As they celebrate 20 years of computing change and achievement since the creation of Charles Sturt University (CSU) in 1989, the 140 staff responsible for the nearly $100 million investment in computing and communication technology essential for the delivery of courses and management of the University’s administrative system have always strived for a uniform best-practice service for its students.“Our focus has always been on a consistent student experience, no matter what the study mode, in order to help ensure the University’s overall success,” said Mr Garry Taylor, the Executive Director of CSU’s Division of Information Technology (DIT).
“One of the original ‘pillars’ of the University’s strategy was ‘One University’,” Mr Taylor said. “The DIT played, and continues to play, an important part in ensuring the least impediments to a high-standard student computing experience.”
The DIT has responsibility for computing and communication across CSU’s principal campuses in Albury-Wodonga, Bathurst, Dubbo, Orange and Wagga Wagga, as well as in Canberra, Goulburn, Manly, Parramatta, and Ontario in Canada.
Mr Taylor noted that in the early days of CSU, the DIT often had to contend with a range of cultural and geographic issues as the University consolidated its presence and mission.
“It’s easy to forget that, 20 years ago, individual desktop computers were relatively rare, no-one had a laptop computer, let alone an iPad, and the everyday Internet as we know it was still in the future. But subsequently, Charles Sturt University was one of the first regional universities to connect to the Internet (1990), and at one stage our website received the most ‘hits’ of any website in Australia (1993-94). In 1998, we implemented a 34 megabit microwave link connecting all campuses.
“For CSU students, we were able to ensure a consistent look, feel and access to information, courses and lectures. We were able to provide students with access to facilities that were consistent across each campus, and available at a distance via the World Wide Web, once it was invented, using consistent single data sources from a single student administration/finance system.
“Regional students were also able to access the Internet, when it arrived, at higher speeds than their domestic dial-up connections, and these speeds continue to be way above them, including those currently proposed for the National Broadband Network (NBN).
“Since 1997, all students have been able to access a single enterprise-wide Online Learning Environment (OLE), which included the ability to upload assignments electronically. Back in 1997, there was no other enterprise-wide OLE in existence anywhere in the world; we know that because we searched extensively,” Mr Taylor said.
While he has some reservations about the lack of vision and some aspects of the proposed NBN, Mr Taylor says it is necessary for continuing national development. He notes that CSU’s network capacity currently runs at speeds 1000 times those the government is promoting, and that there isn't enough concentration on wireless as a supplementary connection option in many areas. He sees a lack of emphasis to enable tele-health, connecting business, or education facilitation, and an over emphasis on the ability to download movies.
Social
Explore the world of social