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New students receive warm welcome as Orientation begins

February 13, 2006

Oweek06.thumb.JPGNew students at The University of New England received a warm welcome today – the first day of this year’s Orientation activities at the University.

UNE’s Pro Vice-Chancellor (Teaching and Learning), Professor David Rich, speaking on behalf of the Acting Vice-Chancellor, Professor Robin Pollard, welcomed the students, wishing them success in their studies and a fulfilling experience of university life.

Professor Rich pointed out that UNE had recently been ranked among the seven best universities in Australia for teaching performance, and that this teaching excellence was supplemented by outstanding facilities – such as the residential colleges and Sport UNE – that enabled the University to provide a complete (and unique) educational experience.

The Executive Director of Sport UNE, Mr Stephen Griffith, took up this theme in urging the students to “get active, get involved, and enjoy the total learning experience that UNE provides”. Mr Griffith was speaking on behalf of all the organisations – including Services UNE and the UNE Postgraduate Association as well as Sport UNE – that provide a wide range of services for students on the University campus.

The University is expecting about 1,000 new on-campus students to enrol in undergraduate degree programs later this week, bringing the total number of students enrolled at UNE (undergraduate and postgraduate, on-campus and external) to well over 16,000 by early next week.

This week’s Orientation program includes course advice, tours of the Dixson Library, Law Library. Information Technology Building and Sport UNE, library training sessions, an information session for parents and friends, talks from the Executive Deans of all four Faculties, information on a wide range of extra-curricular activities, bus tours of the University campus and the city of Armidale, and a “Freshers’ Bash” in the Services UNE Bistro.

A new aspect of the Orientation program this year is that the Thursday and Friday will be devoted to a compulsory program of lectures in which new students will receive important information on their courses of study. Orientation organisers say this division of the week emphasises the balance between academic work and extra-curricular activities that students should aim for.


The photograph displayed here shows Allira Preece (left) of Bonny Hills and Chloe Herric of Singleton. They are both enrolling in Bachelor of Arts degree programs, and will be staying at Drummond and Smith College.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at February 13, 2006 04:24 PM