One of Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) most senior academics is among those honoured for his years of service to CSU and its predecessor institutions. The Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) Professor Ross Chambers is one of 13 staff eligible to receive 20 and 30 year service medals during a ceremony on Friday 11 September in the Convention Centre at CSU at Wagga Wagga from 12.30pm. Professor Chambers joined the Riverina College of Advanced Education (RCAE) in 1979 as an Associate Lecturer in history and politics after studies at the University of Sydney and the School of Slavonic and East European Studies at the University of London.  He was appointed a Principal Lecturer at RCAE in 1987.  Following the creation of CSU in 1989, Professor Chambers was appointed Head of the School of Humanities and Social Science and in 1992 the Dean of the Faculty of Arts.  In 2002 he was appointed to his current position as Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic). “It has been a great privilege to be part of the development of Charles Sturt University and to work with the community of staff and students at the University,” said Professor Chambers. “I have especially appreciated being part of an organisation with a strong commitment to the values of equity in access and participation and of service to its communities.”

The service medals are presented to long-serving staff as CSU continues to celebrate its 20th year in 2009. Read more about the 20^th anniversary celebrations here. The 20 and 30 year service medals will be presented to staff on Friday 11 September from 12.30pm to 3pm in the Chancellor’s Room, Convention Centre, building 230, near Jingellic Place, CSU, Wagga Wagga. Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) Professor Ross Chambers will be overseas during the ceremony and will receive his medal at a later date. Photos of Professor Chambers are available from CSU Media. A second group of staff will also be awarded long service medals from 12.30pm to 3pm at the same venue on Tuesday 22 September.

Studying for a career in social work in the Riverina is a lot easier thanks to a new agreement that comes into force from Tuesday 1 September. A state-wide agreement between TAFE NSW and Charles Sturt University (CSU) will enable local people interested in a career in social welfare to more easily articulate from TAFE to university studies. The agreement provides Riverina students with a seamless progression between a range of Diploma of Community Services courses at TAFE NSW Riverina Institute and the Bachelor of Social Science (Social Welfare) at CSU. Charles Sturt University’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ian Goulter said, “I welcome this example of Charles Sturt University working more closely with the TAFE sector as an important step in helping increase opportunities for higher education, particularly for people who live in rural and regional Australia. Riverina Institute’s relieving Director Ms Joy Stocker says the agreement is a very positive step toward addressing shortages of qualified community services staff in rural NSW.

This agreement was signed by Charles Sturt University’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ian Goulter, and The Hon. Verity Firth, MP, Minister for Education and Training and Minister for Women on Thursday 23 July. There are seven diploma level qualifications available through TAFE NSW Riverina Institute which articulate directly into the social welfare program at CSU. These include Diplomas of Disability, Alcohol and Other Drugs, Community Services, Community Development and Case Management.  New diplomas available in 2010, including Mental Health, Alcohol and Other Drugs and Mental Health will also articulate with the CSU degree. In the Riverina, students will be able to complete their two-year TAFE NSW Diploma course and then articulate into the third and final year of the Bachelor qualification at CSU. People wishing to study Diploma of Community Services in 2010 have a matter of weeks to take advantage of this new arrangement. Some new courses require applications, so prospective students are urged to enquire about the course of their choice now. For more information, visit here or call 1300 138 318.

 

A Charles Sturt University (CSU) academic is taking her wide knowledge of the management of invasive weeds to an audience of government and business representatives, academics and volunteers. Professor Leslie Weston is the keynote speaker at the NSW Weeds Conference 2009 on Tuesday 15 September in Narrabri, NSW. Professor Weston will earlier outline her research into the management of invasive weeds and development of natural plant products as pesticides, fungicides, herbicides or insecticides at a seminar at the EH Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation in Wagga Wagga on Wednesday 3 September. The EH Graham Centre is a collaborative alliance between CSU and the NSW Department of Industry and Investment. ‘Factors involved in the establishment of invasive weed species - is allelopathy involved?’ is the topic of her seminar at the EH Graham Centre. Professor Weston joined CSU in 2008 as the Strategic Research Professor of Plant Biology.  She is based at the School of Agricultural and Wine Sciences at CSU at Wagga Wagga.

 

Read more about Professor Leslie Weston here. The seminar at the EH Graham Centre will be held from 3pm on Thursday 3 September in the conference room at the Wagga Wagga Agricultural Institute, Pugsley Place, Wagga Wagga. Professor Weston’s keynote address at the NSW Weeds Conference 2009 will be held from 9am on Tuesday 15 September in The Crossing Theatre, Narrabri. Professor Weston is available for interview on 02 6933 2429.

