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| The University of Melbourne | |
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 Coat of Arms of the University of Melbourne |
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| Latin: Universitas Melburnensis | |
| Motto | Postera Crescam Laude "We grow in the esteem of future generations" |
| Established | 1853 |
| Type | Public |
| Endowment | AU$1.173 billion[1] |
| Chancellor | Elizabeth Alexander |
| Vice-Chancellor | Glyn Davis |
| Location | Parkville, Victoria, Australia |
| Campus | Urban |
| Affiliations | Group of Eight， Universitas 21 |
| Website | unimelb.edu.au |
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The University of Melbourne (commonly referred to as MelbourneorUniMelb) is an Australian public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university[2] and the oldest in Victoria.[2] The main campus is located in Parkville, an inner suburb north of the Melbourne CBD, with several other campuses located across Victoria. Melbourne is a sandstone university, and a member of the Group of Eight, Universitas 21 and Association of Pacific Rim Universities networks. It has the largest endowment, and the largest research expenditure, of any Australian university.[3]
Melbourne consistently ranks amongst the top universities in Australia, and the world. Melbourne is currently ranked as Australia's best university by both Times Higher Education and the Academic Ranking of World Universities.[4][5] Times Higher Education currently ranks Melbourne as 28th in the world,[4], while the QS World University Rankings places Melbourne 31st in the world.[6]
Melbourne comprises eleven separate academic units, and is associated with numerous institutes and research centres, including the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research and the Grattan Institute. Amongst Melbourne's 15 graduate schools, Melbourne Business School, Melbourne Law School and Melbourne Medical School are particularly well regarded.
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The university's coat of arms is a blue shield on which a depiction of Victory in white colour holds her laurel wreath over the stars of the Southern Cross. The motto, Postera crescam laude ("Later I shall grow by praise" or, more freely, "We shall grow in the esteem of future generations"), is written on a scroll beneath the shield. The Latin is from a line in a Horace ode: ego postera crescam laude recens.
Melbourne University was established by Hugh Childers Auditor-General and Finance Minister in his first Budget Speech, on 4 November 1852, who set aside a sum of £10,000 for the establishment of a University.[7] The University was established by Act of Incorporation on 22 January 1853, with power to confer degrees in arts, medicine, laws, and music. The act provided for an annual endowment of £9,000, while a special grant of £20.000 was made for buildings that year.[8] The foundation stone was laid on 3 July 1854, and on the same day the foundation stone for the State Library[9] Classes commenced in 1855 with three professors and sixteen students; of this body of students, only four graduated. The original buildings were officially opened by the Lieutenant Governor of the Colony of Victoria, Sir Charles Hotham, on 3 October 1855. The first chancellor, Redmond Barry (later Sir Redmond), held the position until his death in 1880.
The inauguration of the university was made possible by the wealth resulting from Victoria's gold rush. The institution was designed to be a "civilising influence" at a time of rapid settlement and commercial growth.[10]
In 1881, the admission of women was a seen as victory over the more conservative ruling council.[11]
The university's 150th anniversary was celebrated in 2003.[12]
Governance of the university is grounded in an act of parliament, the Melbourne University Act 2009. The peak governing body is the "Council" the key responsibilities of which include appointing the Vice Chancellor and Principal, approving the strategic direction and annual budget, establishing operational policies and procedures and overseeing academic and commercial activities as well as risk management. The chair of the council is the "Chancellor". The "Academic Board" oversees learning, teaching and research activities and provides advice to the council on these matters. The "Committee of Convocation" represents graduates and its members are elected in proportion to the number of graduates in each faculty.[13]
In 2008, the university had an endowment of approximately $1.105 billion,[1] the largest of any Australian institution.[14] Whilst the fund had grown rapidly for several years, providing up to $100 million of income per year,[14] it shrank by 22% in 2008 as a result of the ongoing global financial crisis of 2007–2010.[1] However Australian endownments are relatively small compared with those of the wealthiest US universities.
The university has 12 academic units,[15] some of which incorporate a graduate school. The overall attrition and retention rates at the university are the lowest and highest respectively in Australia.[16] The university has one of the highest admission requirements in the country, with the median ENTER of its undergraduates being 94.05 (2009).[17] Furthermore, The university continued to attract outstanding students, for example, 50% of the Premier's VCE Top All-Round High Achievers enrolled at the University of Melbourne.[17]
According to the Times Higher Education–QS World University Rankings (2009), the university is the only Australian university to rank in the top 30 in all five core subject areas with three subject areas ranked in the top 20.[17]
Melbourne University claims that its research expenditure is second only to that of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO).[18] In 2010 the university spent $767.5m on research.[19] In the same year the university had the highest numbers of federal government Australian Postgraduate Awards (APA) and International Postgraduate Research Scholarships (IPRS)[8], as well as the largest totals of Research Higher Degree (RHD) student load (3,222 students) and RHD completions (715).[19]
Melbourne University has 12 residential colleges in total, seven of the which are located in an arc around the cricket oval at the northern edge of the campus, known as College Crescent. The other five are located outside of university grounds.
