| Victoria University | |
|---|---|
| Established | 1916 |
| Type | Public |
| Chancellor | George Pappas |
| Vice-Chancellor | Professor Peter Dawkins |
| Admin. staff | 2,854 (2010) [1] |
| Undergraduates | 23,999 (2010) [1] |
| Postgraduates | 4,568 (2010) [1] |
| Location | Melbourne, Australia |
| Campus | Urban |
| Affiliations | ASAIHL |
| Website | www.vu.edu.au |
Victoria University (VU) is a multi-sector tertiary institution (higher education and TAFE) based in Melbourne, Australia with 10 campuses.
VU offers qualifications in higher education, vocational education (TAFE), and short courses. VU also offers learning pathways enabling students to move from a certificate course through to an advanced diploma, degree, or postgraduate qualification by coursework or research.
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The idea for a technical school based in the western suburbs of Melbourne was first proposed in 1910 – a time of great optimism when people believed in the power of technical knowledge to positively transform lives and social conditions. It took more than five years of hard work to raise funds to build the school, but in 1916 the Footscray Technical School finally opened its doors. It would become the founding institution for VU.
In 1958 the school changed its name to the Footscray Technical College. Ten years later it changed its name again, this time to Footscray Institute of Technology (FIT), and in 1975 the secondary school component was separated from the rest of the Institute.
By the mid 1980s the expanded curriculum included degree courses and was well beyond the technical focus of the original Footscray Technical School. In 1990, FIT merged with the Western Institute, which had been founded three years earlier to provide TAFE and higher education courses to the outlying suburbs in Melbourne's west. This led to the establishment of Victoria University of Technology (VUT) in the same year. A further amalgamation occurred in 1998, this time with the Western Melbourne Institute of TAFE. In 2005 VUT was renamed "Victoria University".
VU was formed by a series of amalgamations with institutions across the west of Melbourne and has undergone several name changes.
The institutions that were combined to form VU, include:
VU offers internationally recognised qualifications ranging from short course diplomas through to apprenticeship level training (TAFE), higher education degrees, postgraduate masters programs and higher research degrees (PhD).
Within higher education, there are three faculties:
The Faculty of Arts, Education and Human Development works at the front line of cultural enquiry and social engagement, developing the social, physical and educative well being of those living in Melbourne's western region, and cultivating critical analysis and thought. The Schools within the faculty include: Communication and the Arts, Education, Sport and Exercise Science, Social Sciences and Psychology.
Victoria University's Faculty of Business and Law is one of the largest and prestigious business schools in Australia, with over 10,000 students studying at campuses spread across the city's west, as well as two city campuses. The Schools within the faculty include: Accounting, Economics and Finance, Hospitality, Tourism and Marketing, Law and Management, and Information Systems. Business and Law Faculty maintains a facebook page with regular updates.
The Faculty of Health, Engineering and Science focuses on solving real problems – through innovative Problem Based Learning. The Schools within the faculty include: Biomedical and Health Sciences, Engineering and Science, and Nursing and Midwifery.
Within Vocational Education (TAFE) there are two faculties and one service area:
The Faculty of Technical and Trades Innovation brings together trades, post-trades and para-professional education in areas of skill shortages including engineering, information technology, electrical, building and construction industries, and personal services. The Schools within the faculty include: Engineering and Electrotechnology, Construction Industries, Industry Skills Training, Information and Communications Technology, and Personal Services.
The Faculty of Workforce Development delivers courses in business, tourism, enterprise, health, creative media, hospitality and sport and recreation. The Schools within this faculty include: Business and Hospitality, Community Services, Creative Industries, Enterprise, Finance and Library, Health, Sport and Science
TAFE at VU is characterised by a focus on relevant, work-based learning initiatives and a strong connection with business and industry.
The University has a multi-sectoral faculty which offers courses across Vocational, Further and Higher Education:
VU College provides a wide range of services and programs designed to support and enable student access to all VU courses and programs. The College offers nationally-accredited courses, learning support, customised courses and career development services to all students.
The University identifies four groups of students:
studies in HE and degree courses, evenly distributed between English and Languages Other Than English (LOTE) – 20 per cent
and FE sectors, but also postgraduates, second-generation Australians and mainly from Asia and Africa, a LOTE spoken at home – 32 per cent
in VE and FE sectors and postgraduates, third-generation English-speaking Australians – 23 per cent
Victoria University emphasises research and research training that is of relevance to the community,industry and government – both nationally and internationally, but particularly in the western region of Melbourne. Victoria University has six research centres four institutes and one research group.
INSTITUTES
RESEARCH CENTRES
RESEARCH GROUPS
All graduates of Victoria University and its forerunner institutions are alumni of VU . Current students, staff, former staff and friends of the University are also considered members of the broader VU Alumni Community.
