October 25, 2006 – Avondale Connections

Staff research isn’t, I imagine, high on your list of good things about Avondale College. However, the Avondale Foundation believes it’s essential to have lecturers at the cutting edge of their fields if you are to benefit from studying at Avondale.Actually, the foundation has supplied the college with at least a dozen buses (worth $320,000 – the resale value goes to the college). Perhaps the $750,000 the foundation gave for the renovation of the auditorium might have received a mention, but my enquiry pre-dated that gift.

To facilitate this, the foundation provides funds for staff research. Drs Robyn Pearce, Cedric Greive, Peter Morey, Ross Grant and Bevan Hokin’s study into the effects of vitamin B12 on how well adolescents mentally process data is one example of research funded by the foundation. Research by Dr Jean Carter, Dr Peter Beamish and Paul de Ville into the accuracy of the High School Certificate as a predictor of tertiary academic progress is another.

Research by lecturers benefits all students, so the foundation has provided more than $300,000 to academic staff members for such projects.

The foundation also provides interest-free loans to students in need, lending almost $300,000 to date. Repayments occur after graduation when the student enters the workforce. In addition to these loans, the foundation has given $578,000 to students in the form of bursaries and scholarships. It also presents three Awards of Excellence worth $2,000 each year. So far, the foundation has given $38,000 to students in this way.

Whether using equipment in the science lab or studying at a cubicle in the library, whether living in “nappy valley” or socialising in College Hall, whether calling through the college switchboard or meeting in Bethel Hall, students are indebted to the Avondale Foundation.

Donations from the foundation to the college in all forms total $6 million, but where does this money come from? That’s next.

Dr Norm Young (President, The Avondale Foundation)