The devastating impacts of the coronavirus pandemic have made it difficult for many industries and Australia's tertiary education sector has been among the hardest hit.

And while it's clear CSU's financial troubles began even before the start of COVID-19, the past few months have simply made the tough times much, much worse.

Prior to the pandemic, CSU says it was looking down the barrel of a $16 million budget deficit. It's now triple that.

The university has begun cutting costs, announcing this week it would be axing about 600 subjects (though, crucially, CSU said the majority of them had zero enrolments) and more than 100 jobs.

It does not paint a pretty picture and these are definitely worrying times, but it's not just CSU that needs to be concerned.

Education remains Bathurst's largest industry and CSU is a massive part of that. So if CSU is struggling, the ripple effect will hit other areas of our economy as well.

Job losses will inevitably impact local families and fewer courses means fewer students coming here to support local businesses.

And so at the end of such a difficult week it is at least heartening to have acting vice chancellor Professor John Germov commit CSU to a future in Bathurst.

Our city is the spiritual home of CSU and is one of its foundation campuses.

The university has plenty of reasons to be grateful to Bathurst, but our city also has many reasons to be grateful to CSU.

Professor Germov stopped short of guaranteeing no loss of key courses from Bathurst such as nursing, teaching, engineering and journalism, but CSU's confidence in its future is a bright start given its current situation. We hope there are more good days than bad ahead.