Griffith City Council, TAFE NSW Riverina Institute + Charles Sturt University (CSU) sign MOU
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| Left to right: CSU Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration), Professor Ken Dillon, Griffith City Mayor John Dal Broi and TAFE NSW Riverina Institute Director Kerry Penton at the MoU Signing at Griffith Regional Theatre foyer on Friday, October 24 2014. |
The MoU aims for the three organisations to continue to actively support and develop higher education opportunities for the communities of Griffith and the western Riverina. The three organisations have worked together formally since 2007 when they signed the inaugural MOU and agreed to work together as part of the Western Riverina Higher Education Project.
Griffith Mayor John Dal Broi said: “I congratulate Charles Sturt University and Riverina Institute on their commitment to date and look forward to working together to achieve an even greater presence for higher education in our city.”
The key aim of the project is to provide a flexible and innovative education model for higher education in the region through the Regional University Study Centre which is part of the Griffith Campus of Riverina Institute.
CSU Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration), Professor Ken Dillon said: “This model has proved successful in bringing higher education to rural areas, particularly in Griffith. I commend Griffith City Council and the local community for their foresight and innovation in working with our University and Riverina Institute to develop this highly successful model.
“There are two important aspects of the study centre model – the support we provide to distance education students, particularly as we are the largest university provider of distance education in Australia, and also the opportunity to provide a smooth pathway for our TAFE students who account for one third of Charles Sturt University students.”
Participation rates in higher education have increased since the project began with almost 9 percent of the population in the western Riverina now holding a university degree. Pathway programs from TAFE to university are an important component of the model as they enable students to undertake all or most of their study in Griffith.
Riverina Institute Director, Kerry Penton said: “The TAFE to CSU pathway programs are a crucial part of the region’s higher education model and are making higher education more accessible to local students."
“Our nursing and child studies programs continue to be very popular with students taking advantage of the significant university credits they accrue for their TAFE qualifications. A significant proportion of our Diploma of Enrolled Nursing graduates and our Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care graduates continue directly to university. The pathway for our suite of Management programs has also recently been revamped, with Management students now obtaining their TAFE qualifications and continuing to Charles Sturt University by gaining credit for their TAFE studies.”
The Western Riverina Higher Education Project is an initiative between Charles Sturt University, TAFE NSW Riverina Institute and Griffith City Council to enhance higher education services in Griffith and the western Riverina.
