Whether you are looking for on-campus accommodation or private rental, Accommodation Services can point you in the right direction to find suitable accommodation.
Internal support
Accommodation services
Careers and employment
Talk with an expert to improve your chances of securing the career that you want and access resources that will build your skills and knowledge, giving you a competitive edge in the job market.
Counselling
If you are experiencing personal difficulties that are causing disruption and confusion in your study or personal life, one of the most helpful things you can do is talk with a Counsellor.
As a CDU student, you are encouraged to access these free and confidential services.
Disability services
CDU is committed to providing an accessible, supportive, safe and inclusive learning environment for students with disabilities. If you have a disability that is impacting your study, the Access and Inclusion team can help you manage your disability. This can include help for things like a recurring migraine.
Library support
Out-of-hours crisis support
Outside business hours, call this number if you are a CDU student experiencing personal distress: 1300 933 393.
Study support
Our Language and Learning Support is free and confidential, assisting you with skill development tailored to your specific unit. The Language and Learning team assist students and lecturers to understand the requirements of varied assignments and further study skills.
The Language and Learning Support team offer various services such as drop-in sessions, 24/7 online tutor help via Learnline, individual consultations during normal business hours, after-hours help for students who cannot attend during normal business hours. Online/external students can request online or phone appointments. There is an excellent Study Skills webpage with useful guidelines to help you throughout your studies.
Find out more about the services offered by the Language and Learning Support team.
T: 08 8946 7459
E: languageandlearningsupport@cdu.edu.au
After hours
T: 1800 157 900 (free call)
Complaint management
If you have received an outcome of any Charles Darwin University decision — whether it be a grade, an outcome of a reduced study load, or another issue — and you are not satisfied that the situation is resolved, you have several options regarding what to do next. These include:
- Speaking to the concerned staff member calmly to ask for reconsideration of your case, and providing evidence to support you where applicable. You are welcome to contact lecturers to discuss the outcome of assignment grades or administration staff regarding the outcome of administrative decisions. However, you must respect the staff members’ decision not to re-open your case, or to stick with their original outcome.
- The Complaints Management Unit is the next step in the appeal process if you have approached the staff member or team who issued the decision and have not received a positive outcome. You can contact the Complaints Management Unit to seek an appeal of grade or to appeal an official CDU decision. Find out more information about the Complaints Management Unit.
- The Student Advocacy Officer offers independent assistance by representing the student in areas that impact on the quality of their experience while studying at Charles Darwin University. Students are encouraged to use this service when issues arise, and they are unsure of what avenues to take.
External support
Consumer protection
Australia has a strong consumer protection framework to protect the rights of Australian consumers, including international students in Australia. When you are shopping or buying any kind of service in Australia, you have legal rights and protection. There are laws on fair-trading and consumer law guiding businesses and protecting consumers. For information about consumer laws and enforcement where you are living and studying, please visit the websites below.
Cyclone information (relevant for students in Northern Territory)
Safety should be your first priority. If you think your safety is in danger, please dial 000 and ask for emergency assistance.
Darwin’s tropical wet season (1 November – 30 April) sometimes brings tropical cyclones. Also known as a hurricane, a cyclone is characterised by high winds, thunderstorms, rough seas and heavy rain, all of which can cause damage to property and people. Cyclones develop over large bodies of water (usually over the ocean) and can affect areas within about 50km of the coast. Commons effects of a cyclone are flooding, property damage due to high winds, fallen trees and power outages.
The new construction standards and building codes post-Cyclone Tracy, as well as annual public awareness campaigns, ensure Darwin is a safe place to live. Community cyclone shelters are available if required and brochures with step-by-step advice are readily available and actively promoted. The Australian Bureau of Meteorology provides cyclone information and weather updates and further information about preparing for a cyclone can be found via the Northern Territory Emergency Services. For more updates related to Safety and Emergency, please visit CDU Safety and Emergency Advice.
Legal services
Darwin
You can get legal advice from a range of organisations and individuals in the Northern Territory (NT). Some are free and others charge a fee for their services. However, please note that most do not offer advice on immigration matters.
Northern Territory Legal Aid Commission provides legal help for people who can’t afford a private lawyer. The initial advice session is free; however, you will be assessed before you are granted ongoing legal advice, and you will need to pay a small fee.
Darwin Community Legal Service (DCLS) offers a range of free legal and advocacy services. Free legal advice sessions are held three times a week at different locations around Darwin. You can talk confidentially about your legal problem with a lawyer who can give you advice and suggest action.
Top End Women’s Legal Services (TEWLS) provides free and confidential legal advice, legal education and support to women in Darwin and surrounding areas. You can get legal advice in most areas of civil law, with the exception of immigration and commercial matters.
Sydney
Redfern Legal Centre provides advice to international students about housing problems, fines, debts, car accidents, employment, discrimination, family law, domestic violence, and complaints about colleges or universities.
Women’s Legal Services NSW (WLS NSW) is a community legal centre providing women across NSW with a range of free legal services.
Student associations
Australia has a number of associations representing and assisting students from Australian educational institutions. National associations include:
- Council of International Students Australia (CISA) - national peak student representative body for international students studying at the postgraduate, undergraduate, private college, TAFE, ELICOS or foundation level.
- Australian Federation of International Students (AFIS) - assisting international students in maximizing the scope and potential of their experience living and studying in Australia.
Overseas students ombudsman
The Overseas Students Ombudsman (OSO) investigates complaints about problems that overseas students have with private education and training institutions in Australia. The Ombudsman’s services are free, independent and impartial. You can find out more about this service on the Ombudsman websites for your state or territory:
Workplace support
When you are studying, you may find a casual or part-time job to help support yourself or make new friends.
In Australia, there are laws that regulate working conditions and entitlements. There are rules in place to ensure you are treated fairly and paid appropriately. When you get a job it’s important to check what the legal wages, overtime and weekend rates are.
The Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) is a Government agency that can help you understand your workplace rights and responsibilities and can work with you to fix any workplace problems you’re having. The Fair Work Ombudsman's services are free to all employees including international students.
They have a range of tools and resources about your working rights including:
- a Pay Calculator to help you check how much you should be paid (including rates for working weekends, overtime and public holidays)
- an Award Finder to help you find your 'award' (the legal document that sets your hours, pay rates and other entitlements)
- a Record My Hours app to help you keep a record of your working hours
- information for visa holders and migrant workers to help you understand Australia’s workplace laws.
What to do if you’re having problems at work
We know that students may fear speaking to government agencies because they’re on a student visa, or because they may be paid in cash or have worked overtime. If you’re being exploited, however, you should always go to the FWO to discuss your case.
The FWO has an arrangement with the Department of Home Affairs (Home Affairs) to support visa holders, including international students, who come to the FWO. Visa holders can seek help without fear of visa cancellation, even if they’ve breached their work-related visa conditions. This arrangement is called the Assurance Protocol.
What is the Assurance Protocol?
Under the Assurance Protocol, Home Affairs usually won’t cancel your visa if you have breached your work-related visa conditions because of workplace exploitation, and:
- you have sought advice or support from them and you’re helping them with their inquiries
- there is no other reason to cancel your visa (for example for national security, character, health or fraud reasons)
- you have committed to following your visa conditions in the future.
FWO can often do more to help when someone contacts them directly, but if you’re concerned about speaking up you can also report an issue to them anonymously in English or in another language.
Student forms
Student forms