The real impact of cyber-bullying on children, schools and the wider community will be explored during a free public forum hosted by Charles Sturt University (CSU) and Wagga Wagga City Council on Wednesday 26 October. In the second Edversations Professional Forum for 2010, a panel of three educators will speak on the topic Cyber-bullying … the real impact! before the public forum is open for comments and questions. The panel members include Ms Jacquie Tinkler, a lecturer from the School of Education at CSU in Wagga Wagga, Senior Constable Rebecca Lanyon from NSW Police, and Mr Trevor Howard, Head of Maths and IT at The Riverina Anglican College. The panel will discuss preventing and responding to cyber-bullying and strategies for dealing with this behaviour in the virtual world. The forum will be held from 6pm to 8pm on Tuesday 26 October in the council meeting room, Civic Centre, Baylis Street in Wagga Wagga.

Students at Charles Sturt University (CSU) are being urged to consider taking a step towards creating positive environmental change and embracing the sustainability sector. CSU is the first regional university to host the Green Steps program following its introduction by Monash University in 2000. It has expanded to a number of metropolitan universities and won several major awards including a Banksia Environmental Award. The Green Steps program is a nationally recognised training and internship course offered to students from a range of degrees in 2011. Inaugural Green Steps coordinator, Ms Nicole Hyde, said, “Green Steps is open to students from across Charles Sturt University. The students who are selected will benefit from 30 hours training and 12 days placement with an organisation working on environmental sustainability projects, developing useful networks. Green Steps bridges the gap between the knowledge acquired through study and the skills required in the ‘real world’ of work. Training will be offered in environmental auditing, project planning and management, and communications.”   

After featuring at the Sydney Fringe Festival in September, a play written by a final-year Charles Sturt University (CSU) student will have a special one-night-only return performance at the Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre on Monday 25 October. The play, Before and After Knockoff, was written by Mr James Pike who is studying theatre/media at the School of Communication and Creative Industries at CSU in Bathurst. Mr Pike said, “Before and After Knockoff is a hard-hitting story about the brutal consequences of mixing business and family life, told by combining the coarse language of the building site with a poetic eloquence. The play involves a range of new and experienced theatre-makers in Bathurst. It’s a mark of the production’s strength that it has the support and involvement of the Bathurst Theatre Company, Local Stages, Arts Outwest and Charles Sturt University’s theatre/media course.”  

Research into cancer education will be presented by third year clinical science students at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Orange on Friday 15 October. Community members will join CSU staff and students to discuss student research at the University Experiential Learning Centre (ELC). “The students have spent months working on their research as part of their studies,” lecturer from the School of Biomedical Sciences, Ms Sarah Hyde said. “The students conducted the research by designing and mailing out surveys, entering and analysing the data, with a surprising number of responses.” The research topics include; oral cancer awareness and its risk factors, the relationship between breast screening concordance and the location of residence, awareness and education of cancer screening in female patients, the effectiveness of the ‘three-step breast check shower card’ in increasing breast self-examination amongst CSU students; and general practitioner attitudes and knowledge concerning prostate cancer screening.

Representatives of Charles Sturt University (CSU) and Study Group Australia (SGA) will meet at a ceremony at CSU in Bathurst on Tuesday 12 October to mark the signing of a new services agreement for the ongoing delivery of courses at CSU Study Centres in Sydney and Melbourne. The CSU Study Centres offer courses from the Faculty of Business to international undergraduate and postgraduate students. The Vice-Chancellor and President of CSU, Professor Ian Goulter, said, “The renewal of the services agreement for the Charles Sturt University Study Centres is strongly aligned to the University's strategic planning priorities and its Internationalisation Strategy.” Study Group Australia Pty Ltd, as part of one of the world’s largest private education providers, has been engaged in the quality provision of higher education services to international students in collaboration with CSU since 1995. Although studying in Melbourne or Sydney, many of the students graduate at ceremonies at the regional campuses of CSU.  

Charles Sturt University (CSU) marketing students will test their skills when they pitch marketing strategies to the owners of a newly-established boutique brewery in the Bathurst region on Thursday 14 October. Marketing lecturer at the School of Business at CSU in Bathurst, Mr Andrew Mashman, said three groups of students in the Bachelor of Business (Marketing) and Bachelor of Business (Management) programs will deliver 15 minute presentations to the clients, Mr and Mrs Mick and Deb Hoban of Fish River Valley Brewing (FRVB). “The Hobans aim to create fine ales in the beautiful and historic area of the Fish River Valley upstream and east of Bathurst,” Mr Mashman said. “Freshness and quality of product are the critical aspects for FRVB, so how they achieve this better than their competitors is the biggest challenge. Our students have enjoyed this experience and I look forward to seeing the results of their research and planning when they present their ideas to the Hobans.”

Staff and students at Charles Sturt University (CSU) are gearing up to participate in the national Ride to Work day  on Wednesday 13 October. Groups of at five of the University’s campuses will cycle to work. “The Ride to Work program encourages workers to feel good and have fun by commuting to work by bike and experiencing the health, financial and environmental benefits of riding,”  cyclist and Manager of CSU Green Mr William Adlong said. “We have not only regular riders who will be taking part, but also staff members who usually drive their cars to work.” CSU has participated in the Ride to Work event for at least five years. A recent follow-up survey for the national Ride to Work program shows 39 percent of first-time commuters are now riding to work at least once per month and 55 percent are riding more often than this time last year.

Registrations are now open to attend the third Education for Sustainability Conference: connecting classrooms and communities, which will be held at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst on Friday 29 October. Conference organiser, Ms Jan Page, a lecturer at the School of Teacher Education at CSU in Bathurst said, “This environmental education conference is jointly organised with the Bathurst Community Climate Action Network for teachers across all sectors, parents and other members of the community who are interested in action, through school or community programs or through individual households, to address the growing impacts of global warming and climate change, peak oil and food security”. The conference costs $30 for teachers and community members and $20 for students. For more information or to register please contact Ms Page on 02 6338 4367 or send an email.

Anyone thinking that the Sydney Fringe Festival is being taken over by regional university graduates wouldn’t be far from the truth with 10 productions in the program featuring theatre/media graduates from Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst. Couple CSU’s talented graduates with a multidisciplinary cultural showcase and the Sydney Fringe Festival can live up to its promise, offering the thrill of discovery and the opportunity to experience independent new works that are tangible and authentic. Theatre/media graduates are demonstrating their eclectic talents as actors, writers, directors and producers at this festival. “Charles Sturt University graduates thrive in this kind of environment,” says School of Communication and Creative Industries senior lecturer Dr Jerry Boland. “The Sydney Fringe Festival is continually growing and it’s fantastic that our past and present students can contribute to its success.” The Sydney Fringe Festival runs from Friday10 to Friday 24 September.