Top marks for 'the UNE experience'

August 28, 2007

Graduates of the University of New England have once again given UNE top rating – "five stars" – for their overall educational experience. The ratings are included in The Good Universities Guide 2008, published on the 15th August by Hobsons Australia Pty Ltd.

UNE has received top rating for "overall satisfaction" or its equivalent in the Guide for eight of the nine years from 2000 to 2008 – an achievement in this regard unmatched by any other university. These ratings are based on comprehensive surveys of graduates conducted independently by Graduate Careers Australia.

The Vice-Chancellor of UNE, Professor Alan Pettigrew, said today that this continuing endorsement by graduates of their "UNE experience" was a tribute to the work and dedication of the entire staff of the University. "We're proud of our graduates," he said, "and we're glad that they feel their UNE experience has enriched their lives."

Contributing to graduates' overall satisfaction is their rating of teaching quality, and UNE maintains its five-star rating for this criterion of excellence in the 2008 Guide. "UNE's reputation for teaching quality is well established," Professor Pettigrew said, "and includes innovative techniques in distance and online teaching as well as the creation of stimulating learning environments in the classroom."

Professor Pettigrew noted that the award last week of Carrick Institute Citations for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning to all eight of the UNE individuals and groups nominated for this national award was further confirmation of the quality of teaching and learning at the University.

The Guide's analysis of graduate ratings for individual fields of study reveals that UNE's five-star rating for "overall satisfaction" and "teaching quality" applies to a wide range of fields – from the sciences, social sciences and humanities in general to the more specific fields of teacher training, environmental studies, and psychology.

UNE also achieved five-star ratings in the Guide for "access by equity groups" and "Indigenous participation". Professor Pettigrew said these ratings indicated that the University was working successfully towards its strategic goal of full engagement with its regional – as well as with its national and international – communities.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at August 28, 2007 12:19 PM