RMIT University

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Royal Melbourne
Institute of Technology
RMIT University
Latin: Universitas Technicus Melburnensis Regia
Motto: perita manus mens exculta (Latin)
Motto in English: "a skilled hand, a cultivated mind" (Non-literal translation)
Established: 1887
Type: public
Endowment: AU$1.107b (2007)[1]
Chancellor: R. Dennis Gibson, AO
Vice-Chancellor: Margaret Gardner, AO
Faculty: 3,604 (2008)[2]
Students: 49,476 (2008) (inc. TAFE)
Undergraduates: 33,603 (2008)
Postgraduates: 10,371 (2008)
Location: RMIT City campus,
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Flag of Australia
37°48′28″S 144°57′48″E / 37.80778°S 144.96333°E / -37.80778; 144.96333Coordinates: 37°48′28″S 144°57′48″E / 37.80778°S 144.96333°E / -37.80778; 144.96333
Campus: urban
Former names: The Working Men's College
(1887-1933)
Melbourne Technical College
(1934-1959)
Sports mascot: redback spider
Colours: red, black, white
              
Affiliations: ASAIHL, ATN, GU8, OUA
Website: rmit.edu.au
RMIT Coat of Arms

The Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (often referred to by the abbreviation: "RMIT", which is also used in its post-nominals) is an Australian public university and provider of vocational education, located in Melbourne, Victoria. It has two central branches: RMIT University (encompassing RMIT TAFE) and RMIT International University.

Founded in 1887 by prominent grazier and philanthropist, The Hon. Francis Ormond, RMIT is the third-oldest higher education provider in the state of Victoria and the seventh-oldest in Australia. Its foundation campus, 'RMIT City', is located at the northern end of the Melbourne CBD. RMIT was awarded royal patronage in 1954 - the only Australian university to date to have received the honour.

RMIT is considered to be a selective university; ranked third in the state of Victoria and 10th in Australia - in reference to its research output. According to the THES - QS World University Rankings it is ranked as one of the top five international universities; the top 100 universities for producing work-ready graduates; and amongst its annual list of 'Top 200 World Universities' - one of 20 institutes of technology that regularly feature on the listing.

RMIT pioneered the dual-sector education system in Australia, during the mid-20th Century.[3] It is now the largest institution of its type in the country and offers every level of award available in the Australian Qualifications Framework.[4] Academically, the university focuses on higher education research while its TAFE division focuses on vocational education and training.

It is a founding member of the Australian Technology Network and Global U8 Consortium.

Contents

[edit] History

Main article: History of the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology

[edit] The Working Men's College

Construction of the Working Men's College, circa 1880s

In 1881, prominent grazier and philanthropist, The Hon. Francis Ormond, proposed that a technical college would serve "useful" to City of Melbourne. Ormond, who had donated the majority of funds towards the foundation of Ormond College at the University of Melbourne, offered £5,000 towards the establishment of a college on the proviso that the public contribute a "like sum".[3][5][6]

A considerable sum was raised by the Council of the Melbourne Trades Hall, which rallied support amongst its membership of unions. Construction of "The Working Men's College" then began in 1886, on a site provided by the Colony of Victoria, next to the Melbourne Magistrates' Court, and adjacent the Melbourne Public Library on La Trobe Street. The College was officially opened during a gala ceremony on June 4, 1887[3] and, on the night of its opening, took 320 enrollments which increased to over 1000 in its first 12 months of operation. Ormond, a staunch believer in the values of education and a tireless campaigner for the College, served as its President till his death in 1889.[3][5]

The College began offering full-time courses in 1899, and was incorporated under the "Companies Act" as a private college in 1904.[3][6] Around the turn of the century, it began developing courses in engineering, applied science, chemistry, metallurgy and mining. Between the 1900s and the 1920s, the College expanded beyond its foundation building, and constructed two new buildings on nearby Bowen Street, a new Art School and also acquired the neighbouring, and recently decommissioned, Melbourne Gaol site for expansion.[3]

During the 1930s, the College underwent further expansion with the completion of an Engineering School and a Radio School, and two more buildings constructed on Bowen Street. In 1934, the College officially changed its name to the "Melbourne Technical College" (incorporating The Working Men's College), after a representation from its Student's Association.[3][6]

[edit] Contribution to WWI and WWII

Radio Communication Building in 1950

The College contributed to Australia's war efforts both in World War I and in World War II. Initially, between 1917 and 1919, it trained over 1500 returned ANZAC service men from World War I in vocational qualifications for post-war life in Australia.[3] Between 1939 and 1945, during World War II, it made a greater contribution to Australia's war efforts by training 23,000 service men and women (approximately one-sixth of all trained in Australia),[3][7] mainly Royal Australian Air Force personnel in radio communications, as well as 2,000 civilians in munitions manufacturing. The Government of Australia also commissioned the College to manufacture parts for the Air Force's DAP Beaufort Bomber.[3][6]

