Public university in Australia From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Charles Sturt University is an Australian multi-campus public university located in New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory and Victoria. Established in 1989, it was named in honour of Captain Charles Sturt,[14] a British explorer who made expeditions into regional New South Wales and South Australia.
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Former name | List
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Motto | For the public good [1] |
Type | Public research university |
Established | |
Accreditation | TEQSA[4] |
Academic affiliations | |
Budget | A$571.02 million (2023) |
Visitor | Governor of New South Wales (ex officio)[5] |
Chancellor | Michele Allan[6] |
Vice-Chancellor | Renée Leon[7] |
Academic staff | 821 (FTE, 2023)[8] |
Administrative staff | 1,266 (FTE, 2023)[8] |
Total staff | 2,087 (FTE, 2023)[8] |
Students | 34,894 (2023)[9] |
Location | , |
Campus | Urban and regional with multiple sites[10] |
Named after | Charles Sturt[11] |
Colours | Ochre[12] |
Sporting affiliations | |
Mascot | Charlie the Cockatoo[13] |
Website | csu.edu.au |
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It is the largest regional university in Australia,[15] offering a multidisciplinary spectrum of courses in collaboration with various partners across the country.[16]
The history of Charles Sturt University dates back to 1895 with the establishment of the Bathurst Experiment Farm. The university was established on 1 July 1989 from the merger of several existing separately-administered Colleges of Advanced Education by the Charles Sturt University Act 1989 (Act No. 76, 1989).[17]
The constituent colleges included the Mitchell College of Advanced Education in Bathurst, the Riverina-Murray Institute of Higher Education in Albury-Wodonga, and the Riverina College of Advanced Education in Wagga Wagga.[18] The Mitchell College of Advanced Education was formed on 1 January 1970, and the Riverina Murray Institute of Education campus in Wagga Wagga and Albury-Wodonga had operated since 1984.[19][20] The latter institution had earlier succeeded the Riverina College of Advanced Education, which was itself the result of an even earlier merger between Wagga Agricultural College and the Wagga Wagga Teachers College.[20]
Charles Sturt established a Study Centre in Sydney[21] in 1998 and in Melbourne[22] in 2007. These Study Centres were operated by a private education group called Study Group Australia.[23] On 31 December 2022, Charles Sturt let its relationship with Study Group Australia expire. According to Charles Sturt's website, the Brisbane Study Centre is closed, and courses at the Sydney and Melbourne locations are in teach-out mode.[24]
In 1998, the Goulburn campus was established to deliver policing education to New South Wales Police.[16]
In 1999, the Dubbo campus foundation stone was laid. The university also launched its China Joint Cooperation Program with four universities[which?] in China.[citation needed]
On 1 January 2005, Charles Sturt formalised moves to assume control of University of Sydney's Orange campus, which came into effect on 1 January 2005.[25] Between 2005 and 2015, the university had expanded to include an offshore campus in Burlington, Ontario, in Canada.[26][27] In July 2015, Charles Sturt ceased to operate its Ontario campus due to the legislative and regulatory environment in Ontario.[28]
In 2005, Charles Sturt responded to the shortage of veterinarians in rural and regional Australia with the first veterinary science students starting their degrees at the Wagga Wagga campus.[citation needed] In 2008, the university also offered dentistry courses for the first time.[citation needed] This led to the development of five community-based clinics across its regional campuses.
On 14 February 2011, Charles Sturt University changed its logo. The Sturt's desert pea flower (Swainsona formosa) was stylised and made prominent, with the full name of the university as part of its logo.[29][30]
On 1 May 2012, a milestone was reached as the university opened a new campus in Port Macquarie, its first coastal regional campus, making higher education accessible to the Port Macquarie-Hastings region.[31]
In 2013, the university implemented a gas engine cogeneration power plant to help minimise fuel costs and carbon emissions.[32]
On 18 April 2016, staff and students at the Port Macquarie campus moved into the first stage of their purpose-built campus. The second stage was completed in 2020 and included a New South Wales emergency services training room, an innovation hub, and student support facilities. The third stage is scheduled for completion over the coming years, with an expected student intake of 5,000 by 2030.[citation needed]
On 28 July 2016, Charles Sturt was declared Australia's First Official Carbon Neutral University.[33] The Government of Australia's Carbon Neutral Program certified the university as "carbon neutral" against the National Carbon Offset Standard.
