University of the Sunshine Coast
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| Type | Public |
|---|---|
| Established | 1994 |
| Chancellor | John Dobson OAM |
| Vice-Chancellor | Professor Paul Thomas AM |
Academic staff | 468 (excluding casual staff, as at March 2008) |
| Students | 6,538 (includes international and non-award students, as at Semester 1 2009) |
| Location | , , |
| Campus | Urban |
| Website | http://www.usc.edu.au/ |
The University of the Sunshine Coast is a public university based on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia. Having opened in 1996 as the Sunshine Coast University College with a 524-strong student body, the institution was renamed the University of the Sunshine Coast in 1999. In 2009, the student body exceeded 6500. Located approximately 100km north of the state capital, Brisbane, the campus is a 100 hectare flora and fauna reserve, adjoining the Mooloolah River National Park.
Undergraduate and postgraduate (coursework and higher degree by research) programs are offered in each faculty, with the majority of the University's research focussed in two main areas, sustainability and regional engagement. The University also offers dual degree programs in conjunction with the Sunshine Coast Institute of TAFE. Study areas are divided into six disciplines, these being Business and Information Technology, Communication and Design, Education, Health, Humanities and Social Sciences, and Science and Engineering.
The University is listed on the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students. The University's CRICOS provider number is 01595D.
History
The first discussions of a university for the Sunshine Coast region began in 1973. In 1989 the Commonwealth government approved the establishment of the University. On July 1, 1994 the Queensland Parliament passed the Sunshine Coast University College Act 1994.[1][2]
The University was established in 1994 and first opened in 1996, as the Sunshine Coast University College. The University of the Sunshine Coast Act 1998[3] was passed in Queensland Parliament on November 19 of that year, formally legislating the independent status of the university. The University changed to its current name of the University of the Sunshine Coast in 1999. It was created by the Australian government to serve the growing population of the Sunshine Coast region, north of Brisbane, in Queensland. The University of the Sunshine Coast is the first greenfields university established in Australia since 1971.
Planning President Professor Paul Thomas AM became the inaugural Vice-Chancellor on January 1 1996 with John Dobson OAM, who had been a University Council member since 1998, appointed Chancellor in March 2007, filling the role vacated by pastoralist Ian Kennedy AO. Mr Kennedy AO had served as Chancellor for the previous nine years. Mr Dobson was formally installed as Chancellor by the then Governor of Queensland, Ms Quentin Bryce AC, on May 8 2007.
The student body has grown consistently since the University opened in 1996 with an intake of 524 students. The most recent intake, for Semester 1, 2009, added 2,811 new enrollments to the student body, taking the total number of students to 6,538 (this figure includes non-award students such as international exchange and study abroad students (306), and secondary school students undertaking accelerated programs (85)).
Rankings
USC has been independently ranked as a five-star performer in the 2009 Good Universities Guide[4] for teaching quality, staff qualifications, electronic support and graduate satisfaction. Four stars were awarded for academic services. The Good Universities Guide results are released each year in August.
In 2007, the Australian Universities Quality Agency (AUQA) audited USC as part of their assessment of all Australian universities. AUQA is a national agency that operates independently of governments and the higher education sector. The report commended USC for “its significant achievements since inception” and awarded USC commendations for[5]:
- quality learning and teaching
- Headstart Program
- GO Program
- student support services
- work integrated learning
- degree approval process
According to the Australian Government’s Department of Education, Science and Training, USC has the highest proportion of academic staff with Doctoral or Masters qualifications of any university in Queensland - and the fifth highest in Australia[6].
Graduates have consistently given USC top marks for educational experience, with a 92 percent satisfaction rating in the 2007 Course Experience Questionnaire[7].
The University’s GO (Global Opportunities) Program received an award from the Queensland Government at the Celebrating International Education and Training Industry Showcase in August 2007[8] for promoting internationalisation.
In March 2008 the University was one of 99 organisations nationally and one of 10 in Queensland to earn an Employer of Choice for Women citation[9]. The citations are awarded annually by the Federal Government’s Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency (EOWA). The university has received the citation for four consecutive years to 2008[10].
In recent years, four of the University's academics have been awarded citations from the Australian Learning and Teaching Council. In 2007, Cultural Studies senior lecturer Dr Karen Brooks and Marketing and Tourism lecturer Gayle Mayes earned the award for their contribution to student learning[11], while in 2008 associate professor and Head of School of Communication Stephen Lamble and associate lecturer Gill Cowden shared a citation for "creating innovative curricula and developing research informed teaching resources that enhance graduate employment opportunities in the profession of journalism".[12]
Campus and locations
The University of the Sunshine Coast campus is located at Sippy Downs in Queensland, Australia. USC also has teaching facilities in Noosa, and operates an education and research facility at Dilli Village on Fraser Island. The Sippy Downs campus is approximately 100km north of Brisbane, the state capital. The campus is a 100-hectare flora and fauna reserve, and borders the Mooloolah River National Park.
The Sippy Downs site was a former sugar cane farm, located at the geographical heart of the Sunshine Coast and its shires, in close proximity to the Bruce Highway and other major transport routes.
The buildings on campus have received more than 25 awards[13] for planning, architecture and construction. In 2000 the university received the Royal Australian Institute of Architects President's Award, and in 1997 the Library was awarded the Sir Zelman Cowen Award for Public Buildings.