After World War II, and during the 1950s, the College again trained returned service men and women for post-war life, which prompted the development of courses in food technology, transport studies, accountancy and advertising, and the revision of its art syllabuses. During this time, the College also embraced the Commonwealth of Nations' newly devised Colombo Plan, which increased its intake of South East Asian students greatly.[6]

[edit] Royal patronage and birth of RMIT

RMIT's coat of arms features the St Edward’s Crown, a mark of the institute's royal patronage

In 1954, the College was awarded royal patronage by Queen Elizabeth II - for its service to the Commonwealth in the area of education and for its contribution to the war effort; and was officially renamed the "Royal Melbourne Technical College".[3][6] It became (and remains to this day) the only higher education institution in Australia with the right of the prefix "Royal" along with the use of the Monarchy of England's regalia.[3]

In 1960, the Council of the College voted to begin the process of reconstituting the college as a tertiary institution. The name of the College was then officially changed to the "Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology".[3][6]

During the late 1950s and 1960s, the non-tertiary branch of RMIT was reconstituted as the "Technical College" (TAFE), and it was believed the Institute and the College would eventually separate. However, the two have remained as incorporated branches of RMIT to the present day. During the 1960s, RMIT's Art School established its reputations as an Australian leader in its field.[3]

In the 1970s and early 1980s, the Institute expanded its degrees in business and engineering, and the College expanded its courses in technology and general studies. In 1979, the neighbouring Emily McPherson College of Domestic Economy on Russell Street amalgamated with RMIT, bringing with it its reputation in fashion design and food technology.[3][6] RMIT's Aeronautics School also established its reputation as an Australian leader in its field, during the late 1970s.[3]

RMIT celebrated its centenary in 1987 with a year-long calendar of events staged across the City of Melbourne, a time capsule set in the Bowen Street courtyard of the foundation building of the Working Men's College on La Trobe Street and a book called "The Tech: A Centenary History of the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology", documenting the institute's 100 years of history, was also published.[3][6]

In 1992, RMIT was granted full public university status by the Parliament of Victoria under the "Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology Act".[8] RMIT's newly appointed Chancellery then officially adopted the names "RMIT University" for its Institute branch and "RMIT TAFE" for its College branch, during the early 1990s, and its Design School also established its reputation as an international leader in eco-friendly design.[6]

[edit] Expansion for the 21st Century

The historic former Melbourne Magistrates' Court was acquired by RMIT in 1995

Following its reconstitution as a public university, RMIT then underwent a large and rapid expansion where a number of other institutes and colleges became amalgamated with it, between 1993 and 1999, which included: Phillip Institute of Technology, Melbourne College of Decoration and Design, Melbourne College of Printing and Graphic Art and Melbourne Institute of Textiles.[6][9]

In 1995, RMIT acquired the neighbouring, and recently vacated, former Melbourne Magistrates' Court and City Watch House buildings, on the corner of La Trobe Street and Russell Street, and renamed its expanding campus in Melbourne the "City campus".[6] It also established a new enivronmentally sustainable "country campus" around 20 km from the City campus, in Bundoora, which opened in 1995.

In 1999, it acquired the derilect state heritage-listed Capitol Theatre in the Melbourne CBD, and refurbished it to its original design. It also established a specialised fashion and printing campus in Brunswick, on the site of the former Melbourne Institute of Textiles in 1999, and became a founding member of the Australian Technology Network, a coalition of leading Australian universities working with industry.[10][6]

At the turn of the century, RMIT was invited by the Government of Vietnam to establish Vietnam's first foreign-owned university. In 2001, it established "RMIT International University, Vietnam" near the centre of Ho Chi Minh City, and a second campus in the Vietnamese capital city of Hanoi in 2004.[11] In its years of operation, the Government of Vietnam has awarded RMIT International University five Golden Dragon Awards for Education.[12]

During the mid 2000s, RMIT experienced financial problems, partly due to problems associated with its student administration system upgrade (AU$47 million was spent in this effort). The financial problems eventually claimed the then Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ruth Dunkin. In 2005, RMIT appointed a new Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Margaret Gardner AO and, between 2006 and 2007, posted operating profits of AU$50.1 million and AU$109.5 million each year respectively.[13][14] In 2006, it also became a founding member of the Global U8 Consortium, an international group of leading "coastal" universities.[15]

[edit] Admission and rankings

In Australia, RMIT is considered to be a selective university;[16] and is ranked third in the state of Victoria and 10th in the nation, in reference to its research output.[17] In a global survey of employers, it was ranked 60th in the World for producing work-ready graduates.[18][19] Like all universities in Australia, entry to all RMIT's tertiary programs (and some TAFE programs) are determined by the Equivalent National Tertiary Entrance Rank (ENTER) scoring system. Those without a sufficient ENTER score may also sit the Special Tertiary Admissions Test (STAT) to gain entry to RMIT.[20] Prospective students make their applications through the Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre (VTAC) and sometimes directly to RMIT via a portfolio submission.

