Flinders University

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Flinders University
Motto:	Inspiring Achievement
Established:	1966
Type:	Public
Chancellor:	Sir Eric Neal
Vice-Chancellor:	Michael N Barber
Faculty:	631
Undergraduates:	15,110
Postgraduates:	(included in above)
Location:	Adelaide, SA, Australia 35°01′14.95″S 138°34′21.90″E / 35.0208194°S 138.57275°E / -35.0208194; 138.57275
Campus:	Urban
Organisations:	IRU Australia
Website:	www.flinders.edu.au

Flinders University, or The Flinders University of South Australia, is a public university in Adelaide, South Australia. Founded in 1966, it was named in honour of navigator Matthew Flinders, who explored and surveyed the South Australian coastline in the early 19th century.

The university has established a reputation as a leading research institution with a devotion to innovation. It is a member of Innovative Research Universities Australia and ranks among the leading universities in Australia. Academically, the university pioneered a cross-disciplinary approach to education, and its faculties in medicine and the humanities are ranked among the nation's top 10.^[1] It is also ranked within the world's top 400 institutions in both Times Higher Education^[2] and the Academic Ranking of World Universities by Shanghai Jiao Tong University.^[3]

Contents 1 History 2 Campuses 3 Organisation 3.1 Faculties and Schools 3.2 Affiliates 4 Student life 4.1 Housing 4.2 Media 4.3 Sports 4.4 Distinguished alumni & persons 5 References 6 External links

[edit] History

Flinders University was opened by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, on 25 March 1966, as the Bedford Park campus of the University of Adelaide.

Just 18 days earlier, however, the South Australian Parliament had passed legislation to create an independent institution and the State's second university officially came into being on July 1st. There were 90 staff, four schools and just over 400 students. Economist and professor Peter Karmel was the first Vice-Chancellor and Sir Mark Mitchell the first Chancellor. The campus land has been owned by the State or Federal Government since 1915.^{[citation needed]}

The university takes its name from British navigator Matthew Flinders, who explored and surveyed the South Australian coastline in 1802. Its coat of arms includes a reproduction of Flinders' ship Investigator and an extract from his book A Voyage to Terra Australis.

A significant early initiative was the decision to build the Flinders Medical Centre on land adjacent to the campus and to base the university's Medical School within this new public hospital - the first such integration in Australia. FMC opened in 1976. In 1990, the biggest building project on campus since the mid-1970s saw work commence on three new buildings - Law and Commerce; Engineering; and Information Science and Technology. In 1991, as part of a restructuring of higher education in South Australia, Flinders merged with the adjacent Sturt Campus of the former South Australian College of Advanced Education. In 1992 the present four-faculty structure was adopted.

[edit] Campuses

The university maintains a number of external teaching facilities in regional South Australia, south-west Victoria and the Northern Territory. International students make up 10% of the on-campus student population and a number of offshore programmes are also offered, primarily in the Asia-Pacific region.

[edit] Organisation

Flinders University offers more than 160 undergraduate and postgraduate courses, as well as higher degree research supervision across all disciplines. Many courses use new information and communication technologies to supplement face-to-face teaching and provide flexible options.

[edit] Faculties and Schools

• Faculty of Education, Humanities, Law and Theology
• Faculty of Health Sciences
• Faculty of Science and Engineering
• Faculty of Social Sciences

[edit] Affiliates

• Australian Science and Mathematics School
• Flinders Medical Centre
• Adelaide College of Divinity
• Helpmann Academy

[edit] Student life

This section requires expansion.

[edit] Housing

[edit] Media

Flinders University's student newspaper, Empire Times, disbanded in 2006 as a result of voluntary student unionism. The newly-formed student organisation, Flinders One, launched a brand new student magazine, Libertine Magazine in 2008.

Libertine Magazine is published quarterly, and is contributed to by students across the Flinders community. As a necessity, Libertine Magazine is partially funded by outside advertising, which is liaised through Flinders One. The magazine is distributed throughout campuses, and is a space for student creativity and voice.

[edit] Sports

Flinders University has many sports teams that compete in social and competitive competitions. Flinders University also fields a baseball side in the Division 5 and Division 6 levels of the South Australian Baseball League.

[edit] Distinguished alumni & persons

• Noni Hazlehurst
• Brendan Nelson
• John Schumann, Michael Atkinson, Verity Truman, Chris Timms (founding members of Redgum)
• Terence Tao
• Kate Ellis
• Greig Pickhaver (also known as H.G. Nelson)
• Scott Hicks
• Dr Mamoru Mohri
• Professor Rodney Brooks
• Caleb Lewis
• Amanda Rishworth

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Flinders University

• Flinders University
• Flinders Drama Centre Graduates
• The Flinders University of South Australia Act 1966
• FlindersStudents Flinders University Student's News
• FlindersStudents Flinders University Student Forums
• FlindersStudents Flinders University Student Wiki

Affiliated teaching bodies

• Australian Science and Mathematics School
• Flinders Medical Centre
• Adelaide Central School of Art
• Helpmann Academy

Institutional affiliations

• Australia New Zealand School of Government
• Innovative Research Universities Australia