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Evaluating the Role of the Sunshine Coast University (USC) in the Regional
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Article  in  Local Economy · February 2001

DOI: 10.1080/02690940121839 · Source: RePEc

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LOCAL ECONOMY, 2001, VOL. 16, NO . 2, 123 – 141 FEATURES 3

Evaluating the Role

of the Sunshine
Coast University

Evaluating the Role of the (USC) in the

Regional Economy

Sunshine Coast University

(USC) in the Regional
Economy
Janelle Allison and Julie Keane

& ABSTRACT
The research Ž n din gs discu ssed in this pa per presen t ideas from the secon d
stage of a project to evalu ate the role of higher edu cation institu tion s (HEIs) in
region al econ om ies. Usin g data developed throu gh a learn ing region fram e-
work, the research schem atically represen ts HEI lin kages to the region . Possible
lin kage scen arios for each of six dim en sion s associated with em beddedn ess are
presen ted. The Ž n dings su ggest that this qu alitative approach m oves u s closer to
better captu rin g the com plexity an d role of HEI in region al developm en t.

& INTRODUCTION
A key feature of economic development in the 1990’s has been the focus on
knowledge (Knight, 1995) in which the attributes of effective regional econo-
mies are informed by concepts of knowledge and learning. Regional economies
need to be knowledge based and stories of successful regions seem very much
to be centred around innovation and their constitution as learning regions. Janelle Allison is Head
of the School of Design
Some common factors appear to underpin regional success. These factors
and Built Environment,
include agglomeration, economies of scope, networks of small Ž rms and Faculty of Built
supportive institutions (Keane and Allison, 1999, 897). In particular regional Environment and
Engineering,
analyses suggest that success signiŽ cantly depends on institutional thickness Queensland University of
(Amin and Thrift, 1994; Indergaard, 1997; Cooke and Morgan, 1998) or what Technology, Brisbane
Queensland, e-mail:
Putman (1993) termed social capital. Goddard (1997a , 3) proposes that institu-
j.allison@qut.edu.au
tional thickness is more than a strong presence of institutional bodies. Rather Julie Keane is the Urban
there is a high level of interaction and a mutual awareness of common purpose and Regional Planner,
Brown & Root Services
generating tacit knowledge and lifelong learning. Regions need to adopt these Asia Paci® c Pty Ltd., 299
principles and to become learning regions (Keane and Allison, 1999, 897). Thus, Coronation Drive, Milton,
Queensland, e-mail:
the new framework or approach to regional development needs to be centred julie.keane@
about the concept of a learning region. halliburton.com

Loca l Econ om y ISSN 0269–0942 print/ ISSN 1470 –9325 online # 2001, LEPU, South Bank University
http:/ / www.tandf.co.uk/ journals
DOI: 10.1080 / 0269094011004197 7 123
" FEATURES

Evaluating the Role This paper focuses on knowledge and learning. In particular it examines the
of the Sunshine relationship between higher education institutions (HEIs), knowledge and
Coast University learning regions and considers how to better capture the role of higher
(USC) in the
education in contributing to a regional economy. The paper begins by outlining
Regional Economy
the characteristics of a learning economy. We identify the components of
learning regions and conceptualize the nature of learning regions. In particular,
we outline a conceptual framework of a learning region to map the contribu-
tions made by HEIs. The second part of the paper examines the roles HEIs play
in the learning economy. The core of the paper then uses the conceptual
framework discussed elsewhere (Keane and Allison, 1999) to examine in more
detail ways in which we might measure the role that the University of Sunshine
Coast (USC) plays in the regional economy of the Sunshine Coast. We conclude
by brie y evaluating the current strengths and weaknesses of the university’s
involvement in the regional economy and identify the nature of the linkages of
the USC to the local economy.
The case study draws on primary data sources (codiŽ ed data) from USC
including university mission statements, strategic plans, annual reports, news-
paper clippings and other relevant databases.

