Australia Education News

JCU Cairns in push for students, Ian Gerard, June 22, 2005
A FAILURE to attract international students and a lack of specialist studies has prompted a review of the Cairns campus of Queensland's James Cook University.

The review comes amid a renewed push by local business and community leaders for an independent university to be created in Cairns that can take advantage of the region's tropical surrounds and booming tourism industry.

Frustrated at the campus's small student base and perceived lack of progress since its establishment 10 years ago, Cairns mayor Kevin Byrne said JCU was too "Townsville-centric".

JCU Cairns pro vice-chancellor Scott Bowman said the review would investigate the campus's operations and take about 12 weeks to compete.

"It will be looking at how we are going and if we can do better in Cairns," Professor Bowman said. "I think it's fair to say we haven't done as well on international students as we would have liked to."

Despite the climate, tourist attractions and proximity to Asia that Cairns enjoys, there are just 150 international students among the student body of 3250 at the campus.

Mr Byrne told the HES that JCU was too focused on its Townsville base and missed opportunities to boost the international student numbers at Cairns.

"There is no attempt to provide a sharing of responsibility and intellect and Cairns, for a number of years now, has believed they have had the raw end of the deal," he said.

Cairns Chamber of Commerce president Bob Norman has criticised the lack of executive power at the smaller campus.

Professor Bowman acknowledged criticism of the campus's low international student numbers and lack of specialist areas of study. He said the JCU review would look at the viability of students in Cairns being able to study the same degrees as Townsville students.

"One of the things we are looking at is whether we should be differentiating our subjects," Professor Bowman said. "We might look at a specialisation ... we want to capitalise on what the region has to offer and where we are unique." He said a $7.8 million Australian Tropical Forest Institute was likely to be announced in the next few months.

A proposal for a separate university for Cairns was quashed two years ago when the state Government knocked back plans for a private university. But Mr Byrne said an institution should be created offering specialist areas such as tropical architecture and veterinary science. "Ultimately it's not a question of if, it's a question of when," he said. "It would take a number of years but I think the process should be to establish a separate college with a view to it having its own autonomy and business plan."

North Queensland economist Bill Cummings wrote the original submission to get the JCU campus established in Cairns. More recently he has been involved in efforts to establish a private university in the region.

"The review needs to look at absolutely everything; they are just not delivering," Mr Cummings said. "I think the rate of students per head of population is about 13 per 1000 in Cairns. For campuses in other regions numbers are much higher."

JCU is expected to release the findings of the review later this year with course changes taking effect from 2007.