Deakin University

Client brief:

Write short articles about recent news, our programs and students that can be published on our website and sent to and published in the media. 

Result:

Deakin University’s faculty of business and law is shedding the spotlight on successful educational facilities in the Geelong region by sponsoring the education award in this year’s Geelong Businesses Excellence Awards.

The award is open to any primary, secondary and tertiary education institution and rewards successfully managed school with efficient business models. Deputy Dean of Deakin University, Chris Kelly, said a school’s business management practices are an important component in the way it is then able to provide for students.

“If a school’s finances and the way it runs as a business are being managed well it contributes a lot to the quality of teaching and learning at that school because the teachers and children will have more resources,” he said. “Even though a school isn’t often seen as a business, it’s important to recognise and reward ones that are run well because it can have a huge affect on the results it achieves.”

According to Mr Kelley, sponsoring the education award allows Deakin University to build important relationships with other education facilities in the region.

“This way we can all learn from each other and build on our already successful practices,” he said.

Dan Simmonds is the chairman of the judging panel for the Geelong Businesses Excellence Awards. He said it’s an honour to have Deakin University as a part of the awards.

“It’s so important that institutes like Deakin are represented in awards like this because they are so vital to our economy and the education in our community,” he said. 

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Geelong footballer and current Deakin University student Tom Lonergran is proving the importance of keeping your options open despite having a successful sports career. The motivated Cats player has just started a business management degree after previously completing an advanced diploma in business marketing and said having something to fall back on when his football career is over is very important to him. 

“I was very young when I came into AFL but I knew that a lot of players come and go very quickly and I wouldn’t always be able to rely on it as an income,” he said. “I knew I should do something outside of footy and thought studying business would be a great place to start because I could easily fit it in with what I’m doing by working on the business side of a club.” 

But it wasn’t long after starting his diploma that Lonergran realised study was providing more than just career security for him. 

“Accomplishing something else outside of footy makes me feel really good about myself and motivates me to do even more,” he said. “It’s great to be working out my brain not just my body all the time.” 

Lonergran believes the most important thing for all young people to get right is the balance in their lives and for him, study provides that balance. “It gives me a bit of an escape from the footy world sometimes and helps me focus on what’s important to me."

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Getting started at university can be a daunting process when you don’t know the people, the campus or the opportunities open to you.

At Deakin University’s faculty of business and law a successful student mentor program is helping new comers learn the ropes and make the most out of their tertiary experience.

Student administration team leader, Elisha Hastie, said the program allows mentors to draw on their experience as students and pass on all the tips and tricks to becoming successful academically and socially at university.

“It’s a great system because the young students’ first point of call is someone they feel very comfortable talking to and asking questions of,” she said. “Then the mentors can refer them on to someone else who might be able to help if need be.” 

But the student mentor program doesn’t just benefit the students being mentored. It also benefits the mentors themselves.

“They learn fantastic communication and organisation skills and it’s a great thing to put on their resume,” Ms Hastie said. “They can also follow up the program with a leadership workshop at the end of the year.”