Practical Information

 

ACCOMMODATION

Furniture and Fittings
All rooms have at least a bed, desk, study chair, wardrobe and curtains/blinds. You may not remove College-provided furniture from your room.

Many students have small refrigerators in their rooms. In the MacKillop Building, these are already installed; in other all other buildings, students have their own. Many students also have large monitors and/or television screens. These are all okay. It is not permissible, however, to have other electrical appliances such as electric kettles, toasters, or toasted-sandwich makers. These are likely to trigger the fire alarm system. Such things are available or can be used in the small kitchenettes scattered through the residential buildings. Small espresso coffee makers are allowed in rooms.

Bed Linen
You need to bring your own sheets, pillows, pillowcases ,towels and quilts.

Keycards
You are responsible for the room-key and common-space keycard issued to you. Lost keycards can be replaced at a cost of $10. If you have locked your keycard in your room, you should go to the Reception Office where arrangements will be made to let you in via a lock-out card. Outside of Office hours, contact the Duty Coordinator who can let you in. So as to ensure protection of your identity, no information (that is your name, phone number or room number) is to be written on the card

Heating and Cooling
Rooms either have ceiling fans and oil-based heaters or they are air-conditioned. You are not permitted to plug in your own heating or cooling systems as this will overload the circuit capacity of the buildings.

Care for your room
In order to preserve the appearance of rooms for future residents, nothing may be nailed to the doors, walls or ceilings of rooms except with special non-marking adhesives. College furnishings are not to be removed from the room to which they are assigned, nor should any furniture be placed in corridors. Electrical or other fittings should not be altered or removed without the permission of the Dean.

Students are responsible for any damage caused to their room or for any missing item(s). Beyond normal wear and tear, students will be charged for any repairs to their rooms, furniture or fittings. At the end of the year, rooms must be left in in original condition.

 Smoke detectors
The smoke detectors in College are sensitive and can readily be activated by such items as spray cans, smoking, incense, candles and sparklers. There should be no occasion to use these in your room or any part of the College buildings. Any student activating a fire alarm will be responsible for the costs incurred. These are likely to be well in excess of $700.

Room Cleaning
Rooms are vacuumed and cleaned weekly on an allocated day which is displayed on the foyer notice board. Residents should ensure that their rooms are ready for the weekly clean and try to facilitate the cleaners’ work by keeping their rooms tidy. Students who persistently fail to maintain their rooms in an acceptable condition may be directed to vacate by the Rector. The cleaners will empty waste paper baskets. Large items must be placed in the bins provided in the corridors. Larger items such as appliance packaging should be taken directly to the dumpster next to the maintenance garage.

Room Inspection at start and end of year
At the start of the year, every student is given a form to complete which is called a ‘Room Inspection Condition Record’.  It is in your interests to fill in this form carefully and accurately, because you are formally signing off on the condition of the room as it was when you moved in. At the end of the year, when the room is re-inspected, you will be charged for any repair work that needs to be done and which has been caused by avoidable damage (rather than normal wear and tear).  For example, if a wall needs repainting (because of scuff marks, or discolouration caused by something like spray-on tans), or there is a stain in carpet, or the chair is broken, or the ceiling fan is bent – you will be charged.  So, check carefully every item on the form at the start of the year. You might also want to take a couple of pics so you can have a photo record if you later want to challenge any charge you receive.

Room Maintenance
Maintenance problems and reports of damage to the College should be reported to the Property and Facilities Manager, Scott Cua, via the Maintenance online form in the Student Portal. The College will not accept responsibility for maintenance carried out by a contractor engaged by residents. 

