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01 Jul 2008
A visiting world expert will present a seminar on 'communities of practice' for staff and students at the Charles Sturt University (CSU) Bathurst Campus on Monday 7 July. Dr Etienne Wenger, a pioneer and globally-recognized leader on ‘communities of practice’, or a group focussed on a common professional interest, and their application to organisations, will speak about 'Practice-based professional learning: investigating perspectives from social learning theory'. Dr Wenger describes himself as an independent thinker, researcher, consultant, author, and speaker. He is currently working as a consultant at the Open University in the United Kingdom and is author and co-author of articles and books on 'communities of practice' and is a founder of CPsquare, a cross-organizational, cross-sector community of practice on the topic. Professor Joy Higgs, Director of CSU’s Education for Practice Institute, said “Dr Wenger’s work has been adopted in many arenas due to the increasing recognition of the importance of learning and practice communities in many private and public sector workplaces”.

Media Officer	: Bruce Andrews
Telephone	: 02 63386084

Media Note: Contact CSU Media to arrange interviews. The seminar will be held from 1.30pm to 5pm on Monday 7 July in Room 2.05 in building S15, CSU Bathurst Campus.
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01 Jul 2008
Registered nurses are training to become registered midwives in their local communities and hospitals through a Charles Sturt University (CSU) distance education course which aims to keep midwives in inland Australia. The students will gather at CSU’s Wagga Wagga Campus this week for their bi-annual residential school, where they supplement distance education with face-to-face teaching. Lecturer in nursing and midwifery, Ms Pam Shackleton, says the student midwives remain a valuable asset for the community by working at their local hospitals across Australia while completing the year-long course. “The sixty five nurses who will finish their midwifery training at the end of this year will be warmly welcomed and will go a long way to addressing the Australia-wide shortage of more than 600 midwives,” she said.

Media Officer	: Kate Roberts
Telephone	: 02 6933 2207

Media Note: For media interviews with lecturer Ms Pam Shackleton and to arrange photographs, contact CSU Media.
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01 Jul 2008
A Charles Sturt University (CSU) lecturer has completed a ten year project to enhance and preserve the Bathurst home of former Labor Prime Minister Ben Chifley. Dr Robin McLachlan, an adjunct senior lecturer in history and cultural heritage studies at the School of Social Sciences and Liberal Studies on the University's Bathurst Campus, said the aim of the project was to create a critical mass of public history ‘products’ in support of the Chifley Home in Bathurst. “This work involved some of my history students, and I led the team of consultants who produced the first ‘product’, a heritage assessment and management plan for the Chifley Home which recommended that Bathurst Regional Council (BRC) purchase the adjoining terrace house for the better conservation of the Chifley Home. BRC now owns that property and has announced that it will be developed as an educational museum and administrative office,” Dr McLachlan said. Another project product is the play A Local Man, co-written by Dr McLachlan and Mr Bob Ellis. The final product was the film documentary The Chifleys of Busby Street – A Community Remembers, which was launched in Bathurst on 25 June.

Media Officer	: Bruce Andrews
Telephone	: 02 63386084

Media Note: Contact CSU Media to arrange interviews Dr Robin McLachlan who was co-producer and historian on The Chifleys of Busby Street – A Community Remembers which was directed by Dr Andrew Pike, OAM, of Ronin Films, Canberra. Dr McLachlan is now researching a book and film about Australians and New Zealanders who went to the Klondike gold rush in the Yukon, Canada, in 1897-99.
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01 Jul 2008
Improving the reading, listening and speaking skills of primary and pre-school students is the focus for Charles Sturt University (CSU) speech pathology students, working with the NSW Department of Education and Training and Albury Community Health. Collaborating in a project which is now in its fourth year, CSU students are working in public primary schools at Corowa South, Henty, Jindera and North Albury, as well as in the Koori Kindermanna preschool in Albury. CSU lecturer and project coordinator, Dr Ruth Beecham, said the project ”aims to maintain the provision of speech pathology services as well as  educating CSU students. All the projects cost little and are developed in response to the needs of individual teachers and schools. Because we are looking to prevent communication problems from intensifying in children,  the knowledge and resources produced in these projects are given to teachers and are left with the schools for future use”. Final year CSU student Ms Gemma Coughlan, who has been working for the past 10 weeks at Henty Public School, said her project aimed to develop children's literacy skills while instilling a love of reading and learning.

