Open Universities Australia
 |
|
| Type | Public university consortium |
|---|---|
| Established | 1993 |
|
Administrative staff
|
150 |
| Students | 60,000 |
| Address | Bourke Street, Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia, Headquarters in Melbourne, Australia |
| Campus | Distance learning |
| Website | www |
Open Universities Australia (OUA) is an online higher education organisation based in Australia. The organisation was previously known as the Open Learning Agency of Australia. The chairman is Sam Weiss and the chief executive officer is Paul Wappett.
Seven Australian-based universities control the ownership of the organisation. A board of directors, consisting of nominees from the universities which own the organisation, governs OUA. There are also up to five independent directors on the board at any one time.
While the majority of enrolled students are based in Australia, courses are available to students globally. Most undergraduate courses offered have no first-year entry requirements and there are no quotas for most courses.
The organisation has approximately 170 qualifications available online, which are provided by Australian universities and other education providers.
OUA is owned by seven Australian universities:
OUA also has connections and partnerships with a number of other institutions, including:
OUA is a member of the Elite Athlete Friendly University program (EAFU). A key factor in being part of EAFU is for the partner to support athletes to achieve academic excellence and recognise the challenges athletes face when combining education, career and a personal life with a high-performance sporting career.
Professional athletes studying with OUA come from a range of sports including all football codes, tennis, athletics and diving.
OUA also has partnerships with several Australian public and private organizations such as National Australia Bank, Westpac Group and the Commonwealth Department of Defence.
Open Universities Australia was formed as the Open Learning Agency of Australia Pty Ltd (OLAA or OLA) in late 1993 as a private company.
The organisation was originally owned by Monash University. In order to provide equal access to students across Australia’s regional areas, they created a partnership with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and eight other universities. At this time, the federal government provided funding for the project.
In 2004, OLA changed its name to Open Universities Australia (OUA), reflecting the changing demands and expectation of its students. In the same year, OUA students gained access to the new FEE-HELP scheme. FEE-HELP provides eligible students with deferred payment options for undergraduate and postgraduate units and courses and remains a popular option with OUA students.
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