IQ inside
>> Major facelift for Gardens Point - Page 2 >> Classy class of 2010 - Page 3 >> Campus services guide - Page 7 >>
Queensland University of Technology Newspaper Issue 300 February, 2010
www.news.qut.edu.au George Street Brisbane 4000 Telephone (07) 3138 2361 Registered by Australia Post – Publication No. QBF 4778. CRICOS No 00213J
Orientation
“JUST get involved.” That’s the message from an army of QUT’s ambassadors who will storm the university’s three campuses welcoming new students during orientation.
As around 10,000 eager new students embark on university life, more than 100 experienced students including
Will Dawson and Sam Scott, pitctured above,will provide a friendly face and some helpful advice.
“It can be a little daunting when you first arrive,” said Will, who is completing his final year of a Bachelor of Media and Communications.
“When I first came to QUT the student ambassadors welcomed me – so now I return the favour.”
Coming from the Sunshine Coast, Will feared he would feel “isolated”
arriving in Brisbane.
“That totally wasn’t the case at all.
During orientation I put my name down for as many things as I could, and before I knew it I had an instant group of friends,” he said.
“The ambassadors were there to help new students and they encouraged
me to get involved, and that is exactly what I did.”
Sam, who also hails from the Sunshine Coast agrees.
“Orientation is the best opportunity you have to really kick-start your involvement at QUT,” the third-year economics and finance student said.
“I would encourage people to go on as many campus tours as they can, do
the library tour and most of all if there is anything they don’t understand, ask.”
The role of student ambassadors is both to lay out the welcome mat during orientation, but also talk to prospective students about uni life during school visits and career days throughout the year.
- Sandra Hutchinson
Friendly faces
welcome new students
Orientation highlights
Wed, Feb 10 & Thurs, Feb 11
• GP, campus tours, leave from A Block every half hour from 8.30am to 11.30am
• GP, orientation lunch, Kidney Lawn, 11am to 1pm (costs $2)
• GP, New to Brisbane info sessions, X Block (level 3), 9.30am and 1pm Mon, Feb 15
• GP, campus tours, leave from A Block every half hour from 8.30am to 11.30am and from 1pm to 5.30pm
• GP, orientation lunch, Kidney Lawn, 11am to 2pm (costs $2)
• GP, financial support for students seminar, D Block (level 1), 3.30pm
• GP, library tours, V Block (level 3), 10am and 2.30pm. Register online, www.kickstart.qut.edu.au
• GP, river dinner cruise on Island Party boat, 6pm to 10pm, $35 (must
be 18+). Book with QUT East West, 3138 1895
Tues, Feb 16
• GP, campus tours, leave from A Block every half hour from 8.30am to 11.30am and from 1.30pm to 3.30pm
• GP, orientation lunch, Kidney Lawn, 11am to 2pm (costs $2)
• GP, East West Eats (budget dinner at a local restaurant), meet on Kidney Lawn at 6.30pm. (Register at the East West info tent during lunch on Mon/Tues)
Wed, Feb 17
• CAB, orientation for education and creative industries students, 9am to 4pm
• KG, campus tours, leave from A Block every half hour from 8.30am to 11.30am and from 1pm to 5.30pm
• KG, Creative Industries Precinct
campus tours, leave from 44 Musk Ave every half hour from 8.30am to 11.30am and from 1pm to 4.30pm
• GP, campus tours, leave from A Block every half hour from 8.30am to 11.30am
• KG, QUT 101 session (general info on QUT), W Block (W201), 9am, 10am, 11am, 2pm, 3pm, 4pm, 5.30pm
• GP, orientation lunch, Kidney Lawn, 11am to 2pm (costs $2)
• KG, orientation lunch, A Block Lawn, 11am to 2pm (costs $2)
• GP, Why Study a Language? info session, Z Block (Z411), noon
• KG, welcome barbecue at Campus Living Village (Blamey St), 4.30pm to 6.30pm (open to campus residents and all first-year students)
• KG, bush dance with the Smashing Bumpkins, 6.30pm to 8.30pm, C Block (refectory)
Thurs, Feb 18
• KG, campus tours, leave from A Block every half hour from 8.30am to 11.30am and from 1pm to 3.30pm
• KG, orientation lunch, A Block Lawn, 11am to 2pm (costs $2)
• KG, study overseas/QUT exchange program info session, L Block (L101), 2pm
• KG, movie marathon, Guild Bar (C Block), 6pm to midnight
Fri, Feb 19
• CAB, orientation for business and nursing students, 9pm to 4pm
• KG, campus tours, leave from A Block every half hour from 8.30am to 11.30am
• GP, New to Brisbane info sessions, X Block (level 3), 9.30am and 1pm
• KG, academic writing workshop, L Block (room L101), 10am to 12noon
• KG, orientation lunch, A Block Lawn, 11am to 1.30pm (costs $2)
• GP, all ages dance party, Guild Bar (Y Block), 7pm to midnight. Entry costs
$9 (students) or $12 (public)
Sat, Feb 20
• GP, parents and partners seminar, Z Block, 10am to noon
Market Week events (QUT Student Guild)
• Mon, Feb 22 & Tues, Feb 23
• GP, pancake breakfast ($1), Kidney Lawn, 8am
• GP, market stalls, Kidney Lawn, 11am to 3pm
• GP, Fright Night Movies, Kidney Lawn, 6.30pm
• Wed, Feb 24 & Thurs, Feb 25
• KG, pancake breakfast ($1), A Block Lawn, 8am
• KG, market stalls, A Block Lawn, 11am to 3pm
• KG, Fright Night Movies, F Block Amphitheatre, 6.30pm
COMMENT
by the VICE CHANCELLOR
COMMENT
I WOULD like to warmly welcome all of our students to the 2010 university year. In particular, I extend a special welcome to those of you who are commencing your studies this year.
We recognise that the first days and weeks at university can be a little bewildering to newcomers as you learn to find your way around our campuses, navigate our systems, locate your lecture theatres, secure your tutorial allocations, and familiarise yourself with the educational, community and recreational facilities which are available. So, take a little time and please do not hesitate to ask for assistance or to use the Student Centres located on each campus.
