University Of New England (Australia)
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The University of New England (UNE) is a
public university A public university or public college is a university or college that is in owned by the state or receives significant public funds through a national or subnational government, as opposed to a private university. Whether a national universit ...
in
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
with approximately 22,500
higher education Higher education is tertiary education leading to award of an academic degree. Higher education, also called post-secondary education, third-level or tertiary education, is an optional final stage of formal learning that occurs after completi ...
student A student is a person enrolled in a school or other educational institution. In the United Kingdom and most commonwealth countries, a "student" attends a secondary school or higher (e.g., college or university); those in primary or elementar ...
s. Its original and main campus is located in the city of
Armidale Armidale is a city in the Northern Tablelands, New South Wales, Australia. Armidale had a population of 24,504 as of June 2018. Estimated resident population, 30 June 2018. It is the administrative centre for the Northern Tablelands region. I ...
in northern central
New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...
. UNE was the first Australian university established outside a state capital city. Each year, the university offers students more than $5 million in scholarships, prizes, and bursaries and more than $18 million for staff and students involved in research. In the 2019 Student Experience Survey, UNE recorded the sixth-highest student satisfaction rating out of all Australian universities, and the highest student satisfaction rating out of all public universities in New South Wales, with an overall satisfaction rating of 83.2. The university ranks lower in research-based rankings of Australian universities.


History


Establishment

The University of New England was preceded by the New England University College, founded in 1938 as part of the
University of Sydney The University of Sydney (USYD), also known as Sydney University, or informally Sydney Uni, is a public research university located in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and is one of the country's si ...
. The college became fully independent as the University of New England in 1954, after the entry into force of the University of New England Act 1953 (NSW). The university established a faculty of education in 1967.


Transition to a network university

The university underwent a major restructuring in 1989 with the University of New England Act 1989 (NSW), transitioning into a network university with multiple locations. These consisted of a campus at Armidale, which incorporated the former University of New England and the Armidale College of Advanced Education; and a campus at Lismore, incorporating the former Northern Rivers College of Advanced Education. In 1990, the Orange Agricultural College joined the university. The network also included the UNE-Coffs Harbour Centre, which provided courses from within academic departments of the Armidale and Lismore campuses.


Return to campus format

In November 1993, the University of New England was re-formed once again, with the passage of the University of New England Act 1993 (NSW) and the Southern Cross University Act 1993 (NSW) through the New South Wales Parliament. This legislation had the effect of dismantling the network university. The University of New England from 1994 has only one campus, at Armidale. A new university (
Southern Cross University Southern Cross University (SCU) is an Australian public university, with campuses at Lismore and Coffs Harbour in northern New South Wales, and at Coolangatta, the most southern suburb of the Gold Coast in Queensland. It is ranked in the top ...
) was created with campuses in Lismore and Coffs Harbour; the Orange campus was amalgamated with the
University of Sydney The University of Sydney (USYD), also known as Sydney University, or informally Sydney Uni, is a public research university located in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and is one of the country's si ...
. The amalgamation of the former Armidale College of Advanced Education was complete by the time of the new legislation. In the same year, a law school was established.


2020s

In 2020, the University of New England was impacted by the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
. Early in the year, the university became a potential exposure site, and students and faculty underwent viral tests. In September of that year, a staff restructuring was announced, with the goal of saving $20 million annually in wage costs and preparing the university for future opportunities, at the expense of 100 positions.


Campus

The University of New England is on several sites in Armidale. The northern campus is five kilometres to the northwest of the city centre, in a rural and bushland setting. Part of this campus includes the original property presented by T R Forster to the University of Sydney for the establishment of a University College. This property comprised the old homestead, 'Booloominbah', with several other buildings and 74 hectares of land. Since the original gift, other generous benefactors have presented properties to the university, whose Armidale site now comprises some 260 hectares.
Booloominbah Booloominbah is a heritage-listed mansion at 60 Madgwick Drive, Armidale, New South Wales, Armidale, Armidale Regional Council, New South Wales, Australia. It was designed by John Horbury Hunt in the Australian residential architectural styles ...
and the vice-chancellor's residence
Trevenna Trevenna is the residence of the Vice-Chancellor of the University of New England, in Armidale, New South Wales, Australia. The house was built in 1892 and is located off Trevenna Road on the western side of the main campus in Armidale. There is ...
were designed by architect
John Horbury Hunt John Horbury Hunt (1838 – December 30, 1904) was a Canadians, Canadian-born Australian architect who worked in Sydney and rural New South Wales from 1863. Life and career Born in Saint John, New Brunswick, the son of a builder, Hunt was tra ...
. The Newling campus of the university includes the Newling Centre, home to the New England Conservatorium of Music, and other buildings associated with the former Armidale College of Advanced Education. The university possesses rural properties close to the campus, providing facilities for teaching and research. In addition, there are the 'Tullimba' rural research property at Kingstown and the Douglas McMaster Rural Research Station at Warialda. The University of New England has one of the most extensive residential college systems in Australia. Around half of UNE's on campus students live in one of the colleges. In 2020, the university revealed plans to construct a campus in Tamworth by 2031.


