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University of Canberra

Coordinates: 35°14′20″S 149°05′15″E / 35.23889°S 149.08750°E / -35.23889; 149.08750
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

University of Canberra
Former name
  • Canberra College of Advanced Education[1]
    (1967–1990)
Motto
Galambany (Ngunnawal)
Motto in English
We all, including you[2]
TypePublic research university
Established
AccreditationTEQSA
AffiliationInnovative Research Universities (IRU)
BudgetA$312.84 million (2022)[3]
ChancellorLisa Paul[4]
Vice-ChancellorLucy Johnston[5]
Total staff
1,185 regular (2022)[3]
272 casual (2022)[3]
Students11,518 EFTSL (2023)[6]
Undergraduates8,228 (2023)[6]
Postgraduates2,870 (2023)[6]
Other students
  • 459 UC College (2022)[6]
  • 421 offshore (2022)[6]
Address
11 Kirinari Street
,
Canberra
,
ACT
,
2617
,
Australia[7]
CampusUrban, 296 acres (1.2 km2)
ColoursTeal
Sporting affiliations
MascotCappie the Giraffe[8]
Websitecanberra.edu.au

The University of Canberra (UC) is a public research university with its main campus located in Bruce, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. The campus is within walking distance of Belconnen Town Centre, and 8.7 km (5.4 mi) from Canberra's Civic Centre. UC offers undergraduate and postgraduate courses covering five faculties: Health, Art and Design, Business, Government and Law, Education, and Science and Technology.

History

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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.

Students

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Over 100,000 students have graduated from the university since 1970.[6]

After a rapid period of growth which saw a 78% increase in student enrolments between 2007-2014[9][10], the University of Canberra has sustained an annual enrolment of between 11,000 and 12,000 equivalent full-time students.[6] The median Australian Tertiary Admission Rank of UC students was approximately 71 in 2012.[11]

Foundation stone

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One of the entrances to the University of Canberra

The foundation stone was unveiled by Prime Minister John Gorton on 28 October 1968. The stone is displayed near Building 1 on the Bruce campus. The inscription 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.

Stonefest

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Main article: Stonefest

An annual celebration, called Stone Day, was held for several decades afterwards. It took place after classes finished but before exams. It involved a music festival with local bands which lasted several days. The day before was known as Stone Eve.

Over the years the Stone Day program gradually became larger and larger, eventually encompassing an entire week and transforming into one of Australia's most popular music festivals.[12]

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. Beginning in 2012, the Stonefest event was not held for a number of years at the University of Canberra.

In 2014, the university created a 'Stonefest' mini music festival where there was a DJ and numerous activities. It was not received well, and has not been held since. In June 2019, the university announced that Stonefest would return in October in an expanded format, with both local and international acts performing.

Campuses

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Bruce

[edit]
Building 11, Walkway connecting the refectory with the gym
A restored Futuro house is located at the University of Canberra

The university's main campus is located in the suburb of Bruce, which covers 290 acres of buildings, roads and access routes. There are over 28 buildings, each dedicated to a particular discipline of learning or faculty. Most of these buildings are arranged around the main concourse. Each building is numbered and many do not hold any title or namesake. New students are advised during orientation that the buildings are not numbered in a particular order, however the buildings around the concourse are progressively numbered in a counter-clockwise direction from building 1. It is a common myth that the numbers relate to when each building was constructed, however, a master plan was designed to have these building around the concourse numbered this way.[citation needed]

Library

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Main article: University of Canberra Library

The University of Canberra Library is located in Building 8. The building has four floors.[13]

Facilities

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The Refectory is the main food hall located in Building 1, operated by the UC Union.[14] It provides 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. The UC HUB also hosts DJs.

A sport and fitness centre is located in Building 29 with gym facilities and is home to Brumbies Rugby administration. There are basketball and squash courts nearby in Building 4, and various sporting ovals available.[15]

Student accommodation

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There are three accommodation options for students - UniLodge (consisting of Cooper Lodge, Weeden Lodge and more recently UC Lodge,[16] all run by UniLodge Australia Pty Ltd), Campus West (run by UniLodge) and University Gardens (located in neighbour suburb of Belconnen, run by UniGardens Pty[17]). All options are provided to all students, including international students.

