Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Albury-Wodonga will launch its Community University Partnerships (CUP) program on Monday 13 February with thousands of dollars available to support local organisations and groups.On Monday 13 February, CSU Vice-Chancellor Professor Andrew Vann will launch the 2017 program via video link, which this year will particularly target Indigenous, educational, arts and sporting groups.Head of CSU in Albury-Wodonga, Dr Jenni Munday, said the CUP grant program, which commenced in 2014, forms an integral part of the University's ongoing commitment to make a positive contribution to its communities."This year's CUP program will support the development of regional NSW through direct grants from Charles Sturt University totalling $100 000 to local community groups."In 2016, CSU provided 103 CUP grants across all its regions."We want the young people in our regional communities to aspire as much to higher education as their metropolitan cousins, and this is one way to raise their awareness of what is available on their doorsteps," Dr Munday said.CUP funding applications for the Arts opens on Monday 27 February.Further information about CUP is available here.

Mortar boards and academic gowns will be a feature of Albury's streets this week as Charles Sturt University (CSU) celebrates the graduation of more than 400 students.More than 1 300 family and friends will join the graduates in the Albury Entertainment Centre for three ceremonies on Tuesday 13 December and Wednesday 14 December.Highlights include:12:30pm, Tuesday 13 DecemberApproximately 140 graduates and more than 425 guests are due to attend this ceremony.Graduates are from the Faculty of Arts and Education and the Faculty of Business, Justice and Behavioural Studies.The Occasional Address will be delivered by Head of CSU's School of Management and Marketing Associate Professor Mark Frost.5pm, Tuesday 13 DecemberApproximately 150 graduates and more than 487 guests are due to attend this ceremony.Graduates are from the Faculty of Arts and Education and the Faculty of Science.  - The University Council will confer the title of Emeritus Professor on Bob Perry, an internationally recognised and passionate educator in the field of early childhood numeracy, educational transitions and Indigenous education. Professor Perry is being recognised for his distinguished services across the areas of teaching, research and administration at CSU. Professor Perry will also deliver the Occasional Address.  Four of Professor Perry's doctoral students will also graduate in the same ceremony. - Dr Lysa Dealtry will be awarded her PhD titled, Narratives of starting school: Learning from Aboriginal children, their mothers and their educators. Her research involved interviews with Aboriginal children, their mothers and their educators in the Gudaga Goes to School project. The study explored the ways in which children's and mothers' sense of self - ways of being, knowing and doing - contributes to a positive start to school.The ceremony will see PhDs awarded to six graduates from the Institute of Land Water and Society (ILWS) including: - CSU Media and Communications Officer Dr Wes Ward has combined his passion for communication and science in his PhD, Exploring in-person and technologically-mediated communication within international agricultural research teams.In his research Dr Ward interviewed 30 researchers in Australia and Lao PRD to examine the barriers and opportunities for communicating agricultural research conducted in partnership with developing countries, especially using computer communications. - To make sure her family in Mexico can see her receive a PhD, Dr Luisa Perez-Mujica is planning to live-stream the ceremony. Dr Perez-Mujica's PhD, Development of a sustainability assessment tool in context of social-ecological systems using system simulation and participatory modelling: The case of the Winton Wetlands, Victoria, Australia, studied people's opinions of the rehabilitation of the wetlands in order to develop a new socio-ecological approach to assess sustainability. Read more on CSU News here. - Originally from Zimbabwe, Dr Chaka Chirozva and his family are currently based in South Australia. Dr Chirozva's PhD, Community Engagement in the Governance of Transfrontier Conservation Areas: An Analysis of the Implementation of Sengwe Tshipise Wilderness Corridor, Zimbabwe, has made an important contribution to the understanding of community engagement in transfrontier conservation areas. - Bachelor of Science (honours) graduate Ms Bettina Grieve spent two months in Laos PRD for her research examining the effectiveness of microchips to track fish migration in the Mekong River. This international research experience has seen Ms Grieve awarded a place in Sydney Water's graduate program.9.30am, Wednesday 14 December125 graduates and more than 400 guests are due to attend this ceremony.The Occasional Address will be delivered by CSU Dean of Students, Professor Julia Coyle.Graduates are from the Faculty of Science.- Bachelor of Health Science (Speech Pathology) graduate Ms Ashley Barclay will be awarded the University Medal, the highest honour conferred on an undergraduate student. Ms Barclay took part in an international work placement in Vietnam earlier this year as part of a CSU Global program - Olympic Gold Medallist and member of the Australian Women's Rugby 7's team Ms Alicia Quirk will be awarded a Bachelor of Physiotherapy. With the support and flexible study options provided through CSU's elite athlete program, Ms Quirk has completed her studies in between the training, travel and competition demands of being a professional athlete. - Lecturer in podiatry from CSU's School of Community Health Dr Kristy Robson will be awarded her PhD Exploration of Fall Risk in Regional Australia. Dr Robson's research into the factors that influence the risk of an older person falling has led to development of a model of careinvolving a range of stakeholders to support older people to maintain safe independence as they age.  - Three Bachelor of Podiatry graduates, Mr Tim Pargeter, Ms Rylee Belsher, and Ms Sophie Robertson have shared the educational journey from Kindergarten to Graduation, attending the same schools and then studying the same degree.

