Western Sydney University

Western Sydney University

Emblem of Western Sydney University
Type Public
Established 1989 (1989)
Endowment A$650 million (2013)[1]
Chancellor Peter Shergold AC
Vice-Chancellor Barney Glover
Academic staff
 1,543
Administrative staff
 1,813
Students 44,918
Undergraduates 37,033
Postgraduates 5,625
Location Sydney, NSW, Australia
Campus Urban, total 1713.5 ha
Colours      Crimson
Affiliations
Website www.westernsydney.edu.au

Western Sydney University, formerly the University of Western Sydney, is an Australian multi-campus university in the Greater Western region of Sydney. It is a provider of undergraduate, postgraduate and higher research degrees with campuses in Bankstown, Blacktown, Campbelltown, Hawkesbury, Parramatta, and Penrith. It is currently ranked in the top 400 in the world in the 2014 QS World University Rankings and 19th in Australia in 2015.[2][3]

The university in its current form was founded in 1989 under the terms of the University of Western Sydney Act, 1988, which created a federated network university with an amalgamation between two trade schools – Nepean College of Advanced Education and Hawkesbury Agricultural College. The Macarthur Institute of Higher Education was incorporated into the university in 1989, and in 2001 the University of Western Sydney was restructured as a single multi-campus university rather than as a federation. In 2015, the university underwent a rebranding which resulted in a change in name from the University of Western Sydney to Western Sydney University.

History

Foundation and early years

The University consists of an amalgamation of campuses, each with their own unique and individual history. In 1891, the Hawkesbury campus was established as an agricultural college by the NSW Agricultural Society. At Parramatta, Western Sydney University owns and has renovated the Female Orphan School building, the foundation stone of which was laid by Governor Lachlan Macquarie in 1813.[4]

In 1987 the New South Wales Labor government planned to name the university Chifley University, after the former Labor Prime Minister, Ben Chifley. However, in 1989, a new Liberal government reversed this decision and controversially named it the University of Western Sydney.[5]

In 1989, teachers' colleges and Colleges of Advanced Education in Sydney's western suburbs were given university status under the University of Western Sydney Act of 1988. The 1990s saw the federation of three education providers: UWS Nepean, UWS Hawkesbury and UWS Macarthur. 1989 was the year the Hawke federal labour government introduced HECS, the Higher Education Contribution Scheme. 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. In 2000, in order to reduce administrative expenses and duplication of courses offered by the inner Sydney universities and to eliminate competition between Western Sydney University member institutions, Western Sydney University became one multi-campus university.

Recent history

Previous logo of the University of Western Sydney.

Federal Government funding of Australia's universities as a percentage of Australia's GDP was in decline during the years of the Howard government.[6] Federal funding policy was very influential at UWS.[7] In 2000, after internal restructuring and cost-cutting, UWS Hawkesbury, UWS Macarthur and UWS Nepean ceased to exist as autonomous components of the now defunct University of Western Sydney federation and became the new multi-campus University of Western Sydney.[8]

In the 2000s, UWS consolidated its schools of fine art, social science, humanities and psychology. In this decade the university introduced its first nanotechnology and biotechnology undergraduate degrees.

In 2002 UWS designed and installed standardised IT infrastructure across its campuses.[9]

In 2003, UWS sponsored a Samuel Beckett symposium as part of the Sydney Festival.[10]

In 2003 there was a highly publicised squabble over UWS between the New South Wales state government and the Australian federal government.[11]

In 2004, Michael Le Grand won the inaugural UWS Sculpture Award.[12]

Also in 2004, UWS joined with Metro Screen and SLICE TV to successfully bid for Sydney's first permanent Community Television licence. Television Sydney, broadcasting as TVS, launched in February 2006 from a broadcast operations centre located on the Werrington South Campus.

In 2006 the UWS news site reported: "Demand to study at the University of Western Sydney is on the rise, with UWS receiving the third-biggest jump in first preferences among NSW and ACT universities for 2007".[13]

In 2007, UWS had its first intake for the Bachelor of Medicine / Bachelor of Surgery.[14] In the same year UWS was part of a consortium with Griffith University and the University of Melbourne to win funding for a National Centre of Excellence for Islamic Studies.[15]

In 2008, UWS announced its current water and energy saving strategies,[16] its Indigenous Advisory Board[17] and endorsed Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's apology to the Stolen Generations.

