University of Sydney
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
|
|
| Motto | Sidere mens eadem mutato Latin: "The stars change, [but] the mind [remains] the same" |
|---|---|
| Established | 1850 |
| Type | Public |
| Endowment | AUD $1052 million [1] |
| Chancellor | Justice Kim Santow |
| Vice-Chancellor | Professor Gavin Brown |
| Staff | 2,451 (academic) |
| Undergraduates | 31,357 (as of 2005) |
| Postgraduates | 14,609 (as of 2005) |
| Location | Sydney, NSW, Australia () |
| Campus | Urban, parks |
| Affiliations | Member of Group of Eight, APRU |
| Website | www.usyd.edu.au |
The University of Sydney, established in Sydney in 1850, is the oldest university in Australia. It is a member of Australia's "Group of Eight" Australian universities that are highly ranked in terms of their research performance; it is one of the country's largest and most prestigious educational institutions. In 2005, the University of Sydney had 45,966 students and 2,300 (full-time equivalent) academic staff making it the second largest in Australia[2].
In November 2005, and again in October 2006, the University was confirmed as one of Australia’s leading research universities, having received significantly more funding than any other Australian university from the Australian Research Council [3]. In 2005, the University of Sydney was ranked 35th in the world and third in Australia in The Times Higher Education Supplement's list of the world's best universities, with the same report also ranking the University at 5th in the world in humanities.
Centred on the Oxbridge-inspired grounds of the University's Main Campus on the south-western outskirts of Sydney's CBD, the University has a number of campuses as a result of mergers over the past 20 years.
[edit] History
During 1848, William Wentworth proposed a plan to expand the existing Sydney College into a university in the Legislative Council. Wentworth argued that a state university was imperative for the growth of a society aspiring towards self-government, and that it would provide the opportunity for 'the child of every class, to become great and useful in the destinies of his country'. It would take two attempts on Wentworth's behalf however, before the plan was finally adopted.
The University was established via the passage of the University of Sydney Act, which was signed on October 1, 1850. Two years later, the University was inaugurated on October 11, 1852 in the Big Schoolroom of what is now Sydney Grammar School. On February 27, 1858, the University received its Royal Charter from Queen Victoria, giving degrees conferred by the University equal rank and recognition as those given by universities in the UK [4]. By 1859, the university had moved to its current site in the Sydney suburb of Camperdown.
In 1858, the passage of the Electoral Act provided for the university to become a constituency for the Legislative Assembly as soon as there were 100 graduates with higher degrees. This seat in Parliament was first filled in 1876, but was abolished in 1880 one year after its second Member, Edmund Barton, was elected to the Legislative Assembly.
[edit] Campuses
The University has a number of campuses and has continued to expand over the years. Until recently, the University also operated the Museum of Contemporary Art.
As of 2005, the campuses are:
[edit] Camperdown/Darlington (main) campus
Originally housed in what is now Sydney Grammar School, in 1855, the government granted the university land in Grose Farm, three kilometres from the city, which is now the main Camperdown campus. The architect Edmund Blacket designed the original Neogothic sandstone Quadrangle and Great Tower buildings, which were completed in 1862. The rapid expansion of the university in the mid-20th century resulted in the acquisition of land in Darlington across City Road. The Camperdown/Darlington campus houses the headquarters of the University, and the Faculties of Arts, Science, Education and Social Work, Pharmacy, Veterinary Science, Economics and Business, Architecture, and Engineering. It is also the home base of the large Faculty of Medicine, which has numerous affiliated teaching hospitals across the State.
The main campus is also the focus of student life at campus, with the student-run University of Sydney Union (often known simply as the Union) in possession of three buildings on-site - Wentworth, Manning and Holme Buildings. These buildings house a large proportion of the university's catering outlets, and provide space for gaming rooms, bars and function centres. One of the largest activities organised by the Union is the Orientation Week (or 'O-week'), centering on stalls set up by clubs and societies on the Front Lawns.
The University is currently undertaking a large capital works program (entitled "Campus 2010"), which will see the amalgamation of the smaller science and technical libraries into a larger library, and the construction of a central administration and student services building along City Road. A new building for the School of Information Technologies is under construction, as is the new home for the Sydney Law School alongside Fisher Library (on the site of the old Edgeworth David and Stephen Roberts buildings). The busy Eastern Avenue thoroughfare will be transformed into a pedestrian plaza, while a new footbridge will be built over City Road.
[edit] Mallett Street campus
The Mallett Street campus is home of the Faculty of Nursing. As of 2005, the Faculty no longer offers undergraduate Bachelor of Nursing programs. A new Master of Nursing program (M.N) has been introduced, with its first intake of students in 2006. Other hybrid programs such as the Bachelor of Arts/Master of Nursing, Bachelor of Science/Master of Nursing, Bachelor of Applied Science/Master of Nursing, Bachelor of Sports and Exercise Science/Master of Nursing have also been introduced.
[edit] Cumberland campus
Formerly an independent institution (the Cumberland College of Health Sciences), the Cumberland campus in the Sydney suburb of Lidcombe was incorporated into the University as part of the higher education reforms of the late 1980s. It is home to the Faculty of Health Sciences, which covers various allied health disciplines, including physiotherapy, speech therapy, radiation therapy, occupational therapy, as well as exercise science and health information management.
