Vice-Chancellor attends Malaysian Graduation Ceremony
The University's reach across the globe has seen the USC alumni welcome many international students to its ranks.
Vice-Chancellor Professor Paul Thomas AM attended the Graduation Ceremony of more than 100 Malaysian business graduates in Kuala Lumpur late last year.
Professor Thomas noted the ceremony demonstrated how important international relations were to promote cultural understanding and respect world wide.
“The Sunshine Coast is gaining enormous visibility internationally through the work of our staff, and also students who participate in exchanges or the Global Opportunities (GO) Program," he said.
“In addition, our numbers of on-campus international students continue to grow. In the late 90s we had virtually no on-campus international students. In 2007, we will have around 600, over 160 of whom will be postgraduate, over 200 will be Study Abroad, and nearly 200 undergraduate.”
Alumni event–Pulse sculpture unveiling
USC Art Gallery, 5 April 2007
If you happen to be visiting USC over the next couple of months, you may notice the campus enhancements taking shape in front of the Art Gallery. Not only is this area being landscaped, it will also house a stunning outdoor sculpture entitled Pulse.
Pulse will be officially unveiled on-site on 5 April, and we encourage as many of you as possible to be part of this significant occasion. Electronic invitations to alumni living in the Sunshine Coast and Brisbane areas will be sent closer to the event. If you live outside these areas and plan to be on the Sunshine Coast on the evening, please let us know so we can send you an invitation.
The sculpture has been commissioned as a result of a generous donation from the United States through the efforts of Mrs Arija Austin, a Senior Honorary Fellow of the University. It will be created by renowned artist Konstantin Dimopoulos using red and orange rods seven metres in length (see illustration).
In the words of the artist: “It is a dynamic sculpture, moving gently in the wind, and through the use of movement, colour and sound, it explores both the natural beauty inherent within the University area and the rich spirituality of the land.”
The official unveiling will coincide with the opening of the second Gallery exhibition for the year, JADA—The 2006 Acquisitive Drawing Awards, now Australia’s richest drawing prize. For more information about this and other exhibitions, please visit the Art Gallery page on the USC website.
The Art Gallery is open Monday–Saturday, 10am–4pm, and closed Sundays and public holidays.
Indoor stadium construction gains momentum
The next time you visit the campus at Sippy Downs you will notice a new building adjacent to the athletics track. Construction of the new A$10million sports stadium began in late 2006 and is due to be completed in May 2007.
The stadium will be the size of three basketball courts and will be used for basketball, netball, futsal (indoor soccer), volleyball and badminton.
The stadium will also provide space for a 3,000-seat auditorium that can be used for graduation ceremonies and examinations.
Funding for the project was provided by the University and the Queensland Government. The Department of Education provided A$2 million while the Department of Sport and Recreation provided A$900,000.
Click here to view the stadium construction through the University’s live webcam!
USC to provide climate change training for executives
The University of the Sunshine Coast has signed an agreement that will see it jointly provide the first accredited climate change training for business and government professionals in Australia.
A strategic agreement to develop and provide the training was signed by USC Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Greg Hill and representatives from Climate Risk Pty Ltd (Australia/UK) and CLIMsystems Ltd of New Zealand.
Climate Risk Pty Ltd and its sister company, Climate Risk Europe Ltd, have broad experience in climate risk assessment, corporate sustainability and emergent energy development. CLIMsystems Ltd holds the exclusive distribution rights for software products in support of climate change vulnerability and adaptation assessment.
Professor Hill said the joint venture planned to develop a range of training programs, from two-day executive primers right up to Masters level qualifications, to equip both the public and private sectors to make informed decisions about managing the risks arising from climatic variability and change.
“It’s an opportunity for us to be part of a consortium that’s working at the cutting edge of climate change research, teaching and risk management,” he said.
“It will lift the profile of the University and provide great opportunities for staff and students.”
Graduate joins alumni program to ‘give back’ to USC
Communication graduate Deb Daly says she joined the USC alumni to give back to the University that gave her so many opportunities.
“My time at USC is something that I’ll always cherish,” Deb says.
“USC gave me opportunities that I didn’t know were available, or even expected from a university when I was deciding where to go.
“The calibre and passion of the teaching and administrative staff is second-to-none. The University has an environment that welcomes everyone—school leavers, mature-age students and international students.”
Deb also took advantage of the University’s Global Opportunities (GO) Program and studied for a semester at North Dakota State University in the USA in 2005.
The Bachelor of Communication (Public Relations) graduate now works on the Sunshine Coast as a consultant for Three Plus, which was named one of BRW's top 100 fastest growing small and medium sized companies in Australia in 2006. Deb’s role at Three Plus includes media liaison, event management, corporate communications, media planning and community consultation.
The University, with its strong regional links, was instrumental in helping her find the job.
While undertaking an internship with Reed Property Group, Deb’s internship coordinator suggested her to Three Plus and she was hired prior to completing her study.
“During the interview process I had feedback that my involvement in an overseas study experience, and my initiative in organising that semester, contributed to my being the most favourable applicant,” Deb says.
“The USC program allowed for hands-on, industry based experience.
“My classes provided examples of situations that relate to the industry today and tools for how to deal with a fast-changing environment.”
Although she is now actively engaged in her career in public relations, Deb says she hopes to maintain strong links with the University, and encourages others to do the same.
“I hope that other USC graduates will embrace the alumni program and give back to a university that gives so much to its students.”
What have you been doing since leaving USC? We are always interested to hear what our graduates have been up to, so please send your story to Alumni Relations.
New USC undergraduate programs for 2007
The University’s rapid growth in students has been buoyed by the introduction of new degree programs in areas such as nursing science, nutrition and dietetics, justice and legal studies and early childhood education.
New undergraduate programs for 2007 include:
Bachelor of Business (Property and Asset Management)
Bachelor of Coastal Studies (Honours)
Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood)/Bachelor of Human Services
Bachelor of Justice and Legal Studies
Bachelor of Nursing Science
Bachelor of Nursing Science (Graduate Entry)
Bachelor of Nutrition and Dietetics
Bachelor of Science (Environment and Health)
Bachelor of Software Engineering
Diploma of Conservation and Land Management/Bachelor of Coastal Studies
Diploma of Laboratory Technology/Bachelor of Food Science and Nutrition
Diploma of Laboratory Technology (Biological and Environmental Testing)/Bachelor of Coastal Studies
Diploma of Laboratory Technology (Biotechnology/Pathology)/Bachelor of Science (Biomedical Science)
Selling second-hand books
We all remember the sometimes costly exercise that was buying textbooks. So why not reap some more rewards from finishing your study and sell your second-hand books?
You can sell your second-hand textbooks via the USC Student Guild website, making it cheaper for students to buy their books and putting a bit of extra cash in your back pocket!
Community magazine out soon
The USC quarterly magazine Community, which provides a comprehensive update of University achievements and news, will be posted to you in the next few weeks.
Stay connected
As a member of our alumni, the University encourages you to stay in touch. To inform us of a change in your address or job, please let us know by either emailing Alumni Relations or completing the Stay Connected form.
The University profiles alumni members in USC publications and on the USC website throughout the year, so please let us know of your successes and achievements. We look forward to hearing from you.
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