Victoria University (Australia) Explained

Victoria University
Image Upright:.8
Budget:496.67 million[1]
Chancellor:Steve Bracks[2]
Vice Chancellor:Adam Shoemaker[3]
Country:Australia[4]
Total Staff:2,061 (2023)
Students:45,567 (2023)[5]
Undergrad:16,469 (2023)
Postgrad:4,940 coursework(2023)163 research(2023)
Campus:Urban with multiple sites
Colours:Blue, white and black[6]
Motto:The Door of Opportunity
Motto Lang:eng
Sports Nickname:Vultures[7]
Mascot:Vulture
Website:vu.edu.au

Victoria University (VU or Vic Uni) is a public research university based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is a dual-sector university, providing courses in both higher education and technical and further education (TAFE).

The university has several campuses in Melbourne Central Business District, Melbourne Western Region, and in Sydney, comprising six academic colleges, six research institutes, seven research centres and VU's Victoria Polytechnic. It is one of Australia’s leading universities.

History

The idea for a technical school based in the western suburbs of Melbourne was first proposed in 1910. The Footscray Technical School opened its doors to 220 students and 9 teachers in 1916 after five years of fundraising.

Charles Archibald Hoadley was the school's principal from its founding until his death in 1947.[8] Under Hoadley's leadership, the school expanded and began offering trade certificate courses, diplomas in architecture, building, and contracting, as well as evening classes. War and the Depression saw a dip in student numbers. However, by 1943, there were 2500 students enrolled in courses taught at the Footscray Park and Footscray Nicholson campuses.

The following decades saw gender and cultural shifts. In 1958, the school changed its name to the Footscray Technical College. Ten years later, it changed its name again, this time, to the Footscray Institute of Technology (FIT). Women first enrolled in day diploma courses in 1960, and changes to the federal government's immigration policy resulted in many more European and Asian students entering the school. The secondary school component, now known as Footscray City College, was separated from the rest of the institute in 1972. By the mid-1970s, the expanded curriculum included degree courses and was well beyond the technical focus of the original Footscray Technical School. Further changes occurred in the 1980's, with the technical and trade education section separating from FIT to form the Footscray and Newport Colleges of TAFE.[9]

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 western Melbourne. In 1990, it was established as a university by the Victoria State Parliament as Victoria University of Technology (VUT).[10] The university further amalgamation with the Western Melbourne Institute of TAFE in 1998. In 2005, the Victoria University of Technology Act of 1990 was amended to rename the university as Victoria University, reflecting the development of its teaching and research.[11] [12]

The institutions that combined to form VU include:

Campuses

Victoria University has campuses located throughout Melbourne's western region and the city centre. The new VU City Tower will be Melbourne's tallest vertical campus, and is due for completion in 2021.[13] One campus is located in central Sydney.

VU courses are also delivered by partner institutes throughout Asia, including in China, India, Malaysia, and Sri Lanka. Two of the university's largest partners are Sunway University College in Malaysia and Liaoning University in China.

Footscray Park

Footscray Park Campus on Ballarat Road, Footscray is the university's main campus and administrative centre. It offers higher education courses primarily in engineering, education and sport-related disciplines. It occupies a 7ha site overlooking Flemington Racecourse and the Maribyrnong River. The A$68.5 million sport and learning precinct, including sport and exercise science research labs, was completed in early 2011. The campus also has a 25-metre swimming pool and a childcare centre.[14]

St Albans

St Albans Campus on McKecknie Street, St Albans, is the university's health and education hub, with a focus on psychology, nursing, arts, and paramedic and biomedical sciences. It is set on of native grasslands and sugar gums. The new St Albans Health and Fitness Centre was opened in 2013.[15]

Footscray Nicholson

Footscray Nicholson Campus is in central Footscray, on the corner of Nicholson and Buckley Streets. It delivers TAFE, VCE and short courses. Its new learning commons was opened in 2012 offering a broad range of educational and student services.[16]

