2023 A Year in Review

Through comprehensive training, we empower UNE Life staff, who have engaged in multiple seminars, workshops, webinars, and training sessions in 2023, including;

• Return to Work Program seminar
• Records Management – TRIM training
• Audit & Risk Refresher
• Licensee Training
• Advanced Licensee Training
• Mental Health First Aider training
• Sage MicrOpay End of Year Training 2023
• Local Risk Management – UNE WHS
• DISC Profiling
• Employsure seminar – Workplace Compliance
• Emergency Warden – UNE WHS
• Fire Drills
• First Aid and CPR
• Australia Post online training modules
• RSA certification
• Barista training
• CBAA Conference
• Leading Teams
• Rostering in Human Force
• Timesheet Authorisations in Human Force
• Purchase Orders in EXO
• SENCON

• Streamlining staff onboarding
• Launching hardware procurement program for all
• Introducing company-wide user identity program
• Enhancing Cyber Security with MFA, password managers, and more
• Upgrading servers and decommissioning redundant systems
• Implementing new software: Share Point, Teams, and Monday.com
• Enhancing IT policies
• Boosting adoption of UNE systems

Corporate Services 

• O’Connor Catholic College has one student in a part-time School-Based Apprenticeship at SportUNE.
• HR review by Langley Group.
• 48 of our current staff are students, 8 of those are international students
• Employment of 4 General Practitioners (GPs) at the UNE Medical Centre – bringing 3 new GPs to our local area

Information Technology 

• Over 300 support tickets with UNE IT Support this year.
• Plus 50 tickets for external vendors.
• 100+ hours invested in IT training and process documentation, including both scheduled sessions and ad-hoc support.
• Significantly enhanced our E-Waste disposal process by aligning it with UNE’s procedures.

UNE Life Gender Split

Of the 152 staff we have 66 are Male, 78 are Female and 3 are Non-Binary*.

UNE Life Age Split

Of the 152 staff, we have an age range from 17 to 73.

*non binary not shown in graph. 

Our annual Student Awards Night is a celebration of the outstanding work, by UNE Life Clubs and Societies, TuneFM, and exceptional UNE students throughout the year.

It’s a night of fun, performances, delicious food, and awards giving as we recognise the achievements of our students.

This years awards went to;

• Club of the Year (OTY): UNE Law Students’ Society
• New Club OTY: UNE Zoology Society
• JCR OTY: Austin Page JCR
• President OTY: Ash Taylor (UNE Writers’ Society)
• Secretary OTY: Koady Williams (UNE Law Students’ Society)
• Treasurer OTY: Michael Bamford (UNE Law Students’ Society)
• Club Member OTY: Stephanie Hupfeld (UNE Law Students’ Society)
• Social Event OTY: Industry Dinner (Farming Futures) / Annual Law Ball (UNE Law Students’ Society)
• Academic Event OTY: AGLC4 Legal Referencing Workshop (UNE Law Students’ Society)
• Cultural Event OTY: The 2023 Indonesian Festival (Indonesia-Armidale Community)
• Community Outreach Program OTY: Bush to Beach (NERCHA)
• Best Online Activation: UNELSS Online Program
• Collaborative Event OTY: Coffs Harbour Sea Slug Census (UNE Scuba & Snorkelling Club)
• Merchandise Award: RSUS
• Marketing Campaign OTY: UNE Zoology Society
• Club Sponsor OTY: College of Law (UNE Law Students’ Society)

• Club memberships are growing, and administrative processes are more efficient.
• New club executives seek UNE Life’s guidance, leading to exciting events and activities.
• Clubs reach beyond UNE through sponsorships, faculty engagement, and community support.
• Clubs maintain a consistent calendar of events for online and on-campus students.
• Some clubs succeed with regular events like Game Nights, monthly try dives, and Writing Wednesdays.
• Other clubs excel in big one-off events, such as the Industry Dinner, Med Revue, Law Ball, and Green Week Activities.

