University of South Australia


The University of South Australia is a public research university in the Australian state of South Australia. It is a founding member of the Australian Technology Network of universities, and is the largest university in South Australia with approximately 32,000 students.
The university was founded in its current form in 1991 with the merger of the South Australian Institute of Technology and the South Australian College of Advanced Education. The legislation to establish and name the new University of South Australia was introduced by the Hon Mike Rann MP, Minister of Employment and Further Education. Under the University's Act, its original mission was "to preserve, extend and disseminate knowledge through teaching, research, scholarship and consultancy, and to provide educational programs that will enhance the diverse cultural life of the wider community".
UniSA is among the world's top universities, ranked in the World's Top 50 Under 50 by both the Quacarelli Symonds World University Ranking and Times Higher Education . It has two Adelaide city centre campuses, two Adelaide metropolitan campuses, and two South Australian regional campuses.

History

UniSA was formed in 1991 by the merger of the South Australian Institute of Technology with three South Australian College of Advanced Education campuses. To the former SACAE campuses of Magill, Salisbury, and Underdale, SAIT added its three campuses at City East, The Levels and Whyalla. The two other SACAE campuses, City, and Sturt, were later merged into their nearby universities.

School of Arts

The South Australian School of Arts can trace its history back to 1856 and the work of Charles Hill and H. P. Gill, and connected to the South Australian School of Design. As such, it can claim to be one of the oldest art schools in Australia, and the oldest public art school. The school, now within UniSA's Division of Education, Arts and Social Sciences, is also known for providing a visual arts scholarship, the Ann & Gordon Samstag Scholarship.

SACAE

The South Australian College of Advanced Education was formed in 1982 with the merger of five Colleges of Advanced Education. Adelaide, Hartley, Salisbury, Sturt, and Torrens CAEs became the Adelaide, Magill, Salisbury, Sturt, and Underdale campuses of the SACAE.
The CAE themselves were formed from various teachers' colleges in 1973.
In 1979 Hartley CAE was formed from the merger of Murray Park CAE and Kingston CAE.

SAIT

The South Australian Institute of Technology traced its origins back to 1889 when the South Australian School of Mines and Industries established on the corner of North Terrace and Frome Road between the University of Adelaide and the Royal Adelaide Hospital. The building, towards which Sir George Brookman was a significant contributor, was from 1918 to 1960 the home of Adelaide Technical High School. In 1960 it became the South Australian Institute of Technology and Adelaide Technical High School moved to Glenunga to become Glenunga High. The SAIT was made up of three campuses, all of which remain a part of the University of South Australia. In 1965 SAIT was designated a college of advanced education resulting in a broadening in the range of courses offered, particularly at the professional level. Under a government reform to education in 1991 it was given the option of merging with the newly formed TAFE SA or the SACAE to form the University of South Australia. SAIT was an educational institution with 3 campuses in suburban Adelaide, and had a broad range of topics making it a clear fit with neither institution, though SACAE was chosen in the end.

Modern Era

Shortly after the merger, Salisbury campus was vacated in 1996, given its proximity of the nearby Levels campus, but its sale was held up for many years by litigation. In 1997, a new campus was opened at City West with schools from Underdale being relocated there. In 2005, the campus at Underdale was closed as part of the Blueprint 2005 project, and its remaining programs were moved to other campuses.
In 2013, the university released the 2013–2018 Strategic Plan named "Crossing The Horizon", shaping the future actions of the university nationally and internationally. As part of the plan, the university committed to differentiate itself as Australia's University of Enterprise and to focus its activities on end-user needs. In 2014 the first building in a major new infrastructure plan to support those goals was opened. Named in recognition of the great Australian artist and UniSA alumnus, the Jeffrey Smart Building houses the UniSA Library and a host of student services. In 2018 two new buildings were opened; the new Great Hall, named Pridham Hall after a generous benefaction from a UniSA alumnus Andrew Pridham, and the University of South Australia Cancer Research Institute which houses the Centre for Cancer Biology, the research-rich School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, UniSA's technology-based business incubation hub, the Innovation and Collaboration Centre and a new and unique future-focused public museum, MOD.
In June 2018, the university, along with University of Adelaide, launched official talks of a possible merger. The proposition was endorsed by Steven Marshall and Simon Birmingham, but the merger was called off in October 2018.

