University of Southern Queensland
The University of Southern Queensland or USQ in Toowoomba, Australia, is a university established in 1967. USQ is a dynamic, young University that offers award programs at undergraduate and postgraduate level by on-campus, off-campus or online study. Many students choose different modes of delivery for different periods of their study. The University believes that flexible delivery is about giving people what they want, where they want it, when they want it, in their style, in their place, in their time. We are regional, flexible and international. Currectly it has approximately 27,000 enrolments, including over 7,400 international students. More than 100 nationalities are represented and about 5,000 international students study USQ programs in their home countries.
USQ began its existence 32 years ago as an Institute of Technology (QIT Darling Down)and, later, as a Darling Downs Institute of Advanced Education (or DDIAE). In 1990, the DDIAE became the University College of Southern Queensland without amalgamating with any other university under the sponsorship of the University of Queensland. On 1 January 1992, UCSQ became USQ with Professor Barry Leal becoming the University's inaugural Vice-
Chancellor. From 1992 to 1996 USQ continued to grow its internal and external students, course offerings and its infrastructure with highlights including the establishment of the National Centre for Engineering in Agriculture and
the Fibre Composites Design and Development group. After the appointment of
Professor Peter Swannell as Vice- Chancellor in 1996 the university underwent a further period of exceptional growth including the establishment of a Wide Bay Campus and a Brisbane Centre in 1997, the USQ European Study Centre in Bretten, Germany in 1998 and the building of a number of landmark structures on campus. In 1998 the USQ was voted the "World's Best Dual Mode University" by the International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE) while Professor Jim Taylor (now Deputy Vice- Chancellor Global Learning Services), the then director of the USQ Distance Education Centre won the inaugural ICDE prize for individual excellence for his contribution to global distance learning.
