James Cook University Course and Subject Handbook - 2006

This information was current in 2006 and may now be out of date. Please refer to the latest handbook.

HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY

James Cook University was established by an Act of the Queensland Parliament which was proclaimed by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at a ceremony at the University on 20 April 1970, making JCU the second oldest university in Queensland.

JCU was formerly the University College of Townsville and enrolled its first students in 1961. Its formation was inspired by the then Vice-Chancellor of the University of Queensland, Mr JD Story, who advocated the establishment of a regional university institution outside the Brisbane metropolitan area. Local citizens in Townsville had shown keen interest in the establishment of a university college and the Townsville and District University Society worked actively to achieve this goal. On 18 May 1959 the Queensland State Cabinet announced that it would proceed with the establishment of a university college in Townsville. The foundation stone was laid on 21 May 1960 by Education Minister, Mr JCA Pizzey and the University College of Townsville was officially opened by the Premier of Queensland, the Honourable GFR Nicklin, on 27 February 1961.

The first Warden of the University College was Professor FJ Olsen. The initial enrolment was 92 full-time students and 88 part-time students. Dr KJC Back succeeded Dr Olsen as Warden in January 1963 and in 1970 became the first Vice-Chancellor of the autonomous James Cook University.

On 7 November 1964, construction commenced on the permanent campus of JCU at Douglas, where the first buildings were occupied in 1967. By 1972, Administration, the Computer Centre, the Library and 12 academic departments had been transferred from the original Pimlico Campus to Douglas. The remaining departments were moved to Douglas between 1975 and 1980.

Townsville College of Advanced Education amalgamated with JCU on 1 January 1982.

JCU Cairns began in 1987 sharing teaching facilities with the Cairns College of TAFE. In 1995 JCU Cairns officially opened its own campus at Smithfield, with 900 students and 50 staff.

JCU has grown rapidly since the mid-1980s, and has increasingly earned a global reputation for research and advisory work, particularly in disciplines relevant to the tropics. Today JCU has teaching facilities in Mackay, Mount Isa, Thursday Island, Sydney, Melbourne and Singapore as well as Townsville and Cairns. This will be extended to Brisbane in 2006. In 2005 the first cohort of students graduated from JCU's collaboration with SEGi in Malaysia.

There has been continuing expansion of existing activities as well as initiation of new projects. In 2003, a new Health Sciences precinct at JCU Cairns was officially opened, enabling JCU Cairns to play an increasing role in activities associated with the development of JCU's medical school, as well as expand its science offerings. In 2005 the new Anton Breinl Centre and a $6.2 million Rehabilitation and Exercise Science facility were opened at the Douglas campus, the latter allowing the University to offer Physiotherapy and Speech Pathology degrees from 2005.

They are part of a number of new programs of study that have been introduced, many with greater flexibility for students and from 2006 the University has received funding for two important new areas of study: a Bachelor of Tropical Agricultural Science degree and a Bachelor of Veterinary Science degree.

The University has also cemented numerous agreements with partner institutions around the world, providing greater international educational opportunities for both students and staff alike. In 2005, JCU became a foundation member of a new international alliance of marine focused institutions. It is the only Australian member of the alliance that brings together universities from France, UK, Germany, China, Korea and Japan in the International Association of Marine Related Institutions (IAMRI), which will promote global collaboration in education and research in marine sciences.

JCU's Medical School, which was the first new Medical School in Australia for 25 years, will graduate its first doctors this year. Strategically positioned adjacent to Townsville's new $200 million hospital, it provides a six-year undergraduate course.

JCU has been involved in the establishment of eight major Cooperative Research Centres as part of an initiative fostering close links between research and industry. These CRCs specialise in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area; Tropical Rainforest Ecology and Management; Sustainable Aquaculture of Finfish; Sustainable Sugar Production; Sustainable Development of Tropical Savannas; Sustainable Tourism; Coastal Zone, Estuary and Waterway Management; and Predictive Mineral Discovery. In 2005, the Australian Research Council provided major new funding for coral reef science and the establishment of a national Centre of Excellence based at JCU.

JCU continues its guarantee of high-quality research as evidenced by its international reputation in areas such as the marine sciences and earth sciences. The University's particular focus on research relating to the tropics also sets it apart as an academic institution making a tangible contribution to its community.

About 80 percent of JCU's students come from northern Queensland, with the main campuses at Townsville and Cairns.

JCU also continues to strengthen its international ties with more than 2000 overseas students enrolled in 2005.

Enrolments

In 2005, the total number of enrolments at all campuses (as at 30 September 2005) was 15,167 consisting of:

The number of postgraduate enrolments included in the total was 2920 (685 research, 2235 coursework).

The number of enrolments at Townsville was 10,608, Cairns was 3332, Mackay was 56, Mount Isa was 22, Sydney was 186, Melbourne was 68, Thursday Island was 22 and offshore was 873.