Campuses

There are two campuses in the Adelaide city centre, two metropolitan campuses, and two campuses in regional South Australia,. The University of South Australia also delivers its offshore degree programs in collaboration with private institutions in Hong Kong Baptist University and other higher education institutions throughout Asia.

City East

Located on the corner of North Terrace and Frome Road, adjacent to the University of Adelaide, on the site of the former South Australian Institute of Technology, and before that, the School of Mines.
The campus has undergone several building upgrades and expansions in recent years. The Basil Hetzel Building was opened in 2005 and includes 2,000 square metres of multipurpose biomechanical, pharmaceutical and microbiological laboratory space. There was a major reconstruction to the historic School of Mines building in 2008–09 to include a new outdoor plaza, a new exercise physiology clinic, outdoor walkways, student lounges and other upgrades.

City West

Located on the corner of North Terrace and Morphett Street, the City West Campus is located between North Terrace and Hindley Street in buildings constructed in the 1990s for the new campus.
New building was also undertaken as part of a $167 million six-year asset plan known as Blueprint 2005, including the $35 million Hawke building, named in honour of former Prime Minister of Australia Bob Hawke and opened in 2007. The Hawke Building houses the second largest public art gallery in the state of South Australia, the Anne and Gordon Samstag Museum of Art. It also includes the Kerry Packer Civic Gallery,, the Allan Scott Auditorium, the Hawke Prime Ministerial Library, and Australia's only architecture museum.
The Blueprint project included the construction of six major buildings, extensions and upgrades across UniSA's six campuses and featured the Dorrit Black and Kaurna buildings completed in 2005 at City West, the South Australian School of Art, and the Louis Laybourne Smith School of Architecture and Design.
In 2014 the University opened a new learning centre, the Jeffrey Smart Building, on the City West campus. Also on the City West campus are the new Pridham Hall featuring a sports complex, swimming pool and facilities for graduations, exams, corporate and cultural events which opened in 2018 and the new UniSA Cancer Research Institute, part of the biomedical and health precinct being developed on North Terrace. The Building, also opened in 2018, houses the university' Museum of Discovery

Magill

Magill Campus is located on St. Bernard's Road at Magill. It currently focuses on a range of education, humanities and social science disciplines, including psychology, social work, communication and media, public relations, journalism, and the study of creative industries. As home to the largest cohort of teaching students in the State, the purpose-built SamsungSMARTSchool at UniSA, located at the Magill campus, is a key initiative in the development of UniSA's teacher education.

Mawson Lakes

Mawson Lakes currently houses computing and information technology, engineering, science, civil aviation, applied science, sports science, e-commerce and environmental studies programs. The campus also houses many research institutes and centres, including the Future Industries Institute which conducts industry-connected research and innovation in engineering and the physical sciences. The campus also houses a number of industry collaborations within the space and defence industries.

Whyalla

Programs offered at Whyalla include nursing, social work, early childhood and primary teaching, engineering and community wellbeing as well as a Foundation Studies program.

Mount Gambier

Based in the Limestone Coast region of southeast South Australia, UniSA's Mount Gambier Campus opened in 2005, and provides for country-based students and researchers. Mount Gambier offers students undergraduate programs in nursing, social work, primary and early childhood education, and UniSA Foundation Studies, which prepares students for tertiary education.
In 2016 the Mount Gambier Learning Centre was officially opened.

