Leading Student Success in Practice: Charles Sturt's Approach to Equity and Outcomes

Recorded on the 21st of May 2026

At the heart of every university is a simple question: how can we truly meet students where they are?

Few leaders have embraced this challenge with the dedication of Professor Renée Leon at Charles Sturt University.

At CSU, serving a regional community means redefining what it means to support students, especially when the “average” student isn’t the traditional 18-year-old on campus, but a 35-year-old parent, opening their laptop at 9pm.

That reality has pushed CSU to develop thoughtful and deeply practical approaches to equity, retention, and student success.

And the students CSU has been built around for years, regional, low SES, first-in-family, mature-age, are increasingly the students every university is being asked to deliver for.