As expressed in La Trobe’s new Strategic Plan 2020-2030 and the recently endorsed Strategy for Regional Victoria, its regional campuses will remain central to the University’s identity, mission and purpose in a post-COVID world. They will continue to support local communities by producing highly skilled, career-ready graduates that meet workforce need; by conducting research that makes a real difference to the lives of regional Australians and beyond, and by contributing to the social, cultural and economic prosperity of regional Victoria.
La Trobe Vice-Chancellor Professor John Dewar AO said that as focus is increasingly on decentralisation of services and building vibrant regional cities, now more than ever it is essential that world-class higher education providers are embedded in the regions.
Professor Dewar also said it was essential that if universities are to remain relevant, students must be offered more flexibility when it comes to modes of study – on campus and online – to reflect lifestyle need and expand reach into more rural and remote areas.
“As part of our new strategic direction, we are shifting to different modes of delivery for some of our courses and subjects, opening up greater choice, accessibility and flexibility for students at all life stages and across all of our campuses,” Professor Dewar said.
“For our regional campuses, this means some courses and subjects will be offered as a mix of on campus and online, and some others will be offered fully online.
“For example, we are proposing to offer a fully online Bachelor of Arts degree from 2022 in the regions, which will greatly increase flexibility for students as well as more choice of majors and subjects not previously accessible to regional students. Added to which, all of our regional students will have the benefit of our new Regional Connect hub, which will offer them a range of exciting on-campus and virtual services such as introductions to local businesses and industries.”
The University is also committed to working in closer partnership with regional TAFEs to ensure students have seamless pathways between vocational and higher education in areas of student demand and workforce need.
Key points from each campus plan (see each plan for more detail)
Bendigo
- Our Bendigo campus will continue to offer courses addressing strong workforce need including in biomedicine, pharmacy, education, dentistry, nursing and allied health, engineering, law, business and biomedical science (medical).
- Our Bendigo campus will remain committed the arts and to the arts community, including through the La Trobe Arts Institute; through a proposed newly refreshed Visual Arts degree from 2022, a proposed Creative Writing major and a proposed fully online Bachelor of Arts which will offer greater choice of majors and subjects, and more flexibility.
- Bendigo will be the hub of La Trobe’s undergraduate engineering education, bringing up to 50 more students to the city over the next few years, providing a platform for future growth of the program.
- Wide-ranging Education degrees will continue to be offered in Bendigo, including a proposed new Outdoor Education program focused on improving employability.
- Our Bendigo campus plans aligns with the City of Greater Bendigo’s ambition to bring more students to the region, as outlined in its Economic Development Strategy 2020-2030.
- The delivery mode of some courses will change in response to market desire for greater choice and flexibility, meaning more students will be able to choose how, when and where they study (see proposed online regional Bachelor of Arts above).
- Research in Bendigo will centre around key strengths in rural health, biomedical science and digital transformation.
Mildura
- Our Mildura campus will continue to offer courses addressing strong rural workforce need including nursing, social work and education, as well as popular courses across arts, science and business.
- A new Diploma of Health Sciences will give more regional students an opportunity to become nurses and social workers, helping meet workforce need.
- Examples of new delivery modes include the first fully online regional Bachelor of Psychological Science and a proposed fully online Bachelor of Arts – offering more choice of majors and subjects and more flexibility for students at all life stages.
- Research in Mildura will centre around key strengths in food, agriculture and environment, health and wellbeing, and society, education and social change.
Shepparton
- Our Shepparton campus will continue to offer courses addressing strong rural workforce need including nursing, social work and education, as well as popular courses across arts, business and IT.
- A new Diploma of Health Sciences will give more regional students an opportunity to become nurses and social workers, helping meet workforce need.
- Examples of new delivery modes include the first fully online regional Bachelor of Psychological Science and a proposed fully online Bachelor of Arts – offering more choice of majors and subjects and more flexibility for students at all life stages.
- Research in Shepparton will centre around key strengths in food, agriculture and environment, health and wellbeing, and society, education and social change.
Albury-Wodonga
- Our Albury-Wodonga campus will continue to offer courses addressing strong rural workforce need including nursing, social work, education, psychology, biomedical science, and biomedical science (medical), as well as popular courses across arts, science and business.
- A new Diploma of Health Sciences will give more regional students an opportunity to become nurses and social workers, helping meet workforce need.
- Research in Albury-Wodonga will centre around key strengths in freshwater research and water management, food, agriculture and environment, and health and wellbeing, and the campus will remain home to two world-leading research centres – John Richards Centre for Rural Ageing Research and the Centre for Freshwater Ecosystems.
- Examples of new delivery modes include the first fully online regional Bachelor of Psychology and a proposed fully online Bachelor of Arts – offering more choice of majors and subjects and more flexibility for students at all life stages.
Media Contact: Claire Bowers – c.bowers@latrobe.edu.au - 0437279903
