University of Queensland

The University of Queensland
UQ logo
Motto: Scientia ac Labore
"By means of knowledge and hard work"[1]
Established: 10 December 1909
Type: Public
Chancellor: Sir Llewellyn Edwards
Vice-Chancellor: Professor Paul Greenfield
Faculty: 5081
Undergraduates: 26,855 (2006)
Postgraduates: 10,663 (2006)
Location: (Main St Lucia Campus)
Campus: Urban
Affiliations: Group of Eight, Universitas 21, ASAIHL
Website: www.uq.edu.au

The University of Queensland (UQ) is one of Australia's premier learning and research institutions. The University is a founding member of the national Group of Eight, an alliance of research-strong, mostly "Sandstone universities" committed to ensuring that Australia has higher education institutions which are genuinely world class. It belongs also to the global Universitas 21 alliance. This group aims to enhance the quality of university outcomes through international benchmarking and a joint venture e-learning project with The Thomson Corporation.

UQ is Queensland's foremost university. In 1998–99 it was named Australia's University of the Year and it continues to enjoy the highest overall rating for Queensland universities in the annual Good Universities Guide.[2][3]

UQ remains the most successful Australian university in winning and being shortlisted for Australian Awards for University Teaching since they were established in 1997. On a variety of measures it is one of the top three or four research universities in the country.[4]

UQ's strength in research is evident in the many joint and collaborative research centres associated with the university. The Queensland Bioscience Precinct on the St Lucia campus houses scientists from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) and the Institute for Molecular Biosciences to form one of the largest biomedical research clusters in Australia.[5] In addition, UQ is involved in biomedical translational research at the Diamantina Institute of Cancer and Metabolic Medicine (DI) and the University of Queensland Centre of Clinical Research (UQCCR).

Contents

Rankings

According to The Times Higher-QS World University Rankings 2007, UQ is the only Queensland university in the top 100 (ranked 33rd along with the National University of Singapore), and one of only nine Australian universities in the top 200[6]. UQ moved from being the sixth-ranked Australian university in the 2006 world rankings to become the fourth-ranked Australian university in 2007.

The Shanghai Jiao Tong University's Academic Ranking of World Universities also placed UQ among the top five Australian universities.[7] UQ was also listed at number 91 in a 2006 Newsweek ranking of the world's top 100 universities, placing seventh among Australian universities after the Australian National University, University of Melbourne, University of Sydney, University of New South Wales, Monash University and University of Western Australia.[8] These six higher ranking institutions together with UQ and the University of Adelaide also form the Group of Eight consortium, which consists of the top eight Australian research universities.[9]

The University was independently ranked as one of Australia's best universities in the 2007 edition of The Good Universities Guide; receiving a maximum five-star rating in six key performance indicators.[10] These include student demand, positive graduate outcomes (reflecting both graduate employment and going on to further study), staff qualifications, research grants, research intensivity and toughness to get in (specifically for the St Lucia campus).

Campus and Setting

The Forgan Smith Building and the Great Court.

St Lucia Campus

UQ was established on 10 December 1909, with Sir William MacGregor as first chancellor (with Reginald Heber Roe as vice-chancellor) and was originally situated in Brisbane's downtown area. In 1927, the land on which the St Lucia campus is built was resumed by the Brisbane City Council using money donated by James O'Neil Mayne and his sister Mary Emelia Mayne to replace the less spacious city campus (now home to the Gardens Point campus of the Queensland University of Technology).

The University has its main campus in the suburb of St Lucia, in Brisbane. Its other campuses include Ipswich, Gatton, Herston, South Brisbane, Turbot Street and Moggill.

Situated on a peninsula of the Brisbane River, the university is reachable by road, CityCat ferry, or bus and is seven kilometres from Brisbane's city centre. At its centre is the heritage-listed Great Court — a large open area surrounded by sandstone buildings with distinctive gargoyles.

The large campus of 274 acres (1.1 km²) also includes sporting fields, gardens, duckponds, and cycling tracks. The athletics centre features 21 floodlit tennis courts and Olympic-standard swimming pool, a three-level gymnasium and a multi-purpose indoor centre.

The university is served by a CityCat wharf, two bus stations and is also served by the Eleanor Schonell Bridge providing pedestrian and bus access across the river to Dutton Park.

Gatton Campus

Located in Gatton, Queensland about 90km west of Brisbane on the Warrego Highway, UQ Gatton is home to the university's Faculty of Natural Resources, Agriculture and Veterinary Science (NRAVS). UQ Gatton, formerly the Queensland Agricultural College, was opened in 1897 as a combined agricultural college and experimental farm. The QAC amalgamated with UQ in 1990. UQ Gatton is serviced by the UQ Gatton Student Association and remains affiliated with the UQ Student Union.

UQ Gatton offers courses in agriculture, animal science, environmental management, agronomy/agribusiness, equine studies, wildlife and bushland studies and other fields relating to natural and rural environments. Its facilities include over 1000 hectares of agricultural land, extensive and intensive animal production operations, a recently redeveloped equine centre, and facilities for wildlife studies, as well as modern teaching facilities and laboratories, and a branch of the UQ Library. Some of the original QAC buildings are still standing, such as the Foundation Building.