In 2008, RMIT was ranked 206th in the World by the THES - QS World University Rankings, down six places, which is the first time it has not ranked in the 'Top 200 World Universities'.[21] RMIT's Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Margaret Gardner, said the university's lower ranking was "in common with many Australian universities".[19] Separately, it is ranked 94th in Engineering & IT, 149th in Arts & Humanities and 196th in both Life Sciences & Biomedicine and Social Sciences.[21] RMIT, however, still ranks in the top ten Australian universities according to the list.[22] THES-QS also ranked RMIT as the fourth most international university in the World (behind the University of London's School of Economics and School of Oriental and African Studies; and Cranfield University) according to students (15th in the World according to faculty/staff).[23][24]

The following publications ranked universities worldwide. RMIT ranked:

Publications Ave. 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
Times Higher Education Supplement[25] 137.8 55 82 146 200 206
Shanghai Jiao Tong University[26] u/r1 u/r u/r u/r u/r u/r
Newsweek[27]
The Economist
Financial Times MBA rank[28]
Economist Intelligence Unit's MBA rank[29]
Webometrics:[30] 346 299 360 379

1u/r = unranked.

[edit] Organisation

RMIT is a public university created under the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology Act (1992) and is governed by a council of 22 members known as the RMIT Council.[31] The current Chair of the RMIT Council is RMIT Chancellor, Professor Dennis Gibson. RMIT Council is responsible for the "direction and superintendence" of RMIT University, and the administration of RMIT International University Holdings Pty. Ltd. – a wholly-owned subsidiary of RMIT. Day-to-day operations of RMIT are managed by RMIT Vice-Chancellor, Professor Margaret Gardner, who is also the President of RMIT University; and the President of RMIT International University in Vietnam is Professor Merilyn Liddell.

RMIT University is structured as 25 semi-autonomous schools; offering programs at vocational (TAFE), undergraduate, postgraduate and research levels.[32] RMIT Schools are grouped into one of three academically-contextual colleges, known as Business, Design and Social Context and Science, Engineering and Health.[33] Each of RMIT’s 30+ centres of excellence are also grouped into a college according to their context, to allow for cross-field research. Schools also maintain their own field-relevant research collections, which are in addition to RMIT’s central library network (see: Notable school collections).

[edit] Colleges, schools and centres

The off site College of Business buildings on Bourke Street, near RMIT City
Buildings 2 and 4 at RMIT City, home to the School of Art
Old Kernot Engineering School at RMIT City, home to the School of Civil, Chemical and Environmental Engineering

College of Business [BUS]

College of Design and Social Context [DSC]

College of Science, Engineering and Health [SEH]

Centres of Excellence (notable)

[edit] Research institutes and collaboration

Four major research institutes are operated by RMIT, independently of its schools and colleges, and reflect the university's areas of strength. They are the RMIT Design Research Institute, RMIT Global Cities Research Institute, RMIT Platform Technologies Research Institute and RMIT Health Innovations Research Institute; all established in 2006, and conduct research at an international standard. A number of semi-autonomous research institutes are also based at RMIT, including the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute's Victorian branch and the Australian branch of the US-founded Nautilus Institute for Security and Sustainability.

RMIT also has notable partnerships with the Government of Victoria in Design Victoria - a centre for the advancement of the state's design industry, the Boeing Company in an aerospace systems development centre called the Boeing-RMIT Phantom Works and the Government of Australia in eight national Cooperative Research Centres (CRCs). In addition, and in line with RMIT's industry-relevant ethos, many organisations are also permanently partnered with its centres and institutes (and its schools) for research purposes. Some notable partners include: Airbus, Australian Defence Force, BHP Billiton, BMW AG, Boeing Company, Country Road, CSIRO, Deloitte, Ernst & Young, Ford Motor Company, GUESS, GM Holden, IBM, Luxottica, Mirvac, Pacific Brands, Siemens, Subaru, Telstra, Tenix, United Nations, Victorian Institute of Sport and Volkswagen Group.[34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41]

[edit] Campuses

RMIT University maintains three campuses in Melbourne, Victoria - City, Bundoora and Brunswick. It also operates a number of specialised "sites" in metropolitan Melbourne and in rural Victoria. RMIT International University maintains two campuses in Vietnam - Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. RMIT also offers distance/online education through Open Universities Australia and is partnered with over 190 educational institutions around the World. In 2003 over 58,000 students studied at RMIT and, currently, prospective students of RMIT have a choice of over 700 higher education and TAFE programs located across all campuses, sites, by distance/online education and with partner institutions.[42]

[edit] Australian campuses

[edit] RMIT City

Main article: RMIT City
RMIT City's Swanston Precinct in the Melbourne CBD

The City campus is RMIT's original and flagship campus. It was established in 1887, as "The Working Men's College", in a single building on the corner of La Trobe and Bowen streets. It is currently the largest of RMIT's campuses, in both Australia and Vietnam, and occupies nearly four city blocks at the northern end of the Melbourne CBD; which is often referred to as the "RMIT Quarter" of the city.

