A Charles Sturt University (CSU) student's research provides the historical context for a contemporary art exhibition which opens at Bathurst Regional Art Gallery on Friday 27 November.Ms Juanita Kwok (pictured), a PhD student in the CSU School of Communication and Creative Industries in Bathurst, is researching the history of the Chinese in the Bathurst region. She was invited to contribute to the exhibition which commemorates the NSW Central West region's early Chinese migrant history."My research explores and celebrates the long history of Chinese settlement in and around Bathurst," Ms Kwok said. "I was delighted and honoured to be asked to write the 1 500-word essay for the exhibition catalogue to provide the historical context for the work of the four contemporary artists whose work will be displayed."The exhibition, From Old Ground: Jess Bradford, Jason Phu, Ren Hang, and Louise Zhang, is curated by Ms Joanna Bayndrian, and gives space to the little-known histories of Chinese communities in regional NSW. It coincides with the 2015 bicentenary celebrations of the colonial settlement of Bathurst, and is a Bathurst Regional Art Gallery Bicentennial Project."The artists have produced specially commissioned work spanning ink painting, installation, video, and photography," Ms Kwok said. "Each of the artists was invited to respond to traces of Chinese migration in and around Bathurst in the mid- to late-19th century, and all have engaged with the fragmented narratives and silent monuments of this important chapter in Bathurst's social, cultural and economic history."

Long-serving staff members at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst will be presented with service medallions at a ceremony on Monday 23 November.CSU Vice-Chancellor Professor Andrew Vann will present the medallions to two staff members who have worked at the University for 40 years, one staff member who has worked at the University for 30 years, and to four staff members who have worked at the University for 20 years. Two others are unable to attend.Recipients for 40 years service include Mrs Val Moore and Ms Sue Morgan.The recipient for 30 years service is Ms Julie Clulow.Recipients for 20 years service include Mr Timothy Brown, Ms Carol Downing, Mr Jason Poposki, Mr Noel Witney, Mrs Liz Smith, and Mrs Pauline Graf.The Recognition of Service Medallion Presentation Ceremony is at 10am Monday 23 November in the Council Room, The Grange Chancellery (building 1205), at CSU in Bathurst.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) will host the annual regional Small School's Gala Sports Day in Bathurst on Friday 13 November.The Small School's Gala Sports Day is an independent initiative of small primary schools in the NSW central west which is supported by CSU to provide the opportunity for students to meet and compete in a range of sporting activities.Head of Campus at CSU in Bathurst Professor Jo-Anne Reid will welcome approximately 180 students from regional primary schools in Perthville, Sofala, Wattle Flat, O'Connell, Meadow Flat, Burraga, Black Springs, Hampton, and Rockley."It is great to have the students from the wider Bathurst regional community come to the campus and use the University's fantastic facilities," Professor Reid said. "This is always such a fun day and a fun way to bring all these students together for a day of friendly competition. They also gain a sense of what it means to have a great University in their home region."CSU will provide a range of facilities as host of the Gala Sports Day. Students will use a lecture theatre for assembly, three sporting fields, netball and tennis courts. The Community-University Partnerships' (CUP) 'Healthy, Active, Sporting Regions program' is funding a barbeque lunch, and all children will be given a reusable CSU water bottle to keep. Professor Reid will welcome the students and their teachers to the campus at the assembly in room 223, building 1292, at CSU in Bathurst at 10am Friday 13 November.

The International Fellowship of Motorcycling Rotarians (IFMR) 2015 Big Ride fundraising tour group will visit Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst on Friday 6 November.Manager of Student Initiatives in CSU Residence Life, Ms Joanne McRae, a Rotarian and fair-weather motorcyclist, said, "Charles Sturt University will host a luncheon visit because our final-year dentistry students complete a clinical placement with the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) in Dubbo."We are well aware of the amazing remote area health services offered by the RFDS across Australia and the valuable learning experience it provides to our students."This is the mid-point of a 2 800 kilometre fundraising ride through NSW from Cobar to Griffith the long way around via Bathurst for the group of more than 30 motorcyclists. They will spend a full day in Bathurst and have lunch at Rafters Bar on campus before riding around Mount Panorama. Staff from the CSU Dental and Oral Health Clinics, from Residence Life and the Cheers team will attend the lunch, as well as local Rotarians from across the district."All CSU staff and students are welcome to attend the lunch. Local motorcyclists are welcome to join the group for lunch and the ride around Mount Panorama. Donations to the 2015 Big Ride fundraiser are welcome, and can be made on the day or online. For more information about the ride, go to: http://ifmraustralia.org/

As Bathurst concludes its 2015 bicentennial celebrations a local historian has reflected on the contribution made by Charles Sturt University (CSU) and previous higher education institutions."It is sometimes overlooked that Charles Sturt University and its predecessor institutions have been a beneficial presence in Bathurst for more than half of the city's 200 years," Dr Robin McLachlan (pictured), adjunct senior lecturer in history at the CSU School of Humanities and Social Sciences, said. "These institutions' contribution to education, research, employment and cultural life in regional Australia has been significant and is ongoing."Dr McLachlan noted that CSU has been very involved in various ways throughout 2015 to support the Bathurst Bicentenary, an event of both local and national significance. "This support has been as an official sponsor for some initiatives, as with From Flag Staff to Town Square – A Guide to the Government Settlement Heritage Trail, and the current Town Square Exhibition," Dr McLachlan said. "In other cases the involvement has been through the significant contributions by people such as adjunct Associate Professor David Goldney with the Cox's Road Dreaming project."Concluding the bicentenary, the University will host a regional biodiversity conference on Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 November, and the Town Square Exhibition at the Australian Fossil and Mineral Museum in Howick Street, Bathurst, seeks community members' input to help guide future development of the historic precinct. The Town Square Exhibition closes on Friday 30 November.

