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The Red Cross needs CSU blood

Charles Sturt University (CSU) students and staff will be doing their bit to support the life-saving work of the Australian Red Cross when its mobile blood donation van is at CSU in Bathurst on Monday 18 to Wednesday 20 September.

CSU student liaison officer Mr Scott Hatch said, "Donating blood is one of the great modern life-saving gifts, and our students have been outstanding in stepping forward to contribute to the Australian community in this way. According to the Red Cross, in 2017 Charles Sturt University students made 768 donations and saved 2 300 lives. That's a significant contribution to our communities."

Mr John Feist, NSW/ACT Community Relations Officer with the Australian Red Cross Blood Service praised CSU students when he recently visited CSU in Bathurst. Mr Feist presented student representatives with a plaque acknowledging their donations over several years, and the 142 donations that gained them second place in the 2017 CSU Student Blood Donation Challenge.

The Red Cross mobile blood donation van will be outside the CD Blake Auditorium (the gym), building 1220, at CSU in Bathurst on Monday 18 to Wednesday 20 September.

To make an appointment phone the Red Cross on 131 495.

Supporting educational aspirations of people with disability

People living with disability are looking to higher education as a path to engaging with meaningful activity in their community, particularly in regional areas. But can our regional universities support these aspirations?

Researchers from five universities including Charles Sturt University (CSU) are currently investigating the experiences of people with disability who aspire to complete a university course in regional Australia.

The research team is now calling for people with disability in regional areas from Wangaratta in Victoria to Port Macquarie in NSW to share their experiences of higher education, particularly those:

• currently at high school in Years 10 and 11 and who are interested to go to university; and,
• mature aged people who  haven't been to university but are interested in study.

"We want to interview volunteers from regional communities to understand their perceptions of higher education. We are investigating the barriers for people with disability in undertaking a university course," said CSU researcher Dr Clare Wilding.

"The uptake of higher education by people with disability is lower in regional areas than for their city counterparts," Dr Wilding said.

"According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, people with disability are more likely to have lower levels of educational attainment. Furthermore, data from the bureau showed that there are more people aged 15 to 64 years living with disability in regional areas – around 18 per cent - than those living in major cities, which is 13 per cent. So we should see a higher proportion of students with disability from regional areas attending university."

"However, only two per cent of people with disability living in Australia's regional or remote areas are currently studying in higher education, compared with four per cent in a major city.

"We want to find out why this pattern is happening, and how universities, governments and the community can address the problem," she said.

As part of the project, the researchers have already surveyed and interviewed students with disability who are currently enrolled in regional universities.

"Through this research, we hope to improve access and participation in higher education by regional people with disability, particularly those from a low socio-economic background," Dr Wilding said.

The upcoming round of interviews will be conducted using media to suit the volunteer participants: by telephone, instant messaging, Skype, email or face-to-face. People wishing to participate should contact Ms Kate Freire on (02) 6051 9355 or email kfreire@csu.edu.au.

The researchers aim to complete and analyse the interviews before the end of 2017, and report final recommendations to the Federal Department of Education by the middle of 2018.

CSU-Community sports grants available

The Charles Sturt University (CSU) Community-University Partnerships (CUP) Rural and Regional Sports Development Program (Winter round) opened for applications from Monday 4 September.

The Head of Campus at CSU in Bathurst, Associate Professor Chika Anyanwu, said the CSU CUP Rural and Regional Sports Development Program provides registered community and sporting organisations with the opportunity to request a grant of up to $1 000.

"The Community University Partnership program builds capacity and aspiration through partnership and support for local organisations," Professor Anyanwu said.

"The aim of these grants is to encourage and support young people to participate in community sports, and can assist young rural sportspeople or teams to attend events, or provide equipment to assist to meet the cost of participation in sports programs. I look forwards to receiving submissions from teams and organisations within the Bathurst region."

The CSU CUP Rural and Regional Sports Development Program has a total of $25 000 available for allocation across all CSU campus communities. Applications close on Monday 2 October, and the guidelines and online application are here.

Applications should be submitted to the local CSU Head of Campus at hocbathurst@csu.edu.au.

Vice-Chancellor to thank life-saving CSU students

The life-saving actions of three Charles Sturt University (CSU) students on a football field in Orange last month will be formally recognised by Vice-Chancellor Professor Andrew Vann (pictured) on Friday 8 September.

CSU paramedic students, Mr Andrew Fraser and Mr Jack Keppel, and CSU nursing student, Ms Emma Curtin helped save the life of Orange City Lions rugby union coach Mr Steve Hamson when he suffered a heart attack at the start of a game on Saturday 5 August.

