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About the University

History and Future

Charles Sturt University (CSU) was established in 1989 as a multi-campus institution and has grown into a dynamic and progressive university that is well-known for its innovative approach to education and applied research. Our nine Australian campuses at Albury-Wodonga, Bathurst, Canberra, Dubbo, Goulburn, Orange, Parramatta, Port Macquarie and Wagga Wagga provide local access to higher education across New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory and Victoria. CSU also has a campus in Ontario, Canada.

Our capacity for flexible delivery and international reputation for online learning provide access to educational opportunity throughout Australia and the world. As a national university, CSU attracts almost 11,000 students from metropolitan NSW, more than 12,000 from regional NSW and an additional 8,500 students from other Australian states and territories. We deliver educational opportunities to almost 6,000 international students on our onshore campuses, originating from almost 120 countries. There are also around 2,350 international students enrolled at CSU Study Centres in Sydney and Melbourne. CSU was the first foreign university to commence operations in Ontario, Canada, with the establishment of the Bachelor of Primary Education Studies in 2005. CSU in Ontario has since received Ministerial Consent to expand its offerings, now including the Bachelor of Early Childhood Studies, as well as postgraduate programs in business administration and international education (school leadership).

Through our network of campuses, and in close association with industry, professions and government, we continue our commitment to maintaining a course and research profile that meets the needs and supports the aspirations of our communities, and contributes to the enrichment of inland Australia. Our capacity and reputation for distance education and online learning provide additional education options for students seeking to balance study, work, family and lifestyle commitments, and extend CSU’s sphere of influence to metropolitan areas, interstate and overseas. We are challenging traditional approaches to learning and teaching with flexible delivery systems that are continually being refined to improve course delivery.

We consider our inland, national and international roles to be integrally linked and mutually reinforcing. CSU’s ability to attract students from Australia and around the world and our inland location enable us to make a distinctive national and international contribution in such fields as health sciences, food and water security, environmental sustainability and economic prosperity. Our four faculties (Arts, Business, Education and Science) comprise several schools and centres. Faculties operate across campuses and are responsible for developing and delivering courses, while Schools are generally based on a single campus and carry responsibility for teaching subjects. Administrative and academic support services are provided by the divisions, centres and offices that operate across our campuses.

A consistently high graduate employment rate is indicative of our success in learning and teaching. Our responsiveness to the changing trends and needs of society, industry and commerce sees us playing an increasingly important role in regional research and development. Over many years, we have combined our learning resources, delivery systems and experience with our reputation in multi-site delivery to enrol students around the world. CSU now has more than 130 institutional linkages in 29 countries that foster cultural exchange, course delivery and research. CSU degrees are also offered at partner institutions in Cambodia, China, Germany, Hong Kong and Switzerland.

Research is focused through institutes and centres located across our campuses. CSU hosts the Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics (CAPPE) which was established as an Australian Research Council (ARC) Special Research Centre in 2000 and is a partner in the ARC Centre of Excellence for Policing and Security.

CSU has six Research Centres:

Research centres established within the Faculty structure include the:

CSU is also a partner in two Cooperative Research Centres:

The University Strategy 2013-15 is led by a mission statement that begins with the words from the writings of Charles Sturt:

For the Public Good

We are a university of the land and people of our regions.  True to the character of regional Australia we have gumption, we have soul and we collaborate with others. 

We develop holistic, far-sighted people who help their communities grow and flourish. 
Acknowledging the culture and insight of Indigenous Australians, CSU’s ethos is clearly described by the Wiradjuri phrase: ‘yindyamarra winhanga-nha’ (‘the wisdom of respectfully knowing how to live well in a world worth living in’). 

Harnessing technology, we thrive as a distributed yet connected community, engaging with people across Australia and the world.

The mission statement guides CSU’s objectives which are focused on the needs of key stakeholders: our regional and academic communities, our students and ourselves. The strategy articulates the priorities that we will action to achieve our objectives.

Governance

CSU is committed to delivering the highest standards of governance and to establishing the culture required to assure our stakeholders of our strategic focus, operational performance and institutional accountability.