Room allocation
In the main, rooms are allocated on the basis of seniority, but other factors influence the allocation of rooms. These include gender and year level, as the College aims to have a mix of men and women and students from all year levels in each house. Seniority is determined by points, which are allocated in the following way:

  • each full semester of residency at Aquinas College 1 point
  • each semester of full-time study where passes or better are attained in all subjects initially enrolled 1 point
  • attendance at Academic tutorials (1st year only) 1 point
  • each full year of Aquinas Outreach Programme completed 1 point
  • each full semester of service on the Student Club Committee 1 point
  • each full semester of service as an Academic Tutor 1 point
  • each full semester of service as a House Coordinator 1 point
  • service to the Chapel Choir (minimum 3 terms per year) 1 point
  • service as Head of a Committee 1 point
  • Aquinas Medal winner 1 point
  • recipient of a Marcellin Medallion (1 point)
  • best Academic results for a 1st Year 1 point
  • best Academic results for a 2nd Year 1 point
  • best Academic results for a Senior (3rd Year and above) 1 point
  • Kennedy Family Prize (best Academic result in Semester 1) 1 point
  • Aquinian of the Year 1 point
  • Male or female sportsperson of the year 1 point

Bikes
Bikes are not to be kept in rooms, or any other part of the College, except the bike sheds. Students who wish to store a bike in the bike shed, must have their keycard programmed for entry. This can be arranged with Steph or Mary in the Reception Office.

Cooking
Food may not be cooked in students’ rooms. There are kitchenettes provided for student use.

ACADEMIC GOWNS
Aquinas College prides itself on being an academic community and not merely a boarding house for students. Therefore, in keeping with traditions that date back to Oxford and Cambridge universities, we wear academic gowns for all formal dinners (Mondays and Wednesdays, during term time), for the formal Masses, awards ceremonies and collegiate dinners, and for Academic Panels and review meetings. As part of the upfront fees, there is a charge of $55 a year to rent the gown, which includes dry cleaning).

COLLEGE PLANNER
The College Planner is a calendar that provides students with an overview of events across the course of the year. This should be read in conjunction with the Student Club semester programme.

COLLEGE RESIDENTIAL YEAR
The College Residential Year starts at 11.30am on Sunday, 22 February 2025 (by which time all students are required to be in residence). The year concludes formally the day of the formal end of the academic year 11am, Saturday 22 November 2025 (although students are encouraged to leave as soon as they have finished their assessments and exams).

The year comprises four terms that coincide with university mid-semester and mid-year breaks. Students can choose whether to stay at College or go home for part or all of a break. A student’s room is assigned to him or her for the whole of the residential year.

A ‘Summer Stay’ programme operates during the summer for students who are returning the following year. Places are limited and are allocated on a priority basis. Students self-cater. Some of these students also apply for employment at the College during this time as Duty Managers and general assistants.

COMMON ROOMS
There are Common Rooms in Hannan House (the ‘GCR’), Gleeson House, MacKillop House, Marian House and Marcellin House.  Students are asked to keep common rooms tidy and to turn the televisions and music off by 11pm during the week.

COMMUNICATION
Open and effective communication is essential at Aquinas. All students and staff are asked to regularly check: Facebook, the College Intranet, Noticeboards and Letterboxes. Messages to students may also be sent by email or SMS. Please ensure that you update your email address and/or mobile phone number if it changes, as this information is required at the front office.

Email addresses of Staff
Sarah Moller                        rector@aquinas.edu.au
Ebony Drake                        ebony.drake@aquinas.edu.au
Sarah Moller                        sarah.Moller@aquinas.edu.au
Todd Sparrow                     todd.sparrow@aquinas.edu.au
Fr Paul Ghanem                 frpaul.ghanem@aquinas.edu.au
Stephanie Hamra              stephanie.hamra@aquinas.edu.au
Mary Dunton                       mary.dunton@aquinas.edu.au
Chris O’Reilly                     chris.oreilly@aquinas.edu.au
Izabella Chehade                izabella.chehade@aquinas.edu.au

Mail
Mail is delivered daily to students’ mailboxes. Parcels can be collected from the Reception Office. Notice of a parcel will be texted to students’ mobile phones. The postal address of the College is:
Aquinas College
1-21 Palmer Place
North Adelaide SA 5006 

SMS
Messages will be sent out from the College Office to students on a dedicated number: 0438 486 008

DUTY COORDINATORS
Each day there is a House Coordinator (HC) assigned to be on duty during out-of-hours periods. The Duty Coordinator is available from 5:00pm on weeknights and all day on weekends. The Duty Coordinator is contactable by mobile phone and stays at College to assist students with emergencies or problems. The name of the House Coordinator on duty is displayed in the Hannan foyer. The Duty Coordinator ensures that there is no unacceptable noise or other distractions during the evening and secures the College at night. She/he has the master keycard to open a resident’s door if required by that resident if the relevant House Coordinator is not available. Please note that the Duty Coordinator is not permitted to open a room if the occupant is not present, unless the Duty Coordinator speaks to the occupant on the phone to gain permission. The Duty Coordinator is not permitted to give the master key to another student.

