Greg Harper anticipated that, given 

their competing external pressures, students would require solid peer 

relationships and built in mentors to help them to successfully complete the 

program. 48 

Julie Lovell, when asked what her earliest memories of STEPS were, 

commented: 

Marian fed their souls. She would lift their spirits, keep them 

focused and encourage them to keep moving toward their goals 

while Lynne knew her maths and was able to reset their attitude to 

mathematical problem solving. 49 

The mathematics component was taught in the same fashion as the lessons 

taught in Rockhampton. Lecturers followed the mathematics text that had 

been devised and modified by Milton Fuller and his colleagues. 

20


Welcome Bundaberg and Mackay 

By the end of 1989, the STEPS program was successfully running on two 

campuses, Rockhampton and Gladstone, and, in doing so, was enabling 

more adults from a larger geographical region to participate in this bridging 

program. That year, one STEPS student was accepted into Griffith 

University signalling that the program was not only valued by constituents 

of the local communities but was also recognised by metropolitan 

universities. Out of the remaining 30 people who also completed the 

program, 29 gained admission into the university the following year. 50 

STEPS coordinator, Carole Lane (second from the left) surrounded by some of the 

graduates from the 1990 Rockhampton program. 51 

In 1990, after continuous hard work through a climate of under-funding and 

over-enrolments, the Institute was granted university status. The Institute 

became the University College of Central Queensland after a national 

decision to merge colleges of advanced education with universities 

throughout Australia. 52 

21


By this time, the STEPS program, after continued government funding, was 

in its fifth year, and the benefits of the program were tangibly emerging 

within the university context. Many students had graduated from STEPS 

and had commenced tertiary study, like Bernadette Stacey pictured below. 53 

Former STEPS student Bernadette Stacey gains some practical classroom 

experience as a student teacher as part of progress towards her Graduate Diploma in 

Teaching. 

However, the modest government grants that had funded the program to 

date were not enough to continue spreading STEPS to the other campuses, 

Bundaberg and Mackay, which had been established a few years earlier. To 

enable the STEPS program to be provided in these regions, the University 

for the first time provided financial support from its recurrent funds. 54 

As the campuses at Bundaberg and Mackay were relatively new, Dr Arthur 

Appleton saw the provision of the STEPS program in 1990 as an excellent 

opportunity to mark out the University’s territory, that is, to further 

establish its reputation as the major provider of tertiary education in those 

regions. 55 

Bundaberg STEPS banner. 

22


Once again, campus teams were established. These were mostly made up of 

existing lecturers who were either already lecturing in one of the faculties 

or working as part of the Maths Learning Centre or the Communications 

Learning Centre. They would divide their workload between lecturing in 

the STEPS program and their previous duties. Gail Godden, who was 

lecturing in STEPS at Rockhampton, travelled to the Bundaberg campus to 

assist with staff interviews, and Milton travelled to Mackay to set the tone 

for dealing with students through drawing on his previous mathematics 

teaching experience. 56 

Lois Pinkney, one of the early Mackay STEPS maths lecturers, remembers 

Milton imparting words of wisdom that reflected his years of experience. 

We were to be encouraging and helpful, approachable and kind to 

help overcome that common condition picked up in primary and 

high school called maths phobia. In other words, we were to be a 

maths motherly person. 57 

Lois Pinkney 

Susan Shaw was appointed as the first coordinator in Bundaberg. In 

addition to her position as STEPS Coordinator, she would also tutor in 

Study Skills as well as in Writing and Reading for Academic Purposes. 58 

Susan, no doubt, used resources such as the STEPS pamphlet and 

organisations such as the Commonwealth Employment Service to create an 

interest in the program within the Bundaberg community. Interested adults 

would first be screened to ensure they were capable of completing the 

program. 

23


Students were then interviewed by the staff. Ensuring that the interviewees 

possessed an appropriate standard of English, mathematics and computing 

was, and still remains today, a major purpose of the student interviews. The 

lecturers did not want to set up anyone for failure and so continued to refer 

unsuccessful applicants to TAFE courses. These TAFE courses would assist 

them to increase their numeracy and literacy skills so that they could 

reinterview for a STEPS position the following year. 59 

In 1990, 100 students, having successfully passed their written tests and 

interviews, enrolled in the STEPS program across Rockhampton, 

Gladstone, Bundaberg and Mackay. 60 In five short years, the number of 

STEPS students had more than quadrupled. The University was beginning 

to be seen as a university not for the elite but for the masses. 

The very first Bundaberg class of STEPS students. 

Gordon Albrecht, Laurel Beck, Alison Bond, Scott Buchanan, Rick Crawford, 

Judith Dullaway, Leigh Edmonds, Imelda Jesurasingham, James Lee, 

Margaret Luck, Lynn McLaren, Jennifer Moss, Karen Pitt, Mary Round, 

Jeanette Roy, Anne Senini, Olwyn Silby, Sandra Zwisler. 61 

24


Given that the Bundaberg and Mackay campuses had only been established 

for two to three years, resources were very limited and teaching 

accommodation was very basic. 

Gordon King taught the mathematics and computing component at 

Bundaberg and remembers: 

The computers were quite old. We used a very unusual word 

processing program and we had no Internet connection at that time. 

However, the students benefited greatly from the course as it 

required innovation and improvisation. 62 

STEPS lecturers Karen Seary, Margaret Flanders and Gordon King. 

Susan Shaw tells her story about the students and her teaching style below: 

The early groups were mainly made up of women whose children 

were now of an age that meant some independence and a chance for 

these women to get back into the workforce. Most of them were 

looking to eventually get into teaching and various forms of social 

and community work. 

The men in the groups were there to retrain — retrenchment, 

medical reasons etc. Whatever the reasons, the students were 

incredibly enthusiastic and most appreciative of what they saw as a 

second chance. 

And there was no lack of ability. Some of them were quite daunted 

at the thought of tertiary studies and their ability to cope, but there 

were some very bright people there and once they got over their 

initial lack of confidence, they really enjoyed and got into academic 

exchange. 

25


In those days, all texts were provided by Rockhampton and we had 

no input into the content of the course, although my teaching 

experience meant that I could draw on resources from many places 

to make the course fit my clientele. 

My abiding memory is of the optimism of the first groups of 

students and their appreciation of the University for recognising that 

they were entitled to successful academic lives even though they 

didn’t go to university immediately after school. 63 

New found funding 

In 1991, the University was proclaimed the University of Central 

Queensland (UCQ) and, accordingly, received full university status. The 

picture below captures the formal declaration ceremony on the 6 September 

1991. 64 

Proclamation of the University of Central Queensland by Justice Bruce McPherson 

in the Rockhampton City Mall, 6 September 1991 (from left) 

Justice Bruce McPherson, Dr J. Mahony, Education Minister Paul Braddy, 

Chancellor Stan Jones and Vice-Chancellor Geoffrey Wilson. 

UCQ was only one step away from the adoption of its permanent name, 

Central Queensland University. Other changes had also taken place within 

UCQ. 

26


The STEPS program was now being coordinated by Leonce Newby. 65 

Leonce Newby 66 

The STEPS section of the 1992 Financial Report below lists other staff 

members who were part of the STEPS team at this time. 67 

As seen from the above article, the course materials were still being 

evaluated and customised. Different ways of teaching the components were 

also constantly being explored. The results of these changes were that some 

27


STEPS students enrolled in degree programs were doing better than their 

undergraduate counterparts. In many courses, lecturers were also beginning 

to see that the retention rates of students graduating from STEPS were 

higher than those of direct entry students. 

The Mackay STEPS graduating class of 1993 met at Brothers Leagues Club for a 

celebration lunch. (l-r) Tracey O’Connor (tutor), David Baudistel, Fiona Matheson, 

Deanna Hartin, Susan Primm, Amanda Barber, Ronda Danastas, Susan Ilich, 

Jennifer Peoples, Del Wardzinski (tutor), Pauline Brown, Helen Joyce 

(coordinator), and Danette Lonergan. 68 

In 1994, UCQ decided to provide 100% of the program’s funding, 

following the cessation of grants from the Department of Employment, 

Education and Training. This milestone showcased the value that the 

University placed on the program, recognising its impact on students, 

faculties and the community. 69 The year 1994 was also a significant 

milestone for the university entity. The name Central Queensland 

University (CQU) and its corporate identity were permanently adopted. 70 

See Appendix A for more information regarding CQU as it stands today. 

28


1994 Bundaberg STEPS graduates. 71 

With funding solely from CQU came increased offerings of the STEPS 

program. A second level of mathematics was introduced that students could 

take in addition to the mandatory component. Transition Mathematics 2, 

which was similar in content to grade 12 mathematics, was introduced to 

enable students to apply for degree programs such as Science and 

Engineering. 72 

Also, Part-Time STEPS was introduced. This now made STEPS accessible 

to many more students who could work part-time as well as study. Part- 

Time STEPS was offered three days per week for the duration of terms 1 

and 2. 73 Megan Hindmarch saw this as a major development that really 

focused on students’ needs. Adults who had originally been excluded from 

STEPS due to work or other commitments were now also given the 

opportunity to take part in the program. 74 

29

The vision evolves 


The addition of Transition Mathematics 2 and Part-Time STEPS came at a 

time when STEPS numbers were beginning to increase. In 1995, 135 

students were enrolled in the STEPS program across four campuses: 

Rockhampton, Gladstone, Bundaberg and Mackay. 75 

With the increase in students came an increase in staff. Dr Jeanne 

McConachie was one of the Rockhampton staff members at this time. In 

fact, she was the unofficial STEPS Coordinator. 76 Phyll Coombes, 

previously a Rockhampton STEPS lecturer, comments on Jeanne’s 

management style. 

Right from the early days, Jeanne was a wonderful manager. She 

adopted a flat management style which meant that you were left free 

within the confines of what you were doing to do it in the way you 

wanted to. She has been extremely supportive of staff and students. 77 

Dr Jeanne McConachie 

Jeanne observed the transformations that were taking place as a 

consequence of the STEPS program and envisaged more people benefiting 

from this radical program. Her strong working relationship with Ian 

Goulter, the Pro Vice-Chancellor, meant that she was able to lobby for an 

increase in STEPS student numbers. 78 Jeanne was extremely passionate 

about CQU providing educational opportunities for people who had been 

marginalised from education, and lobbied strongly for STEPS at the levels 

within the university where it really mattered. 79 

30


Ian Goulter reflects on the STEPS program. 

STEPS is one of those programs that gives you great faith in the 

transforming role of a university. From a student perspective, it 

provides those who would not normally try higher education or be 

eligible for enrolment, a chance to try the experience in a safe, but 

challenging environment. However, STEPS provides more than just 

the technical knowledge and study skills necessary for success in 

university study. It also provides students, should they choose to go 

on to degree study, the confidence and knowledge that, with hard 

work, they can obtain a university qualification. Hence, students in 

STEPS can get to learn whether university study is for them and get 

a sense of whether they are likely to succeed in their studies. 

From a university perspective, STEPS produces students who are 

better prepared for success, through both commitment to study and 

knowledge of what is required. 

In summary, STEPS is a double winner — it is great for the student 

and great for the University. 80 

As a result of Jeanne’s perseverance, CQU funded an increase in STEPS 

students across Rockhampton, Gladstone, Bundaberg and Mackay. 81 The 

STEPS program could now enrol a quoter of 400 students. In 1996, STEPS 

student numbers escalated from 135 to 240. 82 The following year, 80% of 

students completing the STEPS program would enter tertiary education. 83 

A Gladstone STEPS student. 84 

31


Further funding meant that more modes were offered to include as many 

participants from the community as possible. In 1996, a part-time evening 

version of STEPS was trialled in Gladstone to allow full-time workers to 

reap the rewards of this increasingly popular program. 85 The Gladstone 

campus shared a close relationship with local industry, which was 

reflected in the changing nature of the STEPS program. The availability of 

evening part-time classes made it possible for those with work 

commitments to upgrade their skills and meet the educational demands 

placed upon them by the workplace. It also provided an opportunity to 

retrain for another job or career. A greater degree of flexibility with 

attendance was required with these groups due to shift work and industry 

shutdowns. Students were also given the opportunity to join in with the day 

time group for catch up classes. 

Some 1996 STEPS lecturers. 

Front row: Jeanne McConachie. 

Back row (L to R): Phyllida Coombes Karen Seary, Jenny Simpson, 

Kevin McLean, Megan Hindmarch. 86 

STEPS was beginning to expand not only its modes of delivery but also the 

groups of people from which STEPS students were selected. Any adult over 

the age of 21 who came from a socially disadvantaged background was 

eligible to sit for the entrance tests. 

32


In a further response to client needs and a thrust from local industry and the 

Engineering faculty, a 13 week full-time Extended STEPS program was 

developed and commenced in Gladstone in 1998. This program aimed 

to prepare students specifically for study in the fields of engineering and the 

sciences. The curriculum included more advanced mathematics and 

computing, and scientific and technical communication, largely report 

writing and delivery. Later, Extended STEPS was offered on the 

Rockhampton campus. Altogether, Extended STEPS was offered for four 

years. 

Through constantly evolving curricula and the right combination of 

lecturers, the program was helping as many people as possible. Lecturers 

were also constantly searching for better ways to communicate their lessons 

and meet the needs of their students. 

Jenny Simpson, a Rockhampton STEPS lecturer and ex-drama teacher, had 

always been interested in the power of story to reflect the everyday lives of 

people, and had taken particular interest in Joseph Campbell’s research into 

the universality of myths and legends. Campbell had shown that myths are 

really a blueprint for our own lives, and, if understood, have great power to 

transform. There were recurring patterns in these universal stories, and 

Campbell’s research had also shown that stories of heroes on a quest such 

as Ulysses, Hercules, or the Arthurian legend knights went through specific 

stages that he named the Hero’s Journey. Christopher Vogler, in his book 

The writer’s journey, had then taken those stages and simplified them. 

Jenny realised that those very stages — or many of them — were 

undertaken by all STEPS students during the course of each program. Here 

was a pattern that they could identify with — and that had positive 

outcomes. In 1997, the 12 stages of the Hero’s Journey were presented to 

STEPS classes in Rockhampton as a model for transformational change in 

adult learners and, later, it was introduced to the other campuses. Over the 

past ten years, this timeless wisdom has helped students reflect on learning 

journeys that allow them to emerge as ‘the transformed wanderer on the 

quest with the freedom to live.’ It is a popular strategy as participants are 

made aware that the difficulties of the learning journey not only can be 

faced and overcome but also have the power to transform the learner. 87 On 

page 64 you can read more about the Hero’s Journey and, on page 83 one 

student’s personal Hero’s Journey. 

33


Front row (L to R): Phyll Coombes, Jeanne McConachie, 

Professor Glenice Hancock, Ingrid Kennedy, Jenny Simpson. 

Back row (L to R): Sue McIntosh, Angela Sankey. 88 

Jenny Simpson, left, with 1997 STEPS graduates in Rockhampton. 89 

34

STEPS and Emerald 


Jenny Simpson was also involved in taking the STEPS program to the 

Emerald campus, which by now was in full swing. Bronwyn Reid, a 

computing lecturer at the Emerald campus remembers a group of staff 

including Ingrid Kennedy and Jenny coming out from Rockhampton to talk 

to her about STEPS. 

I remember we talked about what it was and how we were going to 

go about it, and I remember thinking, ‘Oh, my goodness’. 90 

Below is an email from Dr Jeanne McConachie to Emerald staff outlining 

the STEPS program. 91 From this email you can see just how far the STEPS 

program had developed. 

Natalie Cassano was appointed as the first Emerald STEPS Coordinator in 

1998 and remained in this position until 2001 when Stephanie Garoni took 

on the role. 92 Stephanie wanted to resign after three weeks. 

I just thought it’s too much. I can’t do it. My son was only five 

months when I started and then I went and had a wine with my 

friend Theresa. She said ‘Pull yourself together. Get over yourself. 

Of course you can do it.’ And it was the best advice she ever gave 

me. She said, ‘Of course learning something new always takes time 

doesn’t it?’ My first impressions were quite scary too. 93 

Stephanie went on to coordinate the STEPS program for five years and has 

been recognised as one of the most enthusiastic supporters of the STEPS 

program by students and staff. 94 

35


Stephanie Garoni, left, with current Emerald STEPS Coordinator, 

Jo Rosenblatt. 95 

In 1998, eight adult learners enrolled in the Emerald STEPS program and 

graduated at the end of 13 weeks. 96 These students are pictured below. 

Gai Sypher, front left, has been working as a Senior Administration Officer 

at the Emerald campus for six years. 

Front row (L to R): Gai Sypher, Tiffany Hunter, Kerin Szymes, 

Lorraine Kruse. 

Back row (L to R): Dorothea Lennane, Trudy Moss, Don Cameron, 

Lyn Gray. 97 

36


With the inclusion of the Emerald campus, in 1998 there were now 420 

students enrolled across five campuses. 98 In the space of two very short 

years, CQU had successfully superseded the visionary quota of 400 

students. STEPS was providing a bridge to higher education for adults in 

the communities of Rockhampton, Gladstone, Bundaberg, Mackay and now 

Emerald. 

Community support 

1998 STEPS students at work. 99 

It seemed that 1998 would be a big year for the STEPS program. Statistics 

had been released that demonstrated the retention rate of STEPS students in 

undergraduate study was 25% higher than for direct entry students. 100 Also, 

news of the very first University medal earned by a former STEPS student 

hit the papers on 19 October 1998. Steve Chadwick’s story is told in the 

newspaper article on the next page. 101 

37


Steve now works as a lecturer in the CQU Humanities Faculty in Bundaberg. 102 

(Source: Bundaberg NewsMail 19 October 1998) 

By this time, many people within the communities of Rockhampton, 

Gladstone, Bundaberg and Mackay knew at least one person who had 

completed the STEPS program, had subsequently completed a degree (or 

even doctorate) or had bettered their employment situation. Bundaberg staff 

indicated that the STEPS program was actually better known throughout the 

community than was the university itself. 103 STEPS had definitely made its 

mark. 

38


Central Queensland University Student Gai Sypher (right), with STEPS 

co-cordinator Stephanie Garoni, is now completing her masters after being one of 

the first students to complete the STEPS program in Emerald. 104 

Liz Cunningham, Queensland’s Parliamentary member for Gladstone, 

recognised the success of the program, openly praising it on many formal 

occasions and taking a prominent role at Gladstone STEPS functions. 

Liz Cunningham handing a graduation certificate to a Gladstone STEPS student. 105 

39


Liz records her views of the program below. 106 

40


Now the program was being recognised not only by the communities of the 

campuses but also by other areas within Queensland and beyond. STEPS 

lecturers have told of students coming from as far as New South Wales, 

Canberra and Brisbane. Some have even moved whole families to one of 

the centres just to do STEPS. 107 

STEPS was also receiving support from powerful lobby groups both 

internal and external to the University. There were little pockets of support 

within the University in just about all of the faculties. 108 Lecturers in the 

faculties were no doubt impressed with their first year students from STEPS 

and now had a vested interest in the program. In addition, interest groups 

such as the JET program for single mothers and the Women’s Health 

Centre were advocates of the program, directing their members wherever 

appropriate. 109 On page 135 you can read how a social worker helped one 

woman find STEPS. 

The STEPS staff also developed good relationships with employment 

agencies such as Centrelink, CRS Australia and Jobs Network as well as 

mayors and local members of parliament. 110 The link between the 

employment agencies and the program was vital. These agencies had 

witnessed how it benefited their clients and accordingly directed customers 

to STEPS. The agencies were also able to pinpoint the type of person who 

was ready to tackle the STEPS program and succeed. 111 

The belief in the program by such agencies is demonstrated by a speech 

given at the 1999 Gladstone graduation ceremony by Greg Case, the 

Central Queensland JET Adviser at the time. 

I believe STEPS is arguably the best tertiary preparation program in 

the land. I base this not only on the obvious success of the program 

through graduates continuing on to further study, but also as a result 

of the dedicated and professional approach of all lecturers and others 

involved with STEPS at CQU’s campuses. They take genuinely the 

hopes and aspirations of all students within STEPS. The University 

and the community as a whole should be very proud of these 

people. 112 

STEPS continued to be recognised by other universities. In 1999, 

429 students enrolled, and a number of STEPS students were accepted into 

other universities including the University of Melbourne to study medicine, 

the University of Sydney to study law and the University of New England 

to study archaeology. 113 

41



In 2001, STEPS commanded an international stage when Milton Fuller 

spoke about the program at the British Congress of Mathematics, at Keele 

University. Milton continued to write papers on mathematics with an 

emphasis on STEPS and, accordingly, spoke at conferences at the 

University of Loughborough in the United Kingdom and the Royal Institute 

of Technology, Haninge Campus in Sweden. 115 Appendix B presents a list 

of published journal articles and book chapters that refer to the STEPS 

program. 

This was also the year that CQU piloted an external version of the STEPS 

program. External STEPS was run from Gladstone and was designed and 

coordinated by Val Cleary and Megan Hindmarch. In addition, that same 

year CQU implemented a unified student feedback system across all 

campuses, enabling comments and suggestions from STEPS students to be 

collected more methodically. 116 

Taking shape 

In 2002, Dr Jeanne McConachie was recognised for her hard work by being 

appointed the Director of the Division of Teaching and Learning Services at 

CQU. 117 In the same year, Karen Seary of Bundaberg was appointed Head 

of STEPS. Like Jeanne, Karen’s enthusiastic leadership would bring her 

recognition as an icon of the STEPS program. 118 

42


Karen Seary and Megan Hindmarch. 119 

In 2002, STEPS was also recognised for its excellence by receiving runnerup 

in the Australian Teaching Awards, and was praised for being an 

innovative and practical program that contributed to the community. CQU 

was extremely proud of this achievement. 120 

When this award was announced, Phil Ainsworth, the Chair of the 

Bundaberg Advisory Committee, commented that STEPS had been 

responsible for taking the University into the community. 121 In 1986, the 

government had recognised that people envisaged university as a privilege 

for the elite and, in a short time, the STEPS program had transformed this 

perception and showed the community that university was for anyone. 

A major change occurred to the mathematics component in 2002 when 

Antony Dekkers led the redesign of the course. This involved 

Sharon Cohalan completely rewriting the mathematics text (now called 

Transition Mathematics 1 — Introductory Mathematics Modules). 122 The 

maths text was work in progress, being changed and updated every term 

from the input of the lecturers and students and by the demands and varying 

popularity of the degree course. 123 This new text incorporated all of the 

changes and feedback into one book. The text, in addition to being the 

primary text for STEPS students, is also used for students who come to the 

Mathematics Learning Centre for assistance with their degree studies. 124 

The text has become quite sought after, as Lois Pinkney reflects: 

Over the years, I have had many requests to purchase the text from 

all sorts of people outside the university such as parents wanting to 

help their children with their homework as well as school 

teachers. 125 

43


With the new text came changes to the way the course was taught. There 

was less emphasis on self-paced teaching and more on board work. 126 

Other courses were also undergoing change. A new Language and Learning 

text Immigrants into a new time was written in 2000 by Jenny Simpson and 

has continued to be updated yearly. Similarly, the Computing text, 

originally written by Ingrid Kennedy in 1995, was also undergoing change 

to include computing skills that students would require as undergraduates in 

the 21 st century. 

Professor Glenice Hancock, the Vice-Chancellor of CQU from 2001 to 

2004, was a great supporter of STEPS. She comments below: 

Throughout my adult life I have been an educator first and foremost. 

At various points in my career I have been responsible for the 

delivery of educational programs to students in schools, prisons and 

universities. 

When I first joined CQU and throughout my stay there, STEPS 

captured my educator’s heart and imagination. Of particular 

importance to me was the creativity of staff, the freshness of the 

courses and the overwhelming joy of the student participants. 

The participants, most of whom had never seen themselves as 

students and many of whom had been rejected by or ejected from 

mainstream education at an early age, tentatively explored an 

opportunity to have a peek through the university window to see if, 

at this stage of their lives, they might make some useful connection. 

The staff and their courses helped them to find out aspects of their 

personalities and latent talents they had scarcely believed they had. 

Graduation day was always an enchantment for me as I watched the 

confidence that had emerged, the thrill of success on graduands’ 

faces and the pride bursting forth from family and friends. The 

wonderful life and career stories of STEPS graduates would make an 

inspirational bestseller and an invaluable source document for 

educators who, from time to time, may question the value of what 

they are doing. 

From the point of view of a DVC/VC of a regional university, 

STEPS fired the imagination even further. Central Queensland as a 

region has very much lower than the national average participation 

rates in higher education. As a university, I always saw, and 

continue to see, CQU as having its primary purpose in opening 

educational windows for the people of Central Queensland. 

44


STEPS has proven itself over and over again in doing just that. 

However, the STEPS story does not stop with opening the windows. 

For hundreds and hundreds of graduates, STEPS has been the start 

of academic and professional success, which continues and 

continues. Long may STEPS continue. 127 

Other advocates of the STEPS program were recognised in 2003. Lynne 

Campbell became the STEPS Coordinator for Gladstone and Lynnette 

Forbes-Smith was appointed the STEPS Coordinator in Mackay. The 

following year, Julie Willans would accept the position of STEPS 

Coordinator in Rockhampton. Both Lynnette and Julie remain coordinators 

on their respective campuses today. 

Tackling change 

The gradual change to all courses as well as the rigorous effort by staff to 

incorporate student feedback would distinguish CQU’s bridging program 

from other similar programs throughout Australia. 

Lauchlan Chipman, Vice-Chancellor of CQU from 1996 to 2001 comments 

on the program below: 

I’ve seen a lot of well-intentioned preparation programs but I was 

very impressed at that early stage with the track record of STEPS. 

One of the good things about the way it was managed is that the 

staff were scrupulous about actually finding out if STEPS delivered 

the results that it was set up to deliver. 128 

STEPS staff at a planning day in 2005. 129 

45


Muriel Strahm, Michael Connon, Lynne Campbell and Gerda Whiteley at a 

planning day in 2005. 130 

By this time, the change in the composition of STEPS classes across all five 

campuses was obvious. Jenny Simpson called it a real switch for a program 

that originally started out to help mostly women improve their education 

and career possibilities. Now, it was a program that encompassed 400 

students, many of whom were men. 131 Megan Hindmarch attributes this to 

the gradual shift in the mindsets of people in the community, and the 

increased acceptance of men taking time out to study in the hope of 

furthering their careers. 132 

STEPS students hard at work. 133 

46


Other factors such as technology and the age of students had also changed 

the focus of teaching styles and the STEPS curriculum, particularly the 

computing course. 

Bronwyn Reid from the Emerald campus explained how technology had 

impacted on the delivery of the computing component. On the one hand, 

she had students who used computers at home or in the work environment 

and, therefore, had a sound understanding. On the other hand, some 

students didn’t know where the ‘on’ button was. This meant tailoring the 

classwork so that all students were able to learn at their own pace and 

increase their knowledge. 134 

Students in Computing for Academic Assignment Writing. 135 

Emerald’s ability to stay abreast of such changes was recognised when 

Stephanie Garoni accepted an award on behalf of the STEPS program. 

After only six years of operation, the Emerald STEPS program won the 

Outstanding Program section in the Adult Learners’ Week competition. 

Shown on the next page is a picture of Stephanie receiving the award from 

Adult Learners’ Week representative, Chris Kroehn. 136 

47


In 2005, STEPS had a change of offerings to allow both the part-time and 

full-time programs to be Austudy approved through Centrelink. Centrelink, 

through the JET program, provides top-up payments to those undertaking 

education and training packages such as STEPS. 137 The full-time program 

was reduced from 13 to 12 weeks, and the new Extended STEPS replaced 

the old part-time program. 138 

At the beginning of 2006, Jo Rosenblatt replaced Stephanie Garoni as 

STEPS Coordinator for the Emerald campus. Lynne Campbell also retired 

from her position as STEPS Coordinator for the Gladstone campus on 7 

July 2006. During her 16 years as a STEPS employee, Lynne made a 

notable teaching and administrative contribution to the STEPS program. 

Muriel Strahm replaced Lynne as the Gladstone STEPS Coordinator. 

48


Today and tomorrow 

Now in its 20 th year of operation, the STEPS program is continuing to 

evolve. In 2006, an external adaptation of the program has been introduced. 

This has enabled another sector of the community to participate in STEPS, 

that is, people in remote areas who could not participate in the program on a 

face-to-face level. This introduction has meant that men in isolated areas are 

able to access CQU’s preparatory programs (as women could already enrol 

in the WIST [Women Into Science and Technology] preparatory program 

externally). This year, the program has also further reduced the age limit of 

participants to 18 years of age. 139 

Today, the program covers four specialist areas: 

• Language and Learning 

• Transition Mathematics 

• Tertiary Preparation Studies 

• Computing for Academic Assignment Writing. 

Depending on students’ personal circumstances, they can choose one of 

four modes of delivery, shown below: 

• STEPS Accelerated, 12 weeks, 4 days per week 

• STEPS Extended, 24 weeks, 3 days per week 

• STEPS Flex, 24 weeks, 3 nights per week 

• STEPS External, 15 hours of study per week. 

See Appendix C for a description of each of the courses above as they fit 

into the modes of delivery. 

STEPS is constantly going from strength to strength and has permanently 

embedded itself in the Central Queensland University landscape. Over 

4,500 students have graduated, with a large percentage embarking on 

tertiary study. The STEPS program for the past 20 years has been fulfilling 

Dr Arthur Appleton’s vision of assisting adult learners to gain access to 

tertiary education, directly enhancing CQU and central Queensland 

communities. 

49


The impact of STEPS on CQU is demonstrated by the photograph below 

which shows a group of students who were given the opportunity to teach 

in Korea. 140 

In 2006, 13 students were carefully selected from the Bachelor of Learning 

Management program across all campuses to spend the summer teaching 

English to Korean students. A total of 43 applications were received, and 

selection was based on a face-to-face interview and student grades. 141 Out 

of the 13 students chosen, three were ex-‘Steppies’: Peter Kirby 

(Bundaberg), Simone Ganter (Rockhampton) and Chris Daly (Gladstone). 

An example of how STEPS students have infiltrated the CQU Bundaberg 

campus was shown when a selection of Multimedia students exhibited their 

work on 26 April 2006 at the Bundaberg Arts Centre. The exhibition 

entitled New Media Makings displayed the collections of 12 students, five 

of whom were past STEPS students. They were: Crystal Jones, Carol 

Dunstan, Peter Williams, Max Fleet and Paula Swift. 142 

STEPS now boasts an array of stakeholders who all hold a vested interest in 

this successful program. Whether they are the faculties of CQU who cherish 

the competent students they receive, employment agencies, or the students 

themselves, this program has transformed the lives of thousands of people. 

50


The achievements of STEPS over the past 20 years have culminated in the 

program being recognised as CQU’s Flagship Program — the Jewel in the 

Crown — as Karen Seary puts it. 143 

The program will continue to reshape the lives of those who muster the 

courage to take that first step. The photographs presented in the next section 

show the 2006 Term 1 STEPS students on the different campuses, who, 

along with their lecturers, are taking steps into the future and beyond. 