UNE SFK highlighted community collaboration by including a range of judges at events including;

• A range of UNE Lecturers
• Members of the Armidale Drama and Musical Society
• Local High School Teachers
• Employees from the New England Conservatorium of Music
• Representatives from the Armidale Art Gallery
• Instructors from the New England Dance Theatre

While the past two years have been dedicated to reevaluating strategies and resources, and providing club executives with a solid foundation, in 2024, we aspire to incorporate the insights and feedback received from clubs into a robust training system that empowers all executives to excel in their roles, as well as continuing to enhance the student experience at UNE.

Presently, the Student Programs Coordinator role involves on-the-job learning. However, as we prepare for the transition at the end of 2024, our goal is to future-proof the position. We aim to furnish incoming employees with a comprehensive manual that guides them in handling various scenarios and identifying the relevant contacts, ensuring a seamless handover process without procedural delays.

• TuneFM has partnered with the Media and Communications degree at UNE to have volunteering and work experience become an assessable component of the HASS102 unit. This allows students to put their theoretical knowledge to the test and gain practical, hands on experience that puts them in a better position entering the workforce.
• Three TuneFM staff members attended the CBAA conference, an important industry event. They networked with other media professionals, spoke with Tune alumni and learnt new best practice approaches to broadcasting, reporting and training volunteers.

• UNE Life
• Advocacy & Welfare
• TuneFM
• SportUNE
• UNE Life Events & Catering
• The Shop
• Belgrave Cinema 
• Sleek Hair and Beauty
• Yarm Gwanga Childcare
• UNE Medical Centre
• The ‘Stro (currently being rebranded)
• Booloominbah

• UNE Life Facebook
• UNE Life Instagram
• UNE Life LinkedIn
• Advocacy & Welfare Facebook
• Advocacy & Welfare Instagram
• TuneFM Facebook
• TuneFM Instagram
• TuneFM TikTok
• SportUNE Facebook
• SportUNE Instagram
• UNE Life Events & Catering Facebook
• UNE Life Events & Catering Instagram
• Cafe Life Facebook
• Cafe Life Instagram
• The Shop Facebook
• The Shop Instagram
• Belgrave Facebook
• Belgrave Instagram

• UNE Graduation
• UNE Colleges
• UNE Marketing
• UNE Student Services
• UNE Oorala
• UNE Sydney
• UNE Tamworth
• UNE Taree
• UNESCC
• UNE SciFlicks
• ROLA (Stone) Premiere
• FISU- Healthy Campus
• WEMBO
• NERU
• Manna Institute- Healthy Campus
• Dymocks Children’s Charities- Inspired Readers Festival & Book End Party
• Armidale Regional Council
• Black Gully Festival
• Armidale Secondary School

• R U OK Day
• Healthy Campus
• Mental Health content
• LGBTQIA+ content
• BaBH content
• Allyship content
• Sustainability content
• Financial assistance content
• Free BBQs and food options for students during intensives
• Free events during intensives
• Clothes Recycling activation
• Office in the office dog
• Wildlife Caring in the Office

Awarded Silver level certification for UNE Healthy Campus.

