Macquarie University

Macquarie University ( mə-KWORR-ee) is a public research university in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Founded in 1964 by the New South Wales Government, it was the third university to be established in the Sydney metropolitan area.

Established as a verdant university, Macquarie has four faculties, as well as the Macquarie University Hospital, which are on the university's main Wallumattagal campus in the suburb of Macquarie Park.

The university is the first in Australia to fully align its degree system with the Bologna Accord.

History

20th century

The idea of founding a third university in Sydney was flagged in the early 1960s when the New South Wales Government formed a committee of enquiry into higher education to deal with a perceived emergency in university enrolments in New South Wales. During this enquiry, the Senate of the University of Sydney put in a submission which highlighted 'the immediate need to establish a third university in the metropolitan area'. After much debate a future campus location was selected in what was then a semi-rural part of North Ryde, and it was decided that the future university be named after Lachlan Macquarie, an important early governor of the colony of New South Wales.

Macquarie University was formally established in 1964 with the passage of the Macquarie University Act 1964 by the New South Wales parliament.

The initial concept of the campus was to create a new high-technology corridor, similar to the area surrounding Stanford University in Palo Alto, California, the goal being to provide for interaction between industry and the new university. The academic core was designed in the Brutalist style and developed by the town planner Walter Abraham who also oversaw the next 20 years of planning and development for the university. A committee appointed to advise the state government on the establishment of the new university at North Ryde nominated Abraham as the architect-planner. The fledgling Macquarie University Council decided that planning for the campus would be done within the university, rather than by consultants, and this led to the establishment of the architect-planners office.

The first vice-chancellor of Macquarie University, Alexander George Mitchell, was selected by the University Council which met for the first time on 17 June 1964. Members of the first university council included: Colonel Sir Edward Ford OBE, David Paver Mellor, Rae Else-Mitchell QC and Sir Walter Scott.

The university first opened to students on 6 March 1967 with more students than anticipated. The Australian Universities Commission had allowed for 510 effective full-time students (EFTS) but Macquarie had 956 enrolments and 622 EFTS. Between 1968 and 1969, enrolment at Macquarie increased dramatically with an extra 1200 EFTS, with 100 new academic staff employed. 1969 also saw the establishment of the Macquarie Graduate School of Management (MGSM).

Macquarie grew during the seventies and eighties with rapid expansion in courses offered, student numbers and development of the site. In 1972, the university established the Macquarie Law School, the third law school in Sydney. In their book Liberality of Opportunity, Bruce Mansfield and Mark Hutchinson describe the founding of Macquarie University as 'an act of faith and a great experiment'. An additional topic considered in this book is the science reform movement of the late 1970s that resulted in the introduction of a named science degree, thus facilitating the subsequent inclusion of other named degrees in addition to the traditional BA. An alternative view on this topic is given by theoretical physicist John Ward.

Campuses and buildings

Macquarie University's main campus is about 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) north-west of the Sydney CBD and is set on 126 hectares of rolling lawns and natural bushland. Macquarie's location within the high-technology corridor of Sydney's north-west, in close proximity to Macquarie Park and its surrounding industries, has been crucial in its development as a relatively research intensive university.

Before the development of the campus, most of the site was cultivated with peach orchards, market gardens and poultry farms. The university's first architect-planner was Walter Abraham, one of the first six administrators appointed to Macquarie University. As the site adapted from its former rural use to a busy collegiate environment, he implemented carefully designed planting programs across the campus. Abraham established a grid design comprising lots of 300 square feet (28 m2) running north–south, with the aim of creating a compact academic core. The measure of 300 feet (91 m) was seen as one minute's walk, and grid design reflected the aim of having a maximum walk of 10 minutes between any two parts of the university. The main east–west walkway that runs from the Macquarie University Research Park to the arts faculty buildings was named Wally's Walk in recognition of Abraham's contribution.

Apart from its centres of learning, the campus features the Macquarie University Research Park, museums, art galleries, a sculpture park, an observatory, a sport and aquatic centre and the private Macquarie University Hospital. The campus has its own postcode, 2109.

