CQUniversity Australia
Central Queensland University is an Australian public university based in central Queensland. CQUniversity is the only Australian university with a campus presence in every mainland state. Its main campus is at Norman Gardens in Rockhampton, however, it also has campuses in Adelaide, Brisbane, Bundaberg, Cairns, Emerald, Gladstone, Mackay, Melbourne, Noosa, Perth, Rockhampton City, Sydney and Townsville. CQUniversity also partners with university centres in several regional areas across Australia.
The university was established in 1967 in Parkhurst as the Queensland Institute of Technology and achieved full university status as the University of Central Queensland in 1992 before being renamed Central Queensland University in 1994.
History
Pre-1958: Push for University Decentralisation in Queensland
In 1941, the Queensland Labor Premier, William Forgan Smith, introduced section 17 of the National Education Co-ordination and University of Queensland Amendment Act, which provided for the creation of university colleges outside Brisbane. In 1944 and 1945, a series of Rockhampton delegations lobbied the Queensland government for a university college, but after the University of Queensland established a network of provincial study centres in the late 1940s the issue became dormant.Rockhampton's university campaign resumed in the 1950s as Central Queensland became an emerging heavy industry base, with developing coal mines and Gladstone emerging as a light metals centre. In the Queensland parliament in November 1956, the local member for Rockhampton stated "more adequate facilities for technical education" were required for the region and, appealing to the philosophy of a "fair go", he urged that Rockhampton people be given "the same opportunities as those in Brisbane". In 1958, P J Goldston, an engineer mooted the possibility of a Central Queensland university with Rockhampton engineers.
1958 to 1967: Central Queensland University Development Association (UDA)
After further community discussion, the Central Queensland University Development Association was constituted. The Rockhampton Mayor, Alderman Rex Pilbeam, called the first public meeting of UDA on 3 March 1959.The UDA presented university proposals to government and, in 1961, the Queensland government reserved 161 hectares of government land at Parkhurst on the Bruce Highway near the Yeppoon turnoff as a tertiary education site. Establishment finally was resolved in March 1965, when the Commonwealth government's Martin Report was tabled in parliament by Prime Minister Menzies―who announced the foundation of a new style of tertiary institution at both Rockhampton and Toowoomba. The new institutes were to be affiliated with the main Queensland Institute of Technology campus in Brisbane and lacked the autonomy of universities, being controlled by the Queensland Department of Education.
1967 to 1971: Queensland Institute of Technology (Capricornia) (QITC)
The Queensland Institute of Technology first opened in February 1967 without a permanent campus or significant development of buildings. The initial intake was 71 full-time and part-time students. While building progressed at Parkhurst, the first classes were held on the top floor of the Technical College in Bolsover Street, which lacked laboratories, library facilities or stock.By 1969, most staff and students transferred to the Parkhurst campus, still a bushland site in progress. In the summer months, the campus was often ringed by spectacular bush fires or deluged with torrential rain: cars slid in the mud or were bogged and the QITC's foundation Principal, Dr Allan Skertchly, ferried people in his 4WD across floodwaters. Some students slept temporarily on mattresses in the canteen while waiting for the first residential college to open.
1971 to 1989: Capricornia Institute of Advanced Education (CIAE)
After the passage of the amended Education Act in 1971, QITC became an autonomous, multi-functional college under the control of its own council and took the name of Capricornia Institute of Advanced Education.Along with creating a traditional university campus experience in a natural setting, the CIAE also developed engineering and science projects. The CIAE became the first college in Australia to introduce a Bachelor of Science externally in 1974.
By 1979, external enrolments at the CIAE had increased to 825 and by 1985 distance education had become a major campus operation, exceeding internal enrolments and offering 12 courses involving some 100 subjects and processing 23,980 study packages annually.
Between 1978 and 1989, the CIAE established branch campuses in Central Queensland at Gladstone, Mackay, Bundaberg and Emerald.
