April 2010 | Volume 19 | Number 2 | Free Publication Scholarships help students to soar Story on page 8 VICE-CHANCELLOR Adelaidean is the offi cial newspaper of the University of Adelaide. Student choice... It provides news and information about the University to the general public, with a focus on Life Impact. Circulation: 11,000 per month more or less (March to December) Online readership: 140,000 hits per month (on average) A university’s worth, its ‘greatness’, should www.adelaide.edu.au/adelaidean be judged by its value to society. Editor: David Ellis Design: Last month, Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard At present, the proposed website will only Chris Tonkin announced the development of a website, scope Australia’s 39 universities. This is curious Writers: Candy Gibson building on the MySchool initiative, which aims given the number of independent colleges Robyn Mills to increase transparency and accountability in joining the ranks of private universities and Kate Husband Australia’s universities. TAFEs competing for the tertiary dollar. In South Contributors: Ben Osborne, Mirna Heruc, I welcomed the concept – anything that helps Australia alone, there are 26 degree-awarding Daniel Brooks students gain the best from higher education institutions. Surely, students stand to gain the Cover photo: should be applauded – but this it is tempered most from a more comprehensive review that The Andy Thomas Scholar for 2010, with a hint of caution. extends beyond the publicly funded institutions. James Francis from Kadina, in the University’s School of Mechanical Capturing data that is consistent, evidence- If we are to shine the spotlight on the tertiary Engineering based and genuinely representational and education sector, we should use a wide-angled Photo by Campbell Brodie, courtesy constructive, will likely prove a diffi cult challenge. lens from the outset. of The Advertiser Shifting the focus from primary and secondary Choice of further study is extremely subjective. Deadline for May issue: schooling to tertiary studies is more complicated Students come to university for a myriad Friday 9 April 2010 Do you receive too many Adelaideans? given the absence of standardised testing such of reasons, different for everyone. Broadly Not enough? Want to be added to our as NAPLAN. speaking, we know that prospective students mailing list or taken off? The government has already suggested want a quality academic education with top Contact us to let us know. potential indicators for evaluating Australian quality staff and state-of-the-art facilities. Editorial/Advertising enquiries: universities such as student to staff ratios, We should also make the distinction between Phone: +61 8 8303 5414 Fax: +61 8 8303 4829 graduate skills and outcomes and the quality of perceived prestige and earned reputation. As Email: [email protected] teaching and learning outcomes. a Group of Eight (Go8) University, Adelaide is Mailing address: For a university like Adelaide, internationally justifi ably proud of its long tradition of academic Adelaidean recognised for its extensive research capacity, achievement – a track record, including three Marketing & Strategic Communications, there is a glaring omission relating to research as Nobel Laureates among our graduates, that University of Adelaide, a measure of institutional quality. The learning should inspire and be held in high regard by SA 5005 experience in a research-intensive university potential students and the wider community. Australia is unique. It offers a richer, more challenging However, this is not the time to rest on our Printed by: and intellectually stimulating environment to our laurels. Universities must be responsive. When Lane Print & Post students at all levels. it comes to student enrolment, we undertake Distribution: Ensuring that research achievement and extensive and ongoing research to improve our Lane Print & Post capacity are core benchmarks of success understanding of what drives student choice and Passing Out Distribution Co. is fundamental to valuing the greatness of to meet changing needs. Registered by Australia Post any university. Nor should students be complacent in their No 565001/00046 decision-making. It is your future. Be proactive and seek out information, ask questions, do your research thoroughly. You are best placed to make the decisions and choices and the more information you have, the better. The My University website (or preferably My Higher Education), equipped with robust and useful data, will provide another tool to inform choice of further study but remember it is just one other piece of information. Such an important life decision deserves much more than a cursory glance at a ready- Adelaidean is printed on Impress reckoner website. Gloss paper which features the following environmental profi le. These comments were originally published in www.dalton.com.au The Advertiser’s EducationNow section. JAMES A. McWHA Vice-Chancellor and President 2 Adelaidean Volume 19 | Number 2 | April 2010 Contents First steps are important 4 News In Brief 5 Young researchers of the year Bone density tests crucial 6 for older women Taking steps towards 7 cheaper space fl ight COVER STORY Scholarships help 8 students to soar Online student Peak health body funds 10 key research services are UNIFIED Science is drawcard for 11 agriculture students Students at the University of Adelaide now have a single website from which they can access all of their student Hawker’s memory lives systems and personal information. 