The last four weeks have seen a range of activities take place on Charles Darwin University’s (CDU) Alice Springs Campus.
Friends and family joined with school and faculty staff to recognise outstanding achievement by sixty-six students in a lunch time prize giving ceremony on June 16 in Alice Springs.
The event brought together business and schools to recognise the achievement of students in their chosen fields.
Overviews of the faculties were given by Professor Carole Kayrooz for Education, Health and Science and Dr Steve Shanahan for Technology. Morag McGrath, the Head of School for Tourism and Hospitality, gave an address on behalf of the Faculty of Law, Business and Art.
The prize giving was followed that evening by the Graduation Ceremony which saw 583 students graduate from higher education and VET courses.
On June 21, the School of Trades hosted an evening showcasing the works of students in both hobby and VET in Schools courses. About sixty people attended the evening and enjoyed the warmth from the pot belly fire with a difference, and the artistic endeavours of many of the students.
On 26 June the Campus hosted a breakfast for the automotive industry which outlined changes to the training packages that are provided to the industry. Attended by a number of local businesses, the gathering provided an opportunity to gain first hand knowledge of improvements in education within their industry.
The automotive industry further showed its support to training with the donation of a vehicle from the Ford Motor Company and Centralian Motors. The vehicle was presented at the Alice Springs Convention Centre to lecturer Cliff Glover and business development manager Raquel Nicholls-Skene at an evening hosted by Centralian Motors where all of the Ford V8 racing teams provided an up close and personal meeting with the public.
Staff attended an end of semester BBQ hosted by Alice Springs Campus, which took place in a recently completed area which is a credit to all staff from facilities involved in its development.
The School of Science and Primary Industries took a MALU to the Alice Springs show which showcased the school and generated a lot of interest from the community.
The new building is nearing completion and will certainly add to the landscape of the University’s Alice Springs Campus. Schools that will occupy the office areas of the building are Information Technology, Health, Science and Primary Industries, and researchers from Desert Knowledge. All are keen to make the move.
With dedicated IT and science labs together with seminar and tutorial rooms and a lecture theatre, the building will provide a great resource not only for the schools but the campus as a whole. The building colours are creating a talking point within the community and a number of people are keenly awaiting the opening to get a closer look.
Departures
Corporate Communications’ Alice Springs-based regional public relations/media/marketing officer Kirsty Nancarrow left on June 23 to join the ABC.
Lee Stevens, the afternoon receptionist, also left to spend more time with family.
Arrivals
The School of Science and Primary Industries has gained two new lecturing staff: Richard Brittingham will teach Conservation and Land Management (VET remote), and Peter Dempster is on board to teach Rural Operations (VET).
Julianne Brumby, senior finance officer, who is off on maternity leave, gave birth to a health baby boy, Callum Hakon, on 20 June.
Most staff are taking advantage of the semester break to take some time off or work on planning for semester two. The next few months are likely to be busy with an orientation evening for new students on 26 July in the Desert Lantern restaurant.
Visit the Alice Springs Campus website.