Complaint Review: James Cook University

JCU has had several concerns about its reputation for a very long time, from not being able to report its financial status to mysteriously cutting employees wages.

However, it is when a University cannot even grant honest, paying students the qualifications that they have paid for that people need to stand up and check whether or not this university has any honesty or integrity. As stands, they are not a highly regarded university at all, let alone their courses are not conforming to industry standards.

My partner was a childcare student of JCU and while her time there was somewhat average when she went for employment she was unable to get work as JCU had not updated its curriculum and failed to pass it on to the accrediting body for proper accreditation. Therefore, the degree she was given was rendered useless.

With this kind of debacle, the Vice-Chancellor having an almost $1 million dollar a year salary, multiple staff accused of hiring their own friends and other forms of nepotism I am wondering why the standards agency has been unable to crack down on the conduct of this university. In comparison the competing university, CQU's Vice Chancellor takes a significantly lower pay, their staff are treated better and seem to have everything sorted out.

When I spoke to the university they threatened me with legal action. I told them they were breaking the law and they had no further response. The legal department (Fiona MacDonald) and university secretary (Michael Kern) were both utterly dismissive and rude!!! Not to mention giving fake and vexatious threats. If you pay a university thousands of dollars for a qualification, then make sure you can actually provide it.

Is JCU the most corrupt university in Australia? They didn't even apologise, just began with the threats. Corporate bullying at its finest.