 

Charles Sturt University (CSU) is proud to reveal its latest buildings at Orange. More than a library, the new Learning Commons at CSU at Orange is a student-centred space equipped with a range of learning and social areas. The new facility caters for a range of study options from group study pods through to quiet individual study areas.  A mix of computing and multimedia equipment supports group and individual learning.  As well as the new Learning Commons at CSU at Orange, a brand new lecture theatre featuring video conferencing facilities has been built. New student accommodation is currently under construction as the University prepares for more students at Orange in 2010.

 

When 19 Year Five primary school students and their teachers from St Laurence’s Catholic School at Dubbo made a three-hour excursion to Charles Sturt University (CSU) at Dubbo on Friday 28 August, they did scientific observations that provided practical insights into the work of scientists in the field and in the laboratory. Dr Patricia Logan, a lecturer with the School of Biomedical Science at CSU says the University is committed to nurturing the region’s future young scientists through its support of the CSIRO Scientists in Schools Program. “The CSIRO program is a system that pairs schools with an institutional scientist, such as university science lecturers like me, so that schools and school children can gain access to working scientists,” Dr Logan said. “The children collected water and plant samples from the reserve area below the campus and brought them back to the laboratory where they had a chance to look at their samples under the microscopes. They also had the opportunity to look closely at some plant, shell and coral fossils, as well as a trilobite from the Forbes area.”

 

Contact CSU Media to arrange interviews with Dr Patricia Logan from the School of Biomedical Sciences at CSU. Three CSU students enrolled in the Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood and Primary) – Mr Jon Crosby, Mr Jason Stewart and Ms Lauren Gaiter – assisted with the excursion.

In the 1950s, artists and designer Ann Gillmore Rees moved with her husband from London to Woorooma West station at Moulamein in the Riverina. Her career as a designer and teacher began in England in the 1920s and concluded in rural Australia in the 1970s. Despite living in the bush from 1939, Rees continued her professional pursuits and contributed to the cultural life of Australia in many ways. A public lecture in Deniliquin by Dr Sue Wood from the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at CSU at Wagga Wagga will follow Rees’ life and work, focussing particularly on her life in Australia. It will also explore some of the research strategies used in reconstructing her story and reflect on the importance of local museums and family history groups in preserving Australia’s cultural history. The lecture, ‘London to the Bush - The Life and Work of Ann Gillmore Rees’ will be held on Wednesday 2 September from 6pm in the Deniliquin Council Chambers, Civic Place, Deniliquin. Dr Wood is a practising visual artist who has exhibited in Australia and overseas. Read more here.

Dr Sue Wood from the School of Humanities and Social Sciences is available for interview. RSVP  to Ms Faye Falahey at Deniliquin Shire Council on 03 5898 3040 or send an email. CSU wines and cheeses will be served following the lecture. The lecture is hosted by CSU and Deniliquin Shire Council.

Final year podiatry students at Charles Sturt University (CSU) are preparing to enter the workforce as they near completion of their four year course on the Albury-Wodonga Campus, ready to become independent practitioners. By the time they finish their studies in three months, the students will have done over 1 000 hours of clinical practice in addition to theory work. The clinical education has taken place at the CSU Allied Health Clinic in Albury, and in professional placements in regional, rural and metropolitan areas. “This experience helps us manage the patients better,” said Honours student Ms Kate Carroll, who received a number of job offers from prestigious clinics before recently accepting a graduate position with Hunter New England Health in regional NSW. Ms Carroll said the course was certainly demanding but, “when you see yourself on placement, compared to students from other universities, you know you are competent. Our supervisors loved having students from CSU, because we have such a good name. They knew they could put us in a room with a patient and we could manage that patient’s entire treatment”. Kate has had experience in Caulfield (Vic), Newcastle and Canberra over the past four years, winning a CSU scholarship which helped with her placement costs.

