Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst will host a special graduation on Thursday 26 March when approximately 60 primary school students don mortar boards as part of a Check It Out day. Year 6 students from Bathurst South Public and Tottenham and Yeoval Central Schools will spend the day on campus participating in a selection of workshops to give them a fun and interactive first-hand experience of university life. Students participate in hands-on faculty-based activities then explore the library and tour the campus and facilities. They will have lunch in the student dining room, then end the day with a mock graduation featuring a special presentation by a Future Moves leader or CSU academic. Check It Out days are part of CSU's Future Moves program which was developed to introduce young people to the world of university study and encourage aspiration for higher education among students in rural and remote NSW and Victoria and. Students are encouraged through a positive experience to become more engaged in school studies and more confident in considering tertiary study as a realistic option. Future Moves is a federally funded initiative, run through Charles Sturt University and aligned with the Australian Blueprint for Career Development.

A new book about how to make higher education institutions open, accessible and socially just for staff and students with disabilities will be launched at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst on Tuesday 17 March. Professor Tara Brabazon, Head of the CSU School of Teacher Education, will launch her latest book, Enabling University: Impairment, (dis)ability and social justice in higher education. Professor Brabazon said, "The key concept of Enabling University is 'universal design', a term and theory used to move beyond the medical and social model of disability that disconnect and separate the issues of disability and impairment from core societal concerns. There must be a renewed commitment to not only the widening participation agenda of higher education, but also the enabling of universities for men and women with impairments." The launch of Enabling University is at 2pm Tuesday 17 March in the courtyard between Allen House (building 1431) and the Ponton Theatre (building 1434).

Paramedic students from Charles Sturt University (CSU) will be on hand to assist participants at the NSW Cancer Foundation's Relay For Life in Bathurst on Saturday 14 March. Ms Amanda Hlushak, associate lecturer in the paramedic program in the CSU School of Biomedical Sciences in Bathurst, said, "We are delighted to be a part of this important Cancer Foundation fundraiser in the community. Relay for Life approached the University to provide standard stand-by first aid at the event, and this is the first time our paramedic students have participated at the Bathurst event. Twenty-one first-year students will be involved from 3pm Saturday until 11am Sunday. One of their subjects requires them to complete 40 hours of non-traditional paramedic volunteer work in the community with an agency of their choice. The agency needs to be able to provide opportunities for the students to meet the competencies outlined in the subject. These include communication, empathy, professionalism, independence and attitude, which are all non-clinical skills essential for well-rounded paramedics." Ms Hlushak said the event will allow first-year paramedic students opportunities to improve their communication skills with a wide variety of people, as well as attend to any incidents that require first aid. She anticipates the students could be required to assist with injuries, sprains, fatigue, dehydration, exhaustion, and possibly fractures.

Forty eight Year 9 students from Blayney High School will participate in day-long Future Directions Workshops at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst on Tuesday 10th March. This day aims to provide students with a memorable, exciting and interactive first-hand experience of university life while they explore ideas for their futures. Mr Ben Morris, Future Directions program coordinator for CSU in Bathurst, said, "The students will participate in two hands-on 80 minute Faculty-based activities, tour the campus and residences, explore the university library, and will have lunch in the student dining room. The hands-on workshops will be delivered by CSU lecturers for courses including paramedics, nursing, theatre/media, personal development-health-physical education (PDHPE), and human movement studies. The students then finish the day with a question and answer session led by the student leader team who understand the transition from school to university. Events like this Future Directions day are a great way to start a conversation with students about the idea of future aspirations for further education. After their workshop experiences students are often heard to say, 'I never considered university but now I really want to go'." Future Moves is a federally funded initiative, run through Charles Sturt University and aligned with the Australian Blueprint for Career Development.

The 2015 Charles Sturt University (CSU) Exploration Series public lectures begin in Bathurst on Wednesday 18 March with a discussion about how leading Australian technology thwarts international counterfeiting. The free public lecture, 'Australian technology fights international counterfeiters', will be delivered by Mr Christopher Stott, a foundation director of DataDot Technology from its inception in 1999 until 2010. DataDot Technology is listed the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) and was established to counter professional car theft with a microdot product called 'DataDot'. DataDots have become synonymous with best practice theft prevention in the motor industry and are fitted as a standard inclusion by 48 car manufacturers worldwide. In 2005, a joint venture with the CSIRO led to the development of DataTraceDNA®, an innovative and award-winning covert security technology that has positioned Australia as a leader in helping to stem the US$800 billion annual global counterfeit industry. Mr Col Sharp, Head of Campus at CSU in Bathurst, said, "We hear all the time about large-scale counterfeit, corporate fraud, and organised theft, but not so often about the fight against these crimes, and the place of new technology. This 2015 CSU Explorations Lecture by Mr Chris Stott will provide insights on the topic from someone working at the cutting edge of this fight. I look forward to welcoming Mr Stott to the University, and the many locals we hope will attend his presentation." Please register for this event here. For more information contact Ms Olivia Wyborn, regional relations assistant, on (02) 6338 4645 or owyborn@csu.edu.au. Light refreshments will be served at the end of the public lecture.

