Celebrating the Graduating Class of 2023!

Friday 21^st April 2023

Talking Points:

• 47 students graduating from courses supported by the Geraldton Universities Centre (GUC) in undergraduate Nursing, Education, Agribusiness, Business, Accounting, Human Services, Psychological Science, Social Work, and IT, plus Masters of Sexology and Professional Psychology.
•  Graduates completed courses from GUC’s university partners, CQUniversity, University of Southern Queensland, and Curtin University.
• 2022 CQUniversity Bachelor of Education (Primary) graduate, Philippa Rumble awarded the prestigious School of Education and the Arts Medal.

The Geraldton Universities Centre (GUC) celebrated the formal graduation of 47 students at the Queens Park Theatre last night.

Family and friends, along with the broader GUC community, joined together for the celebration.

The ceremony also celebrated the high academic achievement of CQUniversity Bachelor of Education (Primary) 2022 graduate, Philippa Rumble, winner of the prestigious CQUniversity School of Education and the Arts Medal.   The School Medal is awarded to the graduating student with the highest academic achievement in a bachelor’s degree. Ms Rumble graduated with a Grade Point Average of 6.963 out of a possible 7 across the four years of her degree.

This is the fourth time that a GUC student has won either a School Medal or Faculty Medal, placing them as the highest achieving graduates across Australia.

The graduating class of 2023 join an alumnus of 517 students who have graduated through the GUC since inception, and GUC Chair Jody Beven spoke of the tremendous value of this to our local community.

“GUC has pioneered an innovative model over the past 20 years that allows university students to complete their degree locally.  By doing so, GUC has now supported more than 500 graduates – 517 to be precise – to supply a professional workforce for Geraldton’s schools, hospitals, community agencies and businesses,” Mr Beven said.

“It’s transformational for our community, and toward the end of last year, GUC was recognized for just that – taking out the ‘Community Centric Award’ as part of the Australian Rural Education Awards. “

The award was presented as part of the National Conference for Regional, Rural, and Remote Education for an organisation which had placed its regional community at its centre.

For Curtin University, this year once again saw their students being able to graduate locally here in Geraldton after a new agreement in 2018 was signed to provide support through the GUC for their locally based students.

Curtin Associate Degree in Agribusiness graduate Tim McAuliffe juggled the tyranny of distance whilst completing his degree.

“With support from the GUC, Curtin was able to accommodate my learning from a distance, and it was really valuable to have a direct line into Curtin to support not only my learning, but me personally when it was needed.”

End.

FACTS – Graduates per program

AWARDS
Philippa Rumble (Bachelor of Education (Primary) – School Medalist
CQUniversity School of Education and the Arts.