Blog

We were delighted to once again hold the “Sundowner” after a few years’ hiatus.

This special celebration – this year marking three years of service of the East Wing – was held in the late afternoon of 30 November 2017, in the Ian & Pamela Wall Academic Centre.

Officially opened in March 2015, the East Wing houses the Ian & Pamela Wall Academic Centre, the Simpson Tutorial Rooms and the Allister McLeod Gymnasium, along with 32 student rooms and a 98-space multi-level car park.

Construction of the East Wing was made possible by many very generous donors, many of whom joined us at the Sundowner. We thank them all for their outstanding contributions to St Mark’s – not simply to the infrastructure, but to the quality of the students’ lives.

The Sundowner also launched the Adopt a Rare Book program – an innovation to help restore and preserve the College’s outstanding collection of rare and valuable books. Special guest Cheryl Hoskins, Rare Book Librarian at the University of Adelaide’s Barr-Smith Library, provided a fascinating keynote to launch the project. Cheryl’s talk highlighted the great value of the stories these old and rare books tell us – not only in the printed text, but in the histories of the people who have owned the books and of the passage of the books down the generations to us.

We thank those who adopted a book on the night, with further information about the restoration of these books available here.

We look forward to “Sundowner 2018” and again welcoming many Old Collegians, donors, distinguished guests and great friends of the College!

At the 2017 University of Adelaide Open Day the Master, Ms Rose Alwyn, spoke about the benefits of college life and how it can be a transformational experience rather than just a place to live.

There are so many reasons why you should consider living at a college in the first few years of your transition from school to university and as you develop key skills that will strengthen your career readiness.

Young people today face increasing pressure during their university years, to perform well and then find a graduate position. As we move further into a highly globalised and technological world we know that it is those people that can work as part of a team, communicate well, problem solve and be highly adaptive who are likely to succeed.

The types of skills that you need to ensure this success are further developed through the experiences that you gain when living in a university residential College. Recently one of our third year engineering students said he had an interview for his summer work placement with a local engineering firm and in providing responses to questions about his problem solving abilities, working in a team, leadership skills, all of the real life examples emanated from real life experiences from College life. Where else can you gain these experiences when you are a university student?

We know that all of the accommodation options provide the basics – bed, desk, wardrobe, internet access, a gym, to name a few. However, not all accommodation options provide an all-round education, library and dining facilities and a genuine community esprit de corps.

That is what a college does.

But a college does so much more and it is not often quantifiable or easily captured and marketed because you have to experience it for yourself!

I like to focus on the six key areas that are unique to a university residential college: academic, pastoral, fully catered, co-curricular and sport, community/friendship and financial support.

1. Academic Support

All colleges have academic tuition and support both through formal tutorials and the peer to peer tutoring that you get when you live literally next door to someone. Because we are a true and lively community with shared facilities you actually get to know all of the people you are living with, the courses they’re studying – you don’t just disappear into your room, and are forgotten!

2. Pastoral Care

Colleges cater to the uniqueness of individuals –we recognise that each student living in our community is an individual – there is no one size fits all approach to student living. Our relationship with students is transformational, not transactional.

Students face problems that you may not have even thought of and our student-centered pastoral care model ensures that a student gets help before it is too late.

You may think that you have your heart set on your degree, but the reality is that up to 30% of students change their degree in their first year of university. This is where colleges provide assistance and support, both formally and informally through mentoring and the opportunity to connect with a variety of students from different disciplines.

3. Fully catered

The last thing that you need to think about is cooking for yourself – sure you might like to cook a meal from time to time and you can do that at College too. However, the time and energy that goes into shopping, prepping, cooking, and cleaning up is huge – or you end up on an unhealthy diet of two minute noodles or expensive UberEats or take away. Not to mention the fact that you will most likely eat it on your lap in front of the television. At College you dine with your friends – you talk about ‘life, the universe and everything in between’ – we all know the great conversations we have over a meal at home and that is something that College does so well.

