ALMOST 50 course offerings will be axed, seven will be revitalised and major changes will occur for a further 61 as Charles Sturt University looks to slash costs.
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Changes will impact all campus, however, CSU says only four per cent of current students are enrolled in a course approved for change.
At the Bathurst campus, six Bachelor of Business degrees will be consolidated into one that will offer specialisations.
The campus' communications, theatre media and creative industries courses will also be consolidated into one course with majors.
In Dubbo, the Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood and Primary) and Bachelor of Educational Studies will be axed, however, the Bachelor of Education (Birth to 5 Years) will be offered online.
This campus will continue its focus on the School of Australian Indigenous Studies.
CSU's Orange campus will become a health hub with expanded international opportunities for dental and a revitalised pharmacy offerings with the launch of the medical school.
The Sustainable Agriculture postgraduate courses will be axed.
Also in Orange, the Bachelor of Science (Hons) and Bachelor of General Studies (Science) will be shifted from on campus to online.
CSU acting vice chancellor Professor John Germov said students in a course approved for changes will be able to complete their studies.
"We expect to retain all of our students due to being able to provide teaching out arrangements, equivalent options and the fact that many of these course offerings have few or no students enrolled," he said.
"There are a small number of prospective students who have enrolled in courses undergoing changes. These students will be contacted to discuss an alternate enrolment plan that enables them to reach their specific goals.
"Overall, these changes will strengthen our financial position, meet the needs of our regional communities and deliver a better experience for our students."
The Wagga campus of Charles Sturt University may soon become a hub of health and agriculture subjects.
Among the courses to be cut from the Wagga campus will be the Bachelor of Psychology and Bachelor of Social Science (Psychology), which will be provided online or in Bathurst and Port Macquarie only.
Wagga will also lose the Bachelor of Information Technology, which will be offered only in Bathurst or online.
The Bachelor of Business (Management), Bachelor of Business (Honours) and Bachelor of Computing (Honours) will be "consolidated" into fewer course options.
The Bachelor of Science offerings and Bachelor of General Students offerings will be migrated for online delivery.
Meanwhile, the Masters of Animal Science will not be offered in Wagga, but the Bachelor degree will remain.
Changes to courses
- 20 course offerings with no student enrolments phased out
- 28 entire courses with low student enrolments that are not viable will be taught out
- 7 courses to be revitalised to make them more attractive to prospective students
- Changes to the mode or location of 61 courses will be made
CSU's statement on each Central West campus
Bathurst
We're continuing to offer psychology, nursing, cybersecurity and IT, policing, paramedicine, business, engineering, humanities, teaching and education, and communication. We're consolidating six Bachelor of Business degrees into one new Bachelor of Business degree with specialisations. We're consolidating the Communications, Theatre Media and Creative Industries courses into a single, new course with majors. Majors will be specialised at each campus (Wagga Wagga, Bathurst, Port Macquarie and online). This means we'll be consolidating the Bachelor of Theatre Media and Bachelor of Creative Industries into a single communications and creative industries course with majors. We're revitalising the Bachelor of Arts to be launched for first intake in 2021. The first year will be on campus at Bathurst and Wagga and then a blended delivery for years two and three. It's also offered online.
Dubbo
We're focusing on the School of Australian Indigenous Studies. We are still investigating the best nursing delivery model but remain committed to nursing education in Dubbo. We're removing the Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood and Primary) and Bachelor of Educational Studies from Dubbo campus. We will continue to offer the Bachelor of Education (Birth to 5 Years) online, with the Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood and Primary) continuing at Bathurst, Albury and Wagga Wagga, and Bachelor of Educational Studies offerings continuing at Bathurst, Albury and Wagga Wagga, Port Macquarie, and online.
Orange
There's opportunity for Orange to grow into a health hub, and we're looking at expanding international opportunities for dentistry, as well as revitalise Pharmacy in Orange with the launch of the medical school.
We're planning to stop offering the Sustainable Agriculture postgraduate courses. These courses have, over years, had falling numbers of students and are no longer viable. There are better opportunities to grow our commitment to sustainable agriculture through an integrated revitalisation led out of our Wagga Wagga campus.
We're going to shift the Bachelor of Science (Hons) and Bachelor of General Studies (Science) from on campus to online.
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