All of us at QUT are keen to provide you, our students, with a great University experience. So I do encourage you to take advantage of the feedback opportunities which will be available to you, to let us know what you think of the quality of teaching and courses, and the adequacy and efficiency of the various support services which are available.
In 2010 we are continuing a major program of upgrading our buildings and facilities. Major improvements have been made at Kelvin Grove, and further developments are underway there. New teaching and support facilities have been completed at our campus at Caboolture (which we share with the Brisbane North Institute of TAFE). Meanwhile, at Gardens Point work has commenced at the southeast corner of the campus on the first stages of our major new Science and Technology Precinct and Community Hub.
Over the next two years we will construct state-of-the-art learning and research facilities, provide far better integration of the campus with its surrounding environment, and develop an exciting range of services and facilities for the campus community.
Once again, on behalf of all our colleagues, I welcome you to QUT and hope that you have a great set of experiences here.
Professor Peter Coaldrake Vice-Chancellor
New dean of health
Professor Andrew Wilson, pictured left, has been appointed as the new executive dean of the Faculty of Health. He was previously deputy director-general, policy, strategy and resourcing, with Queensland Health and has also been a professor of public health at the University of Queensland.
Professor new Engineers Australia president
Professor Doug Hargreaves, pictured left, who heads the School of Engineering Systems, takes the helm of the 88,000 member peak organisation Engineers Australia. His focus will be on improving maths and science learning at schools.
Professor in top construction research role
QUT will be linked directly to the world’s largest organisation of construction innovators when Adjunct Professor John McCarthy, AO, pictured left, begins his three-year presidency of the International Council for Research and Innovation in Building and Construction in May. Professor McCarthy most recently chaired the QUT-based national Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) for Construction Innovation, where he led major international industry change.
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Major facelift
Infrastructure
STUDENTS on Gardens Point campus will watch QUT history in the making as the university’s biggest ever redevelopment takes place around them ‒ the centrepiece of which will be the new $200-plus million Science and Technology Precinct.
Three of the five buildings earmarked for demolition have already been removed to make way for two multi- storey towers which will feature stimulating learning and research spaces, exciting food and retail outlets, and a new 50-metre swimming pool and gym.
A large public forecourt to the Old Government House Precinct and a pedestrian link from the Goodwill Bridge to the Brisbane Botanic Gardens will help create a seamless connection with the parklands on either side of the river.
QUT Vice-Chancellor Professor Peter Coaldrake said when completed in 2012, the precinct would house up to 500 scientists, postgraduate research students and teaching staff.
“Many thousands of people will also use the various facilities every week,”
Professor Coaldrake said.
“The Science and Technology Precinct will transform our world at QUT by bringing together teaching and research in science, technology, engineering and mathematics in a world-leading model and dynamic community hub.
“The precinct will enable us to play a more significant role internationally at a time when there is a clear emphasis on global solutions to global problems, such as climate change.”
QUT has also invested $45million to revitalise some existing Gardens Point buildings, using the latest collaborative technology to enhance active learning.
And so it’s goodbye to grey, boring classrooms on level 5 of S Block where bright, funky furniture has been installed with mobile collaborative workstations, or MoCoWs.
The MoCoWs are equipped with innovative collaborative software, such as TeamSpot, to enable all students to participate and contribute simultaneously.
QUT learning environments manager Gordon Howell said the new flexible zones were suited to problem-based and collaborative learning.
“Students and lecturers can use loan laptops and MoCoWs to form breakout spaces, such as mini boardrooms, which will accommodate a range of learning activities,” Dr Howell said.
“Students also have access to streaming TV, Wiis, laptops and the latest games while the classrooms all have lecture recording capability.”
He said the new zone design was based on the technology-enabled active learning spaces developed by Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
S Block’s levels 3 and 4 have also been upgraded and new student interaction zones have been installed in level 4 S Block and Z Block foyer.
Engineering students will also find some extensive changes in O Block after a redesign and installation of a series of new learning and research laboratories.
- Niki Widdowson
Media star of the month
Professor Kerry Carrington
QUT’S Media Unit this month launches a new accolade for a QUT staff member who has promoted the university by willingly and productively engaging with the media.
The Law Faculty’s head of justice studies, Professor Kerry Carrington, has been featured extensively in TV, radio, print and online media in recent months speaking about increasing rates of violence among teenage girls.
Professor Carrington, pictured, has collected 45 years of data and confirmed, contrary to general academic opinion, that young women were fast catching up to boys in committing violent crimes.
She said the rise in violence was linked to cyber-bullying and her findings were published last November in her book Offending Youth: Sex, Youth and Crime.
A QUT media release about Professor Carrington’s research last September put her in the national spotlight and sparked a blaze of media coverage, including news bulletins on numerous television stations, for her research and the university.
Professor Carrington’s expertise was called upon again
Enrolments
QUT’s Class of 2010 can consider themselves the “cream of the crop”.
The university welcomes the new students to its three campuses this week – and they are among the highest OP first-year intake ever.
QUT was the hot pick for thousands of new students with the university receiving a 14 per cent increase in total preferences and lifting the OP on more than half of its courses for 2010.
QUT registrar Dr Carol Dickenson said courses most in demand were in the health sector, creative industries, law and architecture.
“As a consequence of the high demand for QUT degrees, we have raised the cut-off in 77 courses, including nine courses by four OPs,”
Dr Dickenson said.
“This indicates the high quality of students who are applying to study at QUT.”
QUT received the highest number of first preferences from all applicants of any university in Queensland, including management and commerce where courses have attracted a 10.8 per cent increase in first preferences over the 2009 figures.
Dr Dickenson said QUT had received significant increases in applications for courses in psychology, social work and nursing and the creative industries which include journalism, dance, film and television, new media and fashion design.
“In health, for example, eight courses have raised the cut-off by two OPs and four courses have been raised by four OPs,” Dr Dickenson said.
“The cut-off for QUT’s Law School has been lifted by two OPs in three courses and by three in another two courses.”
According to QUT career expert Professor Wendy Patton, students choosing health careers were making a sound choice.
