Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst is the venue for the annual FACTS Day (Facts About Careers and Tertiary Study) for Year 12 students across the central west on Thursday 24 May. FACTS Day is organised by the Central West Careers Advisers Association to assist students explore their future career and employment opportunities. Prospective Student Adviser at CSU, Ms Fran Dwyer, said, “Approximately 120 representatives from more than 60 career and employer organisations, including universities, private providers, TAFE, Centrelink, police, and other government agencies, will provide information to about 1 000 Year 12 students from schools in Bathurst, Lithgow, Kandos, Oberon, Blayney, Cowra, Orange, Molong and Wellington. As in the past, FACTS Day provides regional final-year high school students the opportunity to speak with a range of educational providers, and hear a motivational speaker. It is also an opportunity for students to experience Charles Sturt University by attending the campus, which some schools will tour.”

Charles Sturt University (CSU) staff and students are being encouraged to express on film their ideas for environmental sustainability. The Eco Literacy Film Festival aims to showcase short, three-minute films exploring how the University can reduce its environmental footprint in areas of biodiversity, energy and transport, waste water and pollution, and food and produce. Festival Co-ordinator, Ms Natasha Hard said a total of $6 000 in prizes is on offer and the films will be shown in an online and on campus film festival later in the year. “Anyone who has a phone can make a film and make a difference,” she said. “By celebrating some of the great things being done and highlighting new opportunities, we hope to support interest and action in the area of sustainability across Charles Sturt University.” The festival is funded by a grant from CSU Green. Entries close at 11.59pm on Friday 6 July. Read more about the Eco Literacy Film Festival here.

The findings of recent research showing university students are confused about plagiarism and their institution’s policy on it, will be presented at a seminar for staff and students at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst on Wednesday 30 May. Ms Judith Gullifer, a lecturer and researcher at the CSU School of Psychology  in Bathurst, says, “Research has established the term plagiarism is open to a wide range of interpretations resulting in confusion among students and staff alike. The research reported in this seminar looks only at the students’ understanding of the institution’s policy on academic integrity. The data confirmed the findings from a previous study, showing that confusion exists regarding what behaviours constitute plagiarism. The implications of these findings will be discussed in the context that psychological theory and research suggests a thorough understanding of an individual’s perception of an issue or problem is essential for successful change of that person’s attitudes and behaviours.”

To understand what it is like to be a person with a disability is the aim of a course at Charles Sturt University (CSU) where four people with disabilities act as tutors for CSU students in the third year of their speech pathology degrees. As part of the 2012 program, groups of students will present the life story of their tutor in a creative performance for the tutors, their families and other CSU students, to be held in the Gums Café at CSU in Albury-Wodonga on Thursday 31 May starting at 10.15am. Program coordinator and occupational therapy lecturer, Dr Ruth Beecham, said the presentations will use imagination as well as media such as theatre, cinema, and pictures or literary expression. “We want our students to totally focus on their future clients, and what their clients want from them. Teaching students to listen carefully and respond creatively is a great way of developing these skills,” Dr Beecham said. “We need to see problems from a number of perspectives, instead of rushing headlong into ‘solutions’, and take time to explore issues.”

MyDay at Charles Sturt University in Orange, to be held on Monday 4 June, has attracted high school students from Sydney, Canberra, and north and south coast regions all keen to experience life as a health sciences student. Highlighting courses in dentistry, physiotherapy, clinical science and pharmacy, the day introduces students to the campus known as the health hub of the University. Students will gain hands-on experience in the health clinics, meet with academics and tertiary students and tour the campus. MyDay offers high school students the unique opportunity to experience a day in the life of a university student and provides key information on support available to make their goals achievable. On the same day an Agriculture HSC enrichment day will be held for those studying agriculture in the HSC.

The 2012 Higher School Certificate (HSC) Seminar Day for Year 12 students from high schools across the NSW central west will be held at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst on Tuesday 19 June. Ms Kerry Browning, manager of the CSU Contact Centre which provides information and advice to prospective students, said organisers estimate about 300 students will attend the day to gain information relevant to their HSC exams. “The students will attend separate seminars and lectures on a variety of HSC topics provided by experienced HSC teachers, and the day will provide a positive experience of life at university,” Ms Browning said. The HSC Study Day is an initiative of secondary teachers with the NSW Department of Education and Communities in the region, and is sponsored by CSU. Coordinators for the event are Denison College Head Teachers Mr Jim Browning (Bathurst High Campus) and Ms Wendy Murphy (Kelso High Campus).

Emeritus Professor John Dwyer, AO, will deliver a public lecture at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst on Wednesday 5 September in support of the University’s bid to establish a new rural medical school to boost the supply of ‘doctors for the bush’. Professor Dwyer is the founder of the Australian Health Care Reform, and has been working with CSU to establish a medical school in regional areas. He has championed the resurgence of clinician governance in Australia, is involved in efforts to create structural reform within the Australian health care delivery system, and is adamant that health outcomes for rural Australians are just not acceptable in such a wealthy nation. The Head of Campus at CSU in Bathurst, Mr Col Sharp, will host the free public lecture and says, “Bathurst Campus is delighted to host this presentation by Professor Dwyer – a national leader in health care provision, who speaks with authority on health care outcomes for rural Australians. This is a chance for the Bathurst community to hear first hand about the state of rural health care and what needs to be done - from someone who really knows. I urge everyone with an interest in this issue to attend to hear Professor Dwyer and to have their questions answered.” The public lecture will be at 6pm on Wednesday 5 September at the James Hardie Room, Centre for Professional Development at CSU in Bathurst. Refreshments will be served. RSVP by Friday 31 August to Ms Julie Brabham on (02) 6338 4645 or send an email. 

Enthusiastic robotics students from eight primary and secondary schools across the region will marshal their talents at the 2012 Central West RoboCup Junior Challenge when the annual robotics competition returns to Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst on Thursday 14 June. Mr Allen Benter, the coordinator of the competition who is also a PhD student and researcher at the CSU Centre for Research in Complex Systems (CRiCS) in Bathurst, said, “Last year’s event was staged at Charles Sturt University in Orange, and this year we expect about 60 students to build and operate mini robots on the day. University staff have been judges at previous RoboCup events and have provided technical advice to students and their teachers. It’s great to see that students and schools in the region have embraced the concept and the opportunity that the RoboCup offers, as robotics is an important and rapidly developing field.”

About 90 Year 11 and 12 students from 44 high schools across the region, and from as far away as Nyngan, Albury and Campbelltown, will attend a MyDay at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst on Tuesday 19 June to learn about future study options in psychology, policing, and justice studies. CSU prospective student adviser Ms Fran Dwyer said, “We’re delighted to have such a positive response from so many schools from around the state. It demonstrates strong interest in these important disciplines, and highlights the high regard for courses at Charles Sturt University”. Students will be able to discuss their interests with lecturers and current students, and will be provided with information about the Bachelor of Psychology, Bachelor of Justice Studies (Policing), Bachelor of Social Science (Criminal Justice), and the Associate Degree in Policing Practice.