11. Other Faculty information

This chapter contains information specific to the Faculty of Dentistry as well as some general information. See Chapter 8 (General University organisations) for further details about the University and its various organisations, examinations, assistance for students with disabilities, child care facilities, housing, health, counselling, financial assistance, careers advice and a range of other matters.

All students commencing in 2008 will be sent information and forms on infectious diseases and criminal records check requirements (see details below) with their offers in November, and will be expected to undertake the relevant checks prior to enrolment in February.

Infectious diseases

NSW Health has a policy that requires all health care workers, including students (local and international), who undertake training or field work in the NSW health care system, to have a documented screening and vaccination history consistent with the requirements identified in the NSW Health Circular 2003/91. This circular is available on the NSW Health Department website at: www.health.nsw.gov.au

This vacination documentation must be presented to the Faculty before students can participate in clinical activities in the BDent and BOH programs and applies to all students, local and international.

Criminal record

In addition, the NSW Health Department has a policy that requires all health care workers, including students, who undertake training or field work in the NSW health care system, to be subjected to a criminal record check as a condition of their gaining access to the NSW Health Department facilities. The consent form (which authorises the Department to conduct a criminal record check) and the attendant declaration (whereby the student undertakes to notify the Department if he or she is charged with a serious offence) must be completed prior to enrolment for the Bachelor of Dentistry and must be submitted at enrolment with appropriate original or certified documents that enable the University to complete a 100 point identity check. Bachelor of Oral Health students will be given these forms at enrolment and the forms must be handed to the Director of the Bachelor of Oral Health program.

Further information is available on the NSW Health Department website at www.health.nsw.gov.au.

Child Protection/Prohibited Employment

The University has obligations imposed upon it and certain of its students by the NSW Child Protection (Prohibited Employment) Act, the purpose of which is to regulate the employment of 'prohibited persons' in 'child related employment'. Under the act a 'prohibited person' is a person who has committed a serious sex offence.

The obligations which the Act places upon employees (including students in child-related placements) are:

• that a "prohibited person" must not apply for, undertake or remain in child-related employment
• that where a person is required to disclose whether or not he or she is a "prohibited person" that individual must, within one month of being so required, make the required disclosure
• that, if in purported compliance with the above requirement to disclose, a person knowingly makes a false declaration that person becomes liable to a penalty of 12 months imprisonment.

Information regarding the NSW Child Protection Act can be found at www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/nsw/consol_act/cpea1998401/longtitle.html.

Confirmation of enrolment

All the information provided when you enrol is added to the University’s computerised student record system. This includes your degree, academic year and the units of study you are taking. It is important that this information be recorded correctly at the beginning of the year, and amended should a change occur in any of the details during the year. You should be aware that every unit of study enrolment has a financial implication.

To enable you to see what enrolment data have been recorded, you will be sent a "confirmation of enrolment" notice by the Student Centre shortly after completion of enrolment. You should check this carefully. If the information is correct you should keep the notice as a record of your current enrolment. Should the notice be incorrect in any detail, you should apply at the Student Centre immediately to have your record amended. A new confirmation will then be prepared and sent to you. You will also receive, about two months after the beginning of each semester, a statement showing your HECS or fees assessment for that semester. If there appears to be an error in this assessment, you should follow the directions for correction of the assessment which are included in the statement.

If you wish to discontinue enrolment totally, you should apply in writing to your Faculty Office to obtain approval. Your record at the University will not be correct unless you do this. Unless an enrolment change is approved formally at your Faculty Office it will not be officially recorded and in some cases will incur a financial liability.

Dentistry Library

The Fairfax Reading Library (that is, the Dentistry Library) is a branch within the Medical Sciences Cluster of libraries in The University of Sydney Library system. It is housed on the eighth floor of the Sydney Dental Hospital. Electronic resources and services of the University Library are accessible both from within the Library and online at www.library.usyd.edu.au. These include:

• Online catalogue
• eDatabases and eJournals (including Medline)
• Course reading materials (eReserve)
• Self-service options on the University Library’s computer system (e.g view your loans and renewals)
• Information literacy services – see
  www.library.usyd.edu.au subjects/dentistry/.

For online tutorials and information skills class bookings, see: www.library.usyd.edu.au/skills/

Instructions on how to gain Internet access to electronic resources from off campus are available at:
www.library.usyd.edu.au/databases/wam.html

Collection resources covering various disciplines within dentistry and associated fields are housed in the Dentistry Library. The collections consist of various formats (print, CD-ROM, audiovisual).

Staff and students of the University of Sydney are eligible to borrow books from the Dentistry Library and any of the University Libraries.

Documents such as periodical articles which are not held in the University Library will be obtained for University staff and higher degree students after completion of a copyright User Agreement Form. A service desk is staffed whenever the Library is open.

Further information
Mr Jeremy Cullis (Dentistry Librarian)
Email: j.cullis@library.usyd.edu.au
Website: www.library.usyd.edu.au/Libraries/Dentistry

Other libraries

Other libraries in the University relevant to Dentistry are the Fisher, Badham, Burkitt-Ford, Engineering, Medical and Pharmacy Libraries.
Dentistry staff and students may also use the Westmead Hospital Library (conditions may apply).

Sydney University Dental Undergraduates’ Association

The SUDUA, which was functioning in the 1930s and perhaps earlier, comprises all undergraduates enrolled in the Faculty of Dentistry. All members on graduation become honorary life members.

