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New printing press for CSU

A new state-of the-art 25 tonne five-colour printing press will arrive on trucks and be installed by heavy-lift cranes at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst on Tuesday 6 March.

Chief Financial Officer in the CSU Division of Finance Mr Paul Dowler said, "Despite there being a general decline in the need for printed material, there is still a requirement for this technology. The University has assessed this as being both worthwhile for its needs, and it will also allow the University to service regional clients for printing work on a competitive basis."

CSU Print production coordinator Mr Alex Ward said the purchase of the fully-refurbished five-colour Ryobi 685 printing press gives CSU Print the capacity to handle all the University's printing in-house.

"This will be one of only two five-colour printing presses in the NSW central west, so it will also make CSU Print a very competitive player in the commercial market in the region," Mr Ward said.

"The printing press has come from Singapore by ship and arrived in Sydney last week. Delivery and installation is due to commence at approximately 8am on Tuesday 7 March.

"A Sydney-based transport company is organising the delivery using two semi-trailers as the total weight of the machine 25 tonnes and it's about 13 metres long."

The full installation of the printing press should take three to five days to complete, followed by operational training for staff.

The types of material printed for the University by CSU Print includes booklets, brochures, posters, exam papers, campus maps, orientation material for new students, graduation programs, the certificates presented to graduates at graduation ceremonies, banners, signage, and book printing and binding for local self-publishers.

Blood flows at CSU to save lives

Staff and students at Charles Sturt University (CSU) are doing their bit to help save Australian lives through blood donations.

The annual Intercampus Blood Challenge is being held over the next four months and blood donations made by staff and students will be tallied.

There's fierce competition amongst the campuses for the two award categories: the most total donations; and the highest percentage of donations.

CSU in Port Macquarie has taken out the Challenge's highest percentage category for the past two years. CSU in Bathurst won the highest total donations in 2016.

The University is also supporting the Australian Red Cross Blood Service's latest group donation campaign, known as Red25, with a large number of new students registering interest in donating blood during orientation week.

In the 2016 Red25 program, staff and students at CSU in Albury-Wodonga won the Most Plasma Donations (Education) category and took second place in the Most Lives Saved category. A total of 183 donations were made, saving more than 450 lives.

At CSU in Wagga Wagga, the student club, the Pharmers Society won both the Most Number of Plasma Donations (Education) for 2016 and took out third place in Most Lives Saved category. The pharmacy students were responsible for 118 blood donations, saving 354 Australian lives.

To donate blood, call 13 14 95 or visit the website to make an appointment.

Literary moves in Wagga Wagga

A Charles Sturt University (CSU) academic is a member of this year's Australian Literary Society (ALS) Gold Medal judging panel.

Adjunct senior lecturer in the CSU School of Humanities and Social Sciences in Wagga Wagga Mr David Gilbey (pictured) said he was delighted to have been invited onto the panel to confer this year's ALS Gold Medal for Australian Literature.

The panel's convenor is Dr Bill Ashcroft (UNSW), who has written widely on post-colonial literature and the Sacred. Other members of the 2017 ALS judging panel are Dr Bernadette Brennan (formerly of Sydney University) who has written on Brian Castro and Helen Garner; and poet and CSU academic Mr David Gilbey.

The ALS Gold Medal is awarded under the patronage of the Association for the Study of Australian Literature (ASAL) which exists to promote the study, discussion and creation of Australian writing. Many significant Australian authors have won the ALS Gold Medal including Patrick White, AD Hope, and Mary Gilmore.

"I have been impressed with the variety, depth and imaginative complexity of the 45 books in a range of genres that were nominated for the 2017 award," Mr Gilbey said.

In other news, a new writer-in-residence at Booranga Writers' Centre at CSU in Wagga Wagga has been announced.

Mr Gilbey said, "I'm also delighted that author, Rajith Savanadasa, is the first writer-in-residence at the Booranga Writers' Centre in Wagga Wagga for 2017. I think his book Ruins is a brilliant first novel. Ruins is set in Colombo and I thought the background political struggles in Sri Lanka and some of the tensions between Buddhism and Hinduism were worked into the language of the novel convincingly. I loved the novel's narrative subtlety."

Truffles and other fungi explained at CSU Explorations lecture

A leading expert will discuss truffles and fungi at the first Explorations Series public lecture for 2017 at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Orange on Thursday 9 March.

Ecologist and environmental photographer Ms Alison Pouliot will speak on the significance of fungi in an address titled 'Between sex and death – Unearthing Australia's charismatic fungi'.

Head of Campus at CSU in Orange Dr Heather Robinson said Ms Pouliot lives and works in Australia and Europe, and her special interest are lesser known lifeforms, particularly fungi and 'the spineless'.

