Box Hill Institute of TAFE

Box Hill Institute is a secondary and tertiary education institute based in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia, with additional campuses overseas. It has three campuses in Box Hill (Elgar, Whitehorse and Nelson), one in Nunawading (Ceylon Campus) and an accredited extended campus used for training [http://www.bhck.edu.kw Box Hill College Kuwait] in Abu Halifa, Kuwait.

Affiliates offer courses in Fiji, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, China and Saudi Arabia.

The institute is a founding member of Global Education Network, along with Colorado Mountain College and Southern Alberta Institute of Technology.

Its international operations provide services to industry and governments both academically and commercially.

History

Box Hill Institute is the descendant of two Box Hill area technical schools.

"Box Hill Technical School for Girls and Women" was opened on 4 September 1924, having welcomed sixty-five Junior pupils some six months before. The girls primary studied domestic subjects like housewifery, cookery, millinery and dressmaking. Some girls also took courses like accounting and secretarial work.

On 2 February 1943 the "Box Hill Technical School for Boys" was established because many boys in the eastern suburbs were being turned away from Swinburne Technical School. They studied subjects like sheetmetal work, technical drawing and carpentry.

Throughout the 1960s and 1970s both technical schools added post-secondary options like certificates in business studies and engineering. The Girl's Technical School started the first business certificate course in 1967.

The Girls' Technical School was renamed "Whitehorse Technical School" in 1971. Around this time the Boy's Technical School separated its tertiary technical offerings from the secondary ones, the tertiary section becoming "Box Hill Technical School". Both schools were declared colleges of Technical and Further Education in late 1981.

On 25 January 1984, Whitehorse Technical School and Box Hill Technical School merged to become "Box Hill College of TAFE". The College was renamed "Box Hill Institute" ten years later.

Campuses of Box Hill Institute

Elgar Campus

Elgar Campus is located on Elgar Road, Box Hill, approximately ten minutes walk from Box Hill Station. It is the largest campus of the Institute.

The site was the Box Hill Gas Works until 1974, when it began to be converted into a multistory campus for TAFE courses at the Box Hill Technical School. In 2003-05 it was redeveloped to accommodate more students and programmes.

The Institute's teaching centres (aka faculties) based at this campus are the Centre for Building and Furniture Studies and the Centre for Hospitality and Tourism. Other centres active at the Elgar Campus include Automotive, Transport and Engineering, Biotechnology and Animal Sciences, Business Programs, English Language Studies, Hair, Beauty and Floristry, Health and Community Services, Hospitality and Tourism Studies, and Management and Small Business.

Services for students include the Fountains Restaurant which is run by hospitality students, and College Printing.

Much of the Institute's administration work is done at this campus.

Whitehorse Campus

Whitehorse Campus is located on Whitehorse Road, Box Hill, approximately five minutes walk from Box Hill station.

Whitehorse Campus was originally a building of the Box Hill Girls Technical School, and was built in 1936 in the Art Deco style. This building is now known as W2, and Whitehorse City Council has nominated it for listing on the Register of the National Estate and the Victorian Heritage Register.

The centres on Whitehorse Campus are the Industry and Education Training Centre, the Centre for Media, Design and Arts, the Performing Arts Centre and the Centre for Vocational Access and Education.

Services include "JobsPlus" which provides career advice for students and graduates located in W3.

The Centre for Performing Arts is in W4, and the certificate and diploma course for stage management, lighting and sound are in W5.

Nelson Campus

Nelson Campus is located at the corner of Whitehorse and Nelson Roads, Box Hill.

Formerly a Holeproof factory, it is near Box Hill Hospital, Epworth Eastern Hospital, and Box Hill RSL.