• Ran successful Wednesday evening mixed netball, and Saturday women’s netball competitions in Trimester 1 & 2. This included 51 teams and almost 600 registered players from both UNE and the local community.
• Took a team of 15 UNE students to Melbourne for the UniSport Indigenous Nationals in June, hosted by Monash University. A week-long celebration of team sport and Indigenous culture.
• Hosted the 2^nd year of the Intervarsity Tri Series Netball competition in July. 50 students from three different universities (University of Sydney, University of NSW, University of the Sunshine Coast) travelled to Armidale for a weekend of mixed and women’s netball competition against our UNE teams.
• Took a team of 50 UNE students to the Gold Coast for UniSport Nationals. Our students competed strongly in a range of sports including Beach Volleyball, Cycling, Golf, Netball, and Rugby 7’s.
• #5 in the Uni Nationals Per Capita Point Score
• The 2023 Summer Twilight Soccer competition has achieved the highest participation numbers for a number of years. This includes 63 teams and over 600 registered players across junior, senior & mixed competitions.
• Hosted the NERU Finals Series which saw over 5000 spectators over the series.
• Hosted the Group 19 Rugby League Grand Final, with over 3000 spectators throughout the day it was one of the largest single events at Bellevue in recent years.
• Swim School has grown throughout the year consistently and now sits at 230 students, best result in recent years.
• Most school groups attending in recent years including NEGS, PLC, Martins Gully, Drummond, One School Global.
• Hosted WEMBO,  for the 2^nd time in history taking place in Australia.  SportUNE to helped deliver this event with over 1000 attendees from around the world.
• Other events successfully hosted include: Lifesaver Day, Farming Futures, Frosty Balls Volleyball, Knock On NSWRL, NSW area swim championships.
• Continued support programs for BackTrack, Freeman House, Ascent, Pathfinders.
• Fostered first traineeship opportunity for local community high school student to begin a pathway into the health and fitness industry. We aim to continue and build this program to provide ongoing opportunities into this sector.
• Investing in the replacement of light bulbs around the courts/fields/gym to LED to be more energy efficient.

• Organised and implemented the traditional inter-college sport competitions, Mary Bagnall and President’s Trophy. Students representing all six colleges and ‘Townies’ competed across eight different sporting events, with Austin-Page College taking the win overall in both competitions.
• The UNE Sports Academy ran for its 6^th consecutive year in 2023, providing bespoke support for 17 high-performing student-athletes. Nine of these students represented UNE at UniSport Nationals in 2023, and two students were selected in Australian teams which competed internationally.
• Jake Bourchier (2^nd Year, Agriculture), selected in the NSW U21 Men’s Netball team that competed in Perth in 2023.
• Savannah White (1^st Year, Bachelor of Environmental Science), selected in the Australian U19 Futsal team which competed in Europe in 2023.
• Benjamin Weaver (1^st Year, Bachelor of Agriculture), selected in the Australian U24 Dragon Boating team that competed in the World Championships in Thailand in 2023.

• UNE has completed its first 12 months as a registered member of the FISU Healthy Campus Programme; an international benchmarking program focussing on staff and student health and wellbeing. UNE has been able to satisfy 66 out of 100 criteria, achieving a Silver Certification status. Encouraged by this progress, the UNE Healthy Campus Program was officially launched on the Armidale Campus in October with a Healthy Campus Walk and Lunch for staff. We are looking forward to rolling this program out to benefit our staff and students on all UNE campuses, as well as the online UNE community.
• Organised a holiday program for Ezidi students aged 12-18 learn to swim collaboration with Armidale Regional Council.

Our vision is to be the highest standard sport & health precinct for regional NSW. We aim to be a central hub for a variety of sports, activities and health services to cater for the needs of our growing university and community.

• Facilitating experiences to groups of 30-40 students throughout intensives, including movie nights, bus tours, distillery visits and more.
• Biodegradable cutlery, cups, and plates offered in the Cafe.
• Biodegradable packaging used for catering deliveries.
• Sports Awards: 120 guests, 20th September at Bellevue, $8,000 revenue.
• Student Awards Night: 100 guests, 21st September at Marquees on Graduates Walk, $15,000 revenue, 2023 highlight.
• Rugby Final: 2,500 guests, 9th September, $45,000+ revenue with gate sales, food van, bars, and canteen.
• Approximately 4,000 sausages served across 40 student BBQs.

