With a background in business planning and policy development, Mr Stephen Butt has been appointed the new Executive Director of Facilities Management at Charles Sturt University (CSU). Mr Butt, who is an experienced engineer and project manager, comes to CSU from the Greater Southern Area Health Service based in Wagga Wagga. The former fitter and turner who trained in Wollongong, has post graduate qualifications in engineering management. At CSU he will oversee the largest set of building projects ever embarked on by the University, with academic facilities and services and student residences worth $240 million being constructed over five years from 2007 on its campuses in Albury-Wodonga, Bathurst, Orange, Dubbo and Wagga Wagga. This includes nearly $45 million to be spent by 2009 on the expansion of the Albury-Wodonga Campus.

The exciting challenge of starting university faces over 2 500 students during Orientation 2008, up to a week of academic and social activities at Charles Sturt University (CSU) from Monday 11 February. The program is designed by CSU to help the students adjust to their new University surroundings before the commencement of on-campus classes on Monday 18 February. Compulsory academic advisory and information sessions have been organised for the new students as well as a variety of social activities. Throughout the week, the new students and their parents will be able to tour the campus, seek information about living on or off campus, visit the library, meet their new lecturers and tutors or simply get their student identification cards.  Students can also seek the advice of Orientation coordinators and leaders. Dressed in distinctive blue t-shirts, they are group of selected and trained CSU students who have returned to CSU a week earlier to help the new recruits in the transition to university life. With the theme of ‘Orientation Games’ in honour of this year’s Olympic Games, Orientation 2008 programs are being conducted at the Albury-Wodonga, Bathurst, Dubbo, Orange and Wagga Wagga campuses as well as in Canberra and Parramatta.

Stewart McKinney from the CSU Division of Student Services is available for interview. Contact CSU Media. About 110 new students are due to start at CSU's Dubbo Campus in 2008.

A Charles Sturt University (CSU) academic has suggested that current threats to education as a profession will need a renewal of the profession, its professional bodies and the intellectual traditions that guide educational practice. The identified need for change is contained in a new book, 'Enabling Praxis' written by Professor Stephen Kemmis from CSU’s School of Education. The book will be launched at the upcoming Action Research and Professional Practice Conference to be hosted by University’s Research Institute for Professional Practice, Learning and Education (RIPPLE). The conference has attracted over 110 professionals from across Australia and overseas. The event will be held at Wagga Wagga’s Country Comfort Motel on Thursday 7 February and Friday 8 February. RIPPLE Director, Professor Tom Lowrie says some of the world’s most respected education and health scholars, from Norway, Sweden, the UK, Finland and Australia, will gather to discuss and debate issues associated with professional practice, mainly in the disciplines of health and education.

A Charles Sturt University (CSU) academic has signed contracts with the Indonesian National Olympic Committee (INOC) to continue to provide strength and conditioning coaching to the Indonesian Olympic team up to the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China. Dr Stephen Bird, an academic in exercise rehabilitation at the School of Human Movement Studies at CSU’s Bathurst Campus, was engaged by the INOC in May 2007 as Head of Team Management (Strength and Conditioning). “Following the introductory trial period with the INOC, and our success at the 2007 South East Asian Games in Thailand where Indonesia won 56 gold medals, I was asked to continue to provide expert support to the Indonesia National Olympic team,” said Dr Bird. “We shall be providing strength and conditioning services to the 16 sports Indonesia will compete in at Beijing. The contract also allows final year students from CSU’s School of Human Movement Studies to attend work experience placements with me while I am in Jakarta, with two students already attending. These opportunities provide invaluable experience for our students with support from the School and the University’s Faculty of Education.”

Contact CSU Media to arrange interviews with CSU’s Dr Stephen Bird.

