January 7, 2015
Top HSC students courted to join our ‘global community’
The chance to join with an academic community who are globally connected was one of the incentives on offer at a UOW event on 6 January celebrating the region’s high-achieving HSC students.
Vice-Chancellor Professor Paul Wellings flanked by some of the high-achieving HSC students (from left) Monica Naumovski (Holy Spirit Bellambi); Philip Chevis (Holy Spirit Bellambi); Montana Byers (Macarthur Anglican School); Byron Turner (Smiths Hill); and Jane Skinner (St Patrick’s Campbelltown).
The Vice-Chancellor’s Afternoon Tea was an invitation only event for the top 5 per cent of students in the University’s main drawing area. All have been rewarded with an offer of a $3,000 Vice-Chancellor’s Academic Excellence Scholarship for their first year of study at UOW. The students would also be able to vie for other scholarships.
Taking up the opportunity to visit UOW were about 80 students representing 59 schools from areas including Wollongong, South Coast, Sutherland Shire, Southern Highlands and the Inner South and Macarthur areas of Sydney. Participating students had ATARs ranging from 94.25 to 99.6.
Administrative Officer from the Sustainable Buildings Research Centre, Robyn Dawson, (2nd right) conducts one of the tours of the SBRC following the Vice-Chancellor’s Afternoon Tea event for high-achieving HSC students.
Thomas Garrety from Holy Spirit Bellambi who is considering studying mathematics at UOW held the top honour with an ATAR of 99.6.
Vice-Chancellor Professor Paul Wellings outlined why the high-achieving students should consider locking in UOW as their first preference telling them that they would become part of an academic community who are globally connected.
Thomas Garrety from Holy Spirit Bellambi who is considering studying mathematics at UOW held the top honour with an ATAR of 99.6 at the Vice-Chancellor’s special Afternoon Tea event.
He explained how the academics hold important teaching and research partnerships with overseas institutions and how the University tries to maximise the opportunity for students to mix with its vast alumni network and generally connect with UOW’s overseas partners.
The Vice-Chancellor told the students how they can be exposed to our diverse cultures pointing out that there were 143 nationalities on campus and that the University also had a very strong presence in Dubai with a recent expansion into Hong Kong.
“This is all very important because for many of you your work will take you globally,” he said.
Vice-Chancellor Professor Paul Wellings addresses students and their families at the Afternoon Tea event he hosted for high-achieving HSC students
The event will be food for thought for the students as they must ‘lock in’ their Universities Admissions Centre (UAC) preferences for Autumn admission today (7 January). Students like Jane Skinner have already made up their mind. She received offers from other universities but will be bringing her 94.25 ATAR to study at UOW.
The St Patrick’s Campbelltown student plans to study exercise science and rehabilitation.
Jane was won over by the charms of UOW describing it as a “beautiful university”.
The event for high-achieving HSC students was held at UOW’s Sustainable Buildings Research Centre (SBRC) located on the Innovation Campus. Part of the event included tours for students and their families of the award-winning SBRC.
The Executive Dean of the Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health Professor Alison Jones (left) outlines course options to one of the high-achieving HSC students, Sophie Busin (Aquinas College, Menai) and her mother, Katrina Busin.
Earlier in the day on the main campus an Options Day was conducted for hundreds of potential UOW students. Options Day was aimed at students who received an ATAR that was higher or lower than they expected and they were uncertain what course to choose.
Academic staff from UOW’s faculties as well as representatives from UOW College and TAFE Illawarra were on hand to help students with their questions around choosing the right degree, modifying their UAC preferences, pathways to University, the UOW campus and facilities and UOW accommodation options.
Executive Manager for the Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences, Lorelle Pollard, discusses faculty options for HSC high-achieving student Mark Stein (Chevalier College, Bowral) and his mother, Melissa Stein.
“It was a chance to help students with their decision-making process at this confusing time in their lives,” UOW Schools Liaison Co-ordinator, Mr Patrick O’Connor, said.