“Careers in health and allied health will see growth in the coming years, particularly as the Australian population ages,” Dr Patton said.
QUT executive dean of the Creative Industries Faculty, Professor Susan Street, said the surge in interest in creative industries had occurred across the full range of course offerings including established areas such as creative and professional writing and film, TV and new media production as well as the newer courses in fashion, interactive and visual design and the dual degrees with business and law.
“Interestingly, we have had a doubling in demand for the dual degree of Creative Industries and Business because students know they want to have a creative career and need the business and enterprise skills to manage it,” Professor Street said.
- Niki Widdowson
Top students
race in for 2010
QUT’s 10,000 new students get 10 out of 10 this year for visibility. The 2010 free, limited edition t-shirt designed specifically for newcomers has a striking “10” emblazoned on it or a “real” in white on black, emerald green or a mid pink.
Three styles, each in five sizes, will be on offer: a classic unisex tee, a scoop neck and a curved-fit version. All styles are available in perennially popular black and the unisex is in emerald while the curved-fit and scoop neck tees are also offered in the pink.
In line with tradition, this year’s t-shirts are available only to first-year students and were once again designed by fashion designer and QUT alumnus John Prikryl.
The t-shirts are given to students with a QUT student ID card at the three campuses. They will be available at the bookshops at the Gardens Point and Kelvin Grove campuses during O Week from February 15 to 19 and from Caboolture student centre (J Block) during lunch breaks on February 17 and 19.
ThEy’rE BACK
QUT’s new students and the exclusive free t-shirts designed just for them.
Tired mums a risk on our roads
Psychology
SLEEP-deprived new mothers are at considerable risk of crashing when they get behind the wheel, with a study by QUT revealing most have experienced “near misses” on the road as a result of post-partum fatigue.
Dr Kerry Armstrong, pictured, and Dr Simon Smith, from QUT’s Centre for Accident Research & Road Safety - Queensland (CARRS-Q), studied 24 southeast Queensland mothers aged 22 to 39 to investigate the impact fatigue has on new mums’ everyday life functioning.
Dr Armstrong said contrary to previous research which indicated post-partum fatigue should disappear after six weeks, new mums still felt exhausted 12 weeks after giving birth.
The study found lifestyle changes, interrupted sleep, lack of routine and high levels of unpredictability, cumulatively led to fatigue which could at times be overwhelming.
“The mothers reported debilitating physical and mental effects, likening their experience to ‘operating in a constant mental haze’ feeling ‘flu- like symptoms’ and ‘moving through the day like you’re on autopilot’,” Dr Armstrong said.
“Clearly this raises concerns
for driving tasks which for an experienced driver is largely an automatic process.”
Dr Armstrong said while most people accepted women with babies would be exhausted, up until now no-one had looked at what this meant for their safety on and off the road.
“To put the danger of fatigue into some sort of perspective; if someone is awake for 17 hours they have a driving performance similar to that of a person with a blood alcohol level of 0.05 per cent, and if they have been awake for 24 hours it is 0.1 per cent, or two times the legal driving limit,”
she said.
“This has serious implications for mothers suffering from interrupted sleep patterns, night after night and sometimes for several years.”
Dr Armstrong said fatigue was a very real danger on our roads with tiredness contributing to one in three crashes.
“A particularly alarming aspect suggested a decrease in the mothers’ reported awareness of their body’s physical need for rest and the safety implications of fatigue,” she said.
“ I n s t e a d o f resting, the
mothers often ‘pushed on’ because tasks still needed to be done and the baby’s needs still had to be met.
“When you have such precious cargo on board, mothers represent an at risk group which requires an intervention specifically targeting their needs.”
Dr Armstrong said the findings from the study would be used to develop an information booklet to raise awareness on post-partum fatigue and injury, specifically aimed at new mums.
CARRS-Q is a member of QUT’s Institute of Health a n d B i o m e d i c a l Innovation.
- Sandra Hutchinson
Students, left to right, Benjamin horbury, Genevieve Kennedy and Tom Albert wear the new t-shirt designs.
Industrial design
A SIMPLE furniture design which can be turned into thrones, mountains and caves has been developed by a QUT student to give children private, imaginative reading spaces in school and public libraries.
Industrial design graduate Despina Papamanolis has designed bright, stackable furniture modules to help enable children to enjoy reading.
Ms Papamanolis, pictured above, said she wanted to give children more motivation to read.
“I observed children in libraries which had pillows on the floor, couches and seats and saw they would sit in corners and under tables or cover themselves in pillows to read,” Ms Papamanolis said.
“I also surveyed 100 kids from primary school and found the places they liked to read were private where they couldn’t be distracted.”
out of curved wood, covered in foam and brightly coloured fabric.
“I trialled the prototypes with kids and they loved them,” she said.
“The modules are sturdy so they won’t fall over. They are durable and can be covered in fabric customised to suit the library they will be used in.”
Ms Papamanolis said her Nooks modules were well-received by teachers and librarians.
She is continuing to develop the Science and Technology
AUSTRALIA’S distinctive red soils could play a part in the formation of the stinking swathes of blue-green algae that often plagues east coast beaches in summer.
A QUT team of scientists is taking an in-depth look at how iron (which gives our rich soil its red colour) reaches water to potentially contribute to the algal blooms, which not only have a foul smell, but also make our eyes sting, cause fish kills and smother seagrass.
Their research is centred on the catchment of Poona Creek on the Fraser Coast which drains into Great Sandy Strait – a dugong sanctuary and an internationally-recognised wetlands for migratory birds.
Iron is known to be a component causative factor for algal blooms but the mechanism by which solid iron in soils becomes soluble and contributes to coastal algal blooms is largely unknown.
That is why the team from QUT’s Institute for Sustainable Resources is taking the three-pronged approach of microbiology (biogeochemistry),
geochemistry and hydrology studies to put together enough pieces of the iron jigsaw to form the basis for future research into mitigating its contribution to dangerous algal blooms.
PhD student Lin Chaofeng is studying two types of bacteria in water that “feed” on iron.
“One type of bacteria in our waterways changes iron into a dissolved state and another type of bacteria oxidises the iron and turns it back into an insoluble form which can settle on the bottom of a creek,”
Ms Lin said.