Its teaching centres include the Centre for Information and Communications Technology [http://www.bhtafe.edu.au/Centres/InformationCommunicationsTechnology/index.htm] and the Centre for Electrical and Refrigeration Trades [http://www.bhtafe.edu.au/Centres/ElectricalandRefrigerationTrades/index.htm] . It also houses teaching facilities for Nursing Studies [http://www.bhtafe.edu.au/Centres/HealthandCommunityServices/index.htm] ,

Since 1998, the Nelson Campus has been home to the premier Cisco Networking Academy [http://www.cisco.com/web/learning/netacad/index.html] for the Asia Pacific Region (APAC). It is one of only four Super Cisco Academy Training Centres in the world. In this role, it provides training for both local students and for Cisco Academy Instructors throughout APAC. In addition it is a Quality Assurance Academy for Australia for the Cisco Networking Academy and also provides consultative services to Cisco in a variety of training and quality assurance related activities.

In July 2007, the Nelson Campus became the first Apple Authorised Training Centre in APAC for Apple's ITPro training programs, providing training in desktop support and networking of Apple Macs.

The campus is the only location in Australia providing training for apprentices in Building Security Systems [http://www.bhtafe.edu.au/Courses/EET12.htm] .

Services on Nelson Campus include Student Support Services and Off Campus Learning.

Affiliated organisations which Box Hill Institute manages from the Nelson Campus are:

- the Victorian Specialist Centre for ICT; and

- the Victorian Curriculum Maintenance Manager for the Engineering Industries [http://www.bhtafe.edu.au/Industry/cmm.htm]

Ceylon Campus

Ceylon Campus is located on Ceylon Road in Nunawading.

The course co-ordinator, Kevin Le Poidevin, started Ceylon Road in an office in Elgar Road in 1997.

The transport courses at Ceylon Campus have had 4700 enrolments. In 2004 they enrolled 900 students in 17 courses. They involve running licence assessments for VicRoads heavy vehicles, motorcycles and most WorkCover licences for forklifts and cranes.

There is a programme in China for Certificate IV in Warehousing which will expand to a diploma. Many of the students are mature aged returning to study for the first time and many have a non-English speaking background. [2]

Doncaster Campus

Doncaster Campus was located on Deep Creek Road, Doncaster East.

The Doncaster Campus was built in 1991 in response to a survey in the late 1980s which revealed that many of the local students came from the north-eastern corridor of Melbourne: areas such as Templestowe, Doncaster and Eltham.

Courses offered at Doncaster included Library and Information Studies and Health and Community Services.

On 24 October 2005 Box Hill Institute advertised that Doncaster Campus would be sold and redeveloped as a residential area. [http://www.propertylook.com.au/attachments/CJ/CJ_22/48672/96-100%20Deep%20Creek%20Drive_%20Doncaster%20East.pdf]

Box Hill College Kuwait

This is an accredited extended campus of BHI and offers internationally recognized qualifications to women in Kuwait.

International affiliates

Box Hill Institute designs courses modified to meet the needs of its international clients and students, with Australian accreditation.The extended campuses include:
* China: Shanghai College of Electrical and Machine Technology
* Fiji: 11 campuses of the New Zealand Pacific Training Centre
* Malaysia: Selangor Human Resource Development Centre
* Saudi Arabia: Multinational School
* Sri Lanka: OpenArc College of International Studies
* Vietnam: Hanoi Open University

Courses offered at Box Hill Institute

Box Hill Institute offers short courses, secondary education, certificates, diplomas, advanced diplomas and degrees. Degrees are a relatively new offering for the Institute beginning in 2005. Courses are generally vocationally focused.

Students finishing Year 12 usually have to apply through VTAC, while non-school-leavers usually apply directly to the Institute. They may require an interview. Most courses can be studied either full time or part time.

econdary education

The Centre for Vocational Access and Education provides secondary education in the form of VCE & VCAL for Year 11 and 12 students; and a "Growth and Pathways" (GAP) program for Year 9 and 10 students. The GAP program is designed for students interested in trades, or are poorly motivated by the traditional secondary school environment. It is a supplement for a traditional secondary education and is run one day a week.

