Erin White, (Acting) Schools Relationship Manager

Welcome to the June edition of School Connect.

It has been a very busy year so far and I'm sure you are all looking forward to the term 2 break. We had a great response at the Guidance Officer days in May, it was wonderful to meet new faces and catch up with you all. We have received some fantastic feedback on the day and we look forward to hosting school Guidance Officers and Careers Advisors again next year. If you would like copies of what was presented on the day please do not hesitate to contact us.

In the last couple of months we have developed an online booking form to assist your access to school visits, scholarships workshops, and campus tours etc. If you would like to book in a USQ representative to visit your school either this term or next please let us know as we would be thrilled to talk to your students of any year level. Some topics may include: pathways to university, programs on offer at USQ, uni life, scholarships and many more.

If you are interested in a presentation tailored to suit your needs, submit a request to us by booking online. I hope you all have a safe and enjoyable break at the end of term.

Kind regards

Erin

Belinda Cameron, School Liaison Administration Officer/ Head Start Administrator

We are pleased to welcome Belinda Cameron to the USQ School Liaison team. Belinda is based at the Toowoomba campus and will be responsible for administering the USQ Head Start program, in conjunction with Rebecca Weppner, who many of you will have worked with in the past. Belinda is currently studying a Bachelor of Science (Psychology) part-time, as such, she will be able to talk to your students first-hand about studying at USQ.

Rebecca Weppner will still be involved with the Head Start program and will work closely with Belinda in this role.

If you or any of your students are interested in the Head Start program please contact Belinda Cameron.

 

Carly Ryder, Marketing Support Officer (School Liaison) at the Fraser Coast campus

Carly Ryder has commenced at the Fraser Coast campus in the role of Marketing Support Officer (School Liasion). Carly brings with her a diverse work history in marketing, events, promotion and project management, including running her own events & marketing company, and working for the last three years as the Live Events and Marketing Manager for The Wiggles. 

Carly is originally from Hervey Bay and is very excited about promoting USQ in the area where she grew up.

If you would like to contact the USQ Fraser Coast campus School Liaison team please direct your enquires to Carly Ryder.

The University of Southern Queensland is always looking at offering new and exciting programs to meet the ongoing demands of industry and interests of prospective students. For Semester 1, 2013 we are pleased to offer:

• Bachelor of Engineering (Civil) available on-campus at Springfield
• Associate Degree of Spatial Science (Urban and Regional Planning) and Bachelor of Spatial Science (Urban and Regional Planning) available on-campus at Toowoomba and via distance
• Bachelor of Engineering Technology/Bachelor of Vocational Education and Training available on-campus at Toowoomba and via distance
• Bachelor of Human Services available on-campus at Toowoomba

If you would like more information on these or any of our other USQ programs, please contact our Student Relationship Officers by phone: 1800 269 500 or email: study@usq.edu.au.

USQ students Mikayla Johnson (left) and Kelly-Ann Tester check out the MyUniversity website

The University of Southern Queensland (USQ) has been ranked the second best university in Queensland for the number of students who find full-time jobs after study.

The University was also ranked seventh in Australia, with 81.4% of graduates finding full-time employment.

The figure was one of the highlights of USQ's representation on the Federal Government's MyUniversity website, which was launched today to serve as a useful source of information for students making choices about their university education.

The website allows students to compare Australia's 39 public universities in areas such student satisfaction, staff-student ratios and graduate employment outcomes.

Read more >>>

USQ Vice Chancellor, Professor Jan Thomas meets with school principals at Brookwater Golf Club.

School Principals from around the region gathered at the Brookwater Golf Club yesterday (30 April) to meet with USQ's new Vice Chancellor and President, Professor Jan Thomas.

Professor Thomas said the luncheon was an opportunity for Principals to learn about USQ's expansion plans and to discuss how the university can better meet the needs of the education community.

'Having just celebrated our sixth birthday, Springfield is still a relatively new campus for USQ,' Professor Thomas said.

'We recently expanded our footprint in the region by purchasing our existing two buildings plus three hectares of land and are well into the planning stage of a third building scheduled to open on the campus in 2014.

Read more >>>

Applications for the Semester 2, 2012 intake of USQ's Head Start program will close on Friday, 1 June 2012.

There are a wide range of study areas available in Semester 2 which will allow students to study alongside undergraduate students on-campus at Toowoomba, Springfield, Fraser Coast or via distance education.

If you are interested in a Head Start workshop at your school which explains how the program works and the benfits of it send an email to headstart@usq.edu.au.

