Last week the Federal Government announced its high-profile appointments to the Youth Mental Health Foundation Advisory Board to advise on ways to improve access to mental health services for the nation’s 12 to 25-year-olds. Experts agree that young people in Australia are increasingly troubled by various forms of mental disorder, including Dr Lynelle Osburn, a lecturer in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Wagga Wagga. “Why is it a growing problem? One reason is an increasing intolerance of kids who are a bit different.” She says the vulnerable are easy to recognise. “Young people who leave home in an unplanned way, are isolated, are taking extreme risks or have substance abuse problems, who have eating or stress disorders. There is a growing number of young people who are on medications like amphetamines or Ritalin, or using various party drugs.” Another CSU academic Dr Janki Shankar, lecturer in mental health also in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, is on the Australian Association of Social Workers Mental Health Interest Group. She says “the current system is failing because of a lack of support services, particularly in rural areas. There are hardly any psycho-social rehabilitation programs that are targeted to youth, there’s almost nothing for people who need early intervention services.”

A leading group of veterinary educators has given their stamp of approval to Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) veterinary course, the first such course offered in regional Australia. The Veterinary Science Accreditation Advisory Committee which visited CSU’s Wagga Wagga Campus last week has recommended accreditation for the University’s new Bachelor of Veterinary Science degree. The committee of six veterinary practitioners and academics from Australian and New Zealand universities will recommend to the Australasian Veterinary Boards Council that they provide provisional accreditation of CSU’s veterinary program. CSU’s first dedicated building for veterinary science, the $4.5 million Pre-Clinical Centre for teaching anatomy and physiology, was formally handed over to staff and students last week. Professor Kym Abbott, Director of Veterinary Science at CSU, said the accreditation committee praised the high quality of staff and facilities and the strong support given to the new program by the University.

Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) first professional doctorate in gerontology and a family affair will highlight the three graduation ceremonies to be held next week in Albury. Margaret Gartrell will receive a Doctor of Health Science during the afternoon ceremony on Thursday 27 April, for her research into how older people cope with pain and its implications for nursing. Meanwhile Anne Nevins will be joined by her daughters Amy and Rachel as they all receive their arts, business and health degrees during the two days of graduation ceremonies on Thursday 27 and Friday 28 April. Over 500 graduates from the University’s five faculties will receive their degrees during the three ceremonies to be held in Albury-Wodonga, joined by their parents and friends from around Australia.

Rising energy costs and living and learning in a clean environment have continued to influence the design of the new School of Business building proposed for Charles Sturt University's (CSU) Albury-Wodonga Campus. "As with previous construction on our Thurgoona site, the University is looking to reduce the cost of energy used in large public buildings and reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with energy production," said Head of the Albury-Wodonga Campus, Professor Gail Whiteford. "One innovative feature of this building will be its insulation. Whereas most inland Australian buildings have their insulation inside, the new building will be like an 'esky', with insulation on the outside and the main support structures inside. This aims to reduce the fluctuation of temperature inside and drastically cut the need for heating and cooling, something we have learnt from our previous buildings." Plans for the $3 million, two-storey office building, which follows research by CSU staff into the existing buildings on the Thurgoona site, will be presented to Albury City Council next week. They will also be on public display during the Thurgoona Futures Festival to be held this Saturday 27 May on CSU's Thurgoona site.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) lecturer Dr Keith Nesbitt’s research on a design pattern for complex systems has won him a 12-month postdoctoral appointment to the New England Complex Systems Institute (NECSI) in Boston, USA. Dr Nesbitt, a lecturer in Information Technology at CSU, has been working in the relatively new field of science known as complex systems. The study of complex systems is about understanding indirect effects and the problems we find difficult to solve. They have causes and effects that are not obviously related. Examples of complex systems include beehives, ant colonies and even the stockmarket, as well as the human brain. NECSI, where Dr Nesbitt will be based, is an independent non-profit educational and research institution dedicated to advancing the study of complex systems. NECSI was established as a collaboration of faculty from Harvard, MIT, Boston University, Brandeis and other academic institutions. “I’m keen to take my research to the next level. That would be the ultimate goal: to try and understand what they call the theory of the mind”, said Dr Nesbitt.

Charles Sturt University graduate David Ford has won the Great Australian Story Challenge with his short film, A Little Bit of Magic. David graduated this year with a Bachelor of Arts (Television Production), and will now spend three months working with Australian Story at ABC TV. “I have a lot of respect for both the program and the ABC. I feel I have the capacity to make good stories, but it is also knowing how to work within a particular production environment. I don’t know where it will take me or what it will hold but it is looking optimistic.” A Little Bit of Magic tells the story of Cliff Armitage, who had an amazing career change since being involved in the gun control policy formation after the 1996 Port Arthur massacre. David says making the film was a challenge “because I was doing the lighting, sound and camera, as well as producing and directing and researching”. Last year David filmed a travelogue documentary about his time spent at an African AIDS orphanage, which airs in July on cable TV in Australia, and later in New Zealand and Indonesia.

Is there such a thing as a balanced assessment of the “Intelligent Design -Creation Science” controversy? Professor David Goldney from Charles Sturt University (CSU) believes so. The well-known scientist and environmental consultant, who has lived and worked in the Bathurst community since 1972, is a committed Christian and an Adjunct Professor at CSU. Professor Goldney estimates almost half the world’s scientists are Christian on some level, but still accept the theory of evolution, including himself. “While I’m a Christian, I’m committed to Darwinian evolution and I think the ‘Intelligent Design’ argument is way off track. There’s a continuum of people, from ‘flat earthers’ to creation scientists, with the view that evolution leads only to atheism and proves there is no God. Somewhere in there might be some middle ground.” Three public lectures are planned for June, where Professor Goldney will “go through the range of creation stories that a Christian might look at and still remain an honest scientist with integrity and accept faith”.

An organisation aimed at lifting the profile of women in the Australian construction industry has honoured the work of a Charles Sturt University (CSU) distance education student with a national award. Fiona Shewring, who is studying for a Graduate Diploma of Vocational Education and Training (VET) at CSU, received an award from the National Association for Women in Construction. During the Association’s annual awards night at Sydney’s Town Hall at the end of May, Ms Shewring was presented the Acoustic Logic Consultancy Award. The annual event was attended by women managers, architects, developers and solicitors involved with the construction sector. The CSU student is employed by the Illawarra Institute of TAFE in Wollongong and during the past four years, has taught more than 100 women painting and decorating skills as part of TAFE NSW’s early pathways program known as Outreach. “The award for Fiona is a credit to her vocational training and work in breaking down the barriers within the trades sector for women,” said VET course coordinator Roslin Brennan-Kemmis.

A Federal Government inquiry into school students’ knowledge of Australia’s history has led to a new Charles Sturt University (CSU) history course for teachers being launched for 2007. Course coordinator and history and politics lecturer Dr Troy Whitford said there is a real gap in the knowledge students and teachers have about Australia’s democratic process and its history. “This course aims to address many teachers’ poor understanding of Australian history and help teachers to address the need to teach about Australia’s democratic processes and citizenship in their classes. The Graduate Certificate in History (Civics and Citizenship) relates to relevant sections in other teaching subjects for social science, geography and modern history giving graduates a big picture understanding, particularly in relation to the organisation and operation of the Australian democratic system,” Dr Whitford said. Enrolments for the postgraduate course, to start in 2007, will run until November 2006. The Federal Government will hold a summit on teaching Australian history in August this year.