& CONCEPTUALIZING A LEARNING REGION

Knowledge is an important resource. But knowledge on its own is not of wide
value. The concept of a learning economy recognizes knowledge as the most
fundamental resource in our contemporary economy and learning an important
process (Lundvall and Johnson, 1994, 23). Knowledge as a resource has two
components; codiŽ ed and tacit knowledge. CodiŽ ed knowledge comprises
knowledge, which is structured and ‘captured’ in some formal arrangement.
In the case of a university the course and unit data, research papers, research
contracts, community service databases, university strategic plans, budgets and
mission statements all comprise codiŽ ed knowledge. CodiŽ ed knowledge is
relatively easily measured. Tacit knowledge is generally harder to capture. It is
implicit, informal and relates to relationships and trust, which are developed
among individuals. Tacit or ‘live areas’ of knowledge and learning such as
networks, local practice, cultural contexts are not only ill deŽ ned but also
socially constructed and socially embedded (Keane and Allison, 1999, 897). Yet,
it is these tacit dimensions which generate competitive edge through creative
practices (Nonaka and Takeuchi, 1995; Cooke and Morgan, 1998). Foray and
Lundvall (1996) suggest that a large component of innovation represents efforts
to capture, codify and transfer tacit knowledge.
A learning infrastructure underpins the transformation of knowledge into
learning. The learning infrastructure takes two forms; the physical infrastructure
and other knowledge structures networks such as universities and other centres
of learning which support and facilitate learning processes. The importance of

124
 FEATURES 3

Figure 1. Learning region framework Evaluating the Role

of the Sunshine
Coast University
(USC) in the
Regional Economy

the tangible knowledge infrastructure in the learning economy cannot be

overstated and in Smith’s view (1997, 90) can be linked to the performance
and productivity of a region’s economy. What then is the relationship between a
learning economy and regional development?
Knowledge and knowledge infrastructure are located within a spatial and
cultural context. The spatial and cultural context consists of three key com-
ponents. Figure 1 (Keane, 1998; Keane and Allison, 1999) represents how this might
be conceptualized. First, there is the global/ local interface, which comprises
those local regimes which enable Ž rms to compete. Second, there are local
factor conditions. Local factor conditions are the array of local resources and
attributes, which give a region its capacity. Finally, there is the amalgam of local
institutions and organizations which support and respond to local needs and
conditions. It is the character of this network of institutions which may constitute
a distinctive local culture, which can generate competitiveness or point of
difference. In summary, then, it is the combination of knowledge supported by
a learning infrastructure within a spatial context which provides a useful

125
" FEATURES

Evaluating the Role explanatory framework to describe a learning region. Also, different kinds of
of the Sunshine associations and learning partnership s in particular spatial and cultural contexts
Coast University will generate different regional responses (Cooke and Morgan, 1998).
(USC) in the
Despite these differences, the concept of the learning region provides a
Regional Economy
useful framework for portraying the character and role of regions and regional
development. Of particular importance is the idea that learning regions are
especially well tuned to the requirements of the learning economy. What is also
implied is a consideration of much more than narrow economic issues. Learning
regions as the basis for sustainable regional development need to be viewed in
the widest possible terms to include social economic and environmental
imperatives. Whilst some regions may display more of the necessary character-
istics than others none will Ž t the criteria in their entirety. Thus, the learning
region constitutes a model towards which regions may progress in order to
respond most effectively to the challenges posed by the ongoing transition to a
learning economy (OECD, 2000).

& THE ROLE OF HEIS IN THE REGIONAL ECONOMY

HEIs provide an important contribution to the learning economy and regional
development. This is not a new phenomenon. HEIs have been developed to
trigger economic activity and many case studies attest to their success (Thanki,
1999). But the potential role of HEIs in supp orting regional development in the
knowledge economy is now more important the ever. In a period of signiŽ cant
economic restructuring, HEIs have retained an important role as large institu-
tions, which generate signiŽ cant support infrastructure (Garlick, 1998). It shifts
the role of HEIs beyond the traditional beneŽ ts of spending and employment to
actively contribute to the learning within the region.

