University 'misled Asian students'
An Australian university that relies heavily on Asian students to fund its operations has been found to have misled them in its advertising.
Central Queensland University was ordered to improve its standards or risk its Melbourne campus being closed down.
The university is based at Rockhampton in central Queensland but has campuses on the Queensland Gold Coast and in Sydney and Melbourne.
It was accused of misleading students by using images of its attractive Rockhampton headquarters in promoting its Melbourne campus - a nondescript office block in the central business district.
Following protests about the curriculum, an audit was conducted by former Melbourne University vice-chancellor Professor Kwong Lee Dow.
Although Professor Dow found there was no evidence the university had failed to comply with national standards, he called on CQU to base itself in Melbourne and Sydney as well as in Rockhampton.
His report also said the university should increase the number of textbooks in its libraries and review its advertising so as not to mislead students.
CQU deputy vice-chancellor Professor Angela Delves said the Dow inquiry had found that claims of exploitation of students could not be sustained. But she said the assessment had left the university 'vulnerable to complaints' and that these had to be addressed urgently.
