The FutureCampus has been up and running now for 1 ½ years with the last update 6 months ago when the 1 year celebrations were held. It’s therefore timely for another update as T3 gets under way.

2014 has seen a rapid rise in the use of UNE’s FutureCampus by students, staff and members of the public. Over 2,900 students in T1 and T2 attended a variety of activities and events including orientation, intensives, tutorials, lectures, seminars, moot court and workshops. This is a rise of over 142% on last year when 1,200 students attended in T2 and T3 during 2013. The FutureCampus has also been the venue for some key events such as Microsoft’s first Australian Technology Enriched Instruction workshop for university academics.

There is now a well-established group of regular student users who come in to UNE’s FutureCampus to gain access to the facilities and student support that is on offer. A constant stream of members of the public drop in to explore their career options and to familiarise themselves with the on-line education opportunities available. This is made possible, in part, due to the extended hours the FutureCampus is open, which during the trimester are Mondays to Fridays 8am – 9pm and on Saturdays and Sundays 10am to 6pm.

During the year a number of Armidale lecture rooms were upgraded with video conferencing, bringing the total video conference points on campus in Armidale to 26, including the state-of-the-art ITD Immersive Suite. Some Unit coordinators are taking advantage of this to use the FutureCampus to access guest lecturers and specialist tutors, having them come to Parramatta and connect to the Armidale class or tutorial via the video conferencing facilities. The Academic Skills Office, Careers Office and Library are using this method for delivery of evening programs to Parramatta, Tamworth and Taree with the sessions being recorded and available to all students. The benefits are two-fold, accessing a larger pool of resources and also saving on time, travel and accommodation costs.

There is ongoing engagement with key leaders and stakeholders in the local community of Western Sydney. A partnership agreement was signed with the Parramatta City Council with both partners working on joint community projects. Participation is key and this includes co-hosting business education breakfasts with the Parramatta Chambers of Commerce, being an education partner of the Sydney Festival Kaldor Art Project 28, and as a Satellite venue for the TedX Sydney event for the past two years.

Members of the Western Sydney student support team also visit local schools on school career days and provide course materials and information to high school students about studying at UNE on campus and on-line.

Every opportunity is made to engage with alumni and invite them to use the FutureCampus. Events for Alumni include Alumni awards, public lectures from Armidale, lectures presented locally and the breakfasts with the Parramatta Chamber of Commerce.

Along with the four staff and ten student casuals that support the FutureCampus’s operation, there are another fourteen staff members based at Parramatta linking in with areas of the University such as Financial Services, ITD, BCSS, Health, Law and UNE Partnerships.

The FutureCampus also hosts visiting staff from Armidale and provides hot desks, lecture and meeting room facilities to support their activities.

If you are coming to Sydney at any time, please make time to come in to visit and explore the FutureCampus at Parramatta.

The team at the FutureCampus are happy to answer any questions about the facility, explain its operation and assist staff.

Further information is available on the web www.une.edu.au\parramatta

Photographs of the Parramatta Lanes Festival are available here.