The `Third’ Role

The contribution of HEIs to regional development is given added impetus by
several other factors. First, the emphasis within HEIs has shifted to include both
research and student learning. Teaching and learning are now of paramount
interest to administrators and their student ‘clients’. Mass education and ever
widening access to HEIs, increased numbers and diversity of student population
alongside accountability for dollar investment has forced HEIs to focus more on
all aspects of student learning.
A second trend is the concern for life-long learning, inherently a feature of a
constantly changing global economy. HEIs obviously have a major contribution
to make here, although the role is still poorly developed and there are
opportunities for new initiatives. The third trend is the competition among
HEIs for students. With reduced funding, the newer regional and technological
HEIs have identiŽ ed the local community and region as an important source of
students (University of Western Sydney, 1997). A characteristic feature of these

126
 FEATURES 3

institutions has been strategies and initiatives to effectively form strong and Evaluating the Role
lasting partnerships with the local region (University of Western Sydney, 1997; of the Sunshine
Garlick, 1998). These developments have served to strengthen regional ties and Coast University
(USC) in the
reinforce an awareness of a responsibility of HEIs to be partners in the
Regional Economy
economic health and wealth of their region. Goddard (1997a ) deŽ ned this
responsibility as the ‘Third Role’.
Several critical questions emerge from these circumstances. How might HEIs
interact with and contribute to a learning region? What is the quality of the
linkages established? How well embedded are HEIs in a local economy?

Measuring the role of HEI in regional development

We argue elsewhere (Keane and Allison 1999, 896) that HEIs add value to
regional development in at least three ways:

. the suite of traditionally identiŽ ed beneŽ ts such as population growth,

housing demand and increased prices, increased spending and other spin-
offs (Thanki, 1999),
. implicit beneŽ ts broadly linked to the growth of the ‘knowledge economy’,
particularly through value adding information and lifelong learning practices,
and
. concepts of lifelong learning, learning regions/ cities/ communities explicitly
require a resp onse from universities.

Yet, while regional HEIs have implicitly contributed to regional development

strategies in general, little is known of the real and sustained value to the
regional economy (Garlick, 1998; Thanki, 1999). We suggest two aspects need
to be reviewed:

. the issues of limited and narrow measurement, and

. the traditionally narrow view HEIs hold of their role in the regional economy.

As we show elsewhere (Keane and Allison, 1999), Thanki (1999, 85) is

concerned about measuring the value of higher education to regional devel-
opment and suggests that such approaches accept traditional growth theories
and focus only on economic aspects such as industrial development and labour
markets. In a similar vein Garlick (1998) argues that in general the approaches
to measuring economic value are passive economic approaches which generate
no understanding of the nature and quality of local linkages, and fail to
contribute to an evaluation of the embeddedness of the university in the
region’s economy.
What is needed is an approach which:

. captures the spectrum of active or live linkages of the HEI into the region and
local economy; and

127
" FEATURES

Evaluating the Role . elaborates these connections in terms of developing a learning economy for a
of the Sunshine learning region (Keane and Allison, 1999).
Coast University
(USC) in the This is especially important now. For, where HEIs have engaged with economic
Regional Economy development the response has been to create intermediary organizations such
as technology transfer and regional development ofŽ ces. HEI engagement has
been narrowly deŽ ned to focus on the creation of spin-off companies and the
establishment of science parks (Van Der Meer, 1996; Goddard, 1997a; b).

Using a Learning Region Framework

Our approach has been to utilize the ‘shape’ and ‘structure’ of a learning region
as the framework to identify how, and in what way, HEI might contribute to the
learning region (Keane and Allison, 1999). Located within this framework the
role of HEIs is extended beyond a narrow technical and economic approach,
with education and training playing a crucial role. Conventional education,
however, is no longer sufŽ cient as lifelong and  exible learning is necessary in
post-industrial economies as cognitive skills replace physical skills. Generic
attributes are important learning outcomes, so formal training can be comple-
mented by other forms of learning. HEIs not only assist in employment creation
and skills transfer but also provide a culture of learning which enhances the
stock of human capital and generates a culture of learning to promote innova-
tion. HEIs are part of the regional context and contribute to and enhance critical
factor conditions necessary to develop a learning economy.
Table 1 illustrates and extends this understanding. It explores how a HEI
within its region provides a critical knowledge base and a signiŽ cant learning
infrastructure. But what is also highlighted are the important contributions HEIs
make to local conditions by enhancing opportunities in the region to develop
and build a learning economy and a learning region.