Organisation and governance

Governance

Chancellery

Academic profile

Rankings and achievements

The University of South Australia’s academic structure consists of seven Academic Units, which deliver outstanding study programs and conduct relevant, informed research.
Each Academic Unit is focused on the quality of its teaching, research and the student experience, ensuring that UniSA students are equipped to meet the future needs of industry and society.
UniSA Allied Health & Human Performance shapes community wellbeing by educating future health professionals, producing graduates who contribute to the future health workforce. It delivers solutions-based research that addresses global health needs, working with industry and the community to solve critical health challenges.
UniSA Clinical & Health Sciences addresses society’s most critical and emerging health needs through quality teaching, learning and research excellence. It has a strong focus on creating positive health outcomes for communities, produces versatile graduates, translates its research into successful healthcare strategies, and generates new knowledge that contributes to a healthier society.
UniSA Business prepares students for global careers, creating leaders for change whose skills and knowledge shape business, industry and policy. Its research programs are inspired by the contemporary challenges facing Australia and its region, and it shares its expertise in modern business practice with partners locally and worldwide.
UniSA Creative focuses on developing creative professionals equipped with the skills and knowledge to influence the cultural landscape and to meet future industry demands. Its research explores the complexities of the world with unique cross-disciplinary collaborations that produce inspired, human-centred solutions.
UniSA Education Futures develops education professionals who will play a crucial role in the learning and development of children, young people and adults. Its research contributes to innovation in education and preparation for learning, supporting and informing new approaches to practice in the ever-evolving education sector.
UniSA Justice & Society develops new knowledge and multi-disciplinary solutions to some of society’s most pressing issues. The unit offers a wide range of programs and conducts world-class research in the fields of law, psychology, social work, human services and social sciences.
UniSA STEM is at the forefront of cross-disciplinary collaboration developing the next wave of innovative thinkers and new possibilities. Harnessing connections across science, technology, engineering and mathematics, it creates innovative solutions and groundbreaking developments across teaching, learning and research.
The University of South Australia is ranked within the top 300 universities worldwide by the QS World University Rankings and 251-300th ranking bracket by the 2020 Times Higher Education World University Rankings. UniSA Business School is fully accredited by EQUIS, which accredited fewer than 200 universities worldwide. In 2015 in the Excellence in Research for Australia rankings, 97% of UniSA's research was rated at world class or above. In 2018, this was upgraded to 100% of UniSA's research at or above world class.
Research Institutes
The University of South Australia is home to three flagship institutes:

Associations

University of South Australia Students Association is a democratic organisation run by students. USASA provides administrative support to over 100 sporting and social clubs, a range of events throughout the year and free advocacy and advice services, and also produces the UniSA student magazine Verse Magazine.
After the passing of the voluntary student unionism legislation the activities and collective voice of students was significantly diminished. However this has spurred the student association to work hard to offer students better value for money.

Sports

UniSA Sport, which manages the sporting life of students at the university, organizes and facilitates the development of sport clubs and activities on campuses. UniSA sport teams participate annually in both national and regional intercollegiate competitions such as the Australian University Games as well as the Southern University Games between Victorian, Tasmanian and South Australian universities.

