Staff and students at small regional campuses often consider them to be a learning environment with many advantages. Students can benefit from the opportunities for enhanced access to staff provided by factors such as small classes and a compact campus. International students from non-English-speaking backgrounds are one group for whom these factors can be particularly helpful in their adjustment to a new society as well as in their continuing study program. This belief is tested in the study described in this paper. Factors identified by international students as influencing their learning at a small campus situated a considerable distance from the state capital indicate strengths to be built on and celebrated and areas that call for the development of strategies to improve the quality of that learning environment. Former international student graduates were surveyed concerning their perceptions of their regional Australian university experience and the professional preparation it provided. Other Australian higher education institutions, particularly those with regional campuses, can make use of the insights gained through the study: as well as having implications for the provision of a quality learning experience and environment for all students, not only international students, they also have a bearing on international marketing strategies.

The implications of the findings for healthcare professionals are highlighted. The recognition of emotions is embedded in palliative care; healthcare professionals should view the management of emotions as an integral part of professional practice. Addressing fear is essential because unresolved fear can impinge on one's ability to cope. Our paper brings together different perspectives on fear and how vulnerable individuals attempt to cope with it while at the same time providing a view of the challenges confronting healthcare professionals who are engaged with them and committed to optimizing health outcomes for palliative care clients and their caregivers.

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A mutually beneficial relationship has developed over the past 15 years between a regional South Australian branch of the University of the Third Age (U3A) and the local university campus. Arising from the initiative of a community member, the group sought assistance from the university, and has now become integrated into campus life. The university has provided a venue for meetings and access to other facilities, and university staff have contributed to the program of classes. The U3A has undoubtedly benefited from these inputs. However, the university has also benefited from these opportunities to engage with the wider community, the presence of willing volunteers to contribute in various ways to university classes and other activities, and favourable word-of-mouth marketing. Beginning with background information on U3A, the local branch and its setting, we reflect on the sustainability of this relationship with the university and the factors that have contributed to this. We draw on our U3A experience and on two qualitative research projects in which U3A members have taken part: projects which have investigated their motivation for participation in U3A classes and activities, and the contributions of U3A to the university and vice versa. Not only has the relationship itself been sustained thus far, it has also contributed to sustaining U3A members in their active involvement in learning and community activities, and has been a significant part of community engagement activities of the campus. Keywords University of the Third Age; university-community engagement; mutual benefit; lifelong learning; retirement; productive ageing

In 2005 a South Australian university inaugurated a new provision of higher education programs in a regional city. Previously, would-be university students in the area had only the options of off-campus study, moving away from home to become internal students, or not pursuing university studies at all. The initiative provided the opportunity to study the effects of the new university presence on its students, university staff and the wider community, and at the same time to learn much that would enable continuous improvement of the methods used in offering these programs. This article reports on the results from focus groups of students and staff, and a survey of the first cohort of students, part of the first stage of a longitudinal study. A combination of effort and collaboration has contributed to meeting community educational needs and aspirations.