On 9 May 2018, Charles Sturt and Western Sydney University announced a partnership with the Australian Government's network to establish the Murray-Darling Medical School, providing joint medical programs across the Murray-Darling Basin region.[34] Charles Sturt's teaching base was established at the university's Orange campus to extend on the existing Western Sydney University program.[35]
In May 2019, for its 30th anniversary, the university announced its new branding and visual identity. This included a new crest that drew on the original coat of arms and the logos of its predecessor institutions. The crest's design includes patterns that draw on the culture and symbolism of First Nations Australians and echo the landscapes of regional New South Wales.[citation needed]
On 29 May 2019, Charles Sturt University announced it joined the Regional Universities Network (RUN), becoming the seventh member of the group.[36]
In March 2021, Charles Sturt University's first medical students commenced study at the university's Orange campus as part of the Joint Program in Medicine with Western Sydney University. The Joint Program in Medicine is designed to train doctors in the regions to help address the shortfall in rural and regional medical professionals.[citation needed]
Charles Sturt University has six main campuses in Albury-Wodonga, Bathurst, Dubbo, Orange, Port Macquarie and Wagga Wagga.
The Albury-Wodonga campus is situated on the border of New South Wales and Victoria. There is a strong focus on environmental science, education, business, and allied health at this campus.[citation needed]
Campus features:
The Bathurst campus is home to engineering, communication, education, laws, and a broad range of health degrees, including paramedicine and exercise science.[citation needed]
Campus features:
The Dubbo campus offers social work, nursing, and preparation courses with a focus on delivering education to First Nations students.[citation needed]
Campus features:
The Orange campus offers courses with a strong focus on allied health, medical sciences, dentistry, medicine, and pharmacy.[citation needed]
Campus features:
The Port Macquarie campus is the university's newest and first coastal regional campus.
Campus features:
Situated on the banks of the Murrumbidgee River, the Wagga Wagga campus is the university's agricultural and sciences hub. Students can also study a range of animal and veterinary sciences, education, business, allied health, information technology, and humanities degrees.[citation needed]
Campus features:
Charles Sturt University is governed by a 16-member Council, whose members include the chancellor and vice-chancellor. Dr. Michele Allan, a company director, food industry, and agribusiness specialist with an academic background in biomedical science, management, and law, is the current and third chancellor of the university since 3 December 2014; and Professor Renée Leon became the fifth vice-chancellor on 1 September 2021.[37]
Charles Sturt University has three main faculties, each offering a range of courses and discipline opportunities. Each faculty comprises a number of schools and centres for specific areas of study and research:[38]
As of January 2025[update] schools and centres within the Faculty of Arts and Education include:[42]
The School of Social Work and Arts formerly offered bachelor degrees in creative industries (with various specialisations), stage and screen, and creative arts and design, but these were being phased out from 2021.[43][44][a]
This faculty brings together a range of courses in areas of business, justice, and behavioural sciences disciplines. The justice side of the faculty covers policing, security, law, customs, excise and border management. The behavioural science discipline offers psychology courses. Schools and centres include:
The science faculty is one of the most broadly based scientific academic concentrations in Australasia. Schools include:
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Charles Sturt University libraries operate at its main campuses. The libraries offer eBooks, eJournals, encyclopedias, multimedia resources and course readings through Primo Search. The libraries also provide online library workshops, library resource guides, and video tutorials.[46]
Charles Sturt University has one of the highest graduate employment rates in Australia. Within just four months of graduation, 89 per cent of undergraduates’ secure full-time employment. Postgraduate outcomes show that 91 per cent of postgraduates also find full-time work within four months of completing their studies.
For the eighth consecutive year, Charles Sturt has been ranked number one among Australian public universities for the percentage of undergraduates who find full-time employment after their studies. [citation needed]
Professor Andrew Clark was recognized by the Australian Society of Viticulture and Oenology in their Awards for Excellence.
Students at Charles Sturt University are represented by Charles Sturt University Student Senate – formerly the CSU Students' Association (CSUSA). Charles Sturt's Student Senate is the overarching university student body and comprises the following affiliates:
The Charles Sturt University Football Club at Bathurst was formed under the name of Bathurst Teachers College in 1963, making it one of the oldest football clubs in Bathurst. The club changed its name multiple times to match the educational institute, gaining its current name when Mitchell College was rebranded to Charles Sturt University.[citation needed]
Members of Charles Sturt University alumni include notable TV presenters Andrew Denton, Amanda Keller, Latika Bourke and Hamish Macdonald.[47] Leslie Weston was awarded a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science in 2023.[48] Craig Steven Wright, who has falsely claimed himself to be the inventor of Bitcoin,[49][50] has several degrees from Charles Sturt University.[51][52]
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