In a world saturated with advertising and media using sex to sell, a Charles Sturt University (CSU) academic has warned of the long-term risks for children. Dr Emma Rush, Associate Lecturer in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences says companies are increasingly marketing their products to children to capture the children’s allegiance to their brands. However she says some products, like padded bras for eight-year-old girls, are completely inappropriate.”Big companies make products to make money, but the clothing, magazines, toys and games are becoming increasingly sexualised,” said Dr Rush. The CSU academic is a contributing author to a new book, Getting Real: Challenging the Sexualisation of Girls. The book deals with the sexualisation and objectification of girls and women in the media, popular culture and society. “Experts are seeing psychological damage in younger and younger children and a rise in behaviours such as low self-esteem, depression, self-harms and eating disorders. The children should be out in the world having fun. They should be constructing themselves, rather than squashing into a narrow stereotype,” said Dr Rush. “As adults we have responsibilities for children’s health and development. It is wrong to think of premature sexualisation as simply a matter of taste; the fact is that it has risks for children.”

Dr Emma Rush is an Associate Lecturer in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at CSU at Wagga Wagga. She is researching the impact of the sexualisation of children. Dr Rush is pushing for a review of the recommendations of the Senate Inquiry into the Sexualisation of children in the contemporary media. Getting Real: Challenging the Sexualisation of Girls is published by Spinifex Press.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) has been honoured in a national award for its successful traineeship programs. CSU was named as a runner up in the 2009 Minister’s Awards for Excellence for Employers of Australian Apprentices.  The University was among the top four employers of apprentices in the Western NSW category. Two CSU traineeship programs, known as Front Line Management for existing employees and Indigenous Traineeships, were submitted to the national awards. “The success of these two programs has led to the retention of trainees, a good completion rate for accredited training, expanded career opportunities for existing staff and improved employment opportunities at the University for Indigenous trainees,” said Ms Sarah McCormick , Manager of Diversity and Equity at CSU. Ms McCormick and CSU Training Manager Ms Jenny King attended the award ceremony hosted by the Federal Minister for Education, Employment and Workplace Relations the Hon. Julia Gillard, MP, at Parliament House in Canberra on Tuesday 18 August.

The Minister’s Awards for Excellence recognise and reward organisations and individuals who make an outstanding contribution towards the training of Australian apprentices. More information about Awards can be found here. Through its Division of Human Resources, CSU offers a staff development calendar offering over 100 workshops and forums annually. The University also runs an in-house Registered Training Organisation (RTO), CSU Training to deliver vocational qualifications.

A new book by a Charles Sturt University (CSU) academic explores the need for and path towards successful community development in both developed and developing countries in the Asia Pacific region. Community Development in Asia and the Pacific by Associate Professor Manohar Pawar, from the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at Wagga Wagga, delves into the challenges and impediments for successful community development programs. "Both developed and developing countries have been re-emphasising the importance of community development but really need to address issues such as entrenched community power structures, unstable political systems and authoritarian leadership styles which play a big part in obstructing community development," Associate Professor Pawar said. ”The four key principles needed to put development into practice include respect for human rights, self reliance, self determination and participation,” he said. "This book examines the latest community trends in the Asia Pacific region. It makes a case for adopting values- and principles-based practice; for altering current leadership styles and developing new leaders; for retaining diversity and learning from it; for practicing what is preached; and for having a local level comprehensive social development perspective.”

Associate Professor Manohar Pawar lectures in the Social Work and Human Services program in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at Wagga Wagga. He has more than 20 years of experience in social work education, research and practice in Australia and India.  Community Development in Asia and the Pacific is published by Routledge.Contact CSU Media to arrange an interview.

A new facility to further research into the experiences that people have with new computer technologies will be unveiled at Charles Sturt University (CSU) at Wagga Wagga on Wednesday 26 August. The new laboratory in the University library aims to allow researchers to ensure that the needs and practices of computer users are reflected in future software applications and information technologies. The equipment in the new Digital Library Usability Laboratory includes three high-end desktop PCs running on Windows XP, equipped with microphones, headset and Webcam; Morae (version 3) software which allows software and website usability testing for market research; two rooms to accommodate researcher and research participants; and a one-way mirror between rooms to facilitate observation.

A final year agricultural science student at Charles Sturt University (CSU) at Wagga Wagga has secured a prestigious award from the Australian Institute of Agricultural Science and Technology (AIAST). Bachelor of Science (Agriculture) student Mr Jaron Bennett, from Lalbert near Swan Hill in Victoria, was named the most outstanding student in the study of agricultural systems. The award was presented to Mr Bennett by AIAST ACT and Southern NSW President Mr Hugh Dove during the inaugural Agricultural and Animal Industry Careers Fair held at CSU at Wagga Wagga on Wednesday 12 August. Students from the School of Agricultural and Wine Sciences and the School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences attended the Fair seeking information about careers in agribusiness, agronomy, animal production, horticulture, viticulture and wildlife conservation. One of the exhibitors attending the inaugural Careers Fair was Swift Australia Human Resources Manager, Ms Ainslie Cavanagh who noted, “I was really impressed with this initiative and CSU staff and students have shown a great way forward for the industry”. During the Fair, the National Party’s Whip in the NSW Legislative Council, The Hon. Rick Colless MLC launched the new Bachelor of Agricultural Science.  