Media Officer	: Wes Ward
Telephone	: 02 6051 9906

Media Note: Contact CSU Media for interviews with Ms Gemma Coughlan and Dr Ruth Beecham.
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24 Jun 2008
Research into the use of biometric authentication to curb the growing problem of identity theft is the subject of a seminar at Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) Bathurst Campus on Monday 30 June. Mr Jason Howarth, a lecturer at the School of Computing & Mathematics, said the research will affect individuals and organisations alike. Mr Howarth explained that identity theft (IDT) refers to any impersonation or misappropriation of an individual's identity. “It can take many forms, such as misusing personal information to open new credit card accounts, take out loans or obtain passports. Aided by the increase in digitization and online information, identity theft is rapidly becoming a major worldwide problem for businesses, governments and citizens. Biometrics has emerged in recent years as a way to combat identity theft because it can unequivocally identify individuals, but little is known about consumers’ readiness to accept biometric identification (such as palm prints).”

Media Officer	: Bruce Andrews
Telephone	: 02 63386084

Media Note: Contact CSU Media to arrange interviews with Mr Jason Howarth. The seminar, ‘Consumers’ acceptance of Biometrics as an Identity Verification Technology’, is at 1pm on Monday 30 May at the CSU Centre for Professional Development (S17) on the Bathurst Campus. The seminar will be lead by Dr Milena Head and Dr Khaled Hassanein from the DeGroote School of Business, McMaster University, Canada.
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24 Jun 2008
Four Charles Sturt University (CSU) Middle School education degree students will travel with three Wodonga Middle School teachers to the United States next week to attend the Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) Summer Institute. Jane Hill, Caralea Glen, Courtney Mitchell, and Mandy Walker will participate in the latest professional development with middle and high school teachers from the United States when they attend the program in Sacramento, California. The students will also meet local middle school teachers, students and families involved in the AVID program. CSU middle school lecturer Dr William DeJean said this was an opportunity for pre-service teachers to acquire professional insights into how to increase academic performance, engagement, and eventually university enrolment for middle school students.

Media Officer	: Wes Ward
Telephone	: 02 6051 9906

Media Note: Participating CSU middle school students will be available for interviews at 11am on Wednesday 25 June at the Murray School of Education, CSU Albury-Wodonga Campus, off Elizabeth Mitchell Drive, Thurgoona.
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24 Jun 2008
Dubbo residents interested in a career in nursing are invited to attend an information session on Wednesday 25 June at the Charles Sturt University (CSU) Dubbo Campus. Ms Cathy Maginnis, Bachelor of Nursing academic advisor at the School of Nursing and Midwifery, said the evening for students, parents, teachers, career advisors, TAFE students and interested members of the community will include presentations from representatives from CSU, TAFE, and Greater Western Area Health Service. “The presentations will cover topics such as why choose nursing as a career, career paths in nursing, articulation and pathways to nursing and studying nursing at university,” she said. The speakers and current CSU nursing students will be available after the presentation to answer questions and discuss study and career options.

