VC reflects on his first five years leading CQUniversity
A global pandemic, closed borders, and sweeping university sector reforms were not on Professor Nick Klomp’s bingo card when he took the helm of CQUniversity back in February 2019.
But now, five years after stepping into the top job at Queensland’s largest regional and only dual sector university, Professor Klomp says the associated challenges have made him – and the institution – far stronger.
“When faced with major challenges, you can either shrink and retreat, or you can tackle your obstacles head-on. In 2020 and the years that have followed, I’m proud that our people at CQUniversity have done the latter, and our organisation is all the better for it.”
It is a far cry from those first few days when the fledgling Vice-Chancellor arrived in Rockhampton, ready to put his own stamp on this most distinctive of universities.
“Of course, I knew that CQUniversity had a vast geographic footprint, I knew it delivered both VET and higher education courses, and I knew that it served thousands of students studying on-campus and online across Australia.
“But after meeting with our students, staff and stakeholders in those first few weeks, I realised CQUniversity was more than just a provider of education. Communities rely on this university to supply skilled workforces to the regions; they count on us to deliver research that benefits industry; and then there is the significant economic contribution that we make every year through our procurement practices and being a major employer in the regions we serve.
“If CQUniversity ceased to exist, it would have a huge detrimental impact on these communities.”
It was this new understanding of the University’s importance that helped to drive the development of his first strategic plan, with a focus on the many people and places with whom the University engages.
However, exactly one year to the day after starting as VC, the COVID-19 pandemic became a reality, with life and work changing for everyone.
“We were just months into our new strategic plan and had several important digital transformation projects already underway. Then, almost overnight, everything changed.
“We had to pivot so quickly and navigate several significant challenges. We were moving to work from home and our courses were going fully online.
“It was an exceptionally disruptive and uncertain time but also one that allowed us to test our strategy and business continuity plans.
“Fortunately, our strategic plan and our processes allowed us to pivot when we needed to and trained our focus upon who we were, and what we needed to be, as we navigated our way through the crisis. The ultimate goal of course was to become a stronger and more sustainable university.
“The resilience and commitment of our staff and students was also a major contributor to how CQUniversity managed and emerged from this period. I can’t thank them enough for their support.”
When asked to reflect on the past five years and choose a key highlight, Professor Klomp explained that there were too many to pick just one but added there were several things the University had achieved that made him very proud.
“Firstly, I think our efforts in the access and participation space set the University apart from any other in Australia.
“Recent data showed that 43 per cent of our student cohort are from disadvantaged and traditionally underrepresented backgrounds. CQUniversity encourages participation in higher education and training by students from all walks of life, and our people work hard to support students once they are here. What’s more, these students go on to graduate and have some of the best employment outcomes in the nation. Our focus in this space is changing lives!
“I also think our work in the sustainability space is worth celebrating because we have witnessed some great achievements including a significant reduction in energy usage, sourcing 50 per cent of our energy needs from renewable sources and reducing our campus waste by introducing new recycling and awareness programs. We are seeing many small actions combine to create a big change.
“This work has also seen us ranked 74th out of 1500 global universities for our commitment to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, by the prestigious Times Higher Education University Impact Rankings.
“I am also so proud of our ongoing engagement with First Nations communities and our commitment to cultural safety and reconciliation. CQUniversity was proud to stand behind Indigenous constitutional recognition and that remains our position going forward. There is still much more work for us to do in this space, but I am excited about our plans to strengthen our efforts and further support First Nations staff, students and partners,” he said.
Professor Klomp has committed to another five years as CQUniversity’s Vice-Chancellor and President, taking his next term up to 2029.