 

The Careers Fair was organised by a committee of CSU students who, inspired by the inaugural event, have begun planning for 2010. Read more about the inaugural Agricultural and Animal Industry Careers Fair here. For further information contact, lecturer in Agricultural Systems and Extension Dr Alison Southwell from the School of Agricultural and Wine Sciences at CSU at Wagga Wagga on 02 6933 2636.

The Charles Sturt University (CSU) School of Communication at Bathurst and School of Visual and Performing Arts at Wagga Wagga will hold their fifth annual information day - iDay - at the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney on Saturday 29 August. Head of the School of Communication at Bathurst, Associate Professor Rod McCulloch, said iDay at the Powerhouse Museum has proven to be an invaluable venue for students wanting first-hand information about courses, as well as about studying and living at CSU. “This event has also been directly responsible for many students deciding on a CSU course. Unlike other university open days, iDay allows students access to detailed discussions with course coordinators and students from the Schools of Communication and Visual and Performing Arts, rather than having to wade through hundreds of courses on display at the one time. Feedback from parents, too, is always positive. They like the openness and accessibility of our Schools and academics, and they love to hear from our students. iDay is a great way to start building the relationship between prospective students and our Schools,” Professor McCulloch said.

Contact CSU Media to arrange interviews with Associate Professor Rod McCulloch from the School of Communication at CSU at Bathurst. Admission is free to iDay at the Powerhouse Museum, Harris St Ultimo, Sydney, on Saturday 29 August.

 

The special screening in Bathurst on Wednesday 2 September of the acclaimed documentary, The Burning Season could be the start of a new series of film screenings for local audiences. Associate Professor Jane Mills at the School of Communication at Charles Sturt University (CSU) at Bathurst, says this one-off screening is the initiative of former co-director of the Sydney Asia-Pacific Film Festival and new Bathurst resident Ms Juanita Kwok, supported by the School of Communication. “We’re hoping this screening will bring Bathurst’s screen buffs out and that this could be the start of a series of screenings if there is audience support,” Professor Mill said. “Juanita took the decision to hire the cinema and rent The Burning Season, and we’re personally splitting the costs and hope people will come along. We’re both committed to screen culture and like to see all that cinemas around the world have to offer beyond the mainstream. I’m teaching two film subjects at CSU this semester and it’s a constant frustration that my students can’t see the films that are available to those living in the capital cities. Ms Kwok chose The Burning Season because it’s had a fantastic reaction among audiences at film festivals around the world.”

Contact CSU Media to arrange interviews with Associate Professor Jane Mills from School of Communication at CSU at Bathurst. The Burning Season screens at 7pm Wednesday 2 September at Metro Cinemas, 144 Piper St, Bathurst. For more information about the screening contact Ms Juanita Kwok on 6331 3158 or send an email.   

 

Dr Jane Mills is Associate Professor in Communications (Research and Teaching) in the School of Communication. She is the author of Loving and Hating Hollywood: Reframing Global and Local Cinemas and The Money Shot: Cinema, Sin and Censorship. Ms Juanita Kwok is the former co-director of the Sydney Asia-Pacific Film Festival and co-author of Film Asia: new perspectives on film (Curriculum Press).

 

The Burning Season follows the journey of young Australian carbon trading entrepreneur Dorjee Sun as he goes in search of a solution to the deliberately-lit fires that rage across Indonesia every year destroying rainforests, endangering orangutans and contributing to climate change. Directed by Cathy Henkel and narrated by Hugh Jackman, The Burning Season is an eco-thriller about a young man not afraid to confront the biggest challenge of our time.

 

To request an interview with director of The Burning Season, Ms Cathy Henkel, please contact Ms Tara Wardrop by email.  Further information about the Nyaru Menteng Orangutan Sanctuary is available here.  

