University of Southern Queensland
The University of Southern Queensland (branded as UniSQ and formerly branded as USQ) is a medium-sized, regional university based in Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia,[19] with three university campuses at Toowoomba, Springfield and Ipswich.[20] It offers courses in law, health, engineering, surveying and built environment, the sciences, business, education, and the arts.[20] The institution was established in 1969 as the Darling Downs campus of the Queensland Institute of Technology. In 1970, the institution had provided studying programs for rural Queensland and international communities.[19][21] In 1971, it became the Darling Downs Institute of Advanced Education, then the University College of Southern Queensland in 1990 and finally the University of Southern Queensland in 1992. It operates three research institutes and seven research centres which focus on a wide range of business, agricultural, scientific, environmental, and technological issues.
Former names
- Darling Downs Institute of Advanced Education[1]
(1967–1990) - University College of Southern Queensland[2]
(1990–1992)
Through study the mind is renewed[4]
- 1967 (tertiary institute)[5]
- 1990 (university college)[6]
- 1992 (university status)[7]
John Dornbusch[10]
Prof Geraldine Mackenzie
22,448 (2022)[15]
628 research (2022)
3,203 coursework (2022)
1,002 other (2022)[15]
83 cross-institution (2022)
2,266 non-award (2022)[15]
Gold and plum[17]
Phoenixes
Phil the Phoenix [18]
The university is recognised for having the largest Japanese-designed garden in Australia,[22] Australia's largest solar integrated carpark,[23] and a library with rainforest and water features.[24] In 2017, the university won the international Green Gown award for its approach to sustainability focusing on renewable energy, waste reduction, water retention, and integration of sustainability into strategic planning.[23]
In 2012, the university's archaeologists discovered the oldest Australian rock art of 28,000 years old in the Northern Territory,[25] and in 2018, the university's astronomers discovered a new planet that orbits an ancient star almost 2 billion years older than the sun.[26][27]
The university has been recognised for its efforts in preventing violence against women[28] and was cited as employer of choice for gender equality by the Federal Government's Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA).[29]
In June 2022, the university announced it was changing its branding from USQ to UniSQ, accompanied by a change in logo.[30]
History[edit]
Dellys Kelly[edit]
At the age of 26, Dellys Kelly was working as a manager at East Greenmount.[31] In 1958, with a bought map, she drove to Canberra to start her campaign for a new university in Toowoomba.[32] After driving to the Parliament House and asking to meet with Prime Minister Robert Menzies, she was challenged by him to raise £30,000 before he would discuss the issue.[31] She received strong support from the community, and after eleven weeks, the money was raised.[32] In 1960, the Darling Downs University Establishment Association was founded.[32][a]
Overview[edit]
Queensland Institute of Technology (Darling Downs) opened on 2 February 1967 in Toowoomba, beginning with 140 foundation students.[33] In 1971, the institute became the Darling Downs Institute of Advanced Education (DDIAE). Managed by its own College Council, DDIAE educated 75% of the country's international students in the 1986–1987 school year.[33] From 1980 to 1990, DDIAE grew significantly from 1,000 to 8,000 full-time student equivalents (EFTSL).[33] It became the University College of Southern Queensland (UCSQ) in 1990,[33] under the sponsorship of the University of Queensland.[34] In 1992, the institution became the University of Southern Queensland (USQ) when it gained full university status.[33] USQ was a founding member of the Regional Universities Network that was launched in 2011.[35] The Network's research in 2013 showed that USQ generated $411.7 million into the economy of Queensland every year as well as household income of $255.4 million and 3,313 jobs in the communities of Toowoomba, Fraser Coast, and Springfield.[36] Along with Toowoomba's investments in data centres, landscaped and business parks, air and land infrastructures, UniSQ has been contributing to making the region a centre of agribusiness, sustainable development, and trade.[37]
Academic profile[edit]
Educational programs[edit]
It provides on-campus education that serves Darling Downs, Southern and Western Queensland[21] as well as flexible learning programs through external learning or via off campus and overseas education partners[20][21] in southern Africa, Fiji, South-east Asia, Sweden, Norway, and The Emirates. It operates the European Study Center in Bretten, Germany.[21] UniSQ maintains accreditations for professional programs with professional and competent authorities, such as Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC), Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council (ANMAC), Legal Practitioners Admissions Board and Chief Justice of Queensland, Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA), Association of International Accountants (AIA), CPA Australia, Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CAANZ), Australian Computer Society, and Australian Human Resources Institute (AHRI). UniSQ won the Australian University of the Year Award in 2000–2001.[78][33] UniSQ has 14 fields of research rated at and above world average standards by Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) in 2015. In the last audit, the ERA acknowledged UniSQ's pharmaceutical sciences, materials engineering, pharmacology, environmental science and management as well above world average standards.[79] Attested with Quality System Certification of Registration,[78] UniSQ maintains high educational standards through a program of centralised, staff-driven decision-making, discipline-based management, and quality assurance practices.[21]A 2002 audit found that its quality assurance program could be more effective with improved systems of central monitoring and reviewing.[21]
