Edith Cowan University (ECU) is a public research university in Western Australia.[14] It is named in honour of the first woman to be elected to an Australian parliament, Edith Cowan, and is the only Australian university named after a woman.[15] It is the second-largest university in the state with over 30,000 students in 2023.[16] Gaining university status in 1991, it was formed from an amalgamation of tertiary colleges with a history dating back to 1902 when the Claremont Teachers College was established,[17] making it the modern descendant of the first tertiary institution in Western Australia.[18]
The university has produced some of Australia's most prominent figures in the performing arts, operates a large nursing school,[31] has a long history of teacher education[17] and has a significant presence in cybersecurity research.[23][24] It is also notable for achieving the highest student satisfaction rate nationally among the 37 public universities that participate in the federal government's QILT Student Experience Survey.[32] It has retained the position annually from 2020 to the latest survey in 2022.[33][34] As of the Good Universities Guide 2024, it is also one of two national universities to have maintained a 5-star student satisfaction rating for teaching quality for 17 consecutive years.[35]
In 1847, the General Board of Education was established to oversee school development in the Swan River Colony. After becoming the Central Board of Education, it was superseded by the then-called Education Department in 1893, which classified schools, graded teachers, defined teachers' positions, implemented a salary scale for teachers, abolished school fees, provided for co-educational schools and made attendance compulsory for children between the ages of six and 14.[36] At this time, the Education Department had "external study" for student teachers, where they taught in the classroom while studying for examinations set by the Department.[37]
The origins of Edith Cowan University date back to 1902 with the establishment of the Claremont Teachers College, the first tertiary institution in Western Australia.[38][18] Students could gain qualifications through studying at the College, which remained the only place one could do this until the 1950s when the Churchlands and Graylands colleges opened. The function of teacher education did not pass into the university sector until the 1980s. The former Claremont campus is on land between Goldsworthy, Princess and Bay Roads in the western Perth suburb of Claremont.[39] It is a large two storey limestone building set in extensive grounds, with a distinctive square crenellated tower, and was entered in the Register of the National Estate in 1987.[40]
Over time, other teacher training colleges were formed, including Graylands Teachers College (GTC) in 1955, the Western Australian Secondary Teachers College (WASTC) in 1967 that was renamed Nedlands College of Advanced Education (NCAE) on 1 January 1979, Mount Lawley Teachers College (MLTC) in 1970 and Churchlands Teachers College in 1972.[41] The Graylands Teachers College in 1977 was recommended by the Commonwealth Government for closure at the end of 1979, to be merged into Churchlands, Mount Lawley and Claremont.[38][42]
On 11 December 1981, the Claremont Teachers College, Nedlands College of Advanced Education, Mount Lawley College of Advanced Education and Churchlands College of Advanced Education amalgamated to form the Western Australian College of Advanced Education (WACAE, or colloquially wacky),[43]: 1 with campuses in Churchlands, Claremont, Mount Lawley and Nedlands.[43]: 13 A new Bunbury campus started taking in students in 1986,[43]: 14 and a new Joondalup campus in 1987.[44]: 2 During the 1980s, Western Australia's first nursing education program was also established.[38]
The Claremont Teachers College's last Director was Thomas Ryan (1924–2002), who completed his teacher training at the College and graduated in 1947. He was appointed Vice-Principal of the College in 1972, a position he held until his appointment as Director of the College in 1980.[45]
In 1989, WACAE underwent an independent review led by the former University of Melbourne vice chancellor David Caro in the form of the Caro Committee, which included Roy Lourens who later became vice chancellor of Edith Cowan University.[38] One of the earlier proposals in the late 1980s for the name of the institution was Perth University.[46] WACAE was granted university status on 1 January 1991[47] and changed its name to Edith Cowan University after Edith Dircksey Cowan, the first woman to be elected to an Australian Parliament.[48] As of 2022[update], Edith Cowan University is the only Australian university named after a woman.