To contact the Duty Coordinator: 0432 684 905 (If you have any problem contacting the Duty Coordinator, call your own HC or any of the other HCs)

KITCHEN SERVICE PROGRAMME
All students contribute to the Kitchen Service Programme, as an integral dimension of their residency.  An exception is made of the members of the Student Club Executive who provide generous service in other ways. The Kitchen Service Programme was introduced in an effort to keep College fees within reasonable bounds and to provide other benefits.

The Kitchen Service Programme is organised by the Kitchen Duty Roster Manager (in 2025, Claira Weiss), and full co-operation is important. Non co-operation will result in a fine in the first instance and may lead to the student’s not being readmitted to residency. If, for some reason, any student is not able to do Dining/Kitchen Duty on his/her allotted night, it is that student’s responsibility to arrange a replacement. Failure to turn up for duty will result in the student being charged $50. If you fill in for someone who fails to turn up for their duty, you will receive a $40 payment. It is the responsibility of the students who are listed to ensure that the Kitchen Duty tasks are completely done, as per the checklist.  You need to Report to kitchen staff before departing.

You will be given a time sheet and job description during O-Week. You will then be notified of your duty roster on Sunday of the first week of term. The following is a short description of how the Kitchen and Dining Room Duty operates

 Formal Dinner nights – Monday and Wednesday:

  • Students report for duty no later than 5.45pm
  • A late dinner is available for those on waiting duties.
  • The High Table is served first, usually with individually-plated meals. Plates are cleared after the main course and dessert, after all have finished eating.
  • Serve from the left; pick up from the right.
  • Wine from the High Table is to be returned to the kitchen before the end of the meal.
  • Wait on the other tables: deliver the platters and collect the empty plates, platters etc, and scrape clean.
  • At the conclusion of the Formal Dinner, waiters also collect the jugs and glasses and place on the table closest to the scullery, ready for washing. 

Non-Formal Dinner nights – Tuesday, Thursday and Friday:

  • Students are to report for duty to the kitchen staff no later than 6pm. Failure to report by this hour could result in the student being charged the cost of the replacement and associated administration costs.
  • Scrape plates, wash the dishes, dry and stack crockery and cutlery, wipe down and reset tables, clean the servery area.
  • Wipe down the scullery benches, empty rubbish bins, clean food up and empty dishwasher. 

Weekend Kitchen Duty – Breakfast-Lunch-Dinner

  • For breakfast duty report at 10.30am. For lunch duty, report by 12.15pm at the latest. For dinner, report by 5.30pm at the latest.
  • Wipe down and reset tables, wash, dry and stack dishes, empty the rubbish bin, and leave scullery area clean and empty dishwasher.

LAWRIE SMART SHIELD

The Lawrie Smart Shield is a perpetual trophy awarded to the House that attains the most points across the whole year from a range of different competitions. The late Dr Lawrie Smart OA was a member of the inaugural group of Aquinas  residents in 1950 and held the position of President of the Student Club that year. Dr Smart was a true all-rounder and it is fitting that this shield is named in his honour. The Lawrie Smart Shield events fall into three categories: Outreach hours; Recreational Events; and Intellectual Challenge.

MEALS
Meal times
Breakfast 7am – 9am
Lunch 12 noon – 1:30pm
Dinner 6pm – 7pm

Cut Lunches
Students who are away from the College all day can prepare their own lunch. A variety of breads, fillings, salad, fruit and packaging is available in the Dining Room from 7am to 9am on any week day during term. 

Late Meals
During term time, there is a provision for late dinners. They are available 7 days a week for students who are involved in formal study (late lectures, laboratory work) or who may have sport, rehearsals or employment commitments. Late dinners are a concession, not an alternative to formal dinner. Late meals are to be booked online by 4pm that day. Students eating late meals must clear their dishes and tables. Late meals are available from the fridge from 7:30pm.

