The University of Newcastle announces its vision is, “to be a world-leading university for our regions” in what it bills as its “strategic plan” through to 2030.
“Our commitment to place is central to our identity as the university of and for our regions,” it states.
It joins other regional universities, including Federation U and Uni New England in adopting Iain Martin’s (Deakin U) maxim that universities must be the “epitome of value to the community and nation … the value of the local campus to its community as an economic and social building block; the value of our service to the country in good times and bad; and the direct value to our students.”
While Uni Newcastle includes no metrics on what it intends to achieve, serving its heartlands is woven into the fabric of the plan. “Leading on issues that matter to our regions, including the economic, health, environmental, and social impacts of energy transition, housing, and inequality,” is the first strategic need it lists, with another being their development as “vibrant regions for innovation, entrepreneurship, arts, and culture, with the University playing a pivotal role in their identity and growth.”
There is much more of the same and even research, academics’ preferred model of measured success is pitched as a community service. The first focus area for its impact is “solving what matters to our regions.”
And if community good is not enough in itself, the plan points to another reason for all the service. “Our local, state, and federal representatives told us they want focus on economic transition, equitable access to education, and alignment with government priorities.”