Queensland Premier Peter Beattie will be among guests at a huge celebration on October 10 marking completion of Phase One development of the futuristic UQ Ipswich campus.
Events from 10am include morning tea, a formal program, tours of the recently-completed Building Eight (an imposing three-level structure featuring an indoor garden and stream) and an outdoor lunch for guests including all UQ Ipswich staff. A student celebration is also being planned.
Speakers will include Mr Beattie (who will also officially open Building Eight), University Chancellor Sir Llew Edwards, Vice-Chancellor Professor John Hay, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (International and Development) Professor Trevor Grigg and Councillor Paul Pisasale, Acting Mayor, Ipswich City.
Four years and $51 million in State/Federal Government and UQ funding have gone into the three-stage job of converting the former Challinor Centre site to the University of Queensland's Ipswich campus - one of the first purpose-built, completely Web-enabled campuses in Australia.
Stage One, launched in 1997 and finished in time to welcome the first 500 students in February 1999. Fewer than five years later, enrolments have grown to 2200 (right on track for the target of 2500) and UQ Ipswich has more than 550 graduates, mostly employed in their chosen fields.
Stage Two finished in 2000 - a $25 million rehabilitation of eight buildings in the central Heritage Precinct plus a new, twin-block general purpose building (Building 12).
The state-of-the-art Building Eight ($9.27 million including associated works) represents completion of Stage Three.
Building Eight houses the Library, Student Centre, Information Technology Services, Student Support Services, Health Service, Equity Office, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Unit, Student Union, Chaplaincy Service, and the Office of the Campus Manager.
Professor Grigg said the first five years of operations at UQ Ipswich had proved an outstanding success, judging by escalating numbers of students, programs on offer and graduates in jobs of their choice.
"An extraordinary amount of planning and execution has gone into the concept since the University's decision in 1996 to establish its third major campus here," he said, "and the results more than justify the vision of those who contributed to that decision.
"Teaching and research environments are flourishing with students and staff having easy access to some of the nation's most advanced technologies.
"For instance, more than three kilometres of optic fibre runs under the campus to support a high-speed operating environment, and a broad-band microwave network links UQ Ipswich with other parts of the University.
"Ports for student laptops are located in teaching spaces, and radio-based networks cover most of the campus enabling wireless laptop use within the grounds.
"This is one of the most advanced campuses in Australia. And we're turning out graduates with some of the most modern and relevant qualifications in the world."
Media: For more information, contact Professor Trevor Grigg (telephone 3365 7366) or Moya Pennell, UQ Communications (telephone 3365 2846, email m.pennell@uq.edu.au).
