RMIT University

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**RMIT University**

Established	1887
Type	Public
Chancellor	Professor Dennis Gibson
Vice-Chancellor	Professor Margaret Gardner
Faculty	2,957
Undergraduates	25,683 (2005)
Postgraduates	8,424 (2005)
Location	Melbourne, Vic., Australia
Campus	City Campus, Bundoora Campus, Brunswick Campus
Organisations	Member of Australian Technology Network, Global University Alliance (GUA) & Open Universities Australia
Website	www.rmit.edu.au

RMIT University is a university in Melbourne, Australia. It has its main campus in the city's central business district. In 2006, the Times Higher Education Supplement placed RMIT in the top 200 universities of the world, at rank 146.

1 History
2 Campuses
3 Portfolios
4 Student life
5 Controversies
6 Notable Alumni
7 External links

[edit] History

Founded by Francis Ormond, prominent grazier, Freemason and philanthropist, in 1887 as the Working Men's College (encapsulated in its motto: "perita manus mens exculta" translating to "a skilled hand, a cultivated mind"), and renamed the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in 1960, RMIT University gained formal university status in 1992.

The Working Men's College proved immediately successful, with over 900 students enrolled by the end of 1887. Students undertook a variety of courses including mechanics, physics, bookkeeping, elocution and arithmetic, as well as certain trades. Its campus was adjacent to the Old Melbourne Gaol on LaTrobe Street, and over the years has taken over the whole block as the Gaol was decommissioned and the university's courses increased in size.

The Emily McPherson College amalgamated with RMIT adding building 13 near the 888 monument that is just on the University grounds (at the corner of Victoria Parade and Russell Street), bringing on board courses in Cooking, Reading, Writing and other courses to get young people to levels of higher education entry.

The college also played a major part in training over 20,000 servicemen for World War II, especially in the areas of Radio Communications, when the current Chemistry Building (Kernot) was used entirely for this purpose.

The Phillip Institute of Technology merged with RMIT in 1992 on the same day RMIT won University status (prior to 1992 degrees offered at RMIT were accredited by Melbourne University). RMIT starting developing a new campus in Bundoora in the early 1990s around the same time that the Melbourne College of Decoration and Design amalgamated (1993).

In 1995 the Melbourne College of Printing and Graphic Arts merged with RMIT, followed by the Melbourne Institute of Textiles in 1999. Printing and textile students now study at the Brunswick campus. In 2005, RMIT opened a brand new campus in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The Saigon South campus is an exciting new addition and vastly increased the geographic out reach of RMIT.

[edit] Campuses

In 2003, 58,078 students studied at RMIT University campuses in Melbourne and regional Victoria, in Vietnam, online, by distance education and at more than 190 partner institutions throughout the world. Prospective students currently have a choice of more than 200 TAFE and higher education programs.

RMIT belongs to the Australian Technology Network (ATN), an alliance of five prominent Australian universities of technology, each located in a different mainland state of Australia. ATN universities claim a history of collaboration and a commitment to partnerships with industry and the community.

Storey Hall, Swanston Street campus. Completed 1994 to the design of Ashton Raggatt MacDougall	Part of Storey Hall, Swanston Street campus	RMIT Building 4, Swanston Street campus. Completed 1904.	RMIT Building 8, Swanston Street campus.
The RMIT Business campus on Bourke Street (Building 108)	Capitol Theatre lecture rooms

[edit] Portfolios

RMIT University offers programs of study in twenty-seven schools across three academic portfolios.

Business

(Including the schools of Accounting and Law, Business Information Technology, Business TAFE School, Economics, Finance and Marketing, Graduate School of Business and Management)

Design and Social Context

(Including the schools of Applied Communication, Architecture and Design, Art, Creative Media, Design (TAFE), Education, Fashion and Textiles, International Centre of Graphic Technology, International and Community Studies, Property, Construction and Project Management Social Science and Planning)

Science, Engineering and Technology

(Including the schools of Aerospace, Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, Applied Sciences, Civil, Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Computer Science and Information Technology, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Health Sciences, Infrastructure, Electrotechnology and Building Services Life and Physical Sciences Mathematical and Geospatial Sciences and Medical Sciences)

[edit] Student life

RMIT has an active student union operating across all campuses and involved students publish a newspaper: Catalyst. Postgraduate students are represented by the RMIT Postgraduate Association, a member of the Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations.

Some people believe the atmosphere at RMIT is unique to many other universities in the area, a belief potentially created by its larger concentration of Computer Science and Engineering students. RMIT Union and Student Union both run a large number of activities and clubs, and allow for social events and interaction between students. In addition, the RMIT Cafeteria areas, 'Intermission' in Building 10, and other recreation areas run by the RMIT Student Union further enhance student interaction.

RMIT Student Union, along with many other Australian university student unions, have been under threat by VSU (Voluntary Student Unionism), a recently introduced law which changed requirements for universities, no longer required to collect a compulsory student union fee. The student union argues that this will result in less services for students, and have organised several protests, in association with other student unions.

RMIT has a history of launching successful community broadcasters including radio stations 3RMT FM (which became 3RRR) and SYN-FM plus RMITV.

[edit] Controversies

RMIT has had a somewhat troubled recent financial history, at least partly due to problems associated with the university's student administration system upgrade (it cost the institution tens of millions of dollars). The university, however, has maintained teaching services. The financial woes eventually claimed the Vice-Chancellor and some of the university's board and it continues, to a lesser degree, today [April 2006]. However RMIT posted a $24 million operating profit in 2005 and is currently in the middle of restructuring its property assets which value at over $1 billion.

On April 4, 2005 RMIT University appointed a new Vice-Chancellor, Professor Margaret Gardner. Having gained a first-class honours degree in Economics and a PhD from the University of Sydney, Professor Gardner has had a prominent career as an academic, working in a number of successful Australian educational institutions.

[edit] Notable Alumni

Jacques Nasser (Former CEO of the Ford Motor Company)
Justin Madden (Victorian Politician and former AFL Footballer)
Paul Stoddart (Australian millionaire & former owner of the Minardi Formula One racing team)
Jason Wood (Australian Politician)
Dennis Jensen (Australian Politician)
Bruce Billson (Australian Politician - Federal Minister for Veteran Affairs)
Neil Comrie (Former Chief Commissioner of Police for Victoria)
James Hird (AFL Footballer)
John Safran (Comedian)
Rebecca Maddern (Journalist & News Reporter)
Anthony Hudson (AFL Commentator)
Kenneth Jack (Artist)
Robert Ingpen (Graphic Designer)
Leigh Whannell (Actor & Director)
James Wan (Director)
Gillian Chung (Hong Kong pop idol part of duo-group Twins)
Megan Spencer (Journalist & Triple J Announcer)