In summary

  • Swinburne is elevating the student experience with art installations, big builds and online communities
  • Calling all Swinburne artists, designers and creators for the Mural Design Competition in our efforts to revitalise our up-and-coming Campus Gateway
  • The new Latelab has been under construction since March and is on track for completion in 2025
  • Learning Communities have been launched for students in Vygo, as well as programs including Ask a Librarian, Student Success Advisors and Peer Career Support

Swinburne is elevating the student experience with art installations, big builds, and online communities. As campus life thrives with semester two underway, there are lots of exciting upgrades happening on and off campus for students. 

Mural Design Competition: Help transform our Hawthorn Campus

Calling all Swinburne artists, designers and creators for the Mural Design Competition. As part of our next gen_campus transformation, Swinburne is running a competition for students to help revitalise the up-and-coming Campus Gateway on Columbia Street. 

Situated next to Glenferrie Station, this space is prime real estate for an art piece that is set to be seen daily by students, future students, Swinburne staff and the regular passersby. Help us highlight the creativity of our talented students and submit your design.

The winner will have their artwork painted on SPW, as well as $2500 in prize money!

The theme of the mural is: Connecting people and technology for a better world. The winning design will reflect the university’s commitment to improving the world through bringing people and technology together. 

Find out more about the competition and how to submit your design, submissions will close on Friday 13 September, 2024.

Progress update on the new Latelab

The new Latelab and student hub is on track to be delivered in 2025. Demolition has been completed, and currently the rebuilding of the brick façade is underway, getting ready to start installing the new glazing.

The new space, co-created with our student community will provide students with secure, 24-hour spaces to work and study on campus.

Students will be able to make use of an accessible kitchen, common room and dining spaces, with almost 20 per cent more capacity to study than is currently available at the existing Latelab and Atrium.

Students can expect attention to the light and sound of the new spaces, which were key themes that came up during the collaborative design process.

The space has also been developed with the aim of being welcoming, accessible and functional for all students. Keep an eye out for further updates as the new spaces move closer to completion.

The new Latelab work in progress
Picture of the inside of the new latelab.
The new Latelab work in progress
Photo of the brick facade that is on the new Latelab.
The new Latelab work in progress
  • The new Latelab work in progress
  • Picture of the inside of the new latelab.
    The new Latelab work in progress
  • Photo of the brick facade that is on the new Latelab.
    The new Latelab work in progress

Learning Communities

Learning Communities have been launched for students, creating discipline-based communities for students using Vygo.

Students can now login to Vygo and interact with their fellow peers via the Learning Community group chats.

Director, Student Experience Framework Ian Thomson highlights how Learning Communities can be used to connect peers.

“In response to student feedback, we launched the learning communities to bring together students in a number of similar courses and across all year levels.

“Students can talk to each other, can share stories, challenges, experiences, and successes with their peers, or ask questions to help them succeed.”

New programs are also available for students including:

  • Ask a Librarian – support for students if they need quality information for assignments, having difficulty finding eBooks or have any issues applying reference styles.
  • Student Success Advisors – giving students study strategies, hacks, tips and tricks to help boost students’ study skills and reach their academic goals.
  • Peer Career Support – a space for students to ask any career related questions, and a chance to chat to our Swinburne Student Peer Career Assistants.

These upgrades are supported by the Student Experience Framework and is committed to improving student life on and off campus and listening to your feedback to make positive changes.

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