UQ Ipswich opens doors to students

UQ Ipswich opens doors to students

Australia's newest university campus, the University's heritage and high-tech UQ Ipswich, welcomed its first students for orientation last week and for classes this week.

The University will host 520 students this year at its UQ Ipswich campus, including about 400 people on campus and a further 120 UQ students at Bremer TAFE who can access facilities at UQ Ipswich.

UQ Ipswich will start with much higher numbers than the University of Queensland itself which started teaching in 1911 with fewer than 100 students.

University Vice-Chancellor Professor John Hay, University Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Academic) Professor Trevor Grigg and Student Union president Matthew Carter welcomed students and staff at the opening ceremony.

Professor Hay said the first alumnus of a new campus was always the most important ambassador or ambassadors that an institution could have.

"It is therefore a terrific privilege for me to be able to welcome the students and staff here today on this occasion, to congratulate you on your privileged position of being members of the only foundation year UQ Ipswich will ever have," he said.

"The new facility is superb in my opinion, and the adaptive heritage reuse of the other buildings, augurs well not only for this part of the campus, but what's going to happen in the next part of the campus."

Professor Grigg said it was a rare event in a University's history that it had the chance to develop a new campus from scratch.

"The University has had few such opportunities in its 89-year history so we are very excited at the prospect of UQ Ipswich opening to serve a new generation of students," he said.

"The University is pleased with the level of interest in its degree programs and this is reflected in the enrolment levels and acceptance of Queensland Tertiary Admissions Centre offers.

"Both Year 12 and mature aged students have been attracted to courses. We are pleased that interest has been demonstrated across all degree programs, and students who have been offered places have demonstrated academic achievement and the potential to succeed in university studies.

"This is a new facility and we will make every effort in the next few months to encourage people in the region to visit the campus and contemplate studying with us. A mid-year intake will facilitate that opportunity."

The 25-hectare campus, which is 1.4km from the Ipswich city centre, has a history dating from 1878, with 17 buildings heritage-listed.

In just 10 months since the start of construction, the University has completed the $17 million stage one of the facility, which is expected to become an important social, cultural and educational resource for Queensland.

Courses to be offered at UQ Ipswich from 1999 include the bachelor of information environments; bachelor of electronic commerce; bachelor of business (communication); bachelor of contemporary studies; bachelor of social science (in applied communication and development studies); bachelor of education (graduate entry). A bachelor of behavioural studies degree will be offered from the year 2000.

The first cluster of buildings house academic and shared teaching space, the Learning Resources Development Unit, library, one-stop student centre, administrative areas, health service, student union, and other support services.

Work on stage two, due for completion in February 2000, will commence in early April. This will develop buildings in the campus centre and create a "village" to serve as the social and administrative heart of the campus, which is expected to accommodate 2500 students by 2001.

Activities to mark the opening of UQ Ipswich included a multi-cultural community event, official welcome to the City of Ipswich reception at Ipswich Civic Hall a market day, special course days, parents day and a commencement service.