Degrees

Box Hill Institute offer Bachelor degrees in Applied Music, Biotechnology and Innovation, Hospitality Management as well as Computer Systems (Networking), which provide the advantages of industry consultation.

Those who study the Bachelor of Applied Music may major in the streams Audio Production, Musical Theatre (proposed in February 2006), Composition and Performance, and take electives from any of the streams.

Those who study the Bachelor of Biotechnology and Innovation complete 22 core and 4 elective units.

Those who study the Bachelor of Computer Systems (Networking) complete 8 core units in each of the first and second years, and then 6 core units in the third year, as well as 2 electives. Four of the core subjects map onto Cisco CCNA 1-4 and CCNP 1&2, while two of the elective subjects map onto CCNP 3&4. The degree comprises 60-70% practical study and 30-40% theory.

Box Hill institute also offer associate degrees which take 2 years to complete. The associate degrees are offered in the following areas:

* Applied Music
* Biotechnology
* Commerce
* Computer Systems (Networking)
* Fashion Technology
* Hospitality Management
* Software Development

tudent life at Box Hill Institute

Student life at Box Hill Institute is mainly run by the "Student Activities and Representative Committee", which is divided into three sub-committees. The SARC is responsible for the lounges on Elgar, Whitehorse and Nelson campus and organises the student voice in decisions which affect them.

tudent Representative Committee

The Student Activities and Representative Committee is chaired by represented on the Institute board by a student, whose tenure is usually two years. SRC meets with SARC and Institute management approximately once a month, and involve networking with local business people. Students learn leadership, business, research, communication and project management skills. The SRC representative must present a student representative report and research student needs through surveys and interviews, and write an article for the Institute diary.

Media Committee

The Media Committee is elected by the students, who put their names on a list every February. The responsibilities of the media committee include the production of "The Box", a student magazine, once a term, and the online edition of the magazine once a month. The Media Committee has a media officer, and the committee is usually made up of Professional Writing and Editing students and Graphic Design students. Another important role of the Media Committee is to support sponsors and assist with the marketing and promotion activities.

Activities Committee

The Activities Committee organises activities for the students, including Orientation Week, theme weeks once a term - in 2003 they included Retro Week and Harvest Week, and in 2004 Body Mind and Spirit Week - Inter-TAFE sports days, drink nights, trips and tours, and Battle of the Bands. In the first semester of 2005 there was the Future DJ competition and Box Hill Idol and a ski trip to Mount Buller.

In March of every year there is a CEO carvery at Elgar, Whitehorse and Nelson campus, where there is a spit roast of chicken, beef and salads. The CEO meets and greets the students.

Notable alumni

*Rob Brens, Musician [Drummer, Alarum]
*Chris Cheney, Musician [Guitarist + Lead Vocalist, The Living End]
*Anthony Farrell, starred in Mamma Mia
*Blair Gowans, General Manager
*Guy Grossi, owner of famous Melbourne restaurant Grossi Florentino
*Simone le Amon, Artist
*Daryl Minton, Animator
*Matthew Richardson, Richmond Football Club player
*Paul Rieffel, Australian Cricketer
*Curtis Stone, Chef
*Phil Turcio, wrote the closing song for the Sydney Olypics performed by Nikki Webster
*Shane Wakker, Musician [Drummer, Bodyjar]
*Darren Wardle, Painter
*Tobie Puttock, Chef (Executive Head-Chef of Melbourne's Fifteen Restaurants)
*Anel Mostert, a variety of breakfast cereal
*Tarah Leigh, Winner of the funniest laugh award

ources

*The information about Ceylon campus comes from "The Forgotten Campus" (2005), "The Box" (p 10-11). Box Hill: Student Activities and Representative Committee.

External links

* [http://www.bhtafe.edu.au/index.htm Box Hill Institute official site]
* [http://studentweb.bhtafe.edu.au/index.cfm?fa=lsp.display&cid=87156 The Box Hill Institute E-Zine]