The residential colleges aim to provide accommodation and holistic education experience to university students.[20]
| Colleges | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Trinity College 1872–present  |
Ormond College 1881–present  |
Janet Clarke Hall 1886–present  |
St Mary's College 1966–present  |
| Queen's College 1887–present  |
Newman College 1918–present  |
Medley Hall 1954–present  |
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| Whitley College, 1965–present | |||
| Ridley College, 1910–2005; 2006-7 | |||
| University College, 1937–present | |||
| International House, 1957–present | |||
| Graduate House, 1962–present | |||
| St Hilda's College, 1964–present |
Several of the earliest campus buildings, such as the Old Quadrangle and Baldwin Spencer buildings, feature period architecture.[21]
The new Wilson Hall[22] replaced the original building[23] which was destroyed by fire.[24]
Ian Potter Museum of Art
Melba Hall and Conservatorium of Music
The Old Commerce building combines the relocated facade of a Collins Street bank with a 1930s building
The cloisters of the Old Quad.
1888 building
Newman College Chapel
The Chapel of Trinity College
Alice Hoy Building
South Lawn
The Grattan Street main entrance
Alan Gilbert Building, University of Melbourne in Carlton
Alan Gilbert Building in Grattan Street, Carlton
The popular Swanston Street Tram stop
Older buildings in the foreground, with newer buildings in the Background
The Melbourne University Library has three million visitors performing 42 million loan transactions every year.[25] The general collection comprises over 3.5 million items including books, DVDs, photographic slides, music scores, periodicals, as well as rare maps, prints and other published materials.[25] The library also holds over 32,000 e-books, hundreds of databases and 63,000 general and specialist journals in digital form.[25]
The libraries include:[26]
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This article may rely excessively on sources too closely associated with the subject, preventing the article from being verifiable and neutral. (October 2012) |
The university has four other campuses in metropolitan Melbourne at Burnley, Southbank, Hawthorn and Werribee.
The Burnley campus is where horticultural courses are taught.[27] Performing arts courses are taught at the Southbank campus. Commerce courses are taught at the Hawthorn campus.[28] Veterinary science is taught at the Werribee campus.
In regional Victoria, the Creswick and Dookie campuses are used for forestry and agriculture courses respectively.[29][30] They previously housed several hundred residential students, but are now largely used for short courses and research. The Shepparton campus is home to the Rural Health Academic Centre for the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences.
The university is a part-owner of the Melbourne Business School, based at Parkville campus, which ranked 46th in the 2012 Financial Times global rankings.[31]
The university is associated with several arts institutions in the wider community. These include:
In 2008, the "Melbourne Model" was introduced.
In 2007, Melbourne University aimed to offer 75% of graduate places as HECS (with the remaining 25% being full fee paying).[36]
A number of professional degrees are available only for graduate entry. These degrees are at a Masters level according to the Australian Qualification Framework,[37] but are named "masters" or "doctorate" following the practice in North America. The professional degrees are:
Various groups, including trade[38] and student unions,[39] [40] [41] academics,[42] [43] and some students[44][45] have expressed criticism of the Melbourne Model, citing job and subject cuts, and a risk of "dumbing down" content. A group of students also produced a satirical musical regarding the matter.
As of May 2009 the university "suspended" the Bachelor of Music Theatre and Puppetry courses at the college and there were fears they may not return under the new curriculum.[46]
A 2005 heads of agreement over the merger of the VCA and the university stated that the management of academic programs at the VCA would ensure that "the VCA continues to exercise high levels of autonomy over the conduct and future development of its academic programs so as to ensure their integrity and quality" and also that the college's identity will be preserved.[47] New dean Sharman Pretty outlined drastic changes under the university's plan for the college in early April 2009.[48] As a result it is now being called into question whether the university have upheld that agreement.
