Media releases

Federation University Australia is celebrating the return of students to its campuses with a festival of music, food and fun activities. 

‘Fed Fest’ events are being held across the University’s Mt Helen, Berwick and Gippsland campuses this week as a culmination of orientation activities to help students settle into university life. 

The carnival will feature music, food trucks and an opportunity to connect with student clubs, services and supports as face-to-face lectures and practical learning re-commence. 

As part of orientation week, students got a taste of what their programs have to offer, with course overviews and campus tours, along with lunches and get-togethers for students to meet their classmates. 

Virtual events ran alongside the on-campus festivities, with those online resources remaining available to students throughout the year. 

As the number one rated university in Victoria for undergraduate student support according to the Good Universities Guide 2022, Federation gives new students access to student mentors who can help support them with the transition to university well beyond orientation and into the semester. 

Students will also get to put forward their ideas for great student experiences in 2022 as part of Federation’s ‘Suggest It, Impact It’ campaign to help shape the future of student and campus life. 

So far, more than 3300 new students will begin their studies across the University’s Victorian campuses including online students, while almost 5500 students are continuing their programs. 

Our most popular programs include nursing, community and human services, social work, IT, education and veterinary and wildlife science. 

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

“Students are at the heart of Federation University, and we want to give them the best possible learning experience. 

“It is exciting to welcome students back onto our spacious Victorian campuses where they can connect with their peers and discover the support available to them.” 

“Here, they can maintain ties to their local communities and connect with local industry while they study.” 

Quotes attributable to Bachelor of Sport, Physical and Outdoor Education student Zane Booth  

“I decided to study with Federation at Berwick because it is still a quiet community, but you get all the benefits of being close to the city.” 

“This year, I’d like to develop my relationships with staff and students to build myself a home away from home and have the resources to be able to succeed to the best of my abilities.” 

Quotes attributable to Bachelor of Health and Physical Education fourth year student Liam Stow

“To make it through the COVID pandemic and finish at fourth year is something pretty special.

“This week we had our first class back on campus as a group and you could just see the excitement and enthusiasm on everyone’s face to be back. Their faces were just glowing.

“Our group is thriving and coming back and being with each other and our lecturers, who we have such a good relationship with, allows us to display our identity as Health and Phys Ed students at Federation.”

Quotes attributable to Bachelor of Biomedical Science (Gippsland Partnership Program) student, Annalise Gafa

“I’ve always had a real passion for science, and I think studying locally with support from family at home to work towards medicine is a really good opportunity.”

“I'm looking forward to experiencing uni life on campus this year and further investigating my interest in what I'd like to get out of the biomedicine degree.”