51


Staff and student photos — 2006 Term 1 

Rockhampton 

144 

Extended group one. 

Front row (L to R): Joanne Nichols, Natasha Mossman, Lee Steele, Yun-Suk Lee, 

Ingrid Kennedy (lecturer). 

Second row (L to R): Jane Cleal (lecturer), Tabatha Byrnes, Janine Chadwick, 

Rose Melton, Jodie Rabaut, Cherylene Price, Rohan Tan. 

Third row (L to R): Violetta Todorovic (lecturer), Sandra Pahlke, Donald Britton, 

Sue McIntosh (lecturer), Veronica Stuart-Smithers, Leigh Van Breeman, 

Nicholas Naughton. 

Back row (L to R): Campbell Walker, Alex Hopes, Jeffrey Hudson, 

Douglas Pailthorpe, Athena Harcus-Duus. 

52


Accelerated group. 

Front row (L to R): Graham Durkin, Jaye Tonkin, Deborah England. 

Second row (L to R): Lisa Warwick, Matthew McKane, Laine Barclay, 

Thomas Johnston. 

Third row (L to R): Leanne White, Sarah Rota, Naomi McDonald, Val Mifsud. 

Fourth row: Shirley Froschauer. 

Back row (L to R): Ingrid Kennedy (lecturer), Geoff Danaher (lecturer), 

Sharon Cohalan (lecturer), Julie Willans (STEPS Coordinator). 

Absent: Jorell Galiki. 

53


Extended group two. 

Front row (L to R): Geoff Danaher (lecturer), Tim Dillon, 

Sue McIntosh (lecturer), Phillipa Sturgess (lecturer), Gail Coverdale, Grant Hixon, 

Cherie Gibbings-Johns, Karen Neitz, Michael Tremaine, Antony Dekkers (lecturer). 

Second row (L to R): Robert Walsh, Daniel Wonnocott, Chris Perry, Jessica 

Rankin, Kerrilee Christensen, Sue Wathen, Donna Marshall, Megan Safstrom, 

Christopher Long. 

Back (L to R): Matthew Hangan, Richard Devine, Darren Webber. 

Pam McMahon, Learning 

Support Administrator. 

54 

Georgina Pickering, Learning 

Support Administrator.

Gladstone 

145 


Extended group. 

Sitting (L to R): Ruby Costigan, Sharon Sweeney. 

Front row (L to R): Sonya Robson, Danny Kapay, Tina Burmeister, Mike Connon 

(lecturer), Pat Bigg, John Devney, Karen Lester. 

Second row (L to R): Andrew Keefe, Dean Watts, Samantha Lennon, Kurt Russell, 

Trish White, Clare Figueiredo, Trevor Clarke. 

Back row (L to R): Ann Pearson, Hannah Feder, Ben Ward, Aimee Anderson, 

Liz Bondareff. 

55


Flex group. 

Front row (L to R): Julie Howard, Renee Jurgens, Mike Connon (lecturer), 

Heather Congram, Joelene Beazley, Karen Wouters. 

Second row (L to R): Andrea Phillips, Lisa Wilson, Jan Mitchell, Kerri Flintham, 

Grant McDonald, Carolyn Vickery, Stafford Ellery, Dianne Spinks, Peter March. 

Back row (L to R): Harley Moss, Stephen Walker, Peter Rose, Nicole Birch, 

Ross Neill. 

56

Bundaberg 

146 


STEPS Staff. 

Front row (L to R): Karen Seary (Head of STEPS), Wendy Davis. 

Back row (L to R): Ann Monsour, Jinx Atherton, Therese O’Donnell, 

Megan Hindmarch. 

Peter Christiansen, Lecturer. 

57 

Jan Salmon, Lecturer.


Accelerated class. 

Sitting (L to R): Sean Springham, Scott Torcetti, Jodelee Readford, Linda Elliott, 

Anjee Rathbone, Mitch McClenahan, Alyssa Bush, John Manderson, 

Mark Simpson. 

Back row (L to R): Kerry Grant, Ruth Thompson, Rhys Maclean, 

Roslyn Ferguson, Alison Charlton, Nicolle Warren, Andrew Chilcott, Jaye Spence, 

Narelle Noakes, Damien Petfield. 

Extended class. 

Sitting (L to R): Caleb Hutchinson, Amanda Corsetti. 

Back row (L to R): Angela McGavin, Megan Toohey, Veronica Nichols, 

Tracey Ansell, Phil Skeet, Tatania Griffiths, Sam Auer, Jody Hughes, 

Kim Mathews, Evelyn Rippon, Julie Cislowski, Lesley Sands. 

58

Mackay 

147 


Extended group one and two. 

59 

STEPS staff. 

Front row: 

Nadine Adams. 

Back row (L to R): 

Katrina Richmond, 

Alexis Reedman, 

Frank Armstrong, 

Lyn Forbes-Smith (STEPS 

Coordinator), Lois Pinkney. 

Front row (L to R): Tammy Muller, Debra Rush, Reef Jamieson, Mistral Dobson, 

Thomas Perkins. 

Second row (L to R): Trina Reibe, Marianne Kraal, Wendy Young, 

Sheridan Maher, Elena Borg, Jason Sam, Duncan McLean. 

Third row (L to R): Cindy Gunther, Peter Miskell, Susan Hodgson, 

Maria Johnston, Heather White, Laura Schaap, Stephanie Wright, Tanya Bugeja, 

Kerry Wilson. 

Back row (L to R): Samuel Challenor, Samantha Rogers, Stacey O’Loughlin, 

Ebonie Hockings, Tracey Vella, Tara Graffunder, Benjamin Henderson, 

Nenelia O’Riely, Sandra Pullom, Alex Young, Adria Dodds.

Emerald 

148 


Flex class. 

Front Row (L to R): Stella Bowyer, Claire Jones, Chris Graham. 

Back row (L to R): Jo Rosenblatt (STEPS Coordinator), Gay Mabin, 

Rachael Brandis, Melinda Fowler, Judy Scarpelli (lecturer). 

60

Part Two: The STEPS philosophy 


61


Adults need both change and stability. But to change, they must 

experience instability and uncertainty. 

To change they have to expose themselves to the threat of failure. 

But if they avoid this, they stagnate. 

Source unknown 

They say that paradox is an essential element of adulthood. For those who 

take on the STEPS program, it is this very sense of growth-producing 

uncertainty that makes it so challenging and exciting, yet frustrating, for 

learners and lecturers alike. For many adults, fronting up to be challenged 

once more by institutionalised learning after years away from classrooms 

takes courage. Read some of the 20 STEPS stories in this book and you will 

see how many past students have used words like terrified, overwhelmed, 

fear, panic, and anxieties as they have approached either the initial testing 

and interview, or the first day in STEPS classrooms. Will it be, many 

wonder, a repeat of what they disliked most about some of their school 

experiences? But STEPS is a learning experience for adults, and adults 

learn differently from children or adolescents. And so, STEPS aims to 

achieve what all good adult learning programs set out to do: to transform 

beliefs and attitudes that are no longer productive. 

The theory of transformational learning 

The aim of the STEPS program is to equip learners with the lifelong 

learning skills, confidence, knowledge and independence to enter university 

and complete their tertiary studies. In today’s university setting, any 

successful enabling program must do more than just teach the rudiments of 

the academic essay or how to comprehend algebraic equations. It should 

aspire to produce self-aware, lifelong learners who will take responsibility 

for their own learning. 

Adults are most ready to learn when the learning meets an immediate life 

need, and are most motivated when learning fills an internal need. 

Consequently, the inner as well as the outer lives of adult learners must be 

catered for in any worthwhile adult learning program. 149 One of the 

unproductive beliefs that many participants bring with them is that they are 

failed learners. Transformational learning, through empowering students to 

challenge and change negative or misguided worldviews, therefore prepares 

63


them to face new opportunities as they overcome their past difficulties and 

disadvantages. 

Nevertheless, transforming beliefs presents challenges for those involved in 

the program. American educationalist Parker J. Palmer 150 writes about the 

need to educate in ways that might heal rather than wound us and our 

world, and this philosophy is taken very seriously in STEPS. Healing can 

be uncomfortable. For adults, any worthwhile learning experience will 

encounter some negative periods that cause discomfort. Because learning 

takes us somewhere that we did not know exists, the journey of discovery 

must pass through confusion and uncertainty as we find that some ideas we 

once may have held dear are challenged. Most adult learners who come to 

STEPS have rich lived experiences, and these experiences contribute 

greatly to their tertiary learning. Lecturers are well versed in the tenets of 

adult learning principles and transformative learning, an important element 

of which is acceptance of the importance of people’s personal experiences. 

Because of these experiences, many STEPS students are experts in their 

own knowledge, and reflecting on their learning journeys, and the changes 

they are making both during and after the program helps to develop greater 

self-awareness and self-knowledge, both necessary attributes for effective 

tertiary learning. 

The Hero’s Journey 

A strategy that aids this reflection, and which has proved very popular with 

students over many years, is the use of the Hero’s Journey model. Drawing 

on the work of psychologist Carl Jung, Joseph Campbell 151 researched 

myths and legends of many cultures and found that the hero myth followed 

predictable stages, which he named the Hero’s Journey. More recently, 

writer Christopher Vogler 152 adapted those stages, which show 

transformational change, into the 12 that we use in STEPS: 

• the Ordinary World 

• the Call to Adventure 

• Refusal of the Call 

• Meeting with the Mentor 

• Crossing the First Threshold 

64

• Tests, Allies and Enemies 


• Approach to the Innermost Cave (the Second Threshold) 

• the Supreme Ordeal 

• Reward (Seizing the Sword) 

• The Road Back 

• Resurrection 

• Return with Elixir (Freedom to Live). 

From the moment they learn of the Hero’s Journey model, students 

recognise and are excited by its truth. Many feel a sense of empowerment, 

and recognition dawns at every new encounter. Quick to recognise parallels 

in their own lives, students can accept that those same stages will be 

encountered during the program. They can recall the stages in well-loved 

stories, and films are analysed as they are recognised there as well. The 

students also become aware that the journey’s stages will begin all over 

again with their entry into university as one Ordinary World is forfeited and 

another Call to Adventure is responded to. 

The Hero’s Journey is a powerful model to use as it shows that the 

discomfort and confusion brought by challenges are necessary for growth 

— and that this knowledge is timeless. As did Ulysses of old, the adult 

learner leaves the comfort zone of the known and, crossing the first 

threshold, encounters tests, allies and enemies as he or she unlearns 

outmoded habits. The past must be deconstructed before the learner can 

reconstruct the future. Once the future is reached, the learning can be said 

to have been truly transformative. If it does not pass through this stage of 

confusion and conflict and then be transformed through reflection, adult 

learning is less effective. 153 It is this apparent paradox that suggests that the 

benefits of learning cannot be achieved without some personal, and 

sometimes painful, costs to the learner. 

During the program, STEPS students are asked to journal on each of the 

12 stages as they are met. Students always express surprise that their shared 

experiences follow a pattern. This is a revelation, and it is very freeing for 

them to see purpose in the difficulties their participation in the program may 

have brought. This research into their own learning journeys has given them 

65


both the language and the skills to hold their nerve when the realities of 

undergraduate living and learning seem difficult. 

Using the 12 stages of the Hero’s Journey to chronicle their experiences 

during STEPS gives students the certainty that the journey is worthwhile 

and can bring success. With hard work and motivation, they can seize the 

sword and reach the stages of Return with Elixir and Freedom to Live. 

Here, again, is the paradox of adult learning. Challenging times create 

uncertainty, but the stages give certainty, and confirm to the students that 

they are capable of transforming their own lives. 

This transformation of her life is faithfully recorded by Penny Gorlick from 

Bundaberg: 

The Ordinary World 

Once upon a time, I lived in a safe cocoon of order, peace and routine. My 

daily life, indeed my whole role in life, was defined by the needs and wants 

of others. Satisfied to have the love and approval of my children as a mark 

of my personal worth, and to have my identity defined as a nurturer and 

provider for my children, I was content. 

Call to Adventure 

When my youngest child started school, I began to wonder whether it was 

enough just to feel content and peaceful. I began to realise that, without my 

children to validate who I was, I really felt quite lost. I began to feel the 

need for an identity that went beyond just being a mother and a 

housekeeper. At my late age in life, I realised that I didn’t have a sense of 

who I was, what I believed, or who I wanted to be — an individual. It left 

me feeling quite empty and unfulfilled. Although the happy world I lived in 

was serene and safe after years of turmoil, I felt that it could possibly 

become a little too safe and comfortable. My secure cocoon, while 

protecting me from harm, began to feel a little too much like a shroud that 

could end up suffocating me. 

After reading about the STEPS program, I thought that this could be an 

opportunity for me to improve my academic ability. I believed it would be 

something I could easily fit into my life without it being unnecessarily 

demanding or time consuming. 

66

Refusal of the Call 


From the moment I received the application form, I began to make excuses 

to validate my not going ahead with the program. I was filled with doubts 

about my own abilities. I thought that I was deluding myself to think that 

someone like me could even attempt a program at a university. I was too 

old, too busy, too dumb, and had too many responsibilities. My list was 

endless. The day of the entrance exam, I sat in my car in the car park 

thinking how much easier it would be just to turn around and go home. 

Why did I want to give myself more stress after all I had been through in 

my life? That was the day I would justify going home, back to my safe little 

haven. 

Meeting with the Mentor 

From the moment I met Karen, with all her enthusiasm and supportive and 

encouraging words, I started to believe that I could do the program. If she 

could have confidence in me, then perhaps I should too. From the 

beginning, and all through the challenges and problems that made me want 

to just give up, Karen helped me to keep going. She made me feel 

worthwhile. 

Crossing the First Threshold 

Perhaps one of the first challenges I faced, apart from just going through 

the door on that first day, was to be in a group of total strangers, and to be 

expected to form some kind of bond with them. Although it appears to 

others that I am an outgoing person who finds it easy to mix, this is really 

far from the truth. At the time, to have to be part of a group of strangers and 

to have to see them frequently seemed like a huge ordeal to me. 

Tests, Allies and Enemies 

Looking back, it seems amazing that I found it hard to be part of my STEPS 

group. Throughout the program, we all gradually became good friends, 

giving support, encouragement and help to each other. Sometimes, it 

seemed that old friends, who I had expected to give me the most help, failed 

to be supportive. It also seemed as if many of the friends I had had for years 

would have liked it better if I quit. (Sometimes I would have liked it better 

too). It was often the most unlikely people who were my strongest allies. 

My children, who I had thought would resent the fact that I was no longer 

67


at home all the time, became great pillars of support. They encouraged me 

to keep going when everything went wrong in my life. They helped by 

doing an extra share of housework, and by telling me how proud they were 

of me. They listened to endless rewrites of essays and oral presentations, 

and brought me continuous cups of tea at night when I had left studying or 

writing to the last possible minute. 

It was difficult sometimes to want to continue. At times, all the small 

problems of everyday life joined together like a huge haystack of ‘last 

straws’. When the car broke down, when my children were sick, or there 

were emotional issues to cope with, it was very hard to see the importance 

of ‘y=mx+b’ or to look up information on the throwaway society. 

Approach to the Innermost Cave 

For someone whose memory of schooldays had long disappeared in the 

mists of time, sitting for maths exams was a major ordeal. Many times it 

just seemed impossible to learn all the details of algebra and linear 

equations. Maths exams were an ordeal to be faced regularly and gave me 

many sleepless nights before and after the event. I managed to get through 

them, and survive, which was cause for celebration. 

The Supreme Ordeal 

Perhaps the hardest problem I had throughout the program, my personal 

Supreme Ordeal, was conquering my own self doubts. It was hard to accept 

it, but there came a moment when I realised that the worst enemy I had was 

myself. I was the one saying, ‘You can’t. It’s too hard. You can’t cope’. 

Once I acknowledged that I was sabotaging my own efforts, I stopped 

feeling as overwhelmed and out of control. 

Reward 

Each test completed and each essay assignment handed in became a 

triumph over self doubt. Every time I proved to myself that I could do 

something I had originally thought too hard, I felt a sense of pride and my 

self esteem was boosted. 

The Road Back 

STEPS changed me in many ways. The person I was at the beginning of my 

journey has gone forever. The person who travels on the ‘Road Back’ 

68


comes with a more open mind. My opinions, now, are my opinions based 

on what I have found to be my truth. I also accept that others can have 

entirely different opinions that are equally as valid and as truthful as my 

own are to me. STEPS opened my mind and made me want to continue to 

journey and explore and discover. 

Resurrection 

Originally, I had thought STEPS would be like a gentle little dip in the 

ocean, nothing too strenuous, and then a return to shore. I was wrong. 

STEPS was like a tidal wave that swept me off my feet and often pulled me 

under. So many times I wanted to just give up and go back to that safe 

shore I had left. The frightening thing was that I knew I had already been 

taken too far out, and I couldn’t even see that secure bit of ground any 

more. Thankfully, whenever I felt like I was drowning, there always 

seemed to be someone there to help me lift my head above water or to 

throw me a life raft, and give me time to breathe. 

Eventually, I stopped looking back at the fast disappearing shore I had left, 

and started using my energies to swim harder to reach the other side. I 

know that this difficult swim through STEPS has changed the person that I 

was forever. Reaching the other side, I will be resurrected to a new way of 

looking at myself, at others, at the world I live in and my place in it. 

Return with Elixir: Freedom to Live 

On an academic level, STEPS has taught me many new skills. I have learnt, 

if not to love computers, then at least to cope with them adequately. 

Researching for essays has taught me so much about my world, and has 

inspired me to learn more. My journey through STEPS, though, has done so 

much more for me on a personal level. 

It has made me realise things about myself, things that didn’t always please 

me and things I often found hard to believe. My perceptions and values 

have changed incredibly. One of the most important lessons I will take 

away with me is that I am not a powerless victim, swept along by people 

and forces beyond my control. I realise that it is within my power to change 

who I am, and that my past experiences do not have to affect me for the rest 

of my life. I have gained the strength to recreate who I am, and make my 

own personal world the one I want to live in. I realise I can have informed 

opinions that do not have to be the same as anyone else’s to be valid. I also 

69


know that I can accept the perceptions and values of others as being as 

equally valid as my own. STEPS has given me the Elixir of strength, self 

esteem and the confidence to believe in myself as an individual. 

Transformational learning applied to 


Each of the STEPS courses endeavours to provide the curriculum and 

strategies that will encourage students to transform their worldviews. 

Tertiary Preparation Studies (TPS) empowers students to change the way 

they view themselves as scholars. In the first few weeks of the STEPS 

program, students begin to develop self-awareness through gaining a better 

understanding of themselves as learners. They identify personal strengths 

and weaknesses according to their unique sets of learning preferences and 

temperament types, and begin building individual profiles. This information 

is used to provide a sound platform to maximise their learning journeys. 

Next, they are given strategies to support their preferred learning styles, and 

are also encouraged to develop skills in learning in ways which they do not 

prefer. New learning strategies are essential for many who see themselves 

as damaged learners as they may be reluctant to revisit old ways that have 

brought past failures. Innovative strategies, which include the six coloured 

hats and parallel thinking of Edward de Bono and mind mapping, are then 

carried over to be used in other STEPS courses, particularly in the writing 

course, Language and Learning. TPS also introduces students to oral 

presentations through group work. In addition, through facilitating an 

awareness of all that Central Queensland University has to offer students, 

TPS provides a context for developing study and life skills that will help 

students position themselves as confident, proactive and self-directed 

scholars of the university, who know where to go to seek help and guidance 

should the need arise. 

Transformation in Language and Learning is attempted through a holistic 

course that focuses on social change in contemporary Australian society. 

Language and Learning embraces the paradigm of learning that comes from 

the new world of science. This sees that all things are interconnected. 

Emphasising community and co-operation in an empowering environment, 

this course reflects the view that all worthwhile learning creates a ‘capacity 

for connectedness’ in learners; 154 therefore, developing the ability to think 

70


‘whole’ is an important goal. So, too, is understanding the power of 

reflection in the learning process. Language and Learning encourages other 

ways of knowing. Whole brain learning strategies such as clustering, mind 

mapping, visualisation, graphic organisers and coloured hats are 

emphasised in thinking and writing. Writing that is personal and creative is 

experienced before writing that is academic as encouraging students to find 

their authors’ voices is necessary before the intricacies of academic writing 

are undertaken. Because it is the belief of the STEPS Language and 

Learning team that the thinking of the future will encompass parallel 

thinking as well as critical analysis, students are introduced to these ways of 

thinking as a means of preparing them for life and learning in 21 st century 

learning organisations. 

Computing aims to transform students’ perspectives of themselves as 

technology users and empower them as they learn the skills to carry them 

through undergraduate studies with confidence. The course presents a real 

challenge as beginning STEPS students range from those who are 

technology literate to those who have never turned on a computer. 

Computing for Academic Assignment Writing (CFAAW), which is closely 

allied to Language and Learning, does this by developing skills necessary 

for word processing assignments correctly using Microsoft Word, and 

creating spreadsheets using Microsoft Excel. In addition, the use of the 

World Wide Web and Webmail seeks to develop research skills necessary 

for academic studies. STEPS students become proficient in the setting out 

of documents through learning the latest typographical conventions based 

on the work of international editors. They discover that layout is important, 

and learn little known quick and easy ways of doing this effectively. The 

course is skilfully designed so that attitudes to technology are transformed, 

both in those who have had no previous skills, and also in those who are 

computer literate. 

Transformational learning is further evident in the Mathematics course as 

one of its aims is to change the negative perception that many STEPS 

learners have of their maths abilities. The mathematics component of the 

STEPS program aims to give students elementary mathematics skills and 

content for successful learning at university. As many of these students 

have not studied mathematics for quite some time, the material is delivered 

in a way that engages the adult learner. The content is presented in an 

interactive, self-paced style that encourages independent learning, while 

71


also promoting cooperation among students in achieving the course aims. 

The key tool used is the formative assessment that allows a non-threatening 

engagement between the students and the teaching staff. To encourage 

active learning in class, the mathematics component of STEPS is using 

tablet PCs (notebooks which allow users to write on the screen). This 

delivery method combines the advantages of a blackboard with the 

efficiencies of a Powerpoint presentation. 

Perhaps the STEPS philosophy of learning can be summed up in words 

from the classic children’s story The velveteen rabbit. Learning is a lifelong 

process of discovering who we are meant to be. 

‘What is Real?’ asked the Rabbit one day when they were lying side 

by side near the nursery fender, before Nana came to tidy the room. 

‘Does it mean having things that buzz inside you and a stickout 

handle?’ 

‘Real isn’t how you are made,’ said the Skin Horse. ‘It’s a thing that 

happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not 

just to play with, but really loves you, then you become Real.’ 

‘Does it happen all at once, like being wound up,’ he asked, ‘or bit 

by bit?’ 

‘It doesn’t happen all at once,’ said the Skin Horse. ‘You become. It 

takes a long time….’ 155 

This becoming — the reaching of full potential — takes courage, but 

students see there is purpose in the challenges. When they dare to risk 

change, as so many STEPS students have done, adult learners are able to 

engage successfully with the uncertainties that give their lives 

empowerment. 

72


The student-centred model 

This student-centred model demonstrates the interconnectedness of 

the curriculum of Language and Learning. However, it also reflects the 

STEPS philosophy of transformation, and, for this reason, is included in the 

following diagram. 

73

Part Three: The student learning journey 

Part Three: The student learning 

journey 

75


The decision to join STEPS 

At this very moment, interactions or incidents are taking place between 

potential students and their friends, families, work supervisors or 

acquaintances that will ultimately lead them to the STEPS program. 

Whether it is a conversation, a fight or a debilitating accident, there are a 

multitude of reasons why STEPS is the right option for so many people. 

Often, a person will experience a change in circumstances that will trigger 

the memory of a conversation they had with an ex-STEPS student, which 

brings back information they once deemed irrelevant. Read below to see 

how a series of events led Bonnie Paterson to STEPS. Bonnie was aged 66 

when this article was published by CQU UniNews. 

Gino Zussino had completed the STEPS program and had gone on to 

get a degree in Information Technology and was running his own 

computer business. 

We spoke about STEPS and at the time I remember thinking that it 

was a great thing he had done, but at the same time it wasn’t for me. 

But a couple of years later my husband passed away, and all of a 

sudden I realised I’d missed the train. I’d found myself on my own 

with all this nervous energy, just twiddling my thumbs. 

Like most ladies of my generation, I had devoted my life to my 

family and all of a sudden I was in a situation where I had to find 

something to do for me and I’m no good at golf. 

Then one day out of the blue, I remembered the conversation I’d had 

with Gino. Then I remembered a story I’d read on Grace Johansen (a 

STEPS graduate who became the oldest Gladstone student to earn 

her PhD) and for some reason I started thinking that if they could do 

it, maybe I could too. 156 

For Bonnie, it was the death of her husband that changed her life and 

prompted her to sign up for STEPS. For others, it may be a divorce, where a 

parent is left with the children and needs to update skills to re-enter 

employment, or the decision to attend university to further a career and 

become more financially stable. 

77


Frantiska Brazier, now a secondary teacher, enrolled in STEPS in 1996 at 

Rockhampton. 

I wanted to break the cycle of poverty and show my children that 

being raised by a single parent did not mean they would be burdens 

on society. Both my children attend private schools, and my 

daughter is now working full-time in a solicitors’ firm while 

enrolled in law externally through QUT in Brisbane. 157 

Other people may not have had the opportunity to go to university when 

they completed their formal high school education. One example among 

hundreds is the case of Lorraine Wright who finished high school in 1965 

and had no choice of furthering her studies at that time. Lorraine enrolled in 

STEPS in 2003 to prove to herself that she had the ability to further her 

education. She wanted to improve her skills and increase her awareness of 

career opportunities. 158 Also, often high school students may not receive the 

OP or UAI they were hoping for, and commence STEPS as another way of 

gaining entry into University. 159 

A shift in the general attitudes of society has meant that it is more 

acceptable and, therefore, easier for women to attend university. It is also 

more acceptable for men who are the bread winners to take time out to 

invest in tertiary education in the hope of advancing their employment 

situations. 160 

Changes in the environment may alter the course of many people’s lives. 

Christopher, a 1996 student, came from the land. He was in his 50s when 

his farm was crippled with drought. He attended the STEPS program to 

ensure the survival of his family, particularly his six children. Christopher is 

now a social worker. 161 

Similarly, economic fluctuations influence people’s life journeys. Whether 

it be a redundancy or a decrease in demand for a specific skill and the 

subsequent recommendation from an employment agency, many people are 

forced to retrain. The STEPS program provides a viable option for people 

who, understandably, discontinued school to pursue lucrative jobs such as 

mine work and then, for varying reasons, no longer wish to pursue this line 

of work. 162 Due to the geographic location of the CQU campuses, it has 

been noted that the fluctuations in demand for mine workers impact on 

student numbers for STEPS. 163 Also, the reduction in blue collar jobs and 

the increase in technology has meant that higher education is becoming 

almost a necessity to obtain, or advance in, particular occupations. 

78


In their early years, many people may successfully train to be tradespeople 

and then due to a debilitating accident are no longer able to work in their 

chosen trades. Keith Winstanley enrolled in the STEPS program after 

enduring a serious back injury. The doctors told him he would walk with a 

limp and require a cane for the rest of his life. A few years after completing 

the STEPS program, Keith moved to England and set up his own company 

which has now multiplied into a chain of companies. He is a very 

successful businessman who no longer requires the assistance of a cane. 164 

Other incidents such as car accidents can have the same impact. One young 

man, Troy Perkins, was involved in a very serious car accident at Yeppoon, 

and was not expected to live. Despite serious damage, he survived and had 

to learn how to talk all over again. Troy successfully completed both the 

STEPS program and a teaching degree, and now teaches in 

Rockhampton. 165 

STEPS certainly has its humorous side, as is shown in the following 

incident that occurred to a woman who wasn’t even contemplating enrolling 

in STEPS. One day, this woman was wandering around the Rockhampton 

campus waiting to pick up a friend. She needed to go to the toilet so 

decided to walk into the closest building and ask for directions. This 

happened to be the STEPS office. Elaine Ross was working at the front 

desk on this day — which also happened to be a STEPS testing day. In the 

rush, Elaine took the woman’s particulars and ushered her into the testing 

room! To her great surprise, the woman successfully tested for STEPS, was 

enrolled, and, after 13 weeks, completed the program successfully. 166 

79 

STEPS staff on the Rockhampton 

campus (L to R): 

Jenny Simpson, Phyll Coombs, 

Elaine Ross and Angela Sankey. 

This story also points out the vital role of the STEPS Administrative staff in 

encouraging people to join STEPS. These support staff, in many instances, 

are the first point of contact for adults contemplating enrolling in STEPS


and, as a result, many people choose to take that leap of faith due to the 

accommodating nature of these people. Elaine Ross always felt she was 

able to determine from the first contact with a potential student, whether or 

not they would succeed in STEPS. 167 Not only do the Administrative team 

assist the lecturers on a day-to-day basis, but they are also a recognised 

support and sounding board for the students as they progress through the 

program. 

Finally, many people choose to enrol in the STEPS program so that they 

can assimilate or reintegrate back into the local community. One ex-student, 

who had a doctorate in Chinese medicine and had just moved to Australia, 

enrolled in the STEPS program to increase her understanding of Australian 

culture and make new friends. 168 

The examples above show just a small sample of people who have enrolled 

in STEPS. Often there are innumerable reasons and a complex 

accumulation of events that lead to the STEPS journey. The decision to 

change through attempting this program is only the first step. Often, the 

most terrifying part of the journey is the entrance tests or the first day of 

class, as you will see in the next section. 

Fears of the first day 

As shown in the first section of this book, students must pass tests and an 

interview prior to being accepted into the STEPS program. Students are 

asked to sit for a multiple choice mathematics test, write an English piece, 

and attend an interview with one of the STEPS lecturers. Prior to these 

tests, students are gathered in one of the STEPS lecture theatres and told 

about the different components of the program. Lecturers communicate the 

resources required and the commitment the newcomers will need to make in 

order to successfully complete the program, the length of which will depend 

on their chosen mode of study ( i.e. Accelerated, External, Extended, etc.). 

Students are asked to consider their home and work environments when 

deciding if the program is right for them. 

80

169 


The testing day is often very daunting for some people, considering many 

have not attended formal schooling in many years. For example, some 

people who come along to the testing day are in their fifties or older and, 

due to the values of their generation, may not have completed schooling 

beyond 12 years of age. 170 Others may be on the brink of making a very 

risky decision, for example, resigning from a job that they have had their 

whole life to try something new. When Juanita Joy tested for STEPS she 

remembers feeling scared to death. She felt out of place and wondered 

seriously if she should be there at all. 171 

STEPS students at the testing day. 172 

The lecturers try to put the students at ease by gently communicating what 

the classes offer and how they can help by extending an open invitation for 

potential students to contact them with any questions, big or small. STEPS 

graduates, usually from the previous program, also ease the tension by 

81


attending the testing day and telling their stories about how they felt on the 

first day, where they are now and the amount of work they had to put in to 

complete the program. The presence of the STEPS graduates enables 

potential students to see and question someone who has completed the 

program, survived, and is now thriving. 

