The Experience masthead 2021
The story behind the new name for your newsletter

Long a phrase used to market our courses and campus life, the “Avondale experience” eludes definition. Dennis Denuto from classic Australian film The Castle would call it “the vibe.” But you seem to have an innate understanding of it. We know because we asked you.

Three themes emerged from the Stories Survey we sent you.

“Tell us about lives that are being changed,” you said, particularly the lives of our students told from their perspective and in their words. “It came to mind as an ideal aspiration,” one of you wrote. A recurring statement: make it personal.

You wanted to maintain a connection to campus through stories about how our staff members and students engage with the community, the quality of our courses, and improvements to our infrastructure.

But the impact of an education at Avondale, about how it prepares us to serve our world for good, is of most interest. Where are our graduates now? you asked. Feature our alumni (“not just the famous ones”), you told us. Show how our research is improving lives.

You balanced these suggestions with calls to maintain objectivity—“keep it real”—and brevity (with one of you suggesting we publish more listicles).

Thank you for sharing your thoughts.

While The Experience builds on a 33-year history of sharing news and information (as, first, Connections, then TK), it will now seek to tell more stories. After a merger with alumni magazine Transformed, it will do so as a newsmagazine from 2022. You’ll find it more revealing, engaging and inspiring, a fuller story of our people, this place, and its purpose.

Brenton Stacey
Editor

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