Linkages with the Region

The learning region framework achieves at least two outcomes. First, it identiŽ es
the broader contributions an HEI can make to the development of a learning
region. A learning region, we argue, provides a model in the transition to a
learning economy. Second, the learning region approach connects to a wider
socioeconomic understanding of regional development. It is this ‘third way’
(Amin and Thrift, 1995) which extends beyond a narrow economic perspective
towards the spectrum of needs for effective regional development. A learning
region approach there fore provides a framework which better captures all of
the ways in which HEIs might contribute to regional development in the face of
signiŽ cant economic and social change. The issue therefore is to more
effectively measure the dimensions of this ‘third role’ of HEIs (Goddard,
1997a). The real concern is to ascertain whether the organization (in this case

128
 FEATURES 3

a HEI) is embedded in the regional economy. Only then it seems will it make a Evaluating the Role
measurable impact. of the Sunshine
Studies of local and regional development initiatives suggest that there may Coast University
(USC) in the
be ‘indicators’ of the ‘third role’ and embeddedness. Amin and Thrift (1995), for
Regional Economy
example, argue that an emphasis on networks of social relations institutional
thickness seem to play a signiŽ cant role for ‘territorially embedding’ entrepre-
neurial activity (p. 101). Turok (1993, 407) argues that the key features of
linkage development can be determined through analysis of linkages to
determine the manner in which an organization becomes embedded in the
local economy. In their studies of embeddedness, Gripaios and Gripaios (1993)
highlight a range of ‘features of embeddedness’ which seem to coalesce around
six themes including:

. enterprise development,
. skills transfer,
. sourcing and supply chains,
. technology,
. research and development,
. partnerships and networks, and
. civic engagement.

Building on these ideas, we adopted an approach which identiŽ es linkage

development by an HEI across the six dimensions of embeddedness identiŽ ed
by Gripaios and Gripaios (1993). In the following section of the paper, this
approach is used to evaluate the role of University of Sunshine Coast (USC) in
the regional economy. Using the data revealed about USC by the learning
region framework in Table 1 to schematically represent how linkages might be
determined, possible linkage scenarios for each of the six dimensions associated
with embeddedness are mapped.

& THE CASE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF SUNSHINE COAST (USC)

USC and the region
The USC was established in 1994 with the Ž rst intake of students in 1996. The
university is located approximately 100k m north of Brisbane in Maroochy Shire.
For this study the Sunshine Coast has been deŽ ned as the area being comprised
of the three coastal local authorities of Caloundra, Maroochy and Noosa, with an
area of 3,130 km 2 as shown in Map 1. The University of Sunshine Coast is
located at Sippy Downs, which straddles two local government areas, Caloun-
dra and Maroochy. Land uses surrounding the USC campus in Sippy Downs
comprise a residential development called Chancellor Park, recreational land,
and future industrial land.
The Sunshine Coast (SC) is a rapidly growing area centred on several major
urban nodes, Caloundra, Maroochydore and Noosa. In the last two intercensal

129
 Table 1. The conceptual framework and its applications to the University of the Sunshine Coast
130
Part AÐ Conceptual framework
Knowledge:
Codi® ed knowledge
Tacit knowledge
Learning capacity
Learning infrastructure
Global/local interface
Part BÐ
General contributions
The stock of knowledge able to be
quanti® ed; by the number of patents,
quali® cations of workers, investment in
R & D, and so on.
The non-quanti® able stock of
knowledge based on know-how, i.e. the
networking of the ® rms and institutions
of a region.
The difference between competence and
capabiity, competence is often
associated with vocational knowledge,
where an ability to do something is
easily obtainable. Learning capacity is
the higher level ability to shape the
knowledge.
This is closely tied to the factor
conditions of:
. physical infrastructure, and
. knowledge infrastructure.
The local conditions and regimes, which
enable ® rms to compete in the global
market place.
Application to HEIs
. CoursesÐ graduate and post-
graduate
. Courses that are responsive to
local needs
. Research and development
. Staff networks
. University-business linkages
. Staff entrepreneurialism
. Community networks
. Course requirements for
industry work experience
. Life-long learning
. Student placements in local
businesses
. Preference schemes for
admissions
. Land for business park
development
. Community access library
. Internet provider
. University strategic plan
. Research taskforce
. Membership on local boards of
university staff and administrators
. Involvement in local regional
and strategic planning processes
USC’s performance*
" FEATURES
. Marine science, ® ne art and
electronic arts degrees
. Business and industry
collaborative research, e.g.
technology diffusion and virtual
businesses
. Public lectures and forums
. VC’s column in local newspaper
. Consultation between university
and business and industry in
course development, e.g. course
advisory committee
. Local preference schemes for
admissions
. Chancellor Park technology park
. Provides community access to
library sources
. Local internet provider
. University strategic plan and
DCP work together
. Location of university `within’
the community; residential
commercial and industrial
development precincts
. Chancellor is a local
businessman (Kilcoy)
. Participation in development of
local DCP
 Factor condition:
Human resources The availability of a highly skilled and
highly educated work force, with the
capabilities to learn.
Physical resources Those environmental resources which
contribute to the livability of a region.
Knowledge infrastructure The tangible knowledge infrastructure,
as well as the culture of learning
socially and culturally embedded in the
norms and rules of a society.
Physical infrastructure The hard and soft infrastructure
necessary to sustain urban life.
Regionalism:
Endogenous The bottom-up development of
organizations and institutions, which
enable those organizations to be
responsive to local needs and
conditions.
Regional governance Systems of governance autonomous to
the supra-politico system, able to make
decisions and guide development
Source: From Keane and Allison (1999, 898).
131
. Database of staff skills
. Retention of graduates
. Environmentally sustainable
campus
. Life-long learning
. Community education
. Community participation in
university development
. Employment of local
professionals in campus
development
. Participation in local planning
. Landscaping which re¯ ects the
local environment and ecology
. Art exhibitions
. Public lectures and forums
. Focus group workshops during
university planning
. High level of community
consultation
. Employment of local architects
in university design
. Local government planningÐ
Sippy Downs Development
Control Plan
. Emphasis within DCP for
development of a `university
township’
FEATURES 3
" FEATURES