Staff at the college responded to the changes, claiming the university did not value vocational arts training, and voicing fears over the future of quality training at the VCA.[49] Former Victorian arts minister Race Mathews has also weighed in on the debate expressing his hope that, "Melbourne University will not proceed with its proposed changes to the Victorian College of the Arts," and for 'good sense' to prevail.[50]
In 2011, the Victorian State Government allocated $24 million to support arts education at the VCA and the faculty was renamed the Faculty of the Victorian College of the Arts and the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music.[citation needed][51]
The following is a summary of Melbourne University rankings, numbers in parentheses indicate ranking within Australia:
| Publications | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| QS World University Rankings [52] | 22 (2nd) | 19 (1st) | 22 (2nd) | 22 (2nd) | 27 (3rd) | 38 (2nd) | 36 (2nd) | 38 (2nd) | 31 (2nd) | 36 (2nd) | |
| Times Higher Education World University Rankings [53] | 22 (2nd) | 19 (1st) | 22 (2nd) | 27 (2nd) | 38 (3rd) | 36[9] (2nd) | 36 (1st) | 37 (1st) | 28 (1st) | ||
| Shanghai Jiao Tong University Academic Ranking of World Universities[54] | 92 (2nd) | 82 (2nd) | 82 (2nd) | 78 (2nd) | 79 (2nd) | 73 (2nd) | 75 (2nd) | 62 (2nd) | 60 (1st) | 57 (1st) | |
| Higher Education Evaluation and Accreditation Council of Taiwan (HEEACT)[55][56] | 64 (1st) | 58 (1st) | 51 (1st) | 43 (1st) | 35(1st) | ||||||
| Financial Times MBA rank[57] | 64 (1st) | 72 (2nd) | 63 (1st) | 69 (1st) | 79 (2nd) | 75 (2nd) | 52 | 63 | 53 (2nd) | 46 (2nd) | |
| Economist Intelligence Unit's MBA rank[58] | 84 (2nd) | 26 (1st) | 17 (1st) | 44 | 32 (1st) |
The university was ranked 31st in the 2011 QS World University Rankings.[59] and in 2008 was ranked 58th globally for scientific papers by the Higher Edutcation Evaluations and Accreditation Council of Taiwan[56]
Research produced by the Melbourne Institute in 2006 ranked Australian universities across seven main discipline areas: Arts & Humanities, Business & Economics, Education, Engineering, Law, Medicine, and Science, with Melbourne University as the highest in business, law and medicine by both academic surveys and overall performance.
| Discipline | R1[Note 1] | No.[Note 2] | R2[Note 3] | No. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arts & Humanities | 2 | 38 | 2 | 35 |
| Business & Economics | 1 | 39 | 1 | 34 |
| Education | 1 | 35 | 2 | 32 |
| Engineering | 1 | 28 | 3 | 28 |
| Law | 1 | 29 | 1 | 28 |
| Medicine | 1 | 14 | 1 | 13 |
| Science | 2 | 38 | 3 | 31 |
In 2010 the University Ranking by Academic Performance (URAP),[60] ranked Melbourne Uni 40th globally and highest in Australia.
The University of Melbourne has produced many notable alumni, with graduates having held the offices of Prime Ministers of Australia, Deputy Prime Minister of Australia, Governor-General, Attorney-General, Governor of Victoria, High Court Justices, State Premiers, Nobel Laureates, a First Lady of East Timor, ministers of foreign countries, Lord Mayors, academics, architects, historians, poets, philosophers, politicians, scientists, physicists, authors, industry leaders, Defence Force generals, corporate leaders and artists.
The University of Melbourne is well known for its strong physics department, boasting the most number of noble prize winners (2) in any department within Australia
A celebrated tradition at Melbourne, usually held in mid-August, whereby teams of students engage in various activities - the winner claiming the 'Prosh Week Trophy'.[61]
The week was nicknamed 'Posh week' due to the number of times students would have to dress up in formal attire. The effects of alcohol caused words to be slurred, and thus 'posh' became 'prosh'.[61]
The university has participated in various sports in its history, and currently has 39 affiliated clubs. Sport is overseen by Melbourne University Sport.
The Melbourne University Lacrosse Club (MULC) was established in 1883 and is the oldest continually operational lacrosse club in the world.[62]
The Melbourne University Cycling Club (MUCyc) is associated with Cycling Australia and competes regularly at local and national races. In 2008 MUCyc won its seventh consecutive AUG championship (2002–2008).[63][64]
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This article has an unclear citation style. (January 2013) |
Media related to University of Melbourne at Wikimedia Commons
Coordinates: 37°47′47″S 144°57′41″E / 37.7963°S 144.9614°E
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