Back in the 1980s and early 1990s, the socialist governments in Australia (particularly in Victoria) objected to the idea of separating technical education from liberal arts type education - they regarded it as an elitist and divisive practice. So the Institutes of Technology were encouraged to become full universities, offering liberal arts type courses alongside their more traditional offerings.
RMIT resisted more than most (mainly because it was rightly proud of its traditions in engineering, technology etc, and didn't consider itself in any way inferior to the University of Melbourne, or Monash Univesity - having a different focus, yes, but not inferior) which is why it was able to preserve its initials - and it still is heavily focused on its traditional areas - but it does offer other things as well.
A good liberal brain washing seems hight on the academic list of priorities.