Evaluating the Role Map 1. Regional context.

of the Sunshine
Coast University
(USC) in the
Regional Economy

periods the SC has grown at a rate more than double South East Queensland
(SEQ) and three times the state’s annual growth. The rapid growth of the region
can be attributed to several factors including: lifestyle choices, affordability and,
growth in tourism based industry. A limiting factor to growth is the availability of
appropriate land for residential development.

132
 FEATURES 3

While the population in the Sippy Downs area is more predominantly families Evaluating the Role
and ‘younger’ people, there is a strong preponderance of pensioners and others of the Sunshine
aged over 60 in the region. An evaluation of education levels shows that the Coast University
(USC) in the
region has a higher proportion of persons with vocational skills and fewer
Regional Economy
persons with university qualiŽ cations. The SC also has a signiŽ cantly lower
average annual household income. Labour data re ects a high number of
unemployed persons, which, combined with the retired population, means a
signiŽ cantly smaller labour force in the region compared with SEQ and the state.
The main employer in the region is retail trade followed by health and personal
services. The construction sector is also strong as might be expected in a high
quality lifestyle environment. Traditionally the region’s economy had been
dominated by agriculture including sugar cane and tropical fruits. Any local
manufacturing has been linked to agriculture or local crafts. The shift in the local
economy has been the growth in tourism and a concomitant demand for
construction. Where business development has occurred the largest growth is
in SMEs and 76% employ less than Ž ve persons (Keane, 1998, 2–14).
A number of statutory and non-statutory documents provide the framework
for planning and development within the Sunshine Coast. At a regional level the
South East Queensland Framework for Growth Management 1998 establishes
the regional context and regional issues to be addressed by development. While
this currently is a non-statutory document, it may gain statutory status with the
changes in the planning legislation following the introduction of the In tegrated
Plan n in g Act, 1997 in 1998. The three local authorities comprising the Sunshine
Coast each have statutory planning documents covering developmental and
strategic planning areas. Presently these documents are under review to ensure
their compliance with the IPA planning framework. The Sippy Downs Devel-
opment Control Plan 1996 provides the context for planning at the local level.
This document is recognized in both the Caloundra and Maroochy planning
schemes. The Sunshine University Master Plan 1997 and University Strategic
Plan 1998 both provide the future direction for the development of the
university campus.

