Ballarat
is 120km west of Melbourne, and just 80 minutes drive to Tullamarine International
airport - less time than it takes from many suburbs of Melbourne. The
city and University have a shining future and a golden past. People from
across the globe swelled the streets in the 1850s, hoping to find their
fortunes in the local soils. This sudden wealth and population led to
the growth of a magnificent Victorian-era city, and organisations that
are still operating today. They include the School of Mines Ballarat,
which turns 130 this year and is Australia's oldest Technical and Further
Education institute. It merged with the University in 1998, and is now
known as the SMB campus.
Another more recent landmark for the University was the establishment of the Ballarat Technology Park with the local City council in 1995. The site is next to the Mt Helen campus, and houses several major businesses, including IBM Global Services, Oztrak and several enterprises launched by current and former students. This is just a small part of the extensive industry links that the University has forged.
For example, computing
students can now complete one of Australia's few Information Technology
degrees with a year of paid work placement in the middle.
Many major firms from across the country come straight to the campus to
look for staff, knowing they will get a work-ready employee who has stayed
ahead of technology, and been educated with their company in mind.
The University caters for the real world, especially when it comes to the needs of rural or isolated people. It is one of eight universities in the state of Victoria, but the only one fully-based in the country. The University is involved in many projects helping to break the distance barrier by using information technology, and this is not limited to our computing classes. Examples include the first ever Online Australia Field Day, the 'Internet to the Outback' teaching program, the Uthnet health education program for country Victorian schools, and Virtual Mentoring, where tertiary students help secondary students in isolated schools with special research projects via e-mail.
But
back on campus, life on campus is relaxed, comfortable and free of distractions
if you want it to be. For students wanting a more rounded university experience,
the campus has an indoor heated pool, sports stadiums, ovals, running
track, gym, native bushland, social clubs, shops, cafes, and activities
such as rock-climbing and camping through the Unisports program. Ballarat
is also hosting the 2000 Australian University Games, the nation's biggest
multi-sport event outside the Olympics. The city is the first non-metro
area to host the University Games, and the winning bid reflects the excellent
sporting facilities in the city and at Mt Helen. Off campus, students
can hike or visit aboriginal art sites in the Grampians, rock-climb at
Mt Arapiles, stop to surf along the Great Ocean Road, or come face to
face with furry friends at the Ballarat Wildlife Park.
One of the city's
biggest drawcards is Sovereign Hill historical park, a recreated 1850s
village just five minutes' drive from the Mt Helen campus, and the scene
of a royal visit in March 2000. In fact, local and regional bus routes
to the campus travel straight past Sovereign Hill, and link up with coach
and train services in the centre of Ballarat. They in turn are linked
to routes to Melbourne or Adelaide.
Another bus service to Geelong and the surf coast stops at the Mt Helen
campus.
Meanwhile, classes at the University are generally small and friendly. Students are more likely to get personal attention and feel like a valued member of the University, not a number. People remember your name, and that can make a big difference. The warm welcome gives students a greater chance of finding new friends, fitting in, staying on and doing well. Going into the right environment from the start means international students have a firm foundation for whatever course they chose. Choose the wrong environment, and it can be a lonely experience - or a very costly one if things don't work out. Staff and students often organise informal meals or social functions to get to know new students, which is something you will not find elsewhere. The Mt Helen campus also has two general practitioners, six counsellors, five chaplains, a short-term student loan service and international student experts who can help anyone dealing with issues away from home for the first time.
For more on courses
in the University of Ballarat visit
www.ballarat.edu.au,
or call + 61 (3) 5327 9500.
Author
Gabrielle Hodson
Media Liaison
University of Ballarat - Mt Helen campus