“The oxidising type of bacteria possibly makes the iron less available as a contributing factor in algal blooms. It seems that these two bacteria usually balance each other out, but sometimes the balance is upset and so I am investigating how this happens.”
QUT geology student Stefan Loehr is studying soil and sediment samples from the catchment to analyse their iron content and search for possible contributory mechanisms for iron dissolving in water.
Creative Industries
WHEN Wendy Murphy enrolled at QUT, two of her three children enrolled with her.
After 20 years as a stay-at-home mother, Wendy had applied to study on the spur of the moment when her daughter Lucy applied three years ago.
“My daughter was in grade 12 and I was sitting with her online filling out her QTAC (Queensland Tertiary Admissions Centre) form and I decided to put one in for myself,’’ Wendy said.
Wendy enrolled in 2007 in a Bachelor of Creative Industries (Creative Writing), Lucy in a dual Bachelor of Creative Industries and Bachelor of Education and son Jesse in a Graduate Diploma in Education.
Wendy received a university medal from the Creative Industries Faculty when she joined more than 6000 students graduating from QUT at its first December ceremonies last year.
During her studies she gained a Grade Point Average of 6.875 and was the joint
winner last year of the inaugural QUT Writing Prize, with a magic realism short story for young adults.
“I feel like I’ve been waiting 25 years for this piece of paper,’’ Wendy said.
Her aim is to become a published writer, as well as undertake Honours next year and later a PhD.
“I was married at 18 and had my first child at 20,’’ said Wendy, who recently celebrated her 25th wedding anniversary.
“At the age of 40 I decided what I wanted to be when I grew up – and that was a writer.’’
Wendy said she was initially terrified when she arrived at QUT’s Kelvin Grove campus, but with the support of her children, she soon discovered she loved studying and writing assignments.
“I felt as though I was thirsty to use my mind,’’ she said.
She plans to write next about Queensland in the 1970s and 1980s, under then Premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen, using magical realism.
- Elizabeth Allen
Is iron the culprit in algae blooms?
Study probes link
He has studied the concentration of iron in soil in native vegetation and in pine plantations and found no significant difference in iron concentrations.
“It could be that different types of plants lead iron to be more easily soluble and so I am also investigating whether there are any differences between natural vegetation and
plantation areas,” Mr Loehr said.
Hydrology student Genevieve Larsen’s study of subsurface and surface water and flow processes is aimed at finding out how the iron gets from the ground into the water, and the chemical reactions that may take place when groundwater interacts in the estuary with the marine environment.
“I’m looking for possible links between subsurface water and natural waterways such as streams, creeks and the sea,” Ms Larsen said.
The study is funded jointly by the Queensland Department of Primary Industries-Forestry, Forestry Plantations QLD and the Australian Research Council.
- Niki Widdowson
From at-home mum to university medallist
Kids’ reading in the good nooks
Wendy Murphy with her daughter Lucy.PhD researchers, left to right,Genevieve Larsen, Stefan Loehr and Lin Chaofeng.
Savvy fashion
Creative Industries
Fashion lovers who do not fit the silhouette of runway models will be offered new, exciting designs by two next-crop fashion designers who will feature among QUT fashion graduates at a string of catwalk shows next week.
At Collections, emerging designers Aleema Ash and Jessica Laird will reveal their designs for fashion-forward women of most ages and body types.
Aleema Ash delves into arts and craft with bright patchwork cloth
pieced into structured designs and soft drapes of flowing fabrics in her quest to design flattering and modest clothing that recalls handicraft more commonly seen in homemade quilts.
“ I wa n t wo m e n t o fe e l empowered when they wear these garments, instead of objectified,”
Aleema said.
“Th e r e ar e n o pl u n gi n g necklines and reasonable hem lengths. Rather than trying to make the woman’s body look like an object, I’ve designed looser fitting, flattering garments.
“I’ve designed for an older market for women 40 to 65 years old.“In the fashion market, there’s a huge gap for women in that area.
They still want clothes that are contemporary.”
Jessica Laird crosses the
boundaries of age with designs that could be worn by any age group.
Jessica has turned photographs of young eucalypts in her home state of Tasmania into beautiful abstract prints on contrasting fabrics of heavy jersey and light flowing chiffon.
“I’ve designed for a target market of 18 to 50 years old,”
Jessica said.
“Although the garments are deceptively simple, they are unique in their asymmetrical drape and fit a lot of different body shapes.”
Jessica photog raphed the trees after a walk in the bush and reworked them into three distinctive and original digital prints.
- Rachael Wilson
health
A VERY special dinosaur at the QUT Podiatry Clinic now has a special name, thanks to 12-year-old Kody Minnis.
Kody was one of 160 children who visited the clinic for free feet assessments last month before going back to school.
She also took part in a competition to name the clinic’s “pet” dinosaur – who doubles as a paediatric hydraulic examination couch.
Kody dubbed the dinosaur “Toe- bee”, with runner up Hannah Bradley, 3, providing the middle name of
“Feeto”.
The two girls and their families
returned to the clinic to be presented with their prizes (a Nintendo DS and a shoe voucher from The Athlete’s Foot) by Professor Mary Courtney, assistant dean of the Faculty of Health.
The podiatry clinic is part of the QUT Health Clinics at Kelvin Grove which are open to the public and provided discounted or free services in optometry, podiatry, nutrition, exercise, psychology and counselling, and wound healing. No referral is necessary to visit the clinics and free on-site parking is available.
Visit www.healthclinics.qut.edu.
au for more information.
- Mechelle McMahon
College of Excellence
Scholars
A NEW virtual college for high- achieving students has opened its doors at QUT for 2010.
The QUT College of Excellence already has more than 500 students who are studying on merit scholarships (such as Vice-Chancellor’s Scholars or Dean’s Scholars) or have maintained a GPA of 6.5 or more for at least two semesters.
College coordinator Steve Moncrieff said the college offered support ranging from peer mentoring, high performance coaching and social networking, to sponsorship to represent QUT at national conferences, assistance with study abroad opportunities, and access to research activities that prepared students for postgraduate studies.