Linkages of USC into the Regional Economy

Enterprise Development
On the surface, the supp ort for industry and sponsorship of enterprise devel-
opment is low. In part this re ects the newness of the University and the energy
directed into the establishment of services and its construction plan. The Vice-
Chancellor of USC lobbied strongly for a Development Control Plan (DCP) to
guide the development of the University in the surrounding land use context, so
the university is strongly linked into the DCP – a critical strategic and land-use
planning tool used by the local authority. In turn, the design and structure of the
DCP lends support for clustering of business and industry around the university,

133
" FEATURES

Evaluating the Role Figure 2. Enterprise development

of the Sunshine
Coast University
(USC) in the
Regional Economy

and local industry and university research and development are encouraged
and linked through co-location (Figure 2). Other initiatives include staff support
to local industry through their skills and local business seminar programmes.
Similarly the university provides facilities to local businesses, such as technology
support.

Skills Transfer
Probably the most effective contribution to any local economy by a HEI is
generated through the courses on offer – and this is also the case for USC. There
is a local focus, and university strategic plans explicitly identify the use of local
expertise as a critical input to course development. Courses are offered in
 exible delivery mode and designed to facilitate access. There is a regional
preference scheme in operation and adult tertiary education prep aration
programmes. Figure 3 illustrates the relationship of these connections. Courses
which relate to graphics and multi-media re ect the growth of these SMEs on
the Sunshine Coast. Other courses in marine ecology re ect the proximity to the
coastal environments.

Sourcing and Supply Chains

The USC documents say little about tendering processes nor is there an explicit
local emphasis measured in regard to local sourcing. SigniŽ cantly, however, the
design and construction of the campus buildings and grounds was through local
Ž rms. The use of local architecture and local architecture services has made a
major contribution to the regional culture. The Sunshine Coast has a growing
tourist industry in which the environment of ‘sustainability’ and ‘green/ ecolo-
gical’ architecture is an important attraction. The employment of nationally

134
 FEATURES 3

Figure 3. Skills transfer Evaluating the Role

of the Sunshine
Coast University
(USC) in the
Regional Economy

Figure 4. Sourcing and supply chains

known local architects (e.g. John Mainwaring) has contributed signiŽ cantly to
the enhancement of this regional ‘ambience’. The regional/ vernacular architec-
ture which re ects climate and lifestyle is expressed, for example in the SCU
library, eating facilities and administration complex. Figure 4 illustrates the links
between local sourcing and the establishment of a locally identiŽ able culture.
The direct and indirect beneŽ ts of this strategy by the University appears to add
signiŽ cant value to the regional economy.

Technology and Research and Development

Initially the courses in visual arts at USC re ected the local arts and craft culture
of the coast and hinterland areas of the region. However, as mentioned earlier

135
" FEATURES

Evaluating the Role Figure 5. Technology, research and development

of the Sunshine
Coast University
(USC) in the
Regional Economy

over the last 2 years local demand for multi-media and communication design
courses has prompted USC to shift the emphases in course offerings. This
linkage is important as both the local authorities and the university see the
potential for small to medium enterprises (SMEs) (which utilize this kind of
technology) to locate in attractive climate and lifestyle areas. Consequently,
there are early signs that the University will play an important incubator and
technology transfer role in these enterprises (Figure 5). This responsiveness and
 exibility identiŽ ed in Figure 5 is a feature of other local opportunities: research
into marine studies and lifesaving activities – all critical features of the local
economy are already a focus within the University. In a similar fashion, USC has
established links to specialized local horticultural and agricultural activities.
Other forthcoming initiatives appear to link lifestyle, sport and climate related
activities to research on wellness, health and sports medicine. Local land
developers – Kawana Estates – are also linked to these initiatives through the
provision of land and facilities.

Partnerships and Networks

The University is linked to local activities through schemes with local high
schools and local businesses. The Vice-Chancellor has established partnerships
with a number of local organizations, thereby ensuring the exchange of ideas
and experience. The University strategic plans and faculty plans point to a range
of individual associations of academic staff to local economic initiatives.
However, a particularly interesting relationship and one which makes a
signiŽ cant contribution to regional governance is the relationship of the
University to the regional planning processes. The University, for example, is

136
 FEATURES 3

Figure 6. Institutional thickness Evaluating the Role

of the Sunshine
Coast University
(USC) in the
Regional Economy

the focus of the Sippy Downs Development Control Plan administered in both
Maroochy Shire and Caloundra Shire. This initiative by the Vice Chancellor
directly positions the University in an important Queensland Government
institutional and legislative structure – the In tegrated Plan n in g Act, 1997.
Further, the linkage was strengthened when the University staff, and Vice-
Chancellor, played a critical role in community consultation processes for the
development control plan. Figure 6 illustrates the planning framework in which
the University is located.