[edit] Surry Hills campus
The Sydney Dental Hospital at Surry Hills houses the University's Dental School and Dentistry library. Situated between Chalmers Street and Elizabeth Street, it is adjacent to the eastern entrance to Central Station.
[edit] Sydney Law School
Near St. James Railway Station in the centre of Sydney's business and legal district, the Sydney Law School is located across the road from the Supreme Court of New South Wales building. In 2009, the Faculty of Law will move to the main campus following the completion of the new law building on Eastern Avenue.
[edit] Sydney College of the Arts
The Sydney College of the Arts (SCA) is based in a former sanitorium in the Sydney suburb of Rozelle, overlooking Sydney Harbour. The college specialises in the fine (visual) arts.
[edit] Sydney Conservatorium of Music
Formerly the NSW State Conservatorium of Music, the Sydney Conservatorium of Music (SCM) is located on the edge of Sydney's Royal Botanic Gardens, a short distance from the Sydney Opera House. It became a faculty of the University in the 1990s, and as of 2005 incorporates the main campus Department of Music, which was the subject of the documentary Facing the Music.
[edit] Orange Agricultural College
Located at Orange in rural NSW, the Orange Agricultural College joined in 1994. Orange campus was principally the domain of the former Faculty of Rural Management; however other undergraduate courses from the Faculties of Arts, Science, Nursing and Pharmacy were also taught at Orange.
The Orange Campus and the Faculty of Rural Management were transferred to Charles Sturt University in 2005 amid objections from the staff and students of at the University of Sydney.
[edit] Camden campus
Located on Sydney's southwest rural fringe, the Camden campus houses research farms for agriculture and veterinary science.
[edit] Narrabri Plant Research Centre
The Narrabri Plant Research Centre is located at Narrabri, near the Queensland border.
[edit] The Dawkins Reforms: Higher Education (Amalgamation) Act 1989
Under the terms of the Higher Education (Amalgamation) Act 1989 (NSW), the following bodies were incorporated into the University of Sydney in 1990:
- the Sydney Branch of the NSW State Conservatorium of Music
- the Cumberland College of Health Sciences
- the Sydney College of the Arts of the Institute of the Arts
- the Sydney Institute of Education of the Sydney College of Advanced Education
- the Institute of Nursing Studies of the Sydney College of Advanced Education
- the Guild Centre of the Sydney College of Advanced Education.
The Orange Agricultural College (OAC) was originally transferred to the University of New England under the Act, but then transferred to the University of Sydney in 1994, as part of the reforms to the University of New England undertaken by the University of New England Act 1993 and the Southern Cross University Act 1993. In January 2005, the University of Sydney transferred the OAC to Charles Sturt University.
The New England University College was founded as part of the University of Sydney in 1938, and separated to become the University of New England in 1954.
 Sources of income for the University, 1900-2003 |
 Enrolments at the University of Sydney |
 Proportion of enrolments by faculty, 1900-2005 |
[edit] Colleges and faculties
The University is comprised of seventeen faculties, which have been grouped into three colleges [5]:
- College of Health Sciences
- Faculty of Dentistry
- Faculty of Health Sciences
- Faculty of Medicine
- Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery
- Faculty of Pharmacy
- College of Humanities and Social Sciences
- Faculty of Arts
- Faculty of Economics and Business
- Faculty of Education and Social Work
- Graduate School of Government
- Faculty of Law
- Sydney College of the Arts
- Sydney Conservatorium of Music
- College of Sciences and Technology
- Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources
- Faculty of Architecture
- Faculty of Engineering
- Faculty of Science
- Faculty of Veterinary Science
[edit] University of Sydney Library
The University of Sydney Library consists of numerous individual libraries across its many campuses. Fisher Library was named after an early benefactor. The University library is the largest in the southern hemisphere, with a collection of more than 5.1 million items. It possesses many rare items such as one of the two extant copies of the Gospel of Barnabas, and a first edition of Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica by Sir Isaac Newton.
[edit] Museums and galleries
[edit] Nicholson Museum
Nicholson Museum of Antiquities contains the largest and most prestigious collection of antiquities in Australia. It is also the country's oldest university museum, and features ancient artefacts from Egypt, the Middle East, Greece, Rome, Cyprus and Mesopotamia, collected by the University over many years and added to by recent archaeological expeditions.
[edit] Macleay Museum
The Macleay Museum is named after Alexander Macleay, whose collection of insects begun in the late eighteenth century was the basis upon which the museum was founded. It has developed into an extraordinary collection of natural history specimens, ethnographic artifacts, scientific instruments and historic photographs.
[edit] University Art Collection
The University Art Collection was founded in the 1860s and contains more than 2500 pieces, constantly growing through donation, bequests, and acquisition. It is housed in several different places, including the Sir Hermann Black Gallery and the War Memorial Art Gallery.
