We engage with a diverse range of initiatives through our dealings with VU, our students, our commitment to innovation, industry, the wider communities and their needs.

VU College Partnerships

University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP)

Since 2007, Victoria University has enjoyed a collaborative partnership with the University of Texas at El Paso.

During that period, there has been a series of visits of staff from both universities designed to strengthen and increase the level of interaction between the two institutions:

• Memorandum of Understanding
• Chancellor’s visit Sept 2011
• Vice Chancellor’s party visit June 2011
• Sunay Palsole’s visit to Melbourne March 2011
• 2011 report
• 2010 report
• 2009 Report
• Gill Best’s report from 2010 visit to UTEP
• Presentations August 2010 by UTEP delegation:
  'In School Partnerships - from Practice to Evaluation'
  'Students Supporting Student Learning: Peer Leader Programs at UTEP'
  'What we Know About Student Success and How It Can be Improved'
• VUFriday Forum Presentation - UTEP 2009

VU College has been at the centre of many of the initiatives to come out of the relationship, including:

• Students as Staff
• Advising on the success of the new Learning Commons
• The Global Learning Community

As a result of this unique and ever expanding relationship, the two institutions are nominating for the 2011 IIE Andrew Heiskell Awards for Innovation in International Education.

 

The Writing Space

The Writing Space is a new, peer-assisted writing centre where students can speak to a writing mentor about their writing assignments. You can talk to the mentor about what you are writing, what you plan to write, or have the mentor read over what you have written.

Although it is common in many parts of the world, the peer writing centre concept is relatively new to Australian universities. Victoria University (VU) is one of the first Australian universities to start one.

The writing mentors are current VU students and good writers who were selected by the Student Learning Unit (SLU) for the role.

Community Gateways

The Community Gateways facility offers direct and flexible outreach, including a Mobile Gateways Vehicle that travels between community locations, and The Learning Store at Highpoint Shopping centre. It provides career counselling, practical advice and workshops on returning to study and developing employability skills.

Urban Green Living and Learning Hub

The Urban Green Living & Learning Hub belongs to the Victoria University College's School of Foundation, Community and Indigenous Programs (FCIP) Footscray Nicholson campus. 

In 2006 the land at 115 Albert Street Seddon was bare and lifeless, five years later and it has been transformed into a thriving vegetable garden, orchard, Indigenous bush food garden and practical learning space.   

Students studying Horticulture, English as a Second Language and Youth courses attend classes designed to help them advance their literacy and numeracy skills, occupational health and safety and workplace knowledge. Students learn planting and maintenance, sustainable environmental practices, working as part of a team and the responsibility of running a small business in the form of a market garden. 

In September, we commence our first horticulture short course, weekend workshops at Urban Green.