Cowan worked to raise funds for students to attend universities in other states, prior to a university being built in Western Australia, obtaining government support for her scheme.[49] Her work in this area was acknowledged by naming Western Australia's oldest tertiary education institution and newest university after her, as well as her image being added to the 1995 and 2018 designs (the polymer designs) of the Australian $50 note.[49]
Cowan believed that education was the key to growth, change and improvement and her contribution to the development of Western Australian education was significant. She strove to achieve social justice and campaigned for the rights of women, children and families, for the poor, the poorly educated and the elderly.[49] She promoted sex education in schools, migrant welfare, and the formation of infant health centres, and was instrumental in obtaining votes for women in Western Australia.[49]
In 1991, the university purchased the house that Cowan, her husband and family had resided in for approximately 20 years.[50] The house was reconstructed on the university's Joondalup campus[51] with the assistance of the West Coast College of TAFE, and re-opened in 1997.[50] Edith Cowan House, Building 20 on the university's Joondalup campus,[50] currently plays host to the Peter Cowan Writers Centre.[52]
The university has eight teaching schools, each with their own school colours.[54]
School of Business and Law
The School of Business and Law was established during 1975 in Churchlands as the School of Business Studies and originally offered majors in accounting and administrative studies before expanding to other fields and campuses. The inaugural Head of School was Dr Valentine M Pervan, who assumed the role in 1 July 1975, and courses started the following year with an initial enrolment of 224 students. The school provided the college's first courses in computing studies, which used PDP 11 and IBM 4331 computers. The school received a donation of one IBM System/82 from International Business Machines (IBM) in November 1982/1983, which was installed at the Mount Lawley campus. The school later became centralised at the newly-built Joondalup campus but continued offering programs at other campuses.[46]
The school provides education and research programs in various fields of commerce and law. These include double degree undergraduate programs with each other, engineering, psychology, criminology and various fields in the arts.[55] The school is accredited by Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (ACCSB), an accrediting body for business schools.[56]
ECU plans to shift the school to the planned Perth CBD campus, which is projected to open in 2026.[56]
School of Arts and Humanities
Broad disciplines: Communication, Arts, Humanities, Psychology, Social Sciences, Social Work, Criminology and Justice
School of Education
Broad disciplines: Teacher education for Early Childhood, Primary and Secondary schools
School of Engineering
Broad disciplines: Full range of Engineering specialisations
School of Medical and Health Sciences
Broad disciplines: Exercise and Health Sciences, Medical Science, Biomedical Science, Speech Pathology and Paramedicine
School of Nursing and Midwifery
The School of Nursing and Midwifery was established in 1985 on the Nedlands campus of the Western Australian College of Advanced Education (WACAE), before the institution was renamed to Edith Cowan University. A majority of the practical placements for the nursing program was based at the nearby Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital. It expanded to the Bunbury campus in 1985 and fully moved to the Churchlands campus by October 1988 before becoming centralised at the newly-built Joondalup campus. The ECU Churchlands campus continued graduating approximately 300 nursing students annually until December 2007, after which the campus was closed, but the Bunbury campus continued offering nursing and midwifery programs.[57][58]
The inaugural Head of School is Margaret Baird, who served from September 1984 to December 1991, and was a former state president of the Australian Nurses Federation (ANF) and member of the Nurses Board.[57] As of 2022, the ECU School of Nursing and Midwifery has the largest nursing cohort in Western Australia[better source needed] with 2,422 students and the only one with a double-degree program in both nursing and midwifery.[59][60][61] It also offers postgraduate entry, education and research programs in nursing as well as the state's only nurse practitioner study program.[62]
School of Science
Broad disciplines: Biology and Environmental Sciences, Mathematics, Physics, Biochemistry, Computing and Security Sciences
The performing arts school showcases a large number of performances annually that are open to the public. This events are mostly held at WAAPA's own theatres and facilities in Mount Lawley.[67] These include the 297-seat Geoff Gibbs Theatre proscenium, the 200-seat Richard Gill Auditorium, the 194-seat court style Roundhouse Theatre and a number of studios that can be converted to seat audiences.[68][69][70][71][72][73][74] Performances and events are also held at various external venues such as the Rosemount Hotel, Government House Ballroom, Ellington Jazz Club, Luna Cinema, Subiaco Arts Centre, Studio Underground, Blue Room Theatre and the Albany Entertainment Centre.[67]
The performing arts school, which has produced some of Australia's most prominent figures in the performing arts, is scheduled to re-locate to the currently under-construction Perth CBD campus following completion in late 2025.[75] The ECU City campus, which is designed by Lyons and located west of Yagan Square, is planned to have six performance venues which are projected to have 300 performances annually.[75][76] The campus will be accessible by public transport, being built on top of the underground Perth Busport opposite the Perth railway station.[76][77]
The university has a number of research centres within its areas of research strength: Health and Wellness; Education; Environment and Sustainability; Electronic Engineering and ICT; Social and Community; Business and Society; Communications and Creative Arts; and Security, Law and Justice.[80] Several of these research centres are categorised as Major National Research Facilities and WA Centres of Excellence in Science and Innovation.[81]
Steve Chapman commenced as vice-chancellor in April 2015. Previous vice-chancellors include Kerry Cox (from 2006 to 2014), Millicent Poole (from 1997 to 2005) and Roy Lourens (from 1991 to 1997).