Previous STEPS students return to help out new students. 173 

Each potential student brings with them their individual ‘skill gaps’ and 

corresponding insecurities. Some may be inexperienced in using a computer 

and worry that they will be the only one in the class to have never turned 

one on. Others will be concerned that they are ‘shocking spellers’ or bad at 

maths, and attempt to sit the exam with a dictionary or calculator. Often, 

where a person lacks in one skill area, they will make up for it in another. 

The classic example is where somebody has excellent writing skills but 

finds it difficult to grasp mathematical concepts, and vice versa. When 

making a decision to accept a student, lecturers will take into account a 

variety of factors, including the tertiary degree they are interested in and the 

student’s combined potential. 174 

The feelings of nervousness are often followed by a dramatic feeling of 

elation when students are notified that they have passed the tests and have 

been offered a place in the program. The first door of many has been 

opened for them in their journey to succeed. Tania Murphy, who enrolled in 

Mackay STEPS in 2003, remembers feeling thrilled and proud of herself 

when she received the letter telling her that she had been accepted. At the 

same time, she felt nervous and excited about what the future had in store 

for her. 175 

82


The next daunting experience is their first day in class. Ann Monsour, a 

Bundaberg lecturer, talks about her first day of teaching. 

The first day I walked in and I started my little blurb. It was so quiet 

that you could hear a pin drop. It put me right off. After thirty years 

of high school teaching, I could hear myself. I just couldn’t believe 

how quiet it was. I had to tell a joke just to break the tension. 176 

STEPS students on their first day. 

Fayleen Zemlicoff completed STEPS in Rockhampton in 1997, and 

recorded the stages of her Hero’s Journey. Her story below is an example of 

the conflicting pressures that contribute to the feelings of ‘What am I doing 

here?’ and ‘Can I even do this?’ that are reported by many students when 

they front up for their first class. The story also demonstrates the many balls 

these students juggle as they continue on their student learning journeys. 177 

The Ordinary World 

Six years! For six long years I remained in my comfort zone. My house, my 

daughter, my solitude. This was my ordinary world. There was no alteration 

to the daily events; there was just living and surviving. I had created this 

area to keep me away from the outside world. To venture forth meant 

realizing and facing my fears. This life, I thought, would never change, 

until one day something inside of me, some bright light shining, made me 

realise that there is a better life; there was something out there in the real 

world — for me. 

83

The Call to Adventure 


After much soul searching, I realised what I needed was mind stimulation. I 

needed to put to use my intelligence and not just through some menial job. I 

needed more mental exertion. A friend had spoken to me about a program 

at Central Queensland University called STEPS. He said this program 

would give me the mental stimulation I was after, and, as an added bonus, it 

would prepare me for university if this was the road I chose to take. I threw 

myself into the deep end and took the first step — I sat the entrance exam. 

What a day that was. My heart was pounding, my palms were sweating and 

my mind racing. I was actually amongst people I didn’t know. I don’t recall 

much from that day as it was a blur and I was so full of fear. 

I was to wait a week or so to find out if I was accepted. This week was the 

longest time I can recall. The amount of hope, fear, reluctance and 

excitement I felt during that week was overwhelming. I remember hoping 

in some way that I wouldn’t be accepted. Then I could remain in my 

comfort zone, but I also hoped that I would pass so I could go on and 

change my life for I realised what a dreary life I had. The letter arrived to 

say I was accepted and the program would start in July. I rang my family 

and friends and told them excitedly that I was in! I was going to uni! 

Refusal of the Call 

Then at 1.00 a.m. the next morning I awoke with a fright. There was no 

way in the world I was going to do this program. How could I ever have 

imagined that I would. I couldn’t leave my house, my daughter. Who would 

look after my daughter when I was in class? No. I would just have to call 

them to say I had made a mistake. I wouldn’t be doing STEPS. 

Crossing the First Threshold 

On July 14 th 1997 I crossed the first threshold. I left home, took my 

daughter to school and drove to the University. I sat in the car for what 

seemed like hours, but in reality was only minutes. I needed to gather my 

thoughts and control my fears before going to the first class. We gathered in 

the courtyard. As I looked around, everyone appeared calm, laughing and 

standing with friends. I stood alone, not venturing to talk to anybody. I felt 

so out of place, an imposter, asking myself could I really do this? I was so 

unsure, but I stayed and survived the day. I came home full of excitement 

and readiness to continue. 

84

The Supreme Ordeal 


Being out of the real world for so long brings with it a naiveté. I thought I 

would go to uni, come home to my daughter and manage this way for 13 

weeks. How wrong was I! My daughter decided that she didn’t want me 

going to university. She said that she could not cope with me not being 

there for her all the time. She had also lived life within the confines of our 

comfort zone, and change was not welcomed. Walking away from her to go 

to the University with her cries of ‘Mummy!’ was heart wrenching and it 

nearly worked. I started to doubt myself as a caring mother and thought of 

not continuing the program. I needed to work this out. Having trouble at 

home and finding uni work different and challenging, especially maths, was 

filling my head with confusion. 

As have many others before her who have faced their Supreme Ordeal, 

Fayleen did complete STEPS and was able to record her triumphant final 

stages of her Hero’s Journey. 

Resurrection 

I know I am still going through this transformation and this will continue 

throughout my life. However, this stage of transformation has been 

enlightening and a great achievement…. 

Freedom to live 

I have travelled the 12 stages of the Hero’s Journey and I can return to the 

Ordinary World with the knowledge and experience that will be useful one 

day. I have achieved love, freedom, and knowledge. This I know, because I 

have survived the journey. 

85


From tragedy to triumph 

When students conquer the challenging initial days of the program, they 

begin to settle into a routine. The surroundings of CQU become familiar 

and so do their class mates. Many students in the first few weeks are 

pessimistic about their ability to get on with such a vast range of people and 

have actually admitted that they never thought they would get on with the 

people in their group. 178 

STEPS students in class. 

There are a variety of mechanisms that are built into the STEPS curriculum 

that aid the fostering of tolerance among the students. Lecturers encourage 

students to tell their life stories and celebrate them. 179 Through this exercise, 

they are able to not only empathise with their peers but also understand 

where they have come from and the challenges that they face. Bill Noble, a 

former Bundaberg STEPS lecturer, remembers reminding students of how 

tough some people do it. 

Bill Noble 

If the young ones started to whinge a bit about the 

workload you’d given them, I’d nudge them and 

say, ‘Look at that lady over there. She’s come from 

a night shift to be here.’ 180 

86


Students are also encouraged to change their perspectives on the hardship in 

their lives and view it as a necessary platform for change, a gift for 

transformation. 181 The following statement develops this theme: 

The STEPS program at CQU is a curriculum that is based on the 

underlying philosophy of ‘wholeness’ and ‘connectedness’. It is 

important that many of the STEPS students from disadvantaged 

backgrounds have a shift of worldview from seeing themselves as 

helpless reactors to active participants in shaping their own 

futures. 182 

From this, students learn a lot about themselves and those around them. 

This knowledge can eliminate the victim consciousness, break down many 

barriers, and ultimately foster tolerance. A student commented in an end-of- 

year evaluation that the biggest transformation for her was learning that her 

opinion carried no more weight than the opinion of the person sitting beside 

her. Another student commented: 

I have found myself to be more tolerant of different people. My 

class was a very diverse group and I was inspired by how well 

people got along and supported each other. 183 

This tolerance, however, is balanced with respect for fellow students and 

staff members. An Emerald lecturer remembers one of her students 

‘chucking a tantrum’ one day as the lecturer wasn’t paying enough attention 

to her. The student threw her books down in a big huff and stormed out of 

the classroom yelling, ‘That’s it. I’m leaving!’ This disrupted the room 

greatly. When she eventually returned to her desk, the woman sitting beside 

her said, ‘Sit down, shut up and do your work!’ This student had dealt with 

truck drivers and was just straight to the point. She didn’t want anyone 

disrupting the class and disrespecting the lecturer. 184 

In the Mathematics course, lecturers also endeavour to change the 

viewpoints of students towards maths as a discipline. Many adults believe 

they are failed learners, particularly when it comes to mathematics. 185 By 

achieving early successes in the first week, students learn that their past 

failures are not insurmountable. 186 

One student’s attitude to mathematics completely changed. This student had 

never been good at maths. In fact, she had never received a grade on any of 

her tests that she had completed at school. She thought this was because she 

didn’t understand her teacher. For her, maths was a living nightmare. With 

a shift in her mindset and dedication from her lecturer, on her first in-class 

87


test she received a mark of 39%. While by normal assessment standards she 

didn’t pass, she had improved her school results by 39% and so proceeded 

to do cartwheels down the hallway. This was a major achievement for her 

and she realised that maths was not so bad. 187 

The lecturers also demonstrate that everybody learns in different ways. In 

addition to the necessary modules taught to prepare students for university, 

such as academic essay writing, research skills, mathematics and 

computing, students also discover their temperament types and their 

learning styles and this helps them to further understand themselves and the 

learning techniques that best suit them. 188 Many lecturers assess their 

classes and adapt their teaching styles accordingly. Professor John Dekkers 

reflects: 

I think the STEPS program is not so much about giving people 

knowledge, but getting the right tutor to help people change their 

attitudes — how they feel about learning material such as maths and 

writing. 189 

These aspects of the curriculum mentioned above are just some of the 

strategies that begin the learning process for students. The students are 

given many other tools to assist them with their learning journeys. These 

tools, combined with the encouragement and perseverance of lecturers, 

motivate and energise students to overcome the challenges that the STEPS 

program presents. 


88


Below are some quotes from STEPS students reflecting on their lecturers. 

They were funny, sympathetic and kind, never patronizing. Mike 

was an exciting lecturer, Muriel was endlessly kind and went out of 

her way to help and Lynne just endowed everyone with 

confidence. 191 

University student. 

I raise my hat to Sue McIntosh, Antony Dekkers and Ingrid 

Kennedy. You were and are my heroes. You all managed to keep us 

together and build confidence in us. 192 

Sandra Weedon, CQU employee. 

And our tutor, the lovely, the gentle Jenny Simpson carried us all 

through our self-doubt and became my role model for my own 

teaching career. 193 

Sharron Shields, Specialist teacher. 

Approachable, realistic, professional and very, very tolerant. 194 

Wendy Smith, University student. 

Dulcie Tolcher describes STEPS as a ‘watershed year in my life and I will 

never forget it’. She talks about Geoff Danaher, a STEPS lecturer below. 

I challenged him on every aspect of grammar and not only was he 

unfazed, he was delighted. Something had to be wrong with him. 

We soon all became delighted to have him as well. 195 

Refer to Part Two, The STEPS philosophy, for a more in-depth analysis of 

how the STEPS curriculum is conducive to adult learning. 

89

A juggling act 


Along the way, there are various external pressures that compete for 

students’ attention as they progress through the STEPS program. The 

family or partner of the student can help or hinder their journey. Many 

STEPS students’ families are extremely supportive of their ventures and 

their subsequent achievements; this message from Glenn Jones and family 

to Maria Jones exemplifies such support: 

Congratulations Maria on your truly, truly, amazing achievement. 

Your family is ever so proud of you. Who would have thought that 

someone who never learnt to read at school, was placed in a 

remedial class at high school, and who never even completed Grade 

10, could go on to complete the STEPS program and then a Bachelor 

of Psychology degree through external study while managing a 

family household and part-time work at the same time. We who are 

close to you know what courage and effort it took to complete this 

remarkable feat. You are a wonderful model for your children and 

all who know you. You thought you were ‘dumb’, but we who knew 

you knew you never were. We all wish you well in your new career. 

Enjoy the fruits of your labour. 196 

On the other hand, some students have to manage physically abusive 

partners throughout the duration of the program. One STEPS student told a 

staff member that her husband was beating her, and she just wanted him to 

leave her alone so she could complete her assignment. Others have to 

endure verbal abuse from their families and friends. Many STEPS students 

are the first ones in their family to go to university and, consequently, face 

criticism from family members. It is not unusual for a family member to 

tease, ‘You think you are so good just because you are at uni.’ 197 

Another student overcame adversity and destruction to complete the 

program. In 1994, Jenny Simpson remembers being really concerned for 

her student, Keith Winstanley, who hadn’t turned up to class for two days. 

There had also been no phone call of explanation. This was extremely 

unusual as Keith was always very punctual and reliable. That Wednesday, 

Jenny heard Keith’s voice in the next office talking to Jeanne McConachie 

and she then discovered what had caused his absence. On the previous 

Sunday, his house had burnt to the ground. He and his family had lost 

everything; however, he had managed to save an essay that was due to be 

handed in on the Friday of that week. There was the essay in his hand — 

and he had made the trip to the STEPS office especially to hand it in. 

90


Other stories tell of the same sort of courage and fortitude. Debbie 

Fitzgerald passed STEPS even though her son was very ill and needed 12 

prescriptions of antibiotics. One student had a baby in hospital, and the next 

day, while still in hospital, did her maths exam and scored 99%. 198 She also 

completed her major essay in hospital, and handed it in a day early. Another 

student had a stroke during STEPS and, after her recovery, returned to class 

and finished the program. 199 Others have endured chemotherapy treatment 

and have still attended classes. 

Often, when students are struggling to balance their outside lives with the 

pressures of studying, they will turn to their classmates for support. The 

students themselves form very deep bonds which carry them through. 

Juanita Joy, a former STEPS student, remembers these times: 

I remember the lunch breaks being filled with laughter and support. 

Any crisis or problem was usually being experienced by another one 

of the STEPS students (or had been) and the lighter side of life 

education was discussed during those wonderful tension easing 

‘lunch crisis meetings.’ 200 

91


Lunch time discussion amongst STEPS students. 201 

The strength of these friendships also allows students to laugh and have a 

good time as they progress through the program. Stephen Ricketts tells the 

story below: 

A person I now call my best mate and I were both standing looking 

at a cheat sheet for a mock assignment, when he started to sing ‘I 

found my thrills on Blueberry Hills’ and I started to sing the deep 

‘Shoodoodoowaps’ (backing vocals). It was so impromptu, that we 

sang our way to glory. We were so wrapped up in our duet that we 

did not realise the whole class had stopped and were silently 

listening. It was a very funny moment; we were cheered for best 

entertainment. 202 

STEPS students enjoying a barbecue together. 203 

92



Simone Ganter, an ex-STEPS student believes that the program is designed 

so that students are supported by the lecturers, and ‘kept in the nest’, right 

up until the last part when they are ‘set free’ and have to accomplish the last 

bit on their own. Some people at this point drop out because it gets too 

hard, but not without a fight from their fellow classmates. 205 

Sometimes, a student will succumb to an external pressure and will not turn 

up to class. Other students see this as the beginning of a bad end, and will 

do everything in their power to coax the student into coming back to 

classes, spurred on by the realisation that if one person doesn’t finish then 

they might not either. 206 In many cases, this means a home visit. When 

asked, ‘What are the important things that helped you to complete the 

STEPS program?’, one student responded: ‘other class mates telling me if I 

quit, they would hunt me down.’ 207 

In some cases, the students are absent because they are unwell. Mackay 

staff remember a student returning to class after an illness. Instead of giving 

the usual ‘Hi’ when the student returned, several classmates rose to their 

feet and gave this person a welcome back hug. 208 

Vicki Stewart formed a special bond with one of her fellow classmates, 

Andrew Stewart. STEPS changed her life in more ways than one. Here is 

her story: 

It was during the STEPS program that Andrew and I met and fell in 

love. 

In December 2002, Andrew and I married at Ferns Hideaway at 

Byfield, bringing together three children from my first marriage, two 

children from Andrew’s first marriage and our child together. Our 

93


very own STEPS family. In June 2004, we added our baby daughter, 

Mackenzie Belle, to our clan! 

After five years of study, transferring town twice, a marriage, two 

pregnancies, and births to follow (talk about the highest stress 

indicators!), I very proudly graduated with a Bachelor of Business 

(Accounting) with Distinction in March 2006 at CQU in 

Rockhampton. Of course, none of this would have been possible 

without the support of Andrew and my kids. 209 

Doors open 

Over the course of the program, students work hard to fill the gap in their 

skills and knowledge, rise above external challenges and support their 

peers. This hard work culminates in their completion of the STEPS 

program. 

One student, Sandra Challen, when asked what was the biggest 

achievement of the STEPS program, simply, yet powerfully wrote, ‘the 

graduates it has produced’. 210 

Bundaberg graduation ceremony. 

To celebrate and recognise the inspiring achievements of these students, a 

graduation ceremony is held at each campus. This is a formal event, which 

usually incorporates a procession, speeches by academic leaders and past 

STEPS student and, in some instances, a creative presentation written and 

performed by the graduates. 211 

94


A performer at a Rockhampton STEPS Celebration of 

Learning ceremony. 212 

Students invite members of their families and friends to witness their 

graduation and the beginnings of a new journey. This is an extremely proud 

moment for the students as they reflect on their triumphs and those of their 

peers. Leo Zussino, Director of Central Queensland Ports Authority and 

highly regarded STEPS supporter, reflects on the graduation ceremonies 

below: 

The worth of equality of access to higher education is no better 

demonstrated than at a STEPS graduation. At those happy occasions 

you witness the graduates’ pride and exhilaration at gaining entrance 

to university — an entrance usually denied in the past by life’s 

circumstances. 

STEPS, as the graduates will tell you, is a life-changing experience 

— a pathway towards individuals being able to fully exercise their 

minds and towards fulfilment of their career and life desires. 213 

95


A STEPS student with a lecturer Ann Monsour at 

the Bundaberg graduation. 214 

96 

Professor John Rickard, CQU 

Vice-Chancellor, at the 

Bundaberg STEPS 

graduation. 215 

STEPS students perform a dramatic piece at their Celebration of Learning in 

Rockhampton. 216 

At this point, students reflect on how far they have come and where they 

are going next. Since the STEPS program began in 1986, only two 

Gladstone STEPS students have achieved a score of 100% on their final 

mathematics test. Patricia Jones and Gail Lutton pictured on the following 

page achieved this excellent result. 217


In the good humoured tradition of maths on the Gladstone campus, they are 

each holding a Golden Freddo, the customary reward for a perfect score in 

the final maths exam. Indeed, a fellow student was inspired to create a 

perpetual trophy for this achievement at Gladstone, a golden painted frog 

on a wooden shield. 

The majority of students attest to the growth they have achieved. Perhaps 

this is best expressed by a student — a self-confessed failed learner — who 

wrote these words and presented them as part of a Rockhampton graduation 

ceremony: 

Something keeps me going. 

Along this journey a Warrior has emerged in me — 

not to conquer, 

but to lead the Wanderer back to himself. 

Life is my quest and I have much to learn. 

I have feared myself — 

I have hated myself — 

And now I am at peace with myself. 

I was lost, 

but now I have taken steps to soothe my weary feet. 

I am ready to celebrate the magic of learning — 

the magic of life — 

the magic of me. 

I will go boldly on beyond the edge of my world 

into an exciting future. 218 

97


One student, no doubt, reflected on his ability to rise above his fears of 

public speaking in the Tertiary Preparations Studies course. This student 

confided in Phyll Coombes, a previous Rockhampton STEPS lecturer, that 

the thought of giving an oral presentation to his peers made him physically 

sick. However, this student was determined to pass this assessment on his 

own. While he was extremely nervous when it was his turn, he delivered his 

speech. By overcoming his fears, this student was able to transform himself 

from someone who was too shy to participate in classroom discussions to 

someone who was constantly raising his hand, signaling his willingness and 

desire to contribute. He had found his voice. 219 

While the oral presentation was once a solo act, now it is a group exercise. Here are 

some STEPS students giving their oral presentations. 220 

Below are some quotes from students reflecting on what they had learnt 

over the course of the program. 221 

In maths we learnt to laugh at our mistakes and our idiosyncrasies 

and not take ourselves too seriously. 222 

Now I know I have the ability to change the direction of my life to a 

much better destination. 

It opened my mind to possibilities, and showed me my personal 

power was within, not sitting with someone else. 223 

98


STEPS showed me that my level of English was not a barrier any 

longer to achieving my dreams. 224 

It is also worth mentioning that the STEPS lecturers also reflect on their 

experiences over the course of the year. Stephanie Garoni tells how STEPS 

benefited her: 

I’m thankful for the STEPS program because I learnt about what 

type of a learner and teacher I am and why I really couldn’t quite 

reach a certain group of kids. I couldn’t quite figure out why I 

wasn’t able to get the message across to them. As a result, I did 

some research on myself and I really learnt that people don’t learn 

the same as I learn. The way that I learn is not the best way for 

everyone to learn, and I can’t force that on other people. 

In the first year, I remember teaching how to write an essay to this 

group of students. I’m very sequential in the way I do things so I 

said: ‘Well first up we write the introduction and then you write… 

This is how to write it…. Everyone go home and write an 

introduction and then you write the second paragraph, this is how 

you do it… Off you go…. Do it…. Then you write the body, then 

you write the conclusion…’ 

After about three weeks, the students looked at me and said, ‘Oh my 

gosh we don’t know what you’re talking about. This doesn’t make 

sense to us.’ Because they came in with a completely different 

perspective — and that was a huge awakening for me. 225 

As a result of the STEPS program, students may change their original ideas 

of what they wanted to be. Many students come to STEPS wishing to be a 

teacher or counsellor and may end up enrolling in an engineering program, 

for example. 226 The decision of which degree to enrol in is assisted by 

career counsellors and guest speakers from CQU faculties. 

Whatever discipline they choose to study, many students are extremely 

successful. Below are some awards achieved by Bundaberg STEPS students 

in 2003/04 after enrolling in a Bachelor degree at CQU. 227 

2003 

Bundaberg Campus Graduation Medal — Kelly Beckett 

CPA Australia — Bundaberg Branch Prize — Kelly Beckett 

Rotary Club of Bundaberg — Sunrise Prize in Business and Law — 

Kelly Beckett 

99


TriCare Bundaberg Nursing Centre Student Prize — Catherine Mills 

Coastline Newspapers Pty Ltd — Coastline Communication Prize — 

Robyn Saint 

Rotary Club of Bundaberg — Sunrise Prize in Informatics and 

Communication — Paul Mark 

2004 

Bundaberg U3A Learning Management Prize — Kresha Hodges 

Rotary Club of Bundaberg — Sunrise Prize in Arts, Health and Sciences — 

Catherine Mills 2005 

Bundaberg Campus Graduation Medal — Christine Thompson 

Bundaberg Newspaper Company — CQU Bundaberg Student of the Year 

— Robyn Saint 

Jessie Mary Vasey Memorial Bursary — James Ukena 

Rotary Club of Bundaberg — Sunrise Prize in Arts, Health and Science — 

James Ukena 

Rotary Club of Bundaberg — Sunrise Prize in Education — 

Christine Thompson 

Kelly Beckett receiving the Bundaberg 

Campus Graduation Medal. 228 

100 

Diane Britten, left, a previous STEPS 

graduate, receives the Friendly Society 

Chemist Prize in 1999. 229

The surrender value 


While approximately 80% of students go on to enrol in a Bachelor degree 

either at CQU or another university, some students opt for another path. 

Professor Lauchlan Chipman calls this ‘the surrender value,’ when a 

student surrenders the opportunity to go to university, instead choosing to 

better themselves in another way using the value that was added to them by 

the STEPS program. This might be giving back to the community or 

helping a family member. 230 

An example of how one student, Kate Kiernan from Gladstone, gave back 

to the community as a result of completing the STEPS program is shown 

below: 

I entered the 2004 Harbour Festival Queen Quest. I would have 

never entered this fundraising contest with the lack of confidence 

that I used to have. STEPS helped me with my book keeping, 

writing letters for sponsorships as well as public speaking. I ended 

up raising $27,000 for charity. 231 

Suellen Florer completed STEPS in 1990 and, instead of starting a degree, 

opted for a different path: 

I completed STEPS in 1990 and was offered a position at university 

to complete a Bachelor of Arts. Unfortunately, family commitments 

changed and I was unable to take up the position. However, I still 

found that the program was a valued experience that gave me 

confidence in many areas of my life. I continued on with my love of 

writing and have had work published in nine different anthologies 

(along with other authors). These works included short stories, 

poems, anecdotes and limericks. I’ve won competitions from ABC 

radio with limericks and had other works published in magazines. 

I’ve also been able to help others who have struggled with English 

as a language or a school subject. The STEPS program’s primary 

function in enabling people to further their studies to enter university 

is certainly worthwhile on its own, but it can also have a positive 

effect in other areas of people’s lives. 232 

101


A STEPS student demonstrates to her peers how she composes quilts. 233 

STEPS also has positive effects on family members. A woman who hadn’t 

completed the STEPS program due to personal reasons came back to the 

STEPS building one day to say thank you to a maths lecturer for helping 

her improve her maths. She was forever grateful as she was able to 

understand and help her son with his maths. He would now be a better 

student because of her and STEPS. 234 

‘The surrender value’ was the intention of the university from the very 

beginning. While there was a push to increase the number of adult learners 

wishing to study at university, Greg Harper realised that not all learners 

would want to pursue university studies, and the program would assist them 

in other ways. This is demonstrated in the first press release in 1986. 235 

Professor Lauchlan Chipman further supports this notion below: 

The STEPS program doesn’t actually bait people to come into the 

University; its appeal is really the program in itself, that is, 

something where there’s an opportunity to achieve. 236 

There are a number of students who, after completing the STEPS program, 

have been snapped up by employers because they’ve demonstrated a high 

102


standard of literacy and numeracy. Because of this fact, and the success that 

ex-STEPS students show with academic studies, Professor Phillip Clift, 

Head of the Mackay campus, believes STEPS is one of the premier bridging 

programs in Australia.’ 237 

Jeff Davie, a Bundaberg STEPS student, was one of only four Australians, 

and the only Queenslander, this year to become an Airforce Nursing Officer 

by gaining an RAAF nursing scholarship. This scholarship offers Jeff 

guaranteed employment in the field of nursing, and also makes it possible 

for him to enter his desired field of aeromedical evacuation upon 

completion of his nursing studies at CQU Bundaberg, due at the end of 

2006. 238 

Jeff Davie 

One employer who welcomes ex-STEPS students is Central Queensland 

University. Here are some comments from current staff members who have 

completed STEPS: 

103

Rockhampton 


Laurie Armstrong — STEPS 1990 

Lecturer 

Nulloo Yumbah 

STEPS provided me with a bridge into tertiary 

study and academic life. Being a grade 10 

dropout in 1975, I completed my undergraduate 

degree 20 years later. STEPS and the wonderful 

CQU teaching and administration staff made that 

possible. 239 

Stephen Millan — STEPS 1997 

PhD student 

Course Coordinator for two numeracy courses; a lecturer in the Bachelor of 

Learning Management degree and Numeracy Coordinator for the Faculty of Arts, 

Humanities and Education 

STEPS allowed me to find out that learning was a process that I could successfully 

engage with. I found that learning and progressing through higher education degrees 

was something that anyone with the will, and the support of a program like STEPS 

to give you the best foundation, could do. STEPS was the entry way, the block upon 

which my degree, and subsequent study was founded, and I would commend the 

program to every student entering University. 240 

Cheryl Ryan — STEPS 1999 

BBus(Hons), Masters by research 

Lecturer and tutor, 

Faculty of Business and Informatics 

STEPS helped to turn me into the person I am today — more confident and sure of 

myself. Having completed undergraduate and Honours degrees, I do not fear the 

goal that I have set for myself, that is to gain my PhD. If not for the STEPS 

program, I am not sure where I would currently be in my life. Thank you to the 

lovely people in the STEPS program. 

104


Lois Langley — STEPS 2002 

School Administrative Officer 

Infocom/Client Services 

STEPS helped me by showing me new ways of 

learning, how I learn best, how to work at my 

pace and what university life is and can be. 

STEPS has opened new doors in every area of 

my life and continues to do so through lifelong 

learning. 241 

Sandi Weedon — STEPS 2005 

Executive Assistant to the Executive Dean 

Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Education 

Having worked at CQU for seven years and 

attended many graduations, I know this is where 

dreams are realised. To fulfil my dreams, I 

enrolled in STEPS, specifically to improve my 

writing skills and prepare me for a degree. At the 

beginning of STEPS my aim was just to do it as I 

had never had the opportunity to progress further 

than Grade 10. Now — who knows? I have 

enrolled in the Bachelor of Multimedia and I now 

believe the world is my oyster. STEPS gave me 

the confidence to progress further. It is a great 

stepping stone into University. I wish to 

acknowledge the dedicated staff who tirelessly 

make this happen. 

105


Leanne Booth — STEPS 1997 

Helpdesk Officer 

STEPS was definitely a turning point in my life. I 

am now employed at Central Queensland 

University and my colleagues joke that I will be 

Vice Chancellor some day as a result of my 

overwhelming bias and dedication to CQU. The 

knowledge, support, experience and advice 

offered by STEPS staff and students were — and 

continue to be — overwhelming, inspirational 

and irreplaceable. 242 

Jeffrey Glover — STEPS 1999 

Lecturer 


STEPS was a wonderful and enlightening 

experience and to become a lifelong learner was 

a gift of incalculable value. The lecturers in 

STEPS brought out the desire in me to follow 

my hitherto suppressed passion for language and 

literature. I went on to complete a double degree 

of a BA and B. Ed (Sec) passing both with 

distinction. Since graduation, I have worked as a 

teacher of English and the Study of Society for 

both Catholic and Queensland Education. I have 

also worked as a casual lecturer and tutor for 

CQU where I have taught the foundation subject 

‘Competence in English’ to Primary, Bachelor 

of Learning Management students. I am 

presently completing a Master of Education 

(Research) at CQU. 

106


Gina Yarrow — STEPS 1986 

Corporate Events Manager 

Uni Relations 

I truly believe that the STEPS program gave me 

the incentive to push forward with my goals in 

life, and certainly assisted me in my studies 

down the track. The best thing for me was 

learning my way around the library before I 

commenced study. It helped me tremendously. 

When I finally had to do my own research, I 

knew exactly where to go. The communication 

part of the STEPS program really assisted me by 

giving me confidence to discover new things, 

particularly how I learn. Thank you STEPS! 

Josh Batts — STEPS 2000 

Information Technology Officer 

Technology Services Section 


Before I started my studies at university I 

undertook the STEPS program. If I hadn’t 

completed that program before starting 

university I am more than sure that I wouldn’t 

have survived the first term of my degree. 

STEPS gave me the necessary skills and 

confidence to approach each subject and 

assessment type throughout my degree. I am 

indebted to the coordinators and staff involved 

in the STEPS program for the amount of 

support, advice and knowledge they have given 

me to get me where I am today. 