“The QUT College of Excellence brings together many of the university’s best and brightest students to build friendships and ‘super-charge’ their study experience,” Mr Moncrieff said.
“The college encourages excellence not just at the academic level but also at the contribution level – these students will contribute to the wider community.
“One of our biggest aims is to encourage these students to take advantage of every opportunity that comes their way and utilise all the great support services that QUT offers.”
The college has its own student committee which meets every fortnight and is led by president Ashley Duggan, a second-year business student and Vice-Chancellor’s Scholar.
For details visit www.scholarships.
qut.com/collegeofexcellence.
- Mechelle McMahon
Meet ‘Toe-bee’
the dinosaur
Scholarships
IT takes a lot to separate twins Tae- Seung and Tae-Woo Eom.
The 18-year-olds did the same subjects at school, both received OP1s, both chose engineering at QUT and have now both been awarded prestigious QUT Vice-Chancellor’s Scholarships to help pursue their dream of a career in construction.
After spending summer relaxing at home on the Gold Coast, Tae-Seung and Tae-Woo, pictured right, will be among 10,000 new QUT students getting back into study this month.
As Vice-Chancellor’s Scholars, they are also among 71 young people who are starting at QUT on scholarships worth up to $24,000, after claiming an OP 1 or 2 and successfully applying for the program.
The Eom brothers, who will commute to QUT from the coast this year, admit their school days at Kings Christian College saw them battle over grades.
“We’re very competitive but we always study together,” Tae-Seung said.
“We both like similar stuff and have the same favourite subjects. We like that we’re doing the same course because we’ll be able to help each other and share experiences.”
Tae-Seung and Tae-Woo moved to Australia from South Korea with their parents nine years ago.
With their father now working back
in South Korea as a maths teacher, and their mother also moving back next month, their strong sibling bond will help get them through their first year of uni.
“It’s hard for our parents to pay for the two of us at uni so the scholarships are very important,” Tae-Woo said.
“I know we’ll also be getting support from the QUT College of Excellence so that will help too.
“I’m looking forward to everything about university – the study and the social life and friends.”
The brothers will have a headstart when it comes to uni mates – four of their classmates from school are also embarking on engineering degrees at QUT this year.
In addition to the 71 full scholarships, the Vice-Chancellor’s Scholarship Program this year awarded 61 part scholarships (worth $6000) and five elite athlete scholarships (worth
$24,000 and open to OP 1 to 5 students).
The young scholars hail from across Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Toowoomba, Rockhampton, Warwick, Cairns as well as Canberra and Tasmania.
QUT Vice-Chancellor Professor Peter Coaldrake will meet the scholars and their families at a special function at Gardens Point campus on March 8.
- Mechelle McMahon
Brothers share in twin uni success
Left to right, Aleema Ash, a model wearing one of Aleema’s designs and Jessica Laird.
Left to right, Professor Mary Courtney, Kody Minnis and hannah Bradley with Toe-Bee the dinosaur.
in BRIEF...
eLearning
QUT’s Department of Teaching and Learning Support Services (TALSS) has been renamed QUT eLearning. The new name reflects eLearning’s emphasis on services including QUT Blackboard, ePortfolio support,
learning design and TV and media development.
Walkley winner
QUT journalism alumnus Michael Best has won his industry’s most prestigious honour – a Walkley Award – for his contribution to a Seven News television story on police corruption.
Mr Best and three
colleagues won the award for best investigative journalism in any medium.
The award was announced at the 54th annual Walkleys late last year.
Outstanding achievement Congratulations to
Indigenous educator and director of QUT’s Stronger Smarter Institute Dr Chris Sarra, who has been honoured as Queensland’s nominee for the 2010 Australian of the Year award. Dr Sarra, pictured above, proudly joined other state nominees and thousands of guests on the lawns of Parliament House, Canberra, at a special award ceremony on Australia Day eve.
Chinese visit for statistics A delegation of 25
statisticians from China, including heads of China’s National Bureau of
Statistics, visited QUT last month to attend seminars by School of Mathematical Sciences statistician Professor Rodney Wolff.
This was the second delegation from China to engage Professor Wolff to lecture on statistical practices in Australia.
Jiangsu teacher training QUT has helped train nearly 1400 Chinese teachers from Jiangsu Province over the past five years, thanks to a landmark agreement which was renewed in December.
The university celebrated its links with China when it hosted a forum which brought together QUT staff and a visiting delegation
research
POST-summer holiday blues and the desire to up and move to the sea or bush are symptomatic of a deep longing for authenticity and belonging to a community, says QUT PhD seachange researcher Nick Osbaldiston.
But it is so common a reaction now that the original seachange towns such as Byron Bay and Noosa have been
“loved to death” and are no longer havens for those wishing to live away from it all.
“Some places have lost their aura of being a regional town and have become mini metropolises which for some ‘original’ seachangers becomes a problem,” Mr Osbaldiston said.
“Some are even resorting to moving to other areas, depending on their economic and social resources.”
Mr Osbaldiston has studied the motivation and experience of
“seachangers” – the people who leave the city, downsize and simplify life – across Australia and internationally for the past three years.
“At its heart, seachange is about a deep rejection of ‘the now’. People are actually searching for congruence between their own values and their lifestyle,” he said.
“They are rejecting cities as they seek less cluttered environments and to be involved in a community where they know their neighbours.”
But developers and local councils in regional areas had “caught on to” the seachange phenomenon and had set about providing city-style infrastructure to attract more of them, he said.
“They think ‘this is what we have to
give them’ so these things are allowed to arrive. But the first seachangers who arrived back in the 1980s and early 1990s in some areas now find their idyllic locations too commercialised and lacking in authenticity,” Mr Osbaldiston said.
“Also, many of the original residents are being pushed out by the influx of development spurred on by seachangers. It’s a phenomenon, not limited to Australia, which is being researched in North America and Europe.”
He said a seachange task force had been established by local councils in seachange areas to investigate environmental and social sustainability issues.
“For some areas such as part of the northern New South Wales’ coastline, research into issues such as housing
equality and rental affordability has come too late,” Mr Osbaldiston said
“There is no clear cut answer to this. If local councils continue to allow development and seachange continues, eventually housing costs will impact on rental prices making life difficult for those once ‘traditional’ residents.”
