Charles Sturt University Educational Profiles 2004-2006
Introduction Page 1
Introduction to 2004-2006 Profiles
As reflected in its Strategic Plan 2002-20071, Charles Sturt University is committed to conducting its teaching, research and other scholarly activities to the benefit of the communities of central, western and south western NSW and north eastern Victoria and to support the needs of a range of professions. The University is aware of the issues of interest to these communities and recognises these same issues to be of critical interest to much of regional and rural Australia. The social and economic health of the nation as a whole is inextricably linked with the well being of Australia’s regional areas. With this in mind, the University seeks to further establish itself as a regional asset, enriching its communities through the direct benefits of education and by generating regional wealth through the “export” of educational services. The University is confident that in doing this it will also fulfil its objective of being a national asset.
Charles Sturt University has acted decisively on a number of levels to develop the “knowledge economy” to address the social, economic and environmental issues of interest to its communities and is confident in the value of its contribution to sustainable regional economic development. It has established a course profile that addresses, in large part, the needs of its communities, providing a realistic set of study options for regional students and producing graduates that meet community needs. This is exemplified by the suite of health courses now offered by the University and the impact these are having on the pool of health professionals2 in regional NSW and Victoria. In similar fashion the University’s teacher education courses are providing graduates who are more likely to take up teaching appointments in areas that are traditionally difficult to staff. These two examples are characteristic of a more general phenomenon; that of students on regional campuses taking courses within a regional context and meeting the needs of regional communities.3 The University has sought to complement its offerings by aligning courses with enterprises where possible, benefiting both students and communities. For example, it has established the Charles Sturt University Allied Health Clinic at Albury, providing outreach podiatric services in conjunction with the Greater Murray Health Service. Other clinical operations in the health field include the Nutrition Clinic and the Respiratory Function Clinic, both at Wagga Wagga. These initiatives follow similar ventures in areas of regional and national interest, such as Viticulture and Wine Science where the University has been instrumental in supporting the development of the Australian wine industry, through the National Wine and Grape Industry Centre and newer areas such as Food Science and Equine Studies.
CSU continues to extend access to students in more remote areas. The development of the Dubbo campus has been associated with strongly increased participation4 in higher education in that community. Likewise, the Thurgoona campus at Albury is providing the higher education infrastructure within an education precinct servicing a growth corridor spanning the NSW and Victorian border. In addition, CSU is taking a leadership role in developing a
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CSU Strategic Plan 2002-2007 provided in Part 1 of the document. For example, Pharmacy board statistics show the number of Pharmacy graduates taking positions in regional NSW has increased from negligible levels to above 30 per year, since the CSU Bachelor of Pharmacy course started to graduate students in 2001. 3 Information from surveys conducted by the Graduate Careers Council of Australia indicate that 2 in 3 oncampus students at CSU take up employment in regional locations 4 CSU enrolments from the CSU defined “Dubbo Region” have increased from approximately 750 in 1996 to over 1200 in 2002.
Charles Sturt University Educational Profiles 2004-2006
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collaborative model for provision of higher education into the township of Griffith, in southern NSW. The University’s expertise in on-line and distance education and its institutional flexibility provide an additional dimension to complement its on-campus activities and extend its influence. Distance education is providing mature aged people5 with opportunities for continued personal and professional development without the need to leave their local communities. CSU is using its distance education capacity to good effect, for example, by forging agreements whereby practising enrolled nurses upgrade to registered nurse status while maintaining their current employment. Distance education is also allowing the University to extend its sphere of influence throughout Australia and internationally, directing revenue back to its regional bases. The direct impact of Charles Sturt University on regional economies is undeniable, with its 17806 staff and their families representing a large and relatively stable resource for the economies of Albury Wodonga, Bathurst, Dubbo, Goulburn and Wagga Wagga – this effect being boosted by the students attracted from further afield. These communities also benefit from the enhanced social and cultural fabric provided by the presence of a University campus, contributing to the “soft infrastructure” that underpins the decisions of individual and businesses on where they are prepared to locate.
Charles Sturt University is increasingly seeking to align its research efforts with its regional objectives, placing priority on research that is of significance to its regions while enhancing outcomes through collaboration with national and international researchers and agencies. Its involvement in the Cooperative Research Centres for Plant-based Management of Dryland Salinity, Viticulture, Sustainable Rice Production and Weed Management Systems demonstrate a significant commitment to issues of regional and national importance. This commitment is reinforced by the University’s support of two of its major research centres, the Farrer Centre for Sustainable Food and Fibre Production and the Johnstone Centre for Research in Natural Resources and Society. CSU’s support of its Centre for Rural Social Research rounds off a broad based commitment to the research that will underpin rural society and its ongoing contribution to the national economy. Charles Sturt is enhancing this commitment by further developing its research strengths in “Water”, with the establishment of new chairs in Aquatic Ecology and Water Policy (jointly funded by the CSIRO) and another in Environmental Management. Negotiations are currently under way with CSIRO to accredit their Land and Water Division laboratory in Griffith as a study node for research higher degree supervision.
