What is the future of the non-sandstone university?
"Something in the DNA of regional universities is the relationship and support for students as they go through their learning journey."
Higher education in Australia is set to undergo major changes with the proposed deregulation of fees and changes to HECS after the federal budget.
"I think prospective students will become more discerning than they are now about their university choice," said Jan Thomas, Vice Chancellor of the University of Southern Queensland.
While a university's research credentials are still highly prized in the world of academia, Ms Thomas thinks rising educations costs, and graduate job placement rates, will become more and more important when choosing where to study.
"Many of the rankings used to order the top ranked universities in the world is based on research. The older the university, the more established their research record is. That gives them a brand in the marketplace that may or may not translate into a good student experience, but nevertheless a strong brand," she said.
"The old established universities, the 'sandstones', have had a hundred plus years of pretty much 100 per cent government funding, so they've had a chance to build their research through that era," she said.
The challenge for regional universities, according to Ms Thomas, is to position themselves in the education "market" on their own unique strengths.
"I have in my head a picture of mum and dad around the table. They may be hit by things like Medicare changes, family payments, fuel levies, and then add on top of that the impact of drought in regional communities. You've got a whole constellation of challenges," she said.
"One of the questions that needs to be asked by potential students is 'how are fees going to be used?' If you're looking at an institution where fees may have doubled, ask them 'is that increase going to go into providing me with a better education, or will it fund the research endeavours of that institution?'"
Despite the rising cost of education, and the challenge faced by regional universities Ms Thomas choses to look on the bright side.
"The automatic knee-jerk response if you have a bright child might be to send them to a metropolitan university. In this current environment you might consider other options," she said.
"Living in Toowoomba is a whole lot cheaper than living in Brisbane!"
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