More than 500 mourners have attended a memorial service at the Charles Sturt University (CSU) Wagga Wagga Campus on Monday 4 February to honour former Chancellor, Dr David Asimus, AO, who died on Australia Day 2008. Moving tributes to Dr Asimus were delivered in eulogies from Ian Macintosh, Ian Sully and son-in-law James Sutherland. The congregation included the Hon. Kay Hull, federal Member for Riverina; The Hon. Daryl McGuire, NSW Member for Wagga; John Fairfax, Chairman, Fairfax Media, the Hon. Tim Fischer, Former Deputy Prime Minister; The Rev. Archbishop Francis Carroll, Catholic Bishop of Canberra; Mr Lawrie Willet AO, Chancellor CSU and Mr James Sutherland, CEO Cricket Australia. Dr Asimus was elected the foundation Chancellor of CSU in 1989 and served in this post until 2002. As Chancellor, he oversaw the integration of the Riverina-Murray Institute of Higher Education and Mitchell College of Advanced Education to form the new Charles Sturt University.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) is mourning the death of one of its founding fathers, Mr Peter Hastie, who passed away on Tuesday 29 January at Eltham Lodge in Victoria at the age of 79. Mr Hastie was appointed on 16 October 1969 as Chairman of the Interim Council of the Riverina College of Advanced Education (RCAE), and then as Chairman of the Council until 30 June 1982. At the time, he was the longest serving Chairman of the governing body of an institute of higher education in New South Wales. Under his Chairmanship, RCAE grew from a small single-purpose institution, with fewer than 450 students, to the ninth largest College of Advanced Education in Australia. Mr Hastie was also a driving force behind the relocation of the former Wagga Teachers’ College to land adjoining the Wagga Agricultural College. The CSU Boorooma site stands as direct evidence of Mr Hastie’s vision, energy and insight. The Peter Hastie Ovals, located at the CSU Wagga Wagga Campus, were named in his honour on 21 October 1992. A funeral service for Mr Peter Hastie will be held at the Le Pine Chapel at Eltham, Victoria, on Monday 4 February commencing at 12 noon. Mr Hastie is survived by daughters Janet Twigden, Fiona Cropley and son Warwick Hastie.

A funeral service for Mr Peter Hastie will be held at the Le Pine Chapel at Eltham, Victoria, on Monday 4 February commencing at 12 noon. Mr Hastie is survived by daughters Janet Twigden, Fiona Cropley and son Warwick Hastie. For interviews contact CSU Media.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) is continuing its commitment to Indigenous employment through an initiative designed to encourage the recruitment of Indigenous people into all areas of CSU management. The University of inland Australia will provide $200 000 through its Indigenous Employment Incentive Scheme (IEIS) for Indigenous recruitment during 2008. The objectives of the scheme are to increase the percentage of Indigenous staff in middle management and provide enhanced career paths for Indigenous staff on traineeships to move into higher management levels. Karen Kime, CSU Indigenous Employment Coordinator, says the initiative will also build confidence among supervisors in selecting and retaining Indigenous staff, encourage the appointment of Indigenous staff to permanent positions, as opposed to fixed term, and foster a work culture that enables Indigenous staff to succeed. Indigenous Employment at CSU increased steadily during 2007 with the appointment of 10 trainees under the Structured Training and Employment Program (STEP), supported by the federal Department of Employment, Education and Workplace Relations. 

Contact CSU Media to arrange interviews with CSU honours psychology student Ms Nicole Brown.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) and the National Wine and Grape Industry Centre (NWGIC) have extended condolences to the Drayton family over the tragic death of Mr Trevor Drayton who was killed in an explosion at the Drayton Family Winery at Pokolbin in the NSW Hunter Valley on Thursday 17 January 2008. Professor Thomas Henick-Kling, Director, National Wine and Grape Industry Centre, says Mr Drayton was a highly respected leader of the Australian wine industry who will be sadly missed by all who knew and worked with him. His knowledge and experience was a wonderful resource for the national wine industry. Mr Drayton contributed to the research activities of the NWGIC and his input will be missed but not forgotten. CSU and the NWGIC also expresses condolences to the family of a second man, Mr Edgar Orgo, also killed in the tragic incident, and hopes for a full and speedy recovery of Mr William Rikard-Bell, a graduate of CSU in 2006 with a Bachelor of Applied Science (Wine Science), who was injured in the conflagration.