Victoria University (Australia)

Victoria University

Latin:Universitas Victoriae
Former names	List Footscray Technical School[1] (1916–1958) Footscray Technical College[2] (1958–1968) Footscray Institute of Technology[3] (1968–1990) Victoria University of Technology[4] (1992–2005)
Motto	The Door of Opportunity
Type	Publicresearch university
Established	1916 (earliest college)[5] 1992 (university status)
Accreditation	TEQSA
Academic affiliation	ASAIHL EA ACS CPA OUA UA
Budget	A$496.67million[6]
Chancellor	Steve Bracks[7]
Vice-Chancellor	Adam Shoemaker[8]
Total staff	2,061 (2023)[9]
Students	45,567 (2023)[9]
Undergraduates	16,469 (EFTSL, 2023)[9]
Postgraduates	4,940 coursework (EFTSL, 2023)[9] 163 research (EFTSL, 2023)[9]
Other students	11,287 (VET) (2023)[9] 253 other (EFTSL, 2023)[9]
Location	Melbourne , Victoria , Australia [10]
Campus	Urbanwith multiple sites
Colours	Blue, white and black[11]
Nickname	Vultures[12]
Sporting affiliations	UniSport EAEN UBL
Mascot	Vulture
Website	vu.edu.au

Victoria University(VUorVic Uni) is apublicresearch universitybased inMelbourne,Victoria,Australia. It is a dual-sector university, providing courses in bothhigher educationandtechnical and further education(TAFE).

The university has several campuses inMelbourne Central Business District, Melbourne Western Region, and in Sydney, comprising six academic colleges, six research institutes, seven research centres and VU's Victoria Polytechnic. It is one of Australia’s leading universities.

The idea for atechnical schoolbased in the western suburbs of Melbourne was first proposed in 1910. TheFootscray Technical Schoolopened its doors to 220 students and 9 teachers in 1916 after five years offundraising.

Charles Archibald Hoadleywas the school'sprincipalfrom its founding until his death in 1947.^[13]Under Hoadley's leadership, the school expanded and began offeringtrade certificatecourses,diplomasinarchitecture,building, andcontracting, as well as evening classes. War and the Depression saw a dip in student numbers. However, by 1943, there were 2500 students enrolled in courses taught at theFootscray Parkand Footscray Nicholson campuses.

The following decades saw gender and cultural shifts. In 1958, the school changed its name to theFootscray Technical College. Ten years later, it changed its name again, this time, to theFootscray Institute of Technology(FIT). Women first enrolled in day diploma courses in 1960, and changes to thefederal government'simmigration policyresulted in many more European and Asian students entering the school. The secondary school component, now known asFootscray City College, was separated from the rest of the institute in 1972. By the mid-1970s, the expanded curriculum includeddegree coursesand was well beyond the technical focus of the original Footscray Technical School. Further changes occurred in the 1980's, with the technical and trade education section separating from FIT to form the Footscray and Newport Colleges of TAFE.^[14]

In 1990, FIT merged with the Western Institute, which had been founded three years earlier to provide TAFE and higher education courses to the outlying suburbs in western Melbourne. In 1990, it was established as a university by the Victoria State Parliament asVictoria University of Technology(VUT).^[15]The university further amalgamation with the Western Melbourne Institute of TAFE in 1998. In 2005, the Victoria University of Technology Act of 1990 was amended to rename the university as Victoria University, reflecting the development of its teaching and research.^[16][17]

The institutions that combined to form VU include:

• Footscray Technical School, renamed Footscray Technical College and later Footscray Institute of Technology
• Newport Technical College, renamed Newport College of TAFE
• Melbourne School of Hairdressing
• School of Painting, Decorating and Sign Crafts
• Melbourne Technical College of Hairdressing
• Melbourne College of Decoration
• Footscray College of TAFE
• Flagstaff College of TAFE
• Western Institute
• Gellibrand College of TAFE, renamed Western Metropolitan College of TAFE
• Western Melbourne Institute of TAFE
• Victoria University of Technology
• Victoria Polytechnic

Victoria University has campuses located throughout Melbourne's western region and thecity centre. The new VU City Tower will be Melbourne's tallest vertical campus, and is due for completion in 2021.^[18]One campus is located in central Sydney.

VU courses are also delivered by partner institutes throughout Asia, including in China, India, Malaysia, and Sri Lanka. Two of the university's largest partners areSunway UniversityCollege inMalaysiaandLiaoning Universityin China.

Footscray Park Campus on Ballarat Road,Footscrayis the university's main campus and administrative centre. It offers higher education courses primarily in engineering, education and sport-related disciplines. It occupies a 7-hectare (17-acre) site overlookingFlemington Racecourseand theMaribyrnong River. The A$68.5 million sport and learning precinct, including sport and exercise science research labs, was completed in early 2011. The campus also has a 25-metre swimming pool and a childcare centre.^[19]

St Albans Campus on McKecknie Street,St Albans, is the university's health and education hub, with a focus on psychology, nursing, arts, and paramedic and biomedical sciences. It is set on 32 hectares (79 acres) of native grasslands and sugar gums. The new St Albans Health and Fitness Centre was opened in 2013.^[20]

Footscray Nicholson Campus is in centralFootscray, on the corner of Nicholson and Buckley Streets. It delivers TAFE, VCE and short courses. Its new learning commons was opened in 2012 offering a broad range of educational and student services.^[21]

The City Campus includes the VU City Tower and the law building at 295Queen Streetin the heart of Melbourne's legal precinct. The campus houses business courses, Osteopathy, a hair and beauty salon as well as the university's College of Law and Justice, a law library, the Sir Zelman Cowen Centre and two moot courts. It offers undergraduate and postgraduate law courses, including continuing legal education courses for legal professionals.^[22][23]

The 16-hectare (40-acre) Werribee Campus is located in theWerribeeagricultural research and tertiary education precinct. It offers trades training as well as facilities for water, food and fire safety research.^[24]

The Sunshine Campus of Victoria Polytechnic is located on Ballarat Road,Sunshine. It offers TAFE courses, focusing mainly on business and the construction industries.^[25]The A$44 million high-technology Construction Hub was opened in 2013 for building and construction training. The campus also has a convention centre with a 200-seat auditorium.

