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Many pathways to success at UNE
August 30, 2006
The University of New England's flexible entry options are making a high-quality university education possible for people from a widening range of backgrounds. A five-star rating in the 2007 Good Universities Guide for “entry flexibility” recognised the variety of pathways that can lead to a highly-regarded UNE degree and a chosen career.
The University was also rated highly in the “toughness to get in” category, reflecting the high academic standards required for admission and the big demand for UNE courses, while its five-star rating for overall “educational experience” (which includes “teaching quality”) helps to explain that demand.
Two UNE students who have benefited from these alternative entry pathways are Brent Johnson and Matthew Westgarth (pictured here).
Brent Johnson did his HSC at Barraba Central School. He elected to study courses that were typically of interest in his home town of Barraba in north-western NSW. “I studied courses such as Metalwork and Primary Industries for my HSC,” Brent said. “These subjects were not conducive to gaining a UAI (University Admission Index) number that qualified me for entry at UNE. I decided, however, that I wanted to become an agronomist, and for that I needed to go to university.
“So, after completing Year 12, I did a Diploma of Agriculture course at the New England Institute of TAFE's Rural Skills Centre in Armidale. I successfully completed this diploma course in two years, and then applied for entry into the Bachelor of Agriculture degree program at UNE and was accepted.”
“My studies at TAFE didn't just open the door for me at UNE,” he explained. “I was also eligible for advanced standing. This took nearly a year off my Bachelor of Agriculture studies at UNE, lowering my overall HECS bill. The prior studies I did also helped me to make an informed decision about what area of agriculture I wanted to focus on.”
“I was first attracted to UNE because it offered the agriculture degree that best suited me,” Brent continued. “There is the right mix of theory and practice related to both agriculture and associated industries.
“UNE also offers a rural lifestyle, plus a smaller, one-on-one learning environment that appealed to me. You get more time with your lecturers than I reckon you would get in the city-based universities. I'm treated like an individual student here, not just another number. What I'm learning at UNE – and the great people I've met – is all part of an experience that I'll carry with me for life.”
Matthew Westgarth also gained entry into UNE after completing a Diploma of Agriculture course through TAFE in Armidale. Matthew grew up in Warren in western NSW but completed his HSC at Farrer Memorial Agricultural High School in Tamworth.
“It meant a lot to me that UNE had a range of flexible entry methods,” Matthew said. “I was very keen to study at UNE because of the nature of its Bachelor of Agriculture degree program, and I was already enjoying life at Robb College (one of UNE’s residential colleges) and didn't want to move to a city.”
“UNE offers a wide variety of courses in the areas of Natural Resources, Rural Science and Environmental Science that are of interest to me and are respected by industry,” he continued. “I've got a broad range of options here at UNE. These options provide me with great career prospects and the ability to structure my studies to suit the direction that I want my life to take.”
Another flexible entry option at UNE is the "principal's recommendation scheme", which has also proved very popular among regional students. These options combine to enhance the accessibility of a high-quality university education and the benefit of the “UNE experience”.
For more information on flexible entry options at UNE, phone 1800 818 865.
Posted by Jim Scanlan at August 30, 2006 04:15 PM on www.une.edu.au
August 30, 2006
The University of New England's flexible entry options are making a high-quality university education possible for people from a widening range of backgrounds. A five-star rating in the 2007 Good Universities Guide for “entry flexibility” recognised the variety of pathways that can lead to a highly-regarded UNE degree and a chosen career. The University was also rated highly in the “toughness to get in” category, reflecting the high academic standards required for admission and the big demand for UNE courses, while its five-star rating for overall “educational experience” (which includes “teaching quality”) helps to explain that demand.
Two UNE students who have benefited from these alternative entry pathways are Brent Johnson and Matthew Westgarth (pictured here).
Brent Johnson did his HSC at Barraba Central School. He elected to study courses that were typically of interest in his home town of Barraba in north-western NSW. “I studied courses such as Metalwork and Primary Industries for my HSC,” Brent said. “These subjects were not conducive to gaining a UAI (University Admission Index) number that qualified me for entry at UNE. I decided, however, that I wanted to become an agronomist, and for that I needed to go to university.
“So, after completing Year 12, I did a Diploma of Agriculture course at the New England Institute of TAFE's Rural Skills Centre in Armidale. I successfully completed this diploma course in two years, and then applied for entry into the Bachelor of Agriculture degree program at UNE and was accepted.”
“My studies at TAFE didn't just open the door for me at UNE,” he explained. “I was also eligible for advanced standing. This took nearly a year off my Bachelor of Agriculture studies at UNE, lowering my overall HECS bill. The prior studies I did also helped me to make an informed decision about what area of agriculture I wanted to focus on.”
“I was first attracted to UNE because it offered the agriculture degree that best suited me,” Brent continued. “There is the right mix of theory and practice related to both agriculture and associated industries.
“UNE also offers a rural lifestyle, plus a smaller, one-on-one learning environment that appealed to me. You get more time with your lecturers than I reckon you would get in the city-based universities. I'm treated like an individual student here, not just another number. What I'm learning at UNE – and the great people I've met – is all part of an experience that I'll carry with me for life.”
Matthew Westgarth also gained entry into UNE after completing a Diploma of Agriculture course through TAFE in Armidale. Matthew grew up in Warren in western NSW but completed his HSC at Farrer Memorial Agricultural High School in Tamworth.
“It meant a lot to me that UNE had a range of flexible entry methods,” Matthew said. “I was very keen to study at UNE because of the nature of its Bachelor of Agriculture degree program, and I was already enjoying life at Robb College (one of UNE’s residential colleges) and didn't want to move to a city.”
“UNE offers a wide variety of courses in the areas of Natural Resources, Rural Science and Environmental Science that are of interest to me and are respected by industry,” he continued. “I've got a broad range of options here at UNE. These options provide me with great career prospects and the ability to structure my studies to suit the direction that I want my life to take.”
Another flexible entry option at UNE is the "principal's recommendation scheme", which has also proved very popular among regional students. These options combine to enhance the accessibility of a high-quality university education and the benefit of the “UNE experience”.
For more information on flexible entry options at UNE, phone 1800 818 865.
Posted by Jim Scanlan at August 30, 2006 04:15 PM on www.une.edu.au