Students
UNSW currently has approximately 40,000 students studying in 600 undergraduate and postgraduate academic programs. Over 5,000 full-time staff work in its 76 schools, 69 research centres, 6 institutes, 4 teaching hospitals, 8 residential colleges and many administrative departments.
It was reported in the 1990s that more than half of New South Wales' top HSC students consistently make UNSW their first preference.[13] In 2000, 17 of the 22 students who achieved a perfect 100 on the University Admissions Index (UAI) decided to commence studies at UNSW.[14] In the same year, the NSW Board of Studies and the Universities Admissions Centre said that the university was also the most popular among other attracted 55 per cent of the top 1 per cent of performers.[14]
Students support and non-academic services are provided by a number of groups and units across the university. In 2007, the four previous student organisations, the UNSW Student Guild, Postgraduate Board, UNSW Union and the COFA Students' Association were wound up and reformed as a new student organisation known as the Arc. This new student body is a major service provider on campus, running a number of retail outlets, student media such as Tharunka and the entertainment venue, the Roundhouse. The Arc Representative Council represents students to the university and nationally and fights for their rights. The Arc also provides support and funding to university clubs and societies and Arc volunteer programs. The University of New South Wales Sports Association provides support and funding to sporting programs and runs a number of university-based sporting teams that compete both at home and abroad.