Macquarie University Hospital

Macquarie became the first university in Australia to own and operate a private medical facility in 2010 when it opened a $300 million hospital on its campus. The hospital is the first and only private not-for-profit teaching hospital on an Australian university campus. The Macquarie University Hospital is north of the main campus area towards the university sports grounds. It comprises 183 beds, 13 operating theatres, 2 cardiac and vascular angiography suites. The hospital is co-located with the university's Australian School of Advanced Medicine.

Commercial use

The university hosts a number of high-technology companies on its campus. Primarily designed to encourage interaction between the university and industry, commercialisation of its campus has also given the institution an additional revenue stream. Tenants are selected based on their potential to collaborate with the university's researches or their ability to provide opportunities for its students and graduates. Cochlear has its headquarters in close proximity to the Australian Hearing Hub on the southern edge of campus. Other companies that have office space at the campus include Dow Corning, Goodman Fielder, Nortel, OPSM, and Siemens.

Governance and structure

University Council

The university is governed by a 17-member Council.

The University Council is the governing authority of the university under the Macquarie University Act 1989.

The Council has primary responsibility for the control and management of the affairs of the university, and is empowered to make by-laws and rules relating to how the university is managed. Members of the Council include the university vice-chancellor, academic and non-academic staff, the vice president of the Academic Senate and a student representative. The Council is chaired by the chancellor of the university.

The Academic Senate is the primary academic body of the university. It has certain powers delegated to it by the Council, such as the approving of examination results and the completion of requirements for the award of degrees. At the same time, it makes recommendations to the Council concerning all changes to degree rules and all proposals for new awards. It elects its own chair (vice president).

Chancellor and Vice-Chancellor

Macquarie's current vice-chancellor, Bruce Dowton, took over from Schwartz in September 2012. Prior to his appointment Dowton served as a senior medical executive, having held a range of positions in university, healthcare and consulting organisations. He also served as a pediatrician at the Massachusetts General Hospital for Children, and as Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School. There have been five vice-chancellors in the university's history.

Faculties and departments

The university currently comprises 35 departments within four faculties:

• Faculty of Arts
• Macquarie Business School
• Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences
• Faculty of Science and Engineering

Coat of arms

Macquarie University's coat of arms (often erroneously referred to as a 'crest') was assumed through a 1967 amendment of the Macquarie University Act, 1964 (Confirmed by Letters patent of the College of Arms, 16 August 1969), and the Grant of arms reads:

Vert, the Macquarie lighthouse tower, masoned proper, in Chief the star Sirius, Or.

The escutcheon (in green taken from the tartan of Clan MacQuarrie) displays the Macquarie Lighthouse tower, the first major public building in the colony when completed in 1816, as well as the Sirius star (in gold), which was also the name of the flagship of the First Fleet. The motto chosen for the university, which following the rules of English heraldry does not form part of the original grant of arms, was And Gladly Teche, a phrase taken from the general prologue of The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer (circa 1400), and symbolises the university's commitment to both learning and teaching.

Academic profile

Research and publications

The university positions itself as being research intensive. In 2012, 85% of Macquarie's broad fields of research was rated 'at or above world standard' in the Excellence in Research for Australia 2012 National report. The university is within the top 3 universities in Australia for the number of peer-reviewed publications produced per academic staff member.

Researchers at Macquarie University, David Skellern and Neil Weste, and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation helped develop Wi-Fi. David Skellern has been a major donor to the university through the Skellern Family Trust. Macquarie physicists Frank Duarte and Jim Piper pioneered the laser designs adopted by researchers worldwide, in various major national programs, for atomic vapor laser isotope separation.

Macquarie University's linguistics department developed the Macquarie Dictionary. The dictionary is regarded as the standard reference on Australian English.

Macquarie University has a research partnership with the University of Hamburg in Germany and Fudan University in China. They offer dual and joint degree programs and engage in joint research.

Access Macquarie Limited was established in 1989 as the commercial arm of the university. It facilitates and supports the commercial needs of industry, business and government organisations seeking to utilise the academic expertise of the broader university community.