For more information on Head Start visit www.usq.edu.au/headstart, phone (07) 4631 1736 or email headstart@usq.edu.au.

After six years in its current location the USQ Springfield campus is already at its growth target of 1500 students

The University of Southern Queensland (USQ) has cemented its reputation as one of Queensland's fastest growing education institutions, after receiving almost $50 million from the Federal Government to expand its digital and online learning capabilities.

The funds will allow USQ to develop further its building footprint at Springfield with the signing (on 13/04/2012) of the purchase of its existing two campus buildings and three hectares of prime land from Springfield Land Corporation for $52 million to cater for the expected ongoing growth.

Shayne Neumann Federal Member for Blair confirmed that last year USQ secured a Federal Government grant to begin Stage Two of the USQ Springfield campus.

Read more >>>

Do you have students who have nothing to do on the holidays? Why not come onto one of our campuses for a personalised tour and see what a university looks like?

• Dates: 18 June - 7 July
• Time/s:  9:00am  - 5:00pm (by appointment only)
• Venues: Springfield campus, Toowoomba Campus, or Fraser Coast campus
• Cost: Free
• Age Group: 12+

For more information or to make a booking, contact:

• Toni Dobbyn - Springfield tour
• Belinda Cameron - Toowoomba tour
• Carly Ryder - Fraser Coast tour

The USQ School Liaison team is happy to visit your school and present to your students on a range of topics tailored to suit your students needs.

Some presentations include:

Year 12 students

• let's talk about the huge range of USQ scholarships
• USQ graduate outcomes
• pathways to university
• specific programs and courses
• QTAC preferencing
• study abroad

Year 11 students

• pathways to university
• what are the benefits of a university degree?
• what is the Head Start program?
• career options

Year 8-10 students

• what is a university prerequisite?
• what is the USQ Head Start program?
• what is university?
• let's start thinking about careers - where can university take you?

If you are interested in a school visit, book online or email us at SchoolLiaison@usq.edu.au.

Barbara Wisniewski and Jennifer Smith, members of USQ's Professional Experience office

The Faculty of Education at the University of Southern Queensland extends sincere thanks to all host sites and staff involved with professional experience placements for our pre-service educators. Pre-service educators are required to attend professional experience placements in order to pass their courses and to complete the requirements of their program which are set and mandated by external organisations such as the Queensland College of Teachers.

The Professional Experience office at the Springfield, Fraser Coast and Toowoomba campuses facilitate placements in a variety of educational sites and schools to meet these course requirements for USQ students. The Springfield campus is pleased to introduce two new staff members in the Professional Experience office, Barbara Wisniewski and Jennifer Smith.

To view the list of Education programs at USQ please visit our website.

For offers of placements, contact us by email: springfieldprofexp@usq.edu.au or phone: 07 3470 4352.

The University of Southern Queensland has recognised that not all students have the access to, or are quite ready to go directly to University. Through funding from the Federal Government to further develop its successful TAFE to Uni pathways, the Queensland Tertiary Education Participation Network (QTEPNet) will continue to enhance the pathway articulation. This project will be focusing on establishing seamless pathways from secondary school to tertiary education via most Queensland TAFE's.

QTEPNet's innovative approach will see students able to continue their tertiary studies in their local communities with USQ courses being delivered at TAFE institutes.  This project will provide a strong framework for opening up pathways for students, with localised support ensuring a smooth transition to Higher Education. QTEPNet is currently in the initial phases and will be rolled out over the next two years. Regular updates will be provided to the community through this and other similar publications.

For further information regarding this project, please contact Di Paez.

ESCAPE FROM THE ZOO EXHIBITION - 22 May-7 June, 9am-5pm, USQ Arts Gallery, Toowoomba

A PIANO SPECTACULAR - 2 June, 7.30pm and Sun 3 June, 2pm, USQ Arts Theatre, Toowoomba

TWILIGHT THEATRE SHOW - 20 June, 6pm, USQ Arts Theatre, Toowoomba

GLEE PROJECT - Wed 17 October, 6.30pm, USQ Toowoomba

For more information on the 2012 season please contact Michelle Fox.

USQ has introduced a new Welfare Service within Student Services to assist current and future students with accommodation and financial matters that may impact upon their studies. Students are able to meet with the Welfare Officer to discuss student loans and financial support, budgeting and accommodation issues including temporary housing and rental issues. In addition to this support, the Welfare Office is well connected within the wider community and each USQ campus is able to make appropriate referral where necessary. To discuss any concerns or for more information, the service can be contacted by email: welfare@usq.edu.au or phone: (07) 4631 2372.