Research

UNE undertakes fundamental and applied research in many disciplines. Its scholars and scientists have established international reputations through their contributions in areas such as rural science, agricultural economics, educational administration, linguistics and archaeology. Collaborative research with other institutions includes projects with the CSIRO and the high-profile Cooperative Research Centres. Through its research UNE seeks to assist in the economic, social and cultural advancement of Australia and in the advanced training of undergraduate and postgraduate students. UNE's principal research flagship is animal genetics and livestock breeding, which is serviced by the Animal Genetics and Breeding Unit (AGBU) and delivered commercially by the Agricultural Business Research Institute (ABRI). Other research flagships include: Rural Education which is undertaken by the National Centre of Science, Information and Communication Technology, and Mathematics Education for Rural and Regional Australia (SiMERR) Rural Communities, Landscapes and Practices which is led by the Institute for Rural Futures (IRF). Other targeted areas of research include: * Environmental and Agricultural Change: Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation; Marine and Freshwater Biodiversity; Terrestrial Biodiversity; Natural Resource Management; Rural Futures; Australian Fauna; Vegetation Research; Sustainable Agriculture; Agricultural Genetics; Animal Research * Rural Health: Rural Medicine; Health Services Management; Bioactive Materials; Health Psychology; Gender, Health and Sexuality * Rural and Regional Education: School Science and Mathematics Education; School English and Literacy Education; Special Education and Diversity in Schools * Economics and Public Policy: Agricultural Economics; Applied Economics and Policy; Local Government; Business and Management; Higher Education Management and Policy * Asia Pacific Region : Failing States – Rising States; Empowering People, Developing Infrastructure; Conflict and Governance; Peace Studies; Migration * Frontiers and Boundaries: Australia's Regional Frontiers; The Arts, Media, Culture and Society; Ancient Societies; Language and Cognition; Believing and Thinking; Mathematics, Nonlinear and Complex Analysis * Law: Natural Resources Law and Policy; Law and Institutional Arrangements for Rural Communities * Security: Crime, Criminology and Justice; Biosecurity; IT Security * Water Perspectives: Water through History – Water Stories; Water Policy; Water Resources


Academic faculties

The research and teaching staff of the
University of New England, Australia The University of New England (UNE) is a public university in Australia with approximately 22,500 higher education students. Its original and main campus is located in the city of Armidale in northern central New South Wales. UNE was the firs ...
, is divided into three faculties that together contain nine multi-disciplinary schools. *Faculty of Humanities, Arts, Social Sciences and Education **School of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences **School of Education *Faculty of Science, Agriculture, Business and Law **School of Environmental and Rural Science **School of Science and Technology **School of Law **UNE Business School *Faculty of Medicine and Health **School of Health **School of Psychology **School of Rural Medicine The university offers over 200 programs in 23 discipline areas.


Residential colleges

The University of New England has one of the most extensive residential college systems in Australia. Around half of UNE's on-campus students live in one of the colleges. As at 2019, the residential colleges are: *
Austin College Austin College is a private liberal arts college affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA) and located in Sherman, Texas.Earle Page College Earle Page College is a residential college of the University of New England located in Armidale, New South Wales, Australia. The college accommodates roughly 300 students. History The college is named after Dr Earle Christmas Grafton Page, ...
*
Mary White College Mary White College is a residential college at the University of New England (UNE), Australia, established in 1957. The College was named after Mary White of Saumarez, a member of the Advisory Council of the then New England University College f ...
*
Robb College Robb College is a residential college located within the University of New England in Armidale, NSW Australia. It provides alternative living arrangements to over 200 male and female students that come from different areas all over Australia. Stu ...
* St. Albert's College * Wright College & Village *
Drummond and Smith College Drummond and Smith College, a residential college within the University of New England (Australia), is currently closed to new residents. History Drummond and Smith College, a combination of the original Drummond College and SH Smith House, ha ...