The Association is a registered society within the University Union. With assistance from the Union, the SUDUA has provided facilities at the Sydney Dental Hospital campus and the Westmead Centre for Oral Health campus, such as common rooms, pool tables, photocopiers and computers. In addition to this, the SUDUA plays a pivotal role in organising and running various activities to meet the educational and social needs of its members.

Committee members are elected each year and monthly meetings are held to discuss important academic and social matters. The SUDUA also facilitates staff-student liaison and arranges inter-faculty activities. The Articulator, the journal of the Association, is published annually.

Dental Alumni Society of the University of Sydney

Founded in 1943, the Dental Alumni Society is a postgraduate society. Some of the more important aims of the Society are to maintain and foster the association of dental graduates with the University, to promote cultural activities, to extend cordial relationships between graduates and undergraduates of the Faculty of Dentistry, and to take an interest in any matter within the University that will be of benefit to the Faculty of Dentistry. Graduates of the Faculty of Dentistry are automatically General Members of the Society and become Financial Members on payment of a small annual subscription.

Dental Alumni Society Museum

This museum within the Faculty of Dentistry is an historical museum consisting of early dental instruments and equipment of a small nature. At present the collection is being stored and catalogued and it is hoped that in the future it will be enlarged to display these objects with photographs and documents describing dental science and practice of the past. Gifts of an historical dental nature are most welcome and will be acknowledged.

Oral Health Foundation

Purpose

The Oral Health Foundation was established in 2000, with the following aims:

• To support education and research activities at the Faculty of Dentistry
• To unite Faculty alumni and the general community in the support of the Faculty, and
• To promote the advancement of the oral health of the community.

Background

Prior to 2000, there were two Foundations associated with the Faculty of Dentistry, the Faculty of Dentistry Foundation and the Dental Health Education and Research Foundation. These were amalgamated into one foundation with the broad purpose of promoting stronger ties between the Faculty, profession, and the community at large.

Structure

The Foundation is part of the University of Sydney and is accountable to the University Senate. It operates under a constitution approved by the University Senate and has a governing Council consisting of dental professionals and representatives from the ADA Inc, ADA (NSW Branch), Recent Graduates Committee of the ADA, the Dental Board of NSW, the Dental Industry Association, the Dental Alumni Society and the Sydney University Dental Undergraduates Association, as well as ex-Officio senior University representatives.

Funding

The Foundation is a self-funding organisation and as such, is totally reliant on professional and corporate support for its activities. Donations to the Foundation are tax deductible.

Support for the Faculty

In recent years Universities across Australia have suffered a depletion of funding for all manner of socio-political reasons. The rationale is at least partly aimed at increasing support for tertiary education from the corporate and alumnus communities. The Faculty of Dentistry at the University of Sydney has seen many changes to its teaching and research facilities over the years, most of them beneficial, but the need for further finance is always pressing.

Contact details

The Oral Health Foundation
Faculty of Dentistry
Level 6, Sydney Dental Hospital
2 Chalmers Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010
Phone: +61 2 9351 8305 or email: ohf@dentistry.usyd.edu.au

Committee for Continuing Education in Dentistry

The Committee for Continuing Education in Dentistry has the following objectives:

1. To provide courses of continuing education in all fields of dentistry for dental graduates. Over 600 courses have been conducted, and 2006 is the Continuing Education unit’s 59th year of operation. The courses range from short courses of half-day duration to longer courses conducted over a number of days, either grouped together or spread over a number of weeks/months/years. These may be "hands-on" or lecture programs, including courses of a specialised nature or general update courses for the general practitioner.
2. To provide funds for research and appropriate Faculty infrastructure.

The courses, which do not lead to degrees (but may be included as part of the requirements leading to diplomas), are primarily open to all registered dentists. Attendance certificates are given to participants of courses.

In addition, medical practitioners and other groups interested or involved in general fields of dentistry may also attend. Members of the dental profession in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory are regularly circularised and the program is also sent to other Australian states and to New Zealand. Special courses are advertised overseas.

Enquiries can be addressed to the Secretary at:
Committee for Continuing Education in Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry
2 Chalmers Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010
Phone: +61 2 9351 8340 or email: smctaggart@usyd.edu.au

Financial assistance

Information about sources of financial assistance available to students may be obtained from Student Services (Financial Assistance Office).

Dental Board of New South Wales

The Dental Board of New South Wales is empowered under Section 18 of the Dentists Act 1934–1964 to appropriate moneys from the Dental Board Education and Research Account for or towards dental education and research.

The Board is prepared to give consideration to the granting of financial assistance to students in the Faculty of Dentistry in the form of loans. The individual applicant is required to show the Board that he or she is of good character, is unable to find financial accommodation elsewhere, and is otherwise in necessitous circumstances. Surety for the amount of the application should also be arranged.

Funds are limited and loans must therefore be restricted accordingly. Successful applicants are required to execute agreements in due course. Application forms are available from the Registrar of the Board, 28–36 Foveaux Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010.

Traineeships, scholarships and prizes

Traineeships

Traineeships are available in dentistry that afford financial assistance to students during the latter parts of the course. In each case, fees and a living allowance are paid and some assistance is given with textbooks.

Traineeships are available with the Royal Australian Navy, Australian Military Forces, and Royal Australian Air Force. More information is available from the Defence Recruiting Office.

Prizes for academic merit

The Faculty of Dentistry awards a number of prizes on the basis of academic merit. Prizes awarded are detailed on the faculty website at www.dentistry.usyd.edu.au/student/prizes.php.

University Medal

The University Medal is awarded on graduation to a student enrolled under a graded assessment system (not a pass/fail system such as the BDent) who has merited first class honours and who has been shown to be the most distinguished candidate for the degree.