Federation University Australia

Last updated

Federation University Australia
Shield and crest of Federation University Australia.svg
Coat of arms [1]
Former name
List
MottoDare to be Different [1]
Type Public research university
Established
  • 1870 (antecedent) [2]
  • 1994 (as university) [2]
Accreditation TEQSA [3]
Academic affiliations
BudgetA$376.85 million (2023) [4]
Visitor Governor of Victoria [5]
Chancellor Terrence Moran [6]
Vice-Chancellor Duncan Bentley [7]
Total staff
1,798 (2023) [4]
Students18,481 (2023) [4]
Undergraduates 9,325 (2023) [4]
Postgraduates 2,146 coursework (2023)
283 research (2023) [4]
Other students
Location
Ballarat, Melbourne, Churchill and Horsham
,
Victoria
,
Australia [8]
Campus Urban and regional with multiple sites [8]
Colours Blue
Sporting affiliations
Website federation.edu.au
Logotype of the Federation University Australia.svg

Federation University Australia (FedUni) is a public university based in Victoria, Australia. [9] It is the modern descendant of the School of Mines Ballarat, established in 1870 as the fourth tertiary institution in Australia, which evolved to form the modern university as it is today. [10] Formerly known as the University of Ballarat, it changed its name to Federation University in 2014 as it became a multi-campus institution with a strong presence both in Ballarat and across the state. [11] [12]

Contents

The university is a dual-sector institution that provides both higher and vocational education. It offers study programs in healthcare, education, computational science, engineering and various other fields including commerce, the arts and sciences. It also offers technical and further education (TAFE), a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) and other research programs. [13]

The university has a multi-campus presence in and around Ballarat, including the old School of Mines campus which is notable for its red brick buildings, and also has campuses in Berwick (Melbourne) and Horsham (Wimmera). [14] In 2013, the university merged with Monash University's former Gippsland campus in Churchill, an amalgamation that was followed by its renaming to Federation University. [11] [12]

History

The historic SMB Campus on Lydiard Street. SMBcampusbuilding.jpg
The historic SMB Campus on Lydiard Street.

1870–2013

SMB Campus on Lydiard Street South. SMBcampus.jpg
SMB Campus on Lydiard Street South.

Tertiary education at Ballarat began in 1870, making it Australia's fourth oldest tertiary institution. [15]

2014–present

On 6 September 2013, the Victorian Parliament passed legislation to establish Federation University Australia, [16] The name change officially began in 2014. The then Vice-Chancellor justified the name change as an attempt to broaden the reach of the university nationally and internationally, and in fairness to the campuses outside Ballarat. Other names considered were Eureka University, Robert Menzies University, and Vida Goldstein University and several others, before narrowing down the choice to two names: State University of Victoria or Federation University Australia. After consultation with the community and over 100 stakeholders, the present name was decided upon. [17]

Campuses and buildings

In addition to the following campuses, the university also had joint-degree programmes with international colleges, including PLK Vicwood KT Chong Sixth Form College in Hong Kong.

Ballarat

SMB campus is set among the heritage buildings of Lydiard Street Sth including the former School of Mines and Industry (left), former Supreme Court and former Ballarat Gaol (rear) University of Ballarat SMB Campus Lydiard Street Sth.jpg
SMB campus is set among the heritage buildings of Lydiard Street Sth including the former School of Mines and Industry (left), former Supreme Court and former Ballarat Gaol (rear)

Buildings and architecture

The former Ballarat Gaol, a maximum security prison that operated from 1862 until 1965, was located on the site of the university's School of Mines (SMB) campus, at the southern end of Lydiard Street. The area is known for being a well preserved Victorian era street. [18] While the prison was mostly demolished in the 1960s, the old prison walls, gate and guard towers, as well as the residences of the governor and warden, still exist. One of the bedrooms was used by Bella Guerin, who in 1883 became the first woman to graduate from an Australian university. [19] The campus also includes the old School of Mines buildings.

Western Victorian campuses

Mt Helen Campus

Located in Mt Helen, 10 km south of Ballarat. The university's largest campus, it has three residences, Peter Lalor South Hall, Peter Lalor North Hall, and Bella Guerin Hall. Its programs include the Institute of Education, Arts and Community; Institute of Health and Wellbeing: Institute of Innovation, Science and Sustainability.

Gippsland Campus of Federation University Australia Gippsland Heather.jpg
Gippsland Campus of Federation University Australia

Gippsland Campus

The Gippsland Campus is located in the township of Churchill in the foothills of the Strzelecki Ranges. The campus is home to over 2,500 students and approximately 400 staff.[ citation needed ]

The campus was formerly Monash University, Gippsland Campus, but became part of Federation University Australia on 1 January 2014.

