Charles Sturt University
Charles Sturt University is an Australian multi-campus public university located in New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory, Victoria and Queensland. Established in 1989, it was named in honour of Captain Charles Sturt, a British explorer who made expeditions into regional New South Wales and South Australia.
The University has multiple main campuses in Albury-Wodonga, Bathurst, Dubbo, Orange, Port Macquarie and Wagga Wagga. The University also has specialist campuses in Canberra, Goulburn, Manly and Parramatta. Courses are also delivered in conjunction with Study Group Australia at CSU Study Centres in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Wangaratta.
Charles Sturt University offers various Distance Education programs at Bachelor and Post-Graduate level as well as the Single Subject Study program. CSU also has various course delivery partnerships with several TAFE institutions across the country.
History
The history of Charles Sturt University dates back to 1895, with the establishment of the Bathurst Experiment Farm. Formed progressively through the merge of regional institutions in south-western and western NSW, Charles Sturt University was established on 1 July 1989 from the merger of several existing separately-administered Colleges of Advanced Education including 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, through the enactment of The Charles Sturt University Act, 1989. It is named in honour of explorer Charles Sturt.The Mitchell College of Advanced Education had been formed on 1 January 1970, and the Riverina Murray Institute of Education campus in Wagga Wagga and Albury-Wodonga had operated since 1984. 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.
In 1998, CSU established the first Study Centre in Sydney and then in Melbourne in 2007. These study centres are operated by a private education group called Study Group Australia.
On 1 January 2005, CSU formalised moves to assume control of the University of Sydney's Orange campus, which came into force on 1 January 2005. Between 2005 and 2015, CSU had expand an offshore campus in Burlington, Ontario in Canada. On July 2015, CSU "regretfully" ceased to operate its Ontario campus due to the legislative and regulatory environment in Ontario.
On 14 February 2011 CSU changed its logo. The sturt desert pea flower is now stylised and made prominent, with the full name of the university as part of its logo.
On 1 May 2012, a milestone was reached as CSU opened a new campus in Port Macquarie, CSU's first coastal, regional campus. This made Higher Education accessible to the Port Macquarie and the Hastings region.
In 2013, the University implemented a gas engine cogeneration power plant to help minimise fuel costs and carbon emissions.
On 18 April 2016 at the Port Macquarie Campus, staff and students moved into Stage One of their purpose built campus. Two more stages are expected to be complete over the coming years with an expected student intake of 5000 by the year 2030.
On 28 July 2016, CSU has been declared Australia's First Official Carbon Neutral University.
On 9 May 2018, CSU and Western Sydney University announce as partners with the Australian Government's network, to establish The Murray-Darling Medical School providing Joint Medical Programs across the Murray-Darling Basin Region. Teaching base to be established at CSU Orange campus to extend existing Western Sydney University program.
In 2019, the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency imposed five conditions on CSU's renewal of registration as an Australian university, including concerns about the academic standards of CSU. One of the conditions, on academic integrity at CSU study centres, was lifted, and CSU was re-registered for a period of four years rather than seven.
On 29 May 2019, CSU has announced it will join the Regional Universities Network, becoming the seventh member of the group.
Campuses
The University has multiple main campuses in Albury-Wodonga, Bathurst, Dubbo, Orange, Port Macquarie and Wagga Wagga. The University also has specialist campuses in Canberra, Goulburn, Manly and Parramatta. Courses are also delivered in conjunction with Study Group Australia at CSU Study Centres in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Wangaratta.Library
Library branches operate at the Albury-Wodonga, Bathurst, Dubbo, Orange, Port Macquarie and Wagga Wagga campuses. As of 2015, 69% of book purchases were ebooks.Faculties and Academic Departments
CSU 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:- Faculty of Arts and Education
- Faculty of Business, Justice and Behavioural Sciences
- Faculty of Science
Faculty of Arts and education
The Arts Discipline cover subject segments of visual arts, performing arts, communications, history, human services, literature, philosophy, sociology, and theology. Schools & Centres include:
- School of Communication and Creative Industries
- School of Humanities and Social Sciences
- School of Theology
- Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture
- Centre for Islamic Sciences and Civilisation
- School of Education
- School of Indigenous Australian Studies
- School of Information Studies
- School of Teacher Education
Faculty of Business, Justice and Behavioural Sciences
The Business Schools and centres facilitated include:
- School of Accounting and Finance
- School of Computing and Mathematics
- School of Management and Marketing
- CSU Engineering
- School of Policing Studies
- Australian Graduate School of Policing and Security
- Centre for Customs and Excise Studies
- Centre for Law and Justice
Faculty of Science
CSU's Faculty of Science is one of the most broadly based scientific academic concentrations in Australasia. Schools include:- School of Agricultural and Wine Sciences
- School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences
- School of Biomedical Sciences
- School of Community Health
- School of Dentistry and Health Sciences
- School of Environmental Sciences
- School of Exercise Science, Sport and Health
- School of Nursing, Midwifery and Indigenous Health
Academia
Distance Education
Charles Sturt University offers a Distance Education program that allows students to choose courses at bachelor and post graduate level as well as the Single Subject Study program. The Distance Education program is designed for students who may be unable to attend the university campus in person, using printed or electronic media to facilitate communication between teachers and students. The coursework is designed with the assumption that students are already working in the same field they are studying.NSW HSC Online
NSW HSC Online, an abbreviation of New South Wales Higher School Certificate Online, is a collaborative partnership between the NSW Department of Education and Training and Charles Sturt University. NSW HSC Online is supported by the Board of Studies NSW and the Professional Teachers Council NSW.Awards
On 28 July 2016, the Australian Government's Carbon Neutral Program have certified Charles Sturt University as Carbon Neutral. The institution was certified as Carbon Neutral by the National Carbon Offset Standard – Carbon Neutral Program, administered by the Federal Department of the Environment and Energy.Student life
Students at CSU are represented by Charles Sturt University Student Senate – formerly the CSU Students' Association. The CSU Student Senate is the overarching student body of CSU and comprises the following affiliates:- Orange Student Representative Committee – formerly Orange Students Association.
- Murray Campus Council representing Albury-Wodonga Campus – formerly Murray Campus Students' Association.
- Bathurst Student Representative Committee. Note: Previous Former Names include Mitchell Student Guild, Charles Sturt University Students' Association Bathurst & Mitchell Association of Student Councils.
- Dubbo Student Representative Committee .
- Rivcoll Student Representative Committee representing Wagga Wagga Campus – formerly known as Rivcoll Union Inc.
- Port Student Representative Committee representing Port Macquarie Campus.
- Online Study Student Representative Committee representing CSU's Online Study / Distance Education Students.