Community Involvement
Since USC was established there has been active community outreach. While
much of the early activity has been through art, the University art gallery, shared
library facilities (a traditional role played by a university), other activities include
ensuring the sports facilities include an international standard athletic training
track which substantially added to the resource base of the region. These
initiatives also provide potential opportunities for the promotion of sports/
health related sector in the regional economy and gained added impetus
through the provision of pre-Olympic training facilities for international

137
" FEATURES

Evaluating the Role Figure 7. Community involvement

of the Sunshine
Coast University
(USC) in the
Regional Economy

teams. The Vice-Chancellor of USC, Professor Paul Thomas, has been a strong
voice in the community and provides a regular column in the regional paper.
Alongside this regional ‘voice’, Professor Thomas sits on a range of local
planning and economic development boards. The staff of USC are engaged to
take similar roles. Figure 7 illustrates the types of community activities with
which the university has engaged.

Discussion
To fully evaluate the impact of USC in the regional economy requires ongoing
analyses. There is a need for example to identify the ‘tacit knowledge’ held and
developed by the University (and how this engenders deeper links into the
region’s economy) and there is a need to hear the regional community view of,
and access to, the University. We are also concerned to track these linkages
across the region and to identify how the impact is ‘capitalized’ upon and
hopefully bedded down. However, the Ž rst stage of this study was to map the
ways in which a university links to the local economy.
Clearly, the traditional impacts of spending, income and impact on the
housing market and prices are felt in the local economy of the Sunshine
Coast (Keane, 1998). This became evident in the construction and development

138
 FEATURES 3

of the campus. The University is attracting students; within 4 years the Evaluating the Role
enrolment has grown to 4000 – beyond expectations. There is evidence of a of the Sunshine
regionally appropriate diversity among the student population (i.e. mature and Coast University
(USC) in the
young students). The study shows that the courses have been responsive to
Regional Economy
local needs. The quality assurance and accreditation structures within the
University have been kept  exible so as to allow for responsiveness to regional
needs as is demonstrated in the shift from traditional arts offerings to include
stronger emphasis on multi-media courses.
There is also strong evidence that the Vice-Chancellor used the building and
design phases of the University to contribute beyond employment generation
and use of local sources – to provide a sustainable link to the regional economy
especially the regional tourism market. These initiatives suggest that the
University links to the regional economy generally match the local population
characteristics and current economic structure. Some of the recent initiatives in
sport, tourism and health related local economic initiatives suggest that these
links are being elaborated through partnerships and joint initiatives. These point
to future directions in the local economy.

& CONCLUSION
Traditionally HEIs have not been explicitly linked to their regions nor have their
regions fully exploited the potential HEIs offer for regional economic develop-
ment. In this paper we brie y outline the changing economic and social
contexts which require these relationships be reexamined. We propose a
conceptual framework of a learning region to identify the ways in which HEIs
might engage in regional economic development, particularly the formation of a
learning region.
Our speciŽ c concern was to undertake this analysis within the context of a
learning region. We believe HEIs have the potential to make a signiŽ cant
contribution to providing necessary conditions for learning. But, the nature of
these linkages extends well beyond the traditional impacts identiŽ ed in passive
economic tools. Using a simple graphic technique we have sought in the Ž rst
instance to map the nature of some linkages across six dimensions and
capture the wider socioeconomic needs for more effective regional develop-
ment. These dimensions also align with the requirements of a learning com-
munity. Through this approach we have been able to identify some gaps in the
activities of USC.
In the paper we identify other aspects of the approach still underway. In
particular to this point ‘codiŽ ed’ data is used. In stage 2 we intend to gather
information on the ‘live’ or tacit linkages of USC to the region. We believe these
data will tell a much more complex story of the linkages into the region’s
socioeconomic structure, and how these relationships should be represented
will be a core aspect of the next stage of the study. But having gauged a better

139
" FEATURES
Evaluating the Role understanding of both the formal and informal, codiŽ ed and tacit linkages to the
of the Sunshine region, we can then explore the degree of and quality of embeddedness. How
Coast University to represent and articulate the quality and complexity of embeddedness will be
(USC) in the
the next challenge.
Regional Economy
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