A new Head of Campus has been appointed at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Albury-Wodonga.Dr Jennifer Munday (pictured) is the new Head of Campus at CSU in Albury-Wodonga until the end of November 2017.Director of the CSU Office of Government and Community Relations, Mr Peter Fraser said: "I congratulate Dr Munday on her appointment and look forward to working with her on advancing Charles Sturt University's community engagement program in the Albury-Wodonga region."Dr Munday is currently a Senior Lecturer and the Associate Head of the School of Education ."Having been employed at Charles Sturt University for more than 20 years, Dr Munday brings significant experience and commitment to the role of developing and fostering its connections with the community of Albury-Wodonga," Mr Fraser said.Dr Munday said it was a privilege to be appointed to the role of Head of Campus."As a University with the goal to build regional capacity, I want to promote the values embedded in the principle of Yindyamarra Winhanganha or the wisdom of respectfully knowing how to live well in a world worth living in," Dr Munday said."This is the philosophy at the heart of University's approach to education, and I am committed to providing higher education to Albury-Wodonga and surrounding areas which I have done for many years."Mr Fraser also acknowledged and thanked the former Head of Campus Ms Julie Clearly for her extensive efforts and leadership in progressing the University's engagement and community relations program.

A screening of the film, Chasing Asylum at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Albury-Wodonga aims to stimulate discussion about Australia's off-shore detention policies and the role that regional communities can play in refugee resettlement.The free event on Saturday 3 December is being hosted by CSU's Centre for Law and Justice.Lecturer at the Centre, Ms Charlotte Steer said, "Charles Sturt University aims to produce law graduates who are committed to social justice and community service, particularly for Indigenous Australians, and for regional and remote Australia."The Albury-Wodonga region has a long tradition of supporting migrants and a good track record for successfully supporting refugees as part of resettlement programs."Chasing Asylum was made from footage smuggled out of the immigration detention centres on Manus Island and Nauru and shows the distressing conditions for the men, women and children who are compulsorily detained there."We hope this event will raise awareness of the broader issue and add to the conversation about how we can make a difference in our local community."The film will be followed by a panel discussion with representatives from organisations working with migrants and refugees in the Border region.For more information contact Ms Steer via email csteer@csu.edu.au

More than 700 students from 14 Riverina region schools will take part in the Australian Museum's Science on the Road program at the Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Albury-Wodonga on Wednesday 2 and Thursday 3 November.The primary and high school students will learn how to collect forensic evidence from a crime scene;  attempt to erupt a volcano; learn the basics of nursing such as hygiene and cardio pulmonary resuscitation; and develop their own computer game, animation or website.Australian Museum's Manager Science Engagement and Events Ms Catherine Beehag said Science on the Road aims to bring science, in all its forms, to regional and rural NSW."Our goal is to make sure the students who attend are so engrossed in what they are doing and experiencing that they forget that they are actually learning about science. "We want the children who love science, of course, but we also want those students who think that science is boring and uncool. We aim to change that with our programs," she said.Ms Beehag said one of the most popular events in the Science on the Road is the Starlab Planetarium, a giant inflatable dome that allows the students to immerse themselves in the exploration of a galaxy, while traveling through time and space.Activities include: CSI World, Indigenous Science and Bushtucker, Spin Science, Nursing Needs You, Waterbug Watch, Worm Detectives, Volcanoes and Natural Disasters Show, Starlab Planetarium and Code Club.The full program is available here.

Activities to promote good mental health will be highlighted to students at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Albury-Wodonga this week.The Well Fair week is designed to show how simple actions and behaviours can help people maintain a healthy outlook on life all year round.CSU lecturer and Endorsed Nurse Practitioner in Mental Health Mr Hamish Alker-Jones said research has shown that connecting to others, giving, being active, taking notice of surroundings and continuous learning all help people stay healthy mentally."Belonging to something, in this case the University and the wider community, promotes interactions and leads to support.  This leads to connections to others that maximise resilience and provide help when it is needed," said Mr Alker-Jones, who is with CSU's School of Nursing, Midwifery and Indigenous Health.The first event, an active fun run for student and staff teams, will be staged around the campus, commencing at 4.30pm on Tuesday 13 September.CSU students will then be encouraged to maintain healthy behaviours during a Well-Fair on Thursday 15 September from 11.30am to 1.30pm, in and around the sports and recreation space at CSU in Albury-Wodonga. The fair will feature live music, a bucking bull and petting zoo.Students will also be encouraged to make new connections, as they will be joined at the fair by 50 international students and staff from the University's Melbourne Study Centre.A Trivia Night will be held at the G on Thursday night from 7pm.In the spirit of giving, donations will be collected during the week's activities for Beyond Blue.

