Upgrade your Flash Player.
The Campus
Getting Here
Services on campus
History
The University of Canberra is located in the suburb of Bruce, in the Australian Capital Territory. The campus is massive (about the size of the Melbourne CBD), but only really populated in the middle. The remainder of the campus is made up of fields (both playing fields and the type that cows hang around in).
The campus is landscaped with native gardens, and it's not entirely unusual to discover a family of kangaroos hopping about the place.
The campus is also home to over 1000 students, as well as 1 Vice Chancellor and his family.
Head towards Belconnen, the university has entrances of Hayden Drive, Ginninderra Drive and College Street.
Parking on campus is free, but beware that overstaying in a time limited parking spot can lead to a significant fine.
There are disabled carparks clearly signposted throughout the university parking areas.
The main intercity bus service (the "300" busses) run along College Street, next to the university campus, while a number of other busses run through the campus. The 300 busses are the most regular and direct way to get to the campus from any of the town centres, and the distance between the College Street stop and the "on campus" stop would be less than 100 meters.
Taxis in canberra are expensive, and can be unreliable - but most cabbies will know how to get to UC (many of them are students/graduates!).
The Students' Association
Well it is our website, so we get to go first! The Students' Association offers a range of services including cheap food and drink, a student lounge where you can chill out and watch some TV, an X-Box room, computers with cheap printing, as well as a one stop shop for assistance with academic appeals and other trouble you might find yourself in.
Medical
Post Office
The post office is hidden at the back right hand corner of the UCU shop. It is a licenced post office, but you can do most things you can do at a "real" post office here. Certainly you can by stamps and send letters! You can also use the post office to do banking and pay a range of bills.
Food and Drink
Mizzuna's is really the place to get a good lunch. Refectory food is overpriced and really not that great for you. In any case, at least at Mizzuna's the food comes on a plate and is brought to your table, rather than slopped in a plastic takeaway container.
If you just want a sandwich, grab them from the SA, they are cheap and fresh every morning.
Your options for coffee are a bit wider - the SA will sell you an espresso for $2 and Mizzuna's and UCU will do them for a bit more than that (to be honest they are both more expensive, but you get a bigger cup than from the SA!).
There is also a cafe over at the innovation centre on University Drive - we used to go there quite a bit, but it's a long way from the SA office, and when UCU took over the quality dropped and the prices increased. We understand there is a new operater over there, so give it a go.
Security
University Security are located on the concourse next to the UCSA offices, they also serve as the lost property office. You should report any suspicious activity to security - call them on 2222 if you are in trouble at all.
Childcare
There are two childcare centres on compus, Kiriniari ECC and Wiradgiri.
Computers and IT
Building 10 is the home of the computer labs, although there are computers in the Library, in the SA, and in the CRC's that you can use as well.
Library
Opposite the SA Offices is the Library (technically it is building 8 should youever be asked in a quiz or something). Anita the Head Librarian would be cross with us if we told you it was a building full of books, it is actually much more - there are newspapers and magazines as well! Actually, the Library is (obviously) a great place to head when you get your assignments, and need help finding that tantalizingly useful article. The staff over there are knowledgable and good for advice as to the best place to be looking for all kinds of info.
The University of Canberra was originally the Canberra College of Advanced Education (CCAE). Established in 1967, the first students rolled through the doors of a brand spanking new (and considerably smaller) Building One in 1970.
From there until the late eighties the history of the CCAE is interesting largely for the pranks played by students in what became known as stone week (for example the stealing of the dog on the tuckerbox), and a generally solid reputation as a college that educated prospective public servants, teachers, architects and scientists.
However the late 80's were temoltuous times in the life of Higher Education in Australia, with the introduction of HECS, and a move to "The Unified National System", seeing the Colleges of Advanced Education propelled into University status, or alternatively merged with other existing universities.
There was much discussion of a merger of UC with the ANU, but to match the discussion there was much protest as well.
In the end it was determined to convert the Canberra College of Advanced Education into the University of Canberra, with The University of Canberra Act passing through the Federal Parliament in 1989. 1990 would see a transformation from CCAE to UC across the campus.
1990 also saw the name of the student newspaper change from CAEserian to CUrio.
The decade long appointment of Prof Don Aitken still has mixed reviews, although certainly even the most ardent detractors can be found to say a kind word in comparison to what was to come later. Don should be considered as the father of the University of Canberra as we know it today, he ambitiously sought to extend the reach of the university, and it was clear he (and his wife Beverly) had more than an affection for the campus - they loved it so much they moved in!
During Don's reign the University formally linked itself with the ACT community through the transfer of the University from Commonwealth to ACT control.
However, Don's period as Vice Chancellor is also marked by some negatives, the planning for the ill fated UC Brisbane Campus was largely done during wis tenure, and the explosion of shady off shore teaching bloomed under Don's sometimes not quite so careful eye.
With all that said, at the time of his departure there was a view that while it was time for a change, that change was required to take UC further - the university was on a relatively steady footing, and the future looked bright.
