Southern Cross University
Encyclopedia : S : SO : SOU : Southern Cross University
Southern Cross University is a University based on the far north coast of New South Wales, Australia. It is a well-established regional University with around 12,000 students, half of them studying at the University's primary campus in Lismore.
Its international programme involves students from more than 30 countries. Approximately 400 international students are enrolled on-campus in Australia, with a further 1280 enrolled in overseas programmes.
Some of the university's more notable areas of expertise include the Tourism Industry, the Law, Sustainable Forestry, and unusual areas of study such as Naturopathy.
Students at Southern Cross are represented by the Student Representative Council and the Postgraduate Student Club.
In 1998 the university won the Bent Spoon Award, an award given by Australian Skeptics, "presented to the perpetrator of the most preposterous piece of paranormal or pseudoscientific piffle".
History
The University has its roots in the former Lismore Teachers College in Lismore. This college commenced teaching on Monday the 23rd of February 1970, after a number of years of planning that began in 1959. All 151 students studied teaching.On 1 September, 1971 the Teachers College became a "College of Advanced Education" under the Higher Education Act 1969. At this time student numbers increased dramatically, as did a demand for a wider variety of courses. As such, the institution was renamed the "Northern Rivers College of Advanced Education" and in 1973 became a multidisciplinary college within the NSW Ministry of Education.
Although only a regional college, the institution became well-known for its successful placement of graduates and achieved a high reputation in the educational field.
In 1988 the Australian Government released a White Paper on Higher Education, placing an emphasis on the development of larger educational institutions. At this time, the College of Advanced Education agreed to an association with the University of New England (UNE) and formally became a network member of the newly constituted regional University.
In 1992, the Board of Governors of the University issued a submission to state and Commonwealth Ministers recommending the establishment of an advisory group to consider the implications of the proposal that the Network University of New England be dismantled.
This advisory group recommended that a new university be established in the north-coast region of New South Wales, incorporating the existing UNE network centres at the Northern Rivers and Coffs Harbour, with the potential to establish additional sites at other sites as required. It also recommended that this new University develop under the sponsorship of a major metropolitan university for its first three years, while still operating under its own name and Council, and awarding its own degrees.
The Ministers appointed an "Implementation Advisory Panel" to suggest strategies necessary to give effect to proposed new structures, and announced that the successor institutions to the UNE Network would be established in time for the 1994 academic year.
On 29 June, 1993 - the Commonwealth minister for Employment, Education and Training - and the State Minister for Education and Youth Affairs - announced that a new university would be established on the North Coast of New South Wales. This University was to consist of campuses at Lismore (formerly UNE-Northern Rivers) and Coffs Harbour (formerly UNE-Coffs Habour Centre). It was also announced that the new institution would be named "Southern Cross University".
A barrage of legislation, such as the "Southern Cross University Act 1993", and the "University of New England Act 1993" was passed by the NSW Parliament in October of the same year. These acts received Royal Assent on the 19th of November 1993, and Southern Cross University was established on the January 1 1994.
In 2004, a new Vice Chancellor assumed office as the University celebrated its tenth anniversary.
Campuses
Lismore
The Lismore campus is the largest and central campus of the University. It occupies 600,000 square metres in the north-coast area. The campus is 3 km from Lismore City's CBD.Much of the north-coast area is known for its liberal and alternative way-of-life, and the Lismore campus reflects this. Being a young campus, its architectural appearance is quite modern, and a great deal of natural aesthetic encompass its surroundings.
As the central site, Lismore Campus houses the majority of the University's academic facilities.
Coffs Harbour
The Coffs Harbour campus of the University is a partnership between SCU, a senior High School (of the NSW Department of School Education), and NSW TAFE.Six Schools operate at this campus - Commerce, Arts and Social Sciences, Nursing, Education, Multimedia & Information Technology and Tourism & Hospitality Management.
Tweed Gold Coast
This the newest campus of the University, was opened on Tuesday 16 April, 2002. Currently, this campus emphasises Business degrees, including a Doctor of Business Administration programme.Learning Access Centres
The University operates a number of Learning Access Centres, established throughout the north-coast region, specialising in certain fields of study. Tourism students located in Sydney, for example, operate out of the five-star hotel, the InterContinental studying "in the field". Marine science students also utilise the Marine Science Centre at Coffs Harbour.Structure
Governance
The University is governed by a Council, to whom the Vice-Chancellor and President reports. This Council is responsible for the management of the University's affairs. An Academic Board provides advice to the Council & Vice-Chancellor on academic affairs.The Council is chaired by the Chancellor, and is comprised of 18 members, including the Vice-Chancellor, the Chair of the Academic Board, members appointed by the Minister, three elected staff and one student.
A number of sub-committees serve below the council, including:
- The Chancellor's Committee
- The Academic Board
- The Academic Promotion Appeals Committee
- The Audit Committee
- The Business Precinct Committee
- The Disciplinary Appeals Committee
- The Finance Committee
- The Honorary Awards Committee
- The Remuneration Committee
- The Student Affairs Committee
Academic structure
The institution is divided into three divisions, and a number of Schools and Colleges included within those divisions.
- Division of Arts
- * School of Arts
- * School of Education
- * School of Law and Justice
- * School of Multimedia and Information Technology
- * School of Psychology
- Division of Business
- * School of Commerce and Management
- * School of Social Science
- * School of Tourism and Hospitality Management
- * Graduate College of Management
- Division of Health and Applied Sciences
- * School of Environmental Science and Management
- * School of Exercise Science and Sport Management
- * School of Natural and Complementary Medicine
- * School of Nursing and Health Care Practices
- * College of Indigenous Australian Peoples
Principal officers
As of 2004, the current holders of offices within the University include;
| Office | Name | Academic Merits |
| Chancellor & Chair of Council | The Honourable Justice John Dowd, AO | QSJM, LLB (Syd) |
| Deputy Chancellor & Deputy Chair of Council | Mrs. Elizabeth Rummery, AM | |
| Vice Chancellor & President | Professor Paul Clark | B.Sc (Hons) (Exe), Ph.D. (Exe), DipEd (Tert) (Monash), FAIP, FIICA |
| Pro Vice-Chancellor (Academic & Quality) | Professor Zbys Klich | B.Ed (Hons) (Nott), Ph.D. (NE) |
| Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research) | Professor Peter Baverstock | B.Sc (Hons) (Adel), DSc (Adel), Ph.D. (WAust) |
| Pro Vice-Chancellor (Enterprise & International) | Professor Angela Delves | B.Sc (Hons), DipEd (Bath), Ph.D. (Hull) |
| Executive Dean (Arts) | Professor Paul Thom | BA (Hons) (Syd), MA (Syd), BPhil (Oxford) |
| Executive Dean (Business) | Professor Lawson Savery | MSc (Aston), PhD (WAust) |
| Executive Dean (Health & Applied Sciences) | Professor Jenny Graham | DipTeach (Trinity College of Music), DipOccThpy (NSWCollege of Occupational Therapy), MSc (Bradford) |
| Executive Director & Vice President (Corporate Services) | Mr. Malcom Marshall | BA (CCAE), MBA (CQU) |
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