A two-day conference to start on Wednesday 16 November at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Albury-Wodonga will look at the transformation of university education in recent years, and how to develop a culture of collaboration, integration and sustainability. The conference, titled Transforming University Education: Developing a culture of collaboration, integration and sustainability will include a panel discussion of CSU students, graduates and industry representatives who receive the fruits of CSU education, moderated by the University’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ian Goulter, and small group discussions and lectures for the 190 participants from all CSU campuses from Dubbo to Albury. Participants can also take part in a tour of CSU’s award-winning environmentally sensitive site at Thurgoona. Keynote speakers for the conference include vocational education Professor Steven Billett from Griffith University and educational researcher Dr Maggie Hutchings from Bournemouth University, UK. The conference will be held in the Learning and Teaching Hub, CSU in Albury-Wodonga, off Elizabeth Mitchell Drive, Thurgoona.

MyDay at Charles Sturt University in Orange, to be held on Monday 4 June, has attracted high school students from Sydney, Canberra, and north and south coast regions all keen to experience life as a health sciences student. Highlighting courses in dentistry, physiotherapy, clinical science and pharmacy, the day introduces students to the campus known as the health hub of the University. Students will gain hands-on experience in the health clinics, meet with academics and tertiary students and tour the campus. MyDay offers high school students the unique opportunity to experience a day in the life of a university student and provides key information on support available to make their goals achievable. On the same day an Agriculture HSC enrichment day will be held for those studying agriculture in the HSC.

Budding writers in Year 12 at Albury high schools will have the support of families and friends, and some critical feedback, when they present their major works for the NSW Higher School Certificate to a supportive audience in Albury next month. On Monday evening, 4 June, Charles Sturt University (CSU) academic and former head teacher of English, Mr Paul Grover  will coordinate the event where audience members will assess the presentation of major works by local English Extension 2 students. “The audience will hear the voice of the author as the students read from the major play, poem, author study or short story they have spent 12 months planning and composing for their HSC examination. These talented student writers will then receive valuable feedback to include in their final writing and revision process,” Mr Grover said. This public event will be held at 6pm on 4 June at the CD Blake lecture theatre, CSU in Albury-Wodonga, off Elizabeth Mitchell Drive, Thurgoona. To attend, contact Mr Grover on phone (02) 6051 9707 or send an email.

To understand what it is like to be a person with a disability is the aim of a course at Charles Sturt University (CSU) where four people with disabilities act as tutors for CSU students in the third year of their speech pathology degrees. As part of the 2012 program, groups of students will present the life story of their tutor in a creative performance for the tutors, their families and other CSU students, to be held in the Gums Café at CSU in Albury-Wodonga on Thursday 31 May starting at 10.15am. Program coordinator and occupational therapy lecturer, Dr Ruth Beecham, said the presentations will use imagination as well as media such as theatre, cinema, and pictures or literary expression. “We want our students to totally focus on their future clients, and what their clients want from them. Teaching students to listen carefully and respond creatively is a great way of developing these skills,” Dr Beecham said. “We need to see problems from a number of perspectives, instead of rushing headlong into ‘solutions’, and take time to explore issues.”

Charles Sturt University (CSU) staff and students are being encouraged to express on film their ideas for environmental sustainability. The Eco Literacy Film Festival aims to showcase short, three-minute films exploring how the University can reduce its environmental footprint in areas of biodiversity, energy and transport, waste water and pollution, and food and produce. Festival Co-ordinator, Ms Natasha Hard said a total of $6 000 in prizes is on offer and the films will be shown in an online and on campus film festival later in the year. “Anyone who has a phone can make a film and make a difference,” she said. “By celebrating some of the great things being done and highlighting new opportunities, we hope to support interest and action in the area of sustainability across Charles Sturt University.” The festival is funded by a grant from CSU Green. Entries close at 11.59pm on Friday 6 July. Read more about the Eco Literacy Film Festival here.