Victoria University delivers a number of business courses for international students at its campus in central Sydney,^[26]which operates in partnership with the Education Centre of Australia (ECA).^[27]

In late 2010, VU opened an A$8 million Sport and Recreation Learning Centre in partnership with theWestern Bulldogsat theWhitten Ovalin West Footscray.^[28]The Centre contains massage therapy clinics open to the public, as well as a 140-seat lecture theatre, a library, classrooms and offices.

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Several of the university's colleges offer internationally recognised qualifications ranging from certificates and diplomas to degrees, postgraduate certificates and diplomas, and masters and doctoral research degrees (PhD). Victoria Polytechnic and VU College offer vocational education courses and higher education diplomas. These are divided between several colleges, including:

• The College of Arts and Education
• The College of Business
• The College of Engineering and Science
• The College of Health and Bio-medicine
• The College of Law and Justice
• The College of Sport and Exercise Science
• Victoria University Polytechnic, which is theTAFEdivision of Victoria University.

In 2019, VU had 43,802 students.^[29]Approximately 65% student in higher education degree programs, and 35% enrolled in TAFE training courses. Of these students, 5,662 were international students studying at one of VU's Melbourne or Sydney Campuses, and 3,772 were international students studying at VU programs overseas at one of its partner organisations located mainly in Asia.^[29]

Victoria University ranked in 351–400 in the world in theTimes Higher Education World University Rankings2021.

University rankings
Global rankings
QS[30]	741-750
THE[31]	351–400
ARWU[32]	901–1000
U.S. News & World Report[33]	543=
Australian rankings
QS[34]	33
THE[35]	25–27
ARWU[36]	32–34
U.S. News & World Report[37]	25
ERA[39]	29[38]

28 VU research disciplines were ranked at or above world standard in the Excellence in Research Australia (ERA) assessments 2018.^[40]

VU owns and operates student accommodation for students, staff, and guests of the university.^[41]In February 2016, the Student Village in Maidstone was replaced with the newly built UniLodge Victoria University, a 13-story apartment building across the road from the Footscray Park Campus on Ballarat Road, Footscray.

International House, a traditional residential college located at theUniversity of Melbourne, also offers places to Victoria University students.

• Tony Birch, poet, novelist, author
• Peter Dixon, economist
• Craig Emerson, former Australian politician
• Gary Foley, Indigenous activist and historian
• Ian Gray, magistrate
• Michael Kirby, retired High Court judge
• Alan Kohler, financial journalist and editor
• Chris Maxwell QC, barrister
• Nyadol Nyuon, lawyer and regular media commentator and advocate for South Sudanese community
• Robert Richter QC, barrister
• Christopher Sonn,social psychologist
• Robert Stary, criminal law specialist

• Sukhbold Sukhee, Permanent Representative to theUnited Nationsfor Mongolia
• Ali Abdo, Olympic wrestler
• Liam Adams, long-distance running champion
• Ngconde Balfour, former South African sport and recreation minister
• Ron Barassi, Australian Football League legend
• Nathan Brown, former AFL player and commentator
• Marion May Campbell, author and Associate Professor of Professional and Creative Writing at Deakin University
• Doug Chappel, comedian and actor
• Bianca Chatfield, netballer, media and sports presenter
• Jeffrey Cheah, founder of theSunway Group
• Simon Garlick, CEO of theWestern Bulldogs
• Andrew Gaze, former basketballer
• Brad Green, formerMelbournefootballer and currentCarlton Football Clubdevelopment coach
• Alwyn Jones, national champion triple jumper
• Alan Kohler, financial journalist
• Telmo Languiller, Victorian MP
• Tammy Lobato, Victorian MP
• Mike McKay, Olympian and member of the "Oarsome Foursome"
• Pia Miranda, actress
• Danny Morseu, first Torres Strait Islander to represent Australia at the Olympics
• Nyadol Nyuon, litigation lawyer and regular media commentator and advocate for South Sudanese community
• Campbell Rose, former CEO of theWestern Bulldogs
• Larry Sengstock, former basketballer
• Fatai Veamatahau, finalist inThe Voice, 2012
• Mitch Wallis, footballer,Western Bulldogs
• Kim Wells,Victoria State GovernmentTreasurer
• Deepak Vinayak, Community Leader, Melbourne^[42]
• Easton Wood, Western Bulldogs AFL premiership captain

• Footscray Tech Old Boys
• VUT (football club)
• List of universities in Australia

• Rasmussen, Carolyn (1989),Poor Man's University: 75 years of Technical Education in Footscray, Melbourne: The Press of the Footscray Institute of TechnologyISBN1-86297-000-9
• 90 Years, 90 Legends(2006), Melbourne: Published by Victoria UniversityISBN1-86272-665-5

• Media related toVictoria University, Melbourneat Wikimedia Commons
• Official website

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