Murdoch University

Murdoch University
Murdoch University Logo
Established 1975
Type Public
Chancellor Terry Budge
Vice-Chancellor Professor John Yovich AM
Academic staff 1,300
Undergraduates 10,200
Postgraduates 2,200
Location Perth, WA, Australia
Campus Urban
Organisations Member of IRU Australia
Website

Murdoch University is a public university based in Perth, Australia. It commenced operations as the state's second university in 1973, and accepted its first students in 1975. Its name is taken from Sir Walter Murdoch (1874-1970), the Founding Professor of English and former Chancellor of The University of Western Australia

Contents

History

Murdoch University was initially intended to cater predominantly to mature-aged students. As a result, many courses are available externally and an increasing number are available online.

Curtin University of Technology and Murdoch University agreed in June 2005 to undertake a feasibility study on merging. On 7 November 2005, both institutions issued a press release stating that such a merger will not be undertaken.

In 2006 and 2007, the South Street campus library underwent major building works to remove asbestos from the roof (in an ongoing project involving other university buildings) and construct the new Learning Common. As part of these works, some library items were rearranged, including the re-shelving of most items to be in DDC sequence on the South Wing.[1][2]

Faculties and schools

There are six faculties and sixteen schools at Murdoch University:[3]

Research

The Asia Research Centre undertakes in interdisciplinary and disciplinary research into a range of social, political and economic dynamics within the region. The thematic focus, however, is on the analysis of forces within the region that mediate the form and impact of globalisation.[4]

The Centre encompasses researchers from across Murdoch University. It also regularly engages in collaboration with researchers from other universities around the world.[4]

The Director of Asia Research Centre is Professor Garry Rodan, a Professor in the Politics and International Studies Programme of the School of Social Sciences and Humanities. [5]

Strengths and affiliations

Murdoch University is a highly research intensive institution and a member of Innovative Research Universities Australia (IRU Australia). Its Asia Research Centre, founded in 1991 as a Special Research Centre of the Australia Research Council, is regarded as an international leader in the study of social, political and economic dynamics in East and Southeast Asia.

According to The Australian newspaper ("What makes a good school of journalism"), the Graduate Careers Council of Australia found its Journalism School is one of Australia's top five.[6]

Murdoch University is the founder of the ACICIS (Australian Consortium for 'In-Country' Indonesian Studies) Study Indonesia program, a non-profit consortium of Australian universities that was established in 1994 to coordinate semester-long study programs at partner universities in Yogyakarta and Malang in Indonesia, for Australian university students.[7]

Chancellery Building

Campuses

Murdoch University has three Australian campuses: South Street, Rockingham Campus, and Mandurah Campus.

South Street

The main campus is located at South Street in the suburb of Murdoch, near the Kwinana Freeway (). South Street campus is Australia's geographically largest campus at 2.27 square kilometres (0.88 sq mi), necessary in order to accommodate Western Australia's only veterinary school. Most of the southern part of the university consists of paddocks of livestock, farm and renewable energy facilities.

The original group of buildings surround an open court, known as "Bush Court", in the northern part of Murdoch campus. Bush Court contains the highest point on campus. Features around campus include the Chinese garden and the Joglo Rahayu (Peace Pavilion).

Joglo Rahayu

The Joglo Rahayu (Peace Pavilion) is a semi-enclosed pavilion located near the Education and Humanities building. Built as a monument to ongoing association between Murdoch University and Indonesian academic institutions in Java, it acts as storage for the only Gamelan orchestra in Western Australia.

Rockingham Campus

The Rockingham Campus is located 38 kilometres (23.61 mi) south of central Perth in the suburb of Rockingham (). Opened in 1996, it is co-located with Rockingham TAFE campus, and features an arts and commerce building. Engineering teaching facilities were formerly located at Rockingham, but were moved to Murdoch campus in 2008. The campus is underutilised.

Rockingham Regional Campus Community Library

Rockingham Regional Campus Community Library, located at the Rockingham Campus, is a joint venture between the university, the City of Rockingham and Challenger TAFE. Members of all of these groups have free access to library membership.

Membership entitles all patrons to access to TAFE, university and public library resources at Rockingham.[8]

Kwinana Industries Education Partnership (KIEP)

The Kwinana Industries Education Partnership (KIEP), an ongoing project located in the main courtyard at the Rockingham Campus, is a formal agreement between members of the Kwinana Industries Council and local senior high schools. It was initiated in 1993 by major industry members of the Kwinana Industries Council and officially launched in 1995.[9]

Mandurah Campus

The Mandurah Campus is located 64 kilometres (39.77 mi) south of central Perth in the suburb of Greenfields, Western Australia, near the regional centre of Mandurah (). Opened in 2004, it houses teaching facilities for nursing and life sciences.