All buildings on campus focus on environmentally sustainable design to suit the sub-tropical climate of the Sunshine Coast. Buildings have been designed with strategies for passive lighting and natural ventilation to minimise the use of non-renewable energy.
In May 2007, two of the University's newest buildings were opened, these being the A$12 million science building and A$13 million Chancellery. In July 2007, the A$10 million indoor sports stadium was opened by Federal Education, Science and Training Minister Julie Bishop. A year later, Federal Treasurer Wayne Swan opened the A$13 million Health and Sport Centre, which features testing and research laboratories, a gymnasium and public psychology clinic[14].
Organisation
The University is organised into three academic faculties, with two further divided into schools.
- Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
- School of Communication
- School of Social Sciences
- Faculty of Business
- Faculty of Science, Health and Education
- School of Health and Sport Sciences
- School of Science and Education
The University Council is the governing body, with the Chancellor presiding over Council meetings. The Council is comprised of 19 members, including the Chancellor, drawn from the University staff, student body and wider community.
The Academic Board is the University's senior academic body, established to advise the Council about teaching, scholarship and research matters concerning the University, to formulate proposals for the academic policies of the University, to monitor the academic activities of the University's faculties, and to promote and encourage scholarship and research at the University.
Research
The University of the Sunshine Coast’s research focus is on regional engagement and sustainability issues. Research efforts are presently concentrating on applied genetics in primary production, regional sustainability and the health professions. The University has three core research groups, being the Centre for Healthy Activities, Sport and Exercise, the GeneCology Research Group, and the Sustainability Research Centre.
The Centre for Healthy Activities, Sport and Exercise (CHASE) undertakes research and related activities in the areas of preventative health and rehabilitation, and understanding and enhancing sports performance. Projects include undertaking consultancies and tenders, conducting short courses and conferences and contributing to policy debate in areas such as biomechanical assessment, physiological profiling, sports coach education, and the implementation of healthy programs.
The GeneCology Research Group operates in the areas of genetics, ecology, genomics and physiology and the interaction between these. The research group addresses issues of sustainability through research on sustainable production of aquaculture, horticulture and forestry systems, biodiversity conservation and sustainable urban forestry and horticulture.
The Sustainability Research Centre focuses on sustainable communities and sustainable environments, and the institutions that relate to them. The research focus is based around coastal management, climate change, water management, natural and cultural heritage, innovation, adaptive growth, and community wellbeing.
USC research centres actively seek grants and funding, with the Sustainability Research Centre securing more $2 million in funding in 2008, leading to the submission of more than 100 research papers. $1.3 million of that funding was drawn from the CSIRO’s Collaborative Fund. More recently, a separate research team secured an AUSAID grant worth more than $500,000 in May 2009.
The Coast Research Database provides open access to the University of the Sunshine Coast's research output. The purpose of the database is to make the research output of the University accessible to local, national and international communities.
University-based organisations
The University of the Sunshine Coast has one subsidiary company – the Innovation Centre Sunshine Coast Pty Ltd. Located at the northern end of the campus, the Innovation Centre is the first stage of a planned technology park precinct for Sippy Downs [15]. The Innovation Centre comprises a business incubator for start-up technology businesses and a business accelerator for established technology, knowledge-based, and professional service firms.
The Innovation Centre provides serviced office space, high speed optical fibre Internet connection, business development coaching and support. As of November 2008, there are 25 businesses in the Innovation Centre, with space in the Accelerator to accommodate more.
Student accommodation
Three student accommodation complexes are located next to the campus in Chancellor Park. Varsity Apartments, UniCentral and The Village are privately-owned and operated. All are within walking distance of the campus, linked by pedestrian pathways.
Each accommodation complex has apartments that come furnished and have low usage Internet access. The general layout in an apartment is a shared kitchen and living room, with four single bedrooms, each having a private bathroom and toilet. The complexes are gated and have BBQs, pools and outdoor sports courts (such as tennis/basketball and volleyball).
The University also keeps an off-campus accommodation register for students and staff looking for accommodation in the local area. Most of the listings are for share accommodation.
References
- ^ Establishment of the University of the Sunshine Coast
- ^ Sunshine Coast University College Act 1994 (PDF), retrieved 2009-05-25
- ^ University of the Sunshine Coast Act 1998 (PDF), retrieved 2009-05-25
- ^ USC is a five-star performer - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia
- ^ http://www.auqa.edu.au/qualityaudit/reports/auditreport_usc_2007.doc
- ^ Department of Education, Science and Training Staff 2006: Selected Higher Education Statistics, 2006
- ^ 2007 Course Experience Questionnaire, conducted by Graduate Careers Australia - Overall Satisfaction Index, broad agreement
- ^ Department of the Premier and Cabinet - 2007 Industry Showcase
- ^ 2008 Employer of Choice for Women list
- ^ 2008 Employer of Choice for Women list - Organisations new to the list and those with previous citations
- ^ 2007 Carrick Citations for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning
- ^ ALTC Citations for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning 2008
- ^ Architecture awards
- ^ Milestones 2007-2008
- ^ "Sunshine Coast Regional Council current projects - Sunshine Coast Business and Technology Precinct". Retrieved 25 May 2009.