Funds raised by students and staff who recently competed in the Amazing Race at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst will be presented to representatives of Daffodil Cottage on Friday 23 October. CSU Head of Campus in Bathurst Professor Jo-Anne Reid said, "The community of Charles Sturt University in Bathurst was galvanised by the offer of a matching donation for the first $2 500 from an anonymous donor. This brings the overall total of this fundraising event to $8 921.20. Setting a challenge for students and staff like this was an inspired move, and although he wishes to remain anonymous, our sincere thanks and admiration go to this donor, whose connections with the University and Daffodil Cottage have been of enormous benefit to both." Professor Reid will present a cheque for $6 421.20 to representatives of the Daffodil Cottage Building Expansion Project Fund Raising Committee Mr Doug Kinlyside and Mr Robert Rawlings, and Ms Desiree Burgess, Daffodil Cottage Unit Manager. Ms Monica White and Ms Alesha Elbourne from the top fund-raising team the Creative Comm-rades will also be present to represent staff and students, along with Dr Jae Major, Associate Professor Jane Mitchell and Dr Matt Winslade, members of the event-winning team the Terrific Teachers. The presentation is at 10am Friday 23 October at Rafters (building 1413) at CSU in Bathurst.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) will officially launch its newest massive open online course (MOOC) at Denison College at Kelso in Bathurst on Thursday 29 October. CSU Dean of Students Professor Julia Coyle said the What's Uni Like? MOOC aims to build students' pre-tertiary achievement levels and explore aspects of the transition to university. "The What's Uni Like? course is accessible, self-paced, and addresses the key areas of academic writing and reading, student expectations, digital literacy, and online learning skills," Professor Coyle said. Project Lead, Mr Josu Abrego-Sanz, said, "The MOOC is being promoted to Australian universities, other higher education providers, and to high schools and TAFEs across the nation with the aim that  it will be used as a resource to broaden participation in Australia's higher education sector." The project was funded by the federal government through its Higher Education Participation and Partnerships Program (HEPPP) to help increase participation in tertiary education by students from low socio-economic status (SES) backgrounds. What's Uni Like? is informed by current research and best practice, and in particular by the national Office for Learning and Teaching-funded project on the Effective Teaching and Support of Students from Low SES Backgrounds. It involves collaborative work with partners in the HEPPP-funded CSU Future Moves program, including government and independent schools and the Department of Education and Communities. What's Uni Like? was also introduced at the recent Students Transitions Achievement Retention and Success (STARS) conference in Melbourne.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) researchers will contribute data and their expertise to discussions at the Sustainable Economic Growth for Regional Australia (SEGRA) conference in Bathurst this week. CSU Vice-Chancellor Professor Andrew Vann will welcome more than 200 participants from across Australia to the conference which runs from Tuesday 20 to Thursday 22 October. CSU Professor of Economics, Kishor Sharma from the Institute for Land, Water and Society (ILWS), will facilitate discussions in Spotlight Session One, 'Challenges, Issues and Strategies for Developing Regional Industry' at 1.30pm Tuesday 20 October. This session will cover pressing regional issues and challenges including skill shortages, migration, and local industrial performance. Professor Sharma will also present the topic 'Internal Migration Across Regional Australia: the impact of industrial change'. In the same session, 'The Role and Linkages in Employment Growth Across Australia's Regions' will be presented by ILWS's Dr Tom Murphy, adjunct senior lecturer at CSU, and Professor Mark Morrison, Sub-Dean (Research) and Professor in Economics. Professor Edward Oczkowski, CSU Sub-Dean (Research Students) and Professor in Applied Economics and Quantitative Methods (ILWS), will then speak on 'Emerging Trends in Skills Shortages in Regional New South Wales: the case of the Riverina region'. The Director of ILWS, Professor Max Finlayson, will facilitate and lead discussions from three perspectives about 'Regional Production and Conservation Landscapes' in Spotlight Session Six at 1.30pm Wednesday 21 October. Other CSU presentations can be found in the full SEGRA Conference program here.

Two Charles Sturt University (CSU) public relations students are revelling in an opportunity to promote Bathurst's major annual national wine show this week. Ms Gabriella Power and Ms Tiarne Pattison are final-year Bachelor of Communication (Public Relations) students in the CSU School of Communication and Creative Industries in Bathurst. They have taken the reins to promote the 17th annual 2015 National Cool Climate Wine Show (Tuesday 13 to Friday 16 October), a premier event that celebrates Australian wine from grapes grown above 600 metres. Ms Power and Ms Pattinson are completing their degree's final-year capstone subject which requires them to work closely with a client on a project which draws on all their learning and experience at University. "The significant practical experience of running a national event has been very exciting and rewarding for us and our skill set has expanded enormously," Ms Power said. "More than 820 cool climate wines were entered in the 2015 National Cool Climate Wine Show. The wines are judged during this week, with the Trophy medal wines awarded on Friday 16 October as a prelude to the public tasting that night for those over 18 years. "The best part about working on this event is that we were given so much control and creativity over the public relations of the project. It's very rare that students are given the freedom to make big decisions about a national event, and we feel very lucky to be in this position. It's been great working as a team with Tiarne to get through the challenges together, with support and guidance the whole way from our lecturer Donald Alexander." Ms Power and Ms Pattison are keen to continue work in public relations once they graduate. "Our hands-on industry experience with the 2015 National Cool Climate Wine Show will be a competitive advantage when we enter the workforce," Ms Power said.