107


Vincent Wilkinson — STEPS 2003 

Social Work Student on Placement at Student Services CQU 

As a third year SWIT now on placement in the work environment, the STEPS 

program gave me an introduction to University life that was both positive and 

nurturing. The learning environment of uni is complex and completely different to 

any type of learning I had previously experienced and could have overwhelmed me 

quite easily if it had not been for the STEPS program. From a foundational aspect, 

STEPS provided me with the tools and access I needed to make my first year a 

successful one, and the years after that have reflected this foundation. 

Jason Lancaster — STEPS 1995 

CQU Bookshop 

STEPS got me out of a rut I was in, and opened my 

eyes to many possibilities. I have been working here 

since 1992 and I did STEPS in 1995. 

I can mostly thank STEPS for making me realise that I 

can do anything I put my mind to. 

I got on really well with all the students and teachers at 

the time. I’m still amazed at the vitality that Jenny 

Simpson seemed to show. Ingrid was a champ, and 

Antony did really well to put up with my questions. 

They’re the three that I remember the most, but there 

were others that helped to make me what I am today, 

and I can’t thank them all enough. 

There’s an old saying ‘Any day you learn something is a 

good day.’ My days at STEPS were nothing but good. 

108

Helen Gallehawk — STEPS 1998 

Administration Assistant 

Facilities Management 


Undertaking STEPS has improved my self confidence and self esteem which has 

empowered me to be assertive in all aspects of my life for my own benefit and my 

children’s. The STEPS program opened the door to university for me and helped me 

graduate (with Distinction) with a Bachelor of Science at CQU despite not completing 

years 11 and 12. After working in industry, I am now undertaking my Master of Applied 

Science at CQU in a field that I have been interested in for many years. 

Allan Gadsby — STEPS 1994 

Technical Support Officer 

Information Technology Division 

I enrolled in STEPS in 1994 at the age of 31. I was part of 

the first part-time STEPS and Leonce Newby was our 

lecturer. 

We did Law and Welfare 1B as a part of the STEPS 

program and it actually counted towards our degree when 

we finished. I enjoyed this course so I enrolled in an Arts 

degree. During STEPS, my untidy hand writing was 

causing me to lose marks on assignments so I bought a 

brand new 486 computer with Windows 3.11 for 

Workgroups, and a printer, as a glorified typewriter. 

While struggling with the ‘airy fairyness’ of the Arts, I 

started to pick up a few computer subjects and also tried 

Biology and Botany in the Science faculty. I was 

eventually almost ready to graduate in Information 

Technology but was still enrolled in the Arts. After 

consultation with a course advisor, I transferred as many 

electives as I could and finally graduated with a BIT in 

2002. 

After graduating, I was offered work as a Computer Tech 

Support Assistant with Infocom and have continued to 

work at the CQU since, and I’m now with ITD. I highly 

recommend the STEPS program. 

109

Bundaberg 

Mackay 


Heather Patricia Uren — STEPS 2000 

Student Services Officer 

The STEPS program was a significant turning point 

in my life. This program gave me the opportunity to 

begin university equipped with the skills to succeed. 

The STEPS program also inspired me to seize 

opportunities which led to me becoming involved 

with the CQU Student Association, firstly as a Board 

Director, and secondly in my present position as 

Student Services Officer. I have completed a 

Bachelor of Learning Design with Distinction and 

have just begun my second degree, a Bachelor of 

Psychology. 243 

Stephen Chadwick — STEPS 1994 

Lecturer 


The STEPS program opened doors for me that I never 

even knew existed. It gave me the skills and 

opportunity to create a career and to give me a future 

that had never previously existed for me. 

Susan Joyce Ilich — STEPS 1993 

Lecturer (Contract), Tutor, Moderator and 

Marker 

Faculty of Business and Informatics/Faculty 

of Arts, Humanities and Education 

I came to STEPS as a 38 year old mum of three who 

had been out of the workforce for over ten years. The 

STEPS program gave me the skills, confidence and 

determination to graduate with a Bachelor of 

Arts/Bachelor of Business (both with distinction), 

qualifying me to step into so many exciting and varied 

roles at CQU. Thank you STEPS! 244 

110

Emerald 


Lyn Risson — STEPS 1997 

Faculty Administration Officer 


The support and encouragement I received while 

undertaking the STEPS program allowed me to 

achieve my goal of completing a Business degree 

through CQU. The skills I acquired through the 

program — effective communication, organisational 

skills and time management — I have been able to 

apply to my work and other areas of my life .245 

Gai Patricia Sypher — STEPS 1998 

Senior Administration Officer 

I decided to do the STEPS program in 1998 before 

commencing a Bachelor of Arts degree. I had not 

studied since leaving school 20 years prior and 

needed to develop a knowledge of academic writing 

and presentation. My family also benefited from the 

program because it showed them the amount of 

commitment required from me to undertake tertiary 

study. 246 

Kathleen Howard — STEPS 2004 

Administration Assistant 

I did the STEPS program in 2004 and found it 

extremely helpful, both academically and personally. 

Being with like-minded people who were trying to 

better themselves, and learning skills such as 

computing and academic assignment writing were 

very beneficial to my confidence and further study. 247 

111

Learning for life 


After the completion of STEPS, students become lifelong learners. Whether 

they pursue a professional career or not, they carry with them a deeper level 

of thinking and strategies that assist them with their day-to-day lives. Two 

students comment below: 248 

My thinking has changed in the sense that I have a broader range of 

thought on any given subject. I am no longer a shallow thinker. 

I used to just read novels; now I look for answers in books. 

Many students have also found that their deeper understanding of 

mathematics assists them at their place of work. One believes that, ‘In my 

casual job, maths is good and helpful’. 249 Other students talk about how the 

strategies imparted to them by the STEPS program assist them at university. 

When I get to the point of thinking, ‘This is beyond me. I’m not up 

to this,’ I fall back on practical exercises learnt in the STEPS 

program, such as thinking on a deeper level about the subject at 

hand. I’ve learnt to ask, ‘OK, what do I know about this subject at 

all?’ and ‘Where have I come across this issue in the past?’ 250 

The bonds that are made during STEPS also continue as students venture 

into the challenges of obtaining their Bachelor degrees. 

When Gai Sypher first started her degree, she remembers picking the same 

subjects as her STEPS friends did to ensure that they were in the same 

classes and had each other’s support. The following year, they branched out 

on their own and began to mix with non-‘Steppies’. However, they still met 

once a week for support. The items of discussion weren’t usually what 

assignment was due but rather how everyone was coping with studying and 

dropping the children off at school and sport. 251 The bonds that they had 

formed would carry them through tertiary education and on to success. Gai 

now helps new STEPS students as they progress through the program by 

answering any queries they might have and listening to any problems. 

James Lindley, who completed STEPS through the Rockhampton centre, 

also returns to the Rockhampton STEPS building on a regular basis to assist 

any STEPS students in need of support. 

112


Ex-STEPS students also make the most out of their university lectures by 

participating in discussions. Many lecturers have reported that it is the 

STEPS graduates who challenge and question the norm. When present 

STEPS lecturer Wendy Davis was teaching with the School of Humanities 

on the Bundaberg campus, she could quickly determine who had completed 

STEPS. 

Whenever I got a STEPS student in those classes, they would stand 

out in a way — just for their awareness of what they had to do and 

their understanding of how university worked. The students also 

show great respect for the lecturers. 252 

When the undergraduate students who have come straight from school to 

university are talking among themselves in lectures, the STEPS students are 

the first ones to tell them to stop that nonsense. They were there to learn. 

They soon remind the disruptive students that they need to show respect for 

the lecturer as well as all the other students. Ex-STEPS students have been 

given a learning opportunity that they have worked hard to achieve, and 

want to make the most of it. 253 

Janet Brennan, left, a previous STEPS student takes on the role of mentor for new 

University students. 254 

113


The next story also demonstrates the respect one student had for 

Dr Jeanne McConachie. 255 

Jeanne remembers walking into a bottle shop to buy a bottle of wine as she 

was going out to dinner that night. She was in a rush and failed to observe 

there was a long line of people, alcohol under their arms, waiting to be 

served as she approached the counter, head down, card out, ready to pay. 

There were loud grumbles from the queue as Jeanne presented her bottle of 

wine. The man behind the counter, who just happened to be six feet tall 

with broad shoulders (he obviously was a frequent attendant at the local 

gym) bore down on Jeanne and then loudly shouted to his angry customers. 

‘There’s no queue here for this lady’. There was prompt silence from the 

line. The man behind the counter was an ex-STEPS student. 

Interconnectedness and perpetuation 

As we transform, we contribute to the transformation of all systems 

of which we are a part — from families, workplaces and 

communities to our country and the very planet itself. 

These words by Carol Pearson, an archetypal psychologist and author of 

The Hero Within, have influenced the STEPS philosophy. The 

transformations of students do impact on the people in their inner circles — 

often dramatically. These people, in turn, impact on others, and the positive 

spiral continues. 256 

Many students, by completing the STEPS program, positively influence 

their families in more ways then one. Jody Galdal remembers: 

The STEPS program has changed the life of my daughter. It is a 

funny story. Each Tuesday night I would leave her and her dad to 

fend for themselves. Unbeknownst to me, my husband cooked 

sausages ‘every’ Tuesday night for a year. Our daughter now refers 

to Tuesday as Sausage Tuesday and will not consume sausages — 

even at barbecues. It has become her and her dad’s own little 

memory. It reminds me of the wonderful times at STEPS when I 

hear this. Their relationship grew in my absence and it makes me 

smile to think STEPS changed their lives as much as it did mine. 257 

Family members see the fruits of their sibling’s or parent’s labour and, in 

many cases, choose to follow in their footsteps and enrol in the STEPS 

program. In one year, there were two sisters, two husband and wife teams, 

114


and a mother and son participating in STEPS in Bundaberg. 258 This ability 

to influence the education prospects of family members is often replicated 

on the other four campuses. 

Llewellyn Swallow and her husband Rob wanted to reinvent themselves 

after their children had left home, and so both decided to enrol in the 

STEPS program. Llewellyn comments: 259 

You would think as a couple attending the same program that we 

would help and support each other. The support was definitely there, 

but help, I don’t think so. Rob and I have vastly different 

personalities and vastly different ways of assessing and achieving 

the same outcome. I think perhaps a better way of expressing our 

STEPS experience would be to say it was a constant ‘butting of 

heads’. 

STEPS was certainly an eye opener and was fondly known as the 

beginning of the trials and tribulations of the Swallow’s formal 

education. Rob’s first attempt at an English assignment was quite 

amazing. We had been asked to prepare a paragraph. Yes, that’s 

right a single paragraph. Rob’s paragraph consisted of two 

sentences. Looking back, I would hazard a guess and say that 

Narelle Pennells, our English tutor, was suitably astounded. Rob 

graduated with a Distinction for his major assignment — a credit to 

both him and Narelle. 

Our next dilemma involved computers. Neither Rob nor I knew how 

to turn on a computer before we began the program. My first five 

lessons were quite disastrous and I managed to leave each one of 

them in tears vowing never to return. The irony of the situation is 

that one of my two degrees involves computers. 

Rob graduated with a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Environmental 

Studies, History and Geography. I graduated with a Bachelor of 

Business (Accounting) and a Bachelor of Business (Information 

Systems). We both graduated as members of the Golden Key 

Honour Society. I am currently studying the CPA program and was 

recently awarded a CPA scholarship. 

115


Another family enrolled one by one in STEPS. Robyn Saint tells her story 

below. 260 

It’s said ‘Your children teach you many lessons’ so, with four 

offspring, I must have learned a few. However, none were quite so 

‘out of left field’ as the lesson taught by my ‘baby’ daughter, Kel, 

six years ago — not just to me, but to two others in our family. 

Never academically-inclined, Kel left school at the end of Year 10, 

working in a deli and a factory before marrying and producing two 

girls. She and her elder sister would often joke that they were the 

dumb ones of the family because they didn’t finish high school. 

It took on-going difficulties in her personal life for Kel to decide to 

take a mighty leap into the unknown. She announced she wanted to 

become a registered nurse! Lovely pipe dream, I thought, but Kel 

had thought it through. She had heard about the STEPS program and 

set about getting herself enrolled in the part-time group. I could only 

look on in amazement as she muddled through Maths, laboured 

through Language and cursed Computers — but she was 

succeeding! Then the ripple effect began. 

Katie Murrell, part of our ‘family’, had been watching Kel’s 

progress — and transformation. By second semester, Katie had 

closed down her fitness business and joined Kel as a full-timer. By 

this time, I had seen assignments hashed and re-hashed, fingernails 

bitten during the dreaded Maths tests and watched numerous 

practices for the oral presentation. Naturally, when they graduated, I 

was as proud as punch. 

An odd thing happened though, as we stood around chatting after the 

ceremony. I had a very powerful feeling that somehow I belonged 

there. But would Karen also understand this overwhelming desire? 

Those who know her, know Karen often has to think outside the 

box, and I will be forever grateful that she gave me a chance to be 

part of the STEPS family. So now there were three! 

However, Kel’s lesson was not done yet. She and Dale Bray (now 

her husband) had become close mates during this time so Dale had 

seen STEPS close-up. Like Katie, he decided to move out of his 

business, and soon he also was on his way through the program. 

Perhaps the greatest compliment we could pay to STEPS, Karen and 

her staff, is that we all have graduated. In order of appearance, we 

have Bachelor Degrees in nursing, psychology, communication and 

learning management. Definitely a lesson we’ll never forget! 

116


Dale, Kel and Robyn 

At this point, it is interesting to note that 80% of new students come from 

student referrals. This powerful form of direct marketing has meant there is 

little need to formally advertise the program, thus freeing up funds for more 

beneficial areas such as resources. 

STEPS students over time have also given back to the University. Professor 

John Rickard recalls one ex-STEPS student who had seen the 

professionalism of CQU first hand, after securing a high ranking position in 

the government sector, contracted work out to the university. 261 In many 

other examples, when the University needs assistance with a project or in 

obtaining scarce resources, there is often an ex-STEPS student who has the 

right connections to gratefully assist with the task at hand. 

It is these students who ensure that the STEPS cycle continues to spiral, 

gaining momentum and improving the University and the program from 

year to year. STEPS students are the greatest advocates of the program, 

passionately spreading the word and encouraging other worthy recipients to 

ponder this chance. Their advice to others to enrol in the STEPS program 

may sit in the memory bank of the potential student until a change in their 

personal circumstances triggers a recall of this conversation and gives them 

an avenue to change their life. 

And then the student learning journey begins again. 

117

Part Four: Student transformations 


119


My life, my journey: living my dream 

Kevin McNulty 

My name is Kevin McNulty (Colless) and I am a Koori who was born on an 

Aboriginal Mission at La Perouse in NSW. I grew up in the outer western 

suburbs of Sydney and attended Sadlier Public and Ashcroft High Schools. 

Whilst at school my Aboriginality was continually challenged by teachers 

and some students, which got my back up and led to many physical 

altercations. I got sent to the principal’s office on a regular basis to be 

caned and, over time, I thought why should I go to school if the principal 

and teachers are going to cane me, so I only started to attend school for 

sporting events. When I left school, I could not read or write. 

Upon reaching the age of 21 years, I started work as a coal miner and 

approximately two years later, was buried in a cave-in for 19 and a half 

hours. I was transported to the hospital by helicopter and went into a coma 

and did not wake up for seven weeks. I stayed on life support for 16 weeks 

with no feeling from the waist down for around 20 weeks; I had also broken 

25% of the bones in my body from my skull to my left ankle. I finally got 

the feeling back into my lower body but was in a lot of pain for which I was 

prescribed morphine and became addicted. 

After 14 months in hospital I was released and, I guess, hooked up with the 

wrong crowd and got into drugs. In 1985 my life and my journey turned 

bad and I was sentenced to prison for a crime I did not commit. Whilst in 

prison, I became very aggressive towards whoever got in my way and I was 

put into TRACKS at Goulburn prison. TRACKS was a cell that was 

approximately six feet wide by eight feet long with no windows, a steel 

toilet and bars with bulletproof perspex above me. The screws (prison 

guards) covered the perspex with a canvas so I usually only had 30 minutes 

daylight per day. I was fed twice a day with jam or tuna sandwiches, neither 

of which I eat today. 

The only exercise I got was when the screws threw a dog in with me, or 

came in with their batons to try and give me a hiding. I spent 24 hours a day 

for almost seven months in that cell, and I used to flick a button and listen 

for it to land and go and find it as that was the only way I could keep myself 

occupied and sane. I was finally let out to go to court to have my appeal 

121


hearing. I was found not guilty and set free from the court house. I had a 

big chip on my shoulder and was dirty on the world and got right back into 

drugs. 

In 1987 I moved to the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, and things were going 

all right as the Health Department put me on a methadone program, which I 

guess helped stabilise me for a while. I moved to Rockhampton in 1989 and 

worked as a cook in a number of establishments. However, one day I decided 

that I needed to get off the methadone and live a healthy life. Unfortunately, 

sometime during my self detoxification I robbed a chemist shop and ended up 

in jail again. One night whilst in prison, I heard this voice in the middle of the 

night calling to me, ‘Kevin, this is not the way.’ I looked out of the bars at the 

back and front of the cell, but nobody was there. 

I then realised that the voice was my grandfather’s, who had gone to the 

spirit world a number of years before, and he was talking to me from within 

my cell. I decided then and there that I needed to do something about my 

situation and make something of my life. I decided that the first thing I 

needed to do was to learn how to read and write, so I started on my journey 

of education by reading Little Golden Books (children’s fairy tales), comics 

and cook books as they had small words, and with the help of my fellow 

inmates learnt the basics. I was then shown how to play Scrabble and how 

to use a dictionary, which further improved my new skills. 

Upon my release from prison, my journey continued and I went to the 

Knight Street Halfway house where the manager was completing the 

STEPS program at CQU. He shared all the information with me and I 

enrolled in the STEPS program in 1995. I received so much support from 

the STEPS staff, and in particular Jenny Simpson, that I could not do 

anything but succeed. 

After graduation, I applied for and was accepted into a Bachelor of Arts 

degree, which I graduated from in 1999. I then completed an Honours 

degree from CQU and went on to graduate from the University of 

Technology Sydney with a Masters in Indigenous Social Policy. I also 

completed a Certificate IV in Workplace Training and Assessment from the 

Yangulla Centre and am currently writing up my PhD thesis titled The big 

con: racism, paternalism and politics: the rise and fall of ATSIC. 

122


Today, I am working in my dream job where I get to work closely with the 

Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander communities of Central 

Queensland to develop working partnerships between them, all tiers of 

government and private enterprise. I love my job as working together we 

can get real, positive outcomes for our people. The only other position that I 

consider a dream job would be working as a student recruitment and 

retention officer within an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander support 

centre at a university. Many of our students drop out of university in their 

first year due to many factors including missing family, lack of financial 

resources, limited support, culturally unsafe study environments/support 

centres, and limited, if any, opportunity to get part-time work. 

Therefore, it is essential to create Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander 

support, education and research centres that are community and familyorientated. 

The support centres must make community, including children, 

welcome to their learning environment; it must be a culturally safe 

environment for both students and community. It is essential that links are 

made with traditional custodians and community organisations, thus giving 

students the opportunity to build strong relationships, and to share and learn 

new skills. Through this process, students can feel a sense of belonging, and 

develop that family environment that is generally missing whilst away from 

their country. Employment opportunities can arise from the 

family/community environment, which will help students who are generally 

living below the poverty line. Early in my undergraduate degree, I was 

lucky to study in such an environment, and I firmly believe that was a major 

contributing factor to my success. 

The ultimate milestone in my journey was last year when I was married to 

my beautiful wife, Rose, who comes from Malaita in the Solomon Islands, 

and we are just going through the immigration process. Rose should be here 

permanently in the next month or two, which will make my life complete. 

From my perspective, your life is in your hands, and you can achieve 

anything you want. You just have to make the choice, be strong, and never 

give in; always look for the positives and be happy. This is my life; my 

journey continues. I am living my dream. 

123


Jenny Simpson and Kevin McNulty. 

124


Curiosity, fascination and a thousand 

questions of ‘Why?’ 

Stacey Ritchie 

STEPS! Would you believe that it’s been 20 years of continual lifelong 

learning? I’m proud to have been a part of the ongoing process of learning 

with the staff involved in STEPS at Central Queensland University in 

Rockhampton. However, as I sit here trying to put my thoughts to paper 

with tremors of fear — or maybe it’s adrenaline bounding along my pulsing 

veins — as my thoughts tumble to be found, I realise that to talk about 

yourself face-to-face with people you meet is very different to placing your 

life on paper for all to see. 

My name is Stacey Ritchie. I was born in1965 in Bankstown, New South 

Wales. The early years of my life were split between living in Illawong on a 

peninsula which is situated between the Georges and Waranoora Rivers, 

just south of Sydney, and various suburbs around metropolitan South 

Australia. Growing up with a large family in two states and a father who 

served in the Australian Navy, we moved quite regularly. The moving 

helped shape my young personality already intrigued by a world of 

questions about new areas, cultures and things I just couldn’t yet explain. 

My fascination with the world started at a very young age. I remember my 

Nana shaking anything that I had worn outside at the laundry door, always 

nodding her head back and forth as a variety of things that had taken my 

fancy tumbled to the ground. The trinkets would be stones of different 

shapes, sizes and colour, shells, bits of bark or a few live creatures that 

would amble around for a moment getting their bearings before they 

scurried off through the garden, into the bush. By the age of nine, I had 

attended one kindergarten and four primary schools, my parents had been 

divorced for a while, and my mum was about to remarry. With the 

impending wedding, my two younger brothers, Mum and I moved in with 

Mum’s husband-to-be and his four sons. We were often referred to as ‘The 

Brady Bunch’, but that’s another story. 

Over the next ten years, school was definitely a place of growing in a 

variety of social and academic learning experiences. As I gasped for air in 

the turmoil of puberty, and the tomboy lost the board shorts for perky little 

125


boobs in crocheted bikinis, I discovered all the apparently different social 

groups of society through public and private schooling. Once I was able to 

understand the strategies behind a new topic, group or person of interest, I 

was thrown into a flurry of a thousand more questions. Now, with the 

availability of freedom that only seems to come with age through sport, 

close friends, older boys, restored Holdens and an intriguing exciting world 

on the other side of the fence that society would have called ‘the bad boys’ 

— alcohol binge drinking, late nights and long weekends — I flitted 

eagerly through different drugs in strange states of fascinated exhilaration. I 

was absorbed in the intoxication of wonder. I floated along looking at the 

levels of society from outside the logical, racing through every level of 

skin-tingling, adrenaline-pumping activity, like cart-wheeling down a 

runway at a seedy strip parlour in Kings Cross for $60 an hour. Experiences 

like this allowed me to race headlong independently, determined to 

understand or find the underlying structures of all the things in this life that 

were on offer. The future always held a thrill of searching for a rush. I was 

still always asking questions while pondering the ‘Why’s’ of my life. 

A physically exciting, although violent, first relationship muddled my 

thoughts, putting them into a blender, giving it a whirl. I tried to make sense 

of those last three years as flashes of memories, exploding in loud colour or 

even black and white, shouted at me from inside my head. Did you ever feel 

that you didn’t quite fit in, or that a small part of you was missing? I needed 

to escape, find a quieting of the soul, to feel whole or just be at peace. It 

drove me to find myself. I was soon on the move again, this time heading 

south. 

I was now living in Adelaide, the city of churches. My 21 st was just around 

the corner, and my whole family would be there. 

Excitement welled as I anticipated seeing my siblings. Soon, all of the 

family had gone home, so life was back to normal: go to work, party hard 

and revel in the night life of Adelaide city or Hindley Street — an 

incredible, colourful place the equivalent of Kings Cross in Sydney. Six 

weeks later, I had completely written off my car, a little orange and fawn 

Datsun 180B, broken a disc in my lower back so I had no feeling from the 

pelvis down, smashed my knee caps, broken my ribs and ripped up my face. 

For a few weeks, in the back of my mind, niggled the question: ‘Will I walk 

again?’. Moving parts of my anatomy was excruciatingly painful. During 

one physio session, I just about had a two-year-old’s tantrum and collapsed 

126


on the floor swearing at the nurses, cursing them with all the horrors of the 

plague, when, into my vision, crawled an elderly gentleman, bump over 

bump. Tears streamed silently down his cheeks, dropping to the mats before 

him. I realised that, if I wanted to get out of the hospital back to my journey 

of enlightenment, I just had to get on with it. As Nana would say, ‘Up an’ at 

’em’. 

By 29 I was married and moved to the wild outback of northern Australia, 

worked in some of the roughest places, and saw parts of our country in its 

natural untouched state — as it is meant to be. These areas had very limited 

access to the public. Motor bikes, the usual array of party drugs, four 

wheel-drives and safari-style camping were the norm. Crocodile Dundee 

had nothing on us. During this time, I became the proud mother of two of 

the cutest imps you have ever seen, returned to the Sunshine Coast, and was 

divorced. With small children in tow, I crusaded on my new path in leaps 

and bounds, though for years I always took two steps backwards into the 

excitement of our layered society. The children grew into such inquisitive 

creatures that my legal, and not so legal, lifestyle came under some 

excruciating study. Nevertheless, their lifestyle never suffered because of 

my habits, due to the fact that I did not inflict my lifestyle on them but 

pursued it around their normal routine. 

My reality check came when friends were implicated and questioned about 

the death of an acquaintance in circumstances that could have been avoided. 

During the investigation, it was proven that close friends and I, as well as 

our children, had been watched over a period of time by the associates of 

the guilty. How far I had gone backwards! I took a good look at my life, 

and at last I began to see the patterns of habits I had chosen to keep and not 

leave behind. I no longer had the desire to freelance on the wild side of life. 

I didn’t wish to bring my children up on the fringes of society, or subject 

them to unsafe situations. I wanted a place to be free. Having made my 

choice to move, I found a new house with land at the right price, and a 

buyer for my house on the coast with a 20-day settlement. All this happened 

so quickly that I believe it was a sign of good things to come. I was a 

survivor, and was now more determined than ever to get it right. 

And so the children and I lived on our little piece of paradise. They put up 

with my mood swings, my cravings, a wish to sleep away my thoughts, and 

lack of interest in making new friends for fear of sliding backwards again. 

A couple more months passed, and, for the first time in a long life, I was 

127


clean, bored and feeling restless. The kids argued, pumps broke down, my 

car fell apart, and, not having worked for a while, I was beginning to feel 

trapped. I knew these feelings that began to rumble, and I started to think of 

mischief I could find. However, I didn’t go looking for drugs. Instead, I 

exploded my frustration down the phone line on some poor unsuspecting 

Centrelink operator. Centrelink gave me the number of a counsellor, who 

helped me realise I wasn’t mad, just a little disturbed, and definitely in need 

of mental stimulation. Secondly, they informed me about a program of 

study at Central Queensland University called STEPS. I looked into the 

requirements and felt like running away, hiding from the very thought of 

going back to school, let alone university. The first testing, I missed. I did 

ring and make another appointment after soft persuasion from the voice at 

the end of the phone, or maybe it was a little reassurance that I was not the 

only person to feel apprehension. This was an omen, as the date of my 

confrontation was now 21 June 2004, my Nana’s birthday. 

The day arrived to begin STEPS, and my guts were churning. I began to 

freak as I came closer to my destination. Trying to still the nerves, I took a 

big breath and remembered to breathe. Once I had settled myself, I realised 

everybody here was in the same boat — terrified. A couple of weeks passed 

and my brain suffered from a constant hum. They were trying to tell me that 

it was making new pathways to collect and store information. Yeh! Right! I 

had a headache and now suffered from sleep deprivation. Every time I 

turned around, I was late with a piece of due work, my sentences didn’t 

make sense, and I had wiped everything from my computer. My frustration 

grew as I felt trapped inside a confused ice-cream machine that only 

produced yoghurt! Then we are introduced to the Keirsey temperament 

sorter, and learning styles. I was now in my element, due to the fact I 

understood the fundamentals of a personality that has driven my passion to 

understand the world in which I live. But no one explained why I had such 

trouble retaining the information I read and reread. Then the penny dropped 

as the realisation sank into the empty space of destroyed brain cells that 

were the resulting damage of my past curiosity. The group was walked 

through Edward de Bono’s hats, mind maps, clusters, and the use of colour 

to show the different references we had sourced, and the torture of writing 

an essay with referencing. Gradually, I began to learn. 

128


Making friends, being able to share the fascination of my view of the world 

or having input into a group discussion made the 13-week process a huge 

learning experience. At times, I wanted to pull out but, with encouragement 

from the group, I survived to apply for a place at Central Queensland 

University. When I found I had been accepted to study for a double 

Bachelor of Arts and Learning Management degree, the excitement bubbled 

wildly — and another fear arose. Anticipation of the unknown forces that 

are at play in my life has now become my fear, not the slipping into the 

habits that haunt from the past. 

I am now in the second year of my degree and look forward to one day 

being able to influence the learning experiences of the youth of tomorrow. 

Some people would say that I’ve had an exciting and intriguing life by the 

way I share the intensity of my feelings for the things I have seen or tried, 

and places I have been. I would have to say they are probably right, but at 

what cost? 

Stacey Ritchie 

129

A new chapter 

Jane Morrow 


My name is Jane Morrow, and, along with my fellow STEPS students, I have 

spent 12 weeks studying. In this time, I met some wonderful people, I 

celebrated my 30 th birthday, and I feel I have been lucky to have such 

amazing people around me. My journey has been one of sadness and laughter, 

and, at times, one of wondering if it was all worth it. However, I am here, I 

finished, and I’m not sure of what’s next. If someone had said to me 12 

months ago that this is where I would have been, I would have laughed. You 

see, priorities change, circumstances change, and our outlook on life changes. 

This time last year, I was a wife and mother, and my main concern in life was 

whether I had finished all the washing. Then, one sunny Sunday afternoon, 

my world collapsed, everything changed, and I would never be the same 

person again. On the 9 January 2005, after spending the morning outside, my 

husband Danny, the kids and I had lunch. Within an hour, he was gone. He 

had a severe and sudden asthma attack at home, and our life would change 

forever. How does a fit 32-year-old man with a wife and three beautiful 

children just go? Why were we dealt this hand? I will never be told an answer 

to this question. Danny was my soul mate, my best friend, and the person in 

my life who made each day brighter. I have found the saying ‘life can change 

in the blink of an eye’ to be so true. Danny lived with water in his veins and 

worked hard to support his family, skippering a coral trout boat on the Swains 

Reef. I do know that wherever he is, he will be ‘forever fishing’. My 

wonderful children Clohee, Joshua and Sarah are my incentive to wake up 

and face each day, and, without them, I do not know how I would have coped. 

At present, it is difficult for me to see what I want or where I will be in 12 

months time as I live one day at a time. 