4. Extra-Curricular Activities

College has a vibrant social life – there are events put on by other students for your enjoyment and when you come back to College after your first year you too can organise events and develop your leadership and teamwork skills.

We all know that a healthy body means a healthy mind and whilst colleges have students from all over the world we also have a large number of students from rural areas where sport has played an important role in building and sustaining a community of young people. Sport galvanises the College community because everyone can participate by supporting their peers in a range of sports that cater for a range of athletic abilities.

If music, art and drama are your strength, you will find friends with similar interests or if you yearn to pick up the guitar you can try your hand at that too. Volunteer work and community service provide opportunities for students to think outwards and support the needs of disadvantaged and marginalised people.

Many Colleges also have a spiritual dimension regardless of religious affiliation.

5. Community – Life Long Friends

University can be so overwhelming and due to the formal mentoring and staff support, colleges are uniquely placed to ensure the transition to university is seamless.

Not to be overlooked are the lifelong friends that you make at College and these become part of your alumni network, much like the university. We also find that because of the high level of engagement our students have within the College, they contribute back to the community and become valued alumni. Our collegians are proud to have a life-long connection with the College.

6. Scholarships

All colleges provide financial support in the form of scholarships and bursaries and as not for profit organisations any financial surplus does not go back to shareholders, it is always directed towards the benefit of students current and future.
College life is deeply personal and deeply fulfilling…. and it even goes down to the language we use;
• We have students – not residents
• We know all of our students by name
• Our staff live on site and are available at any time
• We don’t talk about the number of beds in our residence, we talk about the number of student places we have in our college. This is the difference between a place you call your home – a place where you live – not a place you stay at.

A college is a place where you belong – it is a place where you belong for life!

“I don’t ever think I will be able to fully express my gratitude for the independence and opportunities these scholarships have given me but I hope you know that I am, along with all of the other recipients, so very thankful for your generosity. “ 

 

Our heartfelt thanks to guests who recently attended the 2017 Annual Giving launch “The Gift of Scholarships.” The evening provided guests with the opportunity to mingle with students over cocktails and canapés and hear all about the impact scholarships and financial support has had on their ability to be involved in such a fulfilling life at St Mark’s.

Through the generosity of our collegians, friends and other benefactors, over 50% of our students currently receive some form of financial assistance through scholarships, prizes and bursaries.   Without this support many of them would not be able to attend or continue to live at College.

President of the St Mark’s Foundation, James Price welcomed guests to the inaugural Annual Giving launch and thanked them for their continued support and belief in the College through their generosity and benefaction.

The Master, Rose Alwyn spoke about the origins of some of our earliest scholarships that date back to 1937. The vision of the St Mark’s founders and leaders in the early years “was critical in attracting not just the best and brightest but in providing opportunities for those students who would otherwise be debarred from attending the College.”  The vision is still as strong today and our current scholarships are awarded to recognise a student’s contribution to College, their academic achievement or their financial circumstances.

Current students Liam Hay (2013-current) and Sarina Ferguson (2014-current) spoke about the positive impact scholarships have had on their ability to thrive at both university and St Mark’s. Sarina shared that “Ultimately St Mark’s is the reason I have become the person I am today. It has given me the confidence to want to be better, achieve more and do more with my opportunities. “

Old Collegian John Boully (1967-1968) spoke about setting up the John M Boully Scholarship at St Mark’s a few years ago due to “the College’s demonstrated record of achievement and commitment to its students.” Having benefitted from a scholarship that enabled him to live at St Mark’s for two years he wants “to support students who are achievers” and enable them to “experience a sense of connection to our cultural values and the collegiality of others”.

We encourage you to make a donation in support of scholarships.  There are a range of options for donors to consider including donating to our current scholarship fund, creating your own scholarship for a short or longer term, or to simply help a student in need from time to time as a Scholarship Champion. Alternatively, you may wish to show you support to the College by donating to another important initiative outlined in our 2017 Annual Giving brochure.

Your annual gift, no matter the size, is a tangible demonstration of your desire for the College to do its best in providing an extraordinary living and learning experience for students in the years to come.