Victoria University campuses are located across Melbourne's western suburbs and the city centre. VU currently has 10 campuses – City Flinders, City King, City Queen, Footscray Nicholson, Footscray Park, Melton, Newport, St Albans, Sunshine and Werribee.
Victoria University courses are also delivered by a number of affiliates in Asia. In 2006, offshore students made up 10 per cent of the student body and 15 per cent of the University's income. [2] Two of the largest affiliates are Sunway University College in Malaysia and Liaoning University in China.
The Footscray Park campus is located on Ballarat Road, Footscray and is the University's primary campus, with 13,700 students in 2010. Located one kilometre from the Footscray railway station, this campus occupies a seven-hectare site next to parklands along the Maribyrnong River. Features include: full gym and indoor 25m heated pool, cafes and restaurants, a student bar and a childcare centre. A $68.5 million Learning Commons was completed in early 2011.
The St Albans campus is located in McKecknie Street St Albans and is the second-largest campus of the university (by student population - 2010: 7,800). The extensive grounds of the 32 hectare St Albans Campus sit alongside Jones Creek and native grasslands dotted with sugar gums. The campus consists of contemporary buildings encircling a large piazza. Both higher education and TAFE courses are delivered at the site with a focus on psychology, nursing, arts, paramedic and biomedical science. The campus has state-of-the-art research centres, including a sleep laboratory and a 'wet lab' for marine studies.
The Footscray Nicholson campus, with 7,100 students in 2010, is located in central Footscray, on the corner of Nicholson and Buckley Streets. It delivers TAFE, VCE and short courses.
City Flinders, with 5,200 students in 2010, is located across two buildings at 300 Flinders Street and 301 Flinders Lane in central Melbourne. The Flinders Lane building focuses on Osteopathic Medicine. Also offered on this campus are Masters courses within the Faculty of Business. The 300 Flinders St building was built by Floyd Podgornik.[3] It overlooks Melbourne's historic Flinders Street Station, the Yarra River and the Southbank precinct. The campus is home to the University's graphic design, visual art, multimedia courses, postgraduate business courses, and Conference Centre.
City King, close to Southern Cross Station, this modern high-rise building provides training for a range of industries including hairdressing, health and beauty, office administration and retail. It had 2,700 students in 2010.
The City Queen Campus occupies two heritage buildings in the heart of Melbourne's legal precinct.
295 Queen Street houses the University's School of Law, the Law Library, The Sir Zelman Cowen Centre for Continuing Legal Education, and Victoria University's Judicial Administration and Justice Studies Institute. The building also contains two moot courts, computer laboratories, lecture theatres and seminar rooms. 283 Queen Street houses some of the University's Business and Law activities, including postgraduate business programs, undergraduate law, and continuing legal education. In 2010 1,300 students attended City Queen.
The Werribee Campus is located in the Werribee agricultural research/tertiary education precinct in two diagonally adjacent parts and is a major contributor to the local scientific community. Spread over 16 hectares and with 4,200 students in 2010, it features specialised facilities for teaching and research including major research centres for the Faculty of Health Engineering and Science; and a recently completed animal care and breeding facility. This campus is home to community radio station WYN-FM. [4]
The Melton campus offers TAFE and higher education courses and is located at Rees Road, Melton South. In 2010 there will be no new higher education intakes on the Melton campus. However, it will remain as a VU vocational education community campus, and over 700 students studied there in 2010.
The Sunshine campus is located on Ballarat Road, Sunshine and offers TAFE courses (to 5,300 students in 2010). It is the site of the university's Convention Centre, the premier conference centre of Melbourne's western suburbs.
The Newport campus offers automotive, carpentry and electrical TAFE courses. It is next to the Newport rail yards. In 2005, the university announced plans to close the campus, although to date this has not eventuated, and in 2010 over 3,000 students were studying there. [5]
These are range of accommodations owns and operates by Victoria University.
The Student Village is a University-owned residential complex providing accommodation for 510 students on 12 hectares of parkland only 9km from the centre of Melbourne. It is located at Gate 3, Williamson Road, Maribyrnong (on the corner of Williamson and Hampstead Roads). Although priority is given to students from VU, accommodation is available to students from other universities where a vacancy exists.
Sunbury Hall is a University-owned residence providing accommodation for 120 students on the historic Sunbury campus at 17 Circular Drive, Sunbury. A bus stop is located at the front of the campus providing public transport to Sunbury station and easy access to Melton, St Albans and city campuses. It is a 35km drive to the centre of Melbourne with easy access to the Calder and Tullamarine freeways.
Victoria Place is a purpose-built apartment complex located at 117–119 Ballarat Road, Footscray. It has 41 fully furnished self-contained apartments designed for students, and two 3-bedroom units with ensuite and disability access.
Victoria University housing service provide free advice and assistant services to current students.
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