Archive
CSU CUP grants to Mid North Coast organisations
Wednesday, 29 Oct 2014
Grants totalling $13 250 have been made by Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Port Macquarie to ten organisations in the Mid North Coast region. Professor Ross Chambers, the Head of Campus at CSU in Port Macquarie, said the Community-University Partnership (CUP) grants support a range of schools and community-based groups. "The University is proud to provide these grants to assist schools, sport and cultural groups to conduct activities that benefit their students and members," Professor Chambers said. "The CUP program supports Charles Sturt University's engagement with its communities, and has been enthusiastically supported on the Mid North Coast. The program demonstrates the wide range of ways in which a university in a regional setting is able to work with and add value to its community." The grants were made under three distinct CSU CUP programs; the Rural and Regional Schools Development Program, the Rural and Regional Arts and Culture Program, and the Rural and Regional Sports Development Program. Learn more about the CSU CUP here.
IT students design and race robots
Friday, 24 Oct 2014
Charles Sturt University (CSU) information technology (IT) students have designed and constructed robots to compete in a unique race. The race was staged on Tuesday 7 October in the Mining Research Lab at the CSU School of Computing and Mathematics in Bathurst around a track layout similar to the Mount Panorama motor racing circuit. Researcher and PhD candidate Mr Allen Benter said, "The robotic cars were programmed to respond to sensor input and make autonomous decisions to navigate around the track and avoid obstacles such as other cars, without any driver control. The prize for the winning team was a visit to V8 Supercars motor racing legend Dick Johnson Racing at the Pits at Mount Panorama on Thursday 9 October prior to the 2014 Great Race. There they learned how modern race cars collect data and how that data is analysed to improve driver and vehicle performance." The School of Computing and Mathematics would like to thank the sponsors for assisting with the running of the competition this year: XMOS Semiconductor (UK), Dick Johnson Racing Team, and LEGO Australia. For more information please contact Mr Allen Benter at the School of Computing and Mathematics on (02) 6338 4225 or 0425 399 468.
Sustainable Living Week for Albury-Wodonga
Thursday, 23 Oct 2014
Sustainable living is the focus for a week-long event sponsored by Charles Sturt University's (CSU) Regional Centre of Expertise in Education for Sustainable Development for the Murray Darling Basin (RCE-MD) starting Sunday 26 October. Activities commence with public tours of CSU's award winning environmentally friendly buildings at its Albury-Wodonga campus, off Elizabeth Mitchell Drive, Thurgoona, commencing at 3 pm. "Host of the ABC's Gardening Australia show, Costa Georgiadis, will be at various events for adults and children during the week to encourage the people of Albury and Wodonga to support sustainable living in our region," said RCE coordinator, Dr John Rafferty. RCE-MD staff will also present displays on solar power and saving water from its mobile learning centre at the Sustainable Solutions fair in QEII Square, Dean Street, Albury at 10 am on Monday 27 October, and at Eco-Living @ the Cube, Hovell Street, Wodonga, at 10 am on Wednesday 29 October. Dr Rafferty will also host Sustainability at the Pub at Paddy's Hotel, Kiewa Street, Albury, starting at 7 pm on Wednesday 29 October, to look at local renewable energy projects and how local residents can become part of community-owned power.
MoU signed for higher education in Griffith
Thursday, 23 Oct 2014
The
future for higher education in Griffith and the western Riverina is positive
with the renewal of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Griffith City
Council, TAFE NSW Riverina Institute and Charles Sturt University (CSU) on
Friday 24 October. The
MoU aims for the three organisations to continue to actively support and
develop higher education opportunities for the communities of Griffith and the
western Riverina. The
key aim of the project is to provide a flexible and innovative education model
for higher education in the region through the Regional University Study Centre
which is part of the Griffith Campus of Riverina Institute. The
three organisations have been working together formally since 2007 when they
signed the inaugural Memorandum of Understanding and agreed to work together as
part of the Western Riverina Higher Education Project. CSU
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration), Professor Ken Dillon said, "This model
has proved successful in bringing higher education to rural areas, particularly
in Griffith. "There are two important aspects of the study
centre model – the support we provide to distance education students,
particularly as we are the largest university provider of distance education in
Australia, and also the opportunity to provide a smooth pathway for our TAFE
students who account for one third of Charles Sturt University students."
Celebrating 30 years of service
Wednesday, 22 Oct 2014
Two Charles Sturt University (CSU) staff members
have reached a significant milestone in their work careers: they have both
worked for CSU 30 years or more. Mr Ian Hume and Mr Laurence Till will be
joined by seven other staff from the University's Albury-Wodonga campus who
have worked with CSU for 20 years in a celebration of loyal service and
commitment to the University and the Albury-Wodonga community. Head of CSU in
Albury-Wodonga Professor Julia Coyle said such displays of loyal service are
rare in these days of ever-changing career paths and mobile populations. "All
staff being recognised in this ceremony have provided individual contributions
that have been key to the success of the University's Albury-Wodonga campus,
both in central Albury and when we moved to Thurgoona," said Professor Coyle.
Professor Coyle will present medals to the nine staff in recognition of
outstanding and loyal services to the CSU community at 10.30am on Monday 27
October in the Board Room, Gordon Beavan building, CSU in Albury-Wodonga.
