Content
Applications continue to soar at USC
25 November 2006
Our own University continues to defy the national trend of declining higher education enrolments. On top of a 30% increase in preferences last year, we currently have a further 22% increase in first preferences for students seeking entry next February.
It is one of the most encouraging outcomes possible for a region so long denied its own University. This outcome means that the growth of disciplines, research, student support and facilities, and building infrastructure continue to grow to meet that demand.
An increasingly attractive campus, outstanding support for students, highly qualified staff, and many innovative initiatives like the ‘Go Overseas’, or GO program, ‘Enterprise’ programs, and many work experience opportunities add to the attractiveness of Australia’s fastest growing university.
Not only, however, are we increasingly successful, but we are Coast-based and solely concerned with enhancing this region.
In the current circumstances of high employment, intimidating student debt, and a distorted skills debate, universities with falling enrolments are looking for new opportunities in growth regions. But they are usually feeding their main campuses and rarely have deep-seated, long-term commitment to regional development.
As the OECD study of USC and the Sunshine Coast underscores, this is not the case here. There is much still to be gained from genuine partnerships between this University, businesses, and councils, and the longer those are delayed or resisted the more the impact and opportunities will be diminished.
In the long term Sippy Downs will inevitably emerge as the knowledge centre of the Coast and the higher the investment the higher the returns, and these already exceed $100 million a year, in economic terms alone, from the University’s operations.
Whether it takes a long or short period to be the regional ‘jewel in the crown’ for knowledge and research is dependent on many factors, but the outcome is already shaping and is inexorable.
Professor Paul Thomas is Vice-Chancellor of the University of the Sunshine Coast.