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A year of huge achievements
30 December 2006
On this the last column of the year, it is worth reflecting on what has been a spectacularly successful ‘Power of Ten’ year, celebrating our first decade, and our emergence as Australia’s fastest growing University.
Our academic successes continue to mount and staff have been recognised in national Carrick awards, and the national Learning and Teaching Performance Fund. Reviews, including the national audit, have helped us focus on further developing some distinctive areas for future research. Demand reflected in first preferences is outstripping most other universities.
The accompanying building program has had to develop at breakneck pace, but still we are experiencing difficulties in keeping up with the demands of over 5000 students and 700 staff and the numbers increase annually.
Our ‘Power of Ten’ celebrations have covered events for the community, staff and students.
A major review of our master plan has spanned the year and has paralleled and linked with thinking in the Sippy Downs Master Plan.
Increasing emphasis is being placed on new ways of linking the University with the regional community, and the work by OECD in this region will give an impetus for these ‘engagement’ activities next year. New positions created in the University for 2007 will drive these linkages that support economic and social developments.
Initiatives at Fraser, Noosa, and Kawana will undoubtedly strengthen further in the year ahead.
Internationalisation also increases annually with students now coming from over 40 countries.
A few weeks ago we acknowledged the contributions of the staff who had been here since our fragile days in 1996. We also acknowledged that to get to the next level of international recognition, we need the help of newer staff as well and this we are getting in abundance.
The development of USC continues to be a great success story because of the huge team effort internally, and also because of the awe-inspiring support from the external community across the region.
On behalf of us all at the Uni, I’d like to thank everyone for the magnificent support you’ve extended, and all of us here look forward to even closer links with the region in 2007.
Professor Paul Thomas is Vice-Chancellor of the University of the Sunshine Coast.