Southern Cross University

SCU runs three main campuses. Lismore, the founding site on Bundjalung Country in the NSW Northern Rivers, houses health, nursing, business and the SCU School of Indigenous Australian Studies. Gold Coast at Coolangatta houses health, business, IT and the Marine Ecology Research Centre. Coffs Harbour, on the NSW Mid North Coast, houses nursing, education and outdoor and environmental studies, sharing a precinct with TAFE NSW and CSIRO. SCU also operates a Sydney and Melbourne hub for international students and the SCU Online platform. The Lismore campus suffered major flooding in 2022, prompting an extensive rebuild and upgrade of campus infrastructure. Accommodation runs through The Hotel SCU (Gold Coast) and SCU Village on the Lismore campus, plus partner accommodation in Coffs Harbour. The SCU Student Representative Council runs around 25 clubs. The brand is regional access, the SCU Model of six-week immersive blocks delivered three times a semester, and strong applied research in marine sciences, complementary medicine and Indigenous knowledges. Most students commute on the regional bus network or by car.

SCU teaches in the SCU Model, which divides each semester into two six-week terms. Term 1 runs late February to early April, Term 2 runs late April to early June, Term 3 runs early July to mid- August, Term 4 runs late August to early October, Term 5 runs mid-October to early December and a summer Term 6 runs January to February. Students take one or two units per term. Results release follows around two weeks after each term's assessments. Orientation sits in the week before Term 1 and Term 3.