"The lecture title derives from one truffle forager's description of the smell of the prized Périgord truffle from Europe," Dr Robinson said. "Ms Pouliot will explain that while this particular fungus is highly prized for culinary use, it doesn't occur naturally in Australia. It requires environmental modifications to flourish here despite Australia having a vast number of native truffles, and far more than Europe."

Ms Pouliot says it's little known and underappreciated that nearly every eucalypt tree lives in association with native truffles.

Her lecture will examine why biodiversity protocols rarely consider fungi as worthy of conservation despite their nutritional and potential economic value.

The free public lecture starts at 6pm Thursday 9 March in room 120, building 1004 at CSU, Leeds Parade, Orange.

CUP grants available for Orange region in 2017

Two categories of Charles Sturt University (CSU) Community-University Partnership (CUP) grants in 2017 opened for applications on Monday 27 February.

Head of Campus at CSU in Orange, Dr Heather Robinson, said, "A range of organisations that enrich our regional communities benefit from the practical support of the CUP grants.

"The CUP grants contribute to cultural, economic, sporting and related activities that support the development of our regions, which in turn promotes awareness particularly among young people in rural and regional communities and fosters their aspiration for higher education.

"I encourage the representatives of relevant and interested groups to consider applying, and I look forward to receiving their applications."

The 2017 CUP grant categories available from Monday 27 February are CUP Head of Campus Small Grants Program, and CUP Rural and Regional Arts and Culture Program. Subsequently, the CUP Rural and Regional Education Development Program opens on Monday 3 April; the CUP Rural and Regional Indigenous Community Engagement Program opens on Monday 1 May; and the CUP Rural and Regional Sports Development Program has two opening dates – 'Summer' on Monday 1 May, and 'Winter' on 4 September.

2017 CSU CUP grants available for Bathurst region

Charles Sturt University (CSU) is calling for applications for its Community-University Partnership (CUP) grants for 2017 in two categories which are available from Monday 27 February.

CSU Vice-Chancellor Professor Andrew Vann highlighted the CUP grants in a video address.

Head of Campus at CSU in Bathurst, Associate Professor Chika Anyanwu, said, "The CUP grants are a practical expression of the University's support for and contribution to a range of organisations that enrich our regional communities.

"The goal of the program is to support the development of our regions through contributions to cultural, economic, sporting and related activities and build higher education aspiration and awareness particularly among young people in rural and regional communities.

"I encourage all relevant and interested groups to consider applying and submit an application."

The 2017 CUP grant categories available from Monday 27 February are CUP Head of Campus Small Grants Program, and CUP Rural and Regional Arts and Culture Program. Subsequently, the CUP Rural and Regional Education Development Program opens on Monday 3 April; the CUP Rural and Regional Indigenous Community Engagement Program opens on Monday 1 May; and the CUP Rural and Regional Sports Development Program has two opening dates – 'Summer' on Monday 1 May, and 'Winter' on 4 September.

CUP grant to cathedral restoration in Bathurst

Charles Sturt University (CSU) has made a $4 000 Community-University Partnership (CUP) grant to the Cathedral of St Michael and St John Restoration Committee in Bathurst.

Head of Campus at CSU in Bathurst, Associate Professor Chika Anyanwu, said, "The preservation of our regional cultural and historical heritage is part of our Community-University Partnership goals.

"We are proud to make a little contribution towards the restoration of the Cathedral, which is the second oldest Catholic Cathedral in continuous use in Australia.

"On another level, the participation of CSU Engineering students on the project is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to participate in a project which teaches them how to work around engineering challenges, which by the nature of its heritage status, demands solutions around complex problems with limited flexibility."

Chairman of the Cathedral of St Michael and St John Restoration Project Committee, Mr Phil Burgett, said the CUP grant is a tangible sign of the University's desire to be involved in the restoration of the Cathedral and its commitment to the city of Bathurst.

"The CSU CUP Community Grants Programme grant provides a valuable and timely contribution to the costs associated with landscaping works and proposed changes to the interior of the Cathedral to solve the factors contributing to the deterioration of the building," he said.

In 2016 the Cathedral of St Michael and St John Restoration Committee developed concept plans for the next major phases of the restoration project.

This included a series of consultation meetings with parishioners and stakeholder groups, to brief them on the plans and formally survey the level of satisfaction in their observations and feedback.

The outcomes included a high level of engagement and satisfaction with the proposals and provided valuable ideas for further refinement.

Mr Burgett said the association with the University through the CUP grants program has fostered an exciting dialogue with CSU's Engineering program.

"This will hopefully see Charles Sturt University student engineers undertaking project work on the Cathedral as a component of their studies to provide innovative design and construction solutions to the challenges of restoring the Cathedral," Mr Burgett said.

