VIRTUAL EXPERIENCE: Anvita Madan, Jack Buckley and Maree Simpson with (back) Ellie Butina, Akira Hudson and Duncan Lynch. Photo: STEVE GOSCH 0226sgpharm2
CHARLES Sturt University’s(CSU) Orange campus has had to vie for enrolments this year in an increasingly competitive market.
The establishment of three pharmacy courses, in Canberra, Armidale and Melbourne, has resulted in six less students seeking a place at the Orange campus this year.
However, CSU Orange head of campus Dr Heather Robinson said she was pleased with the enrolment figures despite the strong competition from other campuses.
“ This fall is not unique to CSU as there is some tough competition out there,” she said.
“This year we have dropped from 28 students to an intake of 22,” she said.
There are 120 students studying the four-year pharmacy course at the Orange campus.
Dr Robinson said the strong partnerships developed with Orange pharmacies for practical placements have had mutual benefits.
“Pharmacies in Orange have given us good feedback and provided some excellent employment opportunities for our graduates,” she said.
Agriculture courses at the Orange campus, which was originally established as an Agricultural College in 1973, are now a minor part of the mix, with just 22 on-campus students enrolled in the Bachelor of Agricultural Business Management course.
Agricultural and Wine Sciences course director Dr Yann Guisard said the campus would never see a return to its agricultural heyday when 90 students were enrolled in agricultural courses at Orange.
But he is pleased with overall enrolments in agriculture and horticulture, in what is also a competitive market.
Dr Guisard said with 12 students enrolled in the Bachelor of Horticulture course, the figures were slightly down on last year.
He said agricultural degrees now focused strongly on finance to enable students to fulfil their roles in an ever-changing agricultural industry.
“We teach our students to crunch the numbers,” he said.
Charles Sturt University is currently hosting O Week activities to welcome and orientate students starting university in Orange, including first-year pharmacy, physiotherapy and dental students.
janice.harris@fairfaxmedia.com.au