Ipswich Campus

The Ipswich campus, opened in 1999, after State and Federal government backing is the newest campus, made up of nearly 20 buildings and more than 4000 students on nearly 25ha. Courses offered include: arts, business and social sciences as well as Interaction design.

It is located near central Ipswich, Queensland, just south of the CBD. Nearby landmarks include Limestone Park, The Workshops Railway Museum and the RAAF Base Amberley. The actual site surrounds the Ipswich Showgrounds and is in turn, sided by a golf course.

The site dates back to 1878 with the opening of the Ipswich branch of the Woogaroo Lunatic Asylum. Operations continued until 1910 when it became the Ipswich Hospital for the Insane. In 1938 it was renamed the Ipswich Mental Hospital and in 1964 it was renamed again as the Ipswich Special Hospital. It was finally named the Challinor Centre in 1968 in honour of Dr. Henry Challinor, the ships surgeon on the Fortitude. From 1968 to 1997 the Challinor Centre served as an institution for people with intellectual disabilities. In late 1997 the Challinor Centre began its final stage of evolution as the new UQ Ipswich campus.

This history is reflected today with 17 heritage listed buildings that have been refurbished into work spaces, computer laboratories and public spaces. Work is still underway refurbishing more buildings.

Other Facilities

The University of Queensland takes advantage of research and education facilities not attached directly to the three campuses. These locations are primarily for research which cannot be undertaken in the campus locales but also represent buildings which established pre-eminence in education before the creation of the current campuses.

Academia

In 2004 the University of Queensland had more than 38,000 students enrolled with 6,396 of these international students. Notable alumni include Bill Hayden, Professor Peter Doherty and actors Janet Fielding and Geoffrey Rush.

The University of Queensland has won more Australian Awards for University Teaching than any other university. It is also noted for developing the HyShot Ramjet Rocket and pioneering a vaccine for cervical cancer (Research led by 2006 Australian of the Year, Professor Ian Frazer).

The Honourable Sir Llewellyn Edwards, AC, is the Chancellor of The University of Queensland and the current Deputy Chancellor is The Hon. Justice Margaret White. The Chancellor and Deputy Chancellor are elected by the University Senate. The Vice-Chancellor of the University (effectively the chief executive officer) is appointed by the Senate and the office is currently held by Professor Paul Greenfield. The post was formerly held by Professor John A. Hay until 31 December 2007.

Research Centres

Notable research centres include:

Student Union

The UQ Union is the incorporated representative body of the students at the University. It provides services to students including representation to University and faculty committees, refectories and other catering services, a legal service, financial assistance, administrative counseling and campus activities.

Organisational Structure

Steele Building, University of Queensland.
Forgan Smith Building, University of Queensland.
Construction of the Forgan Smith Building, 1940.

The University is organised into Faculties, Schools and Departments/Divisions.

University-based Organisations

Residential Colleges

The University of Queensland has 11 residential colleges with 10 of these located on its St Lucia campus. Only three of the colleges (Union College, International House and Women's College) have no religious affiliation. The 11 colleges are:

Gallery

Panoramic image of Forgan Smith, Michie, Biology Library and Mayne Hall Buildings.
Panoramic image of UQ Lake viewed toward the South-East.
Panoramic image of UQ Lake viewed toward the South-West.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "SASW Number 3 — February 2006". University of Queensland (February 2006). Retrieved on 2008-12-28.
  2. ↑ UQ excels in teaching quality table and Good Universities Guide — School of Nursing Midwifery at The University of Queensland
  3. ↑ UQ tops Queensland in key areas in universities guide (1997-07-23)
  4. ↑ Independent guide gives UQ five star ranking — UQ News Online — The University of Queensland
  5. ↑ "Brisbane: Queensland Bioscience Precinct (Qld) (Profile — Location)". CSIRO. Retrieved on 2007-12-20.
  6. ↑ "THES — QS World University Rankings 2007 — Top 400 Universities". Quacquarelli Symonds/THES. Retrieved on 2007-12-20.
  7. ↑ "Top 500 World Universities (102–202)". Institute of Higher Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Retrieved on 2007-12-20.
  8. ↑ "The Complete List: The Top 100 Global Universities". Newsweek/MSNBC. Retrieved on 2007-12-20.
  9. ↑ "About Go8 > The Go8 universities". Group of Eight Limited. Retrieved on 2007-12-20.
  10. ↑ "Independent guide gives UQ five star ranking". UQ News Online. Retrieved on 2007-12-20.

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World Universities Debating Ranking 2008
1. Sydney (Union), 2. Oxford (Union), 3. Cambridge (Union), 4. Monash, 5. UCD (L&H/Lawsoc), 6. Yale, 7. UCC (Lawsoc/Philosoph), 8. Ateneo, 9. Queensland, 10.TCD (Hist/Phil), 11. Toronto, 12. IIUM, 13. Melbourne, 14. UNSW, 15. Hong Kong