Registrations are now open to attend the third Education for Sustainability Conference: connecting classrooms and communities, which will be held at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst on Friday 29 October. Conference organiser, Ms Jan Page, a lecturer at the School of Teacher Education at CSU in Bathurst said, “This environmental education conference is jointly organised with the Bathurst Community Climate Action Network for teachers across all sectors, parents and other members of the community who are interested in action, through school or community programs or through individual households, to address the growing impacts of global warming and climate change, peak oil and food security”. The conference costs $30 for teachers and community members and $20 for students. For more information or to register please contact Ms Page on 02 6338 4367 or send an email.

Exposing young school students to important health and safety messages is the focus of a cooperative effort between Charles Sturt University (CSU) and West Albury Primary School at the annual Health and Safety Education Expo. Around 50 students enrolled in CSU’s early childhood education degree will present hands-on learning experiences and displays to 70 children between kindergarten and Year 2, who will practise contacting emergency services, discover the number of germs on their hands using 'magic' gel, crawl through tunnels to escape an imaginary fire and observe the sun safe message, ‘slip, slop, slap’. " The Charles Sturt University students researched their topics with the help of local community professionals and prepared interactive experiences for the young school children. The Health and Safety Education Expo emphasises the importance of giving young children support to promote their own wellbeing from a very young age," said early childhood education lecturer, Ms Angela Fenton, from the Murray School of Education at CSU in Albury-Wodonga. West Albury Public School will host the Health and Safety Education Expo between 9.30am and 11.30am on Monday 20 September.

 

According to Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) School of Communication and Creative Industries lecturer Dr Bruce Fell, the world’s television stations have a large part to play in lowering carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere. A compelling free public lecture to be held on Wednesday 22 September will look at how everyday television influences our individual and community understanding of the world. According to atmospheric scientists, the 39 000 television stations across the globe have 350 reasons to care about global ecological sustainability. “The safe upper limit for carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is 350 parts per million (ppm), but the June 2010 measurement was 392.04ppm,” Dr Bruce Fell said. “Television can assist with the ecological debate surrounding global warming and climate change.”

Internationally acclaimed wetland ecologist, Adjunct Professor David Mitchell, from Charles Sturt University (CSU) will deliver a free public lecture from 6pm in Tumut on Wednesday 15 September entitled Water, Drought and Climate Change. He will discuss developments in the management of water in Australian landscapes. “Concern is currently growing within Australia about the possibility of profound changes in climatic conditions and their potential to undermine many of the strategies that have been developed to sustain necessary agricultural production,” Professor Mitchell said. Professor Mitchell is from the CSU School of Environmental Sciences in Albury-Wodonga and is Principal Researcher at the University’s Institute of Land, Water and Society.

Anyone thinking that the Sydney Fringe Festival is being taken over by regional university graduates wouldn’t be far from the truth with 10 productions in the program featuring theatre/media graduates from Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst. Couple CSU’s talented graduates with a multidisciplinary cultural showcase and the Sydney Fringe Festival can live up to its promise, offering the thrill of discovery and the opportunity to experience independent new works that are tangible and authentic. Theatre/media graduates are demonstrating their eclectic talents as actors, writers, directors and producers at this festival. “Charles Sturt University graduates thrive in this kind of environment,” says School of Communication and Creative Industries senior lecturer Dr Jerry Boland. “The Sydney Fringe Festival is continually growing and it’s fantastic that our past and present students can contribute to its success.” The Sydney Fringe Festival runs from Friday10 to Friday 24 September.

One of Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) newest buildings has been named a winner at a regional construction awards ceremony. At the Master Builders Association’s southern-central regions of NSW construction awards, building contractors Burton Constructions received the award for its work on the Kay Hull Veterinary Teaching Hospital at CSU in Wagga Wagga. On Friday 16 July, the building took out the category of Best Commercial Project $2-3 million. The hospital complex opened in April 2010 as a clinical training facility for students in the three final years of their six-year Bachelor of Veterinary Science degree at CSU. The judges noted “…the good use of materials, the integration of the hospital with accommodation quarters and the use of the latest technology to provide a functional and low maintenance building”. Read more about the Kay Hull Veterinary Teaching Hospital here.

A team of seven physiotherapy, nursing and paramedic students from Charles Sturt University (CSU) will repeat last year’s medical assistance to mountain bike riders in the Tour de Timor race around Timor Leste. CSU physiotherapy lecturer Mr Tim Retchford will this year lead the students in their provision of medical support for the mountainous race. “Last year we treated up to 60 patients a day for everything from knee and back strains to dislocations, abrasions and fractures,” Mr Retchford said. “We dine with the competitors each morning, travel ahead of them to the finish to set up our mobile clinic, and help ‘patch them up’ at the end of leg so the riders can get back into the race the next day. Our students gain invaluable professional experience treating injured athletes as well as witnessing this amazing country and bicycle race up close. It is a fantastic experience.”  The Tour de Timor starts in the capital Dili on Monday 13 September and finishes back in Dili on Friday 17 September. The Tour de Timor is 410 km.

How will climate change affect social change? This question will be explored in a free public lecture at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Dubbo on Wednesday 15 September. Dr Bruce Fell, lecturer in the School of Communication and Creative Industries at CSU in Bathurst, will examine the implications of climate change in his presentation titled Climate change means social change: How film, television and the Internet can help, from 6pm in room 422. He says, “The literature on global ecological degradation is substantial, but the reasons western society is having difficulty coming to terms with the issue is less understood. Understanding the relationship between humans, ecological awareness and ‘the screen’, particularly television, is more central to our personal and community well-being than is currently given credit”.

 

During its fifth anniversary, the EH Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation - a collaborative alliance between Charles Sturt University (CSU) and Industry & Investment NSW - will launch its new field site in Wagga Wagga. The 13 hectare field site will be launched from 9am on Wednesday 8 September. The NSW Natural Resources Commissioner, adjunct Professor at CSU, John Williams, will address the field site launch from 9.15am on Optimising food productivity and environmental protection. A program for the launch of the new field site can be found on the EH Graham Centre site. 

A ceremony to be held at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Wagga Wagga tomorrow Wednesday 8 September will mark the lengthy contributions made by numerous staff to the development of the institution for the past three decades. A lunch hosted by Head of Campus in Wagga Wagga Mr Adrian Lindner will be held at CSU in Wagga Wagga to honour 10 staff who have worked for CSU and its predecessor institutions for 20 or 30 years. Lecturer with the School of Dentistry and Health Sciences  Mr Warren Lusby and document production officer with the Division of Learning and Teaching Services Ms Lynda Lawrence will be recognised for 30 years of service at this ceremony. A second ceremony will be held for a further nine staff on Tuesday 21 September. Those receiving the 30 year honour at this event include Ms Cheryl Honey, contracts officer with the Division of Facilities Management, senior lecturer with the School of Information Studies Mr Roy Sanders and production officer Mr John Jones from the School of Communication and Creative Industries.