With not working or studying for over ten years, the thought of what I was to 

do was a hard one. Actually, just to get out of bed in the morning was a huge 

step in my life. My wonderful friend, Angela, gave me the idea of completing 

the STEPS program. It was something she had done, and I figured it gave me 

a reason to get out of the house every day. I needed something to help me get 

a routine, something that I had to focus on, and something where there was a 

purpose for me being here. Thank you, Angela. You are truly a wonderful 

friend, and you have helped my family and me so much. You are an 

inspiration and I feel so fortunate to have had you around me at such a 

130


difficult time in our lives. My journey here has had its ups and downs. There 

have been sad moments, but happy ones too. I have made new friends and feel 

in a sense that I have started writing on a new blank page of a new chapter of 

a book about my life. 

Sometimes, what we get out of programs such as STEPS are not the grades 

we have received, but how we grow on a personal level. I want to say thank 

you to Karen Seary for giving me the opportunity to give this program a go, 

and for understanding my situation. Thank you to the teachers who have 

dedicated their time to teaching us new skills, and of course, my fellow 

classmates who have touched my life. What you have given me is something 

special. You might not realise how important this is, but to me it is something 

that will be with me forever. You have given me the opportunity to express 

who I am and the courage to start that new blank page. To my family, thank 

you for standing by me. It has been a hard 12 weeks trying to maintain the 

house, look after the kids and deal with the reality of life on a day-to-day 

basis. My father, Ray, has been my rock since Danny died, and I could not 

have got through this without him. Thank you, Dad. You have given me the 

space to learn who I am, the time I needed to start to heal, and the inspiration 

to put one foot in front of another. I remember you telling me that one day I 

would wake up and realise I did like living, that I did like mornings and that it 

was OK to grieve instead of fearing every new day and being scared of the 

future. Dad, you were right. I can raise my head out of bed and not look for 

the medication bottle any more. I can walk outside and say that it is a nice 

day, and I can laugh and play with my children. 

STEPS has given me that new start, and, although I have learnt that time does 

not heal even though we would like to think so, time enables acceptance of 

whatever has unfolded in our lives. Externally, wounds may appear healed, 

but internally, damage will remain there forever. All I can do now is embrace 

my children and realise how lucky I am to have them, be grateful to have 

shared Danny’s life, and be appreciative of the people who have been there to 

support me throughout my life’s journey. Today is the beginning of that new 

chapter, and, without each and every one of you, I could not have done it. So 

thank you, and remember that life’s journey was never meant to be easy. 

131

One STEP at a time 

Dr Jodi Cronin 


My name is Jodi Cronin and I am a graduate of the innovative Skills for 

Tertiary Education Preparatory Studies (STEPS) program offered by CQU 

in Mackay. 

Not long after the birth of my first child, at the age of 19, I began to realise 

that I would never be able to help my child with his homework, not even in 

his higher primary years. You see, I had a disrupted childhood and had 

attended 11 primary schools before my troubled high school years. By my 

second year of high school, I was constantly in trouble, a truant and the 

brunt of several high school bullies’ taunts. In Year 9, it became evident 

that I was not cut out for school, either academically or socially. By second 

term in Year 9, my parents were told to discipline me or I would face 

expulsion. I was barely passing most subjects and I failed Year 9 science. 

Just prior to my 14th birthday, my parents finally decided it was time to pull 

me out. It was not unusual in my family to leave school early as my father 

left to learn a trade at the age of 13, and my mother left school at 15 due to 

illness. Over the next 10 years, I met and married my husband, worked as a 

labourer, ship repairer, checkout operator, baby sitter and any other position 

that became available. I also had my two beautiful children. 

Just after the birth of our second child, Alanah, we realised it was time to 

get serious about changing our lives. While still breastfeeding, I began to 

look for courses I could do in the hope that I could improve my education 

and perhaps help my children with their homework in the future. I applied 

for an early childhood course at TAFE in 1995 only to be told that my level 

of education was too low, even for a TAFE course. I was devastated and 

began to think that I was only ever going to be a checkout operator. My 

mother (Sue Ware) was also looking for a way to improve her education 

level and had experienced similar problems finding a course that would 

accept her. As fate would have it, not long after these rejections, a pamphlet 

came in the mail and an ad appeared in the newspaper for the STEPS 

program. It was with great fear that Mum and I turned up for the required 

test, which we both had difficulty passing!! We assured the coordinators of 

the program that we would apply ourselves and would not disappoint! 

132


We gained entry and, indeed, applied ourselves. Mum and I spent hours 

helping each other master fractions, speeches and essays. We drew courage 

from one another and thrived on the smallest of successes. I remember one 

day, after exceeding even my own expectations in a maths test, Lois 

Pinkney took me aside and asked, ‘What do you really want to do?’. It 

didn’t take long to say I really wanted to do medicine. Lois did not laugh, 

jeer, or even take a deeper than usual breath. Instead, she went about 

explaining to me what extra courses I would have to do and which degree 

would be best for pre-med. I often wonder if she knows how much her faith 

in me changed my life. I completed the STEPS program and the advanced 

maths, chemistry and biology subjects that would be required for entry into 

Biomedical Science at James Cook University in Townsville. I graduated at 

the top of my class in Biomed with three university prizes and, yes, 

eventually (after many rejections), gained entry into medicine at the 

University of Melbourne. 

I am now a GP Registrar in Coffs Harbour and it has been a long (and 

expensive) journey. There are so many people along the way to thank: Lois 

for her undying faith in me, Kevin McLean for his incredible patience, my 

mother for inspiring me, my sister for her assistance (frequently financial), 

my husband for his continued support, and my kids for their amazing 

adaptability and strength. 

Upon reflection, it is hard to imagine what might have been without the 

incredible opportunity offered to me by the STEPS program. I was a high 

school dropout who could easily have been overlooked by the system. My 

motto in life now is to NEVER give up, and I hope that other school 

dropouts continue to be offered this second chance. I am a perfect example 

of how one person, Lois Pinkney, can make a difference to many lives. A 

little bit of faith can go a long way. 

133

Dr Jodi Cronin, GP Registrar 

Paediatric Department 

Coffs Harbour Health Campus NSW. 


134 

Jodi with her husband Shane and 

children Robert and Alanah.

My life: my way 

Johanne Stoodly 


I was born in the North Island of New Zealand, and came from a 

background of significant sexual, physical and emotional abuse where 

education was given no value. I did extremely well at school, but was given 

no encouragement by family or teachers. I concluded from this that it didn’t 

make any difference what I did, or whether I tried or not, so it never 

occurred to me that education was something that was going to be useful in 

my life. This notion was further validated by the fact that none of my 

11 brothers or sisters ever went past Grade 8. 

I was kicked out of home when I was 14 and sent to live with other family 

members. By the time I was 15, I was alone and living homeless on a river 

bank in Nelson on New Zealand’s South Island. When I was 17, I came to 

live in Australia and by 20, I was married and had my first child. At 29, I 

had three children and was in a refuge for domestic violence. Fortunately, 

the refuge was staffed with good social workers. One day, I told one of 

them that I wished I could have been a social worker, and she said to me, 

‘You can be’. I was dumbfounded as it had seriously never entered my 

mind that I could do something like that. 

This planted a seed, and when I had my life in order again, I eventually 

made enquiries. This led me to STEPS, and Karen Seary. I had no idea how 

this would change my life (or what I was letting myself in for). I thought I 

was lucky to be accepted because, at the one-on-one interview with Karen, 

she asked why I thought I should get a place in the STEPS group and I 

answered something along the lines of ‘Why shouldn’t I!’. However, this 

statement was quickly followed by serious back pedalling and a more 

dignified grovelling tone. But I am pleased to say that I must have said 

something right as I got in. 

I found STEPS very challenging as I had never learnt how to study, or open 

a text book for that matter, but Karen was very motivating and supportive. I 

do remember thinking she either hated me or thought I was completely 

stupid, until I realised she knew that I knew the answer to whatever the 

crisis of the moment was and she wasn’t buying into the drama of the whole 

thing. In other words, I carried on like a pork chop and had a few ‘dummy 

spits’ along the way. 

135


Completing STEPS gave me confidence to take on challenges I had never 

even thought of. I attained a BA in Psychology and Sociology, taught 

English in South Korea, and was one of 36 people chosen from over 1000 

applicants to complete a Diploma of Government for the ACT Government. 

I have also worked in child safety in both Canberra and Queensland. I 

would never have done any of these things had it not been for the STEPS 

program, and specifically Karen Seary. Even with all my other successes, it 

was STEPS that gave me the greatest sense of achievement and satisfaction. 

Through STEPS, I gained the ability to learn and think in a different way, 

as well as a new understanding of myself and the world we live in. 

However, the greatest gift STEPS has given me is that my children and 

others close to me are proud of my achievements and look to me as 

inspiration for their own goals. The ability to make better choices and the 

confidence to pursue new opportunities have forever benefited me and 

those close to me, and every day I see examples of this. 

Karen told our STEPS group, early in the piece, that ‘once you start to 

study you never really stop’. Of course, our group laughed hysterically at 

this statement, but not surprisingly, Karen has had the last laugh. To this 

day, her words haunt me and spur me always on to new challenges. I will 

always be grateful for her ability to guide and encourage those who are 

lucky enough to fall under her guidance. 

Johanne Stoodly 

136

Einstein and Dion 

Jenny Simpson 


Dion Thomas is an amazing young man in his early thirties. He also 

happens to be an ex-STEPS student who succeeded in the program without 

having attended either primary or secondary schools. Early in his life he 

was diagnosed as mentally retarded, fit only for basket weaving, was put on 

regular doses of heavy drugs for hyperactivity and anti-social behaviour, 

and spent 11 years in a special school. As a young adult, for six years he sat 

at home, unable to leave it. Dion’s future prospects looked very bleak, work 

at the sheltered workshop his only option, but in 1998 Bundaberg Customer 

Service Centre psychologist Craig Cook from Centrelink gave Dion an 

eight-hour assessment and discovered that he had Asperger’s Syndrome, a 

rare form of autism. This condition is characterised by impaired social 

functioning, repetitive behaviour and obsession. Craig also discovered that 

his client had a very high IQ. 

In the January edition of the Australian Women’s Weekly, Dion was 

featured in the Your Lives, Your Stories section under the title ‘Einstein 

and me’. Here is a part of what he wrote: 

On my bedroom wall hangs a poster of my hero, Albert Einstein. His ideas 

were once rejected, but he never gave up. 

I’m the same. Since I was 16, I’ve longed to go to university to study 

computer science, but until I was 24, education officers told me it was 

impossible because all I studied at my special school was basket weaving 

and finger painting…. I knew I was different, but I also knew I wasn’t 

stupid. And I knew I wanted to do something with my life. 

While most of the kids at school watched cartoons, my favourites were the 

science, biology and chemistry segments on Open Learning on ABC-TV. I 

was quite good with craft, and I used to love taking radios and motor 

mowers apart and putting them back together – and they always worked. 

I wanted to go on to university, but everyone thought it was a big joke. 

His mother, Joy, convinced that her son could learn, found a maths tutor, 

Dennis Muller, who was amazed at his pupil’s ability to work out 

Pythagoras’s theorem on the calculator, and his knowledge of electric 

137


currents. Later, Dion went to TAFE, over six years studied plumbing, motor 

mechanics and electronics – and won a gold medal for his excellent efforts. 

Still, he found getting a job was difficult. 

During these years, Dion’s dream of university study had never dimmed — 

and he was fully supported by Joy. As he said, the ‘miracle’ happened when 

he met up with Craig Cook, and doors opened everywhere. Another 

psychologist, Ian Hills from the University of Southern Queensland, 

became a trusted mentor, and soon Dion was phoning the university and 

being told about STEPS. Here are his words about the STEPS testing: 

I had to come and sit down and do a test because they weren’t sure that I 

would ever be able to do it. And I wrote out a full page. I had no schooling 

whatsoever, not an equivalent high school schooling. I wrote a full page 

with no paragraphs, no spaces between the letters, no punctuation. And my 

mathematics! Without a calculator I was hopeless. It was pretty bad…. 

Karen Seary, the compassionate Head of STEPS and Bundaberg STEPS 

Coordinator, seeing that Dion was a capable young man, decided that it was 

his time, and organised for him to do the program, part-time, over two 

years. To give him extra assistance with his writing, Karen undertook to 

work with Dion herself for the year it took him to do the Language and 

Learning and Tertiary Preparation Skills courses. Margaret Flanders, Dion’s 

mathematics course lecturer in STEPS, was also committed to his success. 

Other areas of the University such as Student Services and Equity came 

together to help him through those two years of STEPS. 

Dion’s dream of being a student at Central Queensland University finally 

came to fruition when he enrolled in a Bachelor of Information Technology 

on the Bundaberg campus. He is now in his third year of study with only 

seven courses to finish, and he is particularly proud that he has achieved a 

grade point average of 5. University study has not come easily to Dion. He 

is still an Asperger’s sufferer and the condition does not make life — or 

study — easy. However, Dion’s achievements were recognised last year 

with a special commendation in Queensland’s Adult Learners’ Week 

Outstanding Learner category. He is also a member of the Central 

Queensland University Chapter of the Golden Key International Honour 

Society, which recognises and promotes academic excellence. For the last 

eight years, every month Dion has been seeing Craig Cook, who is now in 

private practice. Ian Hills has retired. 

138


Dion also now gives back to the community in ways that once he would 

have thought impossible by helping at the Salvation Army’s Tom Quinn 

Community Centre. Whenever he can, he teaches people computing skills. 

I have far more contact with a lot more people now. Beforehand, I was just 

a hermit… By sheer perseverance and determination I have broken down 

barriers and overcome difficulties put before me to achieve what has been a 

lifelong dream – to study at university… I used to think ‘why bother going 

forward’ but now I have got something to do with my life. 

Dion Thomas and Karen Seary. 

139


STEPS — The vital rung 

Dr Denzil Nash 

On Thursday 20 April 2006, I walked proudly onto the stage of the 

Innovation Centre at the University of the Sunshine Coast to receive my 

Doctor of Philosophy award. I can justify claiming this as a pinnacle of my 

short academic career. However, I would be undervaluing the importance of 

other influences in attaining my potential. As significant as the experience 

may be, earning the title of Doctor represented an end and a beginning, as 

can be said for any other significant event in one’s life. My story could 

begin with my induction into the STEPS program at the Central Queensland 

University Bundaberg campus. However, it was much more than that 

because my participation in STEPS was pivotal in transforming ‘what could 

have been’ to what is now a reality. 

To tell my story, I need to go further back in time to a bleak, cold Welsh 

winter’s day in 1958. As the final bell rang on my last day in school, I 

returned my books to the appropriate master, and with the words ‘I’m 

leaving’ turned and strolled boldly on to the next chapter of my life. Like 

many of my fellow pupils from the outlying villages and farms, I had 

passed what we called the 11Plus examination, and had found myself 

struggling with a system of education that made little sense to me. My 

decision to enlist in an RAF boy apprentice scheme was greeted with 

disdain by members of the staff, who considered such an act as a blight on 

the good name of the school. Nevertheless, convinced that education was 

for others, on that cold December day, I stole away like a thief in the night 

on my way to the most important and most rewarding learning institution of 

all, life itself. 

As a member of the armed services, I learned a trade, I saw the Red Sea at 

Aden, the Persian Gulf, and Germany where the Cold War was real. I 

enjoyed great friendships and camaraderie, and learned how to win and how 

to lose. I enjoyed the love and support of my family and hoped that I gave 

the same in return. My military life ended and our lives in Australia began. 

And here we did more or less what others did in the real world: worked, 

raised our children, played and paid off a mortgage. I worked on the highrise 

buildings of Sydney, Brisbane and the Gold Coast, taking a small part 

in the reshaping of their skylines. I also had great pleasure in kayaking on 

140


the rivers and lakes of Australia. But a desire for change took us on a twoyear 

drive into country areas, working on farms, in vineyards and on a halfmillion-acre 

cattle station. For two years, our home was a yellow bus and 

our front lawn, the great Australian outdoors. But life takes some 

unexpected turns, and when our yellow bus rolled into Bundaberg, I had no 

premonition that a new and very different adventure lay in store. 

Perhaps I had been fortunate in the past, but, suddenly, as I celebrated my 

50 th birthday, I was at a crossroads. ‘Where to now?’ I asked. Returning to 

high-rise buildings was not an attractive option. 

‘Why don’t you go to uni and get a degree, Dad?’ suggested my daughter, 

who was in the process of enrolling in a CQU Arts program. 

‘I agree,’ said Julie, my wife. 

My immediate response was to laugh. After all, was not academia for 

others? Still, the idea had been planted. Enrolling in the 1994 Spring 

Semester STEPS program, I began my new journey. 

I entered the STEPS program with a certain degree of trepidation. The 

memory of my Grammar School education haunted me like a recurring 

nightmare. But as I settled into my new life, I began to realise that STEPS 

to me was more than a precursor to academic achievement. It was also a 

culmination of what I had learned through life, and redemption for what 

had not been realised. Certainly, the academic writing prepared me for 

university, but, more importantly, it taught me without a doubt that there is 

no failure, only unrealised potential. This was substantiated when 

Karen Seary looked at my carefully written paragraphs, and after a quick 

perusal pushed them back across the table and said almost dismissively, 

‘You’ve got it’. They were three simple words, but they were worth a 

thousand pictures. Academia was not just for others after all. In fact, there 

are no others in that context. And just as importantly, it became clear that 

my Grammar School education had been invaluable. So, too, were my years 

in the RAF, the noisy building sites of our cities, my role as husband, 

father, grandfather and friend, our two years in the wilderness, and my love 

of the river. For me, STEPS was the realisation that we can we do anything 

we desire, but only if we make the most of what is offered to us, and if we 

acknowledge the love and support of others. 

141


So, on Thursday 20 April 2006, I was not just celebrating my achievement, 

but the joys of being, sharing and belonging. I raise my glass to Julie, my 

wife and best friend, and to the staff members of CQU, who were so 

supportive during my time at the Bundaberg campus. I thank my colleagues 

at USC and my students from whom I can learn so much. And finally, I 

salute Karen, Margaret Flanders and the STEPS class of 94, for 

consolidating the past and shaping the future. 

Dr Denzil Nash 

142


Nothing is impossible 

Chris Daly 

The day I made my maths teacher walk out the room crying, I knew I had 

gone too far. However, I hated the way she taught and could not cope any 

longer. Besides, there was always heaps of work to do on the farm, and, 

being a cocky teenager, I knew what was best for me. So, after being given 

yet another 'six of the best', I told the principal that he did not have to worry 

about me returning to school. I mean, why bother. I only used to go to 

school two or three days a week anyway. But I wasn't always bad. I used to 

make my classmates laugh too. I used to tie the fan blades to the window 

sill or tie my maths teacher’s chair to the table, or once, I even put a rubber 

snake in her top drawer. Those days were really funny — or so I thought. 

So after working on the farm, then getting a job in the Post Office, at the 

ripe old age of 39 I decided on a career change. But where was I going to 

school? It was here that I realised, 'Struth! I haven't got any formal 

education to get me into university.’ I had worked my way up from being a 

postman to managing the Biloela Post Office, but had not gained any 

tertiary degree throughout my life. By a stroke of luck, my younger sister, 

who is a teacher in Moranbah, rang me one night to have a chat. It was 

during this chat that she mentioned the STEPS program run through CQU. 

But I lived in Biloela. So was I to move to Rockhampton to do this 

program? She offered to assist me so I think that is what persuaded me to 

ring up and find out about it. I rang the Gladstone campus and spoke to 

Lynne Campbell, who advised me that an information night was to be held 

that night in Gladstone. I umm’d and ahh’d about it, jumped in the ute and 

took off to Gladstone for the evening. On the way over, I was 

contemplating what would be talked about. What information would I have 

to tell them? Would they know about me crashing into the hearse while 

delivering mail in Mount Isa? About losing the mail when I skidded into the 

lake, on the postie bike in Townsville? Or worse still, when I upset my 

maths teacher, Mrs O'Connor? All of these 'incidences' were going through 

my mind on the trip over. 

When I got there, things weren't so bad. There was a bit of tucker on the 

table, a cup of tea for everyone and a questionnaire for everyone to fill out. 

I hoped there wasn't a section to explain why I had not completed school. If 

143


there was, I was determined not to tell the truth. Surely they wouldn't want 

me? Luckily, no such question existed and I fairly sailed through the 

questionnaire and the night with confidence. Ha, that wasn't so bad after all. 

Better was to come. The program would only cost $13.50 and I’d have fuel 

money left over. ‘Oh, bugger it, I'll do it,’ I thought. After all, it was only 

for 13 weeks and then I could go to university and build bridges. For as 

long as I can remember, I have had a fascination with bridges. 

So STEPS started the following week with one Chris Daly enrolled. On the 

first day, I jumped into the ute and drove over to Gladstone, and there were 

these other people waiting around. I introduced myself and discovered that 

they were to be my classmates. Actually, they seemed fairly cool. There 

were a couple of young ones, male and female, but there were also people 

older than me. Now that was very important because I did not want to be 

the oldest person there, especially as I am male. The first day went without 

a problem. I didn't upset anyone, the teachers all stayed in the classrooms, 

and I learnt something about computers. After all, I was a digital immigrant. 

‘Yep! I'm coming back here’, I said to myself as I drove home to Biloela 

that night. 

The following morning I hopped back into the ute and headed over to 

Gladstone. And so, my experiences as a university student had begun. One 

thing that quickly bugged me though was the driving. So, after the first 

week, I threw the swag in the back and slept in it Monday, Tuesday and 

Wednesday nights. On Thursday evenings, I would sit in the bath for two 

hours. Friday became my day for completing university work, while the 

weekends were spent bragging about my 'university studies'. 

Having always enjoyed maths, my eldest brother being a bookmaker and 

my uncle teaching me how to gamble when I was ten, I thoroughly enjoyed 

showing my fellow classmates how to calculate interest, as well as easy 

methods for working out algebraic problems and fractions. The best bit 

was, I was allowed to do it all on the whiteboard. Amazingly, my teacher 

Lynne Campbell encouraged me to do so. I suppose it was at this point that 

teaching became the most obvious path for me to take. Sure enough, when 

the STEPS program finished (much to my disappointment), I chose to study 

the Bachelor of Learning Management (BLM). 

144


But city living is not for me. Can you believe, a BLM program was starting 

up in Emerald the following year and I had enjoyed living there when I was 

a postie. Look at me! I had just completed a bridging program and now I 

was off to uni. That was late 2003. Here I am, April 2006, and I am about to 

complete my undergraduate degree. I have also gained a Diploma in 

TESOL during my spare time from uni studies, gained entry to the Golden 

Key Society, mentored for two years, been awarded the highest GPA in the 

first year and been selected by CQU to teach Korean students in Korea 

earlier this year. What a complete turnaround from the boy who loathed 

school and caused so much heartache for his teachers. I now have a life and 

can walk around with my head held high because of what I have achieved. 

But it was only achievable through the STEPS program in Gladstone. I 

cannot believe how rewarding such a program can turn out to be. Shortly, I 

will be jetting off back to Korea or China to teach. Secretly, I have always 

wanted to travel the world and now I will be able to do so. I am so grateful 

to have been afforded the opportunity to complete STEPS, and I am living 

proof that nothing is impossible. 

Chris Daly teaching in Korea. 

145


Kicking and screaming 

Simone Ganter 

I began STEPS in Rockhampton when I had run out of excuses. I wasn’t a 

terribly hopeless student — I just didn’t know what I wanted to do, and I 

didn’t know how to go about doing it. It was just before my 25th birthday 

when, adding up my accomplishments, I found myself reminiscing about 

winning a high school basketball competition. Sadly, that was the most 

recent triumph. With a ‘tender nudge’ from my well-meaning mother, a 

lifelong professional and former STEPS success story, I found myself at the 

testing day, terrified and attempting to slink out of the building. They must 

have been expecting that sort of behaviour because I bumped right into 

Ingrid Kennedy, whose expression advised against it. 

A letter in the mail informed me of my acceptance. Admittedly, I was 

surprised; secretly, I was shocked (Official Accomplishment Number 1). I 

remember the first day as though it were yesterday. I felt like I was eight 

years old starting at a new school. I didn’t know anyone, and I had 

forgotten my lunch. That was when I met Lisa. It seemed we had been 

rowing the same boat in the wrong direction for far too long. We both 

wanted to be teachers and were feverishly hoping that the STEPS program 

would get us there as painlessly as possible. 

So there we were with Jenny Simpson, Ingrid Kennedy, Sue McIntosh and 

Sharon Cohalan as the centres of our universe for six hours a day and, 

together, we went through it all: maths exams, essay deadlines, computer 

trauma, temper tantrums, meltdowns and sugar highs (and the inevitable 

crashes). Not least of all was Jenny, who insisted on intense self-reflection 

(not for the fainthearted). 

The maths was scary, and one could not help but wonder where Sharon 

drew her enthusiasm from. It must, however, be catching because both Lisa 

and I decided to major in Mathematics and Science, although we have been 

known to scurry back down to her room before an exam. 

Then there were the office staff, Georgina Pickering and Pam McMahon, 

shaking their heads as we would dash in five minutes after our class had 

started, or sneak our late assignments in, helping both of us avoid detection 

as often as they could. 

146


I would like to say that the staff at STEPS were gentle, but that would be 

misleading. Behind their caring exteriors, it was a take-no-prisoners 

attitude, and I remember at least once sitting in Sue’s office, trying to crawl 

under her desk, begging her to make it all go away. I think that scenario 

(I wish it were untrue) best describes my STEPS experience. I was dragged, 

kicking and screaming to the finish line only to find that they were all there, 

standing to the side, cheering me home. 

So then, with our certificates in hand, we were off to ‘Big School’ to 

study to become teachers (Official Accomplishment Number 2). I will 

never forget how anxious I felt waiting for the results of my first piece of 

assessment. It seemed as though my entire future was in the balance. 

Casually flipped onto the desk in front of me, there it was, circled in red 

— a High Distinction (Official Accomplishment Number 3). I can’t 

remember a bigger smile in ten years. I’m quite sure I forgot to excuse 

myself from class, instead, rushing off to find Sue, who was, predictably, 

just the right shade of proud. 

Since then, things couldn’t be better. I have been invited into the Golden 

Key Society (Number 4) for academic excellence; I accepted a scholarship 

to teach in Korea earlier this year (Number 5); I have made some valuable 

and rewarding networks with some incredible people (Number 6), and, best 

of all, I don’t mind the ‘I told you so’ from my Mum (Number 7). 

Lisa and I still have our meltdowns (though never simultaneously — that 

would be far too stressful), and still ignore the consequences of too much 

sugar, but we are still here, and, with six months remaining, our dream of 

standing up and accepting our degrees is becoming more realistic every 

day. 

I don’t need to count my accomplishments any more. I am very proud of 

this time in my life, and I am indebted to all of the wonderful people at 

STEPS who, despite my protests, never let me lose sight of what I had set 

out to do. 

147


Simone Ganter 

148


It’s never too late to learn 

Mary Cowper 

Before 1997, I had been enjoying the U3A, studying creative writing under 

the inspiring personage of Kevin McLean. He told me about STEPS and 

persuaded me to come to the Mackay campus and do a small test. This 

allowed me to start on my adventure into the realms of university life. I spent 

13 weeks putting myself in the hands of Kevin, Lois Pinkney and Nicky 

Ockle. I achieved the certificate I required to apply for a university program, 

and this totally amazed me. At the age of 12, I had been bombed out of my 

school and my home in Liverpool. I had always loved reading and writing 

letters to my brothers and sisters who were away in the forces fighting a war, 

and here I was at the age of 68, a student at uni. 

While I was waiting for university to begin in 1998, I did a volunteer’s 

certificate at TAFE and achieved two certificates in tutoring in English. I 

graduated with a BA in 2004 and I have just graduated with a Masters degree, 

MLitt. 

I want everyone to know what the STEPS program did for me, and about all 

the wonderful staff at Mackay and Rockhampton who have been so helpful 

over the past few years. In August, I will be 77 years old, but I still feel only 

35. As an external student, I enjoy that contact with other students, and we are 

constantly recommending the STEPS program to anyone who will listen. 

I congratulate the STEPS team, and say thank you so much for giving me the 

opportunity to achieve my life’s ambition. 

Mary Cowper 

149


Taking STEPS: learning in leaps and 

bounds 

Nerida Wirriganwalters 

Whenever anyone asks me about my experience of STEPS, I invariably tell 

them ‘It was the best thing I ever did’. Mind you, I have since said the same 

thing about other things in my life, for example, completing my Bachelor of 

Communication degree, accepting my current job as an employment 

consultant, and reaffirming (after much soul searching) my belief in the 

institution of marriage — for the fourth time. The thing is, had I not done 

the STEPS program, I would not have been as confident or capable when it 

came to making these, and other, decisions that profoundly affect my life 

and the lives of the people I care about. 

Before I started STEPS in 1998, about 22 years after completing Year 11, I 

was in my third marriage with seven children to care for (my five plus two 

stepchildren) and I was working three part-time jobs in three local schools 

as a teacher aide, an indigenous education worker, and an Aboriginal 

Tutorial Assistance Scheme (ATAS) tutor. We called a family meeting to 

discuss the pros and cons of Mum doing the STEPS program because I 

knew I could not achieve the degree of success I wanted without the 

family’s agreement. My children were, for the most part, very supportive of 

my efforts to educate and improve myself and therefore the family situation. 

However, I realised that they didn’t really understand what we had agreed 

to when my eldest son came to me on a number of occasions, usually late at 

night while I was working on an important assignment or trying to master 

the intricacies of algebra, asking ‘Why are you doing this?’. I always 

answered him the same way: ‘We all agreed that it would be good for me to 

do this. Do you really want me to quit now? Just say the word and I’ll 

cancel out of the program tomorrow’. I never cancelled, of course, and 

didn’t really expect to. The STEPS experience reinforced what I had taught 

my children from an early age: if something is worthwhile doing, then 

quitting is usually not an option, except under exceptional circumstances. 

This same son, together with his siblings, very proudly attended my STEPS 

graduation ceremony and witnessed my first very nervous public speaking 

effort. Much later, they attended another more elaborate graduation when I 

150


received my Bachelor of Communication degree in 2004, but were spared 

the speaking engagement. 

Life is about taking steps towards the achievement of goals and the 

fulfillment of dreams. It is a gradual process of learning how to do the 

things we need to do to get by in life, to master certain skills, and to become 

who we are meant to be and what we are meant to become. Often we don’t 

know what that is, and so we stumble along and sometimes we fall. But as 

long as we keep our sights firmly fixed on our goals of learning, we can 

pick ourselves up, brush ourselves off and continue on our way. Even 

during my first tentative steps into the academic world, I understood very 

well the concept of lifelong learning that Muriel Strahm spoke about in our 

academic writing classes. 

Recently, I caught up with both Muriel and our Maths teacher, Lynne 

Campbell. It was an interesting experience. I learnt that I was the only 

student Muriel has ever sent home from class due to fatigue. Knowing that I 

live 50 minutes drive from Gladstone, understanding the weight of 

responsibilities I had taken on, and recognizing that I suffer from the 

condition that all high achievers suffer from (very high self-imposed goal 

posts), Muriel did the responsible thing and sent me on my way. This state 

of mind/body became very familiar over the ensuing years of my studies 

and into my present learning experiences, because I firmly believe the 

advantages derived from learning are worth staying up for. 