Student demographics

Murdoch University is home to 14,271 students (as of 31 August 2006),[10] of whom over 2,000 are international students.

Murdoch University also partners with other educational institutions, such as KDU College in Malaysia, to provide university degrees to off-shore students.

Murdoch University also has an international offshore campus in Singapore. It is known as Murdoch University International Study Centre Singapore.

Murdoch University has partnership with Murdoch University International Study Centre in Japan.

Murdoch has many students from the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada and more recently the Middle East. [11]

Murdoch Guild

Murdoch Guild is the peak student representative body at Murdoch University. As such, it represents the interests of students to the University, all levels of government and the wider community, as well as providing services to students.

As well as handling student representation and assistance with education and welfare issues, the Guild runs two food outlets on campus, runs the tavern, sports and recreation centre and the second-hand bookshop. The guild partially finances many of the student associations on campus and run specific guild events of their own. At the beginning of 2008, the Guild opened the new 'Social Justice Centre' in Bush Court, the focal point of the South Street campus. The Social Justice Centre is designed to facilitate campus activism, and is a place where students can hold meetings and get involved in campaigns. The Guild also publishes Metior, the campus magazine.

The Guild is the recognised channel of communication between the student body and the University Administration and has representatives on a vast array of the University's committees where the interests of students are involved.

The Guild is governed by a Council of eighteen students elected for one-year terms at the annual elections. Student representatives are elected to their positions by students in annual elections held in September. Both independent and party candidates run in the elections, with the historical bias leaning towards grouped members becoming elected. In 2010 the Guild President is Brodie Lewis, Education Vice President is Melissa Brave.[12]

The Guild is affiliated with the National Union of Students.

Subsidiary Bodies

Rockingham Students' Association (RSA)

Formed officially in 1998 as the Rockingham Student Council, the Rockingham Students' Association is the official Guild body representing students at the Rockingham Campus.

Mandurah Students' Association (MSA)

Formed officially in 2008, the Mandurah Students' Association is the official Guild body representing students at the Mandurah Campus.

Feeder institutions

Murdoch Institute of Technology

The Murdoch Institute of Technology (MIT) was established by the university and the Alexander Education Group. It is a feeder college catering for students wishing to complete diploma level courses. Future plans involve building dedicated facilities on the tennis courts north of the SSHE building, which currently houses the School of Education's teaching caravans and some satellite dishes.

Murdoch College

On the north east corner of the South Street campus, Murdoch College was established by the university and the Alexander Education Group in 2000 to cater for secondary students in a university environment and to enrich their academic, social and personal potential. It is one of few secondary schools on a university campus in Australia. It offers a complement of Year 7-12 subjects across the 8 learning areas. Many students from China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan and Korea enrol at Murdoch College and enhance its multicultural ethos. The college manages to achieve decent matriculation scores as they engage in a practice common to most private colleges where non-academic students are discouraged from taking end of year exams.

Transport

Public transport

Murdoch campus is approximately 800 metres from Murdoch Train Station, and is linked by bus services. The CircleRoute bus service travels from the campus to Fremantle and other suburban centres.

Rockingham campus is linked by bus services to Rockingham Train Station, approximately 1500 metres away.

Mandurah campus is linked by bus services to Mandurah Train Station about 3km away on the route from the station to the suburb of Lakelands

Faculty and alumni

References

  1. ↑ "Murdoch Campus Library Refurbishment 2006-07". http://wwwlib.murdoch.edu.au/about/news/common.html. Retrieved 2007-05-27. 
  2. ↑ "Murdoch Campus Library Refurbishment 2006-07 Reshelving". http://wwwlib.murdoch.edu.au/about/news/reshelving.html. Retrieved 2007-05-27. 
  3. ↑ "Schools at Murdoch University". http://www.murdoch.edu.au/faculties/. Retrieved 2008-05-25. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 http://wwwarc.murdoch.edu.au/about.html
  5. ↑ http://wwwarc.murdoch.edu.au/staff.html
  6. ↑ What makes a good school of journalism | The Australian
  7. ↑ "ACICIS - Study Indonesia". http://www.acicis.murdoch.edu.au/. Retrieved 2007-04-05. 
  8. ↑ "ABOUT ROCKINGHAM REGIONAL CAMPUS COMMUNITY LIBRARY". http://www.rocklibrary.murdoch.edu.au/about.html. Retrieved 2007-05-12. 
  9. ↑ "Kwinana Industries Education Partnership" (PDF). http://www.kic.org.au/documents/whatiskiep.pdf. Retrieved 2007-05-12. 
  10. ↑ Office of Policy & Planning - Enrolments by Level, Attendance Type & Gender (new report available)
  11. ↑ Office of Policy & Planning - Enrolments by Country of Permanent Residence & Commencing Status
  12. ↑ www.guild.murdoch.edu.au

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