The University Council is the governing body of the organisation which controls and manages the operation, affairs, concerns and property of the university, in accordance with its Corporate Governance Statement.[109]
The membership of the council is composed of people across various disciplines and groups as mandated under Part III, Sect. 9 of the Edith Cowan University Act 1984.[110] Its membership includes persons appointed by the Governor of Western Australia, co-opted members, members of the academic and general staff of the university as elected by the members of these groups, and alumni and student guild representatives. With the exception of the Chancellor and students, members of council are elected for three-year terms, or in the case of a by-election for the balance of the current term. An elected member of the council may serve for up to three consecutive terms, after which they are subject to a twelve-month break before they may be reconsidered for council. Students elected to the University Council hold office for a term of one year from the date their election takes effect, and are not eligible for re-election more than once.
ECU has three campuses, consisting of two metropolitan campuses at Joondalup and Mount Lawley, and one at Bunbury, in Western Australia's South West region. Programs are also offered at regional centres throughout Western Australia.
The Joondalup Campus is the University's headquarters.[111] Facilities on the campus include a new Health and Wellness Building, a multimillion-dollar sport and fitness centre, a new award-winning library and student hub, an outdoor cinema screening Telethon Community Cinemas at the Joondalup Pines during the summer months and on-campus accommodation.[111] The campus also forms part of the Joondalup Learning Precinct, which includes the West Coast College of TAFE to the north and the Western Australian Police Academy to the northeast.[112] It is serviced by the Joondalup CAT and is close to the Mitchell Freeway.
The Mount Lawley Campus is close to the Perth central business district (CBD). Facilities on the campus include extensive media training and performing arts facilities, a sport and fitness centre and on-campus accommodation.[111] The campus also forms part of the Mount Lawley education precinct with Mount Lawley Senior High School, and is home to WAAPA, one of Australia's most successful and well-known arts training institutions.[113]
The South West Campus is located in Bunbury, two hours drive south of Perth.[111] The South West Campus (Bunbury) is the largest university campus outside the metropolitan area and is part of an educational precinct comprising South West Institute of Technology and the Bunbury Health Campus[111] which includes St John of God Hospital and South West Area Health Services. The campus has modern facilities, small class sizes, two vending machines[citation needed], a cafe, and a common room. In addition, a comprehensive range of courses and on-campus accommodation is available.[111] Many classes have recently been shifted to online to cater to overseas students.
The university formerly also had three campuses in Perth's western suburbs – Churchlands, Claremont and Nedlands. These campuses were closed down with the Churchlands Campus becoming a residential estate in 2006,[114] and the Nedlands and Claremont campuses being acquired by the University of Western Australia in 1990 and 2004
respectively.[115][116] Graylands was merged into Claremont, Churchlands and Mount Lawley in 1979 before the formation of WACAE, and Churchlands eventually became a residential estate.
In 2014 the university opened the ECU Health Centre on Dundebar Road in Wanneroo.[117] The Centre includes the Wanneroo GP Super Clinic, ECU Psychological Services Centre, pharmacy, and allied health practitioners.
