Innovative new CSU accommodation on schedule

Wednesday, 1 Jan 2003
A massive 80 tonne crane will be used to lift and position prefabricated concrete 'pods' for innovative new accommodation on Charles Sturt University's (CSU) Bathurst Campus. Fifteen semi-trailers will deliver the pods on Tuesday 24 and Wednesday 25 June. Mr Andrew Callander, Executive Director of CSU Division of Student Services, said, “The installation of the concrete pods is a significant first step in providing new and much needed accommodation for our students. Construction is on schedule to date, and, weather permitting, the buildings should be completed in six months.” The pods are formed and cast in concrete with three walls and a roof as one. They are then lifted and locked into place onto concrete foundation pads, with plates holding the top of the pods together. The process should see two pods installed per hour, with the builders expecting to complete two houses with a central shared kitchen and bathroom in three days. The new accommodation at Bathurst will house up to 200 students and is expected to be ready for the start of the 2009 academic year.

World expert to lecture CSU staff

Wednesday, 1 Jan 2003
A visiting world expert will present a seminar on 'communities of practice' for staff and students at the Charles Sturt University (CSU) Bathurst Campus on Monday 7 July. Dr Etienne Wenger, a pioneer and globally-recognized leader on ‘communities of practice’, or a group focussed on a common professional interest, and their application to organisations, will speak about 'Practice-based professional learning: investigating perspectives from social learning theory'. Dr Wenger describes himself as an independent thinker, researcher, consultant, author, and speaker. He is currently working as a consultant at the Open University in the United Kingdom and is author and co-author of articles and books on 'communities of practice' and is a founder of CPsquare, a cross-organizational, cross-sector community of practice on the topic. Professor Joy Higgs, Director of CSU’s Education for Practice Institute, said “Dr Wenger’s work has been adopted in many arenas due to the increasing recognition of the importance of learning and practice communities in many private and public sector workplaces”.

Ten year Chifley Home project ends

Wednesday, 1 Jan 2003
A Charles Sturt University (CSU) lecturer has completed a ten year project to enhance and preserve the Bathurst home of former Labor Prime Minister Ben Chifley. Dr Robin McLachlan, an adjunct senior lecturer in history and cultural heritage studies at the School of Social Sciences and Liberal Studies on the University's Bathurst Campus, said the aim of the project was to create a critical mass of public history ‘products’ in support of the Chifley Home in Bathurst. “This work involved some of my history students, and I led the team of consultants who produced the first ‘product’, a heritage assessment and management plan for the Chifley Home which recommended that Bathurst Regional Council (BRC) purchase the adjoining terrace house for the better conservation of the Chifley Home. BRC now owns that property and has announced that it will be developed as an educational museum and administrative office,” Dr McLachlan said. Another project product is the play A Local Man, co-written by Dr McLachlan and Mr Bob Ellis. The final product was the film documentary The Chifleys of Busby Street – A Community Remembers, which was launched in Bathurst on 25 June.

Speaking for the future

Wednesday, 1 Jan 2003
Improving the reading, listening and speaking skills of primary and pre-school students is the focus for Charles Sturt University (CSU) speech pathology students, working with the NSW Department of Education and Training and Albury Community Health. Collaborating in a project which is now in its fourth year, CSU students are working in public primary schools at Corowa South, Henty, Jindera and North Albury, as well as in the Koori Kindermanna preschool in Albury. CSU lecturer and project coordinator, Dr Ruth Beecham, said the project ”aims to maintain the provision of speech pathology services as well as  educating CSU students. All the projects cost little and are developed in response to the needs of individual teachers and schools. Because we are looking to prevent communication problems from intensifying in children,  the knowledge and resources produced in these projects are given to teachers and are left with the schools for future use”. Final year CSU student Ms Gemma Coughlan, who has been working for the past 10 weeks at Henty Public School, said her project aimed to develop children's literacy skills while instilling a love of reading and learning.

Midwives where they are needed most

Wednesday, 1 Jan 2003
Registered nurses are training to become registered midwives in their local communities and hospitals through a Charles Sturt University (CSU) distance education course which aims to keep midwives in inland Australia. The students will gather at CSU’s Wagga Wagga Campus this week for their bi-annual residential school, where they supplement distance education with face-to-face teaching. Lecturer in nursing and midwifery, Ms Pam Shackleton, says the student midwives remain a valuable asset for the community by working at their local hospitals across Australia while completing the year-long course. “The sixty five nurses who will finish their midwifery training at the end of this year will be warmly welcomed and will go a long way to addressing the Australia-wide shortage of more than 600 midwives,” she said.

