Why a strong university is crucial for students and the community

The official opening of the University of Newcastle's Gosford campus yesterday was more than a milestone. It was a reminder of how a thriving university at the heart of a regional community can help shape its economic and social future.

With increasing interest in the role and leadership of universities, I am prompted to reflect on how much Newcastle and its surrounds have changed alongside their university, and how tightly the future of the region and the university are bound. In regional cities, universities are embedded in the communities they serve. They educate local people for local jobs, including critical services like healthcare and education. They drive research that responds to local needs, and they provide opportunity in times of change.

Over the past six decades, the University of Newcastle has done exactly that - graduating thousands of students who transition directly into the region's workforce. Our schools are filled with teachers who graduated from our university, and our health service is staffed by health professionals trained locally. Our engineers and entrepreneurs are applying their education in industries from Muswellbrook to Morisset and beyond.

Each year, our free and low-cost community clinics provide more than 12,000 appointments for legal services, speech therapy, oral health and more. We have built a reputation for opening doors to students from traditionally under-represented backgrounds. In fact, we've been offering pathways programs for longer than any other university in Australia and are now the largest provider. We've become the national model for helping people get into university and succeed.

With the cultural care and expertise of the Wollotuka Institute, we have educated more Indigenous doctors, teachers, speech pathologists and nurses than any other university.

In a relatively short time, the university has made its way to being in the top 1 per cent of universities globally. None of this happens by accident.

At a time of renewed interest in university governance, including the important role played by university councils, I welcome the NSW Legislative Council bringing its inquiry into the NSW University Sector to Newcastle next week to better understand how universities operate and why they matter to their communities.

Good governance is central to that conversation. Alongside dedicated teaching, research and professional staff, it is critical we have a clear plan. The University Council, which I am proud to lead, is tasked with balancing the pressures of today with our long-term responsibility to students, staff and the community.

That responsibility means asking difficult but necessary questions to ensure we remain sustainable, accountable and focused on our core purpose: Are we fulfilling our responsibilities to the region? Are we delivering the graduates our economy needs? Are we looking after the wellbeing of our students and staff? Are we closing the equity gap? These are not abstract governance questions. They go to the heart of what it means to be a public university in a regional city. We measure success by whether opportunity is expanding locally, whether graduates can build their careers close to home, and whether people see the university as theirs.

Our focus on sustainability is shaped by our history. It was not so long ago - in 2005 - that the university faced the very real prospect of financial default and closure. That experience reinforced that without sound governance, disciplined decision-making and a clear purpose, even strong institutions can fail.

Those lessons guide us today. We take a long-term view, knowing financial sustainability will allow us to serve future generations.

While challenges remain for universities everywhere, the University of Newcastle is in a far stronger position than it was two decades ago, with growing enrolments, research strengths, and an expanding presence. But that future is not guaranteed. If regional universities are to continue to play their role, they must be governed with a strong sense of responsibility and with decisions that protect long-term sustainability, even when those decisions are difficult.

When governance is done well, the benefits extend far beyond campus and into our hospitals, schools, businesses and everyday lives. A strong, connected, well-governed university is not just good for students. For regions like ours, it is critical for our future.

Patricia Forsythe AM is the chancellor of the University of Newcastle

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