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USC gains five stars for teaching quality
The University of the Sunshine Coast has again gained recognition for its high teaching quality with the release of the 2011 Good Universities Guide this week.
For the second consecutive year, USC has stood out as the only public university in Queensland to gain five stars for teaching quality.
The annual independent Guide, produced by Hobsons, also awarded five stars to USC for its graduates’ satisfaction with the generic skills they gained while at university.
USC scored well (four stars) for access by equity groups, Indigenous enrolments, gender balance, and for graduates’ satisfaction with their overall university experience.
Its ratings for graduates’ satisfaction were the highest awarded to any public university in Queensland.
The Good Universities Guide bases its ratings on data from the Commonwealth Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, Graduate Careers Australia’s Course Experience Questionnaire and other sources.
Vice-Chancellor Professor Greg Hill said the Good Universities Guide had consistently recognised USC’s teaching quality.
He said the five-star rating backed up the University’s recent success with six academics receiving prestigious Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC) citations in Brisbane last Tuesday (3 August).
The ALTC awards, worth $10,000 each, were awarded for the academics’ dedication to student learning in disciplines ranging from Public Health and Nutrition to Nursing Science, Sociology, Art and Digital Design.
Professor Hill said USC would not rest on its laurels, despite its five-star ratings.
“The next few years will also see USC climbing the rankings in some of the areas where a new university starts behind the eight ball – areas like research and graduate outcomes,” he said.
“We are just starting to produce graduates in professions that are in high demand locally, such as in Nursing and Psychology, and soon we’ll have graduates in Engineering.”
To see what makes the University of the Sunshine Coast so good, visit its annual Open Day this Sunday (15 August) from 10am to 3pm.
This event is an ideal opportunity to find out about the programs and courses offered at the University, go on a campus tour, chat with current students and award-winning academics, find out about career and study options and take part in some fun activities.
Download an Open Day program guide or phone (07) 5430 2890 for more details.
— Terry Walsh