Bathurst local new CSU Head of Campus

Wednesday, 1 Jan 2003
Charles Sturt University (CSU) has appointed a new Head of Campus at Bathurst who has strong long-term links with the community and inland NSW through his upbringing, education, work and sport. Mr Col Sharp, who is also Director of the CSU Office of Planning and Audit, said he was honoured by his appointment. “I hope to strengthen the links between CSU and local communities in order to build understanding of CSU’s role in the community and what it has to offer,” Mr Sharp said. “It is important for people to know that CSU is a large and diverse University with campuses in Bathurst, Dubbo, Orange, Wagga Wagga, Albury-Wodonga, Goulburn and Canberra. Its courses are essential for attracting and developing the professionals who will serve our regions. The University’s distance education courses reach students nationally and internationally, and it conducts research into many issues that are critical to Australia’s future. CSU’s success is fundamental to the current economic strength of its campus cities and surrounding districts, and for their long term future.”

Children and families wanted for sibling research

Wednesday, 1 Jan 2003

Research at Charles Sturt University (CSU) will explore the everyday experience of primary school-aged siblings of children with additional needs, particularly at school. Ms Jacqui Barr, a primary school teacher and PhD student in CSU’s School of Teacher Education, said her research aims to give an authentic account of these children’s experiences. “I need to speak with families and children in the Bathurst area who have children in Year 3 or above at primary school and are the sibling of a child with additional needs. The study will involve interviewing the sibling, as well as other significant people in their lives, such as parents, the brother or sister with additional needs, and their teacher. Each participant will be interviewed once, with interviews taking between 15 minutes and 1 hour,” Ms Barr said. The results of the study will be used to inform educators about the significant experiences of siblings of children with additional needs. People interested in participating in the research project should contact Jacqui Barr on (02) 6332 9107 or send an email for more information.

Local meat industry support for CSU students

Wednesday, 1 Jan 2003
Cargill Beef Australia has been praised for its support of the Charles Sturt University (CSU) student team which competed in the 2008 Australian Intercollegiate Meat Judging Competition (IMJC) in Armidale in July. The company provided sponsorship for the team and allowed the CSU students access to its facilities and staff at its abattoir in Wagga Wagga for training. The training in June also included a group of Japanese university students who visited CSU prior to the competition in Armidale. “This IMJC is unique in that it is the only forum in Australia where students from any educational institute have the opportunity to learn the finer points of carcass evaluation from Australia’s experts,” said CSU Professor of Animal Production Peter Wynn. “None of this would have been possible without the sponsorship and unstinting support from Cargill. Junee Abattoir also gave generously of its staff time and facilities for training with lamb carcasses.   The support of local companies to enhance the practical skills of CSU students across the spectrum is invaluable,” said Professor Wynn.

New CSU vet science building praised

Wednesday, 1 Jan 2003

The new $9 million Veterinary Clinical Centre at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Wagga Wagga has received a major design award shortly before its opening by the federal Minister for Home Affairs, the Hon. Bob Debus, in July. At the Australian Steel Institute Awards, Merit Architects, Wood & Grieve Engineers, Joss Construction and Southern Centre Engineering were awarded a High Commendation for the striking architectural steel design of the new building. Inside the building is the latest in surgical and medical facilities for large and small animals as well as a reproduction unit. With fourth year veterinary science students the first to benefit from the new facilities, the Centre is under the direction of Associate Professor Bryan Hilbert. He is supported by clinicians experienced in surgery, anaesthesia, radiography and reproduction. At the recent opening, Mr Debus told more than 180 guests that the veterinary science program at CSU is “serving the national purpose”.

CSU surfer rips at uni championship

Wednesday, 1 Jan 2003
Charles Sturt University (CSU) may be the University of Inland Australia but that hasn’t stopped one of its students excelling at the recent Australian University Surfing Championships held at Narrow Neck on Queensland’s Gold Coast from Monday 7 to Wednesday 9 July. Ms Lisa Matuzelis, a ‘natural’ stance surfer (ie left foot forward) from Wollongong who is studying for a Master of Applied Science (Library & Information Management) by distance education, won a gold medal in the women’s body board event and a silver medal in the women’s short board (stand-up) event. The contest was held in excellent conditions with a solid three foot swell and good banks which offered both left and right hand breaks. “The competition was good and very close, and I am happy with my outcome, which was better than I expected,” Ms Matuzelis said. “I have enjoyed studying with CSU, and although at times it can be a little challenging studying by distance education, it does seem to get easier each year. The best part of being a distance education student is that I can still live near the coast and complete a degree from a university that is far from any beach.”