ON THE JOB: University of Ballarat's western campuses head Geoffrey Lord with vice-chancellor David Battersby. Picture: PAUL CARRACHER
WIMMERA students could benefit from a proposed merger between the University of Ballarat and Monash University's Gippsland campus.
The Monash campus and University of Ballarat will work together to investigate forming an expanded regionally-focused university.
The University of Ballarat's western campuses head Geoffrey Lord said if the proposal went ahead, the Gippsland campus would become part of the University of Ballarat.
He said the move could happen as early as January 2014.
Mr Lord said the arrangement would mean Wimmera students could have access to a broader range of subjects at the Horsham, Ararat and Stawell campuses.
He said any course offered through the university was available at any campus, subject to numbers.
"I welcome it - I think it's great,'' he said. "Anything that extends regional education is always a good thing. I think this does exactly that.
"I think it's positive for our region.''
Vice-chancellor David Battersby said bringing together skills developed at the different universities would benefit the communities.
"The University of Ballarat has extensive experience in delivering in-person support to students studying across a widely-dispersed region,'' he said.
"The Gippsland campus has considerable expertise in delivering distance education and online learning.''
Professor Battersby said the Wimmera could access courses such as human resource management, criminal justice and criminology, bioscience, geomechanics, geohydrology and midwifery if the proposal went ahead.
Mr Lord said the proposition required formal approval from the state and federal governments.
