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RMIT University (previously Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology), is a university in Melbourne, Australia. It has its main campus in the city's central business district. In 2005, the Times Higher Education Supplement placed RMIT in the top 100 universities of the world, at rank 82. Given that there are over 20,000 Universities in the World, this represents the top 0.1% of Universities.

History

Founded by Francis Ormond, prominent grazier, Freemason and philanthropist, in 1887 as the Working Men's College (encapsulated in its motto: "perita manus mens exculta" translating to "a skilled hand, a cultivated mind"), and renamed the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in 1960, RMIT University gained formal university status in 1992.

The Working Men's College proved immediately successful, with over 900 students enrolled by the end of 1887. Students undertook a variety of courses including mechanics, physics, bookkeeping, elocution and arithmetic, as well as certain trades. Its campus was adjacent to the Old Melbourne Gaol on LaTrobe Street, and over the years has taken over the whole block as the Gaol was decomissioned and the university's courses increased in size.

The Emily McPherson College amalgamated with RMIT adding building 13 near the 888 monument that is just on the University grounds (at the corner of Victoria Parade and Russell Street), bringing on board courses in Cooking, Reading, Writing and other courses to get young people to levels of higher education entry.

The college also played a major part in training over 20,000 servicemen for World War II, especially in the areas of Radio Communications, when the current Chemistry Building (Kernot) was used entirely for this purpose.

The Phillip Institute of Technology merged with RMIT in 1992 on the same day RMIT won University status (prior to 1992 degrees offered at RMIT were acredited by Melbourne University). RMIT starting developing a new campus in Bundoora in the early 1990s around the same time that the Melbourne College of Decoration and Design amalgamated (1993).

In 1995 the Melbourne College of Printing and Graphic Arts merged with RMIT, followed by the Melbourne Institute of Textiles in 1999. Printing and textile students now study at the Brunswick campus.

Campuses

In 2003, 58,078 students studied at RMIT University campuses in Melbourne and regional Victoria, in Vietnam, online, by distance education and at more than 190 partner institutions throughout the world. Prospective students currently have a choice of more than 200 TAFE and higher education programs.

RMIT belongs to the Australian Technology Network (ATN), an alliance of five prominent Australian universities of technology, each located in a different mainland state of Australia. ATN universities claim a history of collaboration and a commitment to partnerships with industry and the community.

Portfolios

RMIT University offers programs of study in twenty-seven schools across three academic portfolios.

  • Business
(Including the schools of Accounting and Law, Business Information Technology,Business TAFE School, Economics, Finance and Marketing, Graduate School of Business and Management)

  • Design and Social Context
(Including the schools of Applied Communication, Architecture and Design, Art, Creative Media, Design (TAFE), Education, Fashion and Textiles, International Centre of Graphic Technology, International and Community Studies, Property, Construction and Project Management Social Science and Planning)

  • Science, Engineering and Technology
(Including the schools of Aerospace, Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, Applied Sciences, Civil, Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Computer Science and Information Technology, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Health Sciences, Infrastructure, Electrotechnology and Building Services Life and Physical Sciences Mathematical and Geospatial Sciences and Medical Sciences)

Student life

RMIT has an active student union operating across all campuses and involved students publish a newspaper: Catalyst. Postgraduate students are represented by the RMIT Postgraduate Association, a member of the Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations.

Some people believe the atmosphere at RMIT is unique to many other universities in the area, a belief potentially created by it's larger concentration of Computer Science and Engineering students. RMIT Union and Student Union both run a large number of activities and clubs, and allow for social events and interaction between students. In addition, the RMIT Cafeteria areas, 'Intermission' in Building 10, and other recreation areas run by the RMIT Student Union further enhance student interaction.

RMIT Student Union, along with many other Australian university student unions, have been under threat by VSU (Voluntary Student Unionism), a recently introduced law which changed requirements for universities, no longer required to collect a compulsory student union fee. The student union argues that this will result in less services for students, and have organised several protests, in association with other student unions.

RMIT has a history of launching successful community broadcasters including radio stations 3RMT FM (which became 3RRR) and SYN-FM plus RMITV.

Controversies

RMIT has had a somewhat troubled recent financial history, at least partly due to problems associated with the university's student administration system upgrade (it cost the institution tens of millions of dollars). The university, however, has maintained teaching services. The financial woes eventually claimed the Vice-Chancellor and some of the university's board and it continues, to a lesser degree, today 2006. However RMIT posted a $24 million operating profit in 2005 and is currently in the middle of restructuring its property assets which value at over $1 billion.

On April 4, 2005 RMIT University appointed a new Vice-Chancellor, Professor Margaret Gardner. Having gained a first-class honours degree in Economics and a PhD from the University of Sydney, Professor Gardner has had a prominent career as an academic, working in a number of successful Australian educational institutions.

Building 108 Tumor Scare

On May 11, 2006 RMIT University shut down the top two floors of building 108 after it was realised that 7 people employed on the top two floors over 8 years have developed brain tumours. Two of these 7 tumors have been discovered to be cancerous.

Initial investigations conducted in 2001 when the first two cases were reported showed that there were no conclusive evidence to point the link between brain tumour growth and environmental causes. Tests by experts showed that the environmental readiofrequency radiation and air quality within the building were well below the recommended guidelines. However, initial speculation points to the mobile phone towers on the buildings roof, with the incident renewing public concerns regarding the health and safety of mobile phone radiation.

The investigation by health experts to find the cause of this sudden outbreak is still on-going. Staff and students of the building are being consulted, with a special hotline consultation service now in place.

Notable Alumni

External links

Universities in Melbourne | Australian vocational education and training providers

RMIT 大学 | RMIT University

 

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the "RMIT University".

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