Beside providing a digital learning platform (partly funded with $50 million by the federal government[80]) for all courses and disciplines, the university also provides students with face-to-face instructions and real-life experiences, including the opportunity for students in the Bachelor of Applied Media (BMA) program to do all parts of production and direction of Connected, a lifestyle show produced for 31 Digital.[81] Students at USQ took part in and won top awards at Miami[82] and Tropfest[83] international film competitions. The agreement between the West Wellcamp Airport and the Airline Academy of Australia includes that UniSQ provides undergraduate and post-graduate training for aviators in coordination with the academy's programs.[84] Students in aviation program will receive professional pilot qualification issued by Australian Civil Aviation Authority after graduation and have the opportunities to take trial flights before commencing the program.[85] They also have access to work-based training and further career development with Qantas Future Pilots Program.[86] The university organised field trips for nursing students to provide healthcare in rural communities in Vietnam (funded through federal government's New Colombo program)[87] and for researchers to raise awareness of root-lesion in India.[88]
The Good Universities Guide 2018 showed that UniSQ Engineering and Psychology received high scores in graduates' full-time employment, and UniSQ received best overall ratings in the measures of graduates's full-time employment (82.5% / national average of 69.5%), starting salary, and equity.[89][90] Professors and researchers at UniSQ gained important positions with regional and international organisations, such as Fulbright[91] and Queensland's Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).[92] USQ's students benefit from partnerships and exchange programs between the university and other universities and organisations, such as Australian National University,[93] University of California Riverside,[94] and NASA.[95] The university offers students a number of scholarships each year, such as School Partners Programs Scholarship[96] and Vice-Chancellor's Principal's Recommendation Scholarship.[97] Visitor speakers and lecturers at USQ come from different professional backgrounds, including NASA astronaut Colonel Robert S. Kimbrough,[98] Chief Justice of the High Court Susan Kiefel,[99] News Director Mike Dalton from Nine News Regional Queensland,[100] rugby player Steve Walter,[101] and bestselling author Steve Maraboli.[102]
UniSQ's research centres are: [103]
The University of Southern Queensland has three research institutes[20] and seven research centres[103] which focus on issues such as agricultural technology, rural health, environmental management, biotechnology, education leadership, web based services, and fibre composite materials.[21] Based on competitive grants won and industry-funded research collaborations, UniSQ has significant and core research strength in the broad area of agriculture and the environment. This core research strength generated over $10 million in new grant and industry funding, announced by vice-chancellor Bill Lovegrove in 2008.[104] In 2003, the university established the Institute for Agriculture and the Environment (IAgE) with improved biotechnology and pathology laboratories.[105] In 2017, the Queensland Drought Mitigation Centre (QDMC) was established as a result of collaboration between the university and the government.[106] In 2017, as a part of the mega $15m campus expansion, the university started upgrading the Agricultural Science and Engineering Precinct (ASEP) to facilitate agricultural and material engineering development, including constructing new microbiology laboratories, glasshouses, dehumidified storage, and controlled ecological environments, developing methods of soil pathogen resistance, and applying vision sensing and robotics trials.[107] In 2017, the university hosted Australia's first regional meeting with Australia-ASEAN Council (AAC) in Toowoomba Campus to discuss the issue of trade and agriculture in preparation for the Sydney ASEAN-Australia Special Summit in 2018. The participants addressed the global demand for food, the current problems in the industry, and the development of new technologies in environmental science, engineering, and agribusiness.[108] In 2018, a new climate project of $8 million was established by the university, the Queensland government, and the MLA, bringing together world scientists to find better solutions for managing drought and predicting seasonal climates.[109][110] UniSQ researchers undertake different roles with international climate organisations, such as the president of the United Nations’ World Meteorological Organization (with the commission to design better services for global agribusiness and climate risk management)[111] and ocean expeditor in the Overturning in the Subpolar North Atlantic Program (with the mission to examine how ocean currents affect the world's weather).[112] UniSQ also supports the usage of renewable energy by integrating 2MW solar power system with the carpark in Toowoomba campus to provide energy to the campus's activities, reducing the emission of carbon dioxide by 20 percent.[23]
In addition, UniSQ has developed projects in the fields of construction industry and space research. The university's Centre for Future Materials (CFM) has researched and applied the technique of fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) in the project of Toowoomba City Hall renovation.[113] The university, in collaboration with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) and international researchers, has developed a project in researching green cement without reliance on clay and limestone.[114] In 2017, the university, in collaboration with University of Sydney and University of New South Wales, received funding to build a telescope facility at Mount Kent Observatory, Darling Downs, Queensland.[115] The new telescope facility has been supporting Australian astronomers to discover planet systems and perform an important role in NASA's TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) mission.[116]
Student enrolments[edit]
The university's student body includes full-time and part-time students from both Australia and overseas countries. Based upon the results of the 2013 International student barometer survey, USQ was named the top university for international student satisfaction in Australia that year.[20] UniSQ's students come from a diversity of cultural backgrounds and speak different languages. In 2015, the university had around 28,203 students of which approximately 84% were domestic students, 16% were international students, 15.8 was the number of students per staff, and 1.17 was the student ratio of females to males.[117]