City

The City Campus includes the VU City Tower and the law building at 295 Queen Street in the heart of Melbourne's legal precinct. The campus houses business courses, Osteopathy, a hair and beauty salon as well as the university's College of Law and Justice, a law library, the Sir Zelman Cowen Centre and two moot courts. It offers undergraduate and postgraduate law courses, including continuing legal education courses for legal professionals.[17] [18]

Werribee

The 16ha Werribee Campus is located in the Werribee agricultural research and tertiary education precinct. It offers trades training as well as facilities for water, food and fire safety research.[19]

Sunshine

The Sunshine Campus of Victoria Polytechnic is located on Ballarat Road, Sunshine. It offers TAFE courses, focusing mainly on business and the construction industries.[20] The A$44 million high-technology Construction Hub was opened in 2013 for building and construction training. The campus also has a convention centre with a 200-seat auditorium.

Sydney

Victoria University delivers a number of business courses for international students at its campus in central Sydney,[21] which operates in partnership with the Education Centre of Australia (ECA).[22]

Whitten Oval

In late 2010, VU opened an A$8 million Sport and Recreation Learning Centre in partnership with the Western Bulldogs at the Whitten Oval in West Footscray.[23] The Centre contains massage therapy clinics open to the public, as well as a 140-seat lecture theatre, a library, classrooms and offices.

Organisation

Several of the university's colleges offer internationally recognised qualifications ranging from certificates and diplomas to degrees, postgraduate certificates and diplomas, and masters and doctoral research degrees (PhD). Victoria Polytechnic and VU College offer vocational education courses and higher education diplomas. These are divided between several colleges, including:

Students

In 2019, VU had 43,802 students.[24] Approximately 65% student in higher education degree programs, and 35% enrolled in TAFE training courses. Of these students, 5,662 were international students studying at one of VU's Melbourne or Sydney Campuses, and 3,772 were international students studying at VU programs overseas at one of its partner organisations located mainly in Asia.

Academia

Rankings

Victoria University ranked in 351–400 in the world in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2021.

Uniname:Victoria University, Australia
Qs W:741-750
Thes W:351–400
Arwu W:901–1000
Usnwr W:543=
Qs Aus:33
Thes Aus:25–27
Arwu Aus:32–34
Usnwr Aus:25
Era Aus:29[25]

28 VU research disciplines were ranked at or above world standard in the Excellence in Research Australia (ERA) assessments 2018.[26]

Student accommodation

VU owns and operates student accommodation for students, staff, and guests of the university.[27] In February 2016, the Student Village in Maidstone was replaced with the newly built UniLodge Victoria University, a 13-story apartment building across the road from the Footscray Park Campus on Ballarat Road, Footscray.

International House, a traditional residential college located at the University of Melbourne, also offers places to Victoria University students.