It is the only university campus entirely located within the Melbourne CBD and spans an area loosely bordered to the north by Queensberry Street, the east by Lygon and Russell streets, the south by La Trobe Street and the west by Elizabeth Street.[43] It is divided into four precincts referred to as: the "Art Precinct", "Carlton Precinct", "Justice Precinct" and "Swanston Precinct". Some buildings are also not located on the campus, which include: the entire College of Business, located on nearby Bourke Street, and the Capitol Theatre on southern Swanston Street.

The City campus is notable for its mix of modern and contemporary architecture as well as Victorian and gothic revival architecture.[44] As of 2007, the campus is also undergoing a AU$500 million redevelopment in accordance with RMIT's "2007 - 2010 Infrastructure Plan".[45]

RMIT City offers programs university-wide.[46]

[edit] RMIT Bundoora

Building 220

Established in 1995, RMIT Bundoora is the award-winning "country campus" of RMIT.[47] It is RMIT's second oldest and second largest campus and is located in Bundoora, 20 km from the City campus. RMIT Bundoora is divided into two campuses by Plenty Road, known as East and West. The older East campus was the former site of the Phillip Institute of Technology, which amalgamated with RMIT in 1992,[6] and shares a southern border with the locality of University Hill.[48] The campuses have their own transport interchange, served by a dedicated tram route (86/RMIT Bundoora-Docklands) and bus route (570/RMIT Bundoora-Thomastown). The nearest train station to RMIT Bundoora is Thomastown station.

Unlike the urban RMIT City campus in Melbourne, the West campus is set in 42 ha of parklands and was designed to be eco-friendly and sustainable. RMIT has sought to preserve the natural heritage of both campuses, most notably the "Keelbundoora Scarred Tree Trail", a collection of 800+ year old trees with significant Indigenous Australian markings and heritage, located within the grounds of the West campus,[49][50] and the natural lake which is also situated within the campus grounds.

The smaller East campus has a specific focus on engineering, and is home to the RMIT Renewable Energy Park, RMIT Wind Tunnel testing facility and the RMIT Racing team. The larger West campus has a general focus on sciences, and is home to RMIT's state-of-the-art biosciences buildings and the Bundoora Netball and Sports Centre, an environmentally sustainable sport centre with world-class facilities.[51][52] The West campus consists mainly of contemporary architecture, as it was established in 1995 and continues to be developed, and many of its buildings have gone on to win national awards for architectural and sustainable design.[47]

RMIT Bundoora offers programs in aerospace engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, medical sciences and social sciences.[53]

[edit] RMIT Brunswick

RMIT Textile Centre facade

The Brunswick campus is RMIT's specialised design campus,[54] and is located 5 km from the City campus, in Brunswick. Situated on Dawson Street, the campus is near Sydney Road, one of outer Melbourne's most multicultural shopping strips and the site of many art and music festivals.[55] It is well serviced by train via the close by Jewell station and by a number of trams that run along Sydney Road.

Established in 1999, it is RMIT's smallest and youngest campus, although the history of RMIT Brunswick can be dated back over 50 years prior to the former Melbourne Institute of Textiles, which amalgamated with RMIT in 1998, and originally occupied the site of the campus.[9] RMIT Brunswick is the home of the International Centre for Graphic Technology, RMIT Printing Centre and RMIT Textile Centre, and the campus is a combination of industrial and contemporary architecture.[54]

RMIT Brunswick offers programs in fashion design, graphic design, printing, publishing and textiles.[56]

[edit] Other sites

Fisherman's Bend
The Fishermen's Bend aerospace district, in Port Melbourne, is the site of RMIT's award-winning Sir Lawrence Wackett Aerospace Centre. It was established in 1991, and moved to new facilities at its current site in 2007.[57][58]

Hamilton
Hamilton is the site of RMIT's Regional Education and Community Development Centre and is known as "RMIT Hamilton" for short. It was established in 2000, and conducts research into rural development, and partners with local farmers and businesses to assist with the development of Victoria's western region.[59] RMIT Hamilton also grants degrees in rural nursing and education, to assist with dire regional requirements.[60]

Bullock Island
Bullock Island is the site of RMIT's Marine Research and Education Centre and the RMIT Aquaculture Research Facility, and is located near Lakes Entrance. It was established in 2004, and is contiguous with the South-East Australia Maritime Centre.[61] RMIT has provided training in Victoria's eastern region since 1994 (through its partner institutions), and continues to assist with the development of the region.[62]

Point Cook
The Royal Australian Air Force base "Williams" at Point Cook is the site of the RMIT Flight Training Facility.[63] The base is the World's oldest operational military airfield and the birthpace of Australia's air force.[64] RMIT has shared a historical association with the Royal Australian Air Force, which dates back to World War II.