Mr Osbaldiston’s earlier research found many seachangers had a starry- eyed view of getting out of the city.
“Many seachangers admit to taking
‘leaps into the unknown’ in their rush to enjoy the romance of a simple life outside the city,” he said.
“Not only do they risk financial security but they also risk stepping outside established social networks in the city because country communities are, at times, quite remote and also not always socially welcoming.”
- Niki Widdowson
Helping hand for struggling students
THE start of the new academic year could be a worrying and uncertain time for some students, who have been affected by a political wrangle over the Commonwealth Scholarships and Youth Allowance scheme.
QUT has put several measures in place for students from low-income backgrounds who are facing difficulty.
QUT equity director Mary Kelly said the numbers of QUT’s own scholarships and bursaries had been
increased and would be targeted at students who needed them.
“We intend to pay students their scholarships as early in the semester as we can,” Ms Kelly said.
“We have also geared up the safety net of loans, grants, advice and support to assist students whose Centrelink payments might be delayed due to the Senate decisions.”
Those affected students who find themselves in need of help can
contact QUT Equity for scholarships information on 3138 5582 or the counselling service for other financial support issues on 3138 2383.
QUT Student Guild runs a food bank and provides food vouchers to help out students in financial need. To access these services students should make an appointment to see a Guild welfare officer at the Student Services Centre in Kelvin Grove campus’ F Block by phoning 3138 1666.
QUT Student Guild general secretary Jarod Knowles said the Guild could also help with transport costs.
“We are also opening an op shop at Kelvin Grove campus on level two of C Block,” Mr Knowles said.
“It will be open normal business hours and most items will be $1 or
$2. People are welcome to drop off donations at the Guild office on level 4 of C Block.”
- Niki Widdowson
Seachange towns
‘loved to death’
Banking
GP
Commonwealth Bank ATM – ground level, Y Block (next to refectory).
mecu (formerly Uni Credit Union) – top level, Y Block, 9am-4.30pm Mon-Fri. 3229 1388.
Suncorp ATM – outside M Block.
Rediteller ATM– outside Y Block.
KG mecu (formerly Uni Credit Union) – level 1, A Block, 9.30am-2pm Mon-Fri. 3138 3187.
Bank of Queensland – 44 Musk Ave, 9.30am- 4pm Mon-Thurs, 9.30am-5pm Fri. 3006 7988.
Rediteller ATM – main entrance to C Block, near bookshop.
Cashcard ATM – The Village Centre (outside newsagent).
ANZ ATM – The Village Centre (Carraway St).
Bookshops
(books and computer software)
GP – ground level, Y Block, open Mon-Fri (plus Sat, Feb 20 & 27). 3138 2433.
KG – level 4, C Block, open Mon-Fri (plus Sat, Feb 27). 3138 3125.
Cab – ground level, B Block. Info 5316 7400.
Open 8am-5pm Mon-Fri.
Second-hand textbooks are available through the Student Guild second-hand bookshop, level 3, Y Block, GP, 3138 1680, open 9am-5pm Mon-Thur, 9am-3pm Fri.
Campus Clubs
(QUT Student Guild Bars) GP – top level, Y Block. 3138 2698.
KG – level 4, C Block. 3138 5516
Campus Shops
(QUT Student Guild shops) GP Campus Shop – ground level, Y Block, 8.30am- 6pm Mon-Thu, 9am-4pm Fri. 3138 1681.
Lolly shop – top level, Y Block,
10.30am-4.45pm Mon-Thur, 11am-3pm Fri.
KGKelvin Grove News and Post Office – level 4 (opposite bookshop), C Block, 7am-5pm Mon- Fri. 3138 3330.
Lolly shop – level 3, C Block, 9.30am-4.30pm Mon-Fri.
Careers &
Employment Service
GP – level 2, X Block, 9am-5pm Mon-Fri. 3138 2649.
KG – level 4, C Block, 9am-5pm Mon-Thu, 8am-4pm Fri. 3138 3488.
Course direction and career support – 3138 2649, email [email protected] or visit www.careers.qut.edu.au.
Chaplaincy Services
Fr Bavin Clarke is the QUT Chaplain and can be contacted on 3138 2700, 0414 642 700 or [email protected]. The chaplain is based in the Multi Faith Chaplaincy Facility at level 1 Y Block, GP. KG Campus contact is James Edwards – 3138 3352, room A131 KG. The Chaplaincy Service visits Cab.
Childcare Centres
(QUT Student Guild)
KG – 9 School St, 7.30am-5.30pm Mon-Fri.
3138 3943.
Cab – A community childcare centre is located near the campus. 6.30am-6pm. 5498 3542.
Clubs & Societies
(QUT Student Guild)
To find out about a wide variety of clubs and societies, call 3138 2040 or visit www.guildonline.net.
QUT Sport
(QUT Student Guild)
For information about sport on campus, call 3138 4404 or visit www.guildonline.net.
IT Help Desk & Assignment Minder
IT help desk 3138 4000.
GP – level 2, V Block.
KG – level 2, R Block; level 5, F Block (SLSC).
Opening times: www.ithelpdesk.qut.edu.au.
IT system status: http://twitter.com/QUT_
Helpdesks
Counselling Services
The Counselling Service promotes academic and personal development by providing a professional, free and confidential service to students. Advice on welfare issues is also available.
GP – level 3, X Block, 9am-5pm Mon-Thu, 8am-4pm Fri. 3138 2383.
KG – level 4, C Block, 9am-5pm Mon-Thu, 8am-4pm Fri. 3138 3488.
Cab – Contact KG or GP offices for assistance.
Equity Programs & Services
QUT provides a range of programs and services to create an inclusive environment and to support the social and cultural diversity of students and staff. www.equity.qut.edu.au GP – level 1, X Block. 3138 2699.
KG – level 3, C Block. 3138 5601.
Fitness Centre/Gym (Student Guild)
GP – Y Block (below refectory), 6am-8.30pm Mon-Thurs, 6am-7.30pm Fri, 9am -1pm &
3pm-7pm Sat, 3pm-7pm Sun. 3138 1685.
