Swinburne U starts Sunday with its first on-campus for two years

The university states it will be “the biggest to date” with “nearly” 300 events and activities planned. Make a change from “Swintopia” the on-line OD (CMM July 15 2020), reviewed by Tim Winkler (CMM August 11 2020).

Melbourne’s other universities all follow, with a return to campus events.

Monash U campus open days are on August 6,7 and 21

Australian Catholic U is on August 7

Deakin U is on August 7 at Geelong and August 28 at Burwood (Warrnambool August 14)

Federation U (all campuses) is August 14

RMIT is August 7 and 14

La Trobe U in Melbourne is August 7 (regional campuses 10,13 21, 28 August)

Uni Melbourne is on August 21 as is Victoria U.

It appears universities are betting demand will be strong, what with young people sick of restrictions and it being a case for unis of one in, all in. “Deciding what to study is a pretty momentous decision. That’s why we run Open Day – it’s everything you need, in one place, to help make your choice,” ACU states.

Whether all staff who normally volunteer on open days will turn-out might be different, given anxiety over continuing Covid. Last week Commonwealth Health Minister Mark Butler and Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly both suggested employers should consider allowing working from home during the present covid surge. (CMM July 21)

Certainly some RMIT staff will not be there, National Tertiary Education Union members have voted to withhold voluntary and unpaid work in August, but it’s part of an industrial dispute  (CMM July 15.