Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) is central to preparing students for employment, but as it occurs in diverse workplaces and community settings, institutions and practitioners have a responsibility to ensure experiences are safe, supportive and aligned with evolving policy expectations. This webinar forms part of a two-part series, with this session introducing the National Higher Education Code to Prevent and Respond to Gender-based Violence. The session will discuss and share what the GBV Code means for student safety, WIL design, governance and university–industry partnerships.

Following this, Webinar 2, to take place early June, will focus on showcasing practice, case studies, and practical strategies to support institutional implementation.

Facilitator

Professor Caroline Rueckert

Dean, Student Experience and Employability and Co-Chair Engagement and Advocacy Committee WIL Australia.

Professor Caroline Rueckert is Dean, Student Experience and Employability at Griffith University, where she leads whole-of-institution strategies to embed equity, inclusion, and career readiness across the student experience. A Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (PFHEA) and Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of the Australian and New Zealand Student Services Association (JANZSSA), Caroline brings more than 15 years of senior leadership experience in higher education, including roles as Director, Student Success at QUT and Program Director for First Year Initiatives at the University of British Columbia.

Caroline has led large-scale, cross-institutional initiatives focused on student retention, engagement, and employability. Her work centres on co-creating educational ecosystems that connect students, staff, and communities through shared purpose, mutual learning, and collective responsibility. A long-time advocate for partnership-driven approaches, she is committed to fostering ethical, place-based, and socially responsive education that supports more just and sustainable futures.

Presenters

Megan Sharp

Gender-based Violence Specialist Griffith University

Megan Sharp is a gender-based violence specialist with over a decade of experience across student safety, wellbeing and equity in higher education. She currently leads the design and delivery of Griffith University’s student-focused gender-based violence prevention and early-intervention initiatives, and drives a holistic approach across the institution. 

Megan has extensive experience in providing strategic advice on prevention frameworks, policy development, and compliance. She has led university‑wide prevention campaigns, training programs, and evidence‑based initiatives, and is recognised for her ability to translate complex legislative and policy requirements into practical, effective solutions. 

Megan is a respected and active contributor to the Australasian Universities Safer Communities Symposium and Queensland Tertiary Safer Communities Network. She is an expert practitioner on the Universities Australia Technical Working Group for the upcoming National Student Safety Survey. Her work is underpinned by a strong commitment to social justice, collaboration, and continuous improvement in preventing and responding to gender‑based violence.

Larissa Siliézar Mendoza 

Head - Inclusive and Respectful Communities
Larissa Siliézar Mendoza has worked in higher education for the past 24 years across areas including the prevention and response to gender‑based violence, student and staff equity, disability support, mental health and wellbeing services, international student support, and equity and inclusion strategy development and implementation. 

As the Head of the Inclusive and Respectful Communities team at the Australian National University

 (ANU), she leads a multidisciplinary group of practitioners focused on gender‑based violence prevention and education, student equity programs for current students, widening participation and outreach initiatives, and the development and monitoring of inclusion, diversity, and equity strategies. 

Her professional practice is deeply informed by her lived experience. Arriving in Australia as a refugee and coming from a culturally and linguistically diverse background, Larissa is committed to ensuring that students and staff from all communities feel a sense of belonging and have a safe and equitable experience in higher education.

Nicola Fish

WIL Manager Academic Programs (Education Innovation Exchange), Swinburne University of Technology 

Nicola Fish is Manager and Senior Lecturer in Work Integrated Learning (WIL) at Swinburne University of Technology. In her leadership role, Nicola oversees an academic team dedicated to delivering scalable and inclusive WIL models that enhance employability and transform student outcomes. Her research explores student engagement and employability development, and she leads a national, cross-institutional project examining the quality dimensions essential for effective industry supervision in WIL contexts.