Fitness Centre/Gym (Healthstream)
KG – 44 Musk Avenue, 6am-8pm Mon-Thurs, 6am-6pm Fri, 9am-5pm Sat-Sun. 3830 1700.
Food Venues & Catering
GPRefectory (Kitchen) – lower level, Y Block Espresso Plus – lower level Y Block (refectory seating area)
Subway – top level, Y Block
Artisans – T Block (outside D Block) Bar Merlo – ground level, X Block Espresso Plus – level 4, Z Block Deli Plus – outside library entrance Teppanyaki Time – top level Y Block Dusk – top level, Y Block
Old Government House tea rooms KGRefectory – C Block
Beadles on the Quad – behind A Block The Dancing Bean – Z1, Creative Industries Precinct
Beadles Express – Level 5 F Block (SLSC) CabCanteen – ground floor, B Block
Galleries
GP
Old Government House museum and William Robinson Gallery, 10am-5pm Sun-Fri.
Admission: free.
QUT Art Museum, 10am-5pm Tues, Thurs, Fri , 10am-8pm Wed, noon-4pm Sat & Sun.
Admission: free.
Health
Medical Centres
GP – Level 4, X Block, 8.30am-5pm Mon-Fri.
3138 2321.
KG – Level 2, 44 Musk Ave, 8am-5pm Mon-Fri.
3138 3161.
Optometry Clinic
KG – ground floor, 44 Musk Ave. 8am-5pm Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri and 8am-7pm Wed (from Feb 22). 3138 5743.
Podiatry Clinic
KG – level 1, 44 Musk Ave. 3138 5652.
International Student Services
International Student Services (ISS) provides a range of services specifically designed for international students and Australian students from non-English speaking backgrounds. These include language and learning skills assistance, orientations, accommodation, financial assistance, and confidential counselling, as well as social and cultural activities.
GP – Level 3, X Block, 9am-5pm Mon-Fri.
3138 2019.
KG – level 4, C Block, 9am-5pm Mon-Fri. 3138 3846.
www.issupport.qut.edu.au
Homestay enquiries – KG, level 3 C Block, 9am-5pm Mon-Fri. 3138 3846.
Study Abroad
& Exchange Unit
This unit is the focal point for the university’s international activity, the QUT student exchange program, study abroad programs and international visitors.
GP – level 1, A Block, 9am-5pm Mon-Fri. 3138 4300.
Student Exchanges 3138 2200 and Study Abroad 3138 4300.
www.international.qut.edu.au
Study & Learning
Staff are available to help you develop skills for assignment preparation, research, time management, note-taking and critical thinking.
To register for workshops, access guides and online tutorials go to www.kickstart.qut.
edu.au. For further assistance enquire at the Library help desks.
Library
GP – V Block. Help desk, 3138 2083.
– Law library, levels 5&6 C Block. Help desk, 3138 2842.
KG – R Block. Help desk, 3138 3079.
Cab – level 2, B Block. Help desk, 5316 7420.
www.library.qut.edu.au
Lost Property
GP – Campus Parking office, level 1, M Block.
3138 8315.
KG – Campus Services, level 1, Y Block.
3138 3940.
Media Services
If you have a QUT-related story to tell contact the uni’s Marketing and Communication Department and your newsworthy ideas may be considered for Inside QUT and other publications. 3138 2361 or ian.eckersley@qut.
edu.au.
Oodgeroo Unit
The Oodgeroo Unit for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students has facilities on all campuses.
GP – ground level, X Block, room 104.
3138 1548.
KG – level 2, B Block, room 205. 3138 3610.
Cab – level 1, J Block, room 104. 5316 7447.
Parking
Parking is very limited at GP and KG campuses and penalties apply for breaching parking regulations. Pay and display car parks exist at GP and KG. All campuses are easily accessed via public transport (see transport information below). Online applications for people with demonstrated need are available at www.fmd.
qut.edu.au/campus_services/parking/.
There is ample free parking at Caboolture campus.
Pools
KG – Healthstream Fitness Club & Aquatic Centre, 44 Musk Ave. Heated, 25-metre pool.
6am-8pm Mon-Thurs, 6am-6pm Fri, 9am-5pm Sat-Sun. 3236 9059.
Printing & Copying – QUT Printing Services
GP – level 2, V Block. 3138 1474.
KG – level 3, R Block. 3138 3938.
www.qps.qut.edu.au
Security
General enquiries – 3138 5585.
Emergencies – 3138 8888.
Freecall – 1800 065 585
Security operates 24 hours a day on all campuses, with emergency points on each campus. Escorts can be arranged to accompany you to your car in the evening. Night shuttle buses also service each campus – 3138 3940.
www.fmd.qut.edu.au/security/
Student Centres
The Student Centre on each campus is a one-stop shop for information on topics including admission processes, academic credit, enrolments, fees, student ID cards, campus maps, directions and other general enquiries.
GP – level 1, A Block. 9am-5.30pm Mon & Tues, 9am-5pm Wed-Fri.
KG – level 6, F Block. 9am-5pm.
Cab – level 1, J Block, 8.30am-4.30pm.
Student Guild
The QUT Student Guild can be contacted on 3138 1666. Students can also visit the guild website, www.guildonline.net.
Student Ombudsman
QUT has an ombudsman to help students resolve complaints or grievances. Details of the service are available from www.das.qut.edu.
au/offices/studentombud/ or 3138 2457.
Transport
A free inter-campus bus service (route 391) runs between Kelvin Grove and Gardens Point every 10 minutes during semester (every 15 minutes outside semester). Passengers must present their QUT ID card to gain free access.
For links to timetables and more information on other public transport to QUT,
visit www.transinfo.com.au.
Wireless connections
QUT’s wireless network is available in designated zones on campus. For more information visit www.wireless.qut.edu.au.
Your guide to QUT campus life
For more details on student services, visit www.studentservices.qut.edu.au
NOTE: Many times listed in this guide only apply during semester, not exam periods or breaks.