Along with Registered Nurse Ms Wendy Baker, the trio used a defibrillator to revive Mr Hamson, who will also attend the morning tea hosted by Professor Vann at CSU in Bathurst.

"The staff and students of Charles Sturt University are proud that our paramedic and nursing students were able to render emergency, life-saving assistance," Professor Vann said.

"It demonstrates that the University truly does produce job-ready graduates with practical, hands-on skills who daily make a difference to the lives of individuals and to our communities.

"I commend Andrew, Jack and Emma, and thank them and all our students who give substance to the University's ethos of 'yindyamarra winhanganha'; the wisdom of respectfully knowing how to live well in a world worth living in."

The morning tea will be held at PULSE Café, building 1414, at CSU in Bathurst at 11am, Friday 8 September.

Athlete doping rules need radical overhaul: CSU public lecture

A visiting Oxford professor will argue in a dynamic new public lecture series at Charles Sturt University (CSU) that the zero tolerance method of controlling doping in sport is not working and anti-doping efforts continue to fail athletes and fans.

The free public lecture by renowned Oxford University bioethicist Professor Julian Savulescu (pictured) is the first in the 'How to Live Well' themed Exploration Series to be held at CSU in Bathurst on Wednesday 13 September.

Professor in Philosophy in the CSU School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Professor Suzanne Uniacke, said that under the 2017-22 University Strategy 'Our Communities', a series of public lectures will explore questions about the nature of the well-lived life and a world worth living in.

"The 'How to Live Well' Series aims to promote reflection and critical engagement on fundamental issues that are part of the University's stated ethos and contribute to the intellectual vibrancy of our campuses and their wider communities," she said.

Professor Uniacke explained that Professor Savulescu's public lecture topic, 'Doping in Sport, and Human Enhancement', will challenge conventional thinking in his examination of whether we should accept performance enhancement as part of sport, and focus instead on harmful practices, or practices which are against the spirit of sport.

"Professor Savulescu will argue that the zero tolerance method of controlling doping in sport is not working, and that on recent evidence the anti-doping effort is continuing to fail athletes and fans," she said.

"He asserts that from a practical policy viewpoint, we should consider another approach to reach the goals of a level playing field and will argue that enhancement per se is not against the spirit of sport, and that a radical overhaul is needed."

A discussion will follow about some of the ethical issues of human enhancement more generally.

This 'How to Live Well' Series free public lecture is from 6pm to 7.30pm on Wednesday 13 September in room 223, building 1292, at CSU, Panorama Avenue, Bathurst; follow the event parking signs to car park P7. Register for catering purposes here.

CSU students’ blood donations save lives

Students at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst have tallied the second highest number of Red Cross blood donations across the state as part of a unique life-saving blood drive.

From March to July, CSU campuses in Bathurst, Wagga Wagga, Port Macquarie, Albury-Wodonga, Orange, Dubbo, and Goulburn competed to see who could save the most lives through blood donations in the Australian Red Cross Blood Service's inaugural Charles Sturt University Blood Challenge.

Student Liaison Officer at CSU in Bathurst Mr Scott Hatch said, "With young people the least likely to give blood on an ongoing basis, their donations have helped secure blood supplies over the critical winter months.

"The students in Bathurst made 142 donations, saving 426 lives, but were beaten by the much larger student population at the University in Wagga Wagga, where students made 348 donations.

"I applaud all our students at ten campuses and study centres who made a total of 768 donations during the Challenge, collectively saving more than 2 300 lives."

Red Cross Blood Service spokesman Mr John Feist congratulated all the students involved in the Charles Sturt University Blood Challenge.

"We hope their example will encourage other students and the wider public to join the cause and give others a second chance at life," Mr Feist said.

"We also urge all the students to continue donating blood despite the Challenge being officially over, as the need for blood never stops."

Mr Feist recently visited CSU in Bathurst to present a plaque to Mr Hatch and student representatives Mr Josh Buttenshaw, Ms Danielle Kenny, Ms Clare Porter, and Mr Brad Rushby.

The Charles Sturt University Blood Challenge is part of the Blood Service's Red25 program, a unique movement in which groups and organisations around Australia unite to save lives through blood donation. To donate, call 13 14 95 or visit donateblood.com.au.

Indigenous business program starts in Dubbo

Strengthening Indigenous entrepreneurship and business know-how is the aim of the one-week program to be run from next Monday 28 August in Dubbo by Charles Sturt University (CSU).

The Walan Mayinygu Indigenous Entrepreneurship Pop Up Hub project aims to strengthen Indigenous entrepreneurship in regional communities across NSW.

