We've all seen the first-year university experience portrayed in American movies, with keg parties, frat houses, sporting jocks and cheerleaders mingling in dorms on one big campus.

However, CQUniversity has an increasingly diverse and multicultural student cohort spread across geographically dispersed locations. Students are often juggling study with family and work responsibilities and are less likely to have a total focus on campus life.

Julie Fleming chats with members of the Community of Practice focused on first-year experiences

LINK to A new spirit of sharing emerges, thanks to campus COPs or to the CoP for First year experience

Despite these challenges, there have been some excellent initiatives to engage and inspire first-year students and CQUniversity is keen to share these across the institution, ensuring all students feel a sense of support and belonging.

A new Community of Practice (CoP) has emerged to promote the best blend of first-year experiences and to ensure pockets of excellence are not kept in the shadows.

CoP champion Julie Fleming, a lecturer and educational designer, says there are already 15 members across professional and academic staff from most divisions and schools and across a number of campuses.

Ms Fleming says the CoP has already gained momentum with meetings every six weeks drawing on knowledge and experience from internal and external sources.

"We aim to develop coherent first-year programs and agree that the first-year experience is everybody's business," she said.

"It should transcend traditional silos of academic, administrative and support areas and bring together strategies to be implemented through shared knowledge and skills, in an environment committed to an optimal experience across policy, resources and practice.

"The ultimate aim of the CoP is to improve student success, retention and engagement."