University of Canberra facts for kids
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| Latin: Universitas Camberrensis | |
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Former name
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| Motto |
Galambany (Ngunnawal)
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Motto in English
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We all, including you |
| Type | Public research university |
| Established |
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| Accreditation | TEQSA |
| Affiliation | Innovative Research Universities (IRU) |
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Academic affiliations
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| Budget | A$312.84 million (2022) |
| Chancellor | Lisa Paul |
| Vice-Chancellor | Lucy Johnston |
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Total staff
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1,185 regular (2022) 272 casual (2022) |
| Students | 11,246 (2022) |
| Undergraduates | 8,194 (2022) |
| Postgraduates | 2,228 (2022) |
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Other students
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| Address |
11 Kirinari Street
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2617
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| Campus | Urban, 296 acres (1.2 km2) |
| Colours | Teal |
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Sporting affiliations
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| Mascot | Cappie the Giraffe |
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The University of Canberra (UC) is a public university in Australia. Its main campus is in Bruce, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. It's close to the Belconnen Town Centre. UC offers many courses for students who have finished high school (undergraduate) and those who want to study more (postgraduate). These courses cover subjects like Health, Art and Design, Business, Law, Education, and Science.
UC works with two local schools: UC Senior Secondary College Lake Ginninderra and University of Canberra High School Kaleen. The University of Canberra College helps students get ready for university, including those from other countries.
Contents
History of the University
The University of Canberra started in 1967. Back then, it was called the Canberra College of Advanced Education. In 1990, it officially became the University of Canberra.
Since 1970, over 70,000 students have graduated from UC. The university has grown a lot. In 2007, it had about 7,300 students. By 2014, this number grew to over 13,000. As of 2023, there are about 10,785 students studying there.
The Foundation Stone and Stone Day Festival
A special event called Stone Day used to be held at the university. It was a music festival with local bands. This festival celebrated the day the university's foundation stone was placed. The Prime Minister John Gorton placed this stone on October 28, 1968.
You can see the stone near Building 1 at the university. It has a message carved into it:
This Stone was unveiled by the right honourable J.G. Gorton, M.P., Prime Minister of Australia, on 28 October 1968, to mark the establishment of the Canberra College of Advanced Education.
Stone Day started in 1971. Over the years, it grew bigger and bigger. By 1976, it became a whole week of celebrations! In the 1980s and 1990s, it was a very popular event in Canberra. In 2000, it was renamed Stonefest. After a break, Stonefest returned in 2019 with both local and international music acts.
Exploring the Campus
The University of Canberra has one main campus. It is located in the suburb of Bruce. The campus is quite large, covering about 290 acres. It has over 28 buildings. Each building is for a different subject or department. Most buildings are around a central area called the main concourse.
The buildings are numbered, but not in the order they were built. They are numbered in a circle around the concourse, starting from Building 1.
The University Library
The University of Canberra Library is in Building 8. It has four floors where students can study and find books.
Campus Facilities
- The Refectory: This is the main food hall, located in Building 1. It has cafes, a post office, a shop, and places to relax. It also hosts concerts. Upstairs, there are study rooms that students can book.
- The Hub: This area is under the main concourse. It has more cafes, a hair salon, and a bank. The university's student radio station, 87.8 UCFM, has its studios here. The Hub also hosts DJs.
- Sport and Fitness Centre: In Building 29, you'll find a gym. It's also where the Brumbies Rugby team has its offices. Nearby, in Building 4, there are basketball and squash courts. The campus also has various sports fields.
Student Homes
Students can live in different places on campus:
- UniLodge: This includes Cooper Lodge, Weeden Lodge, and UC Lodge.
- Campus West: Also run by UniLodge.
- University Gardens: This is in the nearby suburb of Belconnen.
These options are available for all students, including those from other countries.
How the University is Run
University Leaders
The main leader of the university is called the Chancellor. The current Chancellor is Lisa Paul. She used to be a very important public servant in Australia.
The person in charge of the daily running of the university is the vice-chancellor. The current interim Vice-Chancellor is Professor Lucy Johnston.
Like most universities in Australia, the University of Canberra gets most of its money from the Australian Government and from student fees.
What You Can Study: Faculties
The University of Canberra has five main teaching areas, called faculties. Each faculty offers many different courses:
- Arts and Design: Here, you can study things like architecture, graphic design, journalism, creative writing, and media arts.
- Business, Government and Law: This faculty offers courses in accounting, business administration, finance, law, marketing, politics, and public policy.
- Education: If you want to become a teacher, this is the place! They have courses for teaching early childhood, primary, and secondary school students.
- Health: This faculty trains people to work in healthcare. You can study to become a nurse, midwife, occupational therapist, psychologist, physiotherapist, or pharmacist, among others.
- Science and Technology: This faculty teaches about environmental sciences, biomedical and forensic science, information technology, engineering, and mathematics.
UC also offers "double degrees." This means you can study two different subjects from different faculties at the same time!
University Achievements
Rankings
The University of Canberra is known as one of the world's top young universities. In 2020, it was ranked among the top 20 universities that are less than 50 years old by Times Higher Education. It moved up from number 34 in 2019 to number 18!
Research Centres
The university has special centres where experts do important research. Some of these include:
- Institute for Applied Ecology (studying nature)
- Research Institute for Sport and Exercise (studying sports and fitness)
- Health Research Institute (studying health)
- News and Media Research Centre (studying news and media)
- STEM Education Research Centre (studying how to teach science, technology, engineering, and math)
Working with Others
The University of Canberra works with different groups and organisations. For example, in 2023, UC announced a partnership with Stromlo Forest Park. This partnership will help expand research and teaching in sports, tourism, and business.
Well-Known People from UC
Staff Members
Some famous people who have worked at the University of Canberra include:
- Donald Horne: A well-known journalist and writer.
- Peter Leahy: A former leader of the Australian Army.
- Susan Ryan: A former government minister.
Graduates (Alumni)
Many people who have studied at the University of Canberra have gone on to do amazing things! You can find a longer list of these people on the List of University of Canberra people page.
See also
- List of universities in Australia
- University of Canberra (Wikiversity)
