Three Charles Sturt University (CSU) academics from Ontario in Canada will get a taste of the Australian summer when they visit the Albury-Wodonga, Bathurst and Wagga Wagga campuses this month. The trio will visit CSU in Australia on a familiarisation tour of campus facilities and staff as well as the larger regional cities of Albury, Bathurst and Wagga Wagga. Ms Janet Adler, a lecturer in creative arts and mathematics, Ms Gail Grant, a lecturer in language and literacy and social studies and Mr Don Jones a lecturer in mathematics and science are a key part of the CSU Ontario team delivering the University’s Bachelor of Primary Education Studies, an elementary program for primary-junior teachers in Ontario. The 2007-2008 student intake are currently on their teaching practical work before they head off for their winter holiday break. The group represents CSU’s third annual student intake in the successful Ontario program.

Ms Adler will be on the Wagga Wagga Campus from Monday 3 December until Thursday 6 December. She will visit the Albury-Wodonga Campus and local schools from Thursday 6 to Saturday 8 December. Ms Grant and Mr Jones will visit Bathurst Campus from Monday 3 to Thursday 6 December. They will be on the Wagga Wagga Campus from Friday 7 to Thursday 13 December. Further information about CSU Ontario is available here.

Community support is growing for Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) Centre for Inland Health initiative, which was established in response to the existing lack of information and realistic solutions to meet the health needs of inland Australian communities. Riverina identity and past president of the Country Women’s Association (CWA) Ms Elaine Armstrong congratulated CSU for the initiative to present the health symposium, Planning Together for the Future and the launch of the Centre on Thursday 29 and Friday 30 December. “The workshops offered are of special interest to women and their families in this region as they cover areas such as lung health, muscle, bone and joint health, life with cancer, health workforce and services, heart health, ageing and health and mental health,” said Ms Armstrong. “Of special interest is the symposium on mental health, because of the extended drought conditions which are causing stress and anxiety for families. Anxiety in younger farmers is another major issue, with statistics showing that men aged 30 to 45 years and living in rural and remote areas, are at risk of mental breakdowns and suicides.”

 

For interviews contact CSU Media. Further information about CSU's Centre for Inland Health is available here. The launch of the Charles Sturt Centre for Inland Health and Inland Health Foundation will be held on Thursday 29 November at the CSU Wagga Wagga Campus; A two day Inland Health symposium will be held on 29 – 30 November at the CSU Wagga Wagga Campus.

Working with people with brain injuries or working in mental health as well as with older and young people and in rural areas will all be discussed at the annual occupational therapy conference for final year students from Charles Sturt University (CSU). The two day conference in Albury, which includes keynote addresses by the Head of Albury-Wodonga Campus, Professor Gail Whiteford and a local expert in childcare in remote Aboriginal communities, Ms Helen Fitzgerald, will include work by 44 students who will graduate next year from the University’s four year course. “We will discuss issues affecting our profession, including working with people with brain injuries, in mental health, with older and young people and in rural areas. The conference helps prepare us for our future professional lives and is a great way to complete our studies at CSU,” said conference coordinator Ms Vanessa Mahon. The conference starts at 9am on Wednesday 28 November in the CSU Nowik lecture theatres, Guinea St, Albury, and continues on Thursday 29 November.

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A Charles Sturt University (CSU) student in the third year of her teaching degree, Ms Millie Whitehead should really get to know herself in the coming week as she endeavours to ride her bicycle the 500 kilometres from Albury to Warragul in western Victoria in seven days. Departing on Sunday 2 December, Ms Whitehead is raising money for the Leukaemia Foundation in memory of her good friend “Ben”. Teaching staff from the University’s Murray School of Education will support her, accompanying her on the first 10 kilometres of her journey.  Albury City Council will stage a lunchtime barbeque to help raise funds with Ms Whitehead. The bbq will be held on Friday 30 November at the Library Museum, Kiewa St, Albury. The CSU student is hoping to raise at least $10 000 for leukemia research. Ms Whitehead will set out from QEII Square, central Albury at 9am on 2 December.