Late meals are eaten in the Late Meals Room, and not taken to bedrooms or common rooms. Exceptions to this are made for students who are on placement and may need to store food in their room fridges overnight.

LAUNDRY
Other than the linen service, student are responsible for their own laundering and ironing. Laundries and clotheslines are located around the College.

Students are asked to empty washing machines and dryers immediately after use. The shared laundries will be emptied of all left clothing and cleaned every Wednesday. Laundries are closed between 9am and 1pm on Wednesdays for cleaning. Items left in the laundries at that time will be removed and donated to the St Vincent de Paul Society

MEDICAL INFORMATION
Before moving in, students are required to lodge a completed  Health Information form with Reception.

PETS
Pets or other animals (including birds, fish and reptiles) are not be kept at College, either in buildings or any part of the grounds. 

PARKING
You are welcome to have a car at college.  Limited parking spaces are available within the College grounds, and some residents’ permits are issued to the College by Adelaide City Council. These are allocated according to seniority. An on-campus parking allocation permits a student to park only in his/her designated space. This allocation is not transferrable and students are not to let other students use their parking spaces. Students who have not been allocated a parking space may not park on the grounds.

Much of the Palmer Place road immediately adjacent College does not have imposed restrictions and there is also some parking along other nearby streets. Please note the remainder of Palmer Place has parking restrictions signs and Adelaide City Council will issue infringements notices. A limited number of Resident Permits are available for Jeffcott St. Ebony or Steph can advise you on this.

During events held at Adelaide Oval a 2-hour parking maximum is enforced which overrides the normal parking signage and students will need an “Event Parking Permit” from Adelaide City Council. Students need to apply for one of these individually; once granted they are valid for 12 months.
www.cityofadelaide.com.au/online-services/parking/residential-parking/#apply

Cars are not to be parked in front of Montefiore House except to load or unload student property.

PRAYER AND WORSHIP

The spiritual well-being and development of students is a priority at Aquinas. Sunday Night Chapel (usually the Eucharist) is celebrated at 7pm in the College Chapel during term time. Students of all faiths are invited to join Catholic students at this service. Afterwards, students are invited to a light supper. Non-resident fellow students from the Universities and elsewhere, former students, and relatives and friends of residents are always welcome to attend these services, and students are free to invite their friends from outside of college.

Special whole-of-college services are held at the beginning of each semester and for the Valete evening.  Special guest speakers and/or musicians may be present for these liturgies.

Other opportunities for prayer, worship and discussions are organised through the year.

Students are welcome to make use of the Chapel at any time for the individual reflection, meditation and prayer. 

STUDENTS’ PROPERTY

Students are responsible for their own property. Residents are encouraged to take out insurance against loss or accidental damage to their personal property.  All external doors, apart from the Reception Office and the Dining Room, should be kept closed. Students should carry their keycards with them at all times.

VISITORS
Casual meal guests and overnight guests can be accommodated under these conditions.

Casual Meal Guest: Students are to record the name of their meal guest in the Guest Book near the servery. Casual visitor meal costs: lunch $8.00 and dinner $10.00 

Overnight Guest: Students may apply  to have someone stay overnight in their room (Request Form via the Student Portal). A fine applies for failure to seek the appropriate permission. A minimum of 24 hours notice is required and you are responsible for your guest whilst in the College.

Overnight Guest charge: $35, which includes all meals.

Please note:

  • Parents and older family members are not permitted to stay overnight.
  • Guests are not permitted during the SwotVac and Exam period.
  • Guests are not permitted on the weekend of the Pondshow (Friday, Saturday or Sunday), the Aquinas Ball (Friday or Saturday), on the weekend of Marksenfest (Saturday, Sunday or Monday), or Valete (Friday, Saturday).
  • Students may not have a guest of the gender(s) to which they are sexually attracted, and/or with whom they are romantically involved, stay overnight

All other visitors: Guests, who do not have permission from the Dean to stay overnight, are to leave the College by 11pm.

An invoice will be raised to the student for an overnight guest/casual visitor costs incurred and is payable at the Office within two weeks.

