Fix this text
UNIKEN
Fix this textTHE UNIVERSITY OF NEW SOUTH WALES
Fix this textNo. 143 (No. 2 of 1982)
Fix this textPublished fortnightly by the Public Affairs Unit
Fix this textRegistered by Australia Post - Publication No. NBF 4388
Fix this text5 March 1982
Fix this textAll work and no
Fix this textplay makes
Fix this textdull students
Fix this textThe Vice-Chancellor, Professor Michael Birt,
Fix this textand the President of the Students' Union,
Fix this textMichael Ward, agreed on one thing in
Fix this texttheir joint welcome to students during
Fix this textOrientation Week - that participation in
Fix this textextracurricular activities is essential if you
Fix this textwant to get the most out of university
Fix this textlife.
Fix this textBoth highlighted the fact that UNSW has
Fix this textover 100 clubs and societies, making it a
Fix this textrich and rewarding place.
Fix this textWhile generally in favour of students' enjoying them-
Fix this textselves, Professor Birt pointed out that the
Fix this textprimary purpose of coming to university was to
Fix this textstudy. He cautioned against too many late
Fix this textnights, suggesting this could lend support to the
Fix this textdefinition of a professor as 'someone who talks
Fix this textin somebody else's sleep'.
Fix this textProfessor Birt said he believed the two basic reasons
Fix this textpeople attended university were to satisfy their
Fix this textcuriosity about the world and its occupants and
Fix this textto fulfil vocational aims. At UNSW, which he
Fix this textdescribed as one of the great centres of learning
Fix this textin the world, students could do both, he said.
Fix this textAfter extending a special welcome to mature age
Fix this textstudents, whom he said had a unique contribu-
Fix this texttion to make, he offered everyone some good
Fix this textadvice in case they found themselves in the
Fix this textunfortunate situation of either failing or
Fix this textneeding to drop out.
Fix this textHe suggested that if a student found he or she and
Fix this textthe university were incompatible, then the
Fix this textbreak should be made sooner rather than later.
Fix this textHe also advised students to acquaint themselves
Fix this textwith the 'Show Cause' rules (via the faculty
Fix this texthandbooks). While on the subject of failing,
Fix this texthe took the opportunity to quash the rumour
Fix this textthat a predetermined number of students are
Fix this textautomatically failed each year, saying this
Fix this textsimply was not so.
Fix this textProfessor Birt stressed that if anyone had any
Fix this textdoubts about university life in genera), he or
Fix this textshe should talk to a member of the academic
Fix this textstaff or a student counsellor as soon as possible.
Fix this textHis parting advice was: study hard, but get more out
Fix this textof university life than just the academic side of
Fix this textit.
Fix this textThis message was reiterated by Michael Ward. He
Fix this textsaid, though, that he suspected a lot of people
Fix this textcame to university only because they got high
Fix this textenough marks in the HSC and didn't know
Fix this textwhat they wanted to do. Rather than being
Fix this textcurious about the world, he suggested, they
Fix this textwere curious about themselves.
Fix this textThe road to self-discovery required one to act as an
Fix this textindividual and to look beyond the store of
Fix this textknowledge readily available at a university, he
Fix this textsaid. His own experience had shown that learn-
Fix this texting from academics, who he said were qualified
Fix this textin their own particular areas but not as
Fix this textteachers, could be very difficult. One solution,
Fix this texthe suggested, was to ask them a lot of ques-
Fix this texttions.
Fix this textThe SU President also advised new students, partic-
Fix this textularly those fresh from secondary school, not
Fix this textto be concerned if academic staff were not
Fix this textinterested in them as individuals. He claimed
Fix this textthat, to some academics involved in a complex
Fix this textfield of scientific research, teaching, say, first
Fix this textyear chemistry, was just a chore.
Fix this textDespite such obstacles, university life can be reward-
Fix this texting, he said.
Fix this textStudents survey disabled access
Fix this textTaking to wheelchairs themselves was
Fix this textpart of the experience for a group of UNSW
Fix this textarchitecture students surveying the difficulties
Fix this textof access to public buildings faced by disabled
Fix this textpeople.
Fix this textThe surveys, of council-owned properties
Fix this textlike town halls, libraries, senior citizens'
Fix this textclubs and pools, were carried out for a state-
Fix this textwide Municipal Access Project (MAP)
Fix this textorganized by the Local Government Associa-
Fix this texttion for the International Year of Disabled
Fix this textPersons.
Fix this textOne hundred and eighty first year students
Fix this texttook part, surveying properties in Hornsby,
Fix this textLiverpool, Canterbury, Concord, Hunters Hill, North
Fix this textSydney and Waverley. Their participation in the
Fix this textproject was the culmination of a session-long Living
Fix this textUnit subject, which is the first practical application
Fix this textof design in their course and focusses on the needs of
Fix this textthe individual person.
