The centre first opened in April 2021. Since opening, it has supported hundreds of students, launched the Learning Skills Advisor program to help students succeed and celebrated a graduation.

But it hasn't been all smooth sailing.

"In true Macleay Valley style, we had huge floods in Semester 1, and then in Semester 2 we saw the pandemic affect our entire community," CUC Macleay Valley chair Liz Campbell said.

Floods and the pandemic hasn't stopped the success of the centre, with over 240 students registering for its services in its first year.

"The CUC Macleay Valley was expected to have 45 students registered in it's first year, and we had reached this milestone within the first two weeks of opening.

"For Semester 1, 2022, we are leading the network In registrations with 160 students being supported."

Director of External Engagement at Charles Sturt University Kate Wood-Foye was a special guest on the panel.

"We congratulate Kinne and the CUC Macleay Valley team on creating a vibrant, connected community of regional students in the Kempsey Macleay region," Kate Wood-Foye said.

"Charles Sturt is delighted to be the largest University partner for the centre and shares a collective passion for inspiring, connecting and elevating student experience and graduate outcomes for regional and rural students.

"The centre offers hands-on additional support for our students, helping them on their journey to gradation and into their chosen careers."

Now that the centre has built a solid foundation, it will focus on collaborating with community, university partners and industry to increasing participation for students In the Macleay Valley community to study at uni and go into the local workforce.

"We are working with our local year 12 students in our UniFuture program to get them prepared for uni and their future careers and this is just the beginning," CUC Macleay Valley centre manager Kinne Ring said.

The CUC network is welcoming funding to encourage more people from the regions to go to university as part of the Eastern Australia Regional University Centre Partnership.

The project will utilise the Commonwealth funding to work on a coordinated, community-led approach to widening university participation and school outreach, partnering with local communities to codesign innovative programs that address their unique community challenges in nurturing local aspiration and supporting access to higher education.

"In the Macleay Valley students can face disadvantages in pursuing higher education that comes with being in a rural area," Kinne Ring said.

"The CUC Macleay Valley will work with the community, industry and partner universities to make this a success."

To learn more about the Eastern Australia Regional University Centre Partnership, or to find out more about the CUC Macleay Valley, contact centre manager, Kinne Ring at kinne.ring@cucmacleayvalley.edu.au.

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