In 2011 and 2012, Professor Roy Tasker [18] and James Arvanitakis,[19] respectively, were announced as the Prime Minister’s Australian University Teacher of the Year

On 30 August 2015, the University of Western Sydney underwent a rebranding which resulted in a change in name to Western Sydney University.[20]

Early in 2016 some controversy surrounding the University's full support of complementary medicine [21] and the university's habit of spying on employees who lodge complaints [22] in good faith emerged in the press. An employee, as well as eminent scientists,[21] criticised the biased and unbridled support of the University for complementary medicines such as homeopathy, acupuncture, TCM, energy healing etc.[23][24] The main controversial aspect was the continued support of these pseudo-scientific fields in exchange for continued funding from the naturopathic Jacka Foundation of Natural Therapies.[25][26]

Campuses

The Western Sydney University is made up of six campuses and one precinct, with each campus hosting their own unique array of courses, of which different units can be completed across multiple campuses.

Bankstown

Bankstown Campus Library

The Bankstown Campus is a relatively new campus, located at Milperra, about 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) from the Bankstown CBD. Specialising in the social sciences, most of the students on campus are psychology, sociology, arts and linguistic students. The campus also hosts the Bachelor of Policing degree and much of The MARCS Institute. The campus also includes a modern cafeteria/eatery area.

The University's most well-known interpreting and translation course is taught at Bankstown campus, and 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

In 2009 Western Sydney University opened The College at the old Blacktown campus of the University after protest about the divesting of property and resources from the site.

The College Nirimba campus is built on the site of HMAS Nirimba, a former naval aviation base, and is also known as the Nirimba Education Precinct, in Quakers Hill, about a 10-minute drive from Blacktown. The nearest railway station is Quakers Hill. The campus has many historical buildings and 2 crossed air runways.

Nirimba Campus has student accommodation, air-conditioned lecture theatres and rooms built in the 1990s. The campus has views of nearby Schofields Aerodrome. Campus numbers have dwindled since the university reduced the range of courses available. It is primarily a single-discipline campus, offering business courses which are also taught at other Western Sydney University campuses. Nirimba campus is not far from Norwest Business Park.

Located in the Nirimba Education Precinct in Quakers Hill, the campus is the home of the Western Sydney University-owned [27] UWSCollege. Western Sydney University shares the precinct with TAFE NSW-Western Sydney Institute, Nirimba College, Catholic College, Nirimba Campus and Wyndham College. Together they propose to "work through a collaborative partnership focusing on innovation, enterprise and dedication in achieving the best possible outcomes for students." [28]

In recent times there has been much controversy over the status of this campus, at one point Western Sydney University was depicted in the media as abandoning the campus and the local area it served.[29] There was even a Council run protest at the closure called Save UWS Nirimba, where politicians and the University were petitioned to save the campus from closure, later it was decided rather than divesting they would set up The College.

Western Sydney University has recently announced for its Blacktown campus a brand new Medical facility called the Blacktown-Mount Druitt Clinical school [30] which would be based at Blacktown Hospital, making it the second clinical school associated with the School of Medicine.[31]

The College is a "pathways to university" institute and caters to those who wish to go to the University.

The library located in C21 was originally a dual purpose library, though run and staffed by Western Sydney University it was also used as the TAFE library. Now a 'triple purpose' library is also caters to the students of The College. Both WSI TAFE and The College provide funding to Western Sydney University for this privilege, however as with all Western Sydney University libraries, purchasing, collection maintenance and staffing is managed centrally.

Campbelltown

The Campbelltown Campus is located in the semi-rural 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. The campus offers degrees (among many others) in medicine, health, sciences, nursing, law and business. Research centres are also located in the campus.

In 2007 the School of Medicine was established and began offering the Bachelor of Medicine/Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) degree for the first time in the university's history. It is hoped that many of the School's graduates will practice in the Western Sydney region, in order to redress the shortage of healthcare professionals in the area.

The on-campus student accommodation (called 'Gunydji') was upgraded in 2010 with a maximum occupancy of 205. It is a complex of self-contained units that accommodate five tenants each.[32]

The campus is home to the UWS Rotary Observatory, designed by Dr. Ragbir Bhathal, consisting of two observing domes of 4.5m and 2.9m diameter respectively,[33] opened on 15 July 2000. The observatory is principally utilised for Optical S.E.T.I. research but also hosts community astronomy nights, in collaboration with Macarthur Astronomical Society. In 2013 the observatory was relocated to make way for a new residential housing estate to the south of the campus. It was reopened in a new location on 2 October 2014.[34] The campus also provides the venue for the Macarthur Astronomy Forum.