Keeping our history: CSU public lecture in Bathurst
Tuesday, 21 Oct 2014A free Charles Sturt University (CSU) Explorations series public lecture will explore the science of cultural heritage in Bathurst on Tuesday 28 October. CSU Faculty of Science Executive Dean Professor Tim Wess , will present the lecture. Professor Wess has a background in biophysics and international research in historical and archaeological artefacts, including the change in molecular structure of the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Domesday Book. He says the documents, objects, artwork and remnants of everyday life that have defined our society and culture are at risk of being lost due to the continual molecular changes that occur with ageing. "The study of these changes, and what we can and need to do to protect our future, form the basis of cultural heritage science," Professor Wess said. "This discipline also can tell us more about the provenance, history, and origin of artefacts that goes beyond the surface and visual information from objects such as paintings, sculptures and manuscripts. In the lecture I will describe the new and exciting techniques, projects and challenges of understanding the changes that pose a threat to keeping our history, and how information can be retrieved from documents which were thought to be lost to the ravages of time."
Young public speakers wow CSU audience
Wednesday, 15 Oct 2014
Six pupils from Bathurst South Public School impressed a large audience of teacher education students and lecturers with three-minute public speeches at Charles Sturt University (CSU) on Monday 13 October. Dr Lena Danaia, lecturer at the CSU School of Teacher Education in Bathurst, said, "The event was the culmination for first-year teacher education students of the transition to university program which covers topics such as academic literacy, numeracy, referencing, and so on. "The Bathurst South Public School students from Years 4, 5 and 6 were finalists in a recent school public speaking event, so we asked them to deliver their speeches to our students who have been working on their own public speaking skills. We thought it would be good for our students to see what primary students are capable of, given they will be teaching them in a few years. "The primary school public speakers were all outstanding and each delivered confident, humorous and entertaining talks on topics that included 'Cleaning my room' and 'Why my mother should do more work'." At the conclusion of the event the Head of the School of Teacher Education, Professor Tara Brabazon, presented gifts to the primary school students and program completion certificates to the CSU students.
Historic teaching resources archive at CSU
Tuesday, 14 Oct 2014
An archive of historic teaching resources from Bathurst Teachers College (BTC) will be celebrated at a special ceremony at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst on Thursday 23 October. Associate Professor Jane Mitchell, from the CSU School of Teacher Education in Bathurst, said, "The Memorabilia Cabinet has been established to honour the work of staff and students of the Bathurst Teachers' College. The cabinet provides a permanent record of teacher education in the 1950s and 1960s in Bathurst, and contains a rich and varied trove of teaching resources created by teaching staff and students, dating from the early 1950s." Professor Mitchell will open the proceedings before an address about BTC and CSU by Head of Campus at CSU in Bathurst, Mr Col Sharp. The Executive Dean of the Faculty of Education, Professor Toni Downes, will officially 'launch' the cabinet, followed by a response by Mr Wayne Bensley, President of the Bathurst Teachers' College Alumni Association. The launch of the Memorabilia Cabinet will be at 12pm Thursday 23 October in the foyer of the Heffron Building (building 1430) on Wiradjuri Road at CSU in Bathurst. All associated with Bathurst Teachers' College are welcome to attend.
Joy of NSW international student award
Thursday, 9 Oct 2014
Relive
the excitement of a Charles Sturt University (CSU) student Ms Saba Nabi taking
out the 2014
NSW International Student Award. A new
video has been posted online by StudyNSW. The video captures the build-up
to the Awards ceremony at the Opera House in Sydney last month and the naming
of Ms Nabi as the winner of the state-wide competition. CSU Vice-Chancellor
Andrew Vann is among those in the video to praise Ms Nabi who moved from New
Delhi in India to CSU in Wagga Wagga in 2011 to undertake a PhD. She used her
acceptance speech to urge other international students to study in regional
Australia. Ms Nabi is in the School of Biomedical Sciences at CSU in Wagga
Wagga. You can view the StudyNSW video here.
‘Lost and Found’ exhibition launch in Bathurst
Wednesday, 8 Oct 2014A Charles Sturt University (CSU) student's exhibition of art works by Bathurst residents and others affected in some way by adoption will be launched in the foyer of Bathurst Base Hospital on Thursday 9 October. The community exhibition 'Lost and Found – the art of adoption' forms part of a Bachelor of Communication (Theatre and Media) (Honours) research project by Ms Alesha Elbourne, a student in the CSU School of Communication and Creative Industries in Bathurst. Ms Elbourne has researched the use of art-based methods to explore stories, experiences and issues concerning people affected by adoption. "This participatory art project has provided an opportunity to give voice to the stories, experiences and issues of people who are affected by adoption," Ms Elbourne said. "It was not necessary for the participants to be artists, just people who identified as being affected by adoption in some way. The artworks have a beautifully personalised quality, having been handmade and written using eco art or recycled materials." The exhibition features artworks from both local and nationally-based participant artists via online correspondence, and includes a patchwork-style map of artworks and photographs of artworks including masks, sculpture, letters, postcards etc, and there will also be a handmade magazine featuring stories and artworks by 12 local artist-participants on the topic of adoption.