[edit] Rare Books Library
The Rare Books Library is a part of the Fisher Library and holds 185,000 books and manuscripts which are rare, valuable or fragile, including eighty medieval manuscripts, works by Galileo, Halley and Copernicus and an extensive collection of Australiana. The copy of the Gospel of Barnabas, and a first edition of Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica by Sir Isaac Newton are held here. Regular exhibitions of rare books are held in the exhibition room.
[edit] Residential colleges
- St Andrew's
- St John's
- St Paul's
- Sancta Sophia
- Wesley
- The Women's College
- Mandelbaum House
- International House, University of Sydney
In 2003, the University completed the Sydney University Village (SUV), consisting of studio and apartment accommodation operated by a private company on behalf of the university.
There is also a university-affiliated housing cooperative, Stucco.
[edit] Student organisations, clubs and activities
Politically and academically, undergraduate students are represented by the Students Representative Council (SRC) and postgraduate students by the Sydney University Postgraduate Representative Association (SUPRA) [1].
The University of Sydney Union provides student services and amenities and supports the university's strong debating, dramatic, and cultural traditions, through over a hundred clubs and societies. Unofficially, the University of Sydney ranks third in the world in debating behind Oxford and Cambridge[2]. The Labor Club is the oldest political campus club in Australia. Honi Soit, run by the SRC, is the only remaining weekly student newspaper in Australia.
Sydney University Sport [3] provides sport and recreation facilities and supports over 40 sporting clubs.
The future of these organisations is under a shadow with the passage of legislation implementing voluntary student unionism in late 2005. Such legislation will prohibit the compulsory collection of fees from students who enrol for the first time in the second semester of 2006 and all students from the beginning of 2007.
[edit] Sports
 |
This section is a stub. You can help by expanding it. |
Sydney University Football Club, founded in 1863, is the oldest rugby union club in Australia. The club was a member of the inaugural Sydney club competition in 1874. The club currently competes in the NSWRU competition and in 2005 claimed the Tooheys New Cup, senior and colts club championships and were runners up in the Shute Shield.
In women's basketball, the Sydney Uni Flames compete in the WNBL. The men's and women's water polo clubs also compete in their national leagues, with the men's team winning the title in 2005.
The cricket club, founded in 1864, has competed in the Sydney Grade Cricket competition since its inception. The University fielded a rugby league team in the New South Wales Rugby League's Sydney premiership from 1920 to 1937. It currently competes in the NSW Tertiary Student Rugby League competition.
In netball, the Sydney Sandpipers were based at the university until they left the Commonwealth Bank Cup, and the university now fields a team in the NSW state league.
The Sydney University Soccer Football Club [4] was founded in 1946. The club fields elite teams for men and women in the Soccer NSW Super League. The club also fields all age men's teams in the Eastern Suburbs Soccer Football Association and all age women's teams in the North West Sydney Women's Soccer Association. They also have a number of junior girls team and an over 35 men's team.
The Australian rules football club has teams in the Sydney AFL and the women's SWAFL competitions.
The Sydney University Cheerleaders are 2006 New South Wales State Champions.
[edit] Recent disputes
In 2001, University of Sydney Chancellor Dame Leonie Kramer was forced to resign by the University’s governing body. [citation needed] In 2003, Kathryn Greiner, Chairwoman of the Sydney Peace Foundation, resigned over a dispute with Sydney University.[citation needed] In 2005, the Community and Public Sector Union was in dispute with the University over the proposal to privatise security at the main campus (and the Cumberland campus.) [citation needed]
[edit] See also
- Host of February 2006 ACELL Australasian Chemistry Enhanced Laboratory Learning event
- Great Hall of the University of Sydney
- Honi Soit
- List of University of Sydney staff and alumni
- Frontiers of Science (1962–87)
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ University of Sydney - 2005 Annual Report, p127
- ^ Facts and Figures - About the University
- ^ Australian Research Council (ARC) - Statistical overview by research organisation
- ^ Royal Charter of the University of Sydney
- ^ Colleges - About the University
[edit] References
- Williams, Bruce. Liberal education and useful knowledge: a brief history of the University of Sydney, 1850–2000, Chancellor's Committee, University of Sydney, 2002. ISBN 1-86487-439-2
[edit] External links
- University of Sydney website
- Map of the Main Campus
- Satellite image of the Main Campus, on Google Maps
- University of Sydney Library
- University of Sydney Union
- Sydney Uni Sport
- University of Sydney Act PDF (1989, current revision)
- National Archives of Australia
- World Debate Website Team Ranking by total Points won at Worlds (Unofficial)
St Andrews College | St John's College | St Paul's College | Sancta Sophia College | Wesley College | The Women's College | Mandelbaum House | International House
Adelaide • Australian Catholic • Australian National • Ballarat • Bond • Canberra • Central Queensland • Charles Darwin • Charles Sturt • Curtin • Deakin • Edith Cowan • Flinders • Griffith • James Cook • La Trobe • Macquarie • Melbourne • Monash • Murdoch • New England • New South Wales • Newcastle • Notre Dame • Queensland • QUT • RMIT • South Australia • Southern Cross • Southern Queensland • Sunshine Coast • Swinburne • Sydney • Tasmania • UTS • Victoria • Western Australia • Western Sydney • Wollongong
