CUC NW – five years, 612 students – and growing

Narrabri shire has a great community asset which has opened doors for hundreds of local students and is open to everybody.

Thanks to the vision of a handful of determined people about six years ago people of all ages and interests can nowadays embark on university degree or other courses to further their careers, study for interest or study for fun in their home towns.

This is thanks to the North West Country Universities Centre which last week celebrated its fifth anniversary.

Narrabri and Moree are home to the CUC NW.

Since it was opened, 612 students have registered with CUC NW.

To date, 376 students have used the Narrabri CUC for their studies with 90 currently registered.

Moree has 236 students who have used the centre with 40 currently registered.

The CUC offers students a fully equipped local study centre, with human support at hand, to undertake their courses through any one of myriad universities and colleges across Australia.

Students studying any degree at any university in Australia can register with the CUC NW.

The centres are learning-friendly spaces where students can focus entirely on their studies.

The past five years have seen great success for the CUC NW.

A small ceremony in Narrabri marked the fifth anniversary on Wednesday, June 19.

Original and current committee president Cathy Redding, Member for Parkes Mark Coulton and Narrabri Shire mayor Darrell Tiemens were among the celebratory gathering of staff and former students.

Welcoming guests to the anniversary, Cathy Redding said the CUC NW was ‘a fabulous facility’ to have in any community.

Narrabri and Moree councils had supported the CUC from its first days.

Member for Parkes Mark Coulton acknowledged that Mrs Redding was ‘one of the original drivers of the CUC’.

The CUC, ‘a great concept’, meant that people didn’t have to leave their community to study.

“This CUC NW has been a great success.

“This anniversary is a milestone event – it is a great pleasure for my wife Robyn and myself to be here.”

Mayor Darrell Tiemens gave credit to Mrs Redding and her committee.

“Mrs Redding has been a spearhead in establishing the Moree and Narrabri CUC.

“Centres of this kind need to be more and more.”

The CUC concept offered study flexibility and opportunity for students.

Among those at the anniversary lunch were an original and current student Pat Cameron, and current students working on high school studies through to university degree courses.