12 on in scholars Called UNIFIED, the site is a gateway “Today’s students are busier than Young author makes (or portal) to a wide range of services, ever – with study, work, sport and social 13 appeal for library information and resources that events keeping most students on the students need. move. UNIFIED will help students save UNIFIED enables students to use their time if they’re searching for information and email and calendar, watch and listen to accessing resources they need, because 14 Writing on the Wall recordings of lectures, view the list of that information is now in one place. courses they’re taking and the grades UNIFIED can also be customised to suit they’ve received, search the University’s individual students’ needs.” library catalogue and access information Mr Duldig said students were already 15 Our new Fulbright Scholars about loans they’ve made, receive uni providing all-important feedback on news feeds and announcements, and use UNIFIED – “how it’s working for them, what interactive campus maps – with many more else they expect from it and how we can Coming Events services still to come. keep meeting their needs”. 16 Students are able to access all of this “With this kind of feedback, students will and more through a central website with a continue to benefi t greatly from UNIFIED,” single login. Mr Duldig said. UNIFIED was launched on the fi rst day of One student wrote about UNIFIED: “Love Orientation Week (O’Week) and has already this new site! It’s so much better to only been visited tens of thousands of times log in once and have everything I need on by students. that site. Good job! It’s easy to read and “UNIFIED, which in simple terms is a navigate too. Thank you.” portal for students to access a range of Another wrote: “I’m so impressed with services, is a signifi cant change in the way UNIFIED! Why didn’t someone think of we interact with and deliver services to this earlier!” our students,” said Mr Paul Duldig, Vice President (Services and Resources). Students can access UNIFIED via “UNIFIED’s launch means that new the Student Centre webpage or at: students in 2010 are able to benefi t from a http://unifi ed.adelaide.edu.au/ cleaner, simpler, and more relevant way of accessing the information and services they need, helping to make their fi rst University experience a truly positive one. Story by David Ellis Volume 19 | Number 2 | April 2010 Adelaidean 3 News In Brief First steps are important New students at the University of Adelaide are being guided through the fi rst stages of university life – with the help of a semester-long orientation program and an increasing number of peer networking programs. Miles Franklin Literary Award The University Student Transition “Transition to university can be a Novels by two Creative Writing staff members at Experience Program (UniStep) is a daunting experience and many students the University of Adelaide have been selected semester-long orientation program that underestimate the signifi cant adjustments on the longlist for the 2010 Miles Franklin began in Orientation Week (O’Week) with that need to be made,” Ms Gault said. Literary Award. traditional O’Week activities focusing on “Research has demonstrated that the Bath Fugues, by Professor Brian Castro, Head of helping students fi nd their way, providing fi rst-year experience, especially the fi rst the Creative Writing program, and Figurehead, opportunities to meet other students, attend weeks, can be pivotal in establishing the fi rst novel by part-time staff member Dr preliminary lectures and participate in a the positive attitudes, approaches to Patrick Allington, have been selected along with range of social activities. learning and motivation that contribute to 10 other works for the longlist. “Reality Bites” sessions were also students’ success. Dr Allington’s novel, published last year, formed offered in O’Week, giving new students “The University of Adelaide has a major part of his PhD in Creative Writing, which the opportunity to learn about transition recognised the importance of this early he completed at the University of Adelaide issues, the university culture, student experience and is committed to developing in 2005. support services and to get information innovative approaches to engage and The Miles Franklin Literary Award is Australia’s and advice about uni life from a panel of support fi rst-year students.” premier literary prize.