1990 to 1991: University College of Central Queensland (UCCQ)
The Capricornia Institute of Advanced Education became the University College of Central Queensland in 1990 under the sponsorship of the University of Queensland.1992 to 1994: University of Central Queensland (UCQ)
The University College of Central Queensland became the University of Central Queensland in 1992 when it gained full university status.1994 to present: Central Queensland University (CQUniversity)
In 1994, the name Central Queensland University was adopted. In 2008 it was rebranded with the current title of CQUniversity Australia. In 2001, the university appointed Queensland's first female Vice-Chancellor, Professor Glenice Hancock, who retired in 2004.From 2009 onward, CQUniversity launched a new strategic plan to grow student numbers and expand course offerings, especially within the health disciplines. New course offerings included physiotherapy, podiatry, occupational therapy, speech pathology, oral health sonography, and medical imaging. CQUniversity also delivers courses in discipline areas including apprenticeships, trades and training, business, accounting and law, creative, performing and visual arts, education and humanities, engineering and built environment, health, information technology and digital media, psychology, social work and community services, science and environment, and work and study preparation.
In 2014, CQUniversity merged with CQ TAFE to establish Queensland's first dual sector university. CQUniversity is now the public provider of TAFE in the central Queensland region and also delivers vocational courses at other locations across Australia and online. Following the merger CQUniversity now delivers more than 300 courses from short courses through to PhDs.
CQUniversity is the only Australian university to be accredited as a by global social innovation group .
In March 2018 the university announced it was in talks to establish a medical school at its Rockhampton and Bundaberg campuses. Discussions are with the Hospital and Health Services of Central Queensland and Wide Bay, the main physical organisation of Queensland Health in the two regions.
Campuses and buildings
CQUniversity has the following campuses:- CQUniversity Adelaide
- CQUniversity Brisbane
- CQUniversity Bundaberg
- CQUniversity Cairns
- CQUniversity Emerald
- CQUniversity Gladstone
- CQUniversity Mackay, City
- CQUniversity Mackay, Ooralea
- CQUniversity Melbourne
- CQUniversity Rockhampton, City
- CQUniversity Rockhampton, North
- CQUniversity Sydney
- CQUniversity Townsville
Rockhampton campuses
Two campuses operate in the Rockhampton region: Rockhampton, City and Rockhampton, North. The Rockhampton City campus is centrally located and offers a wide range of study options from certificates and diplomas to undergraduate programs. It also offers short courses in a range of areas including business, hospitality and beauty. Key facilities include Wilby's Training Restaurant, Hair Essence Hair Salon, Engineering Technology Centre, Trade training workshops and an Adult Learning Centre. The Rockhampton North campus is the university's headquarters. The campus has facilities including an Engineering Precinct, Health Clinic, Student Residence, food court and Sports Centre.The Engineering Precinct has labs for fluids, thermodynamics, thermofluids, geotech, concrete and structures, and electronics. There is also a new lecture theatre, a postgraduate area, a materials-testing area, an acoustic test cell, a soils store, and a multi-purpose project-based learning lab.
The public-access health clinic on campus caters for up to 160 clients per day. The clinic allows students to work with qualified health professionals in the areas of oral health, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, podiatry and speech pathology.
Mackay campuses
Two campuses operate in the Mackay region: CQUniversity Mackay, City and CQUniversity Mackay, Ooralea, including a Trades Training Centre. The Mackay City campus located on Sydney Street, in the Mackay CBD, delivers both vocational and academic courses. Facilities on the campus include 24-hour computer labs, training restaurants, hair dressing salon, beauty salon, canteen and library. The Mackay Ooralea campus is located on Mackay's southern outskirts and is about six kilometres from the city centre. The campus includes lecture theatres, a performance theatre, tutorial rooms, computer laboratories, a nursing laboratory, video-conference rooms, recording studios, student accommodation, a bookshop, a refectory and a library. On-site accommodation is provided at the Mackay Residential College.The Trade Training Centre caters for 1500 students doing apprenticeship programs in electrical, plumbing, carpentry, furnishing, metal fabrication, mechanical fitting and light and heavy automotive training, as well as skills training for the building, construction, mines, minerals and energy sectors.