Berwick Campus

The Berwick Campus is located 40 km (25 mi) south-east of the Melbourne city centre. It was transitioning itself from the Monash University, Berwick campus in 2017 and completed its transition in early 2018. The exact location of the building is 100 Clyde Road Berwick VIC 3806. The university has four buildings naming 901, 902, 903, and 930 as well as additional buildings for on-campus living. Nursing has the highest enrolment rate at the Berwick Campus, with a focus also on education courses, IT, and psychology.

Brisbane Campus

The Brisbane Campus, situated in the centre of Brisbane city and offers a range of undergraduate and postgraduate programs in information technology, business and allied health. [20]

Technology park

The university has a technology park with the mission to facilitate the development of technology-based companies or companies that benefit from the technological resources of the university. The following organisations operate in the park.

More than 1350 people are employed by tenants at the technology park and approximately half of those holding Federation University Australia qualifications. Recently IBM decided to expand its workforce with the construction of a new $10 million building on the park. [21]

Academic profile

Heritage buildings and old Ballarat Gaol at the School of Mines and Industry. Lydiard Street, Ballarat CBD. University of ballarat city campus.jpg
Heritage buildings and old Ballarat Gaol at the School of Mines and Industry. Lydiard Street, Ballarat CBD.

Undergraduate curriculum

Students can undertake undergraduate degrees across a wide range of study areas, which are:

Research divisions

SMB Campus building, formerly Old Ballarat Gaol. SMBcampusOldBallaratGaol.jpg
SMB Campus building, formerly Old Ballarat Gaol.

Researchers – academics and post-graduate students – undertake work within various centres, as well as within the disciplines. The research priority areas of the university are information forensics and security, transformative and preventative health, dynamic landscapes, history and heritage, and improving policy and practice in VET. The research centres are:

There are also research facilities at Ballarat Technology Park, the Gippsland Enterprise Centre and Nanya Station in rural NSW.

Academic reputation

University rankings
Global – Overall
THE World [23] 401–500 (2025)
USNWR Global [24] 1005 (24/25)
National – Overall
ERA National [25] 36 (2018)
THE National [26] 26–33 (2025)
USNWR National [27] 35 (24/25)
AFR National [28] 31 (2024)
National publications

In the Australian Financial Review Best Universities Ranking 2024, the university was ranked #31 amongst Australian universities. [29]

Global publications

In the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2025 (published 2024), the university attained a position of #401–500 (26–33rd nationally). [30]

In the 2024–2025 U.S. News & World Report Best Global Universities, the university attained a position of #1005 (35th nationally). [31]

Student outcomes

The Australian Government's QILT [a] conducts national surveys documenting the student life cycle from enrolment through to employment. [32] These surveys place more emphasis on criteria such as student experience, graduate outcomes and employer satisfaction [32] than perceived reputation, research output and citation counts. [33]

In the 2023 Employer Satisfaction Survey, graduates of the university had an overall employer satisfaction rate of 84.3%. [34]

In the 2023 Graduate Outcomes Survey, graduates of the university had a full-time employment rate of 80.8% for undergraduates and 95.3% for postgraduates. [35] The initial full-time salary was A$71,400 for undergraduates and A$94,500 for postgraduates. [35]

In the 2023 Student Experience Survey, undergraduates at the university rated the quality of their entire educational experience at 76% meanwhile postgraduates rated their overall education experience at 75.9%. [36]

Student life

Student demographics

In 2017, 80% of undergraduate students study full-time and on campus, which is unique for a regional university, and 35% of students are international students. [37]

Notable people

Notable alumni

See also

Footnotes

      1. ↑ Abbreviation for Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching. [32]