Other

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The university has satellite campuses in the following locations[1]:

  • Queensland
    • TAFE Queensland Brisbane (South Bank)
    • TAFE Queensland Brisbane (Mount Gravatt)
  • Sydney
    • University of Canberra Sydney Hills campus (Castle Hill)
    • TAFE NSW Northern Sydney (RTO)

Organisation and administration

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Governance

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The governing body of the University of Canberra is its University Council[2]. The current chancellor is Lisa Paul, AO PSM, a former senior Australian public servant and policymaker who was a long-serving Secretary of the Department of Education and Training.[18]

Professor Lucy Johnston is the current interim vice-chancellor. She succeeded Professor Paddy Nixon, who served as vice-chancellor from 6 April 2020 to 15 December 2023.[19][20][21] Prior to Professor Nixon, Professor Deep Saini held the position from from 1 September 2016 to 21 December 2019.[22] Before that, Professor Stephen Parker served as vice-chancellor 2007–2016.

Faculties

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The five faculties are:

Arts and Design

Arts and design specialises in architecture, landscape architecture, graphic design, communication studies, culture and heritage, journalism, creative writing and poetry, international studies, and media arts. The faculty has two schools: School of Design and the Built Environment and School of Arts and Communication.

Business, Government and Law

The Business Government and Law Faculty provides courses in accounting, applied economics, business administration, business informatics, construction, economics, finance, law, management, marketing, politics, sociology, public policy, tourism, and urban and regional planning.

Education

The Education faculty offers courses designed to cover all stages of teacher development with courses in early childhood, primary and secondary.

Health

The Faculty of Health prepares allied health professionals, including nurses, midwives, occupational therapists, optometrists and vision scientists, psychologists, physiotherapists, pharmacists, dietitians, nutritionists, radiologists, speech pathologists, exercise scientists, and sports management professionals.

Science and Technology

The Faculty of Science and Technology trains students in environmental sciences, biomedical and forensic as well as information technology, information systems, engineering, and mathematics.

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

Financial

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Like most Australian universities, University of Canberra derives the majority of its revenue from the Australian Government through the Commonwealth Grant Scheme, student fees, research grants and contracts, commercial activities, and donations. The ACT Government provides around one percent of the university's operating budget.[23]

The University's budget in 2022 was A$312.84 million (2022)[3]. In 2024, the University of Canberra is expecting a $36 million deficit which has triggered emergency spending constraints.[24] The shortfall in income compared to forecasts is largely attributed to a decline in international student enrolments.[24]

Academic profile

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Rankings

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University rankings
Global rankings
QS[25]=403
THE[26]351–400
ARWU[27]601–700
U.S. News & World Report[28]645
Australian rankings
QS[29]25
THE[30]15
ARWU[31]26–27
U.S. News & World Report[32]29
ERA[34]33 [33]

UC ranked in the 351st–400th band in the Time Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2024[35] and 65th in the list of top young universities (less than 50 years old)[36], having been ranked in the top 20 in 2020.[37][38][39] UC ranks 24th in the THE list of Australian universities.[40]

Research centres

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

  • Canberra Urban and Regional Futures
  • Centre for Creative and Cultural Research
  • Centre for Research and Action in Public Health
  • Centre for Research in Therapeutic Solutions
  • Collaborative Indigenous Research Initiative
  • Health Research Institute
  • Institute for Applied Ecology[41]
  • Institute for Governance and Policy Analysis
  • Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre
  • Murray-Darling Basin Futures Collaborative Research Network
  • Nexus Research Centre
  • News and Media Research Centre
  • Research Institute for Sport and Exercise
  • STEM Education Research Centre
  • SYNERGY Nursing and Midwifery Research Centre

Partnerships

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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 provides pathways into university for domestic and international students.[42] UC also shares a memorandum of understanding with the Canberra Institute of Technology which facilitates student educational pathways between the institutions and sharing of some specialist facilities.

The University has several sporting partnerships including sponsoring the University of Canberra Capitals, a professional women's basketball team, the ACT Brumbies, a professional rugby union team, and the University of Canberra Firebirds, an amateur American football club.

On Saturday 17 June, 2023, UC announced a one million dollar sponsorship of, and partnership with, Stromlo Forest Park that will expand its research and teaching activities across a range of sports, tourism, and business opportunities.[43]

An independent radio station, 87.8 UCFM is run by students from the main UC campus.

