TUC Student Success Event & Grand Opening

Taree Universities Campus (TUC) held it's Celebration of Student Success event on the evening of Wednesday, February 21 for graduating students.

It took place on the campus building on Pulteney Street - previously the old Greater Taree City Council/MidCoast Council chambers - the evening featured a guest speaker, shadow minister for infrastructure, transport and regional development, Senator Bridget McKenzie.

TUC CEO, Donna Ballard spoke of the importance of providing a local facility for students to utilise, easing the burden distance education can sometimes place on them.

"It's all about being able to offer support for students...whichever university they are studying through," Donna said.

"If they've got the local support here to have a space to come and study, people to have a chat with, or getting a bit of extra support as well as local placements whenever we can for the careers they're studying, the majority of those people end up working locally from those local work placements."

John Wagener and Katie Newcombe are two of the TUC students celebrating the completion of their respective degrees.

John has completed a Bachelor of Social Science (Psychology) through Charles Sturt University, while Katie has graduated with a Bachelor of Nursing, also through Charles Sturt University.

Both John and Katie expressed the importance and benefits of having the TUC campus at their disposal in helping them accomplish their study goals.

"It has been amazing. It let me have a safe space where I had Wi-Fi, I could sit down and work no matter the time because I had my own access cards so I could sit at the tables and do whatever I needed to do, nobody was bothering me and I got to be on top of everything," Katie said.

Neither John nor Katie intend to move away from the Mid Coast area, meaning their acquired skills and knowledge will benefit others within the region.

According to Donna Ballard, the process benefits both the student and the wider community.

"That's the beauty of it, you live locally, study locally, and end up working locally," Donna said.

"It fills the skills gaps that we've currently got in our area."

TUC are also holding a grand opening for their new campus on 2 Pulteney Street! Click here for more details and to register your attendance.