UNE wraps up a year of success

December 22, 2006

2006 was a year of success for The University of New England with a series of major accolades and funding announcements recognising UNE's excellence in teaching and learning.

At the beginning of the year, the University welcomed a new Vice-Chancellor and CEO – Professor Alan Pettigrew – who led UNE through the successful year. Professor Pettigrew and his wife Ann quickly became welcome, familiar identities in the Armidale area.

UNE achieved top rating (five stars) for all three primary categories of students' "educational experience" in The Good Universities Guide for 2007. It has maintained this maximum rating for seven of the past eight years, out-performing every other university in Australia. The University's teaching and research strengths were acknowledged by similarly "stellar" results in the corresponding national guide to postgraduate courses.

Teaching and learning tools are continually being developed and introduced at UNE, and in 2006 there were some quantum leaps forward. New Internet-based technology allowing information delivery methods such as "podcasting" were introduced during the year, enhancing flexibility for both distance-education and on-campus students.

UNE's commitment to its students was recognised by the Commonwealth Government when it received 10 out of 10 possible Carrick Citations for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning. As each university had been invited to make up to 10 submissions, UNE achieved the best possible result.

UNE entered a new era of development with the announcement in July that it had made the final payment on a $26 million loan taken out 10 years before. Professor Pettigrew said it was "a significant step forward for the University". "The interest payment on the loan was $1.4 million a year; now we will be able to redirect those funds in the pursuit of new strategic goals," he said.

The new financial year brought the impact of Voluntary Student Unionism, and the University announced a commitment of more than $700,000 a year towards the continuation of services that not only contribute significantly to the life of the University, but extend out into the Armidale community. Student services related to welfare and advocacy, the renowned Sport UNE facilities, Services UNE (including The Booloominbah Collection’s restaurant, café and bar), and the oldest student radio station in Australia – Tune! FM – were all catered for in the University's funding package.

UNE attracted wide attention with the success of its Rural Medical School proposal in conjunction with the University of Newcastle. The two universities and the Hunter New England Area Health Service had presented the proposal to the Commonwealth Government earlier in the year. The Government will provide 80 additional Commonwealth-supported medical student places each year from 2008 for the joint medical program, of which 60 will be enrolled at UNE and 20 at the University of Newcastle. It is also providing $3 million in capital funding to establish the program.

The good news kept coming as the year drew to an end. The Commonwealth Government granted funding of $4.8 million to UNE under its Workplace Productivity Program (WPP) – the largest WPP grant to any Australian university in 2006. And at the beginning of December the Minister for Education, Science and Training, the Hon. Julie Bishop MP, announced the award of $1.5 million to UNE under the Government's Learning and Teaching Performance Fund. The award recognised UNE's achievements in teaching and learning generally, and its ranking among the top seven universities in the country in disciplines such as science, computing and agriculture.

UNE maintained its national and international reputation as a centre for leading-edge research during the year. Traditionally recognised for research in Rural Science (which celebrated its 50th Anniversary at UNE during the year), the University now conducts world-class research in a multitude of disciplines – from ecology and animal behaviour to history and children's literacy. Dr Karin Meyer, a Principal Scientist in the Animal Genetics and Breeding Unit at UNE, was added to the list (maintained by the international Institute for Scientific Information) of the world's most highly cited researchers.

Another international accolade was UNE's inclusion in the Shanghai Jao Tong University Rankings list of the top 100 universities in the Asia-Pacific region. Its reputation in this region – and farther afield – was reflected in its increasing number of partnerships with overseas educational institutions.

Throughout 2006, as in previous years, UNE joined the Armidale community in its involvement in annual events such as the Autumn Festival and Wool Expo, and extended its expertise into the community with the presentation of numerous public lectures.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at December 22, 2006 04:41 PM