Western Sydney University
| File:UWS logo.png | |
| Motto | Bringing knowledge to life |
|---|---|
| Type | Public |
| Established | 1989 |
| Chancellor | Mr John Phillips AO |
| Vice-Chancellor | Professor Janice Reid AM |
| Students | 35,000 (2007) |
| Location | , , |
| Campus | Urban |
| Website | www.uws.edu.au |
The University of Western Sydney, also known as UWS, is a university in Australia. It was established in 1989 with its campuses dispersed across the suburbs of western Sydney.
In 2007 the University had 35,000 students and 2,500 academic staff.
History
The University was formed in 1989 as the University of Western Sydney Federation.
In 1987 the New South Wales Labor government decided to name the planned new university in Sydney's western suburbs Chifley University. When, in 1989, a new Liberal government renamed it the University of Western Sydney, controversy broke out. According to a debate[1] on the topic, held in 1997 after the Labor Party had regained government, the decision to rename Chifley University reflected a desire to attach the name of Chifley to institutions of lasting significance, and that idea ultimately received the support of Bob Carr, later the Premier of New South Wales.
The University has a legislative basis in NSW state legislation with the passing of the University of Western Sydney Act (NSW) 1997, which also empowers the university to make by-laws affecting the operation of the university.
The University consists of an amalgamation of campuses, each with their own unique and individual history, however due to the university attempting to unify all campuses into a single entity, clear distinctions between the natures of individual campuses are becoming hard to find. The oldest campus, Hawkesbury campus, was founded in 1891 by the NSW Agricultural Society.
In 2000, after internal restructuring, the Hawkesbury, Macarthur and Nepean campuses ceased to exist as autonomous components of the now defunct University of Western Sydney Federation and became a part of the new multi-campus University of Western Sydney.
The UWS mission is to be a university of international standing and outlook, achieving excellence through scholarship, teaching, learning, research and service to its regional, national and international communities, beginning with the people of Greater Western Sydney.
Organisation
The University comprises seventeen schools, which are grouped into three colleges:
- College of Arts
- School of Communication Arts
- School of Education
- School of Humanities and Languages
- School of Psychology
- School of Social Sciences
- College of Business
- School of Accounting
- School of Economics and Finance
- School of Law
- School of Management
- School of Marketing
- Sydney Graduate School of Management
- College of Health and Science
- School of Biomedical and Health Sciences
- School of Computing and Mathematics
- School of Engineering
- School of Medicine
- School of Natural Sciences
- School of Nursing
Campuses
The University of Western Sydney is made up of six campuses and one precinct, each campus hosting their own unique array of courses, the unit loading of which may be shared across campuses.
Bankstown campus
The UWS Bankstown Campus is a relatively new campus, located at Milperra, about 5-10 minutes from the Bankstown CBD. Specialising in the social sciences, most of the students on campus are psychology, sociology, nursing, arts and linguistic students. The campus also hosts the Bachelor of Policing degree. The campus also includes a modern cafeteria/eatery area, a full-size football oval and is home to the MARCS Sensory Laboratories.
UWS's most well-known interpreting and translation course is taught at Bankstown campus. UWS trains and produces many NAATI accredited interpreters and translators.
The oldest building on campus was opened in 1989. The building contains a plaque indicating that it was opened by the then treasurer and former Prime Minister Paul Keating.
Blacktown campus
The UWS Blacktown Campus is built on the site of the HMAS Nirimba, a former naval base, and is also known as the Nirimba Campus. It is located in the Nirimba Education Precinct, in Quakers Hill, about 10 minutes from the Blacktown CBD.
The UWS Campus shares facilities with two schools, one public high school and one Catholic College. There is also a TAFE on site. It is primarily a single-discipline campus, offering business courses which are also taught at other UWS campuses.
By 2009, the Quakers Hill Campus will close due to the reallocation of University resources, and will relocate students and staff to Kingswood (Penrith) and Rydalmere (Parramatta) Campuses.[2]
Campbelltown campus
The UWS Campbelltown Campus is located in the Macarthur region in South Western Sydney. Together with the Bankstown campus, the Campbelltown campus was originally part of the Macarthur Institute of Higher Education, founded in 1984.
In 2007 the Bachelor of Medicine/Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) degree was offered for the first time. It is hoped that many of the School's graduates will practice in the Western Sydney region, in order to address the shortage of healthcare professionals in the area.
Hawkesbury campus
The UWS Hawkesbury Campus, also known as the Richmond campus, is located on a 1300 hectare site in the Hawkesbury Valley in north-western Sydney, near the town of Richmond. The campus was originally the Hawkesbury Agricultural College, established by the New South Wales Department of Agriculture in 1891.
