Southern Cross Uni to hold first in-person Open Day for three years

Campus tours and chat show-style panels with industry experts will be held in person at the Coffs Harbour campus on 5 August, at Lismore campus on 6 August and at the Gold Coast campus on 7 August. 

Featuring current students, alumni, academics and industry experts, the informal panels will give prospective students a deeper insight into the study experience at Southern Cross and their potential career opportunities.

More than 30 panels are running across the weekend in the three campus locations. Vice President (Engagement) Mr Ben Roche said staff were relishing the prospect of speaking face-to-face again with students. “Zoom was fantastic during the pandemic and it allowed us to hold events and gather virtually but I think we all can’t wait to get back to on-campus events and being able to interact in-person again,” he said.

“The panel line-up is a much more informal and engaging way of talking about the Southern Cross experience and your study options with the people who know all about it and of course the opportunity to ask those burning questions about study.”

Coffs Harbour campus highlights: Owen Lednor, Director of Care at Shoreline Luxury Retirement Living joins academic Katrina Austen to talk about the diverse and rewarding careers available in Nursing while Principal of Sawtell Public School Michael Hepi joins Dr Melissa Wolfe and Josie Hockey, President of the Student Advisory Group for Education, to talk all things education and teaching. Special tours of the National Marine Science Centre and the multi-million-dollar Health Sciences Building with its innovative biometric running track will be held during the afternoon, complementing a sport and exercise science panel with high performance director Tom Frost and Dr Kyle Bennett. Panels will also cover social work with Anglicare's Emma Aspden and Dr Louise Whitaker, psychology with Alice King and Desiree Kozlowski as well midwifery, occupational therapy, speech pathology and marine science. Full Coffs Harbour program here

Lismore campus highlights: Naturopath Isabel Halse joins Dr Andrea Bugarcic to talk about the courses and research on offer at the National Centre for Naturopathic Medicine, Director of Planit Engineering Ben Gohl joins academic Dr Mustafa Ucgul to talk about careers in engineering, while graduate and teacher Eli Cook will join Chair of Discipline (Initial Teacher Education) Associate Professor Louise Phillips to talk about teaching and all things education. Osteopath Angela Slattery and course coordinator Bimbi Gray explore a career in osteopathy while Executive Director of the North Coast Academy of Sport D’Arcy Van den Bossche joins Dr Zac Crowley-McHattan to talk about careers in sport and exercise science. Panels also cover science, arts and humanities with Graduate Rebecca Ryall, Indigenous knowledge, regenerative agriculture, social work, music and creative arts. Full Lismore program here

Gold Coast highlights: Solicitor Hannah Roach gives the insider perspective on becoming a legal eagle with Dr Tom Round, while Bella Power unpacks the journey to becoming a psychologist with Dr Dylan Poulus. Nurse and firefighter Sophie Longworth tells all about nursing with Chair of Nursing Professor Jennene Greenhill, while midwife Ashleigh Woods busts some myths about the profession with course coordinator Lisa Charmer. Paediatric OT Kristy Harris reveals everything you want to know about occupational therapy and more, while exercise physiologist Jordan Fischer gives his perspective on working in the field. Other panels feature HOTA’s Amy Simpson, (Arts and Humanities), Rod Barry (IT and Engineering), and Principal of Arcadia College Tahlia McGahey (Education and Teaching), along with Southern Cross experts and students. Full Gold Coast program here

For those who can’t make the on-campus events, or for a truly hybrid Open Day experience, on-demand videos and course information are available on the Southern Cross University Open Day platform. Future students can watch videos of current students talking about their experiences, take virtual tours of the campuses and facilities and find out more about the courses they are interested in.

“We’ve tried to do an Open Day that caters for all this year and the hybrid format is proving really popular. It’s the best of both worlds,” said Mr Roche.

Register for on-campus events at the Open Day platform