Charles Sturt University (CSU) Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Andrew Vann will meet with community leaders from the Bathurst region to discuss how CSU can deliver more benefits for the town and community. Professor Vann will host the Vice-Chancellor’s Regional Leaders Luncheon at CSU in Bathurst on September 10 for community leaders and partners, with a view to strengthening partnerships in the region. Professor Vann said the luncheon was an opportunity to discuss how the University could work more closely with community and business groups. “The luncheon will bring together community leaders and partners to discuss the contribution of Charles Sturt University,” he said. “More importantly, it will provide an opportunity for the community to tell us about the opportunities they see for the University to contribute and identify the challenges we can work together to overcome.” Guests will be invited to contribute thoughts and suggestions during the luncheon, which will be held in the Grange Chancellery at CSU in Bathurst, from noon-2pm.

Leading Charles Sturt University (CSU) ecologist Associate Professor David Watson is part of a vocal group of Australian researchers who fear our parks will become playgrounds for the rich rather than reserves for Australia’s endangered plants and animals. Professor Watson believes the central issue is the “current gross mismanagement of our national parks by States and Territories that runs completely counter to the entire rational of national parks. They are set to be used for drought relief fodder, mining, recreational shooting and increased recreational development in three states. This spells very bad news for ecological systems that are already teetering on the edge,” he said. His comments follow a joint letter by the group on The Conversation website, and support for their concerns by the federal Minister for the Environment, The Hon Tony Burke reported on Thursday 30 May.

A Charles Sturt University (CSU) academic has stated surprise over the latest public debate about breastfeeding in public. A rally of breastfeeding woman was held in the heart of Sydney on Monday 21 January in protest against on-air comments on television show Sunrise about a need for nursing mothers to be “discreet” and “classy” when breastfeeding in public. Ms Pam Shackleton, a lecturer in nursing and midwifery from the School of Nursing, Midwifery and Indigenous Health at CSU in Wagga Wagga, said, “Of course women should and will breastfeed when and where their babies demand. Modesty and discretion have nothing to do with the issue of breastfeeding. It is well established that ‘breast is best’ and as a midwife and an academic, I support the right of women to breastfeed their babies in public in a manner they see fit.  Babies don’t wait when they are hungry; breast feeding is natural and gives the little people the best start in life.  When it comes to breastfeeding, women don’t need to be told how to do it in public.”  

There was a genuine display of delight and surprise by first-year Charles Sturt University (CSU) student, Ms Courtney Turner, when the 18 year old learnt of her $20 000 win in the ‘You + CSU’ competition. While at work for Australia Post in Wagga Wagga this week, Ms Turner was told she had won the competition. After attending Kooringal High School in 2012, Ms Turner received an early offer to study a Bachelor of Physiotherapy at CSU in Albury-Wodonga this year. In its second year, the ‘You + CSU’ competition required entrants to upload a video describing what their ultimate CSU experience would be like. In addition to winning $20 000 towards the cost of her first year education expenses, Ms Turner is the University’s Digital Ambassador for 2013. Ms Turner has credited one of the ideas in her video to her father. “My careers advisor at school let me know about the competition in the middle of last year,” Ms Turner said. “During a subsequent family brainstorming session, my father came up with the idea of world domination and I thought to use a white board and the Ten Commandments. Winning this competition will not only benefit me but help ease the financial pressure on my family at home.” Ms Turner plans to live on campus at Thurgoona during her first year at CSU. You can watch Ms Turner’s reaction to her win and view her winning 'Me + CSU = World Domination!' video here. Further information about how to apply to study at CSU is available here.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) will close for the Christmas-New Year break from 12.30pm on Friday 21 December and will re-open on Wednesday 2 January 2013. Best wishes to all our readers from the CSU Media team.

The lessons taken from the Christchurch earthquakes in September 2010 and February 2011 are being shared this week with staff at Charles Sturt University (CSU).  Mr Chris Hawker, Primary Incident Controller from the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, was keynote speaker at CSU’s annual emergency planning workshop in Young today Wednesday 5 December and will visit CSU in Bathurst tomorrow Thursday 6 December, having toured CSU in Wagga Wagga earlier this week. Mr Hawker shared with CSU’s critical response staff his team’s response to these devastating earthquakes and the University of Canterbury’s road to recovery. “Chris has a wealth of experience in terms of emergency management processes. Hearing him talk about his own experiences during these earthquakes helps Charles Sturt University staff build on our own emergency management preparation and response frameworks,” said Mr Wayne Millar, Chair of CSU’s Emergency Planning Committee.

The annual graduation ceremonies for Charles Sturt University (CSU) students who have completed their studies will be held over three days at the University in Bathurst next week. Six ceremonies will be held in CSU’s CD Blake Auditorium (gymnasium) for about 1 454 graduates and their families and guests on Wednesday 12, Thursday 13 and Friday 14 December. Head of Campus at CSU in Bathurst, Mr Col Sharp, said, “The annual graduation ceremonies at Charles Sturt University are always an exciting time, and we look forward to welcoming our graduates and their families and friends on this important occasion. We are expecting about 5 500 people to attend the six graduation ceremonies in Bathurst this year.” Musical interludes will be provided by students from the Mitchell Conservatorium of Music in Bathurst. The University Medal will be presented to Ms Larissa Jayne Hanlon from Calala, near Tamworth, during the Faculty of Education afternoon graduation ceremony on Thursday 13 December.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst will host 63 Year Nine students from Peak Hill Central School, Trundle Central School, Trangie Central School and Denison College, Bathurst, for a Future Directions Day from 10.30am on Tuesday 4 December. CSU Future Moves Coordinator, Ms Tonya Graham said, “By introducing young people to a university campus and enabling them to interact with university students and staff, we hope to encourage Year Nine students to consider tertiary education as a realistic and accessible option. We want to trigger conversations about post-school options early so that students see university as a realistic pathway and feel confident with their career choices.” The day is part of CSU’s Future Moves Program to build aspiration for higher education among school students in regional NSW and Victoria, and the Future Directions Day will be the first of its kind to target Year Nine students. Throughout the day students will participate in interactive workshops facilitated by CSU staff from a range of specialisations, including robotics, nursing, communications and human movement studies. Students will also tour the campus and have lunch in the dining hall. For more information, see the Future Moves website here.  

The Equine Centre at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Wagga Wagga will host the inaugural Supreme Performance Horse Sale from 1.30pm on Saturday 24 November. The sale, which is the first of its kind at CSU, will see 60 Australian working stock and quarter horses go under the hammer, with more than $300 000 expected to change hands. CSU Equine Centre Manager, Mr John Smart, said the auction by Landmark is expected to attract plenty of interest. “It’s the first time that buyers in the south of NSW will have an opportunity to attend an auction in their own backyard,” he said. “Most horse auctions take place in the state’s north, so this is quite a coup for vendors and the industry as a whole.” Sixty horses will make-up the inaugural sale with vendors coming from across NSW as well as Victoria. Local horse breeder and Supreme Performance Horse Sale Committee member, Mr Steve Condell, said the sale will offer some of the best bloodlines in the country. “This is the first time we’ve had the facilities available to offer top performance quality horses,” he said.