"This aims to advance a practical and constructive relationship between the University and the Catholic Diocese of Bathurst."

Applications for CUP rural and regional arts grants and the Head of Campus small grants opens on Monday 27 February. Further information about CUP is available here.

Launch of CSU funding program in Wagga Wagga

Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Wagga Wagga will launch its Community University Partnerships (CUP) program on Friday 24 February with thousands of dollars available to support local organisations and groups.

CSU Director of Government and Community Relations Mr Peter Fraser said the CUP grants are an example of how the University is fostering the development of vibrant regional communities.

"This year's CUP program will support Indigenous, arts, educational and sporting activities in regional NSW through direct grants from Charles Sturt University totalling $100 000," Mr Fraser said.

"We want young people in the Riverina to aspire to higher education and to be aware of the opportunities in their own local region.

"Charles Sturt University is proud to be able to support projects that can make a real difference in our community and we've seen in the past that some of these small projects grow to have far-reaching effects."

In 2016, CSU provided 103 CUP grants across all its regions.

In the Riverina projects included the creation of a dry riverbed garden at a pre-school, providing uniforms and training for a rugby league group and new equipment for schools.

CUP funding applications for the Arts opens on Monday 27 February. Further information about CUP is available here.

CSU Dubbo hosts CUP grant morning tea

Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Dubbo will host a morning tea on Friday 24 February to launch the CSU Community-University Partnership (CUP) grants for 2017 and hear from three organisations that received grants last year.

Head of Campus at CSU in Dubbo Ms Cathy Maginnis said the University distributed eight $1 000 grants to organisations in Dubbo and the region in 2016.

Applications for grants in two categories in 2017 open on Monday 27 February, with other categories opening later in the year.

"We've invited the successful 2016 recipients back and have asked them to give a two-minute presentation describing their projects," Ms Maginnis said.

"It's always wonderful to hear about how the organisations advance their projects and to know that Charles Sturt University is contributing to the practical advancement of organisations and endeavours within the city and the wider region. I look forward to meeting and speaking with the representatives of these groups."

The organisations include Marathon Health / Headspace Dubbo, and Wee Waa High School, both awarded CUP grants under the Rural and Regional Arts and Culture Development Program, and

Dubbo and District Pre-school, which was awarded a grant under the Rural and Regional Education Development Program.

The Administrator of Dubbo Regional Council, Mr Michael Kneipp, and Council's Director of Community Services, Mr David Dwyer, will also attend the morning tea.

The morning tea is at 10.30am Friday 24 February in the Multipurpose Hall (building 920) at CSU, Tony McGrane Place, Dubbo.

Other groups to receive CSU CUP grants in 2016 include the Dubbo Koori Interagency Network; Peak Hill Preschool Kindergarten; Condobolin High School; Condobolin Preschool; and PCYC Dubbo.

The 2017 CUP grant categories opening on Monday 27 February are CUP Head of Campus Small Grants Program, and CUP Rural and Regional Arts and Culture Program.

Subsequently, the CUP Rural and Regional Education Development Program opens on Monday 3 April; the CUP Rural and Regional Indigenous Community Engagement Program opens on Monday 1 May; and the CUP Rural and Regional Sports Development Program has two opening dates – 'Summer' on Monday 1 May, and 'Winter' on 4 September.

Celebrate and relax during O Week in Albury-Wodonga

Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Albury-Wodonga will welcome more than new 400 students next week with a range of academic and social activities to help them settle into life at CSU.

Orientation Week will kick off from Monday 20 February with some courses providing a 'laid back' start for new students. These include Olympic-style activities between 11am and 1pm for new students in the School of Environmental Sciences at the Albury Wodonga Yacht Club, off Old Weir Road, near Kangaroo Point on Lake Hume.

Tuesday, 21 February is a big day in Albury-Wodonga, starting with pomp and circumstance, complete with a procession of staff in academic gowns, during two official Commencement Ceremonies in the University's CD Blake Theatre, starting at 10am and 11am.

During and after the Commencement Ceremonies, a colourful Market Day runs from 10.30am to 2pm on Tuesday 21 February, under the gum trees near the Teaching and Learning Hub.

Other O Week highlights include academic sessions, library and laboratory tours, along with social events such as BBQs, quizzes and live music. 

This year, O Week student leaders will stand out as they are dressed in pink to help raise awareness of and money for the McGrath Foundation.

Students will move into their accommodation at CSU in Albury-Wodonga from 12.30pm on Saturday 18 February.

Classes for all new and continuing students start on campus from Monday 27 February.

Across the University more than 8 700 students will begin studying at CSU in 2017, 2 800 of those on-campus and nearly 6 000 through CSU online.