Media Officer	: Bruce Andrews
Telephone	: 02 63386084

Media Note: Contact CSU Media to arrange interviews with Ms Cathy Maginnis. The CSU ‘Nursing course’ information session will be from 5.30pm to 7.30pm on Wednesday 25 June at the CSU Dubbo Campus, Yarrandale Rd, Dubbo.
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24 Jun 2008
Students enrolled in Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) equine science degree have received a Wagga Mutual Credit Union Safety Awareness Award for improving safety for students engaged in the high risk activity of ‘breaking in’ young horses at the University’s Equine Centre on the Wagga Wagga Campus. Injuries to ‘horse breakers’, which include the students, can be significantly reduced by having a mature and steady horse - a ‘lead pony’ - to accompany and settle the younger horses. The Centre had a suitable horse on loan, but could not afford the $4 000 needed to purchase the pony, named Buck. Undaunted, 50 students worked together to raise the funds by producing a promotional CD about Buck and the ‘breakers’, obtaining donations, running a chocolate drive and hosting a trivia night. The students raised over half of Buck’s purchase price in short time, while the University provided the balance. Equine Centre manager Mr John Smart said the University’s safety culture was enhanced by the student team as they resolved what could have been a long-term safety issue. Buck now lives at the Centre. A second safety award was presented to a team of Educational Designers from the University’s Centre for Education, Learning and Teaching.

Media Officer	: Wes Ward
Telephone	: 02 6051 9906

Media Note: Contact CSU Media for interviews.
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24 Jun 2008
Year 12 students from high schools across the NSW Central West region will converge on Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) Bathurst Campus on Thursday 26 June to attend the 2008 Higher School Certificate (HSC) Seminar Day. The day is an initiative of secondary teachers with the NSW Department of Education and Training in the region, and is sponsored by CSU. Organisers estimate that about 300 HSC students will attend from schools in Bathurst, Blayney, Boorowa, Orange, Cowra, Grenfell, Kandos, Lithgow, Molong and Oberon. Ms Kerry Browning, Manager of the CSU Contact Centre which provides information and advice to prospective students, said the day would provide students with information relevant to their HSC exams, as well as provide a positive experience of life at university. “The students will attend separate seminars and lectures on a variety of HSC topics provided by experienced HSC teachers. Then they will have lunch in the CSU cafeteria and be able to go on a tour of the Bathurst Campus and seek course advice from University advisers,” Ms Browning said.

Media Officer	: Bruce Andrews
Telephone	: 02 63386084

Media Note: Contact CSU Media to arrange interviews with Ms Kerry Browning.
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24 Jun 2008
Five visiting Japanese students will join 15 Charles Sturt University (CSU) animal science and production students in a training day at local abattoirs to hone their meat judging skills, ahead of their participation in the 2008 Australian Intercollegiate Meat Judging Competition. The students will train in local facilities including Cargill Beef and Knights Meats in Wagga and Junee Abattoir. “The competition and the training beforehand is a unique opportunity to develop a career in the meat industry while mixing with industry representatives and other students,” said lecturer in Animal Production, Dr Bindi King. “This year the team will be coached by Mr Richard Sanders, a fourth year veterinary science student and previous national team member who has considerable experience in carcase judging.” The Japanese and Australian students will compete in the meat carcase and cut grading competition being held in Armidale, NSW, at the beginning of July. Winners of the Australian competition will head to the United States later in the year to compete for international honours.

Media Officer	: Kate Roberts
Telephone	: 02 6933 2207

Media Note: Beef carcase training will be held at 8am on Monday 30 June at Cargill Beef. Training will take place in the meat chiller with photo opportunities of beef carcase assessment by staff and students. Training in lamb carcase assessment will run from 10.30am at Junee Abattoir. To arrange interviews or a visit to the abattoirs, contact Dr Bindi King on 02 6933 2427 or 0429 331210 or Mr Richard Sanders on 0413 510 436.
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24 Jun 2008
The youngest student to ever study at Charles Sturt University (CSU) will receive a special award to mark her participation in the first year university level Information Technology (IT) subject in Wagga Wagga this week. Fourteen year old Ms Kaitlin Salzke, from Wagga Wagga High School, is on the verge of completing the subject. She studied through the Gifted and Talented program run by CSU’s Faculty of Business. “This program targets talented high school students and gives them an opportunity to study a university subject,” said the Dean of the Faculty of Business, Professor John Hicks. Also from Wagga Wagga High School, Year 12 student Ms Isabelle Walsh, is due to complete a first year mathematics subject through the same program. Professor Hicks, along with Associate Professor Irfan Altas, the Head of the CSU School of Computing and Mathematics in Wagga Wagga and Ms Lorran Hall, the Manager of the Division of Student Administration, will visit Wagga Wagga High School on Wednesday 25 June for a special presentation to the two teenagers. The Department of Education and Training’s Regional Director, Mr Colin Parker will also attend.