One of my proudest achievements in the STEPS program was graduating 

with a top overall score of 94% for Transition Maths. I will always 

remember that score because, with patient and supportive teaching from 

Lynne, and determination and effort on my part, I was able to turn around 

my Year 10 Maths score of 49%. I had always readily identified myself as a 

writer because I was very good at English, but Maths never came easily to 

me. Throughout the STEPS year, I was continuously frustrated when I 

looked around and saw others in the class ‘getting it’ after doing only a few 

exercises. I would go home and spend hours going over and over the same 

exercises, but I wouldn’t give up until I also ‘got it’. Sometimes I would 

have to do hundreds of these exercises — and I still keep my workbooks as 

a testament to my persistence to master skills I had previously thought 

beyond me. It was about that time that the words ‘I can’t do that’ were 

erased from my vocabulary and from my thinking. Moreover, this 

achievement gave me the confidence to accept more tutoring positions for 

151


Maths as well as English from Year 1 through to first year undergraduate 

students in Bachelor of Education and Learning Management programs. By 

the time I finished STEPS, the rate of growth I was experiencing had 

enhanced my personal and family life, and I knew that it would continue to 

do so as long as I nourished it and continued taking steps on the learning 

pathway. 

The real value in doing STEPS is the excellent preparation it provides for 

going on to further university study. I am reminded of the Chinese proverb 

that ‘a journey of a thousand miles begins with one step’, and the first step 

in any learning experience is admitting our ignorance. When STEPS 

students begin the program, they are generally ignorant of the requirements 

of academic learning. However, there is a dedicated group of teachers who 

are there to share their knowledge of how to learn, how to study, how to 

research topics, present academic essays, pay attention to relevant and 

accurate referencing, and then put it all together with the help of computer 

technology. Without doubt, the training given and received in the STEPS 

program lays a solid foundation on which to build a successful academic 

pathway. For some students in the part-time class of 1998, the pathway was 

short; there were some who stumbled once or twice and left the building. 

For others, including myself, it led to the achievement of goals and dreams 

(and a degree of course) and our education continues on a daily basis in the 

true spirit of lifelong learning. And for me, that is very exciting. My sincere 

wish is that others will take STEPS to change their lives in positive and 

productive ways, whether or not they go on to study as undergraduates. 

STEPS is a life-changing process of learning in leaps and bounds that has a 

profound impact on the lives of students and the people they care about. To 

the STEPS team: I honour you and I am truly grateful. 

152


STEPS — A guide to learning, a guide 

to living 

James Ukena 

Sometimes we never achieve our potential because we have no idea what it 

is. In 2003, I entered the STEPS program with reservations. I was already 

unsure of attempting a university program, and I felt uneasy about the 

possibility of discovering I was not even worthy of the preparatory 

program. 

I had not completed high school, preoccupied with the distractions that a 

wayward youth offered. I can recall in one of my early classes sharpening a 

pencil for ten minutes, avoiding the mathematics problems laid out before 

us. I was certain that I had made the wrong decision. I was 34 years old, 

sitting in a classroom, sweating over year 11 mathematics problems. I was 

overwhelmed with the thought of not being able to cope with real university 

courses. 

Every week, the STEPS Coordinator, Karen Seary, spoke to us about us. 

We were relieved of our maths and English commitments to look into our 

own lives more closely and to understand how to use our minds to achieve 

our goals. I will not lie to you. It felt a little bit like a support group. Instead 

of abusing alcohol, we had been victims of abusing our life’s potential. 

These moments of self-awareness were the greatest revelations I have ever 

experienced. Suddenly, I had a basis for understanding the origins of my 

cynical nature. I understood that my brain worked differently from other 

brains, and it’s OK to solve problems differently. With all this new 

information on board, I allowed my mind to let go of all its past 

preconceptions of how I should think. Essentially, I had gained a sense of 

confidence that I never had as an adolescent. 

The introduction to the famous De Bono’s lateral/global thinking methods 

was a profound experience. I had always thought I was clever at some 

things, very few things. I was never able to transfer that cleverness to other 

activities. Therefore, I assumed that simply was how life was going to be — 

that was my lot. The De Bono experience, which millions of people around 

the world have already been exposed to, opened up my mind to endless 

possibilities. I guess what I am trying to say is that my brain worked fine; I 

153


simply had no way of organising it. And organisation, in my opinion, is the 

key to academic success. 

Organisation of my mind allowed me to piece together a functioning 

academic brain. Suddenly, I had the tools to deal with any situation that the 

lecturers threw at me. I understood the importance of some things and the 

irrelevance of others. Most importantly, I was able to show to my lecturers, 

and hopefully future employers, my ability to balance multiple concepts and 

discuss material from a broader perspective, yet still be precise about 

specific details. I had truly become a nerd! 

The STEPS program was ultimately responsible for the advances I made on 

my own into the art of exam preparation. I initially felt that my exam 

preparedness was still not good enough, so I took the initiative to explore 

and research techniques that may suit the way my brain works. This led me 

to discover several exam techniques that were conducive to my particular 

way of thinking, resulting in a dramatically increased ability to recall vast 

amounts of information as required by the examination. 

I even credit the STEPS program with the way I approached my life outside 

of the University setting. Historically, I am an unorganised individual. For 

no known reason, I was disorganised in many features of my personal life. 

This caused unnecessary stress and regret. My wife tells me that I am still 

messy around the house, but at least now everything else runs like 

clockwork. And now I finally understand that, in order for it to run like 

clockwork, you must be ever vigilant to the changes that life brings to you 

and address these alterations immediately. It is fair to say that who I was 

before STEPS and who I am now are truly different people. 

A feature of STEPS that may not be appreciated by the outside observer is 

the intuitive manner in which staff have achieved an atmosphere of 

learning. It is safe to say that all the participants in the STEPS program are 

enthusiastic to enter the program, but many of us still carry the burdens and 

fears that stole us away from higher learning many years ago. I recall one of 

the favourite topics of discussion during our breaks was to bring up our 

high school academic failings, or the limitations our personal lives had on 

our ability to study. The teaching staff remain constantly sensitive to these 

issues. Thankfully, they also have a plan to guide us through this period of 

low self-esteem and lack of self-belief, of which small but significant 

achievement is the key. 

154


With hindsight, I probably did not want to admit I was also damaged goods 

— that I was unsure of myself. The development I made in the 13-week 

period of the STEPS program allowed me to finally deal with a lot of 

demons that I thought were going to prevent me from achieving academic 

success. Indeed, I bloomed. I was so glad to rid myself of the ignorant 

shackles that I carried with me for almost 20 years that I became a model 

undergraduate student. 

In 2004, I topped my University program in my first year. In fact, I topped 

the entire Faculty of Arts, Health and Science at my campus. There was no 

prouder man on this earth when I received formal recognition, surprising 

this high school dropout and underachiever. And there is no clearer 

connection than that between my renewed academic success and the 

wisdom dispersed during the life-changing term spent in the STEPS 

program. 

The limits of my potential are still not known, but I now know how to get 

there and am forever grateful for the insights shared with me through the 

STEPS program. 

James Ukena 

155


Lucy’s steps of change 

Lucy Lowry 

My name is Lucy. I am now approaching my 45 th birthday and I am 

currently separated after a 20-year marriage. I also have two sons, Daniel 

20 and Jacob 18, who both live with their dad at present. As I write this, I 

am sitting at my computer in my lovely little single bedroom flat in 

Mackay, and gladly reflect on my journey into further education and my 

desire to change my employment choices. 

I have always had a love of communicating with people on an intimate and 

deep level. What I mean by that is drawing out of people their stories, their 

journeys and how that is for them, in the hope that I might share or gain 

some new insight or knowledge that might add to the experience of life. 

Therefore, a career in counselling seemed to be the inevitable way to go for 

me, but my life circumstances did not present that choice. I grew up in 

England and had a very amazing childhood, one filled with travel and 

constant change — changes in schools, home location, the county we lived 

in, social life, family and friends. My education was far more honed by life 

experience than that of the formality of school; in fact at 14 years of age, 

staying in school no longer was an option for me. Thank goodness 

hairdressing apprenticeships were in abundance in 1975, because this is 

where my young adult journey started. 

I loved hairdressing and excelled during my apprenticeship, winning many 

awards and eventually buying my own little salon in Sydney. However, 

even though my hairdressing career served me well and gave me many 

communication skills, I wanted something more out of working with 

people. After I married Steve Lowry in 1985, hairdressing took a back seat 

for a few years so that I could devote myself to our two sons, Daniel and 

Jacob. During this time, Steve and I became involved in church-based 

youth groups and church ministry, which for me filled a great void in 

connecting with people and speaking about their lives. 

When Daniel and Jacob were settled into school, I opened another 

hairdressing business and ran that for five more years, loving every minute 

of it too. But I still wanted more out of my life. I wanted to give more back 

to others and have a greater impact in the helping process. I felt frustrated 

and trapped by my lack of formal education and, in many ways, helpless to 

156


change that. I found it hard to see beyond my own educational 

shortcomings, and believed that it would not be possible for someone like 

me, a woman in her forties, to change career. Even though my involvement 

in church life at that time offered many different education and support 

tools for equipping you to help people, it became obvious to me that, to be 

really capable of counselling people, I needed more training, preferably 

from tried and tested sources such as a university degree. But how could I 

get a degree having only completed Year 8 and doing the first term of Year 

9 at school 28 years earlier? It seemed such an impossible task to overcome 

the education barrier, and how to do that eluded me until I stumbled across 

STEPS. 

One afternoon in Autumn 2004, I went to TAFE in Mackay to find out if I 

could do Years 11 and 12 so that I could enter university. They directed me 

to CQU that afternoon, where I met Lyn Forbes-Smith, the Head of STEPS. 

Lyn encouraged me to enter the STEPS program and answered my many 

questions, revealing that for me to achieve my goal, this program was most 

definitely the best option. But was I ready to commit myself to the learning 

curve ahead? I believed I was very ready to take on the challenge to achieve 

my dream of entering uni, even though I had no idea how deep I would 

have to dig within myself and uncover so much self-doubt. 

Within a month, I was sitting in my first Tertiary Education Preparatory 

Studies class, and I was terrified that some awful mistake had been made, 

that I was taking up the space of someone else who would be far more 

capable of completing this program than I. The overwhelming feeling of 

inadequacy tormented me daily for at least the first half of STEPS, and I 

shed many self-loathing tears. Self-defeating attitudes cloaked in frustration 

ran wild. The learning curve was so steep that many colleagues fell by the 

wayside, despite the incredible support offered by the lecturers and support 

staff (who might I say were sensational). Completing the STEPS program 

was, for me, so life-changing in as much as it gave me not only the 

confidence to enter university, but also the skills. There is no way that I 

would have been able to get through my first year of Psychology without 

having gone through the STEPS program. 

STEPS also connected me to a terrific small group of new friends, bonded 

by the intense learning journey that we undertook together; people I am still 

in touch with today and can draw upon for support and laughter. I am now 

in my second year of a Social Work degree. I switched programs from 

157


Psychology to Social Work because it will suit my intended employment 

outcomes better. Even though my life has had the most tumultuous change 

recently with the break-up of my marriage, resulting in my having had a 

total nervous breakdown, I am still so excited that I have this chance to be 

re-educated and change the course of my life. 

STEPS was not at all easy for me. I struggled with everything — the maths, 

English, everything — but what a great thing to overcome and do. I could 

not recommend it highly enough to anyone who is thinking of changing 

their life choices by gaining further education. The program equips you so 

thoroughly in more ways than just academically; it grounds you into the 

study mode that gaining a degree requires. Additionally, it eases you into 

the academic world of a university, taking the mystery out of uni life and 

familiarising you with the campus, which in itself was worth attending the 

program for. I am one very happy STEPS graduate, who is in the process of 

realising her dreams. 

158


The pleasure was worth the pain 

Scott Cousin 

Oh God! I haven’t got a thing to wear. Does my bum look big in this? Does 

it look ridiculous if I comb this bit across here? All crucial considerations 

as I prepared for my first day of STEPS. I couldn’t believe that I’d become 

a nervous, insecure basket case on the day that I’d looked forward to for so 

long. Surely I would handle junior level maths and a little essay writing 

with ease. After all, I was a mature person with extensive life experience. 

Therein, of course, lay the rub. I was so ‘mature’ that I hadn’t experienced 

any formal education for at least 20 years. My last encounter ended with a 

creditable social and sporting result but a dismal academic record, leaving 

North Mackay State High School with a serious ‘Fail’ on my senior 

certificate. I wasn’t overly concerned at the time as it was assumed that I 

would follow my brother onto the family farm. So I did. The next few years 

saw me follow several pursuits, all rural in nature. The last and most lasting 

of these was a dairy at Colston Park south-west of Sarina. In between all of 

this, I married a special girl, who followed me (reluctantly) into a life of 

early mornings and monotonous holiday-free activity. We spent a dozen 

years improving and innovating, culminating in the construction of a 

processing and bottling factory on our property. 

These exciting times came to a crashing halt with the deregulation of the 

dairy industry, leaving us at the mercy of the huge multi-national 

processors. We were crushed in the stampede to provide the cheapest 

possible product to the public through mercenary supermarket chains. 

(Don’t get me started — This is another story for another time.) We were 

forced to sell the processing plant and eventually our property in 2002. The 

silver lining was my opportunity to pursue my ambition to become a 

teacher. 

I contacted CQU in March 2003 to ask about available courses and entry 

qualifications. It was then that I first heard about the STEPS program. It 

seemed to be just what I needed. I enrolled in the full-time program, which 

started in July. The first barrier to overcome was the dreaded entry exam. I 

worried for weeks, not knowing what to study and hoping my long-term 

memory would come to my rescue when called upon. As is usually the case, 

the test wasn’t as bad as I thought, and I was able to complete it within the 

159


allotted time to the apparent satisfaction of the staff. Then, just when I 

thought the torture was over, I was informed that I would have to front for 

an ‘interview’! This was where I found out that the teachers weren’t the 

intimidating stand-over merchants that I remembered from high school. 

They were, in fact, real people who seemed keen to help in any way they 

could (a revelation!!). 

The feeling of relief at being accepted into the program was soon overtaken 

by the aforementioned panic. I worried about the most insignificant of 

things, including whether to take an ordinary pencil and sharpener or to go 

with the formally cool (20 years ago) clutch pencil; and had the clutch 

become ultra nerdy in the interim? As it turned out, I needn’t have worried. 

Of course, no one gave a hoot what sort of pencil I used, how old my 

calculator was, which way I parted my hair, etcetera, etcetera — although, 

as the program progressed, some of my colleagues admitted to a few similar 

concerns. These petty worries were soon overtaken by genuine doubts 

about some of the content of the courses. The maths posed few problems 

(long-term memory did kick in), but I faced some huge hurdles in trying to 

write creatively. We were also asked to reveal ‘feelings’ in front of the rest 

of the class. At this point, they were still relative strangers and I had trouble 

talking about feelings to my closest family let alone to this unfamiliar 

bunch. As the program progressed, these sessions became the source of 

much motivation. Hearing of the journeys undertaken by some of my 

classmates just to get the opportunity to participate put all my perceived 

hardships well into perspective. 

These opportunities for personal disclosure were eventually revealed 

merely to be a tool to ease us into the most terrifying part of my whole 

university experience — the 20-minute oral presentation! This involved 

participants (most of whom had never spoken to more than two people at a 

time) standing in front of the class, speaking with authority on a subject of 

their choice for 20 minutes, and trying to remain in a standing position 

throughout. Eventually, we all achieved most of the criteria. Of all the 

subjects and social interactions involved in STEPS, I think that the oral 

presentations did most to forge the friendships that we have carried with us. 

The empathy and encouragement shown were often inspirational, and the 

bonds formed throughout the 13 intense weeks helped to see most of us 

through to completion. 

160


I am currently in my final year studying Learning Management (teaching) 

and have used just about every academic, social, emotional and practical 

skill I learned in the STEPS program. I would like to take this opportunity 

to encourage all those thinking of participating in STEPS to do so. It will 

not only equip you with important study tools for your future learning, but 

will allow you to cultivate lasting friendships with some amazing people. I 

would also like to document my gratitude to the University staff, to my 

fellow students and to my family, all of whom have facilitated my journey 

so far. 

Scott Cousin 

161


Stepping stones of life 

Kerin Szemes 

My name is Kerin Szemes and I am going to tell you my story that comes 

from being a past STEPS student. I will give you a brief background 

followed by the achievements I personally gained from STEPS, the impact 

STEPS has had on my life, the commitments I have had to make, along with 

the persistence it takes to study, and the innovations that have become part 

of my life. Overall, I will tell you what STEPS has done, not only to my 

own life, but to the lives of my family members as well. 

I grew up in Brisbane and moved to the Gemfields at the end of 1989 where 

I finished high school in Emerald in 1982. At that time, I found that I had 

fallen pregnant to my partner, Chris. His support is invaluable in all areas of 

my life. I am very lucky in this respect as I know this is not something 

everyone has. I was accepted into James Cook University in 1983, but I had 

made a choice and started my family so did not take up the challenge of 

university. Whilst pregnant with my third child, I went and sat for my 

QTAC exam again and did quite well but, once again, I was having a baby 

and that came first. After my fourth child was born, I felt that I needed to do 

more with my life than be at home. My children were growing up, and I 

needed to grow too. In 1998, I saw advertised the STEPS program at the 

Central Queensland University Emerald campus, and, with my husband’s 

support in looking after the children, I made the effort. 

I joined up and attended the initial STEPS program at the Emerald campus. 

Sometimes, it was difficult, especially learning how to approach the 

different styles of writing we needed to become skilled in. I feel that I 

achieved excellent results in STEPS, gaining high distinctions in Maths and 

Computer Studies, and credits for both the English and communications 

side of the program. I was also lucky enough to be offered my first 

preference at CQU the following year to start a Bachelor of Early 

Childhood. This was not to be, however, as it meant splitting up my family 

and moving to Rockhampton, so instead, at the last minute, I started a 

Bachelor of Arts, first year at Emerald campus. Many years later I am still 

attempting to get this finished. 

162


Through the STEPS program, I feel that I achieved a number of things that 

have been both beneficial and life-changing. First, I developed greater selfesteem, 

personal growth and personal organisation and, most importantly, I 

gained a place to quench my thirst for knowledge. The impact of the STEPS 

program for me has been interesting. I went from being a mum and 

housewife to someone who had ideas and thoughts and learnt to 

communicate them in various ways far more easily than before. I also had 

the opportunity to listen to other people’s ideas and thoughts. I was more 

confident in public and felt that I was a valuable member of my community. 

From STEPS, I also realised that, if I want, I can set goals and reach them 

or, if I can’t reach them, adjust them and try from another angle. STEPS 

had an impact on my family too. Time once before spent doing things for 

and with the family now had to be rearranged to suit time spent researching 

and writing assignments. It has its up-side too. With the gaining of 

knowledge, I have been able to impart little treasures of knowledge to my 

family. 

From STEPS, I moved into full-time study (first year internal/external). The 

following year I dropped my study load and took on a position as a 

journalist for nine months at a local paper, although I had only completed a 

couple of units in this area. This really tested my commitment to study and, 

to this day, I love to work and be out there in the real world with people. 

However, I really want to get through my studies and complete my degree 

one day. I now complete most of my study externally, and committing 

myself to my studies, especially at home, is far more challenging than 

joining a classroom full of like-minded people. Nevertheless, I feel that 

having taken on the challenge of being a STEPS student has given me the 

ability to accept the commitment to the studies I have embarked upon. I 

have also realised that with achievement comes the realisation of goals. 

Goals are what I try to keep in my sight as I embark into a new unit of 

study. 

I started STEPS as a person who loves learning, reading and writing, and it 

has enhanced my ability to gain valuable knowledge and understanding, not 

only as a student in my particular area of study, but within my life and 

community. Some of these things have impacted not only on me personally, 

but also on my family and, to a smaller extent, on the community I live in. 

Being a continuing student takes a great deal of commitment, and finding 

163


the persistence to continue takes me back to STEPS and why I set out on 

the path I am currently on. 

STEPS brought into my life a commitment to complete my studies and to 

one day use my degree to gain employment that I will enjoy. It also taught 

me to be a valuable team member who may one day make a small 

difference to the world in which we all live. 

Kerin Szemes 

164

Run with it 

Ursula White 


Bi-polar has haunted me since my very early teens, creating turmoil with 

my schooling and personal life. Uncertain of what was really happening, I 

stumbled through the years making consistent errors of judgment, delving 

into the depths of darkness, a place I knew I didn’t want to be but could not 

rise through it. This ‘thing’ was destroying me, but I was maturing and 

refused to give in. Finally, in my early 30s, I was correctly diagnosed, and 

stability entered my life. Time and medication improved circumstances; I 

was steadily recovering and rebuilding my life when the unimaginable 

occurred. On 10 June 2001, I fell from a horse and broke my back and hip. I 

recall thinking this was only a small inconvenience. I was alive. I was not 

paralysed. I would endure and resume living. 

I have never focused greatly on the adversities that have emerged during 

my life or let them weigh me down, but have always looked for alternative 

directions and moved forward. I’ve resolved that these challenges are life’s 

ingredients to test and build character and managed correctly, are valuable 

learning instruments for future endeavours. With two failed marriages 

behind me, a teenage son who appeared lost, bi-polar and a broken back in 

2001, it was get up, shake myself down and run another race. So, in late 

2001, when an opening for the Skills for Tertiary Education Preparatory 

Studies (STEPS) program arose, it seemed a fitting venture. Ten months 

after my accident, there I was, not realising I was on the greatest journey to 

freedom and self-improvement, not just for my own future but that of my 

son as well. There was no doubt previous experiences had more than 

prepared us both for the next few years of university, schooling and life’s 

ultimatum. However, mostly, this is a story about how my son and I 

achieved beating adversity through perseverance. 

Education is the key to freedom and when the opportunity to complete the 

STEPS program came about, I grabbed hold of it with both hands and ran 

with it. STEPS was not a challenge. I felt it was more a necessity than 

something I had ever dreamt of achieving. Yet, STEPS proved to be more 

than that; it was an opportunity to flourish, grow, and prepare for the bigger 

picture of university life, and accomplish a degree in my chosen field of 

study. STEPS was easy to commit to; nothing could hold me back from this 

new way of life. The program was totally enjoyable. With my love of 

165


writing and being a deep thinker, I needed to examine in detail every aspect 

of discovering writing in a new light. I couldn’t get enough and became 

frustrated with myself for wanting to move on faster than the program 

allowed. Mathematics, not my strongest skill, taught me a little more about 

patience and persistence, and has since been an invaluable asset in my 

learning. This has highlighted its absolute necessity in life. 

It was wonderful to be surrounded by like-minded people. At no time did 

lecturers, staff, or fellow students make me feel inadequate. Support 

through out the journey was excellent, making the experience more 

valuable and positive. Yet, my son was not having as good a time as I as his 

school situation was proving difficult, and nothing was coming together. 

Selfish as it may appear, I could not discontinue my studies but only 

provide support, advice, and approval through this hardship. Although this 

approach did not provide an overnight resolution, in hindsight, it was the 

precise attitude to resolve many issues and groom him for his objective of 

completing his senior education and enlisting in the navy. 

After completing STEPS in 2002, I began a Bachelor of Communications 

degree; however, late in 2003 I became sick and withdrew from study for 

the whole of 2004. Subsequently, a most unexpected tragedy struck in 

October of 2004. My brother was accidentally killed, causing much sorrow 

and disbelief. This was a time for reflection and to evaluate my options for 

the impending 2005. After much deliberation, I resolved that time waits for 

no-one and made the decision to endure, and applied to QTAC for a 

placement in the Bachelor of Learning Management. I recommenced study 

in 2005. 

Although that year found me battling illness, pain, grief, and the exertion of 

being a single parent administering to my son’s life and making 

considerable decisions instantaneously, I succeeded in completing the 

year’s study and saw my son graduate after twelve years of schooling. He 

enlisted in the navy this year. In a sense, through my own perseverance and 

commitment, he learned that nothing worthwhile in life is easy, and that 

only dedication and determination will see you through to achieve your 

ambitions. I am extremely proud of his achievements and know that he will 

be pre-eminent in his chosen career. 2005 was difficult but a year that I put 

behind me. I know that it was worth all the pain and suffering it dealt. 

166


This year sees me in my second year of a teaching degree, bringing the light 

closer to the end of the tunnel. I have always been passionate about writing. 

Whether it was a simple story or a legal document, I loved to manipulate 

words; yet, it was STEPS that truly taught me how to write academically. 

Without that strength, I believe I would not have dared attempt university 

life. STEPS equipped me with constructive and vital strategies necessary to 

walk a new path. The STEPS program also elevated my self-confidence and 

confirmed that I was capable of achieving anything I desired. STEPS and 

university have been amazing experiences, which impact upon you even 

when you’re not looking. It was not until I pondered on my time at 

university that I appreciated how great are the rewards of expending time 

and effort on an objective that places you in a position to take control of 

your own destiny. I recommend to anyone who has a dream and desire to 

continue their learning and personal development to enter the world of 

learning and realise the power within. Unless one focuses on the broader 

prospects, dismisses the inconsequential, and runs with opportunities that 

arise, regardless of obstacles that appear, then endless possibilities have 

been lost. Becoming a teacher, my secret fantasy from my earliest 

memories, is now almost in my grasp. Limitless opportunities for work, 

travel, and choice become clearer daily, a vision I will not relinquish. 

They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them 

yourself. 

Andy Warhol (1928-1987) 

167


If the desire is great enough 

Amanda Patzwald 

From a very early age I wanted to be a facilitator of learning, an educator of 

young minds — a teacher. Whenever we visited my young cousins, we 

would play school and I was the teacher. My family moved occasionally, 

and in twelve years of education I attended five schools, but most times this 

did not worry me. 

At the end of grade 12, I was accepted for a teaching degree at Darling 

Downs Institute of Advanced Education, Toowoomba. However, as I was 

the eldest of seven children, university was too expensive. I completed high 

school on Friday and began work as a nurse’s aide on Saturday in order to 

finance my university studies. Fate had other ideas and I became a full-time 

mother, wife and farmer’s labourer. When Andrew was six months old, I 

was employed as a teacher’s aide. Eighteen months later, Patricia was born, 

and again I became a full-time mum, milking cows, feeding cattle, 

mustering, volunteering at school and as the P&C secretary. Almost three 

years later I became a single mum, moving 600km to another town — 

Gladstone. I worked as a kitchen hand at Q.A.S.C. (Yaralla) for some time, 

but with young children, night and weekend work was difficult so I 

resigned. I began as a checkout operator at Woolworths, and soon became a 

service supervisor. 

With a wonderful man in my life, we decided to become a bigger family 

and Bryce was born in 1993. I really enjoyed the time home with three busy 

children and volunteer work at the school. Almost two years later, Travis 

was born and our family was complete. I was kept busy especially when 

Patricia decided to fundraise for the Leukaemia Foundation. Still desiring 

teaching, I had a good friend completing STEPS at CQU and, with my 

family’s and her encouragement, I began STEPS in 2001 when Travis 

began grade one. Thus began the stepping stone to my lifelong dream. 

Initiative 

Taking the first step towards a change requires a desire. In life, it is easy to 

sit back and let familiarity guide us. We really do only get one chance at 

life, and it is detrimental to happiness to resist all feelings to self-improve, 

attempt new ventures, or taste new achievements. 

168


My main driving force was the prospect of fulfilling the dream to become a 

teacher. With my youngest child at school, I would soon be endeavouring to 

re-enter the workforce so why not attempt to be employed in a career of my 

choice? I took the initiative to participate in STEPS 2001 because my friend 

was enjoying STEPS and for minimal outlay, I could discover if I really did 

want to study again or if I should just find a job. STEPS would be a 

stepping stone to a new career, a fulfillment of my aspirations. For 

approximately $100 and six months commitment, STEPS would enable me 

to taste education again, explore my determination to undertake the 

commitment, and assess if, after almost 20 years, I had the mental capacity 

to triumph. STEPS was to be my testing ground and, if I decided afterwards 

that I did not wish to continue studying, then I had lost nothing but had 

gained direction, confidence and skills. 

Impact 

Impact is ‘the contact of one thing against another’. Whenever we make 

choices, there is impact. Luckily, STEPS refined my time management 

skills (somewhat). Families become accustomed to mothers being home. 

With a shift-worker husband, a working son, a daughter in high school and 

two sons in lower primary school, sport, household chores and life in 

general, combined with full-time study, it was hectic. Everyone had to learn 

new skills, adapt, attempt to be more organised and work as a team. A little 

more independence was learnt and my children saw that adults also learn 

and have homework. 

Commitment 

‘They are able who think they are able.’ Commitment meant keeping to 

deadlines, keeping balance between study and family, and not surrendering 

to the urge to quit when life got too chaotic. Knowing what I wanted and 

having the drive to carry on meant achieving the end result — completion 

of the program and the launch towards my goal. At STEPS, commitment 

was characterised by friendship, the kind of friendship where each student 

supplied strength and encouragement. We spent every day with each other, 

sharing our lives and offering positive encouragement. 

169

Durability 


Attempting to renew old skills and knowledge and learn new, sometimes 

‘alien’, concepts, I found it was sheer willpower, stubbornness, friendship 

and support that kept me focused. The excitement of learning and 

succeeding, plus the adrenaline rush, were what drove me. It was a new 

experience studying again after so many years, but the human body is much 

more durable than we give it credit for. You only need to look at life in 

general to discover the strong will and resilience of the human body and 

mind. ‘What does not destroy me makes me strong.’ I believe the 

excitement of learning, the support of family and friends and my constant 

determination assisted in overcoming any fatigue. I knew I wanted to learn, 

to achieve and to do it well. 

Innovation 

Innovation! Let us talk computers, attending class, creative writing and 

public speaking. Computers were a challenge, almost an alien life form; 

they certainly had a mind of their own. We became creative with our 

writing, overcoming challenges and keeping each other positive. 

The most innovative component for me was the public speaking. The 

lecturers were extremely helpful in developing our skills from that first twominute 

talk about ourselves through to the grand finale, a 20-minute 

researched, entertaining and informative presentation. I found the most 

difficult element was actually deciding on a topic. Finally, I selected 

‘Laughter is the best medicine’ — an apt topic. Deciding to enjoy the 

ordeal, I dressed in a clown costume with clown hair and a red nose, and 

with the assistance of circus music and a ‘creative’ dance routine, 

encouraged the audience to be involved. One may as well make an 

entrance! Using medical advice, video footage and research on Patch 

Adams and the Gesundheit Institute, I managed to keep the audience 

interested and educate them on the physical, emotional and mental benefits 

of laughter. Quite impressive, I thought. I guess it was not too shabby as I 

was asked to repeat the performance for other students as well as integrate 

the concept at graduation when I spoke on behalf of the students. 

