Central Queensland University welcomed the release of the AUQA Audit Report as the University continues significant organisational change and capacity building.

“The report is very much aligned with our own analysis and activities these last two years, before the audit.

"On a whole, the auditors recognised our unique position in the marketplace and presented a reasonably balanced and constructive view.

"CQU is still a very young university and their recommendations will influence the ongoing tasks of building CQU,” explained Vice Chancellor and President John Rickard. (Phillips Curran conducted an independent review of CQU in 2004).

The Audit report cited CQU as amongst best practice in Australia for ensuring the consistency of course delivery and student participation across its multiple teaching sites.

It said CQU excels at academic service and also commended CQU for its robust quality assurance systems and strong partnership management in international education saying there is little tangible difference between the student learning experiences at different locations.

“The Quality agency acknowledges that the CQU public-private partnership model, especially with C_Management Services (C_MS), works and that the relationship warrants support and commendation.

"The report has reinforced to us the need to strengthen our partnerships and to make those relationships more interactive, more robust and more transparent,” added Professor Rickard.

The report concluded that CQU demonstrated an ability to operate very effectively in a commercial environment and called for further development of the University’s relationship with C_MS to assure growth in international student numbers.

(All Australian universities international enrolments, including study abroad as well as full degree student enrolments, increased by 4.6% from Term 1 2004 to Term 1 2005. CQU’s international enrolments increased by 38.6% over the same period. Source: IDP Australia, International Students in Australian Universities Report - Semester 1, 2005 at 14 July 2005. Also, CQU has twice received the national export for education, in 2002 and 2005).

On matters that are vital for the outcomes of our students, the auditors were complimentary, commending CQU for its ability to help students manage the transition to university and for supporting students at academic risk and fostering access and success for students especially those from rural and remote areas and disadvantaged backgrounds.

Auditors noted the University’s limited research activity but commended CQU for engaging with its communities and providing high quality research in conjunction with regional and industry partners, citing CQU’s expertise in Railway Engineering and Primary Industries research.

The University intends to specialise in a small number of niche research areas and will continue to develop fresh young researchers as it maintains its commitment to its regional communities.

The Audit Report highlighted a need for stronger academic leadership at CQU, which the University has already addressed by restructuring its executive team. Within the last six months CQU has established a new Deputy Vice Chancellor position and installed two Pro Vice Chancellors – one for Academic Services and the other for Research and Innovation – and is renewing its programs and degrees within three faculties (from five) under the leadership of three Executive Deans.

“CQU is unlike any other Australian university. We did not want to hide any issues that needed to be tackled and we come away from the audit experience better off and I’d even say energised, acknowledging our weaknesses but knowing that we’re headed in the right direction,” said Professor Rickard.

CQU services almost 25-thousand international and domestic students at five different Central Queensland campuses and in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Singapore, Fiji and by Distance Education. The audit characterised the University’s academic model as tight, comprehensively implemented and effective.