Notable people

Staff

Alumni

See also

Further reading

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Victoria University Annual Information Statement 2022 . acnc.gov.au . Australian Charities Not-for-profits Commission . 9 February 2024.
  2. Web site: Steve Bracks .
  3. https://www.vu.edu.au/about-vu/vice-chancellor
  4. https://www.vu.edu.au/contact-us
  5. Web site: Annual Report 2023 . vu.edu.au . Victoria University . 19 May 2024.
  6. https://eaams.vu.edu.au/agents/resources/file/AGENT_VU%20Brand%20Guidelines%202020_V9_low%20res.pdf
  7. https://www.vu.edu.au/current-students/campus-life/sport-fitness/represent-vu-in-sport
  8. Web site: Limmer . Scott . 2013-07-17 . Charles Archibald HOADLEY (1887-1947) . 2023-01-29 . federation.edu.au . en.
  9. Web site: Footscray Institute of Technology . Victoria University Archives . 23 July 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240313101009/https://libraryguides.vu.edu.au/vu-archives/footscray-institute-of-technology . 13 March 2024.
  10. Web site: Victoria University of Technology Act 1990. Parliament of Victoria. 11 November 2013. 11 November 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20131111140933/http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/vic/repealed_act/vuota1990395/. live.
  11. Web site: Victoria University of Technology Act 2010 preamble. 7 July 2014. 14 July 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140714205205/http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/vic/consol_act/vua2010262/preamble.html. live.
  12. Web site: Victoria University of Technology / Victoria University . Victoria University Archives . 23 July 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231128091430/https://libraryguides.vu.edu.au/vu-archives/victoria-university-of-technology-victoria-university . 28 November 2023.
  13. Web site: Probuild Projects - Victoria University City West Tower. 2021-08-09. www.probuild.com.au. 9 August 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210809065337/https://www.probuild.com.au/projects/projects/vu-tower. live.
  14. Web site: Footscray Park Aquatic & Fitness Centre. Victoria University – Melbourne Australia. 24 January 2017. 2 February 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170202020710/https://www.vu.edu.au/current-students/campus-life/sport-fitness/fitness-centres/footscray-park-aquatic-fitness-centre. live.
  15. 21 February 2013 . VU's new sports centre brings a world of fitness to the west . VU . 7 March 2013 . 12 November 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131112154303/http://www.vu.edu.au/news-events/media-releases/vus-new-sports-centre-brings-a-world-of-fitness-to-the-west . live .
  16. Web site: New learning commons at Footscray Nicholson Campus Victoria University Melbourne Australia. www.vu.edu.au. 15 January 2017. 16 January 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170116171059/https://www.vu.edu.au/news-events/news/new-learning-commons-at-footscray-nicholson-campus. live.
  17. Web site: Study at VU: Law & Justice courses. vu.edu.au. Victoria University. 5 May 2018. 26 March 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180326231712/https://www.vu.edu.au/study-at-vu/courses/browse-for-courses/by-topic/law-justice. live.
  18. Web site: About VU: What you can support. vu.edu.au. Victoria University. 5 May 2018. 23 March 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180323215535/http://www.vucentenary.com.au/modern-law-school-victorias-legal-precinct. live.
  19. Web site: Werribee Campus . vu.edu.au . Victoria University . 6 June 2018 . 12 June 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180612141532/https://www.vu.edu.au/campuses/werribee . live .
  20. 24 January 2013 . Tour Victoria University's new Trades College building at Sunshine . VU . 7 March 2013 . 12 November 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131112154644/http://www.vu.edu.au/news-events/media-releases/tour-victoria-university-s-new-trades-college-building-at-sunshine . live .
  21. Web site: Search - Victoria University. 2023-08-20.
  22. Web site: About VU Sydney – Victoria University – Sydney Australia. www.vu.edu.au. 1 February 2017. 8 January 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170108053853/https://www.vu.edu.au/vu-sydney/about-vu-sydney. live.
  23. 17 August 2010 . Victoria University unveils its new teaching facilities in a bright new kennel . VU . 7 March 2013 . 14 July 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140714190016/http://www.vu.edu.au/news-events/media-releases/victoria-university-unveils-its-new-teaching-facilities-in-a-bright-new-kennel . live .
  24. Web site: Victoria University 2019 Annual Report . VU . 24 February 2021 . 9 December 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201209225442/https://www.vu.edu.au/sites/default/files/annual-report-2019.pdf . live .
  25. News: All unis winners in research audit. 21 February 2017. The Australian. 4 December 2015. 31 December 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161231090747/http://www.theaustralian.com.au/higher-education/all-unis-winners-in-research-audit/news-story/a592cd109c087503ba4ea49cdf56c561. live.
  26. Web site: VU research judged as world-class, grows in new ratings. 24 February 2021. 20 January 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210120071103/https://www.vu.edu.au/about-vu/news-events/news/vu-research-judged-as-world-class-grows-in-new-ratings. live.
  27. Web site: Housing & accommodation – Victoria University – Melbourne Australia. www.vu.edu.au. 30 December 2011. 29 December 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20111229111511/http://www.vu.edu.au/facilities-and-services/housing-services. live.
  28. Web site: Community champion – Victoria University – Melbourne Australia. www.vu.edu.au. 4 April 2018. 29 March 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180329121709/https://www.vu.edu.au/study-at-vu/success-stories/students-alumni/community-champion. live.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Victoria University (Australia)".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.