SCU Science and Engineering Precinct
Scott SMITHFoundation Professor of EngineeringSchool of Environment, Science and EngineeringSouthern Cross [email protected]
Regional Universities Conference, 14-15 November 2013
Gold Coast Campus, Southern Cross University
Education Investment Fund (EIF):Background
• EIF established by Nation-Building Funds Act 2008.
• Role of EIF to support strategically focused infrastructure investments - build a modern, productive, internationally competitive Australian economy.
• EIF-Regional Priorities Round: $500 million budget, EOI November 2011.
• Aims to:
- Improve tertiary education participation and attainment,
- Improve access to world class tertiary institutions and communities,
- Build sustainable regional institutions and communities,
- Support regional skills needs,
- Support research that is integral with regional teaching and learning or VET needs, and
- Develop linkages within regions and connect regions nationally and globally.
• AUD$27.9 million (Education Investment Fund Regional Priorities Round) in January 2013
AUD28 million to SCU
• New Science and Engineering Precinct (refurbishment of library)
• New Learning Centre…..campus heart
• Southern Cross University (SCU)
- History, Some Facts, Schools
• Education and Investment Fund (EIF)
- SCU Built Environment
- EIF and SCU: Science and Engineering Precinct, Learning Centre
• Sustainability: Community, University
Scope of Presentation
Northern Rivers and the Southern Cross
• Home to approx. 300,000 people
• Covers region ≈ 20,730 km2
Southern Cross University• 1970: Lismore Teachers College
• Late 1970s: Northern Rivers College of Advanced Education
• 1989: Network member of the University of New England (UNE-NR)
• 1994: Southern Cross University (Lismore and Coffs Harbour)
• Today: Campuses in Lismore, Coffs Harbour and Gold Coast (including Tweed Heads locations) + associated providers within Australian and internationally
Southern Cross University• VC, Prof. Peter Lee, FTSE
(Engineers Australia 100 most influential engineers since 2004)
• Student population 16,000 (internal and distance)
• Six 5’s in 2012 ERA. School ESE contributed to all six (Geochemistry, Zoology, Crop and Pasture Production, Forestry Sciences, Earth Sciences, Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences)
• Engineering (Civil Engineering) first intake February 2013
Southern Cross University• School of Arts and Social Sciences
• School of Education
• School of Environment, Science and Engineering
• Gnibi College of Indigenous Australian Peoples
• School of Health and Human Sciences
• Southern Cross Business School
• School of Law and Justice
• School of Tourism and Hospitality
• The Hotel School Sydney
EngineeringNational Motivators:• Engineering skills shortage: Projects delayed or cancelled.
- Currently: 9.500 engineering graduates/year (from Uni., TAFE)
- Required: 13,000 to 20,000 engineering graduates/year
(Engineers Australia CEO, July 2012)
Regional Motivators:• No engineering course in entire Northern Rivers
region…capture and retain local talent
• Growing awareness of Regional Engineering
Science and Engineering at SCU• Teaching
- Civil Engineering
- Forest Science
- Environmental Science
- Marine Science and Management
• Research
- GeoScience
- Plant Science
- Coastal Biogeochemistry
- Marine Ecology
- Forestry
• Science and Engineering Precinct: Clustering of science and engineering disciplines (teaching and research).
Lismore Campus Precincts
• Focused precincts of knowledge transfer
• New facilities to accommodate leading edge technologies
Infrastructure Development Arising from EIF: Science and Engineering Precinct
• Stage 1: Refurbishment of existing library into engineering research and teaching laboratories (completion 2014, 2015)
- Improved university profile in STEM
- Cross-discipline research and teaching
- Vibrant academic precinct
Infrastructure Development Arising from EIF:New Learning Centre (Completion 2015)
• Master Plan and in response to student feedback……..
• 4th generation library: reconfigurable, flexible & collaborative learning spaces, multimedia technology
• Self-contained study rooms.
• Improve access to digital education resources.
• More accessible (central) and user-friendly facility.
• Create a campus heart.
• 24 hour access and community use.....transform the university and community.
Sustainability: Region• More choice for regional students to attain
qualifications
• Address local, regional and national workforce shortages…regional employability
• Project’s construction injecting $77million into local economy + create more than 120 direct and indirect jobs
• Within first 10 years, project estimated $135million to economy + additional 570 Graduates and 345 Science Planning graduates
Sustainability: University• Sustainable adaption of existing building
• Enhance the university experience….campus vibrancy
• Reduce attrition
• Great campus vibrancy
• Science and Engineering as a beacon…build it an they will come
• Additional net income
• Courses focus on regional and sustainability issues (e.g. water treatment, bridges, climate adaption…)
Concluding Remarks
• SCU’s new built environment
(i) create regional knowledge hubs,
(ii) enhance student experience,
(iii) strengthen research contributions,
(iv) encourage institutional collaborations, and
(v) foster industry partnerships
• Ultimately, we are striving to enrich the quality of life in regional Australia
SCU Strategic Plan• Vision:
- recognised for enriching our communities through the excellence of our scholarship and the achievements of our graduates
• Means:
- Focused precincts of knowledge transfer .
- New facilities to accommodate leading edge technologies.
- Greater connection with wider community.
- Encourage closer integration with current commercial interests.
SCU Engineering: Key Discipline Areas• Civil Engineering commenced
2013. 4 year degree, provisional accreditation by Engineers Australia
• Structural Engineering• Geotechnical Engineering• Traffic and Transport
Engineering• Construction• Project Management• Water Engineering• Civil Engineering
(Underpinning themes of communication, sustainability, environment, humanitarian engineering, risk, ethics)
