Five talented Central Queensland University Bachelor of Performing Arts students will compete in a national choreographic competition next month.

The budding choreographers – second year dance students Dayna Fox, Julia Thornton, Joanna Warren and first year dance students Adam Sleeman and Arlene Gordon – will compete in the 2005 Australian Choreographic Competition in Geelong in July.

Foundation Campus Director at Central Queensland University Noosa, Professor David Lynch will say goodbye to CQU this September and take up his new appointment of Head of School of Education with Charles Darwin University in the Northern Territory.

Professor Lynch has been the campus director and Sub-Dean of the Noosa Bachelor of Learning Management hub for five years and was responsible for writing the early, innovative BLM courses at CQU.

Central Queensland University is embarking on a small revolution in university learning and teaching, focussing upon changing the ways students are taught and assessed.

According to CQU Deputy Vice-Chancellor Jim Mienczakowski CQU is moving away from old style teaching models and is focusing more on the student experience and student need.

Central Queensland University says its 24% increase in international student enrolments in 2005 -- at a time when some Australian universities are winding down commercial activities and international enrolments across the sector are slowing down -- is due to its ability to understand the needs and wants of international students and responding to them.

“To put in bluntly we’ve put more effort into understanding the dynamics of the international student market place,” explained CQU Vice Chancellor and President John Rickard.

CQU’s Professor Elizabeth Taylor, AO, Dean of the James Goldston Faculty of Engineering and Physical Systems at Central Queensland University, and CQU alumnus Tim Griffin (Civil Engineering and MBA) have been named among Australia’s most influential engineers by Engineers Australia.

Professor Taylor has again been named as one of the Top 100 Australia’s Most Influential Engineers for the second year running by Engineers Australia.

About 27 Central Queensland high school students got their first taste of university life during CQU Connections Uni Experience this week (from Monday June 20 to Friday June 24).

Students travelled from as far as Longreach, Blackall, Mackay and Bundaberg to attend the week-long program designed to encourage students from low socio-economic backgrounds to include university study as a viable option in their future.

Two national higher education figures warned that Australia had reached a point where it may not be able to sustain the higher education system without changing its appearance or mode of operation fundamentally.

John Mullarvey, Chief Executive Officer, Australian Vice-Chancellors' Committee, believes that the level of university reporting to both state and Commonwealth governments is impinging on their ability to fulfil their academic missions.

Nominations are now being taken for the 2005 Central Queensland Junior Robotics Competition, to be held at the Drama barn at the Central Queensland University, Rockhampton, on Sunday August 7, with over $3,000 in prizes to be won.

It’s open for both Junior and Secondary school students, under 3 separate categories; soccer, dance and rescue.

The Australian Universities Quality Agency has notified CQU of the panel who will audit operations later this year.

The panel membership is as follows: Prof Jan Thomas, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Academic), Murdoch University - Panel Chairperson; Prof Muhammad Kamil Tadjudin, Professor of Biology, School of Medicine, University of Indonesia, Jakarta; Mr Graeme Dennehy, Executive Director (Business and Administration), University of New England; Ms Felicity McGregor, University Librarian, University of Wollongong; and Mr Martin Carroll, Audit Director, AUQA.

Occupational Health & Safety 3rd year students, Damon Clarke and Greg May have been selected to represent the program, the School of Health & Human Performance, the James Goldston Faculty of Engineering & Physical Systems and Central Queensland University at the 2005 Qld Mining Industry Health Safety Conference through the generous donation of 2 sponsorship packages from Roche Mining.

The conference focuses on health and safety issues in the Qld mining industry and will be held at Jupiters Townsville Hotel and Casino from 14 – 17 August 2005.