Media Officer	: Kate Roberts
Telephone	: 02 6933 2207

Media Note:
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24 Jun 2008
Dubbo families will soon benefit from the skills and support of a very talented woman who was recently nominated for the 2008 Western Institute TAFE Outstanding Graduating Student Awards. Ms Jill Morris, who is co-enrolled in a Bachelor of Social Work between Dubbo TAFE and Charles Sturt University (CSU), is hoping to work with families in the Dubbo area after she graduates and is especially interested in early intervention and prevention strategies. At the TAFE Institutes’ Awards luncheon, held last week, CSU was given special mention in relation to Ms Morris who fitted her studies around part-time work and the responsibilities of caring for her family.

Media Officer	: Holly-Amber Manning
Telephone	: 02 6365 7813

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24 Jun 2008
Borenore Public School students from Years 3 to 6 recently became university students for a few hours to further their understanding of micro organisms. The students visited Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) Orange Campus where they received a short lecture, used microscopes and looked at and drew fungi and bacteria. They learned basic differences between fungi and bacteria, facts about good and bad micro organisms, and were somewhat unimpressed to return to school with a short homework activity. Associate lecturer at the School of Agricultural and Wine Sciences, Mr Yann Guisard, said this was the first workshop he had given to primary school students at the campus. “It all went well and we hope to develop this workshop with other primary schools in the future.”

Media Officer	: Holly-Amber Manning
Telephone	: 02 6365 7813

Media Note: For interviews contact CSU Media.
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24 Jun 2008
A Charles Sturt University (CSU) academic says that communal memory lies at the heart of a feature-length documentary film about former Australian Prime Minister Ben Chifley and his wife Elizabeth. Dr Robin McLachlan, an Adjunct Senior Lecturer in History and Cultural Heritage Studies in the University’s School of Social Sciences and Liberal Studies on Bathurst Campus, was co-producer and historian for The Chifleys of Busby Street – A Community Remembers. He says the film, which will be launched in Bathurst on Wednesday 25 June, is an exercise in ‘people’s history’. “It’s an attempt to find and share the communal memory of the Chifleys which lives on in their hometown of Bathurst, NSW, where Chifley’s extraordinary compassion and idealism are still treasured 50 years after his death. He was a politician who lived by principles of compassion and concern for his fellow Australians and he had a profound effect on the path of Australian history following World War Two,” Dr McLachlan said.

Media Officer	: Bruce Andrews
Telephone	: 02 63386084

Media Note: Contact CSU Media to arrange interviews with Dr Rob McLachlan. The Chifleys of Busby Street – A Community Remembers screens at the Metro5 Cinema, Piper St, Bathurst, at 7pm Wednesday 25 and at 2.30pm Thursday 26 June. The film is directed by Dr Andrew Pike, OAM, of Ronin Films, Canberra. Dr McLachlan also co-wrote, with Bob Ellis, A Local Man, the play about Chifley which was first produced at CSU’s Ponton Theatre and is due to return to Bathurst in late September.
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23 Jun 2008
A massive 80 tonne crane will be used to lift and position prefabricated concrete 'pods' for innovative new accommodation on Charles Sturt University's (CSU) Bathurst Campus. Fifteen semi-trailers will deliver the pods on Tuesday 24 and Wednesday 25 June. Mr Andrew Callander, Executive Director of CSU Division of Student Services, said, “The installation of the concrete pods is a significant first step in providing new and much needed accommodation for our students. Construction is on schedule to date, and, weather permitting, the buildings should be completed in six months.” The pods are formed and cast in concrete with three walls and a roof as one. They are then lifted and locked into place onto concrete foundation pads, with plates holding the top of the pods together. The process should see two pods installed per hour, with the builders expecting to complete two houses with a central shared kitchen and bathroom in three days. The new accommodation at Bathurst will house up to 200 students and is expected to be ready for the start of the 2009 academic year.