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The potential of a new generation of web technologies, collectively known as Web 2.0, has attracted keen interest in a seminar being organised by Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) School of Information Studies and the National Library of Australia (NLA) in Canberra on Tuesday 27 November. About 150 people, representing libraries, cultural institutions as well as commercial organisations, are expected at the seminar entitled, Web 2.0 and its potential for the library community. “This seminar will explore very significant issues in terms of how organisations such as libraries can make interaction online much easier and user-friendly,” said Mr Jake Wallis, a lecturer in CSU’s School of Information Studies. Due to the high level of interest in the event from across Australia, staff from the CSU School of Information Studies plan to broadcast the series of talks via the Internet. The seminar will be held in the NLA theatre in Canberra at 8.45am on Tuesday 27 November.

Staff from the School of Information Studies on CSU’s Wagga Wagga Campus conduct teaching, research and offer consultancy in library and information management, as well as the application of Web 2.0 technologies in the delivery of information services.

A Charles Sturt University (CSU) education expert believes greater investment in quality early childhood education and care would reduce the need to invest in gaols. Dean of CSU’s Faculty of Education, Professor Toni Downes has welcomed both Coalition and Labor policies which she says are trying to make early childhood education and care more affordable for Australian families. Professor Downes welcomes Labor’s pledge to create an entitlement for all four year olds to have at least 15 hours of early childhood education and care. Professor Downes says “While these initiatives are wonderful, they don’t go far enough. I would argue it should be the entitlement of all three and four year olds in Australia to have at least 15 hours of quality early education. In pushing for this additional investment in early childhood education, I contend that there are significant long term economic and social returns for the country. I firmly believe the more we invest in early childhood education the less we would need to invest in prisons,” Professor Downes said.

For interviews with Professor Toni Downes contact CSU Media

 

A study conducted by a Charles Sturt University (CSU) researcher has revealed disturbing links between diabetes and depression. Medical science honours student, Ms Marina Jeeawody, reports that the level of depression in people with diabetes is much higher than those without diabetes. Based on the analysis of 750 participants from Albury and surrounding areas, the research showed depression is more prevalent in older women, and despite the stigma of mental illness, there is a shift towards recognition and the acceptance of depression and a willingness to discuss mood changes with health professionals. “For the people with diabetes, depression may be an additional barrier to achieving effective self-care. As a risk that can be modified, depression treatments could decrease the risk of diabetes-related complications,” said Ms Jeeawody.

For interviews contact CSU Media

 

The National Council on Intellectual Disability (NCID) has given Charles Sturt University (CSU) the ‘thumbs up’ for its management of the NCID’s Wings Away library collection on intellectual disability. This relationship is set to continue with a new agreement to be signed at the Albury-Wodonga Campus Library in Albury on Thursday 22 November at 1.30pm.  The agreement covers the ongoing hosting of the NCID Wings Away collection by CSU, continued free interlibrary loans for NCID and an annual donation of $1 500 to further develop the collection. The Wings Away collection, named after the group of former Australian flight attendants who set up the collection, was transferred from NCID to CSU in mid 1997.  The collection consisted of over 3 000 books and journals on intellectual disability and benefits students in CSU’s habilitation and other allied health courses. Representative from CSU, NCID and Wings Away will attend the signing ceremony.

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Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders will have the chance to “test drive” university life later this month when the annual Koori Admissions Program (KAP) is held at Charles Sturt University (CSU). The program will be run at the Dubbo Campus from Monday 26 until Thursday 29 November and offers potential Aboriginal students the opportunity to experience university life while being assessed on their skills. Participants can also meet with staff at the University’s Indigenous Support Units, which offer academic and personal support to Indigenous students. The Units are located at the Albury-Wodonga, Bathurst, Dubbo, Goulburn and Wagga Wagga campuses. “This program, which is an alternate entry to CSU, gives potential Aboriginal students the chance to see if university life is for them in a supportive and caring environment,” said Mr Ray Eldridge, Manager of the Indigenous Support Units at CSU. Current Indigenous students will also discuss how CSU has met their needs and aspirations with CSU’s KAP staff.

Contact CSU Media to arrange interviews.