A survey has been launched to find out what Albury residents think about their recreational parks and spaces.The study is part of the Better Parks for People project, a partnership project between Charles Sturt University (CSU) and AlburyCity with funding through the NSW Government's Liveable Communities Grants.AlburyCity Mayor Councillor Henk van de Ven said, "There are more than 460 hectares of parks and reserves in our local council and they're a valuable resource for the whole community."The Better Parks for People project is a great idea but we need residents to have a say and express their views through the survey."Please help us further develop these great spaces," he said.Researcher Dr Rachel Whitsed, from CSU's Institute for Land, Water and Society, (pictured) says the 'Have a Say' survey aims for improved understanding of how and why people, and in particular those aged over 65 years, use parks."The project team will then develop a spatial park planning tool. This tool will be used by AlburyCity and other local governments to better plan current and future parks, but first we need to know what residents think makes a great park."Surveys can be completed online at the AlburyCity offices and LibraryMuseum in Kiewa Street, Lavington Library, or at a Council Community Centre.The survey is available here. It closes on Friday 30 September 2016.

People suffering from a condition commonly known as tennis elbow are being invited to take part in new research at Charles Sturt University (CSU).The study, by Bachelor of Physiotherapy (Honours) student from CSU in Albury-Wodonga Mr Charlie Shepherd, (pictured) aims to gather more information about the condition to contribute to the development of new treatments.Not confined to tennis players, tennis elbow, or lateral epicondylalgia, is degeneration of the tendons of the elbow caused by overuse of the arm, forearm or hand.Mr Shepherd said, "Tennis elbow can be a chronic, painful condition as well as debilitating for those who suffer from it."It can also be hard for health professionals to establish if there are improvements in the patients they are treating for the condition."It's currently unclear whether commonly used clinical outcome measures for tennis elbow, such as grip strength, are valid for determining the improvements in the condition."The study is being supervised by lecturer in physiotherapy in the School of Community Health Mr Tim Retchford and Wodonga physiotherapist and CSU graduate Mr Nathan Mobbs.Participants in the study must be aged between 18 and 60 and have tennis elbow in only one arm.They must be able to attend a 30-minute session at the University's Community Engagement and Wellness Centre at Thurgoona or Personal Best Physiotherapy in Wodonga to complete a questionnaire and have measurements of their muscle strength taken with a handheld device called a dynamometer.Further information about the study is available by sending an email to: charlie.h.shepherd@gmail.comCSU offers its Bachelor of Physiotherapy at CSU in Albury-Wodonga, Orange and Port Macquarie. Read more here.

A program run through the Charles Sturt University (CSU) Speech Pathology Service in Albury-Wodonga will give adults who stutter greater access to an intensive treatment close to home.The week-long program from Monday 12 September is targeted at the one per cent of adult speakers who stutter.Speech pathology lecturer at CSU's School of Community Health, Dr Lisa Brown said intensive programs can have a significant impact on speech in a short period of time."The intensive format enables in-depth speech training, practice and mastery of techniques used to speak without stuttering," said Dr Brown."People can typically achieve stutter-free speech by the end of the third or fourth day of treatment, and use the rest of the week to practice speaking without stuttering in a variety of situations to boost their confidence using the techniques."Intensive treatments are not typically offered by public health services and can be very costly when offered through private speech pathology services."Charles Sturt University is the only university providing intensive treatment in a regional setting."Dr Brown recently completed her PhD on stuttering treatment methods. Read more here.The program will be delivered by final-year Bachelor of Speech and Language Pathology students, supervised by Dr Brown."Delivering intensive stuttering treatment provides students with significant experience working with adults who stutter within a short period of time," said Dr Brown."Many of our graduates will go on to work in regional and rural areas, away from specialist metropolitan services and this will help them to better serve adults who stutter wherever they go."The program will run from Monday 12 September to Friday 16 September with an initial assessment before the treatment and two follow up sessions.Bookings are essential and the cost is $300. Contact the CSU Community Engagement and Wellness Centre on (02) 6051 9299.While the program is aimed at adults, adolescents aged between 15 and 18 years can also contact Dr Brown to discuss their suitability for this treatment.