Research divisions

Research centres, schools and institutes that are affiliated with the university:

• The Australian Research Institute for Environment and Sustainability
• The Macquarie University Hospital
• The Australian Hearing Hub

Macquarie University's Australian Hearing Hub is partnered with Cochlear. Cochlear Headquarters are on campus. The Australian Hearing Hub includes the head office of Australian Hearing.

The Australian Research Institute for Environment and Sustainability is a research centre that promotes change for environmental sustainability, is affiliated with the university and is located on its campus.

Library and archives

The library houses over 1.8 million items and uses the Library of Congress Classification System. It has several collections, including a Rare Book Collection, a Palaeontology Collection and the Brunner Collection of Egyptological materials. The original library in building C7A, opened in 1967, closed in July 2011 (the building has been repurposed as a student support and study space) and a new library, in building C3C, became fully operational on 1 August 2011. The new library was Australia's first university library to possess an Automated Storage and Retrieval System (ASRS). The ASRS consists of an environmentally controlled vault with metal bins storing the items; robotic cranes retrieve an item on request and deliver it to the service desk for collection.

Student life

Campus Life manages the university's non-academic services: food and retail, sport and recreation, student groups, child care, and entertainment. From late 2017 onward its Campus Hub facility has been closed for reconstruction; a 'pop-up'-style replacement, the Campus Common, has been opened for the duration.

Student demographics

Macquarie is the fourth largest university in Sydney (38,753 students in 2013). The university has the largest student exchange program in Australia.

In 2012, 9,802 students from Asia were enrolled at Macquarie University (Sydney campuses and offshore programs in China, Hong Kong, Korea and Singapore).

Student media and radio

Macquarie University has its own community radio station on campus, 2SER FM. The station is jointly owned by Macquarie University and the University of Technology Sydney.

Campus traditions

Macquarie University students celebrate Conception Day each year since 1969 to – according to legend – commemorate the date of conception of Lachlan Macquarie, as his birthday fell at the wrong time of year for a celebration. Conception Day is traditionally held on the last day of classes before the September mid-semester break.

Sports and athletics

On the western side of the campus is the Macquarie University Sport and Aquatic Centre. Previously a sports hall facility, the complex was renovated and reopened in 2007 with the addition of the new gym and aquatic centre. It houses a 50-metre FINA-compliant outdoor pool and a 25-metre indoor pool. The complex also contains a gymnasium and squash, badminton, basketball, volleyball and netball courts.

Macquarie also has seven hectares of high-quality playing fields for football, cricket and tennis. Just north of the campus, the fields are used by the university as well as a number of elite sporting teams, such as Sydney FC and the Matildas.

Residential colleges

Macquarie University has two residential colleges on its campus, Dunmore Lang College and Robert Menzies College, both founded in 1972. The colleges both offer academic support as well as a range of social and sporting activities in a communal environment.

Separate to the colleges is Student Village North Ryde in Marsfield, New South Wales. The village was developed by the university in 2001 for the purpose of housing students adjacent to the university campus and also housed Olympians for the Sydney 2000 Olympics. As of 2006, the village is now operated by Campus Living Villages, a company operating University Villages across Australia. It has over 900 rooms in mostly townhouse-style buildings north of the campus. The village encourages its students to interact in its communal spaces and has a number of social events throughout the year.

Notable people

Notable alumni

Alumni include Rhodes and John Monash Scholars and several Fulbright Scholars.

Notable alumni include: Minister for the Environment and Water, Tanya Plibersek; Australian politician and former Lord Mayor of Brisbane, Jim Soorley; New South Wales Minister for Health, Brad Hazzard; 16th prime minister of Sri Lanka, Harini Amarasuriya; Australian politician, Mike Kelly; Australian basketball player, Lauren Jackson; Australian swimmer, Ian Thorpe; Australian water polo player, Holly Lincoln-Smith; three founding members of the Australian children's musical group The Wiggles, Murray Cook, Anthony Field, and Greg Page; former director-general of the National Library of Australia, Anne-Marie Schwirtlich AM; New Zealand conservationist, Pete Bethune; Miss Universe Australia 2008, Laura Dundovic; Australian journalist, Hugh Riminton and BBC Presenter, Yalda Hakim.

Эх сурвалж: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)