Campus KEY
:GP = Gardens Point KG = Kelvin Grove Cab = Caboolture
Squad brings cheer to QUT
Theatre
- Pennies from Kevin
The ever-popular Wharf Revue has pooled their one-off payments to present a stimulus package of song and satire. Catch the trio at QUT Gardens Theatre, 2 George Street, Brisbane, on Thursday, March 4 at 8pm, and Friday, March 5 at 2pm and 8pm. Tickets cost $24-$38, with a $4 discount for matinee. For details, visit www.gardenstheatre.qut.com or phone 07 3138 4455.
Welcome
FEBRUARY 10-19 New students will be welcomed to QUT with informative activities and events, and a jam- packed social schedule, including a river cruise on the Island Party Boat on February 15 and an all ages dance party on February 19.
Major days for each campus are: February 15-16 at Gardens Point; February 17-18 at Kelvin Grove;
and February 19 at Caboolture. For details, visit www.orientation.
qut.edu.au.
FEBRUARY 22-26 QUT Student Guild will host Market Week at the Gardens Point and Kelvin Grove campuses with various events, including pancake breakfasts, market stalls and movie nights. For details, visit www.
guildonline.net.
Exhibitions
FROM FEBRUARY 9 The exhibition UnAustralian:
Reimaging National Identity explores whether national identity is real or simply a myth. Free at QUT Art Museum, 2 George Street, Brisbane, Tue- Fri 10am-5pm, Wed until 8pm, Sat-Sun 12-4pm. For details, visit www.artmuseum.
qut.com or phone 07 3138 5370.
FROM FEBRUARY 23 See the cream of QUT’s emerging designers and artists in the exhibition Made Over: The Shape of Things to Come. Visit online at shapeofthingstocome.
ci.qut.edu.au or at The Block, Creative Industries Precinct, Cnr Kelvin Grove Road and Musk Avenue, Kelvin Grove, on Tuesdays and Wednesdays 2pm-6.30pm,
Thursdays and Fridays 2pm-7.30pm, and Saturdays 4pm-7.30pm.
For details, phone 07 3138 5495 or email [email protected].
Performance
MARCH 18-25 QUT’s third-year actors perform Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire, portraying the clash between the quasi- aristocratic world of the Old South and the emerging industrial New America. Tickets cost $12-$18. 7.30pm at QUT Gardens Theatre, 2 George Street, Brisbane. For details, visit www.
gardenstheatre.qut.
com or phone 07 3138 4455.
Visit www.
whatson.qut.edu.au for more event listings and to submit your upcoming event.
WHAT’S on...
WHAT’S on...
The job market is expected to improve slightly this year, so keep an eye on QUT Careerhub for job opportunities, graduate programs, free workshops and chances to meet potential employers at our annual careers fair. Find out more at www.careers.qut.edu.au.
Careers and employment manager Alan McAlpine Ian Eckersley (Editor) 07 3138 2361
Elizabeth Allen 07 3138 4494 Niki Widdowson 07 3138 1841 rachael Wilson 07 3138 1150 Mechelle McMahon (Mo-Tu) 07 3138 2130 Sandra hutchinson (Tu-Wed) 07 3138 2999 Erika Fish (Photography) 07 3138 5003 Marissa hills (Advertising) 07 3138 5921 richard de Waal (Design)
about IQ
Inside QUT is published by QUT’s Marketing and Communication Department.
Our readership includes staff, students and members of the QUT community. The paper is also circulated to business, industry, government and media. Opinions expressed in Inside QUT do not necessarily represent those of the university or the editorial team.
The paper used in this newspaper is produced from responsibly managed forests under the PEFC chain of custody certification program and is fully recyclable.
PEFC/21-31-25
Sport
IF you’re fit and want to get your kicks, why not try out to join the award- winning QUT Cheerleading squad (Q Cheer).
Q Cheer is expanding to two competitive cheerleading squads in 2010 – the Diamond and Sapphire Squad, as well as a Pom / Performance Squad – coach Shannon Moule said.
“We’re looking for up to 36 people for each squad, male and female, aged 14 years and over,” she said.
“We are looking for determination, general fitness, coordination, a positive attitude and a willingness to learn and you don’t have to attend QUT.”
The cheerleading squads both take part in several cheerleading competitions in cheer, group stunt and partner stunt.
The Pom / Performance Squad will be more social and fun and will participate in the pom section of the cheerleading competitions as well as QUT, sporting, community and recruitment events.
Last year was a big year for Q Cheer award-wise. In September, the squad competed for the third consecutive year at the Australian All Star Cheerleading Federation’s Nationals event. They achieved podium finishes in both pom and cheer and took away the Scholastic Grand Champions award for the best squad out of all school and university squads in Australia.
“We enter cheer and pom divisions as a team, but also encourage our squad members to try the individual
VOX POP
What’s your advice for students in 2010?
have a plan, and get involved – with your units, with your Faculty and especially with your fellow students.
Talk to people often about how to do things and check out the many services provided to help you succeed at QUT – look us up at www.counselling.qut.edu.au.
Counselling services manager Bruce Tills
It’s important to have a balanced lifestyle while studying and the Guild offers many opportunities to get involved and meet new friends. With more than 55 clubs, 30 sports and even activism, there is sure to be something that ignites the
If you ever feel like you’re the only one who isn’t smart enough, rich enough or together enough to get through your course, just remember that most of your fellow students feel the same, especially in your first year. Put your hand up when you need assistance – you will be surprised by how much help QUT provides.
Visit www.studentservices.qut.edu.au/info/
services/.
Equity director, Mary Kelly competitions and put together stunt
groups to showcase their talents,” Ms Moule said.
“In 2010, we are looking to boost the number of males in the squads.”
Tryouts for the competitive Diamond and Sapphire Squad will take place over a one-week period from March 7-14 at St Margaret’s Anglican School in Ascot, in Brisbane’s north.
Tryouts for the Pom / Performance Squad will take place on Sunday, March 14, also at St Margaret’s.
Those interested in finding out more or taking part can contact Q Cheer on their Facebook site, www.facebook.
com/qcheer or by emailing them at [email protected].
- Nadia Farha Francis Maher, left, and Michael
Jew lift helena Motlagh.
