Alice Springs campus boasts record number of graduates

A record number of students have registered to participate in Charles Darwin University’s mid-year graduation ceremony in Alice Springs tomorrow.

More than 100 graduands from the university’s faculties, institutes and centres will don their academic gowns, hoods and trenchers for the gala event at the Alice Springs Convention Centre.

Alice Springs Campus Administrator David Reilly said a large number of nursing graduates had boosted attendance numbers this year.

“Some 39 Bachelor of Nursing students have completed their undergraduate programs and a couple of others have completed their masters,” he said.

“Some live and work in Alice Springs but many are external students from interstate who came here to do their study blocks and who have returned to collect their degrees.”

Mr Reilly said that overall, about 630 students from the higher education and vocational education sectors would be acknowledged for their academic achievements. 

They include:

563 from the Faculty of Vocational and Education Training

48 from the Faculty of Engineering, Health, Science and the Environment

16 from the Faculty of Law, Education, Business and the Arts

2 from the Australian Centre of Indigenous Knowledges and Education

1 from the Menzies School of Health Research 

Mr Reilly said Charles Darwin University would also confer honorary awards on two outstanding Central Australians. 

“The University will present Professor John Wakerman with a Doctor of Science, Honoris Causa, and will receive Veronica Dobson AM as a Companion of the University.

“Professor Wakerman is well respected for his distinguished academic leadership and for the outstanding contribution he has made to the development of remote health services and education in Central Australia,” Mr Reilly said.

“Ms Dobson is equally well recognised for her outstanding and significant contribution to the preservation and advancement of Arrernte language and culture.”