170

Achievements 


I have many accomplishments in my life, as do we all. A happy marriage, 

four wonderful children, a caring and supportive family and a rewarding 

career are the most obvious. 

From STEPS, I continued studies, completing a Bachelor of Learning 

Management with distinction in 2004. In 2005, I began my new career as a 

learning support/special needs teacher at a local high school; married the 

wonderful man with whom I have shared a life, a home and children for 

many, many years; turned forty on the same day; and in July proudly 

participated in the graduation walk up the main street of Gladstone. At the 

ceremony I was awarded the Education and Creative Arts prize. While at 

CQU, I was a student mentor for two years. I was also invited to be the 

graduate speaker at Orientation but, regretfully, could not attend. Last year, 

I was invited to be guest speaker at the STEPS Graduation, which was a 

great honour, and in August, a friend (a fellow teacher) and I were guest 

speakers for the Gladstone Career Pathways night at CQU. This year, I have 

proudly been part of a CQU promotion on the benefits of study, and now I 

am part of this celebration of STEPS. From humble STEPS beginnings 

came a bundle of opportunities and experiences that I cherish and enjoy. 

In conclusion, I would like to thank everyone who supported and guided me 

during those first six months of study. Completing STEPS was a new 

beginning, a formation of friendships and a boost for morale. The lecturers 

were not only educators; they were friends, mentors and moral supporters. 

For me, STEPS was a testing ground, an instrument, but also a wonderful 

experience. 

Life encompasses change. Embracing it is our prerogative. Taking the 

advice of friends, daring to challenge oneself and resisting the fear of 

change enable each of us to STEP beyond our comfort zones to experience 

more from life. Life is a journey where sometimes we choose the 

destination, either local or uncharted horizons. STEPS was a stepping stone 

across the oceans, a path to a dream, a lever to a career of my choice. Even 

in those who choose not to continue study, STEPS develops confidence and 

instills a sense of pride and achievement that allows the individual to step 

out into the world with self-belief. New friendships are formed, and the 

literacy, numeracy, technology and public speaking benefit everyone. 

171


Thank you STEPS, and thank you to my wonderful family and friends who 

are always there for me. 

172

Turning point 

Max Fleet 


Service station attendant, bricky’s labourer, shark fisherman, pizza delivery 

boy, waiter, second chef, restaurant manager, highway maintenance worker, 

sports shop manager, fruit picker, tyre fitter, wide-load pilot driver, farm 

supervisor and drop-saw operator at a timber mill. Between the age of 16 

and 30, I held these and many other positions. Although considered 

respectable ways to make a living, none of them suited what I wanted to do 

with my life by a long shot. They were a means to an end, a way to keep the 

wolves from my door and to give me a sense of self worth. Nevertheless, 

none of them helped me release the skills I knew existed within me…until I 

found STEPS! 

I completed high school in Year 10 in Tasmania and, although I went on to 

further my education, I didn’t take it seriously. Years 11 and 12 were a 

write-off for me. It wasn’t that I couldn’t cope with the workload; it was 

more a case of not wanting to. I was more interested in my freedom, my 

mates, my girlfriends. As a result of my frivolity, I was relatively unskilled 

at the age of 18 and moved from one unskilled job to the next for 12 years, 

sometimes of my own accord and sometimes not! During those years, I 

tried to find what it was that I felt was missing in my life by travelling and 

sometimes living overseas. England and America were two major ports of 

call for me, and I spent several years in both countries, searching for 

something to fill the void in my life. Upon my return to Australia, then aged 

27, I began the difficult cycle of re-establishment again: odd jobs, renting a 

house, buying a car. However, by the time I was 30, I wasn’t any better off 

than I was when I was 18! That was the turning point in my life. 

I had always desired to further my education to enable me to get a career 

doing something I enjoyed, but, because of my failure to successfully 

complete Years 11 and 12, I never dreamt it was possible. I thought of the 

prospect of going to university akin to daydreaming about winning the 

Lotto. Not me. I’d never get in. My grades aren’t good enough, and it’s far 

too expensive anyway. These were the comments that continuously entered 

my head, coupled with laughter at my folly for even thinking about it. 

173


Then a door opened. Standing in this doorway was Karen Seary, Head of 

STEPS, who invited me in for a chat. What followed changed my life. To 

my amazement, I was shown a way to make my life complete, to fill that 

void and to break out of the rut which I had created for myself. Karen 

described the STEPS program to me thoroughly and I was convinced that I 

could do it … and I did! I sat the entrance test and passed, and a date was 

set for me to begin the STEPS program. Three long months went by as I 

waited (in a caravan — working in a timber mill) for my second chance at 

success, and, finally, it came. Nervousness, anticipation, anxieties, fears and 

excitement raced through my body and mind on my first day back, my first 

day back at ‘big school’! 

I didn’t know what to expect from STEPS at first, but it soon became clear 

that it was a comprehensive vehicle for me to attain entry level to 

mainstream university and a shot at following my dreams. The staff were 

(and still are) amazing. They were always happy to help, and more than 

able to do so. It was their efforts that made my transition to academic life a 

breeze. They are the dream-makers; they are the magicians who can turn 

what seems like a hopeless pre-ordained lifestyle into an amazing change of 

perspective. They helped me realise that I could follow my long-lost dreams 

and stamp my foot confidently on whatever career path I chose. For that I 

am eternally grateful. To the STEPS program, and all the staff at Bundaberg 

campus, thank you for changing my life. 

Maximilian Fleet, 3 rd year Multimedia student and aspiring film writer/director. 

174


Memories of the first STEPS group in 

Gladstone — 1989 

Christine Petersen 

‘1000 words! My God! How will I ever be able to write that much. That 

will take me forever. What could I possibly write about? It’s a book!’ Well, 

almost a book. A chapter in fact, and a short one at that. 

And that’s what the STEPS program was all about — teaching mature-age 

students some of the necessary academic requirements for tertiary 

education, and awakening their memories to all things learned and forgotten 

in school. What a task! What a challenge for the dedicated and wonderfully 

talented, patient lecturers at the Gladstone campus of the then Capricornia 

Institute of Advanced Education, as well as for the 12 participants of the 

first program –Wendy Tomlinson, Jill McLeod, Leslie Greig, Raelene 

Thams, Pat Rose, Linda Grundon, Gwen Forest, Cheryl Lee-Brown, 

Nic Grommitt, Ulysses Aquilizan, Jenny Wilson and Christine Petersen. 

STEPS then, as now, offered mature-age students an opportunity to bridge 

the gap between school leaving and university via the upgrading of skills 

and scores. Our class, the first STEPS group in Gladstone, was made up of 

mostly mature women enthused by a desire to attempt higher education, to 

return to the workforce or have a chance at a missed education. We had two 

young men, Nic and Ulysses, as part of our group, both with a keen need to 

improve their English skills for entry into nursing. 

We were all within a similar age range. Most of us had kids somewhere in 

the school system, and we all had enthusiasm, and a sense of humour — the 

ability to laugh at ourselves and our mistakes. In fact, most of what I 

remember is the hilarity in the classroom, the friendships formed, endless 

discussions about life, the world, other worlds and our newly acquired 

anxieties. Could we really go on and attempt university? Where did all the 

information frequently lost on the computer end up? And what does it all 

mean? 

Education is not merely the acquisition of knowledge but the gaining of 

self-confidence in the classroom, in our everyday interactions, and in our 

ability to test and stretch ourselves. Four people worked diligently at 

helping us achieve these things. One of those people assigned the task of 

175


teaching these 12 willing adults was Marian Knapp, a delightful expat from 

the USA, whose job it was to find exactly what we did know about 

essay/assignment writing, information gathering and sifting, sorting and 

reassembling all the parts into a coherent, cohesive and a hopefully 

meaningful piece of work. Marian was definitely an optimist. 

We longed for break-time where we would rush outside and grab a coffee. 

The smokers would light up, and we would rehash everything just learnt. 

Our assignment with Marian was on the environment. I still have it 

somewhere in my own archives, along with every handwritten note I took 

in all my years of undergraduate and postgraduate work. (I think I foolishly 

believed that some day I would sit down and re-read each sheet slowly in an 

effort to understand what it was I had actually learnt.) Still waiting for that 

one. 

We talked out loud to each other and to Marian in class, and we laughed. 

We laughed at what we knew, what we didn’t know, and even more when 

we thought of the task in front of us — an assignment. The minutes before 

class were abuzz with the exchange of information and news — mostly 

with each other’s lives. One was having a baby with her partner; another 

was wondering how she would cope with study, a husband and a job. We 

helped normalise each other’s day-to-day traumas, and encouraged each 

other. For a newcomer to Gladstone as I was, the town became a much 

smaller and friendlier place. 

Julie Lovell (then Julie Millington), young, enthusiastic and a whiz with 

maths and computers, invested hours explaining the benefits of modern 

technology — spreadsheets, Word programs and Excel. We all dutifully 

booked our computer times, and, armed with pencil and notebook for 

recording all the necessary commands and functions, hung on every word 

that fell out of her mouth. Getting into and out of PCs was to prove an 

enormous task for me over the ensuing years as I tackled my tertiary terms 

and lost assignments, some lost to the world of hard drives forever. I 

remember Julie as young, talented and a very sharp dresser. I think I envied 

her fashion sense rather than her brilliance at the computer, although I am 

still working hard at mastering both. 

Rex Metcalfe, director of the campus, was an all-round good guy. I don’t 

recall what it was that Rex taught us. We did discuss some very good 

movies and politics, and education of course. Perhaps that was enough. 

176


Lynne Campbell taught us maths, social maths I recall, not that I’ve ever 

discussed maths at any social event I’ve since attended. In my years as an 

undergraduate and postgraduate student, I did everything humanly possible 

to avoid maths completely. This subject proved the most taxing for some of 

the class long since out of school. It was definitely the more serious of our 

classes, and we all worked harder and quieter. It couldn’t have been easy 

for Lynne, digging deep into the recesses of our brains to find where we 

had buried our algebraic equations. And geometry! I’d almost forgotten the 

joy in parallelograms and equilateral triangles, transposing x’s and y’s and 

other consonants into a column on the far side of the page, and staring 

blankly waiting for an answer or something to appear. I do hope Lynne 

reads this and is happy that I’ve remembered. 

And with all the hours of work, study and searching, we all came through 

— graduated and relieved. What an achievement! I have wondered at times 

where people went to next, and what things have happened in their lives. 

Some of us stayed and started our first year of a tertiary degree in the same 

little old building that was given university status. I left at the end of year 

one for Brisbane, and in the huge and often overwhelming campus of St 

Lucia, thought of the little group I started with, and how we had helped 

each other in a friendly and nurturing way. 

177


Journey to who knows where 

Carolyn Jacobson 

There was no question about not going on to Year 12. Besides, I was 

having too much fun at school to contemplate finishing at Year 10 like 

some of my friends — and to be a responsible citizen and become 

independent of my parents wasn’t worth a second thought. University had 

never crossed my mind. I would finish year 12 and get a job. I wasn’t smart 

enough to go to uni. 

At 18 I met the love of my life. Marriage followed, and a few years on 

came the first of three beautiful boys. I worked here and there, became 

involved in community projects, held committee positions and concentrated 

on being a wife and mother. I was fulfilled — or so I thought. 

After moving a short distance to the next town, due to my husband’s work, 

I was able to enjoy things that our previous town had not been able to offer. 

My youngest child was only 12 months old, so my priority was still to be a 

mother first and foremost at this stage, though I was yearning for something 

more. I wanted a taste so I started my first small business. What was I 

selling, you ask? Water. My father thought I had lost the plot! Who is going 

to buy water? I purchased a van, and with my 16-month-old son perched up 

in his car seat, we managed to convince many businesses and residents that 

spring water was much better than tap water. Loading and delivering 20 

litre bottles all week takes its toll, and five years on, the body said 

‘Enough!’. 

At last, the children were all at school. Now I would be able to do anything 

I wanted. That would be getting a job at the school, keeping an eye on the 

children and being paid as well. That would satisfy me — well, for a little 

while, anyway. What’s this? An advertisement for the STEPS program in 

the local paper? No time for that this year. I’ll think about that … next year. 

I found that one of my friends had enrolled and was enjoying the STEPS 

program. I told her I had thought about doing the program but didn’t think I 

would be able to until the children were a little older. She said that knowing 

me and what I had achieved so far with three little children, doing the 

STEPS program would be a breeze. After talking with another friend, I 

178


found that she had considered doing STEPS also. What better than to have 

a buddy to study with. 

The journey began. 

Surprisingly, I found the work quite easy. I was committed to being at the 

campus at set times with work completed and found that, with the support 

of my family, I was able to achieve what was needed. It was a bit of a 

juggle at times: children at sport, their homework, my homework, dinner on 

the table, ironing piling up — but fortunately, or unfortunately, I have a 

personal ethic — NEVER GIVE UP!!! I just can’t. I am not a quitter. 

Throughout the year, we were encouraged, helped and, for some, almost 

carried across the finish line. For those who didn’t make the finish line, I 

felt sad for they had started something they obviously wanted but were 

unable to continue and didn’t finish the journey. 

I remember fondly the laughs we had during classes, and the frustration 

endured when we couldn’t manage to fit anything more into our lives. 

Steph Garoni, the coordinator of the Emerald STEPS program, was our 

rock and a tremendous language lecturer also; she guided, coached, and 

cried and laughed with most of us at some time or another. I recall more 

detail of the language lessons than the other subjects we were doing, mostly 

because it was the subject I struggled with. Comprehension was not a 

favourite of mine at school, and at a mature age I still found it difficult. 

Also, I am not a naturally expressive person, so to open up and display 

feeling and emotion in a written form was somewhat foreign to me. How I 

have progressed! STEPS taught me how to overcome my fear of 

expression, and here I am doing just that. 

I truly believe STEPS opens up not only the door to further learning, but 

also to many other new paths and challenges that would never have been 

explored if the student had continued on, satisfied with what they had 

already achieved. Whether the decision to conquer STEPS is for further 

study or just for self-satisfaction and the ability to say ‘I’ve done it!’, it is 

truly amazing how a new, quite different person leaves the University 

campus after those 26 weeks. 

The journey continues. 

179

Appendices, Index and Endnotes 


181


Appendix A — A thumbnail sketch of 

CQU 

Central Queensland University is one of the most innovative, dynamic and 

richly diverse universities in Australia. Over the past 30 years, CQU has 

developed a network of campuses. It has nine campuses situated along the 

east coast of Australia and international operations extending into the 

Pacific and Southeast Asia. Its five campuses in Central Queensland alone 

are scattered across an area bigger than Victoria, from Bundaberg to 

Emerald, Gladstone, Mackay and its largest — also its administrative centre 

— Rockhampton. In addition there are campuses for international students 

(and a limited number of Australian full-fee paying students) located in 

Brisbane, Gold Coast, Melbourne and Sydney. There is an international 

campus in Fiji, and offshore delivery sites in Hong Kong and Singapore 

that are jointly coordinated by CQU and local institutes. 

CQU enjoys a reputation as one of Australia's most progressive and 

innovative universities. In both teaching and research, our highly qualified 

and internationally recruited staff place emphasis on finding and 

challenging new frontiers in our specialist areas of the natural sciences, 

information technology, humanities, social sciences, media and 

communications, health and medical sciences, sport and human movement 

sciences, engineering, economics, business, education, the arts and music. 

In 2006, the University has a total of 24,102 students. Of this total, there are 

12,515 international students and 11,587 domestic students. 

183


Figure – CQU campus locations 

(Source: CQU Annual Report 2004) 

184


Appendix B — Staff writing on STEPS 

Refereed journal articles 

Coombes, PN & Danaher, G (forthcoming), From the margins to the centre: 

the power of transformative learning in Australia, (paper accepted for 

publication in the International Journal of Pedagogies and Learning). 

Kennedy, I 2004, ‘An assessment strategy to help forestall plagiarism 

problems’, Studies in Learning, Evaluation, Innovation and Development, 

vol. 1, no. 2, pp. 1–8. 

McConachie, J & Simpson, J 2004, ‘Social entrepreneurship: an Australian 

university transforms a regional community through diversity and 

innovation’, Queensland Journal of Educational Research, vol. 19, no. 2, 

pp. 100–118, viewed 30 June 2006, 

http://education.curtin.edu.au/iier/qjer/qjer19/mcconachie.html 

McIntosh, S 2001, ‘A critical writing pedagogy: who benefits?’, 

Queensland Journal of Educational Research, vol. 17, no. 2, pp. 152–163, 

viewed 30 June 2006, http://www.iier.org.au/qjer/qjer17/mcintosh.html 

Seary, K & Willans, J 2004, ‘It’s more than just academic essays and rules 

of mathematics: travelling the road with Heroes on the STEPS journey as 

they convert the milestones of their learning journey into signposts for their 

future’, Australian Journal of Adult Learning, vol. 44, no. 3, pp. 306–326. 

Simpson, J & Coombes, PN 2001, ‘Adult learning as a hero’s journey: 

researching mythic structure as a model for transformational change’, 


viewed 30 June 2006, 

http://education.curtin.edu.au/iier/qjer/qjer17/simpson.html 

Strahm, M & Danaher, P 2005, ‘Getting them thinking: the role of the 

student questionnaire in promoting academic and social integration’, 

Studies in Learning, Evaluation, Innovation and Development, vol. 2, no. 3, 

pp. 44–54. 

Strahm, M 2007, ‘Co-operative learning: group processing and students’ 

needs for self-worth and belonging’, Alberta Journal of Educational 

Research, vol. 53, no. 1. 

185


Willans, J, Harreveld, RE & Danaher, PA 2003, ‘Enhancing higher 

education transitions through negotiated engagements of learning 

experiences: lessons from a pre-undergraduate language education course,’ 


viewed 3 July 2006, http://www.iier.org.au/qjer/qjer19/willans.html 

Non-refereed journal articles 

Danaher, GR, Coombes, PN, Simpson, J, Harreveld, RE & Danaher, PA 

2002, ‘From double agents to double vision: marginalisation and potential 

transformation among three groups of open and distance teachers’, Open 

and Distance Learning Association of Australia Occasional Papers, 

pp. 12–25. 

Book chapters 

Brennan, MT, Coombes, PN, McConachie, J & Simpson, J 1997, ‘STEPS 

to meeting client requirements: learning styles and open learning in an 

Australian university bridging course’, in J Osborne, D Roberts & J Walker 

(eds), Open, flexible and distance learning: selected papers from the 13 th 

biennial forum of the Open and Distance Learning Association of Australia 

(in association with the Australian Association of Distance Education 

Schools), pp. 70–75, University of Tasmania, Launceston. 

Coombes, PN, Simpson, J, Danaher, GR & Danaher, PA 2001, ‘Double 

vision and transforming universities: lessons from an Australian university 

pre-undergraduate bridging program’, in Learner-centered universities for 

the new millennium: 26 th international conference Rand Afrikaans 

University, 9–12 July, pp. 347–352, Rand Afrikaans University, 

Johannesburg, South Africa. 

McIntosh, S 2004, ‘Developing a critical writing course: a risky business’, 

in PN Coombes, MJM Danaher & PA Danaher (eds), Strategic 

uncertainties: ethics, politics and risk in contemporary educational 

research, Post Pressed, Flaxton, Queensland. 

Seary, K, Willans, J, McIntosh, S, Simpson, J & Garoni, S (forthcoming), 

‘Shedding past notions of marginalized education: how understanding 

learning styles can transform perspectives on learning’, in J McConachie, 

R Harreveld, J Luck, F Nouwens & P Danaher (eds), Doctrina perpetua: 

brokering change, expanding learning, promoting innovation and 

transforming marginalization at Central Queensland University, Australia. 

186


Simpson, J 2004, ‘Freedom to live: the ethical responsibilities of 

researching a hero’s journey', in PN Coombes, MJM Danaher & 

PA Danaher (eds), Strategic uncertainties: ethics, politics and risk in 

contemporary educational research, Post Pressed, Flaxton, Queensland. 

Willans, J 2005, ‘Learning about learning: a catalyst for perspective 

transformation’, in B Knight, B Walker-Gibbs & A Harrison (eds), 

Researching educational capital in a technological age, Post Pressed, 

Teneriffe, Queensland. 

Conference papers and presentations 

Aldred, LS & Reid, BM 2003, ‘Adopting an innovative multiple media 

approach to learning for equity groups: electronically-mediated learning for 

off-campus students’, paper presented at the 20 th Annual Conference of the 

Australian Society for Computers in Learning in Tertiary Education, 

Adelaide, 7–10 December 2003, viewed 30 June 2006, 

http://www.ascilite.org.au/conferences/adelaide03/docs/pdf/27.pdf 

Brennan, MT, Coombes, PN, McConachie, J & Simpson, J 1997, ‘STEPS 

to meeting client requirements: learning styles and open learning in an 

Australian university bridging course’, paper presented at the 13 th Biennial 

Forum of the Open and Distance Learning Association of Australia, 

University of Tasmania, 30 September, Launceston. 

Coombes, PN & Danaher, G 2006, ‘The power of the partner in promoting 

lifelong learning: the perspective of the mature-age student’, paper 

presented at the 4 th International Lifelong Learning Conference: Partners, 

pathways, and pedagogies, 13–16 June, Yeppoon. 

Danaher, G 2006, ‘Inalienable interconnective lifelong learning: pathways, 

partnerships, and pedagogies’, paper presented at the 4 th International 

Lifelong Learning Conference: Partners, pathways, and pedagogies, 13–16 

June, Yeppoon. 

Danaher, G, Willans, J, Forbes-Smith, L & Strahm, M 2006, ‘STEPS: 

successful pathways, partners and pedagogies’, paper presented at the 4 th 

International Lifelong Learning Conference: Partners, pathways, and 

pedagogies, 13–16 June, Yeppoon. 

187


Flanders, M & Campbell, L 1997, ‘A first STEP to undergraduate 

mathematics for adult learners’, paper presented at Delta 97, a symposium 

of modern undergraduate mathematics, Queensland University of 

Technology, Brisbane. 

Kennedy, I & Hinton, L 2003, ‘The importance of being honest: 

educational integrity, plagiarism and other perplexities’, paper presented at 

the First Australasian Educational Integrity Conference, 21–22 November, 

University of South Australia, Adelaide. 

McIntosh, S 1998, ‘Promoting competencies for lifelong learning: a 

collaborative teaching model project’, paper presented at the Tertiary 

Writers Network Conference, November, Hamilton, New Zealand. 

McIntosh, S 2000, ‘Curricula and literacies: the struggles’, paper presented 

at the Effective teaching and learning conference, 9–10 November, The 

Teaching and Educational Development Institute, University of 

Queensland, Brisbane. 

McIntosh, S 2002, ‘Teaching academic writing using visual metaphor’, 

workshop presented at the Tertiary Writers Network Colloquium, 

Developing a voice: critical issues in academic literacies, 5–6 December, 

University of Technology, Auckland. 

Simpson, J & Coombes, PN 2004, ‘Learned optimism: motivation for 

lifelong learning in a pre-university preparatory program’, in P Danaher, C 

Macpherson, F Nouwens & D Orr (eds), Lifelong learning: whose 

responsibility and what is your contribution?, Proceedings of the 

3 rd International Lifelong Learning Conference, 13–16 June, Yeppoon, 

Central Queensland University Press, Rockhampton. 

Simpson, J 2000, ‘Telling our stories of transformation: bridging the old to 

the new, adult learning as a hero’s journey’, paper presented at the Effective 

teaching and learning conference, 9–10 November, The Teaching and 

Educational Development Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane. 

Simpson, J 2002, ‘Writing is a hero’s journey’, workshop presented at the 

Tertiary Writers Network Colloquium, Developing a voice: critical issues 

in academic literacies, 5–6 December, University of Technology, 

Auckland. 

188


Simpson, J, McConachie, J, Coombes, PN, Danaher, GR, Harreveld, RE & 

Danaher, PA 2003, ‘Contesting transitions and (re-)engaging with 

subjectivities: locating and celebrating the habitus in three versions of the 

first year experience at Central Queensland University’, in D Nulty & 

N Meyers (eds), 7 th Pacific Rim first year in higher education conference 

proceedings, 9–11 July, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane. 

Willans, J & Simpson, J 2004, ‘Somewhere and sometime I changed: 

student voices from an enabling program’, in P Danaher, C Macpherson, 

F Nouwens & D Orr (eds), Lifelong learning: whose responsibility and 

what is your contribution?, proceedings of the 3 rd International Lifelong 

Learning Conference, 13–16 June, Yeppoon, Central Queensland 

University Press, Rockhampton. 

189


Appendix C — STEPS program 

offerings — 2006 

The following unofficial outline provides an overview of the courses that 

make up the various STEPS offerings. Full official details are to be found 

at: http://www.steps.cqu.edu.au/index.htm 

STEPS Accelerated CZ01 

A 12-week (= one term) program involving 18 hours of weekly oncampus 

attendance 

Courses 

Language and Learning (LNGE40049) 

This course aims to have students acquire the reading, thinking and writing 

skills necessary for academic purposes. It helps students to apply recent 

findings on learning to writing and study. Students are familiarised with the 

stages of the writing process and gain practice in writing in a variety of 

genres. Particular attention is given to reading for planning and writing the 

academic essay. Through research, writing and discussion, students gain an 

understanding of social, political and economic influences, both past and 

present, on Australia as it faces social change in the 21st century. 

Transition Mathematics 1 (MATH40237) 

Transition Mathematics 1 is a course in elementary mathematics. It is 

designed to introduce students to those fundamental concepts and 

techniques that are necessary for the study of mathematics. It also aims to 

assist students to develop confidence in mathematics and motivate them to 

undertake further study in the field. Topics covered include number types, 

operations with numbers (including the rules of precedence), percentages, 

introductory algebra, statistics, exponents (indices), solving simple 

equations, coordinate geometry of the straight line, and units and their 

conversions. 

Computing for Academic Assignment Writing (COIT40206) 

This course aims to develop skills necessary for word processing 

assignments correctly using Microsoft Word and for creating spreadsheets 

using Microsoft Excel. Through use of the Internet (World Wide Web and 

Webmail in particular) students develop research and other skills necessary 

190


for academic studies. In addition, they learn how to submit assignments and 

assessment tasks electronically, using Blackboard. Some work on using 

PowerPoint in presentations is also included. 

Tertiary Preparation Skills (SKIL40013) 

Students are familiarised with the University’s programs and procedures 

and learn how to select and apply for enrolment in different fields of study. 

They also develop the organisational strategies, oral presentation skills and 

research/information literacy skills necessary for academic studies. 

STEPS Extended (CZ04) 

A 24-week (= two terms) program involving 16 hours of weekly oncampus 

attendance 

Courses 

Language and Learning A (LNGE40054) Term 1 

This course gives an introduction to recent findings on learning and shows 

how these can be applied to writing and study. Students are also 

familiarised with the stages of the writing process and gain practice in 

writing in a variety of genres, particularly personal ones. 

Language and Learning B (LNGE40056) Term 2 

This course further develops the whole-brain learning strategies introduced 

in Language and Learning A and shows how they can be applied to reading 

for planning and writing the academic essay. Through research, writing and 

discussion, students gain an understanding of social, political and economic 

influences, both past and present, on Australia as it faces social change in 

the 21st century. 

Transition Mathematics 1A (MATH40232) Term 1 and Transition 

Mathematics 1B (MATH 40233) Term 2 

These two courses make up the mathematics component of the STEPS 

Extended program. Transition Mathematics 1A is a course in elementary 

mathematics. It is designed to introduce students to those fundamental 

concepts and techniques that are necessary for the study of mathematics. It 

also aims to assist students to develop confidence in mathematics and 

motivate them to undertake further study in the field. Topics covered 

include number types, operations with numbers (including the rules of 

precedence), percentages, introductory algebra and statistics. Transition 

191


Mathematics 1B follows on from Transition Mathematics 1A and includes 

the exponents (indices), solving simple equations, coordinate geometry of 

the straight line, and units and their conversions. 

Computing for Academic Assignment Writing A (COIT40207) Term 1 

This course is designed to familiarise new users with the basic skills for 

setting out an academic assignment. Students learn to navigate Microsoft 

Word and how to access shortcuts to reduce the workload associated with 

preparing an academic assignment. Another aim is to have students gain 

proficiency in the use of Webmail and its protocols as well as in Internet 

searching. In addition, students learn how to submit assignments and 

assessment tasks electronically, using Blackboard. 

Computing for Academic Assignment Writing B (COIT40208) Term 2 

This course extends and consolidates skills acquired in Computing for 

Academic Assignment Writing A. It also aims to develop skills necessary 

for using Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint in an academic context. 

Tertiary Preparation Skills (SKIL40013) Term 1 

Students are familiarised with the University’s programs and procedures 

and learn how to select and apply for enrolment in different fields of study. 

They also develop the organisational strategies, oral presentation skills and 

research/information literacy skills necessary for academic studies. 

Tertiary Preparation Skills Extended (SKIL40016) Term 2 

This course is centred on the theories of optimism and authentic happiness. 

It seeks to facilitate the acquisition of a range of psychological and practical 

skills that are necessary for the challenges involved in tertiary study. 

Through a mixture of psychological theory, reflection and practical class 

activities, students will become aware of the importance of the impact of 

their personal attitudes and beliefs on the outcomes of study, and of the 

facilitative nature of an optimistic and positive style. Practical skills relating 

to the process of study will also form a key component of the course. The 

course aims for students to learn to adopt a positive and directive attitude 

towards study and to acquire the time management and study skills 

necessary to successfully cope with tertiary study. 

192

STEPS Flex (CZ05) 


A 24-week (= two terms) program involving a weekly on-campus 

attendance of 9 hours 

Courses 

Language and Learning Flex A (LNGE40040) Term 1 

This course aims to have students acquire the reading, thinking and writing 

skills necessary for academic purposes. It helps students to apply recent 

findings on learning to writing and study. Students are familiarised with the 

stages of the writing process and gain practice in writing in a variety of 

genres. 

Language and Learning Flex B (LNGE40041) Term 2 

This course continues on from the Language and Learning Flex A. 

Particular attention is given to reading for planning and writing the 

academic essay. Through research, writing and discussion, students gain an 

understanding of social, political and economic influences, both past and 

present, on Australia as it faces social change in the 21st century. 

Transition Mathematics 1 Flex A (MATH40230) Term 1 and 

Transition Mathematics 1 Flex B (MATH 40231) Term 2 











the straight line, and units and their conversions. 

Computing for Academic Assignment Writing Flex A (COIT40212) 

Term 1 

This course aims to develop skills necessary for word-processing 

assignments correctly, particularly using Microsoft Word. Students use the 

Internet (World Wide Web and Webmail in particular) to develop research 

and other skills necessary for academic studies. In addition, they learn how 

193


to submit assignments and assessment tasks electronically, using 

Blackboard. 

