ACU Canberra dean, associate professor Darius von Guttner is a historian, specialising in European history, the middle ages and the crusades.

He's been involved in developing the Australian curriculum in history and has published textbooks on the French Revolution.

Walking around the peaceful Signadou campus in Watson, von Guttner insists that history really is everywhere.

"Everything that I did as a scholar is trying to make history as accessible to everyone as possible, to make sure that general public can take part in it," he says.

"Sometimes, history can be a bit daunting when it's presented only as about days, dates and dead people. But I think more often, students who engage with it in the classroom, they find when they start exploring it that history is exciting, that they want to continue studying at university."

ACU Canberra-based students will be able to do just that thanks to a new course that will allow them to train as a history teacher.

From the medieval-inspired productions of The Witcher and Game of Thrones, to the latest adaptation of Jane Austen's Persuasion, von Guttner is convinced there is an insatiable appetite for learning about the past.

"History is coming back," he said.

"I'm very much looking forward to be involved in this."

The university has been quietly giving the Canberra campus a face lift over the past four years. Almost $40 million has been spent on the new Veritas building, clinical labs and common area refurbishments.

The next step is a $5.8 million student accommodation project in the upper level of the heritage-listed Blackfriars building.

The building's original purpose was as a priory and house of studies for the Dominican priests. Their former living quarters will be refurbished to create 42 studios, complete with a full-sized fridge, sink, toaster, kettle, microwave, desk, chair and king single bed.

Students will have access to a communal kitchen, dining room, and student lounge with media room and e-games room.

It's being paid for through a student accommodation fund raised through the sale of ACU assets, with works so far at the Canberra, Ballarat, and North Sydney campuses.

The rooms will be open from semester one next year as an option for those coming from interstate or overseas.

The smaller campus is a selling point for the students who are drawn to their course offerings: teaching, paramedicine, nursing, theology, philosophy and social work.

Von Guttner began his new role at the start of August but will be moving gradually to the capital to allow his son to finish his year 12 exams in Victoria.

"This campus is quite a unique place where I, as a campus dean, I am able to know students by name. I will be able to know everyone that works there," he said.

As the pandemic grinds on, students are craving a return to regular university life.

Madison Mills chose to study a bachelor of social work at ACU as its the only place in Canberra to study the course in person.

"I did college online because of COVID so it's really good to be back in person for tutorials and stuff," she says.

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Some elements of online learning and academic work will continue, von Guttner says.

"I think this hybrid is here to stay in a way that we will now be able to be flexible. Some students will prefer always to have this one-on-one screen and camera option, especially students with special needs, students for whom bigger classroom, a lecture theatre, or even a corridor is an experience that they want to avoid ... those students flourished during pandemic lockdowns."

The pandemic has also raised the profile of health professionals.

"Men and young women going into the nursing profession speak of curiosity, of the challenges that they are going to face. At the same time they are ready to do it."

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