[edit] International University

Main article: RMIT International University, Vietnam

RMIT International University in Vietnam, also known as "RMIT Vietnam" for short, was established in Ho Chi Minh City in 2001.[11] It is Vietnam's first fully foreign-owned university and RMIT's second major international venture (a Malaysian site known as "RMIT Penang" operated between 1996 and 1999). In 2004, a second campus was established in the Vietnamese capital city of Hanoi. Currently, RMIT Vietnam campuses have a combined population of over 3,800 students from Vietnam, Australia as well as various other countries. RMIT Vietnam's degrees are recognised by the Vietnamese Ministry of Education and Training and are awarded by RMIT University in Australia.[11]

[edit] Libraries, collections and galleries

Section of RMIT's Swanston Library, in Building 8 (RMIT City)

[edit] RMIT University Library

Main article: RMIT University Library

RMIT University Library is the central library network at RMIT.[65] It has six locations across RMIT's Australian campuses, each reflecting the academic focus of their respective campuses. The Swanston Library at the RMIT City campus is the university's largest library,[65] and is considered to be one of the top five libraries in Melbourne.[66] As a library of the Australian Technology Network,[65] RMIT University Library invests substantially in electronic resources and in online and A/V collections.[65] It also has access to over 400 global databases containing over a hundred thousand e-journals, reports, conference papers, e-books, etc.[65]

RMIT Research Repository
The Library also manages the RMIT Research Repository, an online databank containing a number of electronic records and full texts of peer-reviewed published articles and conference papers, books and chapters, as well as other forms of research produced by RMIT staff. Access to the Repository is available free of charge to anyone in the World, not just RMIT staff and students.[67] The Repository was formally launched on Thursday 9th April 2009. Repository records are harvested by Google, OAIster and the Arrow Discovery Service.

[edit] Notable school collections

Original section of Storey Hall, home of RMIT Gallery

AFI Research Collection

Main article: RMIT School of Applied Communication#AFI Research Collection

The AFI Research Collection is a specialist, non-lending film and television resource; opened in the mid-1970s by the Australian Film Institute (AFI) and Victorian Federation of Film Societies.[68] It also contains the valuable David Francis Collection and the notable Henry Mayer and Wayne Royal Levy collections and became an auspice of the RMIT School of Applied Communication in 2002.[68]

Fashion and Textiles
The RMIT fashion and textiles collection is held at the Francis Burke Centre at RMIT Brunswick campus by the RMIT School of Fashion and Textiles.[69] It contains substantial costume, couture, fashion illustration and textile collections, and also includes the Prue Acton, Alfredo Bouret, Frances Burke, Louis Kahan, Hall Ludlow, Robert Maltus and Bee Taplin collections.[69]

National Aerospace Resource Centre
The National Aerospace Resource Centre collection is a joint initiative of the RMIT School of Aerospace, Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering and the Royal Aeronautical Society. It consists of approximately 100,000 volumes, including: technical reports (from NASA, NACA, AMRL, DSTO, and other aerospace organisations), conference proceedings, books, videos, aircraft manuals and journals.[70]

[edit] Galleries and art collection

RMIT School of Art's street art project in Union Lane
See also: RMIT Gallery, RMIT School of Creative Media#Field 36 Gallery, and Street Art in Melbourne

RMIT holds a considerable architecture and Australian art collection. Many of its campuses buildings are part of its architecture collection, along with substantial archives held by the RMIT School of Architecture and Design. RMIT's Australian art collection is maintained by RMIT Gallery in Storey Hall (also part of its architecture collection). The Australian art collection also includes the valuable W.E. Macmillan Collection (gold and silver) and notable Lindsay Edward Collection (fine art). The history of the collection is documented in the publication: "A Skilled Hand and Cultivated Mind".[71][72]

RMIT has seven permanent art galleries, six located at the RMIT City campus: RMIT Gallery, RMIT School of Art Gallery and its Project Space Gallery, Field 36 Gallery, The DrawingSpace Melbourne (a Metasenta Gallery), the RMIT Union-run First Site Gallery and PitSpace Gallery (the latter located at the RMIT Bundoora campus).[73][74][75] The extensive arts program at RMIT often leads to temporary arts spaces being established on its campuses as well as various exhibitions in public spaces - a notable example is the Union Lane street art project.

