The University of Newcastle has spent the last five years gradually raising the significance and visibility of WIL from subject or disciplinary program applications to an institutional priority. The institution’s Strategic Plan (2007-2011) aimed to build distinction, or ways of excelling and achieving with a clear sense of identity. WIL was identified as an explicit strategic goal that supported our first strategic priority of educating high quality professionals, by “incorporate[ing] an opportunity for work-based experiential learning opportunities into all undergraduate programs so that our graduates are flexible and ready for the workplace” (University of Newcastle, 2007, p. 13). This had the benefit of our institutional leaders being able to holistically and critically reflect what we want from an WIL strategy, and how best to align, develop or remake initiatives that can deliver this differentiation. The new Strategic Plan (2011-2015) builds on this work by emphasizing the importance of the student experience and the positive enhancements offered by engaged learning, research and work-based graduate attributes.