The Dubbo hub is the first of four one-week programs to run in coming months.

The program was developed by Associate Professor Michelle Evans to engage with and inspire Indigenous business people, as well as those thinking about going into business, by offering workshops, masterclasses, trade shows, networking events and opportunities for participants to pitch their business ideas.

Professor Evans invites all Dubbo based businesses, and government agencies and non-government organisations wishing to work with Indigenous businesses, to various networking lunches and masterclasses being held between 1pm to 2pm from Monday 28 August to Thursday 1 September. Register here to attend these sessions.

The first hub will be officially launched on Monday 28 August at the Dubbo Regional Theatre and Convention Centre.

"We have twelve Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander entrepreneurs teaching and presenting at the Walan Mayingu Dubbo program alongside professors from Charles Sturt University and executive educators," Professor Evans said.

For further information and to register participation in the Walan Mayinygu Indigenous Entrepreneurship Pop Up Hub, go to this site or the Walan Mayinygu Facebook site.

Tournament of Minds engages regional school students

The annual day-long regional Tournament of Minds competition for school students from Year 5 to Year 10 will be held at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst on Sunday 27 August.

Dr Denise Wood, acting Director of Learning Design and senior lecturer in the Division of Learning and Teaching said the tournament involves problem solving and creative thinking activities appropriate to the students' ages. Dr Wood liaises each year with the Regional Director, Ms Annette Welch, to host the event at CSU.

"Parents, families and children all come to watch them perform in their chosen discipline," Dr Wood said.

"The event has taken place at the University in Bathurst since about 2008, and it is amazing to have so many students and families here on campus making use of the facilities.

"Current Charles Sturt University students will be involved in judging the activities."

The event organisers expect approximately 300 students, parents, families and teachers to attend.

Students will compete to solve problems in four discipline areas: language literature, social sciences, science technology, and engineering mathematics. All the performances will be in the Mansfield Building (building 1411) in various tutorial and lecture rooms. The performances continue throughout the day, with a final presentation at 3.30pm.

"Teams nominate one area and have worked on the solution to the given problem in that area for the last six weeks," Dr Wood said.

"On the day they also compete in a spontaneous problem solution where they have to work together in a limited time to come up with an answer. Their discipline area solution is presented in a 10-minute performance, which they present in a three metre square. All their props, costumes and bits and pieces have to be made by them. The script will have been written by the team, and they will have had no outside support in completing their solution."

Indigenous future students gather at CSU Bathurst

Indigenous students from across regional NSW will get a chance to experience university life first-hand at the Indigenous Access Program (IAP) to be hosted at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst from Monday 28 August to Friday 1 September.

The IAP is an intensive five-day alternative entry program to CSU designed to build confidence in potential future students as part of the University's commitment to providing personalised support to encourage Indigenous students to enrol in CSU courses.

Manager of the Indigenous Student Centre at CSU in Bathurst Mr Nathan Peckham said, "The prospective students undertake a range of assessments to determine their suitability for their chosen course. They have access to course and career advice, meet staff and students, and take campus tours to inspect facilities."

The IAP is only for students intending to study at CSU, and successful completion of this program will provide entry into a range of CSU bachelor courses. Learn more about the Indigenous Access Program here.

Hope, recovery, resilience for beyondblue speaker in Albury

Ms Rebecca Moore has seen her share of mental illness.

She will share her personal journey of hope, recovery and resilience in the face of depression and anxiety as part of the Explorations Series public lecture at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Albury-Wodonga on Tuesday 22 August.

Ms Moore spent most of her career in the airline industry as a flight attendant and is a volunteer speaker for beyondblue, a national organisation that works to raise awareness about anxiety and depression, reduce the associated stigma, and encourage people to seek help.

She became a speaker because she wanted to 'pay it forward' by encouraging others to talk to their friends or doctor if they feel they may have symptoms of depression and anxiety.

In addition to speaking about her own experiences, she will also outline how the audience can seek help, or support a friend or family member who may find themselves in a difficult position.

Ms Moore's interests include running, yoga, reading, going to concerts and music festivals - she is a big fan of Kylie Minogue - and is currently completing study in nutritional medicine. Ms Moore is also a proud mother of two boys, aged three and five.

Ms Moore's free public lecture, titled 'Hope, recovery and resilience', will run from 7pm to 8pm on Tuesday 22 August in the CD Blake Auditorium (room 104), building 751 (car park 2), off Elizabeth Mitchell Drive, Thurgoona.

To attend this free public lecture, and for catering purposes as the lecture is followed by light refreshments, please register for this event.