Basser College, University of New South Wales
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| Motto | Scientia |
|---|---|
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Motto in English
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Knowledge |
| Established | 1959 (named for Sir Adolph Basser) |
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Parent institution
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University of New South Wales |
| Head | Isabelle Creagh |
| Undergraduates | 132 (1959-2011) 66 (2012-2013) 166 (2014-present) |
| Postgraduates | 6 Residential Staff (1959-2011) 2 Residential Staff (2012-2013) 5 Residential Staff (2014-present) |
| Colours | |
| Affiliations | Sister college: Goldstein College, Philip Baxter College, Fig Tree Hall, Colombo House and UNSW Hall. |
| Website | The Kensington Colleges |
Basser College, University of New South Wales is a residential college at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia. Basser College and its two neighbouring Colleges, Goldstein and Phillip Baxter, are collectively known as the Kensington Colleges.
Basser College was founded in 1959, ten years after the opening of the University of New South Wales (UNSW), making it the oldest residential college at the University. It was built to accommodate students from rural areas, enabling them access to the same education as local, metropolitan students. The College is named after Sir Adolph Basser (1887-1965), a Polish entrepreneur and philanthropist who contributed significantly to the cost of the College's construction.
The College's foundational structure was designed around two central courtyards: Girls' Quad and Boys' Quad. The names echo the separate living arrangements in the College after female residents were first admitted in the 1960s; a practice which has since been discontinued. The majority of the rooms were divided into alcoves of four, with two front rooms and two back rooms. Typically, the back rooms were larger and allocated to returning residents or 'seniors', whilst the front rooms were allocated to first-year residents or 'freshers'. These alcoves were thus affectionately dubbed 'alcove families', with two males and two females constituting each group.
Basser College's original building was the only college on Kensington Campus for which every room had the convenience of a wash basin. Residents generally stayed in Basser for two or three years before ending their college tenure. A student had to remain at College for two and a half years, in order to be named Honorary College Valedictorian.
Basser College celebrated its 50th anniversary with a 'Back to Basser' day at the College in August 2009. The original building was last used in the 2011 Academic year and was handed over to a construction company in December 2011 to be demolished and replaced as part of UNSW's major student accommodation redevelopment.
Basser College offers a range of sporting, cultural and social activities planned and coordinated by a student leadership team. The leadership team, known as the 'House Committee,' consists of:
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