RMIT Gallery

Main article: RMIT Gallery

RMIT Gallery is the University's largest public art gallery, and is one of Melbourne's broadest and most unique visual culture exhibition programs.[76][77] It presents exhibitions covering Australian and international design, including: contemporary art, fashion, architecture, new media and technology; which reflect RMIT's strengths in research and cultural production.[78]

[edit] Campus and student life

See also: List of clubs and societies of the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology

Most activities, clubs and organisations for RMIT students are managed by either the RMIT Union or the RMIT Student Union. The two unions differ in that RMIT Union is an unincorporated subsidiary body owned by the university that's concerned with campus life, and administers a wide range of arts, sporting and recreational activities and collectives for students[79]; whereas RMIT Student Union is an independent, not-for-profit and student-run organisation that's concerned with student life, and administers clubs and services in support of students.[80] A number of other activities and clubs are also run independently of RMIT's unions, usually within a school of the university.

[edit] RMIT Union

Main article: RMIT Union

The purpose of the RMIT Union is to contribute positively and enhance the RMIT community by providing valuable learning, development and social opportinities in a co-curricular setting.[79] Its divided into two branches, known as: Union Arts and Union Sports & Recreation, which administer a range of arts, sports and recreation activities and collectives.

[edit] Union Arts

Logos for RMIT Union Arts and RMIT Union Sports & Recreation

[edit] Union Sports & Recreation

Logo of the RMIT Redbacks

Sports

Recreation

  • City Fitness - RMIT's main fitness centre located in Building 8, RMIT City; open to staff, students and the general public
  • Preston Alpine Ski Lodge - RMIT's ski lodge located at Mount Buller Village; available for hire by staff and students only

[edit] RMIT Student Union

Main article: RMIT Student Union

The RMIT Student Union operates as a not-for-profit organisation and is run entirely by students. It's responsible for RMIT's student media organisations, campus events, student support collectives and welfare groups as-well-as student administered academic and national-based general interest clubs and societies.[80]

[edit] Student departments

Building 8 at RMIT City, headquarters of RMIT's unions
  • Activities - the department responsible for student activities and events
  • Clubs and Societies - see: List of clubs and societies of the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology
  • Campaigns Collective - campaigns for education and welfare issues and is run collaboration with the various departments
  • Organarchy - a student-run cooperative social enterprise which specialises in the retail of natural and ethical organic food
  • RMIT Environment Collective - students advocating environmental responsibility and sustainability within RMIT campuses
  • RMIT International Students Collective - supports and advocates the rights of international students
  • RMIT Postgraduate Students Association (RPA) - the representative body of postgraduate students
  • RMIT Queer Collective - supports and advocates the rights of RMIT's LGBT community
  • RMIT Womyn's Collective - supports and advocates the rights of women
  • Welfare and Education - the department responsible for issues relating to student welfare and academic program support

[edit] Media organisations

SYN Radio and TV logo

Publication

  • Catalyst - the RMIT student magazine, distributed free every month of the academic year, since 1944

Radio

  • 3RRR - founded by RMIT in 1976,[81] now funded mainly by subscription but still utilised by the university
  • SYN Radio - RMIT's current radio station, founded in 2001 and broadcast across the state on 90.7FM[82]

Television

  • RMITV - RMIT's student television production house, broadcasting since 1987, and co-founder of C31[83]
  • SYN TV - live music television production house that works in partnership with SYN Radio and RMITV

[edit] Non-union societies and activities

  • RMIT Golden Key - the RMIT chapter of the Golden Key International Honour Society
  • RMIT LEAD - student leadership development through volunteer community programs
  • RMIT MET - major events managed by marketing students, independent of the unions
  • RMIT Racing - RMIT's Formula SAE engineering and racing team, which is considered to be one of the best in the world
  • RMIT SEEDS - student entrepreneurship, education, development in society scheme

[edit] RMIT Spiritual Centre

Main article: RMIT Spiritual Centre

The RMIT Spiritual Centre is a historical building located on the City campus of RMIT. The centre provides a space for worship to all staff and students of RMIT, regardless of their faith and without showing favour to any one faith, and houses the RMIT Chaplaincy service.[84] However, in 2008 RMIT was accused of reneging on a promise to accommodate its significant Muslim student population[85] with appropriate prayer room facilities after the previous facility was closed due to reconstruction.[86] The RMIT Islamic Society (RMITIS) protested by boycotting the multi-faith centre and holding weekly Friday prayers, with hundreds of Muslim students, in one of the university's main outdoor thoroughfares.[87]

[edit] Graduates

Main article: List of Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology people

RMIT has an international reputation for art, design, engineering and technology; and for its industry-relevant ethos.[88][89][90][91][92] It's produced notable graduates in: Art, Business (with strength in Commerce), Communication studies (with strength in Media studies), Design (with strengths in Architecture, Fashion Design and Industrial Design - specifically in eco-friendly design), Engineering (with strengths in Aerospace engineering and Mechanical engineering), Health Sciences (with strengths in Bioscience and Traditional medicine), Social Science and Technology (with strengths in Information Technology and Nanotechnology).