Hawkesbury

Hawkesbury Science Lecture Theatre, 1899
Hawkesbury Agricultural College 1899

The Hawkesbury campus, also known as the Richmond campus, is located on a 1,300 hectare site in the Hawkesbury Valley in north-western Sydney, next to the town of Richmond. Courses are offered in environmental health, forensic science, nursing, medical science, natural science (environmental, agricultural, horticultural), secondary school science teaching. Hawkesbury campus facilities include research labs, farmland, aquacultural (not operational) and equine facilities, residential halls and cottages, a conference centre, religious centres, a campus social hub called Stable Square, featuring cafeterias, a bar, a music room and a large collection of Hawkesbury Agricultural College memorabilia.

The Hawkesbury campus houses the Hawkesbury Forest Experiment. 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.[35]

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.[36]

Hawkesbury Earthcare Centre, an organic farming organisation with a seedbank is located at Hawkesbury Campus. The centre is affiliated with Henry Doubleday Research and the Alternative Technology Association.[37]

The Hawkesbury campus is next to Richmond TAFE. The nearest railway station is East Richmond

History

This campus was originally the Hawkesbury Agricultural College, established by the New South Wales Department of Agriculture in 1891. It later became a College of Advanced Education until 1989, then UWS Hawkesbury (as a member institution of UWS with campuses and Richmond and Quaker's Hill) until 2000. The School of Agriculture operated a commercial dairy until it closed in 2004.[38]

Parramatta

Female Orphan School
1850s
Female Orphan School
2012
Former Female Orphan School, now the site of the Whitlam Institute.

The Parramatta Campus is on the site of a female orphan school founded in 1813.[39][40] The site was formerly home to Rydalmere Psychiatric hopital and is located in a neighbouring and close suburb to Parramatta, called Rydalmere.

A historical site with contemporary features, the Rydalmere campus was established as a campus of UWS in 1998 and has proved one of the more coveted campuses for students as it is geographically located in the centre of the Greater Sydney region and out of the eight campuses of UWS, it is the nearest campus to the Sydney CBD (making it close to more amenities and employment areas).

Parramatta campus courses include occupation fields like Science, Business and Law/justice just to name a few. It also hosts their Science courses in modern buildings near to the Rydalmere campus at a site formerly used by quarantine authorities, CSIRO, Amdel Sugar, and the Biological and Chemical Research Institute laboratories.[41]

Before the Parramatta campus was developed, classes were held at the Westmead Precinct; that is now part of the Parramatta campus. The oldest building on the site was the home of the historic St Vincent's Orphanage. A school focused on IELTS proficiency, called UWS College, is currently located at the Westmead Precinct. The Westmead area is one of Sydney's premier medical districts and includes Westmead Hospital and The Children's Hospital at Westmead; both teaching hospitals, although not formally affiliated with the University.

The University has announced the establishment of a new campus in the Parramatta CBD as an extension of its existing Parramatta Campus in 2014. The Parramatta City Campus will be located at 100 George Street. This will see some of its postgraduate courses relocate there, particularly in business (Sydney Graduate School of Management), the social sciences and humanities.

Penrith

The Penrith Campuses are made up of three areas in two Sydney suburbs; Kingswood, Werrington South and Werrington North.

Aerial photograph of the Kingswood campus site

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 and Ward Library have now merged and are housed in a new building on the Kingswood campus. The new building (John Phillips Library) has been shortlisted for the 2015 World Architecture Festival (WAF) Awards.

Werrington South has fewer classrooms and lecture theatres. Werrington South also contains the faculty of communications, design and media. This is the campus for the Bachelor of Design (Visual 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 and humanities subjects having classes in Kingswood and design having classes at Werrington South.

Western Sydney University also hosts the broadcast centre of Sydney's community television station TVS on Werrington South located in Building BD.

Western Sydney University hosts the radio broadcast centre of ABC Local Radio, ABC Radio National, ABC Classic FM, Triple J, ABC NewsRadio, ABC Dig Music, ABC Jazz, & ABC Country from the Ultimo radio studios.