• Movie nights at Belgrave: Fostering a relaxed and social environment for students.
• Collaborations with Oorala on NAIDOC Week and Sorry Day: Promoting cultural understanding and celebrating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage.
• RUOK Day event: Encouraging open dialogue and support around mental health, with over 220 participants.
• Intensive BBQs at the Natural History Museum: Offering a welcoming space for connection and relaxation, attracting around 300 attendees each day.
• Enriching cultural and educational tours: Providing diverse experiences for students, with groups of 30-40 participants exploring local businesses, distilleries, and surrounding areas.
• Acquisition of a food van: Expanding catering capacity and dietary options, especially for sporting events at Bellevue.

• Oorala: UNE Life Events & Catering proudly collaborates with Oorala, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander centre at UNE, on various initiatives, including NAIDOC Week and Sorry Day celebrations. This collaboration fosters intercultural understanding and celebrates the rich heritage of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians.
• Environment & Built Estate: UNE Life Events & Catering works closely with Environment & Built Estate to ensure sustainable practices are integrated into all operations. This collaboration promotes environmental stewardship and contributes to a greener campus.
• UNE Marketing, Events & Corporate Comms: UNE Life partners with UNE Marketing, Events & Corporate Comms to strategically promote events and services, ensuring maximum reach and engagement within the student community.
• Dymocks: UNE Life has demonstrated its commitment to community engagement by supporting the charitable work of the  Dymocks Children’s Charity, the philanthropic arm of the renowned bookstore chain, at their community Book End Party.
• Department of Primary Industries & Young Farmers Conference: UNE Life Events & Catering has secured the prestigious opportunity to cater for the Department of Primary Industries & Young Farmers Conference in February 2024.

The Stro will finally reopen in February 2024, just in time for Trimester 1 Orientation. This space is multipurpose from being a hub for students and staff to socialise, study and conduct meetings as well as being an event space for UNE and the whole community. A new, fresh clean look has been implemented to enable a blank canvas for the space to be designed and used for just about anything you can imagine. Over time new facilities include bar, bathrooms and AV will be introduced to continue to improve its usability and versatility.

• Girls night out for Magic Mike’s Last Dance – 49 attendees.
• Flickerfest – 72 total attendees.
• French Film Festival – 376 individual tickets sold. 5 movies screened across 3 days.
• Rachels Farm Q&A with Rachel Ward, Director and Actor.
• Matildas Games –  298 attendees, both screens sold out on for the Semi Final and 973 individual tickets sold across all games.
• Back to back screenings of Oppenheimer and Barbie –  A sold out opening night with 107 tickets sold to each.
• Our 3 most popular films were, Barbie, Super Mario Bros and Oppenheimer.
• 2,700 hours of movies screened.

• Sci Flicks – Fire of Love screening presented by Dr Nick Tailby achieved 57 attendees
• Sci Flicks – Contagion screening with a discussion of the real science behind the 2011 film presented in the form of an audience Q&A with UNE Professor of Nursing, Kim Usher. This event had 20 attendees.
• Sci Flicks – Eight Legged Freaks screening presented by Dr James O’Hanlon, the author of acclaimed book ‘Silk and Venom: The Incredible Lives of Spiders’. This event had 16 attendees.
• 180 Belgrave plus memberships were given out to support students during O- Week to help them rediscover the magic of cinema.
• Discounted screenings were offered to UNE students during intensives.
• Community engagement tickets available at a discounted rate. $5 a ticket and open for all standard sessions. ?

• A screening of Pirates of the Caribbean with the Duval Kayaking Club. 61 tickets were sold to this event.
• A screening of The Last Daughter in partnership with the Yes23 Campaign. 124 tickets were sold to this event.
• PCYC Collaboration | The Launch of the Community Engagement Ticket program, allowing certain organisations to purchase tickets at a massively reduced cost to use in programs that assist people in our community. We accepted 90 tickets in 2023, with additional organisations coming on board outside of PCYC in 2024.
• Screenagers | We were happy to host an event at the Belgrave highlighting mental health’s impacts in the digital age. helping young people thrive in our screen and stress-filled world
• Servies | Meal deal – allowing the community to access cheaper tickets and meals any day of the week. The Servies also sponsored the Armidale International film festival.
• ARC | We hosted youth week events, with sponsored free screenings of Super Mario Bros and The Creator for 12-24 year olds

The cinema plans to enhance its brand identity and leverage marketing partnerships. It will align its content programming with the evolving preferences of its audience, in anticipation of the return to normal content releases, and incorporate elements of showmanship into events.

