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ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥ turns in a solid operating performance

Innova21, ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥'s first 6-Star Green Star rated education building.
Photo by Dianna Snape.
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Wednesday, 8 June 2011

The ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥ of Adelaide has achieved an operating surplus for 2010 of $64.1 million.

This outcome is attributed to the combination of prudent financial management, receipt of capital infrastructure grants and additional committed funding such as NHMRC and ARC grants.

Vice-Chancellor and President Professor James McWha says the result reflects a year of consolidation in addition to strategic growth in student numbers and research portfolios.

Student enrolments in 2010 rose to 25,000 and funded research and research-related income increased to over $200 million.

"This solid result, combined with an increase in student enrolments and consistent financial performances in previous years, has allowed us to consolidate our investments across the ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥. It will enable us to further our growth plans in teaching and research and make the most of our investment in infrastructure assets," says Professor McWha.

"The ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥'s strong performance in the first (ERA) process, confirmed its position as an ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥n leader in research with 19 out of 22 research discipline areas assessed (86% of them) being rated at or above world standard.

"While we are not a large university, the quality of our research is such that we continue to attract one of the highest levels of per capita research funding in ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥."

The ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥ has also focussed on enhancing the student experience on campus and developing its capacity to deliver online and blended education programs.

"As a testament to the work of our staff and their commitment to education and research excellence, the ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥ achieved outstanding results in the 2010 Course Experience Questionnaire conducted by . The ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥ has placed in the top echelon of ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥n universities in each criterion including teaching quality, skills development and overall satisfaction," says Professor McWha.

"This long-term investment and focus on delivering an exceptional student experience is returning significant outcomes and further strengthens our reputation in the community."

The result has helped to underpin the ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥'s capital works program which features the development of a 7-level purpose built science and research facility, adjacent to the new Innova21 building, and the student-centric Learning Hub in the heart of the North Terrace campus.

Other highlights for 2010 included:

• Record number of offers made to potential students
  
• Waite Research Institute launched by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, the Hon. Michael O'Brien
  
• New $31 million ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Cell Wall Biology to be headquartered at the ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥'s Waite Campus
  
• New Innova21 building achieves ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥'s first 6-Star Green Star design environmental rating for an education building
  
• Commemoration of 125 years of the ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥'s Medical School
  
• Anthropology student Rebecca Richards makes history as ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥'s first Indigenous Rhodes Scholar

There were many staff and student accolades, including:

• Physicist Professor Tanya Monro named South ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥'s ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥n of the Year 2011 and also wins Telstra Business Women's Award
  
• Six ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥ staff awarded ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥n Learning and Teaching Council Citations for their outstanding contributions to student learning
  
• Three ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥ researchers named Young Tall Poppies of Science
  
• Staff member Dr Eva Hornung wins ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥'s richest literary prize, the $100,000 Prime Minister's Literary Award

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