Notable people

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Staff

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Notable staff members include/have included:

Alumni

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Main article: List of University of Canberra people

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "University Legislation". www.canberra.edu.au. University of Canberra. 31 March 2006. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
  2. ^ "Values and Purpose". 29 November 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d "University of Canberra Annual Information Statement 2022". acnc.gov.au. Australian Charities Not-for-profits Commission. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
  4. ^ Bushell, Ian, Lisa Paul appointed Chancellor of University of Canberra, RiotACT, retrieved 6 March 2024
  5. ^ "Office of the Vice-Chancellor".
  6. ^ a b c d e f g "University of Canberra Annual Report 2023" (PDF). canberra.edu.au. University of Canberra. Retrieved 28 August 2024.
  7. ^ https://www.canberra.edu.au/about-uc?a=31261>
  8. ^ Lansdowne, Heather. "University of Canberra Capitals spot their new mascot". the-riotact.com. Riotact. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
  9. ^ UC intake hits record high Archived 6 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine, The Canberra Times, 15 March 2011
  10. ^ Towell 2011
  11. ^ Item 4.2 Archived 21 February 2014 at the Wayback Machine, Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency, March 2012
  12. ^ "the AU Review 7 Oct 2011". Archived from the original on 28 August 2016.
  13. ^ "About the Library". 11 September 2009. Archived from the original on 30 June 2017. Retrieved 5 March 2018.
  14. ^ "Food & Drink (Refectory)". 6 June 2016. Archived from the original on 8 April 2017. Retrieved 5 March 2018.
  15. ^ "Gym and Group Fitness". 9 June 2016. Archived from the original on 25 June 2017. Retrieved 5 March 2018.
  16. ^ "@ UC - UC Lodge - UniLodge". UniLodge. Archived from the original on 1 September 2017. Retrieved 31 August 2017.
  17. ^ UniGardens Canberra University student accommodation Archived 17 May 2014 at the Wayback Machine, official website
  18. ^ Bushell, Ian, Lisa Paul appointed Chancellor of University of Canberra, RiotACT, retrieved 6 March 2024
  19. ^ Hope, Megan (20 December 2019). "University of Canberra announces Professor Paddy Nixon as new Vice-Chancellor". www.canberra.edu.au. Archived from the original on 7 March 2022. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
  20. ^ "University of Canberra head gets 71 per cent rise ahead of sudden departure". The Canberra Times. 21 July 2024. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  21. ^ "UC Vice-Chancellor Paddy Nixon steps down after 'four very challenging years'". RiotACT. 17 January 2024. Retrieved 2 March 2024.
  22. ^ Unknown (1 September 2016). "UC welcomes new Vice-Chancellor". Archived from the original on 7 April 2017. Retrieved 5 March 2018.
  23. ^ MacDonald 2011
  24. ^ a b "Job and course cut fears as UC deficit balloons by $10m". The Canberra Times. 24 August 2024. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  25. ^ "QS World University Rankings 2024". Quacquarelli Symonds Limited.
  26. ^ "World University Rankings 2024". Times Higher Education.
  27. ^ "Academic Ranking of World Universities 2022". Shanghai Ranking Consultancy.
  28. ^ "U.S. News & World Report Best Global Universities Rankings". U.S. News & World Report.
  29. ^ "QS World University Rankings 2024 - Australia". Quacquarelli Symonds Limited.
  30. ^ "World University Rankings 2024 - Australia". Times Higher Education.
  31. ^ "Academic Ranking of World Universities 2022 - Australia". Shanghai Ranking Consultancy.
  32. ^ "U.S. News & World Report Best Global Universities in Australia". U.S. News & World Report.
  33. ^ "All unis winners in research audit". The Australian. 4 December 2015. Archived from the original on 31 December 2016. Retrieved 21 February 2017.
  34. ^ "Australian University Rankings". Australian Education Network.
  35. ^ "University of Canberra". Times Higher Education. 2024. Retrieved 28 August 2024.
  36. ^ "Young University Rankings 2024". Times Higher Education. 2024. Retrieved 28 August 2024.
  37. ^ "Young University Rankings 2020". Times Higher Education. 2019. Archived from the original on 22 May 2017. Retrieved 7 April 2017.
  38. ^ "University of Canberra rises to world's top 40 young universities". 26 June 2019. Archived from the original on 21 August 2019. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
  39. ^ "Young University Rankings 2019". Times Higher Education. 2019. Archived from the original on 26 June 2019. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
  40. ^ "World University Rankings 2024 - Australia". Times Higher Education. 2024. Retrieved 28 August 2024.
  41. ^ University of Canberra 2017
  42. ^ Martindale, [Marketing] Rhys (20 May 2014). "UC Schools". Archived from the original on 20 July 2017. Retrieved 5 March 2018.
  43. ^ "Investment flows for Stromlo Forest Park". 17 June 2023. Retrieved 26 June 2023.

Bibliography

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

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