On Monday this week we began an exciting new development for the Bond community when the Faculty of Society & Design came into being.
The Faculty of Society & Design combines the areas of Architecture, Communication, Creative Media, Humanities, Social Sciences and Sustainable Development, and is one of the most innovative of its kind in Australia offering undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in many different study areas.
Professor Raoul Mortley who will be leading the new Faculty into 2014 as founding Dean, said the decision to bring together these areas of the university stems from the Bond’s commitment to sustained and managed growth, especially at the international and postgraduate level.
“Our vision for this new Faculty is to deliver students with an innovative, practical and supportive environment in which to study, with degrees informed by research, flexible in their structure and practical in their application,” Professor Mortley said.
“The potential for new programs and collaborations within this new Faculty are extensive and we are excited to develop new offerings especially in the area of sustainability, global studies and creative media,” he said.
“We look forward to the convergence of disciplines such as psychology and architecture, multimedia and urban planning, film and television and a variety of other disciplines.
“We also look forward to expanding our staffing, particularly in the area of Architecture where three new staff appointments are underway, to assist in the delivery of our studio-based architecture programs.”
Professor George Earl who has largely driven the significant expansion and growth of the Institute of Sustainable Development and Architecture as Dean, will continue to be valued in the Bond community as an honorary Professor, and as director of a research project.
The Faculty of Society & Design will provide students with state-of-the-art teaching and learning facilities. This includes:
- the Abedian School of Architecture (ASA), a specifically designed learning space with a design studio, reading and resource rooms as well as exhibition areas.
- the Level-up Lab, a media space tailored for the development of 2D and 3D digital media.
- a Film and Television Studio that is one of the largest, modern production facilities in Queensland.
- a Psychology Clinic with observation and consulting rooms, including a test library and student training area
- a 6 Star Green Star Certificate Rated Sustainable Development learning facility.
Contrary to inaccurate facts contained in media stories today about Bond ‘closing its development institute’, the creation of the new Faculty brings together the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences and the Institute of Sustainable Development and Architecture.