Box Hill Institute of TAFE
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Box Hill Institute is a secondary and tertiary education institute based in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia, with an additional campus in Kuwait. It has four campuses in central Box Hill (Elgar, Whitehorse, Nelson and Ellingworth), one in Nunawading (Ceylon Campus) and one in Safat, Kuwait (BHCK).
Its international affiliates include institutions in China and Sri Lanka, and its expertise is frequently called on for international programs academically and commercially. As well, it is a founding member of Global Education Network, along with Colorado Mountain College and Southern Alberta Institute of Technology.
Contents |
[edit] History of Box Hill Institute
Box Hill Institute is the descendant of two Box Hill area technical schools.
"Box Hill Technical School for Girls and Women" was opened on the 4th September 1924, having welcomed sixty-five Junior pupils some six months before. The girls studied subjects like housewifery, cookery, millinery and dressmaking. Some girls also took more vocational courses like accounting and secretarial work.
On the 2nd February 1943 the "Box Hill Technical School for Boys" was established because many boys in the eastern suburbs were being turned away from Swinburne Technical School. They studied subjects like sheetmetal work, technical drawing and carpentry.
Throughout the 1960s and 1970s both technical schools added post-secondary options like certificates in business studies and engineering. The Girl's Technical School started the first business certificate course in 1967.
The Girls' Technical School was renamed "Whitehorse Technical School" in 1971. Around this time the Boy's Technical School separated its tertiary technical offerings from the secondary ones, the tertiary section becoming "Box Hill Technical School". Both schools were declared colleges of Technical and Further Education in late 1981.
On the 25th of January 1984, Whitehorse Technical School and Box Hill Technical School merged to become "Box Hill College of TAFE". The College was renamed "Box Hill Institute" ten years later.
[edit] Campuses of Box Hill Institute
[edit] Elgar Campus
Elgar Campus is located on Elgar Road, Box Hill, approximately ten minutes walk from Box Hill Station. It is the largest campus of the Institute.
It was formerly the Box Hill Gas Works until 1974 when it was recommended that it be built as a multi-storey campus for TAFE courses at the then Box Hill Technical School. Throughout 2003-05 it was redeveloped to accommodate more students and programmes.
The Institutes teaching centres (aka faculties) that are based at this campus include the Centre for Building and Furniture Studies and the Centre for Hospitality and Tourism. Other centres on the Elgar Campus include Automotive, Transport and Engineering, Biotechnology and Animal Sciences, Business Programs, English Language Studies, Hair, Beauty and Floristry, Health and Community Services, Hospitality and Tourism Studies, and Management and Small Business.
Services for students include the Fountains Restaurant which is run by hospitality students, and College Printing.
Much of the Institute's administration work is done at this campus.
[edit] Whitehorse Campus
Whitehorse Campus is located on Whitehorse Road, Box Hill, approximately five minutes walk from Box Hill station.
Whitehorse Campus was originally a building for the Box Hill Girls' Technical School, and was built in 1936 in the Art Deco style. This building is now known as W2, and Whitehorse City Council has nominated it for listing on the Register of the National Estate and the Victorian Heritage Register.
The centres on Whitehorse Campus are the Industry and Education Training Centre, the Centre for Media, Design and Arts, the Performing Arts Centre and the Centre for Vocational Access and Education.
Services include "JobsPlus" which provides career advice for students and graduates, and is in W3. The Centre for Performing Arts is in W4, and the certificate and diploma course for stage management, lighting and sound are in W5.
[edit] Nelson Campus
Nelson Campus is located on Nelson Road, Box Hill.
Formerly a Holeproof factory, it is near Box Hill Hospital and Epworth Eastern, and also the Box Hill RSL.
Its centres of responsibility include the Centre for Information Technology and Library Studies. Services on Nelson Campus include Student Support Services and Off Campus Learning.
[edit] Ceylon Campus
Ceylon Campus is located on Ceylon Road in Nunawading.
The course co-ordinator, Kevin Le Poidevin, started Ceylon Road in an office in Elgar Road in 1997.
The transport courses at Ceylon Campus have had 4700 enrolments. In 2004 they enrolled 900 students in 17 courses. They involve running licence assessments for VicRoads heavy vehicles, motorcycles and most WorkCover licences for forklifts and cranes.
There is a programme in China for Certificate IV in Warehousing which will expand to a diploma. Many of the students are mature aged returning to study for the first time and many have a non-English speaking background.[2]
,
[edit] Doncaster Campus
Doncaster Campus was located on Deep Creek Road, Doncaster East.