The value that Charles Sturt University sees in collaboration is readily apparent across the breadth of its activities, including partnerships with the TAFE sector, domestic and international higher education providers, local, state and federal government departments and agencies, professional associations and community groups. The University recognises the contribution of these partners, understands its accountability to them and the importance of this to continued collaboration. To this end, the University is committed to ensuring the quality, efficiency and viability of its operation. This is being underpinned by enhanced
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Of CSU’s domestic distance students approximately 45% are from NSW metropolitan areas, 35% from regional NSW and the ACT and 20% from other states. 6 In 2002 CSU employed 1568 permanent staff and full time equivalent of 218 casual staff drawing salaries of approximately $84 million.
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quality processes, prudent financial management and close attention to aligning activities to stated strategic directions.
Notwithstanding these achievements, Charles Sturt University recognises the need for it to do more.
Development of Thurgoona Campus at Albury Because of commitments given by the Commonwealth in the 2002 Profile discussions, the University now intends to fast track the development of the Thurgoona campus to establish the School of Rural Health. This development will be the focal point for the next generation of allied health education and training in south western NSW and north eastern Victoria. It will provide the higher education component of an education precinct spanning all levels of education and training and supporting collaboration across multiple agencies with a significant ICT focus. The development of the Thurgoona campus is fundamental to providing appropriate facilities for the allied health courses offered from Albury and to the University reducing the costs of duplication across two campuses. The development will require significant capital investment from the University until its completion in 2008, as detailed in the University’s Capital Development Pool submission in Part 3 of this document.
Introduction of a Veterinary Science Course The University has given in-principle support for the introduction of a Veterinary Science course at Wagga Wagga in 2005. This is in response to community needs in regional and rural Australia, reinforced by the findings from the Review of Rural Veterinarian Services which indicate, inter alia, that there is an emerging “chronic shortage of production animal veterinarians”. This workforce issue is unlikely to be addressed by the existing metropolitan providers of veterinary science. CSU is of the view that current higher education provisions in this area put at risk Australia’s long term ability to maintain the health of its commercial flocks and herds and the associated rural industries and export income. CSU appreciates the costs of offering such a course but feels compelled to act to redress this situation, but would wish to do so with the endorsement of the Commonwealth. Further details are provided in Attachment I.
Developing a rural based Pre-hospital Care facility in Bathurst The University is investigating a collaborative arrangement for the co-location of a rural training component of the Ambulance Service of NSW and the School of Public Health at Bathurst. This proposal will see the majority of training for recruitment and continuing professional education of ambulance officers, paramedics and potentially practice paramedics being centred on the Bathurst facility. Providing more nurses and teachers in areas of need Despite the efforts of Commonwealth and State governments, there remains a dire shortage of nurses and teachers in many areas of Australia, especially in regional and rural communities. CSU has made a significant contribution itself by taking additional students in these areas and developing new courses that respond to the continued evolution of these
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professions7. The University agrees with the strategy expounded in “Backing Australia’s Future” of directing additional places in these priority areas to institutions that are best able to provide graduates in areas of need. CSU has excess demand for its nursing and teaching courses and is of the view that its demonstrated capacity to attract and train students with a high propensity to take up employment in regional areas places it in a strong position to bid for additional places.
Supporting higher education in Griffith CSU backs its commitment to provide higher education into the city of Griffith by funding an intake of 20 - 25 students in 2004 and the associated pipeline load. Here the University is responding to representations from the community and acknowledges the formation of a community steering committee to oversee the initiative. The students involved with this development will study concurrently in the CSU Bachelor of Business Studies course and the TAFE Advanced Diploma of Business Management. The University will support the Griffith community in bidding for additional Commonwealth funded places in subsequent years and will work with the community and TAFE to encourage other universities to offer courses in viable disciplines at Griffith. Further details are provided in Attachment II.
Continued development of the Graduate School of Education Progress is continuing on the Graduate School of Education, a joint initiative between the Faculties of Education at Charles Sturt University and the University of Sydney. A Memorandum of Understanding has been signed and the name has been registered with the Office of Fair Trading. A working party is currently preparing a joint professional doctorate which is proceeding through the academic committees of both institutions, with the first intake proposed for Semester 1, 2004. A joint coursework Masters program will be developed during the second half of 2003 and will replace the existing programs at Sydney and Charles Sturt. Initial contacts have been made with other high status graduate schools internationally with the aim of establishing an international network of elite graduate schools Charles Sturt University’s engagement with the professions is closely linked with, and complementary to its regional commitments. In a direct way the University plays a major role in meeting the workforce needs of the regions, across a broad range of professional fields. In a less direct way the University’s success in establishing itself as a national and international provider of education means that programs of national significance are available in the regions and that the associated resources contribute to regional economic life. To further this contribution, and in particular to move forward the developments outlined above, the University will need to source resources from outside traditional funding arrangements.
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CSU introduced the Bachelor f Nursing/Bachelor of Midwifery course in 2003 and will introduce a Bachelor of Education (K-12 Middle Schooling) course at Albury in 2004. Proposed changes to CSU’s course profile are detailed in Attachment III.