Computing for Academic Assignment Writing Flex B (COIT40213) 

Term 2 

This course continues on from Computing for Academic Assignment 

Writing Flex A. It aims to further develop skills necessary for word 

processing assignments correctly and for creating spreadsheets using 

Microsoft Excel. Students continue to use the Internet to develop research 

skills and learn how to use PowerPoint for presentations. 

Tertiary Preparation Flex A (SKIL40007) Term 1 and 

Tertiary Preparation Flex B (SKIL40008) Term 2 

In these two courses, students are familiarised with the University’s 

programs and procedures and learn how to select and apply for enrolment 

in different fields of study. They also develop the organisational strategies, 

oral presentation skills and research/information literacy skills necessary for 

academic studies. 

STEPS External (CZ06) 

A 24-week (= two terms) program of off-campus study 

Courses 

Language and Learning External A (LNGE40052) Term 1 and 

Language and Learning External B (LNGE40053) Term 2 

Together, these courses aim to have students acquire the research, reading 

and writing skills necessary for constructing academic essays. Throughout 

the course, students are familiarised with the basic conventions of grammar, 

the various stages involved in planning, preparing and presenting a research 

essay, and the use of Harvard referencing conventions to support 

arguments. 

Transition Mathematics 1 External A (MATH40238) Term 1 and 

Transition Mathematics 1External B (MATH 40239) Term 2 






194







the straight line and units and their conversions. 

Computing for Academic Assignment Writing External A 

(COIT40216) Term 1 

This course aims to develop skills necessary for word processing 

assignments correctly using Microsoft Word. The use of the Internet 

(World Wide Web and WebMail in particular) aims to develop searching 

techniques for research and electronic communication skills necessary for 

academic studies. Blackboard (e-courses) will be used by students for 

quizzes, downloading resources and communication. 

Computing for Academic Assignment Writingt (World Wide Web and 

WebMail in particular) aims to develop searching techniques for research 

and electronic communication skills necessary for academic studies. 

Blackboard (e-courses) will be used by students for quizzes, downloading 

resources and communication. 

Computing for Academic Assignment Writing External B 

(COIT40217) Term 2 

Students develop skills in creating spreadsheets with Microsoft Excel, using 

data entry, formulae and charts. The use of equipment and software for the 

preparation of oral presentations will also be examined, these skills being 

necessary for future studies. 

195

Index 

Academic Assignment Writing, 

47, 49, 71, 190, 192, 193, 194, 

195 

Accelerated, program, 49, 53, 58, 

80, 190 

Adams, Nadine, 59, 170 

Adult Learners’ Week, 47, 138 

Advisory Committee, 43 

Ainsworth, Phil, 43 

Aldred, LS, 187 

Apollinaire, Guillaume, i 

Appleton, Prof. Arthur, 3, 22, 49 

Armstrong, Frank, 59 

Armstrong, Laurie, 104 

Atherton, Jinx, 57 

Australian Teaching Awards, 43 

Austudy, 48 

awards, 99, 156 

Batts, Josh, 107 

bond, 10, 67, 91, 93, 112, 157, 

160 

Booth, Leanne, 106 

Brazier, Frantiska, 78 

Brennan, MT, 186 

bridging program, xii, 3, 7, 14, 

21, 45, 145, 186 

Bundaberg campus, 23, 50, 113, 

138, 140, 142, 174 


196 

Burke, Aidan, 8 

Campbell, Joseph, 33, 64 

Campbell, Lynne, 18, 19, 45, 46, 

48, 143, 144, 151, 177, 188 

Capricorn Local News, 14 

Capricornia Institute of 

Advanced Education, 3, 175, 202 

Carrick, award, xii 

Case, Greg, 41 

Cassano, Natalie, 35 

Centrelink, 41 

Chadwick, Stephen, 37, 110 

Challen, Sandra, 94 

Chipman, Prof. Lauchlan, 45, 

101, 102 

Christiansen, Peter, 57 

Cleal, Jane, 52 

Cleary, Val, 42 

Clift, Prof. Phillip, 103 

Cohalan, Sharon, 43, 53 

Commonwealth Employment 

Centre (CES), 4, 5, 7 

communications module, 10 

computing, ix, 13, 24, 25, 33, 35, 

44, 47, 88, 111, 139 

Connon, Mike, vii, 46, 55, 56 

contact hours, 8, 14

Coombes, Phyllida, 30, 32, 98, 

185, 186, 187, 188, 189 

Cousin, Scott, 159, 161 

Cowper, Mary, 149 

Cronin, Dr Jodi, 132, 134 

CRS Australia, 41 

Cunningham, Liz, 39 

curriculum, xii, 9, 20, 33, 47, 70, 

73, 86, 87, 88, 89 

Daly, Chris, 50, 143, 144, 145 

Danaher, Geoff, 53, 54, 89, 185, 

186, 187, 189 

Danaher, Patrick, 185, 186, 188, 

189 

Davis, Wendy, 57, 113 

Dekkers, Antony, 43, 54, 89 

Dekkers, Prof. John, 3, 88 

distance education, 10 

Division of Teaching and 

Learning Services, iv, vii, 42 

Douglas, Alan, 11 

eligibility criteria, 4 

Emerald campus, 16, 35, 36, 37, 

47, 48, 162, 202 

evaluations, student, 14 

Extended, program, 33, 48, 49, 

52, 54, 55, 58, 59, 80, 191, 192, 

193, 194 

external, 3, 14, 41, 42, 49, 78, 

90, 149, 163 


197 

External, program, 3, 42, 49, 80, 

194, 195 

face-to-face, 8, 10, 18, 49, 50 

family connections, 4, 44, 77, 78, 

84, 90, 94, 101, 102, 111, 115, 

116, 123, 125, 126, 130, 131, 

132, 135, 140, 150, 152, 156, 

159, 160, 161, 162, 163, 168, 

169, 170, 171, 172, 179 

Farrands, Phillip, 7, 14 

First STEPS class photo, 

Bundaberg, 24 

First STEPS class photo, 

Gladstone, 19 

Flagship, program, 51 

Flanders, Margaret, 25, 138, 188 

Fleet, Maximilian, 50, 173, 174 

Flex, program, 49, 56, 60, 193 

Florer, Suellen, 101 

Forbes-Smith, Lynnette, 45, 59, 

157, 187 

Fuller, Milton, 7, 9, 14, 20, 42 

full-time, 4, 33, 48, 78, 159, 163, 

168, 169 

Gadsby, Allan, 109 

Galdal, Jody, 114 

Ganter, Simone, 50, 93, 146, 148 

Garoni, Stephanie, 35, 36, 39, 

47, 99, 179, 186 

Gladstone campus, 16, 17, 32, 

48, 97, 143, 175

Gladstone STEPS Coordinator, 

17, 18, 48 

Glover, Jeffrey, 106 

Godden, Gail, 13, 14, 23 

Golden Key Honour Society, 115 

Goulter, Prof. Ian, 30, 31 

government grant, 4, 16, 22 

graduation, 17, 39, 41, 94, 95, 

96, 97, 106, 122, 150, 170, 171 

Hancock, Prof. Glenice, 34, 44 

Harper, Greg, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 11, 

16, 20, 102 

Harreveld, Roberta, 186, 189 

Haussmann, David, 16 

Head of campus, 3, 17, 103 

Head of STEPS, vii, 42, 57, 138, 

157, 174 

Hero’s Journey, 33, 64, 65, 66, 

83, 85 

Higher Education Equity 

Program, 3 

Hindmarch, Megan, 18, 20, 29, 

32, 42, 43, 46, 57 

Hinton, L, 188 

Howard, Kathleen, 111 

Ilich, Susan Joyce, 28, 110 

intake, 7 

intake, student, 4 

interconnectedness, 73, 114 


198 

internal, 41, 63, 163 

interview, xii, 18, 23, 24, 50, 63, 

80, 135, 160 

Jacobson, Carolyn, 178 

JET program, 41 

JET, program, 41, 48 

Jobs Network, 41 

Jones, Glenn, 90 

Joy, Juanita, 81, 91 

Joyce, Helen, 28 

Jung, Carl, 64 

Kennedy, Ingrid, 34, 35, 44, 52, 

53, 89, 185, 188 

Kiernan, Kate, 101 

King, Gordon, 25 

Knapp, Marian, 17, 19, 176 

Kroehn, Chris, 47 

Lancaster, Jason, 108 

Langley, Lois, 105 

Language and Learning, 10, 44, 

49, 70, 73, 138, 190, 191, 193, 

194 

Learning for life, 112 

learning journey, student, 33, 64, 

65, 70, 75, 83, 88, 117, 157 

learning support, 171 

lifelong learning, 63, 105, 125, 

151, 152, 187 

Lindley, James, 112

Lovell, Julie, 18, 19, 20 

Lowry, Lucy, 156 

Mackay campus, 16, 25, 103, 

149 

Mackay College of Technical 

and Further Education, 16 

Macpherson, C, 188, 189 

Map, CQU STEPS campuses, ii 

marginalised, 16, 30 

marketing, 4, 117 

mathematics, ix, 7, 8, 9, 13, 14, 

20, 23, 24, 25, 29, 33, 42, 43, 71, 

80, 87, 88, 96, 112, 138, 153, 

185, 188, 190, 191, 193, 194 

Mathematics Learning Centre, 

MLC, 4, 7, 43 

Mathieson, Steve, 16 

McConachie, Dr Jeanne, vii, 7, 

30, 32, 34, 35, 42, 90, 114, 185, 

186, 189 

McGrath, Suzanne, 4, 7 

McIntosh, Sue, 34, 52, 54, 89, 

185, 186, 188 

McLean, Kevin, 32, 149 

McMahon, Pam, 54 

McNulty, Kevin, 121, 124 

Metcalfe, Marian, 17 

Meyers, N, 189 

Millan, Stephen, 104 

Millington, Julie, 18, 176 


199 

Monsour, Ann, 57, 83, 96 

Morrow, Jane, 130 

Nash, Dr Denzil, 140, 142 

Newby, Leonce, 27, 109 

Noble, Bill, 86 

Nouwens, F, 186, 188, 189 

O’Connor. Tracey, 28 

O’Donnell, Therese, 57 

Ockle, Nicky, 149 

oral presentation, 68, 70, 98, 

116, 160, 191, 192, 194, 195 

Orr, D, 188, 189 

Palmer, P, 64 

pamphlet, 4, 5, 23, 132 

part-time evening, 32 

Paterson, Bonnie, 77 

Patzwald, Amanda, 168 

Pearson, Carol, 114 

peer support, xiii, 10, 20, 86, 94, 

98, 102 

Pennells, Narelle, 115 

Perkins, Troy, 79 

Petersen, Christine, 19, 175 

PhD, 77, 104, 122 

philosophy, xiii, 61, 64, 72, 73, 

87, 89, 114 

photographs (2006 staff and 

students), 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 

58, 59, 60

Pickering, Georgina, 54 

pilot program, 7 

Pinkney, Lois, 23, 43, 59, 133, 

149 

press release, 1986, 102 

Reedman, Alexis, 59 

Reid, Bronwyn, 35, 47, 187 

retention rates, 28 

Richmond, Katrina, 59 

Rickard, Prof. John, 96, 117 

Ricketts, Stephen, 92 

Risson, Lyn, 111 

Ritchie, Stacey, 125, 129 

Rosenblatt, Jo, 36, 48, 60 

Ross, Elaine, 79 

Ryan, Cheryl, 104 

Saint, Robyn, 100, 116 

Salmon, Jan, 57 

Sankey, Angela, 34, 79 

Saw, Susan, 25 

Scarpelli, Judy, 60 

Seary, Karen, vii, 25, 32, 42, 51, 

57, 135, 136, 138, 139, 153, 174, 

185, 186 

self-paced, 13, 44, 71 

Senior Administrative Officer, 

11 

Sharrock, Irene, 13, 202 


200 

Shaw, Susan, 23 

Shields, Sharron, 89 

Simpson, Jenny, vii, xii, xiii, 32, 

33, 34, 35, 44, 46, 79, 89, 90, 

108, 122, 124, 137, 185, 186, 

188, 189 

Stacey, Bernadette, 22 

Steley, Doug, 14 

Stewart, Vicki, 93 

Stoodly, Johanne, 135, 136 

Strahm, Muriel, 46, 48, 151, 185, 

187 

student-centred model, 73 

Study Skills booklet, 10 

Sturgess, Phillipa, 54 

Swallow, Llewellyn, 115 

Sypher, Gai Patricia, 36, 39, 111, 

112 

Szemes, Kerin, 162, 164 

TAFE, 10, 24, 132, 138, 149, 

157 

temperament types, 70, 88 

tertiary education, xii, 3, 7, 11, 

16, 22, 31, 49, 78, 112, 175 

tertiary preparation, 41, 49, 70, 

98, 138, 191, 192, 194 

test, xiii, 7, 9, 24, 32, 63, 68, 79, 

80, 81, 82, 87, 88, 96, 116, 128, 

132, 133, 138, 146, 149, 159, 

174 

The Morning Bulletin, 10, 202

Thomas, Dion, 137, 139 

Todorovic, Violetta, 52 

tolerance, 86, 87 

transformation, 66, 73, 85, 87, 

114, 116, 186, 187, 188 

transition mathematics, 29, 30, 

43, 49, 190, 191, 193, 194 

Ukena, James, 100, 153, 155 

UniNews, 77 

University College of Central 

Queensland, 202 

University medal, 37 

Uren, Heather Patricia, 110 

Veach, Irene, 13 

velveteen rabbit, 72 

Vice-Chancellor, 26, 30, 44, 45, 

96 

Vogler, C, 33, 64 

Walker, J, 186 


201 

Walker-Gibbs, B, 187 

Wardzinski, Del, 28 

Warhol, Andy, 167 

Weedon, Sandi, 89, 105 

White, Ursula, 165 

Whiteley, Gerda, 46 

Wilkinson, Vincent, 108 

Willans, Julie, 45, 53, 185, 186, 

187, 189 

Wirriganwalters, Nerida, 150 

Women Into Science and 

Technology, WIST, 49 

word of mouth, 11 

word processing, 8, 9, 13, 25, 71, 

190, 194, 195 

writer’s journey, 33 

Yarrow, Gina, 10, 107 

Zemlicoff, Fayleen, 83 

Zussino, Leo, 95

Endnotes 

Part One 


1 Telephone interview, Stacey Doyle with Greg Harper, 24 February 2006. 

2 Interview, Stacey Doyle with John Dekkers, 2 February 2006. 


4 STEPS to success in Higher Education at CQU: A University Bridging 

Course as an Actor-Network, 1998. 


6 Annual Report, Capricornia Institute of Advanced Education, 1986. 

7 PowerPoint presentation to 2006 STEPS staff, Karen Seary, 25 January 

2006. 



10 Belinda Loakes, CQU Library Archives. 

11 Interview, Stacey Doyle with Milton Fuller, 21 February 2006. 

12 Telephone interview, Stacey Doyle with Greg Harper, 24 February 2006: 

Telephone interview, Stacey Doyle with Gail Godden, 18 April 2006. 

13 Gai Sypher, CQU Emerald campus. 

14 Media Release, Mr Aidan Burke, Capricornia Institute of Advanced 

Education, 31 July 1986. 

15 Report on Preliminary Studies Project (STEPS), University College of 

Central Queensland, 1989. 

16 Media Release, Mr Aidan Burke, Capricornia Institute of Advanced 


17 

Media Release, Mr Aidan Burke, Capricornia Institute of Advanced 


18 

Report on Preliminary Studies Project (STEPS), University College of 

Central Queensland, 1989. 




22 The Morning Bulletin, Rockhampton, June 1987. 

23 Annual Report, Capricornia Institute of Advanced Education, 1987. 

24 The Morning Bulletin, Rockhampton, June 1987. 

25 Interview, Stacey Doyle with Irene Sharrock, 27 April 2006. 



28 Telephone interview, Stacey Doyle with Gail Godden, 18 April 2006. 

202


29 Annual Report, Capricornia Institute of Advanced Education, 1987; 1988. 

30 Report on Preliminary Studies Project (STEPS), University College of 

Central Queensland, 1989; Capricorn Local News, 22 June 1988. 

31 Capricorn Local News, 22 June 1988. 

32 Belinda Loakes, CQU Library Archives. 

33 Academia Capricornia: A History of the University of Central 

Queensland, Dr Denis Cryle. 

34 Academia Capricornia: A History of the University of Central 

Queensland, Dr Denis Cryle, p. 84. 

35 Telephone interview, Stacey Doyle with Greg Harper, 24 February 2006; 

Annual Report, Capricornia Institute of Advanced Education, 1989. 

36 Email, Rex Metcalfe, 17 February 2006. 

37 Lynne Campbell, CQU Gladstone Campus. 

38 Email, Marian Metcalfe, 3 March 2006. 

39 Interview, Stacey Doyle with CQU Gladstone STEPS staff, 20 January, 

2006; Email, Julie Lovell, 24 February 2006. 

40 STEPS website, http://www.steps.cqu.edu.au/glad.htm 

41 Interview, Stacey Doyle with Megan Hindmarch, 23 January 2006. 

42 Email, Marian Metcalfe, 3 March 2006. 

43 Interview, Stacey Doyle with CQU Gladstone STEPS staff, 20 January 

2006. 

44 

Lynne Campbell, CQU Gladstone campus. 

45 


46 

Email, Julie Lovell, 24 February 2006. 

47 

Interview, Stacey Doyle with Megan Hindmarch, 23 January 2006. 

48 

Email, Marian Metcalfe, 3 March 2006; Telephone interview, Stacey 

Doyle with Greg Harper, 24 February 2006. 

49 

Email, Julie Lovell, 24 February 2006. 

50 

Report on Preliminary Studies Project (STEPS), University College of 

Central Queensland, 1989; Capricorn Local News, 22 June 1988. 

51 

CQU photograph collection, Doug Steley. 

52 

Academia Capricornia: A History of the University of Central 


53 

CQU photograph collection, Doug Steley. 

54 

University College of Central Queensland Request for Funding, 1992. 

55 

Telephone interview, Stacey Doyle with Greg Harper, 24 February 2006. 

56 

Email, Gail Godden, 10 April 2006: Email, Lois Pinkney, 25 January 

2006. 

57 Email, Lois Pinkney, 25 January 2006. 

58 Email, Susan Shaw, 2 February 2006. 

203


59 

Telephone interview, Stacey Doyle with Greg Harper, 24 February 2006; 

Annual Report, Capricornia Institute of Advanced Education, 1989. 

60 

Annual Report, University College of Central Queensland, 1990. 

61 

Karen Seary, CQU Bundaberg campus. 

62 

Telephone interview, Stacey Doyle with Gordon King, 23 March 2006. 

63 

Email, Susan Shaw, 2 February 2006. 

64 

Academia Capricornia: A History of the University of Central 


65 

Annual Report, University of Central Queensland, 1992. 

66 

Email, Peter Lawrence, 20 April, 2006. 

67 

Annual Report, University of Central Queensland, 1992. 

68 

Pioneer News, Mackay, 11 November 1993. 

69 

Annual Report, Central Queensland University, 1994. 

70 

The History of CQU: http://www.cqu.edu.au/about/history.htm 

71 


72 

Interview, Stacey Doyle with Milton Fuller, 21 February 2006. 

73 


74 


75 


76 

Interview, Stacey Doyle with CQU Rockhampton STEPS staff: Jeanne 

McConachie, 13 January 2006. 

77 

Interview, Stacey Doyle with CQU Rockhampton STEPS staff, 13 

January 2006: Phyllida Coombes. 

78 

Interview, Stacey Doyle with Jenny Simpson, 24 March 2006. 

79 

Email, Karen Seary, 24 February 2006. 

80 

Email, Ian Goulter, 24 January 2006. 

81 

CQU STEPS application for Category 2: Australian Institutional Awards 

for University Teaching, 2002. 

82 


83 

STEPS to success in Higher Education at CQU: A University Bridging 

Course as an Actor-Network, 1998. 

84 


85 

An Evolving Partnership: 25 years of CQU at Gladstone 1978-2003; 

Interview, Stacey Doyle with Lynne Campbell, 7 March 2006. 

86 


87 



88 

Marc Barnbaum, CQU Rockhampton campus. 

89 

Marc Barnbaum, CQU Rockhampton campus. 

204


90 Interview, Stacey Doyle with CQU Emerald STEPS staff: Bronwyn Reid, 

22 February 2006. 

91 Gai Sypher CQU Emerald campus. 

92 Central Highlands News, Emerald, 11 Feb 2000. 

93 Interview, Stacey Doyle with CQU Emerald STEPS staff: Stephanie 

Garoni, 22 February 2006. 

94 Email, Gai Sypher, 2 February 2006. 

95 Gai Sypher, CQU Emerald campus. 

96 Interview, Stacey Doyle with Gai Sypher, 22 February 2006. 

97 Email, Gai Sypher, 23 March 2006. 

98 Annual Report, Central Queensland University, 1998. 

99 Lynne Campbell, CQU Gladstone campus. 

100 CQU STEPS proposal for increased funding for the Skills for Tertiary 

Entrance Preparatory Studies Program, 1997. 

101 The Guardian, Bundaberg, 19 October 1998. 

102 Email, Karen Seary, 30 March 2006. 

103 Interview, Stacey Doyle with CQU Bundaberg STEPS staff, 23 January 

2006. 

104 

Gai Sypher, CQU Emerald campus. 

105 


106 

Letter, Liz Cunningham, 17 February 2006. 

107 


January 2006. 

108 

Interview, Jeanne McConachie and Stacey Doyle with Ian Goulter, 11 

January, 2006. 

109 

The STEPS Program, Gateway to Learning, Jeanne McConachie, 1999. 

110 



111 

Interview, Stacey Doyle with CQU Mackay STEPS staff, 18 January 

2006. 

112 CQU STEPS application for Category 2: Australian Institutional Awards 



114 Lynne Campbell, CQU Gladstone campus. 

115 Email, Milton Fuller, 3 April 2006. 


117 Email, Jeanne McConachie, 12 April 2006. 

118 Email, Karen Seary, 24 February 2006. 

119 CQU photograph, Stacey Doyle, 23 January 2006. 

120 Interview, Stacey Doyle with Jeanne McConachie, 13 January 2006. 

205


121 

Email, Karen Seary, 24 February 2006. 

122 

Interview, Stacey Doyle with Antony Dekkers, 31 January 2006. 

123 

Email, Lois Pinkney, 25 January 2006. 

124 

Interview, Stacey Doyle with Antony Dekkers, 31 January 2006. 

125 

Email, Lois Pinkney, 25 January 2006. 

126 

Interview, Stacey Doyle with Margaret Flanders, 15 March 2006. 

127 

Email, Glenice Hancock, 9 February 2006. 

128 

Interview, Jeanne McConachie and Stacey Doyle with Lauchlan 

Chipman, 16 January 2006. 

129 


130 


131 

CQU Uni News, March 7, 2002. 

132 


133 


134 


135 


136 

CQU Uni News, September 20, 2004 

137 



138 

Email, Karen Seary, 6 March 2006. 

139 

Email, Karen Seary, 24 February 2006; Valerie Cleary 2006. 

140 

Uni News, 31 January 2006. 

141 

Serah-Jane Lees, CQU Language Centre, 16 May 2006. 

142 

Email, Karen Seary, 20 April 2006. 

143 

Email, Karen Seary, 17 March 2006. 

144 

Email, Georgina Pickering, 19 April 2006. 

145 

Email, Lynne Campbell, 11 April, 2006. 

146 

Email, Karen Seary; Therese O’Donnell, 12 April 2006. 

147 

Email, Katrina Richmond, 11 April 2006. 

148 

Email, Gai Sypher, 12 April 2006. 

Part Two 

149 th 

Knowles, M, Holton, E & Swanson, A 1998, The adult learner, 5 edn, 

Butterworth-Heinemann, Woburn, p. 172. 

150 

Palmer, P 1998, The courage to teach, Jossey-Bass, San Francisco. 

151 

Campbell, J 1993, The hero with a thousand faces, Fontana Press, 

London. 

152 

Vogler, C 1996, The writer’s journey: mythic structure for storytellers 

and screenwriters, Boxtree, London. 

206


153 

Butler, J 1993, ‘From action to thought: the fulfilment of human 

potential’, in J Edwards (ed.), Thinking: international interdisciplinary 

perspectives, Hawher Brownlon Education, Melbourne, pp. 16–22. 

154 

Palmer, P 1983, To know as we are known: education as a spiritual 

journey, Harper, San Francisco, p. xi. 

155 

Williams, M 1995, The velveteen rabbit, Heinemann, Port Melbourne, 

pp. 4–5. 

Part Three 

156 CQU Uni News, 10 October, 2005. 

157 Email, Frantiska Brazier, 20 February 2006. 

158 Email, Lorraine Wright, February 2006. 

159 Interview, Stacey Doyle with CQU Bundaberg STEPS staff: Therese 

O’Donnell, 23 January 2006. 

160 Interview, Stacey Doyle with Megan Hindmarch, 31 January 2006. 

161 Email, Christoper Delany, 20 February 2006. 

162 Interview, Stacey Doyle with CQU Gladstone STEPS staff, 20 January 

2006. 

163 Interview, Stacey Doyle with CQU Mackay STEPS staff, 18 January 

2006. 

164 

Interview, Stacey Doyle with Jenny Simpson, 27 January 2006. 

165 

Interview, Stacey Doyle with Jenny Simpson, 18 May 2006. 

166 

Email, Ingrid Kennedy, 24 January 2006. 

167 

Email, Elaine Ross, 25 May 2006. 

168 

Interview, Stacey Doyle with Ingrid Kennedy, 24 January 2006. 

169 

Jeanne McConachie, CQU Rockhampton campus. 

170 


2006. 

171 

Email, Juanita Joy, 16 February 2006. 

172 


173 


174 

Interview, Stacey Doyle with CQU Bundaberg STEPS staff, 23 January 

2006. 

175 

Email, Tania Murphy, 23 February 2006. 

176 

Interview, Stacey Doyle with CQU Bundaberg STEPS staff: Ann 

Monsour, 23 January 2006. 

177 

CQU STEPS publication: STEPS ’97 The Road Back, An Anthology of 

Personal Writing, 1997. 

178 CQU STEPS ESLS Course Evaluation, Winter 2000. 

179 Interview, Stacey Doyle with Jenny Simpson, 27 January 2006. 

207


180 Interview, Stacey Doyle with Bill Noble, 23 January 2006. 





184 Interview, Stacey Doyle with CQU Emerald STEPS staff: Bronwyn 

Reid, 22 February 2006. 



186 Unpublished CQU paper. 

187 Interview, Stacey Doyle with Ingrid Kennedy, 24 January 2006. 



190 Karen Seary, CQU Bundaberg campus. 


192 Email, Sandra Weedon, 15 February 2006. 

193 Email, Sharron Shields, 15 February 2006. 

194 Email, Wendy Smith, 15 February 2006. 

195 Email, Dolcie Tolcher, 2 February 2006. 

196 Email, Glenn Jones, 19 March 2006. 

197 Interview, Stacey Doyle with CQU Rockhampton STEPS staff, 13 

January 2006. 

198 

Letter received from Debbie Fitzgerald, February 2006. 

199 


2006; Uni News, 22 October 2002. 

200 

Email, Juanita Joy, 16 February 2006. 

201 


202 

Email, Stephen Ricketts, 15 February 2006. 

203 


204 


205 

Interview, Stacey Doyle with Simone Ganter, 3 March 2006. 

206 

Interview, Stacey Doyle with CQU Mackay STEPS staff: Lynette 

Forbes-Smith, 18 January 2006. 

207 

CQU STEPS ESLS Course Evaluation, Winter 2000. 

208 


2006. 

209 

Email, Vicki Stewart, 2 February 2006. 

210 

Email, Sandra Challen, 15 February 2006. 

211 

CQU Rockhampton STEPS graduation video, ‘Patchwork Dreaming’, 

2002. 

208


212 Marc Barnbaum, CQU Rockhampton City campus. 

213 Email, Jane Thomasson on behalf of Leo Zussino, 3 March 2006. 



216 Jeanne McConachie, CQU Rockhampton campus. 

217 Interview, Stacey Doyle with Lynne Campbell, 10 March 2006. 



219 Interview, Stacey Doyle with CQU Rockhampton STEPS staff: Phyllida 

Coombes, 13 January 2006. 



222 Email, Kresha Hodges, 22 February 2006. 

223 Email, Phillip Millroy, 16 February 2006. 

224 Email, Yuliya Brandt, 24 February 2006. 

225 Interview, Stacey Doyle with CQU Emerald STEPS staff: Stephanie 

Garoni, 22 February 2006. 

226 Interview, Stacey Doyle with CQU Gladstone STEPS staff: Lynne 

Campbell, 20 January 2006. 

227 

Email, Karen Seary, 17 March, 2006. 

228 

CQU Uni News, 3 July 2003. 

229 


230 

Telephone interview, Jeanne McConachie and Stacey Doyle with 

Lauchlan Chipman, 16 January 2006. 

231 

Email, Kate Kiernan, 22 February 2006. 

232 

Email, Suellen Florer, 10 February 2006. 

233 


234 


January 2006. 

235 

Media Release, Mr Aidan Burke, Capricornia Institute of Advanced 


236 

Telephone interview, Jeanne McConachie and Stacey Doyle with 

Lauchlan Chipman, 16 January 2006. 

237 

Interview, Jeanne McConachie and Stacey Doyle with Phillip Clift, 18 

January 2006. 

238 CQU Uni News, 25 August 2005. 

239 Email, Laurie Armstrong, 2 May 2006. 

240 Email, Stephen Milan, 4 April 2006. 

241 Email, Lois Langley, 11 April 2006. 

242 Email, Leanne Booth, 20 April 2006. 

209


243 

Email, Patricia Uren, CQU, 7 April 2006. 

244 

Email, Susan Ilich, 9 April 2006. 

245 

Email, Lyn Risson, 10 April 2006. 

246 

Email, Gai Sypher, 4 April 2006. 

247 

Email, Kathleen Howard, 4 April 2006. 

248 


249 


250 

Student story: Jenny Simpson, 15 February 2006. 

251 

Interview, Stacey Doyle with Gai Sypher CQU, 31 January 2006. 

252 

Interview, Stacey Doyle with CQU Bundaberg STEPS staff: Wendy 

Davis, 23 January 2006. 

253 

Interview, Stacey Doyle with CQU Rockhampton STEPS staff: Phyllida 

Coombes, 13 January 2006. 

254 The Guardian, Bundaberg, 1 March 2006. 

255 Interview, Stacey Doyle with Jeanne McConachie, January 13 2006. 

256 Unpublished CQU paper. 

257 Email, Jody Galdal, 15 February 2006. 

258 CQU Uni News, 15 October 2002. 

259 Email, Llewellyn Swallow, 18 April 2006. 

260 Email, Robyn Saint, 13 April 2006. 

261 Interview, Jeanne McConachie and Stacey Doyle with Professor John 

Rickard, 17 January 2006. 

210

STEPS - Library - Central Queensland University

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?