Back in October 2016 the University of Southern Queensland set up an office for learning and teaching – which is now being restructured. The university explains that this is due to a bunch of external changes but adds that changes are necessary to ensure, “an organisational structure that ensures functions are undertaken in an efficient, effective, strategic and integrated manner.”

USQ certainly can do something about student attrition, rating 32 of 44 institutions on the Higher Education Standards Panel’s newly published list. And it is below the national average on four out five student ratings in the new Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching survey. Way below in some cases, rating 49.8 for learner engagement compared to the national average of 62.8.

But the university is especially interested in expanding the revamped unit’s online education expertise. There is, “renewed interest from the USQ executive to reimagine the university’s approach to online education, offering a model that is unique in the higher education context in Australia, and ensuring USQ is at the forefront of innovative quality online education that delivers a powerful and flexible student experience.”

With 75 per cent of students studying online this makes sense, particularly as USQ sees “more universities enter into the online learning market.”