News

Brenton Stacey
Public relations officer

While enrolment at Avondale College did not break a record this year, it may next as the largest number of undergraduates complete their study.

The total number of 1273 students studying at Avondale this year is only two fewer than the previous record of 1275 set in semester one this past year.

Three quarters of students (956)--a record--are undergraduates studying on the Lake Macquarie (757) and Sydney (199) campuses. The 757 students on the Lake Macquarie campus is also a record and may help offset a 4.5 per cent decrease in equivalent full-time student load (EFTSL) since 2006. EFTSL on the Sydney campus is up 15 per cent over the same period.

The appeal of the Bachelor of Nursing course continues with enrolment of 239 students making it the most popular at Avondale. The course also has the highest number of first-year students (94).

Enrolment in the most popular course this past year, the Bachelor of Education (primary), remains steady at 209. However, a record number of honours students (11) are enrolled in the course this year.

A record number of 36 students (up from 32) are now completing their Bachelor of Education (early childhood), giving it the largest EFSTL variation (16 per cent) of any course.

Also equalling or recording record enrolments are the Bachelor of Science/Bachelor of Teaching (24), Graduate Diploma in Theology (24), Associate Degree in Theological Studies (23), Master of Nursing (8), Graduate Certificate (leadership and management) (5), Doctor of Philosophy (3), Master of Education (honours) (3) and Master of Leader and Management (honours) (1) courses.

More students on the Lake Macquarie campus call themselves Seventh-day Adventists, with 581 (up from the previous high of 569 in semester two 2006) identifying with the faith. However, fewer students (301 compared to 367 in semester one 2007) identified themselves as belonging to other faith traditions. The reverse is true on the Sydney campus, with an increase to a record 100 in the number of students from other faiths and a decrease (102 as compared to 113 in semester two 2007) in the number of Adventists.

Director of advancement Lorin Bradford thanks students for making Avondale their first preference. "An ongoing survey of almost 1000 students who've applied online since 2005 shows most come because we offer quality education in a Christian context," he says. "These students make a deliberate choice to come here. They're passionate, and that makes them our best marketers."

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