Media releases

A plan to bring classrooms to the community in major town centres sits at the heart of a Federation University Australia Campus Vision for Gippsland.

The 2022-2025 Campus Vision launched today by Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Duncan Bentley sets out a clear way forward for Victoria’s premier regional university to build a strong and sustainable future across all the regions it serves.

Federation will embrace innovative forms of education delivery to prepare students for jobs of the future through programs and courses that will drive economic growth and jobs.

New technologies will be used to connect classrooms, people, and communities in new and productive ways.

In Gippsland, Federation will concentrate more of its activities into key population areas, seeking to bring the classroom to the community, and forge new ways of learning.

Teaching spaces will be located in community buildings in major town centres to make it easier for people to access education and training opportunities, focussing on areas where there is a demand for skilled workers such as healthcare.

Federation will continue to look for innovative ways to increase its presence in Traralgon and Latrobe City, as Gippsland’s largest population centre. This will include mixed education and employment facilities, building on the success of our Morwell Innovation Centre which hosts more than 200 jobs in the energy and food and fibre sectors.

Federation’s study hub network and outreach programs will be expanded into other rural population centres, building on the existing regional university centres in Wonthaggi, Sale and Bairnsdale. This includes potential expansion into Baw Baw Shire, the fastest growing rural council in Victoria, through shared spaces in Warragul and Drouin.

Federation has appointed placemaking consultants Village Well to undertake community engagement activities over the coming months. This engagement will go on to inform the developing Campus Masterplans for the sites.

Find out more at: federation.edu.au/strategy/delivery-year-1/campus-vision.

Quotes attributable to Federation University Australia Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Duncan Bentley

“We want to be known as Gippsland’s university – our Campus Vision builds on the work we are already doing to make it easier for locals to access higher education and training in areas where there is strong jobs growth and employer demand.”

“This is not just about bricks and mortar – it’s about how we teach, our connection to our communities and how we will drive growth in our campus regions for generations to come.”

“Today we start an important conversation with our communities in Gippsland, government, industry partners, staff and students on what Federation University means to them and how we can grow together.”