On 20 September 2020, as part of a $1.5-billion "Perth City Deal" between the federal and Western Australian state governments, it was announced that the Mount Lawley campus would relocate to immediately west of Yagan Square in the Perth CBD. The 11-storey 6-hectare (15-acre) campus dubbed "ECU City" is being built on 0.8 hectares (1.98 acres) of land and was initially announced to open in 2025 at a cost of $695 million. It will include all facilities at the current Mount Lawley campus, while Mount Lawley Senior High School is planned to expand into the current WAAPA facilities at Mount Lawley.[118][119] On 17 December 2021, the city campus project was approved by DevelopmentWA. Initial construction on the site was expected to begin in the second quarter of 2022;[120][121] construction ultimately kicked off in February 2023 for an intended 2026 commencement of classes,[122] while costs have increased to $853 million.[123]
The federal QILT Student Experience Survey (2022) is a survey conducted by the Australian Government on student satisfaction in key aspects of their university studies. The report found that 81.9% of students at Edith Cowan University were satisfied with their overall university experience, the fourth-highest in Australia and highest in Western Australia. The university rated highly for teaching quality, skills development, learning resources and student support while rating lower for learner engagement. The overall rating is the highest among public universities, which have a higher student population.[142][143][144][145] The university also has high employment outcomes according to QILT, with 93% of graduates finding full-time employment within three years and a median salary of A$86,900, the highest of Western Australian universities in 2023.[146] According to the Australian Government's QILT, ECU graduates had a full-time employment rate of 93% with a median salary of A$86,900 within three years, the highest of Western Australian universities in 2023.[146][147]
The university rankings for Edith Cowan University varies by academic publication. The 2025 QS World University Rankings placed ECU at the 516th position.[158] The 2023 Times Higher Education (THE) rankings listed ECU in the 351–400 band.[159] The Shanghai Ranking listed it at the 601–700 band[160] while U.S. News & World Report placed it in the 495th position.[161] The 2024 Good Universities Guide ranked the university within the top four nationally for teaching quality, student support, learning resources, skills development and overall experience.[162]
Different university ranking publications use varying methodologies to rank universities[163][164][165][166][167][168] and cannot accurately calculate teaching performance, research quality and other abstract functions into a singular numerical composite.[169] University ranking methodologies have also been subject to scrutiny[170][171][172] for their subjectivity, bias and lack of consideration for institutional specialisations.[173][174][175] Institutional competitiveness reinforced by ranking publication results also discourages inter-institutional academic co-operation, non-anglophone thought and have been described as a modern form of colonialism.[176][177][178][179][180][181][182][175] The pursuit for higher rankings has also caused many universities globally to prioritise staff for research output over teaching skills and cause stress to high school students.[183][184]
ECU has more than 31,000 students at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. More than 6,000 international students originating from more than 100 countries study with ECU each year.[185] This includes the offshore delivery of a variety of courses in a number of countries, student and staff exchange programs with other universities, joint research activities, international consultancies and individual academic links.
All students are represented by the ECU Student Guild.[186] This includes postgraduate students, under the Postgraduate Studies Department, and International students under the International Students' Council.
There are a range of academic groups and associations for undergraduate students of particular disciplines, including: Boomerang@ECU (Advertising); Dead Pilot's Society Superseded by Edith Cowan Aviators (ECA) as found on the social networking site Facebook; ECU Engineers (EEC); ECU Society of Psychology and Social Science (ECUSPSS); Sports Science @ ECU; Town Planning Student Association; ECU Nurses; Society Of Security Science (SOSS); NorthLaw Society (NLS); ECU Public Relations Chapter; Computer and Security Science Association (CASSA); ML Education (Primary Education); Early Childhood Collective and Arts Management Student Organisation (AMSO); Western Australian Student Paramedics (WASP) and more.
Along with the student associations, there are various social and sporting clubs that are affiliated with ECU Sport or the Guild. Some of these include: ECU Cars & Cruises, ECU Badminton Club, Tennis Club, ECU Liberal Club, Jack of Arts, Enactus, Buddhist Youth Club, ECU Parties and Events, Humans vs Zombies, Nerd Space, ECU Cheerleading Club, ECU Quidditch Club, The Sound, Touch Football, Mixed Netball, and more.
This section may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. The specific problem is: An unwieldy and endless list is uninformative except to convey it is unwieldy and endless. It ought to be trimmed to a short and respectable list of the 5–8 most notable in each discipline, or moved out into a separate list, such as in Wikidata or, if notable enough, Wikipedia. Please help improve this section if you can.(August 2024) (Learn how and when to remove this message)
Edith Cowan University has alumni notable in their field, and notable staff and faculty both past and present, including its constituent schools and former campuses.
As of 2024[update], Edith Cowan University has staff and faculty, both past and present, notable in their field in two of its eight teaching schools, as well as Chancellors and Vice-Chancellors.
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