The recently released 2012 Good Universities Guide shows Charles Sturt University (CSU) continues to perform well in areas such as positive graduate outcomes and entry flexibility.

 

CSU attained the maximum five-star ratings in several key areas, including ‘Getting a full-time job’, ‘Entry flexibility’ and ‘Access by equity groups’, but the one-star ratings in areas of educational experience do not reflect current data.

 

“We’re delighted with our five-star ratings, which reflect Charles Sturt University’s commitment to making tertiary education accessible, and our ability to produce graduates who succeed in the workforce,” said Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) Professor Ross Chambers.

 

“However, we are concerned about our ratings in the areas of teaching quality and overall graduate satisfaction with educational experience, as they contradict current student satisfaction levels and fail to align with the continual high scores for graduate outcomes.

 

“We have been working to improve these areas for some time now and our most recent data in the 2010 Course Experience Questionnaire shows an overall satisfaction rating of 81 per cent.  The 2012 Good Universities Guide results may be due to a data lag, as the information is taken from 2008 and 2009.

 

“Improvements have also been noted in the areas of teaching, generic skills, learning resources and student support.”

 

Professor Chambers also sought to clarify a number of other rating anomalies.

 

“The complex nature of the organisation’s delivery model must also be taken into account. For example, the low rating for proportion of school leavers is skewed due to our large distance education cohort, despite the fact that we still have a comparatively high level of on campus school leaver students.

 

“Similarly, the University has a number of partnership arrangements involved in the teaching of students, which can affect student-staff ratios. An example of this is the Associate Degree in Policing Practice, a joint initiative of Charles Sturt University and NSW Police, where our students are taught by NSW Police employees as well as Charles Sturt University employees.”

 

Despite the anomalies, Professor Chambers said the University will investigate the results carefully and continue to explore new ways of improving the student experience.