[edit] Graduation parade

2006 RMIT graduation parade
See also: Academic dress of the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology

A notable RMIT graduation tradition is its annual graduation parade - a town and gown-style academic procession along the major Melbourne throughfare of Swanston Street. The parade members march 1 km in full academic dress from Bowen Street (in the RMIT City campus), down Swanston Street, and culminate at Federation Square (until 2002, the parade culminated outside the Melbourne Town Hall).[93] The parade is escorted by the central marching band of the Royal Australian Air Force, which RMIT shares a historical association, and graduands are accompanied by staff and alumni.

The parade is welcomed at Federation Square by the Lord Mayor of Melbourne, on behalf of the city and its citizens. The Lord Mayor then grants RMIT's Vice-Chancellor a "writ of passage" to proceed with the graduation ceremony, which takes place at the Docklands Stadium, and is the largest university graduation ceremony in Australia.[94][95]

[edit] References

  1. ^ RMIT 2007 Annual Report
  2. ^ RMIT Strategic Plan Update
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Murray-Smith & Dare 1987
  4. ^ About RMIT (RMIT homepage)
  5. ^ a b Ross 1912
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n A Timeline of RMIT history (RMIT Homepage)
  7. ^ RMIT soldiers on during war time - Openline (RMIT News), 24 April 2007
  8. ^ Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology Act (1992)
  9. ^ a b RMIT affiliation with Melbourne Institute of Textiles - Openline (RMIT News), 24 October 1998
  10. ^ Australian Technology Network
  11. ^ a b c About RMIT Vietman (RMIT Vietnam Homepage)
  12. ^ RMIT Vietnam wins fifth consecutive Golden Dragon Award - RMIT VN News, 26 January 2008
  13. ^ RMIT back in the black - The Australian, 2 May 2007
  14. ^ RMIT records another year of expansion - Openline (RMIT News), 18 April 2008
  15. ^ Global U8 Consortium
  16. ^ Emergence of the great divide - The Australian, 11 July 2007
  17. ^ RMIT surges up research funding ladder - Openline (RMIT News), 24 October 2008
  18. ^ THES - QS Top Universities - Employer Review
  19. ^ a b Global employers give RMIT the thumbs-up - Openline (RMIT News), October 10 2008
  20. ^ Admission Tests (VTAC homepage)
  21. ^ a b THES - QS Top Universities profile - RMIT University
  22. ^ THES - QS Top Universities - Australia and New Zealand
  23. ^ THES - QS Top Universities - International Students
  24. ^ THES - QS Top Universities - International Faculty
  25. ^ The Times Higher Education Supplement
  26. ^ Institute of Higher Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University.
  27. ^ Newsweek's "Top 100 Global Universities"
  28. ^ Financial Times' Global MBA rankings
  29. ^ Economist Intelligence Unit's MBA rankings
  30. ^ Webometric's "World Universities" rankings
  31. ^ RMIT University Secretariat - Council Members
  32. ^ Academic Schools at RMIT (RMIT Homepage)
  33. ^ RMIT Update No. 12/2009 - Change to SET College name to SEH
  34. ^ Industry and Business - Advanced Technologies (RMIT Homepage)
  35. ^ Industry and Business - Aerospace and Aviation (RMIT Homepage)
  36. ^ Industry and Business - Automotive (RMIT Homepage)
  37. ^ Industry and Business - Built environment and Infrastructure (RMIT Homepage)
  38. ^ Industry and Business - Fashion and Textiles (RMIT Homepage)
  39. ^ Industry and Business - Financial Services (RMIT Homepage)
  40. ^ Luxottica sees the big picture with RMIT - Openline (RMIT News), 3 October 2008
  41. ^ RMIT named UN-Habitat Partner University - Openline (RMIT News), 5 December 2008
  42. ^ RMIT 2008 Course Guide
  43. ^ RMIT City campus map (RMIT Homepage)
  44. ^ RMIT's historic buildings (RMIT Homepage)
  45. ^ RMIT University Infrastructure Plan - Property Component 2007 - 2010
  46. ^ Programs offered at the City campus (RMIT Homepage)
  47. ^ a b Bundoora campus (RMIT Homepage)
  48. ^ University Hill - Amenities Map
  49. ^ Management plan to save historic trees - Openline (RMIT News), 1 July 1997
  50. ^ Sharing our heritage through 800 year old treet - Openline (RMIT News), 6 June 2008
  51. ^ New 'green sports centre' in RMIT Bundoora opens - Openline (RMIT News), 25 February 2002
  52. ^ Bundoora Netball and Sports Centre
  53. ^ Programs offered at the Bundoora campus (RMIT Homepage)
  54. ^ a b Brunswick campus (RMIT Homepage)
  55. ^ Sydney Road, Brunswick
  56. ^ Programs offered at the Brunswick campus (RMIT Homepage)
  57. ^ Sir Laurence Wackett Aeropace Centre (RMIT Homepage)
  58. ^ Boost for Melbourne aerospace industry - Openline (RMIT News), 5 November 2007
  59. ^ History of RMIT Hamilton (RMIT Homepage)
  60. ^ RMIT Hamilton (RMIT Homepage)
  61. ^ Marine centre opens on Bullock Island - Openline (RMIT News), 28 July 2004
  62. ^ RMIT and East Gippsland (RMIT Homepage)
  63. ^ Point Cook (RMIT Homepage)
  64. ^ RAAF Base Williams (Royal Australian Air Force)
  65. ^ a b c d e RMIT University Library (RMIT Homepage)
  66. ^ M magazine article - The Age, 27 July, 2008
  67. ^ RMIT Research Repository
  68. ^ a b RMIT AFI Research Collection (RMIT School of Applied Communicaion)
  69. ^ a b Fashion and Textiles collections (RMIT School of Architecture and Design)
  70. ^ National Aerospace Resource Centre at RMIT (RMIT University Library)
  71. ^ Edquist & Grierson 2008
  72. ^ Treasures in the heart of the city - Openline (RMIT News), 29 February 2008
  73. ^ RMIT School of Art galleries (RMIT School of Art)
  74. ^ Field 36 Gallery (RMIT School of Creative Media)
  75. ^ Global Art/MetaSenta (RMIT School of Art)
  76. ^ Total Travel - RMIT Gallery Webpage
  77. ^ About RMIT Gallery (RMIT Gallery)
  78. ^ RMIT Gallery (City of Melbourne Homepage)
  79. ^ a b About Us (Launch: RMIT Union homepage)
  80. ^ a b About (RMIT Student Union website)
  81. ^ About 3RRR (Tripe R FM Homepage)
  82. ^ About SYN (Student Youth Network Homepage)
  83. ^ About RMITV (RMITV Homepage)
  84. ^ RMIT Chaplaincy - RMIT Spiritual Centre
  85. ^ "RMIT SUC Minutes 3/2008" RMIT Student Union, April 9, 2008. Accessed March 21, 2009.
  86. ^ "Give us a Fair Go" RMIT Islamic Society, website. Accessed: March 12, 2009.
  87. ^ "Students lose faith in RMIT pledge" The Australian, October 15, 2008. Accessed: March 12, 2009.
  88. ^ RMIT University - StudyLink profile
  89. ^ RMIT University - Study in Australia profile
  90. ^ RMIT University - Education.com profile
  91. ^ RMIT University - Fashion Institute of Technology profile
  92. ^ Reputation - About RMIT Architecture (RMIT School of Architecture and Design)
  93. ^ Graduation Parade (RMIT Homepage)
  94. ^ Hats off to the class of 2007 - Openline (RMIT News) 14 December 2007
  95. ^ Class of ’07 makes big impact - Openline (RMIT News) 21 December 2007

