It was announced this week Country Universities Centre (CUC) had secured $5.1 million in funding from the federal government to formally set up study hubs in Leeton and Griffith. 

CUC is a community driven, not-for-profit enterprise, established with the aim of making tertiary education more accessible for regional and remote communities in NSW. 

This model assists students to pursue higher education while remaining in their own regional communities, and decreases the need for expensive relocation to a distant university campus.  

It enables group learning, staff assistance and peer support. 

Leeton Shire Council’s economic development co-ordinator Monica Armanini expected both facilities would be operational by the first university semester in 2020. 

“The centre will be community owned and will be governed by a local board who will operate across both the Leeton and Griffith facilities,” she said.

“The Western Riverina Country Universities Centre will be modelled on the very successful community-driven CUC located in Cooma, which over the last four years, has supported students studying 94 different undergraduate and postgraduate courses at 30 different universities and higher education providers.”

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Council has identified an existing space within the town library, known as the “red room” and adjacent outdoor courtyard area as a facility for the Western Riverina Country Universities Centre in Leeton.

“Council will be working on wider promotion of this community resource in the coming weeks and months,” Mrs Armanini said. 

“A centre manager will also be employed in 2019 who will work with the CUC and communities to create further awareness.”

Member for Farrer Sussan Ley said the move was great news for students seeking distance education options at university, with the new 'hubs' at Griffith and Leeton supporting those who wanted, or needed, to stay at 'home' for their study.

"Set up by the CUC, the sites will provide study space, internet and video conferencing access, administrative, and academic support," Ms Ley said.

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