Media releases

Plans to showcase Federation University Australia’s Ballarat campuses as places for all to meet, share, explore and grow have been strongly endorsed by the local community.
A two-stage engagement program was delivered earlier this year with the community and key stakeholders, including staff and students, invited to provide their views on the university’s Campus Vision 2022-2025. This feedback has been used to form a set of Guiding Principles that will help inform master planning for each of the campuses.
In Ballarat, over 100 people participated in four workshops and online surveys, with 528 individual comments received.
Participants responded to questions around what is driving change for campus regions, regional university experience and assets and opportunities for the SMB, Camp Street and Mount Helen campuses. 
Most said they were excited by the vision, recognising that it would benefit the greater community and enhance the campus experience for all. Key themes were connection to the rest of the community, the need for excellent facilities and strong partnerships with future employers.
One participant said: “I think a key consideration of both SMB and Camp Street (campuses) is activation and vibrancy... both could be amazing and activated as central community spaces with a great mix of both education and business”.
Another participant said: “SMB campus is culturally and historically significant to the Ballarat community but even more it is in a prime location to encourage and be invitational to the business community”.
Commenting on Federation’s Mount Helen Campus, another said: “Needs new, exciting buildings and infrastructure, amenities, attractions and people to create vibrancy”.
Using the data collected from the workshops and survey, placemaking and engagement consultants Village Well have developed five guiding principles for campus master planning:

• All welcome - A place for all to meet share, explore and grow
• Dynamic experiences - Unique local experiences and activated ground planes entice people to linger longer.
• Interconnected - Accessible and integrated physicality is balanced by the best of digital.
• Future fit - Strengthened industry partnerships actively shape a workforce that is future fit. 
• Deeply local - Rich collaboration with local communities builds upon regional strengths to unlock possibilities.

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

“Our Campus Vision 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.” 

“The feedback we’ve received from the community has helped us create a set of principles to guide the development of more detailed campus master plans.”

“We are an integral part of our regional communities, and this has been a chance for everyone to help shape how we use our campuses to best serve our communities in the future.”