The Hawkesbury Campus houses the Hawkesbury Forest Experiment which is one of the most ambitious studies of climate change to be undertaken in the Southern Hemisphere. The Experiment consists of twelve giant chambers with individual, living trees in controlled environments which will help predict what will happen to the Australian bush over the next century.[3]
This campus is also home to the Forensic Science degree and holds a crime scene house, various forensic lab equipment. The Centre for Plant and Food Science is also located at this campus.[4]
Parramatta campus and Westmead precinct
The UWS Parramatta Campus was established in the 1800s as a female orphan school. The Rydalmere campus has long served the populace of Western Sydney.
A historical site with contemporary features, the Rydalmere campus was opened in 1998 and has proved one of the more coveted campuses for students from the inner city and western Sydney as it is by far the closest campus to Sydney metropolitan and inner city suburbs as well as located closer to amenities and employment areas.
The campus is located in Rydalmere, near Rosehill the traditional foundation site of the greater portion of Australia's colonial heritage. Courses include nursing, business and law. It also hosts science courses in modern buildings near to the main Rydalmere campus at a site formally used by quarantine authorities, CSIRO and Amdel Sugar (the BCRI laboratories).
Before the Parramatta Campus was developed, classes were held at the Westmead Precinct.
The Westmead Precinct is part of the Parramatta Campus. The oldest building on the site was the home of the historic St Vincent's Orphanage. The Westmead area is one of Sydney's premier medical districts and includes Westmead Hospital and the The Children's Hospital at Westmead. However, for the last few years the Westmead Precinct has been leased to private companies, including Sydney Western International College (of which UWS is a 51% majority holder) and the NSW Police. Amid quite a bit of controversy, the University has been pushing to sell the site for the past four years, resulting in a backlash from unions and students alike.[citation needed]
Penrith campus
The UWS Penrith Campuses, is made up of three areas; Kingswood, Werrington South and Werrington North.
Kingswood has most of the campus's student services and facilities, computer rooms, classrooms and lecture theatres. It also has tennis courts, a gym, a bar (the Swamp Bar) and student accommodation. The Allen Library, which has a focus on engineering and science texts, is located at Kingswood.
Werrington South has fewer classrooms and lecture theatres. It contains Ward Library, which has a focus on arts and humanities. It contains the faculty of communications, design and media. It is also the site of Sydney's community television station TVS. This is the campus for the Bachelor of Communications degree.
Werrington North used to be a teaching campus but is now administration only, and houses the Chancellor and Vice Chancellor's offices. It also has the Nepean Observatory built by Dr Graeme White (no longer with UWS) and members of the UWS Centre for Astronomy.
Focus areas are split between Werrington South and Kingswood, with most engineering, computing, music, fine arts and humanities subjects having classes in Kingswood and communication arts and drama subjects having classes at Werrington South.
Research
Research at the University of Western Sydney focuses on solving real life problems and is responsive to contemporary challenges in Greater Western Sydney and beyond. The University’s research centres and programs attract international, national and local interest and contribute to developments that are making a difference in contemporary life. [5]
The University of Western Sydney is rapidly growing its research capacity – with an annual growth in external research income of over 20%. The success rate of the Australian Research Council Linkage research partnerships with industry and business is consistently among the top five in Australia.
Student organisations
The University of Western Sydney has three student organisations, each with their own focus and areas of responsibility.
These organisations are responsible for the bulk of extracurricular activities and services provided by the University.
Each organisation previously sourced their funds from Compulsory Student Unionism fees. With the passage of Voluntary Student Unionism legislation, UWS agreed to fund the organisations, but at a substantially reduced level. UWSSA also asks students to pay a voluntary $60 fee.
UWSSA and PAUWS are independent of the university while uwsconnect is wholly owned by UWS. All are non-profit organisations.
- UWSSA Inc — The University of Western Sydney Student Association. Its motto is "Bringing life to knowledge" - a twist on the University's motto. It aims to improve student life by providing support services, welfare information and standing up for the rights of students. UWSSA publishes The Western Onion, the UWS student newspaper.
- uwsconnect Ltd — uwsconnect is a not for profit[citation needed] company owned by the University which aims to improve university life by providing bars, cafés, sporting events, recreational activities, etc. It is responsible for organising commercial ties with the university and its students, such as advertising space within the university, vending machines and student discounts and special offers.
- PAUWS Inc — Postgraduate Association for students attending the University of Western Sydney. PAUWS is a student association for the postgraduate student population.
References
See also
- Television Sydney (TVS) - Sydney community TV station run from Penrith Campus (Werrington South)