Fix this text'Architects of all people need to know who
Fix this textthey are designing for and to be able to detect poten-
Fix this texttial hazards before the event', says course organizer,
Fix this textPaul Johnson, Senior Lecturer in the School of Arch-
Fix this textitefcture.
Fix this text'The project was done as an advisory service,
Fix this textnot as a finger-pointing exercise', he says. MAP
Fix this textsurvey teams, which included disabled people,
Fix this textreported back to the councils with suggestions for
Fix this textimprovements, bearing in mind impending changes
Fix this textto the building regulations which will require better
Fix this textaccess for disabled people to new non-residential
Fix this textbuildings.
Fix this textStudent Joan Lees says the experience was an
Fix this texteye opener. 'Unless you get into a wheelchair it is
Fix this textdifficult to understand problems of access. At a
Fix this textbriefing session at the NSW Society for Crippled
Fix this textChildren, lots of the students tried out wheelchairs.
Fix this textLater, as part of our survey, we did a park at
Fix this textHornsby which was supposedly designed with
Fix this textdisabled people in mind but had some groundcover
Fix this textof bark chips that was impossible for a wheelchair to
Fix this textnegotiate.'
Fix this textEach of the groups included a disabled person
Fix this textas a guide. Joan's team included a partially sighted
Fix this textperson, which she says made her aware of things she
Fix this texthad not considered before, such as the need for
Fix this texthandrails to be brightly painted so they would stand
Fix this textout from the background.
Fix this textAnd despite the best intentions, ramps were not
Fix this textthe complete answer for people in wheelchairs. 'I
Fix this textthought all the problems would be solved by ramps',
Fix this textsays another student, Vince A. Pirrello, 'but talking
Fix this textto disabled people, I found this is not the case'.
Fix this textSometimes ramps were too steep or they had a lip
Fix this textwhich was difficult to bump over.
Fix this text'Another thing that came to light', says Joan,
Fix this text'is the variety of disabled people in wheelchairs,
Fix this textwith vision disabilities, people with arthritis; even
Fix this textelderly people and mothers with young children are
Fix this textdisabled in a way'.
Fix this textInside
Fix this textOrientation pictures . . page 2
Fix this textU Committee feature . page 4
Fix this textSafety after dark .... page 4
Fix this textOrigins page 5
Fix this textPhotographs this issue: Public Affairs Unit
Fix this textSeen enjoying the free coffee
Fix this textand biscuits served after the
Fix this textVice-Chancellor's welcome
Fix this textto new students are (left to
Fix this textright) Michele Harding
Fix this text(Architecture I), Jon
Fix this textPriestley (Commerce/Law I)
Fix this textand David Thomson (Archi-
Fix this texttecture I). Michele did her
Fix this textHSC at Loretto Kirribilli,
Fix this textJon at Riverview College and
Fix this textDavid at Kuring-gai High.
Fix this textMature age student Bernard
Fix this textGlovasky, a licensed builder
Fix this textenrolled in Architecture I.
Fix this textFiling into their first Psychology lecture in the
Fix this textClancy Auditorium, this group of freshers looked
Fix this textenthusiastic about beginning a new phase of their
Fix this textlives.
Fix this textPaul Johnson, Senior Lecturer in the School of Architecture, with (from left) students Samantha
Fix this textGiordimaina, Phillip Parker, Vince A. Pirello and Joan Lees, who took part in the access surveys.
Fix this textIt's easy and takes two shakes of a lamb's tail!
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http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-255476004
University of New South Wales. Public Affairs Unit & University of New South Wales, issuing body. (1975). Uniken Retrieved June 13, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-255476004
University of New South Wales. Public Affairs Unit and University of New South Wales, issuing body. Uniken Kensington, N.S.W: University of New South Wales, 1975. Web. 13 June 2025 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-255476004>
University of New South Wales. Public Affairs Unit & University of New South Wales, issuing body. 1975, Uniken University of New South Wales, Kensington, N.S.W viewed 13 June 2025 http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-255476004
{{Citation
| author1=University of New South Wales. Public Affairs Unit.
| author2=University of New South Wales, issuing body.
| title=Uniken.
| year=1975
| section=volumes : illustrations ; 30-43 cm.
| issn=0312-7877
| issue=1982, no. 2 (5 - 18 Mar., 1982)
| location=Kensington, N.S.W
| publisher=University of New South Wales
| url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-255476004
| id=nla.obj-255476004
| access-date=13 June 2025
| via=Trove
}}
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