Administration

The current Chancellor is James Harris FRSN, who succeeded John Watkins in 2014.
Brigid Heywood Brigid R. Heywood, born 1956 or 1957,https://www.news.com.au/national/nsw-act/crime/university-of-new-england-vicechancellor-brigid-heywood-charged-with-teen-assault/news-story/11efca6fb8c8040fd8c01127a017c53d is a British/Australian academic a ...
succeeded
Annabelle Duncan Annabelle Duncan (born in Nelson, New Zealand in 1953), is a microbiologist who held the post of Vice-Chancellor at the University of New England (UNE) from 2014-2019. Early life and education Duncan was born the youngest of two girls to parent ...
as Vice-Chancellor in July 2019. However, Heywood resigned in August 2022 after criminal charges were laid against her. UNE’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Simon Evans is currently acting in the Vice-Chancellor role until a replacement is found.


Student representation

UNE's student body began in 1940, and is currently encapsulated by the
University of New England Students' Association The University of New England Students' Association (UNESA) is the representative body for students at the University of New England, Australia. Its vision statement describes a desire to: “Represent without fear or favour the students of the ...
.


Events


Frank Archibald Memorial Lecture

The Frank Archibald Memorial Lecture Series is named in honour of Frank Archibald, aka "Bubba", an Aboriginal man who was born in Oban, near
Guyra Guyra is a town situated midway between Armidale and Glen Innes on the Northern Tablelands in the New England region of New South Wales, Australia. It is within Armidale Regional Council and at the 2016 census, it had a population of 1,983 ...
, around 1885 and died on 18 October 1975, aged an estimated 106 years old. He was the eldest grandson of "King Robert" (aka "King Bobby", "King Malawangi", "King Billy" or Robert/Billy/Bobby King), whose photo hangs in the Armidale Museum. As a revered Elder, Archibald could speak seven different
Aboriginal languages Aboriginal language may refer to: * Indigenous language * Australian Aboriginal languages * Taiwanese aboriginal languages * Indigenous languages of the Americas * Aboriginal Malay languages The Malayic languages are a branch of the Malayo-P ...
and understand another two, as well as speaking English. His surname derives from his Scottish father. He was of the
Gumbangeri The Gumbaynggirr people, also rendered Kumbainggar, Gumbangeri and other variant spellings, are an Aboriginal Australian people of the Mid North Coast of New South Wales. Gumbathagang was a probable clan or sub-group. The traditional lands of th ...
people on his mother's side, but was also initiated into his wife Sarah Morris's people, the
Dhungatti The Djangadi people, also spelt Dhungatti, Dainggati, Tunggutti or Dunghutti are an Aboriginal Australian people resident in the Macleay River, Macleay Valley of northern New South Wales. Language Dhanggati language, Dhanggati / Dunghutti belo ...
nation. A Catholic priest, Father Kelly, helped Archibald to build a house, completed in 1957, in which many relatives came to live. Archibald was revered by the Armidale
Koori Koori (also spelt koorie, goori or goorie) is a demonym for Aboriginal Australians from a region that approximately corresponds to southern New South Wales and Victoria. The word derives from the Indigenous language Awabakal. For some people ...
and community for his knowledge of so many Aboriginal issues, particularly in the education of his people and others. The Frank Archibald Memorial Lecture was founded by
Lynette Riley Lynette Riley (born 1956) is an academic at the University of Sydney, currently employed within the Sydney School of Education & Social Work within the university as an associate professor. Riley is a Wiradjuri and Gamilaroi woman from Dubbo an ...
, with the inaugural lecture given in 1986 by
Eric Willmot Eric Paul Willmot , (31 January 1936 – 20 April 2019) was an Australian Aboriginal scholar, educator and engineer. Education Willmot was educated first at various Queensland schools and then obtained his BSc and DipED at the University of New ...
. Since then, speakers have included: * Charles Perkins (1990) *
Mick Dodson Michael James Dodson (born 10 April 1950) is an Aboriginal Australian barrister, academic, and member of the Yawuru people in the Broome area of the southern Kimberley region of Western Australia. His brother is Pat Dodson, also a noted Abor ...
(1994) *
Linda Burney Linda Jean Burney (born 25 April 1957) is an Australian politician and is an Australian Labor Party member of the Australian House of Representatives, representing Barton since the 2016 federal election. She is Minister for Indigenous Australi ...
(1996) *
Pat O'Shane Patricia June O'Shane (born 19 June 1941) is a retired Australian teacher, barrister, public servant, jurist, and Aboriginal activist. She was Australia's first Aboriginal magistrate, serving the Local Court in Sydney, New South Wales, Austr ...
(1998) *
Jackie Huggins Jacqueline Gail "Jackie" Huggins (born 19 August 1956) is an Aboriginal Australian author, historian, academic and advocate for the rights of Indigenous Australians. She is a Bidjara/Pitjara, Birri Gubba and Juru woman from Queensland. she ...
(2001) *
Aden Ridgeway Aden Derek Ridgeway (born 18 September 1962) is an Australian former politician.''The Age'' (2006)Present politics Retrieved 6 July 2006. He was a member of the Australian Senate for New South Wales from 1999 to 2005, representing the Australia ...
(2004) * Lou Bennett (2018) *
Ken Wyatt Kenneth George Wyatt (born 4 August 1952) is a former Australian politician who was a member of the House of Representatives from 2010 to 2022, representing the Division of Hasluck for the Liberal Party. He is the first Indigenous Australian el ...
(2019) * Michelle Trudgett (2020) * Peter Anderson (2022)