Long gone is the image of an accountant poring over columns of figures in a dingy office. “Professional accountants are vital for driving the success of modern businesses and enjoy diverse and rewarding careers. A modern accountant needs skills in areas such as communication, negotiation and teamwork as well as technical accounting knowledge and an analytical mind,” said Charles Sturt University (CSU) accounting lecturer, Mr Danny Murphy, based in Albury-Wodonga. To help address the shortage of accountants in regional Australia, Mr Murphy and fellow academic Dr Dianne McGrath have developed a work experience program for budding accountants titled Reaping what we sow, which places Year 10, 11 and 12 students with Border accounting firms. “The project allows local students to get work experience to understand what the job really involves, and the variety of careers open to accounting graduates,” Mr Murphy said. The students this week completed their work experiences and will gather on Friday 25 May at CSU in Albury-Wodonga to see what life is like for a CSU accounting student. Later they will visit the Mars factory in Wodonga to examine the work done by management accountants at Mars.

Last year, environmental science students at Charles Sturt University (CSU) Mr Charlie Rothnie-Jones and his friend Mr Nathaniel Oliver started up a community garden in Thurgoona to promote sustainable living, which was recently recognised when they won the 2012 David Battersby Awards for Student Citizenship at CSU. The Kerr Sustainability Centre on CSU’s Thurgoona site allows CSU students to grow food for free and hosts workshop events aimed at sharing knowledge and skills. Members of the garden are from Thurgoona and surrounding areas, from all walks of life. The centre provides space for garden beds for community members and allows people with similar interests and gardening goals to meet and share. The students’ interests complement each other, with Mr Oliver following vegetables from sowing to eating, while Mr Rothnie-Jones communicates extensively with local community centres. “Mr Rothnie-Jones and Mr Oliver deserve their success to date and it is a pleasure to recognise their leadership in the Charles Sturt University community through these prestigious awards,” said the Head of Campus for CSU in Albury-Wodonga, Ms Sue Moloney.

Addressing the on-going shortage of professional accountants in regional Australia is the goal of a collaborative project based on the Border involving Charles Sturt University (CSU), Albury Wodonga Careers Advisors Association, the Institute of Chartered Accountants Australia (ICAA), the Murray Industry and Community Education Employment Partnership and the North East Local Learning and Employment Network. Dean of CSU’s Faculty of Business, Professor Lesley White will officially launch a structured high school work experience program for budding accounting students titled Reaping what we sow. The project was developed as part of ICAA-funded research by CSU academics Mr Daniel Murphy and Dr Dianne McGrath, based on the Albury-Wodonga Campus. “The project allows local Year 10 and 11 students to get work experience at accounting firms to understand what the job really involves, and the range and diversity of careers open to accounting graduates,” Mr Murphy said. Supply Finance Manager, Australia New Zealand with Mars Petcare, Mr Nathan Quinlivan, a CSU accounting graduate, will be guest speaker at the event on behalf of ICAA. The launch will start at 12.30pm on Thursday 10 May at La Maison Café, Wodonga.

Are you passionate about our local native animals and wonder how scientists research and monitor our wildlife? Border residents can take part in monitoring our local endangered animals in the upcoming Thurgoona Bioblitz 2012, a community wildlife event to be held on Friday 18 and Saturday 19 May in and around Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Albury-Wodonga. These free events will involve wildlife surveys to be conducted around Thurgoona, including spotlighting nest boxes for Squirrel Gliders, trapping bats and small animals, bird watching, identifying frog calls, and searching for lizards. The surveys will be led by expert ecologists from CSU and other organisations, and the collected data will be added to the Atlas of Living Australia, an online national database of Australia’s flora and fauna. Organised by the Slopes2Summit partnership, which includes CSU, and the Woolshed Thurgoona Landcare Group, the Friday event will be for school students, while events scheduled for Friday evening and Saturday will involve the wider community. Slopes2Summit facilitator Mr Sam Niedra said the Bioblitz allows schools and the general community to experience and learn about Thurgoona’s rich diversity of animal species, while collecting records “to improve our knowledge of what’s happening in the Thurgoona landscape, and be better informed about how these animals can be conserved into the future”.