The Doncaster Campus was built in 1991 in response to a survey in the late 1980s which revealed that many of the local students came from the north-eastern corridor of Melbourne: areas such as Templestowe, Doncaster and Eltham.
Courses offered at Doncaster included Library and Information Studies and Health and Community Services.
On the 24th October 2005 Box Hill Institute advertised that Doncaster Campus would be sold and redeveloped as a residential area. [1]
[edit] International affiliates
Box Hill Institute designs courses modified to meet the needs of its international clients and students, with Australian accreditation. The extended campuses include:
- China: Shanghai College of Electrical and Machine Technology
- Fiji: 11 campuses of the New Zealand Pacific Training Centre
- Malaysia: Selangor Human Resource Development Centre
- Saudi Arabia: Multinational School
- Sri Lanka: OpenArc College of International Studies
- Vietnam: Hanoi Open University
[edit] Courses offered at Box Hill Institute
Box Hill Institute offers short courses, secondary education, certificates, diplomas, advanced diplomas and degrees. It began issuing degrees in 2005. It's courses are generally very vocationally focused.
Students finishing Year 12 usually have to apply through VTAC, while non-school-leavers usually apply directly to the Institute. They may require an interview. Some courses at the Box Hill Institute are "fee for service" courses. They can be studied full time or part time.
[edit] Secondary education
The Centre for Vocational Access and Education provides secondary education in the form of VCE & VCAL for Year 11 and 12 students; and a "Growth and Pathways" (GAP) program for Year 9 and 10 students. The GAP program is designed for students interested in trades, or are poorly motivated by the traditional secondary school environment. It is a supplement for a traditional secondary education, and is run one day a week.
[edit] Degrees
Box Hill offers Bachelor's degrees in Applied Music, Biotechnology and Innovation and Computer Networking, which provide the advantages of industry consultation.
Those who study the Bachelor of Applied Music may major in the streams Audio Production, Musical Theatre (proposed in February 2006), Composition and Performance, and take electives from any of the streams.
Those who study the Bachelor of Biotechnology and Innovation complete 22 core and 4 elective units.
Those who study the Bachelor of Computer Networking complete 8 core units in the first and second years, and then 6 core units in the third year, as well as 2 electives.
[edit] Student life at Box Hill Institute
Student life at Box Hill is mainly run by the "Student Activities and Representative Committee", which is divided into three sub-committees. The SARC is responsible for the lounges on Elgar, Whitehorse and Nelson campus and organises the student voice in decisions which affect them.
[edit] Student Representative Committee
The Student Activities and Representative Committee is cahired by represented on the Institute board by a student, whose tenure is usually two years. SRC meetings with the SARC and Institute management usually take place once a month, and involve networking with local business people. Students learn leadership, business, research, communication and project management skills. The SRC representative must preent a student representative report and research student needs through surveys and interviews, and write an article for the Institute diary.
[edit] Media Committee
The Media Committee is elected by the students, who put their names on a list every February. The responsibilities of the media committee include the production of The Box once a term, and the online edition of the magazine more frequently, once a month. The Media Committee has a media officer, and the committee is usually made up of Professional Writing and Editing students and Graphic Design students. Another important role of the Media Committee is to support sponsors and assist with the marketing and promotion activities.
[edit] Activities Committee
The Activities Committee organises activities for the students, including Orientation Week, theme weeks once a term - in 2003 they included Retro Week and Harvest Week, and in 2004 Body Mind and Spirit Week - Inter-TAFE sports days, drink nights, trips and tours, and Battle of the Bands. In the first semester of 2005 there was the Future DJ competition and Box Hill Idol and a ski trip to Mount Buller.
In March of every year there is a CEO carvery at Elgar, Whitehorse and Nelson campus, where there is a spit roast of chicken and beef, and salads. The CEO talks to the students and there is much networking going on.
[edit] Notable alumni
- Curtis Stone, chef
- Daryl Minton, animator
- Simone le Amon, artist
- Darren Wardle, painter
- Blair Gowans, General Manager
- Chris Cheney, Musician [Guitarist + Lead Vocalist of Australian Rock Band, The Living End]
[edit] Sources
- The information about Ceylon campus comes from The Forgotten Campus (2005), The Box (p 10-11). Box Hill: Student Activities and Representative Committee.