Additionally, the cinema will seek to foster stronger relationships with local organisations and businesses through advertising partnerships and co-sponsored events.

By implementing these strategies, the cinema aims to increase brand awareness and attendance, receive positive audience feedback and engagement, and become a more vibrant cultural hub within Armidale, connecting people through the power of film.

• The physical layout of the store was updated for improved accessibility.
• The Shop held 2 successful late-night shopping events.
• The Shop stocks a vast vegan friendly confectionery and health food range.
• Paper bags and wraps used on site at the check out.
• We facilitate the sale of secondhand textbooks in order to reuse required texts.

• The Shop sponsored 7 prizes which were given away for raffles by student Clubs & Societies
• Student discounts available
• Students employed on-site to assist them with developing practical, work-based skills.

• Birdie Candle Co – locally made candles.
• Yin-Yang Kombucha – bottle return system.
• Belgrave Cinema – Choc Tops sold on site.
• Focus Magazine – sold on site.
• Found Regional Magazine – sold on site.
• Paperware – Local supplier.

To better serve our student and staff community, The Shop is expanding its convenience range, sourcing cheaper suppliers to combat the rising cost of living, and introducing exciting new product ranges across various categories, including small appliances, demonstrating a commitment to continuous innovation and providing comprehensive, community focused solutions.

• Replaced 492 ID Cards
• Resolved 3300 SRM’s
• Issued 233 Parking Infringements (up to November)
• Created 305 Cardex Items
• 1302 Cardex Items Modified
• Actioned 1405 Task Emails

• 66 Assessment Issue Cases
• 63 Course Progression Cases
• 46 Cases in the ‘Other’ Category
• 42 Special Consideration Cases
• 37 Show Cause Cases
• 29 Welfare Cases
• 22 Withdrawal Cases
• 22 Student Grievance Unit Complaint Cases
• 14 Accessibility Cases
• 12 Tax Help Cases
• 10 Behavioural Misconduct Cases
• 7 School of EDU AM Cases
• 7 Accommodation Cases

Student Testimonials:

• “Thank you so much for everything. I really am so grateful for all your help over the years. I couldn’t have gotten through all the bad stuff without you. I was very afraid of seeking help for so long but I felt it was very easy to talk to you and there was so much I didn’t know about but you did! You are very good at your job. You always listened so patiently and constantly provided me with support and encouragement. I am especially grateful that you would check in with me just to make sure I was doing alright. You really went above and beyond to make sure I was ok. All your kindness and support has benefited me greatly so I highly recommend for more students to reach out if you need help too!”
• “I have received the good news! I can’t describe how relieved I am and how much I appreciate all of your work advocating for me. Thank you so much for your support, advice and professionalism. I don’t think I could have received this result without your hard work.”
• “Thank you so much for all your support and effort. You helped me a lot to keep continuing my normal life, and meeting you was the best thing that happened to me in my worst situation. I really appreciate all your time and support.”
• “Thank you so much for your help. I’m looking forward to a clean slate.”

A&W continued to foster strong professional relationships with key contacts, including: Safer Communities, Remissions, Student Grievance Unit, the Wellness Centre, SAWO and the Academic Integrity Office. Maintaining these connections allows the advocacy team access to information and referral pathways which strengthen outcomes for students. They also began attending regular networking meetings with University Student Advocates from across Australia where they developed a greater understanding of different approaches to issues, as well as shared what UNE Life excels at.