Forty-two TAFE NSW students from Bathurst, Lithgow and Orange who are currently completing the Tertiary Preparation Course (TPC) and eight students completing the Diploma of Communication and Media toured Charles Sturt University (CSU) at Bathurst on Tuesday 18 August. The TAFE students met staff and current students and inspected the University’s many facilities. Ms Fran Dwyer, Prospective Student Adviser at CSU at Bathurst said the day provided insight and motivation for students who are interested in furthering their education. “We know that TPC students who enrol at university generally do very well, so it is important that prospective students understand the excellent range of facilities and support services that Charles Sturt University offers,” said Ms Dwyer. Anyone interested in further information about studying at CSU should phone the CSU Contact Centre on 1800 334 733, send an email or log on to the CSU website here.

Contact CSU Media to arrange interviews.

To help fund their final-year end of semester productions known as the Sprung Festival, third-year theatre/media students from the School of Communication at Charles Sturt University (CSU) at Bathurst held a fundraising event on Tuesday 18 August. “We decided to raise extra funds because theatre productions aren’t cheap and we have big visions to realise and we want to present the best quality productions we can,” said event organisers, Ms Erica Heller-Wagner and Ms Amy Morcom. Fundraising activities on the Bathurst Campus library lawn included food stalls, second-hand clothes stalls, and busking performances. This year’s Sprung Festival in October features 12 productions that range from more conventional dramatic plays, to short films and a ‘physical theatre’ production.

Contact CSU Media to arrange interviews. The Sprung Festival season will be launched at the Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre on Tuesday 6 October. The festival will run from Wednesday 14 October to Saturday 7 November.

The beauty of the camellias at Charles Sturt University (CSU) at Wagga Wagga will be on display for all during the 2009 Camellia Show. Organised by Friends of the Wagga Wagga Botanic Gardens, the event will be held on Saturday 5 September and Sunday 6 September. One of the major exhibitors at the annual show has been CSU. The success of the University’s blooms at the event has been due to the work of Mr Bill Mitchell, who retired from the University’s Division of Facilities Management in 2008. For more than 10 years he collected the camellias from near the library at CSU at Wagga Wagga and prepared them for exhibition. Mr Mitchell will continue to exhibit on behalf of CSU this year. “The camellias were planted in abundance in the library precinct and despite the drought, they have done well to produce beautiful blooms each year,” said Mr Mitchell.

Friends of the Wagga Wagga Botanic Gardens will hold its 2009 Camellia Show on Saturday 5 September and Sunday 6 September at the Sturt Public School Hall, White Street, Kooringal, Wagga Wagga. Mr Charles Lee from the Friends of the Wagga Wagga Botanic Gardens is available on 02 6931 2147. Mr Bill Mitchell is available on 02 69262 260.

To arrange an interview with CSU veterinary science Ms Emma Packer, contact CSU Media. As one of  the inaugural students to study veterinary science at CSU at Wagga Wagga, Ms Packer is about to start an intense 30-week schedule of work placements which will shore up her veterinary science studies prior to graduation in 2010. A rotation of three-week placements at 10 veterinary practices, commencing at Warrnambool, Victoria and Coonamble, NSW will see Ms Packer putting into practice the skills and knowledge gained after four-and-a-half years of study.

An orphaned foal born prematurely at the Veterinary Clinical Centre at Charles Sturt University (CSU) at Wagga Wagga is receiving round-the-clock care from dedicated veterinary, equine and animal science students. Affectionately named Tim Tam, the foal was born by caesarean section in early August when it was clear his mother would not survive irreparable bowel damage. Since his birth he has received 24-hour attention from a team of veterinary and nursing staff at CSU, ably assisted by over 30 students rostered on six to 12 hour shifts. Students were only too happy to be involved in his care, which has included respiratory support, intravenous feeding, medication and two hourly turning. Senior Lecturer in Equine Medicine at CSU, Dr Sharanne Raidal says the mare in foal was brought to the Veterinary Clinical Centre with severe colic, as it was one of the only facilities in the region that could provide the immediate care needed. “Not only does the foal receive excellent care at the centre, it provides our veterinary science students with hands on experience that is invaluable in their training to become rural vets. We are very proud of the enthusiasm and dedicated care demonstrated by staff and students,” said Dr Raidal.

Dr Sharanne Raidal is a Senior Lecturer in Equine Medicine in the School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences at CSU at Wagga Wagga. The Veterinary Clinical Centre opened in April 2008 and is located on Agriculture Avenue adjacent to the Equine Centre at CSU. It includes a modern large animal hospital with operating theatres, sophisticated diagnostic imaging facilities, a reproduction unit and small animal teaching laboratories.