New plan resonates in country Victoria
In a move that will increase full-time student numbers by twenty per cent, international students by fifty per cent and equity group participation by ten per cent on country campuses, the University in June launched its new — and extremely well-received — strategy to benefit regional Victoria.
Vice-Chancellor, Professor Paul Johnson said the three-year plan would boost the economic, social and cultural fabric of communities surrounding regional campuses in Bendigo, Albury-Wodonga, Mildura and Shepparton.
Its release followed the Federal Government’s vote of confidence in the University with a $60 million Budget allocation for the La Trobe Rural Health School in Bendigo (see Regional Victoria benefits from new Health School).
In Bendigo, where the University has 4,000 students, 170 from overseas, the leading daily newspaper, Th e Advertiser, described it as a ‘bold plan’ that could be ‘the catalyst for an exciting new era for both the University and Bendigo’.
Pro Vice-Chancellor (Regional), Professor Hal Swerissen, said the plan gives more Victorians the chance to participate in higher education and meets workforce demands in the northern part of the State.
‘We know that 18 to 20 year olds in regional locations are less likely to attend university than their metropolitan counterparts - 18 per cent compared with 25 per cent.’
The plan will make access easier for people in regional Victoria by offering different modes of study and shared planning with partners including TAFE and local government.
Through its research strengths, the University will also contribute to environmental, economic and social transformations in regional Australia, Professor Swerissen added.
Working with key stakeholders it targets more high-impact research relevant to regional concerns. It will do this by building more local partnerships, increasing higher degree research students and boosting research depth on, and across each campus.