Organisation and academics

Schools

Western Sydney University's academic activity is organized into "schools". Currently, the university has nine schools:

Research institutes and centres

In 2013 Western Sydney University was successful in obtaining over $5.8 million in grants from the prestigious Australian Research Council for 18 Discovery Projects, placing it 11th out of 40 universities in Australia.[42]

The Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment was officially opened in 2012, funded by a $40 million grant from the Australian Government Education Investment Fund. It houses some of the largest and most complex facilities in the world for researching the effects of climate change.[43]

The winner of the 2007 Miles Franklin Literary Award, Alexis Wright, is a UWS Postdoctoral Research Fellow.[44]

Western Sydney University has 11 Research Institutes and Centres:

Rankings and reputation

University rankings
QS World[45] 551-600
THE-WUR World[46] 401-500
ARWU World[47] 301-400
CWTS Leiden World[48] 609
Australian rankings
ERA National[49] 19

Student life

Student representation

Prior to 2009, Western Sydney University had two student organisations, each with its own focus and areas of responsibility. These organisations voluntarily shut down operations in 2009. These organisations were 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 asked students to pay a voluntary $60 fee.

Connect Fitness centre

UWSSA and PAUWS were independent of the University while UWSConnect is wholly owned by UWS.

UWSConnect Ltd. — UWSConnect is a not-for-profit[51] 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. UWSConnect has been criticised for high prices and poor quality food and events. This perception has dramatically improved since 2008, as the organisation consolidates itself at UWS.

Residences

Western Sydney University has on-campus accommodation in the form of the UWS Village.

Sport

Connect Fitness. — Connect Fitness is a not for profit organisation located on the grounds of Western Sydney University with four gyms now in operation over the Kingswood, Hawkesbury, Bankstown & Campbelltown campuses.

Media

Published since 2013, Cruwsible is an editorially independent student newspaper of Western Sydney University. It is available online and has a print circulation of 6,000.

Notable people

The current and seventh Chancellor of the University since January 2011 is Peter Shergold, AC, a former senior public servant and academic.[52] The current Vice-Chancellor and President of the university since January 2014 is Professor Barney Glover.[53]

