Graduation highlights for Wagga

4 FEBRUARY 2001

Almost 450 former students of Charles Sturt University’s Faculties of Arts and Commerce will celebrate the culmination of their studies in two ceremonies on the Wagga Wagga Campus.

Almost 450 former students of Charles Sturt University’s Faculties of Arts and Commerce will celebrate the culmination of their studies in two ceremonies on the Wagga Wagga Campus on Thursday 5 April.

About 447 of the 716 graduands eligible to graduate will attend Joyes Hall to be admitted to their awards by CSU Chancellor David Asimus, AO.

The morning ceremony is mostly for graduates in the Faculty of Arts. The afternoon ceremony will primarily be dedicated to award candidates from the Faculty of Commerce

Morning ceremony: 10.30am – about 11.45am, Faculty of Arts

Presentation of 219 graduates from the School of Humanities & Social Science and the School of Visual & Performing Arts.
A University medal, the highest academic honour for graduating students, will be awarded to:

Garth Norris, Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Social Work (Honours)

A former journalist with The Daily Advertiser, Garth maintained an outstanding academic record over this new double-degree course. His honours research was the influence of economic rationalism on social policy in aged care, titled Out of the frying pan, into the fire: policy shifts in Australian aged care towards the 21^st Century. He received the Head of Campus Award for Leadership last year and in 1998 was awarded both the Rural Sociology Prize and the Rivcoll Scholarship for academic achievement and contribution to the community life of the University. An active member of the Rivcoll Rugby Football Club, Garth held the positions of treasurer and president, played in the second-grade premiership in 1998 and was Clubperson of the year in 2000. He also occupied a range of positions within the student body, including residential advisor, head resident and international student liaison officer. He was nominated for the 1998 Young Australian of the Year Award in the community service category. During his final year, he established a Father’s Support Group at the Wagga Wagga Early Intervention Service for men with children with disabilities, which continues to hold meetings today. Garth is now working as a consultant and teacher at the Cairnmillar Institute in Melbourne, which offers counselling and psychotherapy services and training.

Guest speaker is Associate Professor John Carroll, senior lecturer in CSU’s School of Communication. Professor Carroll has lectured and worked in Canada, England and the USA and currently lectures in communication research, on camera performance and communication, technology and culture. He recently led a team which redesigned the curriculum of the Australian Film, Television and Radio School.

The vote of thanks will be given by Garth Norris.
Ben Goldsworthy, the son of CSU’s Head of the School of Visual and Performing Arts, Fred Goldsworthy, is graduating with a Bachelor of Arts (Television Production). Ben is now working at Channel 7, Sydney. Last year, Ben worked with the Sydney Olympic Broadcast Organisation as a camera operator at the opening and closing ceremonies of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.

Afternoon ceremony: 2.30pm – about 3.45pm, Faculty of Commerce

Presentation of 228 graduates from the School of Management and the School of Financial Studies.
The Honorary Award of Doctor of Business will be presented to Don Kendell: In recognition of his contribution to the aviation industry and to regional Australia.
Guest speaker is Robert Sendt, NSW Auditor General. Prior to his appointment in 1999, Mr Sendt had a career spanning almost 23 years in the NSW Treasury, including senior roles of Head of the Special Projects Unit, Director of the Budget Division and Executive Director Resource Allocation.
The vote of thanks will be given by Don Kendell.
The Faculty of Commerce Award for Teaching Excellence will be presented to Jenny Kent. Ms Kent, a lecturer in the School of Financial Studies, completed her Master of Accountancy degree at CSU and is now the course coordinator.
A lecturer in CSU’s School of Management, Rumintha Wickramasekera, will graduate with a Doctor of Philosophy – the first doctorate from the School of Management on the Wagga Wagga Campus. His thesis was on The export behaviour of Australian wineries: a test of an export adoption model. It included an exploration of the factors inhibiting or aiding the international expansion of the Australian wine industry.
Allyson Pannier, Bachelor of Business (Accounting/Human Resource Management), of Wagga Wagga, will be awarded six prizes – Association of Taxation and Management Accountant’s (ATMA) Prize, CPA Australian Graduate Prize, Butterworths Prize for Excellence in Management Accounting 2, Butterworths Prize for Excellence in Auditing and Accounting Systems, Butterworths Prize for Excellence in Taxation Law and Practice and the CSU NTEU Barrie O’Keefe Memorial Prize for Excellence in Taxation Law and Practice. Allyson, who also won the Dean’s Award for Excellence in 2000, is currently completing her professional year at a Canberra accountancy firm.
Other prize winning graduates include:
Gregg Chapman, Masters in Human Resource Management, Canberra – AHRI Prize for Excellence in the Study of Human Resource Management;
Mark Batchelor, Bachelor of Business (Accounting), Narrandera - Butterworths Prize for Excellence in Auditing and Accounting Systems;
Stuart Heine, Bachelor of Business (Accounting), Allawah, NSW – Butterworths Prize for Excellence in Taxation Law and Practice.
Nine Masters of Business Administration (MBA) students from Singapore and Malaysia are travelling to Australia to experience a graduation ceremony at CSU. Some of the students, from CSU’s partner institute, IRI International, have already graduated offshore and will be presented with certificates of participation.
Gail Mirfin’s dissertation topic for her Bachelor of Business (Economics) (Honours) degree was Rebuilding the East Timor economy. Ms Mirfin completed her Bachelor of Business (Economics) at CSU in 1999 and her Honours by distance education while working in the Department of Defence, Canberra.
CSU’s Manager, Marketing Communications, Sarah Ansell, will graduate with an MBA. Ms Ansell, a mother of two young children who works full-time in the Division of Communications & International Relations, not only completed her Masters in two years instead of the usual three but will graduate with Distinction.
International student Radwan Kharabsheh, from Jordan, will graduate with Distinction in the MBA (International Business) course. He studied full-time on campus and is now pursuing his PhD.