Australian Catholic University (ACU) was opened on 1 January 1991 following the amalgamation of four Catholic tertiary institutions in eastern Australia - the Catholic College of Education Sydney in New South Wales, the Institute of Catholic Education in Victoria, McAuley College of Queensland, and Signadou College of Education in the Australian Capital Territory.
The institutions that merged to form the University had their origins in the mid-19th century, when religious orders and institutes became involved in preparing teachers for Catholic schools and, later, nurses for Catholic hospitals. Through a series of amalgamations, relocations, transfers of responsibilities and diocesan initiatives, more than 20 historical entities have contributed to the creation of the University.
The University operates as a company limited by guarantee, under the Companies (Victoria) Code and has a constitution which clearly identifies its objects in education, scholarship and research as part of the mission of the Catholic Church.
The University is a member of the publicly-funded national system of Australian universities, the Association of Commonwealth Universities and the International Federation of Catholic Universities. The University's Vice-Chancellor is a member of the Universities Australia and its Board of Directors.
Australian Catholic University achieved a number of coveted 'five-star' performance ratings in the 2010 edition of The Good Universities Guide.
The University performed particularly well in the area of indigenous participation, with four out of the six campuses receiving the highest ratings in their individual states for this category. Similarly, the University performed strongly in the areas of access and equity and proportion given credit for TAFE studies .
The most recent report by the Australian Universities Quality Agency (AUQA), commended ACU for its highly supportive student environment, the outcomes it has achieved for Indigenous students and its positive engagement with the community .
In reviewing all aspects of the university’s work, the AUQA report acknowledged the distinctive character and mission of ACU as an open Catholic university accompanied by committed, loyal and dedicated staff. The University’s focus on graduate attributes, its library and learning support systems and its commitment to enhancing its existing planning, quality and management systems were all positively recognised in the report.