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.”

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.”

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.

As part of National Science Week being celebrated at Charles Sturt University (CSU), NASA astronaut Ms Megan McArthur from USA will give a series of lectures on her unusual workplace: space. Ms McArthur’s latest activity was on the shuttle mission to the repair the Hubble space telescope in May this year. “The telescope is a large, space-based observatory which has revolutionised astronomy by providing unprecedented deep and clear views of the Universe, ranging from our own solar system to extremely remote fledgling galaxies,” said Border Stargaze co-ordinator Mr David Chandler. “The May mission completed by Ms McArthur and the team extends the telescope’s operational life an extra four years, allowing even more spectacular images to be recorded. Ms McArthur was responsible for the fragile operation of the robotic arm to capture the Hubble Space Telescope and then release it again once the repairs were complete.” The lectures will be co-hosted by the Astronomical Society of Albury Wodonga and CSU on Wednesday 19 August in the University’s Nowik Auditorium, Guinea St, Albury.

The popular image of the soldiers of the first Australian Imperial Forces (AIF) during World War I is of high-spirited larrikins. This will be challenged by historian Dr Peter Stanley when he delivers the third Theo Barker Memorial Lecture at Charles Sturt University (CSU) at Bathurst on Friday 14 August. Dr Stanley, who is Director of the Centre for Historical Research at the National Museum of Australia in Canberra, says memoirs, battalion histories and biographies are full of stories that reinforce the idea that Australian citizen soldiers in World War I behaved like naughty boys, and that their antics were harmless or benign. “But there was a dark side to the AIF's wrong-doers,” he says. “Though little acknowledged, the AIF included many men who contravened military law. They stole, answered back, refused to obey orders, got drunk, wounded themselves to get out of the war, and went absent or deserted, and in huge numbers,” said Dr Stanley.

Does cramming really help students prepare for the HSC? With many starting their HSC trial exams today, students are discovering what study methods work best for them. Charles Sturt University (CSU) lecturer Dr Deb Clarke believes a well prepared study plan is a great start to study and suggests a visit to NSW HSC online for inspiration. “NSW HSC online explicitly follows the syllabus content and has a range of activities for students to complete that can be used to refine and rehearse their knowledge of HSC content,” said Dr Clarke. With so many resources now available online, Dr Clarke advises students to find government-supported sites that provide accurate material. For more information on NSW HSC online visit here.  

International trends for grains, oilseeds and pulses will be discussed at the annual Asia Today Forum 2009 on Thursday 13 August in Parkes. Following the successful forums on beef in 2007 and lamb in 2008, the Asia Today Forum 2009 will focus on cereals, oilseeds and pulses and their outlook for Asian markets. “While the focus of the forum will be on Asia, it will also broaden the view towards the relevant underlying developments and driving forces of today's agricultural and grain markets,” says Director of the Asian Agribusiness Research Centre at CSU, Dr Claus Deblitz. Speakers will include Professor John Chudleigh from Analysing Agriculture and representatives from Emerald Group, the Bread Research Institute, Buckwheat Enterprises, Lachlan Commodities and MSM Milling - Manildra.  

Charles Sturt University (CSU) is giving young people the opportunity to have an input into the challenging issues such as homelessness, teen suicide, drugs, poverty and crime. The Making a Difference (MaD) competition is now open and submissions close on Monday 5 October. “By writing a story, poem or script that addresses any issue of social justice, entrants are in the running to receive one of four $250 cash prizes,” explains CSU coordinator Mr Bill Anscombe. “In addition, Charles Sturt University will donate $250 to the charity of the winners’ choice.”  The School of Humanities and Social Sciences’ Social Justice Innovation Award is eligible to anyone aged between 15 and 21 and are in Years 10, 11 and 12 at high school or studying at TAFE. Judging will take place in October, with the winners announced early November.