Close collaboration between Charles Sturt University (CSU) and TAFE NSW now enables students to gain computing qualifications from both institutions during three years of full-time study. After completing pilot courses in Albury and Wagga Wagga, the joint program, which incorporates subjects from TAFE NSW’s Diploma of Technology (Networking) and CSU’s Bachelor of Information Technology, is being extended across NSW, with CSU units available via distance education. “This totally integrated approach allows students to study concurrently at both institutions to combine the practical industry experience presented by TAFE NSW with the theoretical rigor of CSU subjects. These students will become even more employable and better qualified in a very competitive industry,” said CSU’s Sub Dean of Information Technology, Dr John Atkinson. Dr Atkinson will meet with TAFE NSW’s Program Manager in Telecom and Networks, Franco Salaun at the Albury campus of TAFE NSW Riverina Institute on Thursday 8 March to discuss further developments in the joint program.

India is the new booming economy – surpassing even China in recent economic growth. It is an amazing success story that is much more evident in the cities than the countryside according to Kirsty Hommel, a recent Charles Sturt University (CSU) social science graduate who spent her practicum in rural southern India developing skills she had learnt at CSU. “The area I lived in was very untouched by western influences. The village I was based in was without a road.  Many people in this area live without running water or electricity - they use local wells and designated trees for toilets.” Kirsty says the Healthy Districts program aims “to increase the overall standards of health in the community through addressing poverty.  We used community development to assist the community to generate income. I really enjoyed being there. Even after I met my practicum requirements, I chose to stay another month. I felt very immersed in the community and the culture there.”

No doubt it is a very nice accolade when a national newspaper describes your latest film as “shaping up as the year's top Australian comedy”. However, director and Charles Sturt University (CSU) graduate Darren Ashton says, “Although we are really chuffed at the response, at the end of the day the most important thing is that people go and see it”. The idea for Razzle Dazzle grew out of a short story written by Darren’s partner, and fellow CSU graduate, Carolyn Wilson. Described as “a fly-on-the-wall look at the tears, tantrums and tiaras in the world of competitive dance eisteddfods”, it was filmed in the “mockumentary” style because, “The dance world is really heightened, and I wanted to balance that with being observational and understated,” said Darren, whose debut feature film was Thunderstruck. His next project is a wrestling film set in the 1970s.

New South Wales has eight incumbent Independent members of parliament – will that change after the State election on March 24? Charles Sturt University (CSU) politics lecturer Dr Troy Whitford predicts that the number of Independents has plateaued. “But they will always be a main feature of rural elections. Why? Because Independents aim at appealing to a rural and regional mindset called 'countrymindedness'", Dr Whitford explains. “It tends to emphasis the importance of rural Australia and that people in the country have a greater moral compass and a better work ethic than the city, and that politics is always city-centric. ‘Countrymindedness’ suggests rural people are the backbone to the economy, and they should be given special consideration. Old-fashioned ‘countrymindedness’ is apparent in the rhetoric of the Independents representing rural seats.” Dr Whitford predicts Labor will be returned, and says, “I will be very surprised if we see an increase in Independents. I think the Coalition will pick up a couple of seats, but Labor will hang on."

Charles Sturt University (CSU) will take over providing all services to its students such as sports clubs, medical, counselling and advisory on Wednesday 4 April. On the Albury-Wodonga Campus, the Head of Campus Professor Gail Whiteford will accept the handover of these services from local CSU Student Association president Simon Dick. “CSU students will not notice any difference in the level of services they receive at the University with the change,” said Jim Hackett, the CSU Executive Director of Finance who is overseeing the takeover of all student services by the University. “CSU has taken the stand that the student services provided by the CSU Student Association were an important part of the whole university experience, so the University has stepped in to continue these services, which are particularly important on our regional campuses.” The move has occurred as the result of the voluntary student unionism legislation passed last year by the Federal Government.

The country's top economic reform agency has called for the introduction of carbon taxes as a way to cut greenhouse emissions. The Productivity Commission, the Australian Government's principal review and advisory body on microeconomic policy and regulation, last week submitted the proposal to the Prime Minister's task force on emissions trading. Dr Roderick Duncan, lecturer in economics at Charles Sturt University (CSU), says if we are serious about cutting emissions, a carbon tax is inevitable. “But to reflect the true cost of our energy, we are going to have to drastically increase the price of petrol and electricity. People say they are very concerned about global warming, but when I tell them we could triple the price of energy, then they become a lot less enthusiastic.”

In what’s been described as a "U-turn of dramatic proportions", the same study that in 2002 warned menopausal women to abandon Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) has now released findings that show HRT risks are not as bad as first thought. The Women's Health Initiative Study (WHIS), a major 15-year research program to address the most common causes of death, disability and poor quality of life in postmenopausal women, last week stated any additional risks may apply only to older women. Charles Sturt University (CSU) biomedical researcher Dr Christopher Scott says he is not surprised by the new findings. “The initial findings were quite scary, but since then they have done a lot more thorough number-crunching. HRT is considered to be beneficial to deal with the symptoms of menopause, but a woman with a strong family history of breast cancer and cardiovascular should not take HRT long term. You have to look at the particular person and what they want to use it for and how long they want to use it.”

“Beware the rIdes of March!” (apologies to Shakespeare) is the catchcry for the Ride to Uni Day to be held by Charles Sturt University (CSU) on Wednesday 7 March. For the first time, bicycle riders will gather on the University’s Albury City Campus to ride to the Thurgoona site via the bike trail which follows the newly opened Albury bypass. Carbon dioxide is a major cause of global warming and it has been estimated that each car driven from Albury city to CSU Thurgoona releases five kilograms of carbon dioxide – or 100 ‘black balloons’ – into the atmosphere. Ride to Uni Day coordinator Peter Taylor said riding instead of driving to work not only increases fitness and relieves stress, but also allows each participant to play their small part in reducing greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

The Australian wine industry will benefit from Charles Sturt University (CSU) research to prevent revenue loss for Shiraz growers. A research team, led by senior lecturer in viticulture at the School of Wine and Food Sciences Dr Dennis Greer, is using business intelligence software to investigate water loss from Shiraz grapes. The project has received about $2 million funding from the Australian Grape and Wine Research and Development Corporation. Shiraz grapes lose up to 20 per cent of their water content at the end of the growing season which means growers, who are paid on weight, lose up to 20 per cent of their potential revenue. Data including grape bunch weights, carbon dioxide and water vapour emissions is collected every five minutes over several days. According to Dr Greer, "This is relatively new science that has not been done on Shiraz grapes before".