By Deanne Jeffers
WHEN Elizabeth Capp arrived at La Trobe Shepparton in late 2018, the campus looked and felt very different. Seven years, a $20M redevelopment, a pandemic and a cultural shift later, the Head of Campus is saying farewell to a university that has come out the other side more modern, more connected, and more accommodating.
Ms Capp’s tenure coincided with one of the most transformative periods in the campus’ history. The major redevelopment – expanded from an initial $12M plan to a $20M project due to COVID delays, design changes and localised flooding – delivered new teaching spaces, clinical labs, and a courtyard cafe and community meeting space that now draws both students and locals to the campus.
“La Trobe could have walked away from it… We were being conservative about any capital works post-COVID… but to their credit, they really pushed for this project,” said Ms Capp. “Every regional campus has now had a significant upgrade — our facilities are just as good as anything at Bundoora.”
COVID didn’t just complicate construction; it changed the way higher education works. Hybrid learning and flexible work practices have reshaped how students engage and how staff operate.
“When I first started here, I was up and down to Bundoora constantly… now that happens on a screen. That’s really shifted the way we work,” reflected Ms Capp. “Our professional staff don’t have to leave Shepparton to build their careers now, just as students don’t have to leave town to study.”
Strengthening relationships with the region’s Indigenous communities has been another defining achievement. Highlights include an honorary doctorate for Uncle Dr Paul Briggs, Dr Aunty Sharon Miller earning her PhD in Yorta Yorta language, and the development of new cultural design elements and a planned renaming of the Indigenous student space.
“We want this to be a welcoming, inclusive environment that honours the Indigenous community’s contribution to this region,” she said.
As she prepares to step away, Capp hopes her successor will continue building on the campuses’ strengths. Her vision includes further developing industry partnerships, expanding opportunities for First Nations and multicultural students, and continuing to make the campus a welcoming, inclusive space.
Capps’ philosophy, echoing La Trobe’s mission, was clear: “We know talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not,” she said. “La Trobe’s commitment to regional education is absolutely real — opportunity shouldn’t depend on your postcode.”
Reflecting on her journey, Ms Capp says her proudest legacy is simple: “I hope people felt they belonged here. That’s what matters most.”
Looking ahead, she said she is stepping back from formal employment, but not from contributing to the region she has come to love.
“I’ll stay on the [Greater Shepparton] Lighthouse [Project] board, and I’m staying on the Goulburn Regional Partnership for another couple of years,” she said. “I’m hoping to do some work in the community — just in a slightly less structured way.”
