A mock graduation ceremony, complete with mortar boards will cap off a visit to Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Albury-Wodonga by 75 primary school students on Wednesday 20 May. The Year-6 students from Albury West, Hume and Glenroy Public Schools will spend the day on campus participating in a selection of workshops to give them first-hand experience of university life as part of Check It Out Day. Program coordinator Ms Ilena Young said, "The aim is to encourage aspiration for higher education among students in rural and remote NSW and Victoria. By introducing young people to the world of university study, students are encouraged through a positive experience to become more engaged in school studies and more confident in considering tertiary study as a realistic option." Students will participate in hands-on activities, tour the campus and eat lunch in the student canteen before donning ceremonial mortar boards in a mock graduation. Check It Out Day is part of the Future Moves, program a federally-funded initiative run through CSU and aligned with the Australian Blueprint for Career Development.

Is the stability and cohesiveness of our communities under threat? That's the question social researcher and author Dr Hugh Mackay will explore in a public lecture at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Albury Wodonga on Monday 4 May. Dr Mackay argues that we need communities, but communities also need us. "Humans are by nature social creatures, so we rely on co-operative communities to nurture, sustain and protect us," said Dr Mackay. "But those communities don't just happen and they don't necessarily survive, they too have to be nurtured, sustained and protected." Dr Mackay examines some of the social changes that threaten the health of local neighbourhoods and communities, while exploring whether online communities are the new way to belong. The Art of Belonging lecture is part of CSU's Explorations Series and will be held at the CD Blake Auditorium, Building 752 Room 104 at CSU in Albury Wodonga from 6pm to 7pm and will be followed by light refreshments. People can register to attend here.

Almost 40 students from around the country will visit Charles Sturt University (CSU) Albury on Friday 24 April to experience life as a university student first-hand. Students from 10 schools from New South Wales and Victoria will participate in a MyDay for those interested in careers in nursing. Students will participate in hands-on workshops, meet CSU students and academics, and tour the campus, clinical facilities and accommodation. "We're looking forward to welcoming our future nurses to Charles Sturt University Albury, helping them experience what life as a nursing student is really like and giving them hands on experience in our outstanding on-campus facilities," Prospective Student Advisor Mr Ben O'Brien said. MyDay events are held across all CSU campuses to help future students gather the information and experiences they need to find the best course for them. The next MyDay event in Albury will be on Thursday 30 April and will see students interested in accounting, business studies, management, marketing and information technology visit the campus.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) researchers are seeking new ways to manage pain and loss of lower limb sensation for Diabetes sufferers. Bachelor of Physiotherapy Honours student Mr Jack Archer is seeking participants from Albury for his project which will assess the effectiveness of therapeutic taping in the management of pain and the loss of sensation in lower limbs, known as Diabetic Neuropathy. "Diabetic Neuropathy is caused by damage to the nervous system which arises due to altered blood glucose levels," Mr Archer said. "Over 1.2 million Australians have diabetes and of those more than 30 per cent have diabetic neuropathy." Mr Archer has been working with participants from the Central West and is now looking for participants in Albury to help finalise his results."I hope to be able to show that the application of therapeutic tapes reduces pain, and improves patients' ability to sense touch through the skin of their legs and feet. This will be an important step towards improving the treatment options currently available," Mr Archer said.Mr Archer requires participants who:Are over 18 years of age, male or femaleHave Diabetes and experience pain and sensation loss in the legs and feetCan attend the CSU Albury campus research facilities for four 90 minute sessions, held between 27 April and 8 MayCan participate in a series of non-invasive tests to determine their level of pain and ability to sense contact on the skin.The project has Ethics Committee approval and will be conducted under the supervision of CSU School of Community Health academics. Potential participants are encouraged to contact Mr Archer before Friday 24 April for more information on jackaroo_is@yahoo.com.au or 0457 355 101.

