Australian Catholic University is a public university in Australia. It has seven Australian campuses, and also maintains a campus in Rome. In 2018 it had 34,834 students. ACU is made up of four faculties, which offer bachelor, master and doctoral degrees. Though not primarily a research university, it aims to increase its activities in this area.
History
Australian Catholic University was opened on 1 January 1991 following the amalgamation of four Catholic tertiary institutions in eastern Australia:
These institutions had their origins in the mid-1800s, when religious orders and institutes became involved in preparing teachers for Catholic schools and, later, nurses for Catholic hospitals. Through a series of amalgamations, relocations, transfers of responsibilities and diocesan initiatives, more than 20 historical entities have contributed to the creation of the university.
Governance
ACU's Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Greg Craven, is the chief executive officer of ACU and is responsible for representing the university both nationally and internationally and for providing strategic leadership and management. Deputy vice-chancellors have delegated responsibility for assigned areas of policy. These areas are academic; administration and resources; research and students, learning and teaching. Associate vice-chancellors are based in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney. They act as the vice-chancellor's representative in their local region, as do the campus deans in Ballarat and Canberra. The vice-chancellor is also assisted by the faculty executive deans, the academic registrar and directors with national portfolios. Each faculty is headed by an executive dean and supported by a number of associate deans and heads of schools.
Campuses
ACU has seven campuses across Australia, Adelaide, Ballarat, Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne and Sydney. In 2015, the university opened the Rome Centre, a collaboration with the Catholic University of America, located in Rome, Italy.
Faculties
ACU has a wide range of institutes and centres, as well as four faculties.
Health Sciences – areas include counselling, environmental science, exercise physiology, exercise science, mental health, midwifery, nursing, occupational therapy, paramedicine, physiotherapy, public health, psychology, social work and speech pathology.
Law and Business – areas include accounting and finance, business administration, commerce, human resource management, information technology, law, management, marketing and occupational health, safety and environmental management.
Theology and Philosophy - areas include biblical studies, christian thought, christian practice, liturgy, ministry, moral theology, religion studies, ethics, bioethics, metaphysics, philosophy of world religions, politics and epistomology.
Research
In 2014 ACU launched a research intensification program. In the initial stage of the five-year strategy, the university established seven new research institutes, aligned with four priority research areas: theology and philosophy; health; education; and the common good and social justice. In 2015, ACU was named the most improved institution in the country by the Australian Research Council in its national assessment of research quality, the Excellence in Research for Australia. In the results, ACU increased its "excellence index" ranking from 35th to 21st. The university also achieved several scores of five, the highest score possible, in the ERA.
Student life
Each ACU campus has a student representative council and there is a national student body called the Australian Catholic University National Students' Association, which advocates on behalf of students both individually and collectively. The university hosts an annual national sporting event – the ACU Games – and students also compete in Australia's largest annual multisport event, the Australian University Games. ACU has its own national community radio station, ACU Wired, a joint venture between staff and students which broadcasts to all six ACU campuses. Campus Life manages a range of clubs and societies as well as organising events, competitions and national programs. The Office of Student Success manages a range of support services on every campus including academic, disability, counseling, and Indigenous support. There are a range of facilities for students at the campus, including lockers, microwaves, play area, gymnasium, pool etc.