Media Officer	: Bruce Andrews
Telephone	: 02 63386084

Media Note: Contact CSU Media to arrange interviews with Mr Andrew Callander.
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17 Jun 2008
The Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) has enlisted the talents of Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) Dr Chris Blanchard by appointing the academic to its Southern Panel for three years. It is the first time Dr Blanchard has sat on the GRDC Southern Panel which is chaired by South Australian (SA) grower Mr David Shannon. In welcoming Dr Blanchard to the body, Mr Shannon said the academic brought considerable research credentials to the Panel. Dr Blanchard is one of only two NSW representatives on the Panel which plays a key role in determining the Corporation’s research priorities for southern Australia. Dr Blanchard is a senior lecturer with the University’s School of Biomedical Sciences, based in Wagga Wagga. He is a graduate of the Australian Rural Leadership Program and has worked on projects in areas such as genetic engineering for virus resistance, food science, phylogenetic analysis and human genetic disease.

Media Officer	: Fiona Halloran
Telephone	: 02 6933 2207

Media Note: Dr Chris Blanchard is available for interview on 02 6933 2364.
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17 Jun 2008
Oscar-winning animation producer, Ms Marcy Page will visit Charles Sturt University (CSU) next week to share the secrets of her success with visual effects and animation students and lecturers in the University’s School of Visual & Performing Arts. Ms Page works for the National Film Board of Canada and has been responsible for bringing a range of animated films to the big screen. The acclaimed producer will show a collection of her finest films including Oscar winners ‘The Danish Poet’ and ‘Ryan’ and this year’s Oscar nominee ‘Madam Tutli-Putli’, and will share the secrets of how to make award-winning films and what makes them so good.

Media Officer	: Kate Roberts
Telephone	: 02 6933 2207

Media Note: To arrange interviews with Ms Page, contact Mr Andrew Hagan on (02) 6933 2589. Ms Marcy Page will speak on Tuesday 24 June at 10am at the School of Visual & Performing Arts Theatrette, Building 21, CSU Wagga Wagga Campus.
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17 Jun 2008
A presentation made to a Canberra conference recently about youth suicide awareness training has resulted in professional accolades for Mr Peter Bell, Manager of Residential Operations at Charles Sturt University (CSU). He was recognised for presenting the best member paper at the national conference of the Australasian Association of College and University Housing Officers, the national body for tertiary education student accommodation. Mr Bell will receive a contribution towards the cost of attending the Association’s international conference in the USA in 2009. He will present and lead discussion on suicide awareness in university and colleges at the international event. “Peter Bell is recognised as a national leader in suicide training and the provision of youth residential community support,” said Mr Andrew Callander, Executive Director of the CSU Division of Student Services. “The current large scale development of additional student accommodation across CSU is underpinned by a highly professional supportive care program.”

Media Officer	: Fiona Halloran
Telephone	: 02 6933 2207

Media Note: Contact CSU Media to arrange interviews with Mr Peter Bell.
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16 Jun 2008

Media Officer	: Kate Roberts
Telephone	: 02 6933 2207

Media Note: Contact Professor Peter Wynn on 0428 679 954 to arrange interviews from 4.30pm, 16 June 2008. The Deputy High Commissioner for Pakistan, HE Mr Tanveer Khaskheli, will be available for interview prior to the dinner which commences at 7pm at the Convention Centre, CSU Wagga Wagga Campus.
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11 Jun 2008

Media Officer	: Wes Ward
Telephone	: 02 6051 9906

Media Note: For interviews, contact CSU Media.
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