Further reading

Ross, C. Stuart (1912), Francis Ormond: Pioneer, Patriot, Philanthropist, London; Melbourne: Melville and Mullen 

Murray-Smith, Stephen; Dare, Anthony J. (1987), The Tech: A Centenary History of the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (1st ed.), South Yarra (Melbourne): Hyland House, ISBN 0947062068 

Edquist, Harriet; Grierson, Elizabeth (2008), A Skilled Hand and Cultivated Mind: A Guide to the Architecture and Art of RMIT, Melbourne: RMIT University Press, ISBN 9781921166914 

[edit] See also

Official websites

Student services
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Other resources


v • d • e
Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT)
Branches and Campuses Francis Ormond
Buildings of Significance
Colleges and Schools
Student Organisations
History, People, etc.
v • d • e
Universities in Australia
National
New South Wales
Australian Capital Territory
Victoria
Queensland
Western Australia
South Australia
Tasmania
Northern Territory
v • d • e
Universities in Victoria, Australia

Australian Catholic • Ballarat • Deakin • La Trobe • Melbourne • Monash • RMIT • Swinburne • Victoria
v • d • e
TAFE Victoria Institutes
v • d • e
Open Universities Australia
Partner Universities
Secondary Providers
v • d • e
Australian Technology Network

Curtin • QUT • RMIT • South Australia • UTS
v • d • e
Global U8 Consortium

Haifa • Hull • INHA • Le Havre • Rhode Island • RMIT • Washington • Xiamen
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