Applications for the first round of Charles Sturt University (CSU) 2015 Community-University Partnerships (CUP) Grant Program are sought from organisations in Albury-Wodonga. CSU invites applications from relevant community organisations across the University's regional footprint for the Rural and Regional Education Development Program category which replaces the former 'Schools Development Grants' category and now includes early childhood. Head of Campus at CSU in Albury-Wodonga, Professor Julia Coyle, said, "I am delighted to advise that the 2015 CUP for grants to schools and early childhood education centres in our region is now open and encourage all relevant organisations to consider applying. Charles Sturt University acknowledges and supports educational endeavours for students in the region, and these small grants are designed to assist primary and secondary schools and not-for-profit early childhood centres to acquire equipment or consumables that facilitate learning. As Head of Campus at the University in Albury-Wodonga I look forward to receiving grant applications." Applications for CUP Rural and Regional Education Development Program category close on Monday 31 March.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) research needs volunteers with and without hamstring injuries in the Albury area. Mr Luke Donnan, lecturer in podiatry at the CSU School of Community Health in Albury-Wodonga, is investigating what causes hamstring injuries and seeks approximately 30 male volunteers aged 18 to 35 who played at least one competitive game of Australian Rules Football (AFL) in the 2014 season. "I need 15 players who injured a hamstring during the 2014 season, as well as players with no injuries," Mr Donnan said. "I am not necessarily after superstars or elite athletes; fit senior or reserve grade players will be more than adequate for my research. Players will undergo 3D motion analysis, assessment of muscle activity, and will be monitored for levels of fatigue." Mr Donnan will gather data from volunteers during March 2015, including evenings and weekends, and is happy to work around individual availability. All the data collection will happen at CSU in Albury-Wodonga, so Border region residents are preferred. Volunteers are assured of a solid fitness session, as part of data collection, in the lead up to the 2015 season. Potential volunteers can contact Mr Donnan on (02) 6051 9258 or email ldonnan@csu.edu.au

More than 450 students will start their university studies in Albury-Wodonga with Orientation Week at Charles Sturt University (CSU) next week. 'O-Week' will run from Monday 23 February until Friday 27 February and involve a series of academic and social activities to help familiarise students with university study, their course, peers and campus. "O-Week blends serious and social activities to introduce students from around Australia and overseas to their new lives of study and education," Head of Campus Professor Julia Coyle said. "The undergraduate courses in greatest demand in 2015 were teaching, and our allied health courses including physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech pathology." More than 2,600 new on-campus students will be welcomed across all CSU campuses for semester one. There will also be O-Week activities for more than 2,700 new distance education students.

Fifty high school students from the Border region will attend Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Albury-Wodonga on Thursday 19 February for a day of 'Skills Fix' workshops. Year 11 students from Finley High School, Billabong High School, James Fallon High School, Oaklands Central School, and Wodonga Senior Secondary College will participate in a selection of on-campus workshops led by undergraduate student leaders and other University staff to improve their study skills while experiencing university life. Ms Ilena Young, coordinator of the Future Moves Program, said, "The Future Moves program works with students who have the potential to succeed in tertiary education, but who may come from families with little or no experience of higher education. "By introducing young people to university students and the world of study we're hoping to encourage them to become more confident and interested in considering tertiary study as a realistic option. Students often say, I never considered university but now I really want to go. Events like the Skill Fix day are a great way to start a conversation with students and their families about what options and pathways are available to them when they finish high school."

Overweight and obese people in the Albury area are sought for CSU physiotherapy research examining the impact of low to moderate intensity exercise on their quality of life. Physiotherapy research student Mr Wade McGrath, from CSU's School of Community Health in Albury-Wodonga, seeks males aged 20 to 44 years and females aged 20 to 54 years who must be overweight or obese (that is, a Body Mass Index between 25 to 39.99) to take part in the project. Mr McGrath said, "We will confirm whether the participant is within this range after they have expressed interest in the study. The exercise will be supervised by a personal trainer and consist of some aerobic exercise using treadmills and exercise bikes, and resistance training using some dumbbells and the person's own bodyweight. It will be performed twice weekly in approximately one-hour sessions for approximately six weeks. Participation is free, and the exercise sessions will be run in the Community Engagement and Wellness Centre gym located at CSU in Albury-Wodonga at Thurgoona. This is the perfect opportunity for would-be participants to get fit after Christmas or make good on a New Year's resolution to start exercising." Mr McGrath wants to hear now from potential volunteers because he'd like to start the project after Tuesday 13 January. To find out more and to express interest in participating, contact Mr McGrath on 0438 639 393 or wademcgrath7@hotmail.com