University of Canberra

University of Canberra

Type	Public
Established	1967 (CAE) 1990 (University Status)
Chancellor	Tom Calma, AO[1]
Vice-Chancellor	Deep Saini[2]
Administrative staff	1,000
Students	13,000
Location	Bruce, Canberra, ACT, Australia
Campus	Urban 296 acres (1.2 km2) (Bruce campus)
Nickname	UC
Affiliations	ASAIHL, New Generation Universities
Website	www.canberra.edu.au

The University of Canberra (UC) is a public university that is located in Bruce, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory.

UC offers undergraduate and postgraduate courses covering six main learning areas: Applied Science, Health, Art and Design, Business, Government and law, Education and Information Sciences and Engineering. As of 2014, the university also offers its degrees at the Holmesglen Institute of TAFE, Metropolitan South Institute of TAFE, Northern Sydney Institute of TAFE and South Western Sydney Institute of TAFE.

UC partners with two local ACT schools UC Senior Secondary College Lake Ginninderra and University of Canberra High School Kaleen. The University of Canberra College also provides pathways into university for domestic and international students.^[3]

The campus is within walking distance of Westfield Belconnen, and 12 minutes by regular bus service or car from Canberra’s Civic Centre.

History

The University of Canberra was first established in 1967 as the Canberra College of Advanced Education. The Canberra CAE became the University of Canberra under sponsorship of Monash University in 1990.

Over 70,000 students have graduated from the university since 1970.^[4]

The University of Canberra has grown by seventy-eight percent since 2007, going from 7,300 students to over 13,000 in 2014.^[5][6] The median Australian Tertiary Admission Rank of UC students is approximately 71.^[7]

Foundation stone and Stone Day

At the end of the year, after classes finish but before exams, Stone Day is usually held, a music festival with local bands, which lasts several days. The day before it is known as Stone Eve. It started as a celebration held annually to mark the placing of the foundation stone by Prime Minister John Gorton on 28 October 1968. This founded the Canberra College of Advanced Education, which became the University of Canberra in 1990.

The stone is under glass, outside, near Building 1 at the University, and an inscription on it reads:

This Stone was unveiled by the right honourable J.G. Gorton, M.P., Prime Minister of Australia, on 28 October 1968, to mark the establishment of the Canberra College of Advanced Education.

Over the years the Stone Day program has gradually become larger and larger, taking up a whole week and now Stonefest is one of Australia's most popular music festivals. The first foundation celebrations were held in 1971. In 1973 Stone Day celebrations were held over two days, which was expanded to take up a whole week in 1976. In the 1980s and 1990s Stoneweek became a popular Canberra entertainment event, which in 2000 became Stonefest.

Campus

Bruce

The University has one campus, located in the suburb of Bruce, which covers 290 acres of buildings, roads and access routes. Being a small University with a small campus, there are just over 28 buildings, each dedicated to a particular purpose. Most of these buildings are arranged around the main concourse. New students are always advised during orientation week that the buildings are not numbered in order.

Partnership with TAFE Campuses

An announcement was made on 17 September 2012, that The University of Canberra will establish a branch campus in Melbourne from 2013, by partnering with Holmesglen Institute of TAFE.^[8] The branch campus, to be situated at Holmesglen’s Chadstone location, will be called University of Canberra Melbourne (UCM). Currently, the courses are offered in the areas of business and design.

On 17 October 2012, according to the Sydney Morning Herald, The University of Canberra have cut a deal by partnering with Holmesglen Institute of TAFE in Victoria, to establish this branch campus in Chadstone, Melbourne.^[9] The article also state plans by taking the UC Brand in Queensland through an agreement with Metropolitan South Institute of TAFE in Brisbane.^[9] The intention was to create a new higher education model known as a "Polytechnic University". This model was adopted by the UK Government until 1992.^[10] This Model was to combine both worlds of TAFE's strong connections to industry, and universities' strong connection to scholarly work and research.^[11]

However, on 24 January 2013, UC expansion plans in Melbourne were blocked by the former Education Minister, Chris Evans.^[12] The article states that the University had not been granted approval by the federal government for expansion beyond its original campus. This event has already been experienced by UC, as the federal Government rejected another deal from UC to merge with the local Canberra TAFE, the Canberra Institute of Technology.^[13]

Despite this setback, it eventually came to a halt on 3 June 2013. Chris Evans successor, Newly appointed education minister, Craig Emerson, has overturned the decision by allowing UC degrees to be taught at four different TAFEs from 2014, therefore reversing an earlier decision to block such arrangements.^[14] From 2014, UC degrees will taught at these TAFE Campuses:^[11]