      References

      1. 1 2 "Photograph, University of Ballarat Coat of Arms, 1999". Victorian Collections. Melbourne, Victoria. Archived from the original on 24 July 2024. Retrieved 10 November 2024.
      2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Our History" (PDF). Federation University Australia. Ballarat, Victoria. Archived (PDF) from the original on 3 October 2024. Retrieved 10 November 2024.
      3. ↑ "Federation University Australia". Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency . Melbourne, Victoria. Archived from the original on 10 April 2024. Retrieved 10 November 2024.
      4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Annual Report 2023" (PDF). Federation University Australia. Ballarat, Victoria. 26 March 2024. Archived (PDF) from the original on 5 August 2024. Retrieved 10 November 2024.
      5. ↑ "Federation University Australia Act 2010" (PDF). Victorian Legislation. Melbourne, Victoria: State Government of Victoria. 15 October 2018. Archived (PDF) from the original on 15 November 2024. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
      6. ↑ Maskell, Aaron (13 June 2024). "Council members". Federation University Australia. Ballarat, Victoria. Archived from the original on 15 August 2024. Retrieved 10 November 2024.
      7. ↑ "Vice-Chancellor's Office". Federation University Australia. Ballarat, Victoria. Archived from the original on 22 October 2024. Retrieved 10 November 2024.
      8. 1 2 "Our campuses". Federation University Australia. Ballarat, Victoria. 24 January 2024. Archived from the original on 27 October 2024. Retrieved 10 November 2024.
      9. ↑ "Federation University Australia Act 2010". Victorian Legislation. State Government of Victoria. 15 October 2018. Archived from the original on 21 April 2024. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
      10. ↑ "Our history" (PDF). Federation University Australia. n.d. Archived (PDF) from the original on 10 March 2024. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
      11. 1 2 Tim Cowier (27 June 2013). "University of Ballarat to become Federation University Australia". The Courier. Archived from the original on 27 November 2016. Retrieved 26 November 2016.
      12. 1 2 "University of Ballarat becomes Federation University Australia". ABC News . Sydney, New South Wales: Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 6 September 2013. Archived from the original on 8 December 2023. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
      13. ↑ "Federation University Australia". Federation University Australia. Archived from the original on 17 May 2024. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
      14. ↑ "Our campuses". Federation University Australia. 24 January 2024. Archived from the original on 1 May 2024. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
      15. ↑ "University of Ballarat". University English Centers Australia. Archived from the original on 26 November 2016. Retrieved 26 November 2016.
      16. ↑ "University of Ballarat becomes Federation University Australia". ABC News. 6 September 2013. Archived from the original on 7 April 2015. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
      17. ↑ "University of Ballarat's name change explained". Australian Broadcasting Corporation . Archived from the original on 27 November 2016. Retrieved 26 November 2016.
      18. ↑ http://vhd.heritagecouncil.vic.gov.au/places/156830/download-report Archived 1 October 2018 at the Wayback Machine [ bare URL PDF ]
      19. ↑ "State Library Victoria Bella Guerin: First female university graduate in Australia". 10 July 2013. Archived from the original on 1 October 2018. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
      20. ↑ https://federation.edu.au/about-us/our-campuses/brisbane Archived 27 October 2021 at the Wayback Machine Brisbane Campus
      21. ↑ "Booming Ballarat aus". Archived from the original on 2 April 2009. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
      22. ↑ "Welcome to Federation University Australia". Archived from the original on 2 September 2007. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
      23. ↑ "World University Rankings". London: Times Higher Education.
      24. ↑ "Best Global Universities Rankings". Washington, D.C.: U.S. News & World Report.
      25. ↑ "ERA Research Excellence Rankings Analysis". Melbourne: Australian Education Network.
      26. ↑ "World University Rankings". London: Times Higher Education.
      27. ↑ "Best Global Universities in Australia". Washington, D.C.: U.S. News & World Report.
      28. ↑ "Best Universities Ranking". Australian Financial Review. Sydney: Nine Entertainment.
      29. ↑ "Best Universities Ranking". Australian Financial Review . Sydney, New South Wales: Nine Entertainment. 14 November 2024.
      30. ↑ "World University Rankings". Times Higher Education . London, United Kingdom: Inflexion. 19 September 2018.
      31. ↑ "Best Global Universities Rankings". U.S. News & World Report . Washington, D.C., United States.
      32. 1 2 3 "About". Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching. Canberra, Australian Capital Territory: Australian Government. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2 January 2025. Retrieved 14 January 2025.
      33. ↑ Bridgestock, Laura (19 April 2021). "World University Ranking Methodologies Compared". Quacquarelli Symonds . London, United Kingdom. Archived from the original on 2 January 2025. Retrieved 14 January 2025.
      34. ↑ "2023 Employer Satisfaction Survey" (PDF). Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching. Canberra, Australian Capital Territory: Australian Government. May 2024. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2 January 2025. Retrieved 14 January 2025.
      35. 1 2 "2023 Graduate Outcomes Survey: National Report" (PDF). Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching. Canberra, Australian Capital Territory: Australian Government. May 2024. Archived (PDF) from the original on 20 December 2024. Retrieved 14 January 2025.
      36. ↑ "2023 Student Experience Survey" (PDF). Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching. Canberra, Australian Capital Territory: Australian Government. May 2024. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2 January 2025. Retrieved 14 January 2025.
      37. ↑ "Federation University Australia Rankings | Good Universities Guide". Archived from the original on 2 October 2018. Retrieved 2 October 2018.
      38. ↑ "Australian Olympic Committee: Phil Bellingham". Archived from the original on 3 April 2014. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
      39. ↑ "Welcome to Federation University Australia". Archived from the original on 14 May 2013. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
      40. ↑ "R. W. Richards". Archived from the original on 18 March 2018. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
      41. ↑ Federation University Australia (2018). "SUTTON, Henry". Federation University. Retrieved 31 August 2022.