In 1968, I was invited by the Warden to be a Resident Tutor in Howitt Hall at Monash University. The camaraderie that was established between students and tutors in that year gave me an abiding interest in the possibilities of collegiate life.
In particular, I learnt that one role of Resident Tutors was to share their personal experience and insight with others in an academic community, the aim being to stimulate self-awareness and personal development. That is, it is their unobtrusive influence in social, cultural and recreational activities that determines the "character" of the community. In this way, college life can provide the medium through which residents can grow in many different ways: not only in academic knowledge, but also in ways that enhance their personal and communal existence.
Therefore, after completing my PhD and spending one year at the University of Papua New Guinea, I transferred to the University of Western Australia and became a Resident Tutor in Currie Hall. At that time it was an all-male residence with plans to become co-educational in 1974 after extra accommodation had been built. However, as a member of the Hall Committee, I moved on 17 June 1970 for the Hall to become co-educational in 1971 and provided a comprehensive outline of how that could be achieved. Subsequently, I was a member of a sub-committee which liaised with the Warden and students of St Catherine's College (an all-female residence) to determine the feasibility of my proposal. On 7 September 1970, the Hall Committee resolved to proceed with the proposal (largely as it was originally conceived) and the UWA Senate accepted the Hall's submission on 8 October 1970. That is, I was the one who initiated Currie Hall's move to co-education and, in doing so, argued the case for women's contribution to an academic community.
In 1971, feeling that my work at Currie Hall was complete, I moved to St Columba College in its first year of operation and stayed for two years as a Resident Tutor. There I was privileged to be part of a newly-formed co-educational College at UWA as it established its own special identity. For example, on 29 March 1972, I proposed the formation of a "College Forum" as an avenue for open debate between administration and residents: its aim was "to consider all matters relating to the education of a student as a person with due regard for his/her physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual needs" and "to co-ordinate the development of the College as a community within the University environment". And on 11 July 1972, I submitted plans "with the short term aim of remedying the acute lack of recreational facilities ... and of ... considering the extent and location of any future buildings on the College site in view of recent experience, world trends and student needs". After consideration by a sub-committee, these later played some role in the College's successful submission to the Australian Universities' Commission for financial support to expand its facilities.
In 1980, I was a Resident Tutor in St Catherine's College, a non-denominational women's College at the University of Western Australia. While there, I organised evenings devoted to music and poetry, plus others with films and slides on art and science as well as different aspects of Asian society. In addition, I was a member of the Social Committee and, as a Sports Rep, I established a squash "ladder" in the College.