 College Policies

Students should be familiar with these policies, all of which can be accessed via the Student Portal:

  • Academic Policy
  • Anti-Bullying and Harassment Policy
  • Child Safeguarding Policy
  • Grievance and Complaints Resolution Policy
  • IT and Internet Policy
  • Making Good Decisions about Alcohol and other Drugs
  • Privacy Policy
  • Social Media Policy
  • Sexual Assault Policy
  • Student Wellbeing Policy

On the following pages are extracts from several other Policies: Making Good Decisions about Alcohol and other Drugs; Social Media; Anti-Bullying and Harassment; Sexual Assault.

 

The full policies and details about procedures to be followed are available on the Student Portal.

 

 

ACADEMICS

Academic climate
Aquinas aims to create a pervading climate of purposeful endeavour. Residents are co-responsible for building and enhancing this. One of the richest benefits of collegiate life is the collective sense of purpose, the mutual assistance that is at hand, and the programmes, strategies and facilities that are available.

Silent supervised study is arranged in the Dining Room through Swotvac and Exams periods, at other times and places as arranged by the Academic Director and Senior Tutors.

Corridor, bathroom and bedroom noise is kept low during the day and early evening. Music should not be audible outside a room; students are encouraged to wear headsets or earplugs. After 11pm at night in residential areas, all are required be quiet.

Study Hall and Tutorials
A weekly Study Hall takes place on Monday nights in the Lucey Centre. While all students are encouraged to attend, this event is compulsory for all First Year students, who participate in a range of seminars which deal with aspects of studying at university.  In addition to attending Study Hall, all First Years are offered the opportunity to participate in subject-based tutorials. The Senior Academic Tutors organise subject tutorials for all First Years. Led by senior students from their university and some recent Old Collegians, these tutorials are an excellent opportunity for First Years to ask questions, seek clarification and obtain help as required. Most Tutorials are held during the Monday night Study Hall timeslot.

Academic Assistance
The Head of College, Dean, Academic Director and Tutors will do all that they can to assist students in achieving their best academic outcomes. However, students are ultimately responsible for their own studies and are expected to make suitable progress and gain passes to meet full-time course requirements each semester. Students who are with concerns over their progress have the ready assistance of the Academic Director or Senior Academic Tutors so that appropriate academic support can be arranged.

Academic Panels and Progress Review Panels
The Academic Panels convene in Terms 1 and 3. All Fresher are scheduled to meet with a Panel to discuss their academic progress, transition into College and any other issues they wish to have addressed. The Academic Panel comprises (one of) the Rector, Dean, Academic Director, and two Alumni. The Progress Review Panels convenes in Terms 2 and 3 for Juniors and Seniors. The Academic Tutors organise the schedule. For both Panels, dress is formal, including academic gown.

Academic Prizes and Awards
At the beginning of each year, awards and prizes are presented to those who have performed exceptionally well in the previous year. The awards are determined on grades and marks attained for the whole of the academic year.

  • The Aquinas Medal is awarded to the top student of the previous year, demonstrated through that student’s academic results and personal investment in College life. The Bessie Greenland Scholarship is awarded to the winner of the Aquinas Medal. It is valued at $500.
  • The Father C.P. Finn Prize is awarded to the top senior (third year and above) student returning to College. It is valued at $300.
  • The Marist Brothers’ Prize is awarded to the top second year student returning to College. It is valued at $300.
  • The Father Michael Scott Prize is awarded to the top first year student returning to College. It is valued at $300.
  • Faculty Awards are presented to the top student in the Faculties of: Law, Health Sciences, Education, The Arts, Engineering, Science and Architecture. These awards are determined on the semester two results of the previous year. Each Faculty Award winner receives a voucher to the value of $75.

At the beginning of semester two, each year, awards are presented to those who have performed exceptionally well in the previous semester.

  • The Father J.M. McInerney Prize is awarded to the top first year student in semester one, each year. It is valued at $300.
  • The Kennedy Family Prize is awarded to the student with the best results in semester one each year. It is valued at $300.
  • Faculty Awards are presented to the top student, in semester one, in the Faculties of: Law, Health Sciences, Education, The Arts, Engineering, Science and Architecture. Each Faculty Award winner receives a voucher to the value of $75.