Monash University, Gippsland campus
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The Gippsland campus of Monash University is located in the town of Churchill 142kms east of Melbourne. There are around 2,000 students studying on-campus and 5,000 students who study off-campus. The campus faculties include Business and Economics, Arts, IT, Nursing, Education, Science and Art and Design. The current head of the campus is the Pro-Vice Chancellor Brian Mackenzie, who was appointed in the year 2000. The Gippsland Education Precinct was recently completed at the Campus, which provides education and training for Year 11 and 12 secondary school and TAFE students.
History
The campus began as the Yallourn Technical School in 1928, in order to train State Electricity Commission workers for the Yallourn Power Station. It became Yallourn Technical College in 1958. The Gippsland Institute of Advanced Education (GIAE) took over College courses after it was formed in 1968 at its current location of Churchill. It was amalgamated with Monash University in 1990.
The Binishell
A distinctive architectural feature of the Gippsland campus is the Binishell. A binishell is large concrete dome that is inflated into place. Its inventor, architect Dr. Dante Bini, directed the construction of the Binishell in December 1979. The eleven metre high binishell, using 300 tons of concrete and reinforcing steel, was inflated by a large membrane in around one hours time, using Dr. Dante Bini's ferrocement method. The Binishell was traditionally used as a place for exams and graduations until recently. Due to its diminished structual integrity, Monash University plans to demolish the Binishell and replace it with a new square shaped building.
Student Organisation
The student organisation at the campus is known as the Monash Univeristy Gippsland Student Union (MUGSU). Every student enrolled at the Gippsland campus is by default a member of MUGSU. The organisation began as the GIAE Union in the early 1970's. Each year students are elected to the student union board, with each office bearer in charge of a portfolio of various student issues. The organisation runs a student publication called Emit, which is distributed throughout the Latrobe Valley by a local newspaper. The future of the organisation is under threat from Voluntary Student Unionism. VSU was among the issues for which MUGSU campaigned against John Howard and in particular the now local member Peter McGauran in the 2004 Federal election.
Links
- [Monash Gippsland homepage]
- [Monash Gippsland campus history]
- [Monash University Gippsland Student Union]
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