Carers of people with a mental illness are the focus of a new research project by a psychology student at Charles Sturt University (CSU). Bachelor of Social Science (Psychology) Honours student Mr Gerald Haslinger is seeking participants in a confidential survey which aims to find out more about the experience of unpaid carers and mental health service providers in caring for someone with a mental illness. “I am interested in hearing from unpaid carers and service providers, and what they understand about the Recovery approach to caring for someone living with a mental illness, an approach that is widely accepted within the mental health sector.  My study seeks to find out the level of awareness of this approach amongst mental health service providers as well as unpaid carers.” Mr Haslinger, an education and training officer with a non-government agency in Sydney, has extended the survey until Friday 13 July.  He is completing his degree by distance education through the School of Psychology at CSU in Wagga Wagga. For further details about the survey, contact Mr Haslinger on his email  or take the survey here.

The Charles Sturt University (CSU) Regional and Remote Learning Support Team will visit towns around NSW starting on Tuesday 10 July to provide advice and assistance to its new and continuing distance education students. The CSU Regional and Remote Learning Support Team will visit Broken Hill, Parkes, Griffith, Mudgee, Narrabri, Coffs Harbour, Moree, Bega, Bourke, and Cooma. Team manager, Mr James Brann, said, “This is the third study support tour in 2012 to enhance the University’s distance education students’ experience of their courses and their prospects for successful completion. The Regional and Remote Learning Support program provides students who may never visit their campus with access to support and information that students studying on campus may take for granted. The sessions provide group presentations as well as the opportunity for students to make individual face-to-face appointments with staff for support with their studies.”

Four Charles Sturt University (CSU) teacher education students received Awards for Outstanding Professional Practice in 2011 at a special ceremony at the Faculty of Education in Bathurst on Monday 9 July. Each student completed their professional experience at small public schools in Central West NSW. Professor Jo-Anne Reid, the Associate Dean of the Faculty of Education, presented the certificates to Ms Rebecca Clark (Meadow Flat Public School), Ms Erin Scouller (Sofala Public School), Ms Jessica Goodacre (Neville Public School), and Mr James Deehan (Wattle Flat Public School), in front of their peers at an orientation session for final-year Bachelor of Education (Primary) students in the School of Teacher Education before they commenced their final professional experience placement as students. “These students have demonstrated outstanding competencies during their professional experience placements in 2011, and the Faculty rightly acknowledges and applauds their achievements,” Professor Reid said.

Wine industry and media representatives have been invited to a special preview of the new Charles Sturt University (CSU) Cellar Door in Orange on Friday 13 July. Mr Justin Byrne, marketing manager at the CSU Winery, said, “The new Cellar Door gives Charles Sturt Wines a presence in the Orange wine region. Guests can sample some pre-release wines including the 2012 ‘R’ Riesling, the first from the University’s vineyard in Orange, and our new Cellar Reserve Sparkling Pinot Noir Chardonnay. They can also speak with members of the CSU Winery team including winemaker Mr Andrew Drumm, viticulturist Mr Geoff Cook, and sales coordinator Ms Narrelle Ingold.” CSU wines have won numerous awards since the CSU Winery was established in Wagga Wagga in 1977, and the CSU School of Agricultural and Wine Sciences is a leading provider of wine making and viticulture education in Australia. The CSU Cellar Door in Orange will be officially opened at a ceremony at the end of July.

A visiting US astronomer will ask, “what if Galileo was alive today?”, when he delivers a free public lecture at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst on Wednesday 11 July. Host of the visit and lecture, Associate Professor David McKinnon from the CSU School of Teacher Education in Bathurst, said Professor Timothy Slater, a NASA-award winning educator from the University of Wyoming, will present a public lecture titled Galileo’s new universe of astronomy. Professor McKinnon said, “Professor Slater will present an entertaining talk in which he will suggest topics that Galileo, if he lived today, would most want his students to diligently observe and passionately study. Nearly 400 years ago, the Italian scientist Galileo profoundly changed Western civilisation’s worldview by pointing the newly-invented telescope to the night sky. What he saw - unexpected observations of mysterious moons, deep craters, and countless unknown stars - still motivates today’s astronomers to look deeper and deeper into our expanding cosmos.” The free public lecture starts at 5.30pm on Wednesday 11 July in room 205 in building S15, CSU in Bathurst.

Representatives of Charles Sturt University (CSU) and the Mitrataa Foundation will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Bathurst on Thursday 19 July to support the development of education for women and girls in Nepal. The MoU will be signed by the Vice-Chancellor and President of CSU, Professor Andrew Vann, and Ms Bec Ordish, the founding director of the Mitrataa Foundation. Ms Trisha Poole, lecturer at CSU’s School of Teacher Education in Bathurst, said the agreement lays the foundation for CSU to collaborate with the Mitrataa Foundation to help empower Nepalese women and girls through education and training initiatives. “This collaboration will encourage the organisation of joint educational activities,” Ms Poole said. “In November this year, 12 CSU teacher education students will travel to the capital Kathmandu to undertake their professional experience placements in local schools supported by the Foundation. I will accompany the group and support the students to run professional development workshops for Nepalese teachers.”

The Vice-Chancellor and President of Charles Sturt University (CSU), Professor Andrew Vann, will officially open the new Cellar Door at CSU in Orange on Monday 30 July. Mr Justin Byrne, marketing manager at the CSU Winery, said, “The creation of the Cellar Door in Orange by the University is a strategic initiative that recognises the importance of the vineyard as a fruit source for the Charles Sturt University Winery and the importance of the Orange wine region as a small but important player in the Australian wine industry. This new use for the Machinery Centre enhances the building and gives it new life in a very dynamic local industry. The location, opposite the Chardonnay vineyard, is ideal for enhancing the understanding of the connection between the growing of grapes and the making and selling of wine. The 18 hectare vineyard at CSU in Orange is planted with a number of grape varieties: Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Pinot Gris, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.”

The Australian Football League (AFL) and the Greater Western Sydney ‘Giants’ team are forging links with the School of Human Movement Studies at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst this week. Representatives of the AFL and Giants will deliver a guest lecture to CSU sport journalism and exercise science students today, and will provide a coaching clinic on Friday 3 August. Dr Jaquelyn Osborne, course director and lecturer at the School of Human Movement Studies said, “This is an exciting development for the School and the AFL. Mr Richard Griffiths, the Chief Operating Officer of the Greater Western Sydney Giants, the newest AFL team, is visiting the School to forge a new relationship between the University and the club which will include possible work-experience placement opportunities for our students, guest speakers, and internships.” The guest lecture was at 2pm Wednesday 1 August in building C2, room 240.

Slip-sliding slapstick action will be centre stage at the Ponton Theatre at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst when the physical theatre production Too Bloody Right hits the boards from Thursday 9 to Saturday 11 August. The production by second-year theatre/media students is directed by Mr Daniel Aubin, lecturer in theatre/media at the CSU School of Communication and Creative Industries in Bathurst. “Too Bloody Right is the outcome of a five-week process, exploring the role of human rights in our modern society through a mixture of acrobatics, table-sliding, ‘mockumentary’, and food puppetry,” Mr Aubin said. “It uses comedy to look at a serious topic. The show is a lot of fun, and features a spectacular table-sliding circus act.” Tickets are $5 for students and $10 for non-students at the door for a 7.30pm start.