• Holmesglen Institute of TAFE in Victoria
• Metropolitan South Institute of TAFE in Brisbane, Queensland
• Northern Sydney Institute of TAFE in New South Wales
• South Western Sydney Institute of TAFE in New South Wales

The goal is to expand the UC brand outside the Canberra Region due to Canberra’s small and ageing population resulting in fewer school-leavers in the Canberra Region. "(The university) needs to expand and diversify in order to get scale and sustainability" according to UC vice-chancellor, Stephen Parker.^[14] The arrangement allows for some 6500 UC students across the four TAFEs by 2018. Parker said he expected just one or two degrees to be offered initially but it was too early to say what they would be. The degrees would be jointly developed by UC and the TAFEs but the students would enrol as UC students receiving UC qualifications.

This deal also formed a new group called the Australian Polytechnic Network between UC and the four TAFEs.^[14]

Library

The University of Canberra Library is located in Building 8. The Library 'aims to provide a range of high quality scholarly information resources and services to the University community.'^[15]

Facilities

The Refectory is the main food hall located in Building 1, operated by the UC Union.^[16] It provides a laid-back area to study or socialise, with cafes, post office, general shop, pool tables, and lounges, and is also concert venue. Upstairs there are study rooms which can be booked by students and staff.

The Hub is located under the main concourse, providing cafes, a hairdressing salon, and a branch of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia. The University of Canberra’s student radio station 87.8 UCFM studios are also located in The Hub.

A sport and fitness centre is located in Building 29 with gym facilities. Squash courts and sports ovals are also available.^[17]

Student accommodation

There are four accommodation options for students - University Gardens (located in neighbor suburb of Belconnen, run by UniGardens Pty^[18]), Arscott House (run by the University Students Association), Weeden Lodge (run by the company Unilodge) and University of Canberra Village (run by Campus Living Villages). All options are provided to all students, including international students.

Organisation and administration

Administration

The current Chancellor of the University since 1 January 2014 is Tom Calma, AO, an Australian Aboriginal elder of the Kungarakan people, and a human rights and social justice campaigner.^[1]

The current Vice-Chancellor of the University since 1 September 2016 is Deep Saini, a plant physiologist.^[19] The former Vice-Chancellor of the University from 1 March 2007 to 1 July 2016 was Stephen Parker, AO, a legal academic.^[20]

Like most Australian universities, University of Canberra derives the majority of its revenue from Australian Government funding and student fees. The ACT Government provides around one percent of the university's operating budget.^[21]

Faculties

The four faculties are:

ESTeM (Education,Science,Technology and Maths)

The ESTeM faculty focuses on area of study that contributes to producing a student with a range of knowledge in similar areas of study. Courses such as Biomedical, Forensic and Environmental Sciences, teaching in early childhood, primary or secondary, Information and Technology.

Arts and Design

Arts and design primarily provides students with the skills to be successful in a wide range of careers in the new arts. Arts and design specialise in, Graphic Design, Advertising, Journalism and Media Arts.

Business, Government and Law

The Business Government and Law Faculty provides students with a choice and flexibility together with real world experience. Students have the option to major in over 70 areas from across the University. Students can venture into Accounting, Applied Economics, Business Administration, Business Informatics, Construction, Finance, Law, Management, Marketing, Politics, Public Policy, Tourism, and Urban and Regional Planning.

Health

The Faculty of Health prepares nurses, midwives, psychologists, physiotherapists, pharmacists, dietitians, nutritionists, exercise scientists and sports management professionals.

UC also offer a range of double degrees that combine two degrees from different faculties.

Academic profile

Rankings

University rankings
University of Canberra
THE-WUR World[22]	401-500
Australian rankings
THE-WUR National [23]	24
ERA National[24]	33[25]

The university is named among the world’s top 100 young universities in the 2017 Times Higher Education (THE) Young University Rankings^[26]. The university has risen to number 91 in THE’s list of the best universities under 50 years of age worldwide.^[27][28]

Research centres

The university has a number of research centres relating to its areas of research strength. These are:

Notable people

Staff

Notable staff members have included:

• Peter Leahy, former Chief of Army (Australia)
• Donald Horne, journalist, writer, social critic, historian and public intellectual
• Arthur Hoyle, historian
• Ingrid Moses, Emeritus Professor and a former Chancellor
• Susan Ryan, one-time Labor government Minister

Alumni

See also

• List of universities in Australia
• University of Canberra (Wikiversity)
• University of Canberra Vikings

References

Bibliography

External links

• Official website

Coordinates: 35°14′20″S 149°05′15″E / 35.23889°S 149.08750°E / -35.23889; 149.08750