Changing Gender Roles & Higher Education.

An Increased Number of Mature Age Men Starting At CQU.

Steven Hull’s plans were written in concrete – but not for long. The former Rockhampton concrete worker and labourer has built himself a new path that leads to Central Queensland University. He starts his first full year at CQU this week, working towards a degree in Education.

“Life experience showed me what’s out there if you don’t further your education,” says the 25 year old husband and father of 5 year old, Adam.

As orientation week gets underway at CQU this semester (the week of March 4th), administrators are seeing changes in the student body that reflect the changing economic/lifestyle requirements of living in Central Queensland.

Hull left school in grade ten in 1992 to go to work. But it was years of going from job to job with no clearly marked career path that made him revisit the decision he made years earlier. “It took me a while to figure things out... that it wasn’t working for me,” says Hull. “Central Queensland University is a lot more accessible than you think. I thought it was only for people with high intelligence who could afford it. But it’s for anyone, really.” Hull’s not alone in that opinion. 23 of 30 new full time attendees at CQU’s special program for mature age students are men. The program, called STEPS (for Skills for Tertiary Education and Preparatory Studies) helps ANYONE over age 19 prepare for tertiary study. Hull participated in the STEPS program in March of last year.

STEPS coordinator Jenny Simpson calls it a “real switch” for a program that originally started in 1986 to mostly help a handful of women improve their education and career possibilities. Currently, 400 students participate in all 5 regional CQU campus STEPS programs.

Hull lives in Rockhampton with his father, wife and family. He wants to stay and teach when he completes his degree in about two years.

For more information about starting university studies contact your local CQU campus in Rockhampton, Emerald, Bundaberg, Gladstone or Mackay.

Hull and Simpson are available for immediate interviews: print and broadcast.

Contact Mike Donahue, the PR manager at Central Queensland Univeristy at 0409 196 039 or 4923 2505