Controversy

According to a 2017
Australian Human Rights Commission The Australian Human Rights Commission is the national human rights institution of Australia, established in 1986 as the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC) and renamed in 2008. It is a statutory body funded by, but opera ...
report based on optional surveys given to students, UNE had the highest reported rate of sexual assaults at universities in Australia, with 4% of respondents saying they had been sexually assaulted; the average rate across all universities was 1.6%. Under a previous 2016 freedom of information request UNE had reported there were 22 officially reported cases of sexual assaults on campus over the previous five years, resulting in two expulsions, no suspensions and seven warnings. In February 2017 vice-chancellor Annabelle Duncan said that past UNE policies dealing with sexual harassment did not allow management to handle some cases satisfactorily. On 1 August 2022, the incumbent Vice-Chancellor, Professor
Brigid Heywood Brigid R. Heywood, born 1956 or 1957,https://www.news.com.au/national/nsw-act/crime/university-of-new-england-vicechancellor-brigid-heywood-charged-with-teen-assault/news-story/11efca6fb8c8040fd8c01127a017c53d is a British/Australian academic a ...
, was charged with allegedly assaulting a teenage girl at a club in Armidale on 8 March. Heywood was issued with an attendance notice to appear at Armidale Local Court on 26 September. On 5 August, UNE accepted her resignation.


Alumni

, more than 106,000 people hold qualifications from UNE, with many in senior positions in Australia and overseas. There is an active alumni network which contributes to the university, enabling the institution to continue expanding its work and offerings.


See also

*
List of universities in Australia There are 43 universities in Australia: 40 Australian universities (36 public and 4 private) and 3 international private universities. The Commonwealth Higher Education Support Act 2003 sets out three groups of Australian higher education prov ...
*
University of New England Students' Association The University of New England Students' Association (UNESA) is the representative body for students at the University of New England, Australia. Its vision statement describes a desire to: “Represent without fear or favour the students of the ...
*
TUNE! FM TuneFM (ACMA callsign: 2UNE) is the University of New England’s (UNE) campus radio station, a high power open narrowcasting service operated by UNELife. Founded in 1970, the station is Australia’s oldest university broadcaster, serving UNEâ ...
* SiMERR *
QuickSmart QuickSmart is a basic academic skills program aimed at middle years students in Australia. Two programs using the same approach encourage fast and accurate basic skills in literacy Literacy in its broadest sense describes "particular ways ...


References


External links


University of New England
{{DEFAULTSORT:New England (Australia), University of Universities in New South Wales University of New England Educational institutions established in 1938 1938 establishments in Australia Armidale