More than 900 new on-campus students will begin their university studies at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst next week when Orientation Week starts on Monday 23 February. Head of Campus at CSU in Bathurst, Mr Col Sharp, said, "The University staff in Bathurst are looking  forward to welcoming the new on-campus students at the Academic Welcome on Monday morning, and also meeting the family and friends who accompany them on the day. Orientation Week is so important in settling the students into their new University environment because they need to get their basic organisation in place, learn their way around, understand the assistance and support available, and of course, the expectations of them in higher education. Charles Sturt University invests heavily in settling the students in during Orientation Week - feeling 'like they belong here' is important to their academic success." The approximately 900 new full-time students on campus in 2015 will be joined by approximately 1800 to 1900 returning students.The schedule of events includes:Monday 23 – 10.30am official Commencement Ceremony at the CD Blake Auditorium (building 1220) followed at 11.30am by the parents and supporters morning tea on the adjacent lawn; there will also be a market day, library tours, welcome barbeque, and evening social activity at Rafters Bar (building 1413) 'White Party'.Tuesday 24 – 10am Schools welcome and information sessions (building 1292, room 223); 12pm students and staff welcome lunch at the Ponton Theatre courtyard (building 1434); 3pm downtown students 'meet and greet' at Rafters Bar; 8pm social activity at Rafters Bar 'Comedy Night'.Wednesday 25 - Course information sessions continued, library lawn; 8pm social activity at Rafters Bar 'Mexican Fiesta'.Thursday 26 – Course information sessions continued; 8pm social activity at Rafters Bar 'Fret Fetish'.Friday 27 – 10am International students welcome Session 2; 8pm social activity at Rafters Bar 'Dag Night'.More details can be found here.The most popular discipline areas are allied health, communications, and teacher education. Most popular courses are clinical science (paramedic), communications (which includes double degrees), nursing, criminal justice, and exercise science.

One of Charles Sturt University's leading creative educators was fondly farewelled at a special morning tea hosted by the School of Teacher Education in Bathurst on Wednesday 11 February. Teacher education lecturer Dr Peter Wilson has retired after 26 years at the University, and colleagues, friends and alumni gathered to praise his contribution to the School, its students and the creative arts in the wider Bathurst community and region. Dr Wilson is also an outstanding potter, and his elegant ceramics are sought-after and treasured. Speaking at the morning tea, Professor Tara Brabazon, Head of the CSU School of Teacher Education, said, "Pete Wilson's service to the School has been outstanding. He is committed to creativity and he is committed to its democratic dissemination. Pete has transformed the lives of thousands of teacher education students with his commitment to music, ceramics, voice and movement. There would be few schools in the central west that have been untouched by his excellence and his belief in the collaborative potential of the arts." Dr Wilson was also praised by Mr Col Sharp, the Head of Campus at CSU in Bathurst, and by a dozen colleagues who spontaneously rose in turn to reflect on and congratulate Dr Wilson and his career, and wish him well for a continuingly creative future.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst will host the first-ever three-day high performance camp for 18 athletes from The Canobolas Rural Technology High School from Wednesday 11 to Friday 13 February. Dr Melissa Skein, lecturer in exercise science in the CSU School of Human Movement Studies in Bathurst, said the Canobolas High Performance Athlete (CHPA) program offered by the Canobolas Rural Technology High School is the first of its kind outside NSW Sports High Schools. "A program like this for student athletes in partnership with Charles Sturt University and industry professionals is a rare opportunity for regional students," Dr Skein said. "The 18 athletes from Years 8 to11 all play at a regional representative level or above, in sports including track and field, soccer, rugby league, lawn bowls, basketball, softball, touch football, and dance. The testing and induction camp for the CHPA program will provide students with a variety of experiences and important elements that will form the foundation of the program for the 2015 year. This ongoing program aims to support students in both their sporting and academic goals, and optimise their potential in their chosen sports. A key feature of the program is to teach participants how to balance their commitments, develop skills and strategies to manage time, prioritise, schedule and deal with school, sport, extracurricular activities, and other lifestyle components."

More than 1 300 Charles Sturt University (CSU) students are expected to graduate in ceremonies at CSU in Bathurst next week. Six graduation ceremonies will be held at the University for the four CSU Faculties and their Schools for approximately 1 348 graduates and their nearly 4 000 guests on Wednesday 17, Thursday 18, and Friday 19 December.The Head of Campus at CSU in Bathurst, Mr Col Sharp, said, "Although many of our graduates will already be working, they still make arrangements to attend their formal graduation ceremony because it means so much to them and their families. The graduation season brings thousands of people into the city, many staying overnight and providing new business for our hotels, motels, restaurants and cafes. It's great for the University to be the centre of a day that these graduates will remember for the rest of their lives – that's the significance of graduation to many students and their families." The new Chancellor of CSU, Dr Michele Allan, will preside at all six graduation ceremonies in Bathurst. Professional doctorates and PhDs will be conferred on eleven candidates. The Head of Campus will also host celebratory luncheons each day for special guests and dignitaries. Wednesday 17 December starting at 9.30am – Faculty of Education; Dr Emma Leslie will be awarded an Honorary Doctorate at this ceremony. Wednesday 17 December starting at 3pm – Faculty of Science; Associate Professor John Overton, OAM, RFD, and Ms Kathryn Pitkin, retired CSU Deputy Chancellor, will be awarded Honorary Doctorates at this ceremony. Thursday 18 December starting at 9.30am – Faculty of Arts Thursday 18 December starting at 3pm – Faculty of Arts, and Faculty of Business; Mr Angelos Frangopoulos, CEO of Sky News, will be awarded an Honorary Doctorate at this ceremony. Friday 19 December starting at 9.30am – Faculty of Business Friday 19 December starting at 3pm – Faculty of Business