When we’ll be closed over the holidays – and where to get support if you need it
Happy holidays to everyone at Deakin! We hope you have a relaxing and safe festive season, full of delicious food, good company and fun times!
Our campuses will be closed from Thursday 22 December to Wednesday 4 January. We’ll reopen for 2023 on Thursday 5 January. The following Deakin services will be unavailable during the main closure period, with some variations to reopening dates.
Student Central
Student Central will be unavailable from 4pm on Wednesday 21 December. Over the break, you can still ask a question or submit an online enquiry, and we’ll get back to you when we reopen on Thursday 5 January.
Health and Wellbeing Centres
- Burwood and Waterfront: closed from Thursday 22 December to Wednesday 4 January, reopening Thursday 5 January.
- Waurn Ponds: All medical appointments, including course vaccinations, are currently being held at the Deakin Health and Wellbeing Centre at the Waterfront Campus while improvement works are carried out. On-campus counselling and Safer Community appointments at Waurn Ponds will recommence on Monday 9 January until early February from the temporary location in Building IB, level 3.
- Warrnambool: closed from Thursday 15 December to Sunday 15 January, reopening Monday 16 January.
Telehealth appointments with Counselling and Psychological Support will be available from Thursday 5 January across all campuses.
The email [email protected] and the Ask Counselling blog will not be monitored during the closure period. Find out more about Deakin’s Health and Wellbeing services.
Library
All campus libraries will be closed from Thursday 22 December to Wednesday 4 January. Library Chat, phone services and online enquiries will also be unavailable during this closure period.
Burwood will reopen on Thursday 5 January with limited hours until Monday 9 January. All other campus libraries will reopen on Monday 9 January.
Check the Deakin Library website for specific opening hours for each campus.
DeakinACTIVE
DeakinACTIVE fitness centres will be closed during the following times:
- Burwood and Waurn Ponds: closed from Thursday 22 December to Wednesday 4 January, reopening Thursday 5 January.
- Warrnambool: closed from Thursday 22 December to Sunday 8 January, reopening Monday 9 January.
Stay active over the break with the DeakinMOVES app, where you’ll find challenges and at-home and outdoor workouts. Check the DeakinACTIVE website for opening hours, class times and other information.
IT Service Desk
The IT Service Desk will close at 4pm on Wednesday 21 December. It will reopen at 8am on Thursday 5 January. During this time, you won’t be able to call the IT Service Desk for assistance.
We’ll still be doing online spot checks over the break, except for Sunday 25 and Monday 26 December, and Sunday 1 January 2023, where there will be no support. You can still send a support ticket to report an issue or make a request, but these will not be consistently monitored. Any non-urgent issues reported during this time will be handled when the IT Service Desk reopens.
Where to get help over the break
Medical support
Call your local GP to see if they’re open or visit Health Direct to find a service or get free health information. Your local pharmacist may be open and able to help you with minor ailments.
You can also contact NURSE-ON-CALL (1300 60 60 24) at any hour for professional medical advice. Call 13SICK, National Home Doctor (13 74 25) if you need a doctor to visit you at your home or place of accommodation (including at Deakin’s residences) after hours, on weekends or during public holidays.
In an emergency, call Triple Zero (000) or go to the emergency department at a hospital. You can also call the Victorian Poisons Information Centre (13 11 26) for specialised help.
Mental health support
Christmas can be a stressful and lonely time. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, remember to look after yourself and get support. The best way to do this is to reach out and talk to someone – there’s a range of after-hours helplines available, including:
- Lifeline (13 11 14) – or to chat to a Lifeline-trained Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Crisis Supporter, call 13YARN (13 92 76) to yarn in a safe way without judgement.
- SuicideLine (1300 651 251).
- Beyond Blue (1300 22 46 36).
- Switchboard Victoria (for LGBTIQ+ support, 1800 184 527).
You might also find it helpful to read about other students’ personal or study-related experiences on Ask Counselling. Browse by topics like anxiety, loneliness or family problems. You may learn some coping techniques or find solace in the fact that you’re not the only one feeling this way. The blog will not be monitored for new questions during the closure period.
Christmas support
The Salvation Army can help if you need support with food hampers or gifts this Christmas. They also run free Christmas meal events across Australia if you don’t have anywhere else to go on 25 December.
If you’re an international student, you can also contact Study Melbourne or Study Geelong (they’re closed on public holidays).