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About the University

History and Future

Charles Sturt University (CSU) was established in 1989 as a multi-campus institution and has grown into a dynamic and progressive university that is well-known for its innovative approach to education and applied research. Our eight Australian campuses at Albury-Thurgoona, Bathurst, Canberra, Dubbo, Goulburn, Orange, Parramatta and Wagga Wagga provide local access to higher education across New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory and Victoria.

Our capacity for flexible delivery and international reputation for online learning provide access to educational opportunity throughout Australia and the world. As a national University, CSU attracts almost 11,000 students from metropolitan NSW, more than 11,000 from regional NSW and additional 6,300-plus students from other Australian states and territories. Charles Sturt University delivers educational opportunities to almost 5,000 international students on our onshore campuses, originating from 114 countries. There are also more than 700 students enrolled at CSU Study Centres in Sydney and Melbourne. Through our network of campuses, and in close association with industry, professions and government, the University continued its commitment to maintaining a course and research profile that meets the needs and supports the aspirations of our communities, and contributes to the enrichment of inland Australia.

In 2005, Charles Sturt University, Ontario, began operations delivering primary teacher education programs locally to Canadian students. From April 2009, the University was granted Ministerial Consent to increase its offerings from Ontario. From mid-2009, the three new courses offered are in early childhood studies, and postgraduate programs in business administration and international education (school leadership).

We consider our inland, national and international roles to be integrally linked and mutually reinforcing. We believe that the University’s success in attracting national and international students strengthens the programs it is able to offer its inland communities. The University’s inland location enables it to make a distinctive national and international contribution in such fields as health sciences, food and water security, environmental sustainability and economic prosperity. The University’s four faculties (Arts, Business, Education and Science) comprise several schools and centres. Faculties operate across campuses and are responsible for developing and delivering courses, while schools are generally based on a single campus and carry responsibility for teaching subjects. Administrative and academic support services are provided by the divisions, centres and offices that operate across the University’s campuses.

Our capacity and reputation for distance education and online learning provide additional education options for mature age students and extend the University´s sphere of influence to metropolitan areas, interstate and overseas. We are challenging traditional approaches to learning and teaching with flexible delivery systems that are continually being refined to improve course delivery. An excellent graduate employment rate is indicative of our success in learning and teaching, and our responsiveness to the changing trends and needs of society, industry and commerce sees us playing an increasingly important role in regional research and development. Over many years, we have combined our learning resources, delivery systems and experience with our reputation in multi-site delivery to enroll students in co-operation with third parties. For example, Charles Sturt University enrolls international students through collaborative arrangements in countries including China, Malaysia, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Germany, Sweden, USA and India.

Research is focused through institutes and centres located across the University’s campuses. The University hosts the Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics (CAPPE) which is an Australian Research Council (ARC) Special Research Centre and is a partner in the ARC Centre of Excellence for Policing and Security.

The University has four Centres of Research Excellence:

Five Strategic Research Centres:

The University is also a partner in six Co-operative Research Centres:

In 2007 the University Council approved a new five-year University Strategy, identifying four key objectives essential to the achievement of this goal:

Our mission is to:

Governance

Charles Sturt University is committed to delivering the highest standards of governance and to establishing the culture required to assure our stakeholders of our strategic focus, operational performance and institutional accountability.