Notable alumni

Arts

Doctor of the University

The university awards the Honorary Doctorate to recognise an individual who has achieved eminence in an area of education or research, or is distinguished by eminent service to the community.
The honorary doctorate is not a recognised qualification and as such the title 'Doctor' is not used by recipients, but the Post-nominal letters "DUniv" is granted.
Recipients
YearNameCitation
2019Terry Evans
2019Adam Goodes
2019Jim McDowell
2019The Honourable Dr Brendan Nelson, AO
2018Deborah Cheetham, AO
2018The Honourable Greg Combet, AM
2018Peter Gago, AC
2018Eric Idle
2018William Muirhead, AM
2018Adjunct Associate Professor Monica Oliphant, AO
2017Emeritus Professor MaryAnn Bin-Sallik, AO
2017The Honourable Julia Gillard, AC
2017Dr Ian Gould, AM
2017Janet Holmes à Court, AC
2017Air Chief Marshal Sir Angus Houston, AK, AC, AFC
2017Thomas Keneally, AO
2017The Honourable John Mansfield, AM, QC
2017Kevin O'Loughlin, OAM
2017Curtis Wong
2016Mr Jack Manning Bancroft
2016Professor Gary Banks, AO
2016Ms Maggie Beer, AM
2016Mrs Marie Coleman, AO
2016Ms Evonne Goolagong Cawley, AC, MBE
2016Professor Lord Anthony Giddens
2016Mr John Barry Humphries, AO, CBE
2015Professor Gerald Goodhardt
2015Professor Robyn Williams, AM
2014Dr Wolf Blass, AM
2014Major General Charles Bolden Jr.
2014The Honourable Quentin Bryce, AD, CVO
2014Professor Brian Burdekin, AO
2014Mr Vinton G Cerf
2014Mr Peter Gabriel
2014Dr Jane Goodall, DBE
2014Professor Peter Høj, AC
2014Professor Mary McAleese
2014Sir Terence Pratchett, OBE
2014Dr Anne Summers, AO
2013Mr Sydney Ball
2013The Honourable Alexander Downer, AC
2013Mr Michael Heard
2013The Honourable Robyn Layton, AO, QC
2012Ms Fiona Hall, AO
2011Emeritus Professor Maxwell Brennan, AO
2011Ms Alice McCleary
2011Professor Ashis Nandy
2011Mr Jeffrey Smart, AO
2010Adjunct Professor Neil Bryans
2010Professor Brian Vincent
2009Mr Martin Albrecht, AC
2009Mr David Klingberg, AO
2009Professor Jarl Rosenholm
2008Mr Milton Moon, AM
2008Dr Pamela Ryan, OAM
2007Emeritus Professor Denise Bradley, AC
2007Professor Don Bursill, AM
2007Dr Ron Radford, AM
2007Professor Leanna Read
2006Mr Norton Jackson, AM
2006Mr Mike Rann, AC
2006Honourable Susan Ryan, AO
2005Professor Frank Bass
2005Dr Julian Burnside, QC
2005Mr Leon Davis, AO
2005Professor Andrew Ehrenberg
2005Professor R Natarajan
2005Dr Gregor Ramsey, AM
2005Dr Simon Wong
2004Mr Phillip Adams, AO
2004Mr Stephen Page, AM
2003Mr Maurice de Rohan, AO, OBE
2003Dr Alfred Huang, AM
2003Dr Yuan Tseh Lee
2003Professor Zhang Xiaowei
2002Ms Dagmar Egen, AM
2002Professor Eleanor Ramsay
2001The Honourable Justice Michael Kirby, AC, CMG
2000Mr Rick Allert, AO
2000Mr Kym Bonython, AC
2000Adjunct Professor Lyndsay Connors, AM
2000Dr Patricia Crook, AO
2000Dr Malcolm Kinnaird, AC
1999The Honourable Dr Basil Hetzel, AC
1999Dr Colin Thiele, AC
1999Professor Lyndall Ryan
1998Dr Julian Clark
1998Honourable Robert J. L. Hawke, AC
1998Mr Nelson Mandela
1998Dr Alice Rigney, AO
1998Ms Ruth Tuck, AO
1998Mr Bruce Webb
1998Dr Don Williams, AO
1997Honourable Justice Samuel Jacobs, AO
1997Mr John Kundereri Moriarty, AM
1997Dr S Richards
1997Mr Daniel Thomas, AM
1997Ms Sue Vardon, AO
1996Mr Archie Barton, AM
1996Dr Betty Davis, AM
1996Honourable Dr John Dawkins, AO
1996Ms Wendy McCarthy, AO
1996Sir Eric Neal, AC, CVO
1996Honourable Justice John Von Doussa, AO, QC
1995Ms Doreen Kartinyeri
1995Dr Christobel Mattingley, AM
1995Dr David Pank, AM
1995Dr James CY Soong
1994Ms Anne Deveson, AO
1994Dame Roma Mitchell, AC, DBE
1994Mr John Uhrig, AC
1994Mr Gavin Walkley, AM
1993Dr Jean Blackburn, AO
1993Ms Alison Crook, AO
1993Dr James May
1993Mr John McDonald, AM
1993Professor Lowitja O’Donoghue, AC, CBE, DSJ