Chief Development Officer
Mr Chris Patton
Mr Chris Patton, who took up his role in May 2008 as the Chief Development Officer at the University of New England (UNE), says he looks forward to capitalising on the University’s strengths and pursuing new opportunities to take the University forward.
“UNE has embarked on a path of rejuvenation and is putting its resources behind this, so it’s an exciting time to become part of the UNE community,” Mr Patton said. “I am particularly drawn to the opportunity to contribute to the University at a commercial level, knowing the impact I can make will benefit the University, Armidale and the region.”
The Chief Development Officer is a newly created, but pivotal role at UNE. Mr Patton will have the responsibility of growing the commercial base – and thus the financial sustainability – of the University, so that it can further its core business of teaching, learning and research.
“I will be looking for new opportunities to leverage UNE’s strengths in the education it currently provides, particularly in the area of distance education,” he said. “I will also be supporting and improving on-campus services and student life via the residential system, which is a very important part of my portfolio.
“Of course, I will also be looking to reach more prospective students nationally and internationally and to advance opportunities for UNE to more strategically engage with the local and worldwide UNE community for our mutual benefit,” Mr Patton said.
Mr Patton’s experience makes him ideally suited to his new position at UNE. Most recently he worked for Navitas, an Australian company delivering education on behalf of public universities. In this role, he was responsible for delivering higher education in Sydney for La Trobe University as the operation's Campus Director and Principal.
Mr Patton is also well versed in the on-campus provision of services to students, having been the CEO and general manager of the University of Wollongong’s commercial services arm and general manager of their college system in Australia and New Zealand. He has also managed student housing and residences at three well-known Canadian Universities. He has a Bachelor's degree in Criminology and a Master of Arts in Organisational Development.
“UNE’s vision is to achieve regional and global impact,” Mr Patton said. “We have an opportunity, indeed a requirement, to further differentiate ourselves from our competitors and to focus on what we do best. We should also be listening to what the wider community thinks about UNE and how we can make ourselves relevant to that community.
“Coursework is, of course, central to this relevance, and the University has already made significant steps in this direction by the launch of over twenty new courses this year. However, getting this message out will be a challenge for UNE, not just locally, but internationally. To do this we will need to leverage our reputation in the area of distance education through our core offerings and to draw students to this fantastic campus, which is a real drawcard for us.”
Chief Development Officer
Phone: +61 2 6773 3793
Fax: +61 2 6773 3509
Email: cdo@une.edu.au
Mailing Address:
Office of the Chief Development Officer
Vice-Chancellor's Unit
University of New England
Armidale NSW 2351