Ig Nobel Prize

In 2014, Peter K. Jonason a Postgraduate Psychology professor at UWS with a Ph.D. in Psychology won the Ig Nobel Prize for Psychology in 2014 for his research into the "dark side" of human nature completed in 2013 under the report titled "Creatures of the Night: Chronotypes and the Dark Triad Traits," Peter K. Jonason, Amy Jones, and Minna Lyons, Personality and Individual Differences, vol. 55, no. 5, 2013, pp. 538–541.[54][55]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Finance 2013" (PDF). Department of Education (Australia).
  2. ↑ "QS World University Rankings 2013". Top Universities. 2013-08-27. Retrieved 2014-11-30.
  3. ↑ "Rankings". Australian Universities. Retrieved 17 April 2015.
  4. ↑ "Home | Whitlam Institute". Whitlam.org. Retrieved 2015-04-17.
  5. ↑ "University of Western Sydney Bill - 19/11/1997 - 2R - NSW Parliament". Parliament.nsw.gov.au. 1997-11-19. Retrieved 2015-04-17.
  6. ↑ "Services for international education marketing | Services for international education marketing". British Council. 2015-04-13. Retrieved 2015-04-17.
  7. ↑ Archived 19 July 2008 at the Wayback Machine.
  8. ↑
  9. ↑ "Microsoft – Official Home Page". Microsoft.com. Retrieved 2015-04-17.
  10. ↑ "Historical Conferences sponsored by UWS | University of Western Sydney (UWS)". Pubsites.uws.edu.au. Retrieved 2015-04-17.
  11. ↑ "PM - UWS accuses Jackie Kelly of smear campaign". Abc.net.au. Retrieved 2015-04-17.
  12. ↑ Archived 4 August 2008 at the Wayback Machine.
  13. ↑ Archived 23 March 2014 at the Wayback Machine.
  14. ↑ Archived 14 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine.
  15. ↑ Archived 30 July 2008 at the Wayback Machine.
  16. ↑ Archived 23 March 2014 at the Wayback Machine.
  17. ↑ Archived 23 March 2014 at the Wayback Machine.
  18. ↑
  19. ↑
  20. ↑ "Western Sydney University open day to officially launch its name change from UWS". perthnow.com.au. Retrieved 30 August 2015.
  21. 1 2 http://www.theage.com.au/national/health/uws-complementary-research-institute-promotes-good-news-and-ignores-bad-critics-say-20160227-gn58si.html
  22. ↑ http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/university-of-western-sydney-accused-of-snooping-through-staff-emails-20160219-gmz2by.html
  23. ↑ http://edzardernst.com/2016/05/acupuncture-for-allergic-rhinitis-a-case-of-scientific-misconduct/
  24. ↑ http://edzardernst.com/2016/05/acupuncture-does-it-increase-the-rate-of-adultery/
  25. ↑ http://www.jackafoundation.org.au/news-articles/judy-jacka-receives-honorary-fellowship-western-sydney-university
  26. ↑ http://www.westernsydney.edu.au/newscentre/news_centre/more_news_stories/western_sydney_university_honours_leading_australians
  27. ↑ "About Uwscollege". Uwscollege.edu.au. Archived from the original on 3 October 2009. Retrieved 2010-03-29.
  28. ↑ "Nirimba Precinct - Education and training colleges in Western Sydney". Nirimba.nsw.edu.au. Retrieved 2010-03-29.
  29. ↑ McDougall, Bruce (2007-06-20). "UWS shuts Blacktown campus". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2010-03-29.
  30. ↑ "UWS Latest News | University of Western Sydney (UWS)". Pubapps.uws.edu.au. Retrieved 2010-03-29.
  31. ↑ The first school being the Macarthur Clinical School at Campbelltown Hospital which opened in March 2007.
  32. ↑ Archived 16 February 2011 at the Wayback Machine.
  33. ↑ R. Bhathal. "Campbelltown Rotary Observatory" (PDF). Publish.csiro.au. Retrieved 2015-04-17.
  34. ↑ "The Gates of Light officially switched on at Macarthur Heights on Thursday". Dailytelegrpah.com.au\accessdate=2015-04-17.
  35. ↑
  36. ↑ "Home - Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment - University of Western Sydney". Uws.edu.au. 2014-09-02. Retrieved 2015-04-17.
  37. ↑ Archived 19 July 2008 at the Wayback Machine.
  38. ↑ "News Australia - Uni closes dairy farm - Dairy Cattle News". Engormix.com. Retrieved 2010-03-29.
  39. ↑ Wright, Jessica (1 June 2012). "PM announces $7 million grant for Whitlam tribute". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2 June 2012.
  40. ↑ "Gillard gives $7m for Whitlam project". Herald Sun. AAP. 1 June 2012. Retrieved 2 June 2012.
  41. ↑ "Biological and Chemical Research Institute (1970 - 1992)". Encyclopedia of Australian Science. 4 May 2006. Retrieved 2 June 2012.
  42. ↑ "UWS Shines with best ever ARC results". Western Sydney University. Retrieved 10 January 2013.
  43. ↑ "Climate right for new research institute at UWS". Western Sydney University. Retrieved 10 January 2013.
  44. ↑ "literature - in2oz creative australia - Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade". Dfat.gov.au. Retrieved 2010-03-29.
  45. ↑ "QS World University Rankings 2016/17". Quacquarelli Symonds Limited.
  46. ↑ "World University Rankings 2016-2017". TSL Education Limited.
  47. ↑ "Academic Ranking of World Universities 2016". Shanghai Ranking Consultancy.
  48. ↑ "CWTS Leiden Ranking 2016". Centre for Science and Technology Studies, Leiden University.
  49. ↑ "Australian University Rankings". Australian Education Network.
  50. ↑ coined by then the Communication Coordinator Doa Karan
  51. ↑ UWS Connect website stating UWS connect is a not for profit organisation
  52. ↑ "Peter Shergold appointed UWS Chancellor". University of Western Sydney (Press release). Australian School of Business. 25 October 2010. Retrieved 2 November 2013.
  53. ↑ "Vice-Chancellor and President". USW Executive. University of Western Sydney. 23 December 2014.
  54. ↑ "Winners of the Ig® Nobel Prize" (Website). Annals of Improbable Research. Retrieved 2015-06-16.
  55. ↑ "Peter Karl (PK) Jonason, Ph.D. Biography" (Website). Peter Karl Jonason. Retrieved 2015-06-16.
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