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Community & Business

27 November, 2024

Why the mystery?

New University Hub questions

By Elizabeth Voneiff

CUC promotional photo: Facebook.
CUC promotional photo: Facebook.

The new Southern Downs university hub, known as the CUC (or Country Universities Centre), is engendering a mysterious aura after lack of information and “multiple requests” by the council to be involved were recently knocked back.

The CUC, a project in the making for several years with council as a stakeholder, appears to be launching early next year. It will be a welcome addition to the region, allowing local tertiary students to live on the Southern Downs but have a place to study, work and get help with their university studies. Council is “ready and willing to assist” the facility.

Strangely, in last week’s ordinary meeting of council, Mayor Hamilton noted the board of the new hub has not approved of including either a council representative or a council observer.

The Town & Country Journal asked who sits on the CUC board and when and where the planned opening of the facility is taking place.

Alyce Lotz, the CUC centre manager, responded that an “official announcement” would be made soon with “specifics” but declined to provide any information about the make-up of the board of directors. Ms Lotz, however, forwarded the email to former mayor Vic Pennisi.

When pressed, Ms Lotz referred the paper to the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) website, instead of providing information about the makeup of the CUC’s board herself.

Research uncovered the governing document of the organisation, which was formalised in May this year, and its current “responsible people” as per the ACNC.

Former mayor Vic Pennisi is listed as a director of the CUC Southern Downs. Other directors include Sarah Fea, Michael Hefferan, Kyle Thompson, Helen Nolan, Alexander Gudkovs and Gary Lawrence. The group’s registered address is 163 Palmerin Street, Warwick and has an attached email of one Chris Ronan.

Mr Gudkov, a Warwick solicitor, is an original member of the Total Health and Education Foundation; Sarah Fea is the CEO of the Killarney Memorial Aged Care facility; Gary Lawrence is the former president of the Warwick Chamber of Commerce and associated with the Southern Downs industry Education Association; Helen Nolan is with the office of the Provost at the University of Southern Queensland; Kyle Thompson is the principal of Scots PGC. Michael Hefferan was the Manager/Principal Advisor Economic Development, SDRC.

The SDRC last week released a public announcement in “support” of the hub but “is not involved in the planning or delivery of the project” despite playing “a key role in the initial stakeholder group that successfully secured Federal Government funding for” the project.

In the meantime, the Mayor asked council last week for the CUC to “come off the operational plan”.

The CUC Southern Downs is a community-driven initiative, financially supported by the Australian Regional University Study Hubs Program.

“We will wait to see what happens once the centre is launched,” Mayor Hamilton concluded. 

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