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Big increase in numbers at UNE Open Day

September 09, 2005

OpenOver.thumb.jpgMore than 1,400 prospective students visited The University of New England today for the University’s annual Open Day. The total number of visitors to Open Day, including parents and friends of the prospective students, was well over 2,000.

Organisers say today’s event attracted several hundred more prospective students than last year’s Open Day (an increase of about 30 per cent). This included an increase in the number of people interested in enrolling as mature-age students.

About 700 high-school students arrived in bus loads from schools throughout New England, the NSW North Coast, north-west NSW and the Hunter Valley, as well as from schools as far away as Dubbo. Individual visitors came from all over Australia, including Perth, the Gold Coast, central and western Queensland, Toowoomba, Parkes, Newcastle, and the ACT.

Thirty school careers advisers accompanying groups of students attended a special lunch, where they commented that UNE Open Days were “getting better every year”, and were “certainly worthwhile”.

One innovation this year was the visit of the Canberra-based science road show Questacon, with its new show “Smart Moves”. Coincidentally, organisers reported a strong interest in the many courses offered by UNE’s Faculty of The Sciences.

The day’s activities began with breakfast in the Residential Colleges (after which tours of the Colleges and Wright Village continued throughout the day). The focus then moved to Lazenby Hall, where prospective students discussed course and study-mode options with lecturers from every area of the University, and found out about scholarship opportunities, residential options, exchange programs, application procedure, and student associations and support services. There were course-specific presentations within the Schools, including a “moot” (or practice) court session in the School of Law, and a presentation in the Drama Studio about the forthcoming Armidale production of “Cabaret”.

As well as receiving practical advice, visitors to Open Day enjoyed live entertainment including belly dancing (pictured here), choral singing, Japanese drums, and the UNE Big Band.

John Kauter, UNE’s Public Relations Manager, said the day had been an outstanding success and “an endorsement of UNE’s reputation as a provider of high-quality education”. “It is widely known that UNE produces highly qualified, work-ready graduates who are much sought-after by employers,” he said.


Media contact: Kerry De Jong, Events Coordinator, UNE (02) 6773 3955 or Jim Scanlan, Public Relations, UNE (02) 6773 3049.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at September 9, 2005 04:36 PM