Resources collated in a national education project, to be launched in Canberra on Wednesday 26 October, will provide a major boost for early childhood education students says Professor Sue Dockett, project team leader from Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) Murray School of Education. “Funding for the Early Childhood Education Workforce Project was available for only a limited time, so it has been really important that the outcomes of this project are sustainable. Although funding for the collaboration will finish, the resources will have a life of their own. They will have an influence far beyond the life of the project and will be freely available across the country. Regional and remote communities, in particular, will benefit in lots of ways. The studying teachers are working in communities where there aren’t many educators and they should feel valued and important. This project recognises the value quality educators give to a community. They can upgrade their qualifications and stay within their chosen community It’s a chance to look at career options without necessarily having to change location, so quality education is accessible and the profession is gaining and retaining the best qualified educators.”

The US Consul General in Australia, Mr Niels Marquardt, will visit Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst on Tuesday 4 October. Mr Marquardt will arrive at 1pm to be welcomed by Ms Louise Haberecht from the CSU Office of International Relations, and will meet a group of CSU students who have been on study exchange to the US. He will then meet CSU Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ian Goulter, and the Head of Campus in Bathurst, Mr Col Sharp, to discuss developments at the University. They will tour the campus, accompanied by Ms Maree Neary, Project Manager with the CSU Division of Facilities Management, to inspect some of the new facilities, including the Dental and Oral Health Clinic, the Model Digital Learning Modules ‘Contemporary Classroom’, the Regional Inter-Professional Clinical Simulation Centre, and the Learning Commons. The Consul General will return to the campus on Wednesday 5 October to meet with CSU journalism lecturer Mr Chris McGillion and students to do interviews for the campus-based community radio station 2MCE.

The expenses of attending university have been demystified in a new booklet published by Charles Sturt University (CSU), giving students the power of understanding when it comes to their study options. CSU’s Student Equity and diversity officer, Ms Carissa Perkins is excited to launch the publication. “The Making University Affordable booklet was developed by Charles Sturt University to instil a sense of empowerment, arming students with the knowledge they need to plan and succeed at university,” Ms Perkins said. “Making University Affordable addresses the costs to consider when thinking about further study and how to plan for them, and demonstrates how attending university increases future job prospects and earning capacity. The booklet helps, no matter what life stage students are in. Whether they are a school leaver, wanting a change of career, are returning to work or looking at increasing their skills, this booklet aims to inform those who presently feel future study is beyond their means by showing them practical and achievable ways they can make it happen.”

One of the top five researchers at Charles Sturt University (CSU), Professor Frank Marino, will be honoured with the Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Research Excellence (Individual Award) for his exceptional body of work at a ceremony in Bathurst on Monday 5 September. Professor Frank Marino’s publications, as ranked by the ISI Web of Science, place him in CSU’s top five, and his work has been cited over 900 times in high impact journals (average IF=2.8). This achievement is amplified by the fact that Professor Marino has an added administrative load as Head of the School of Human Movement Studies, with a full teaching load between 2003 and 2009, and a 60 per cent teaching load in 2010. He is presently Associate Dean of Research at the Faculty of Education. Professor Marino’s seminal work, which challenges the classical theory and popular belief that the heart is the regulating mechanism limiting exercise, is perhaps the most significant contribution to his award. His contributions to the area of exercise and human fatigue have caused some controversy with scholars in the field, which reflects the significance of this novel understanding of physiology. This understanding of physiology is making its way into university curriculum.

University teaching in the 21st century is changing dramatically, and on Wednesday 27 July the Flexible Learning Institute (FLI) at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst will launch initiatives to inspire best practice in blended and flexible learning (BFL) at the University. Professor of Higher Education and FLI director, Professor Mike Keppell, said, “Learning and teaching opportunities of the digital age are almost limitless, and these initiatives will help CSU course teams develop an integrated strategy to ensure best practice in blended and flexible learning across their whole course to ensure our students are well prepared for professional life. Charles Sturt University students now interact with national and international experts in ‘Second Life’, a free, 3D virtual world. They practice skills in simulations, diagnosing diseases using virtual microscopes, reflecting deeply about climate change in their blogs, and developing rich and engaging records of their progress from novice to emerging professional in their ePortfolios. We aim to create a comprehensive, integrated strategy to ensure that students gain a seamless experience across their courses, and are gradually immersed into these new professional worlds.”

Thousands of native trees and shrubs will be planted at Charles Sturt University (CSU) as staff and students help mark National Tree Day. CSU Green has organised for native trees, shrubs and grasses to be planted at CSU in Bathurst on Friday 29 July, in Wagga Wagga on Saturday 30 July and in Orange on Thursday 18 August. CSU has set a target of using 10 per cent of University land to increase biodiversity by 2011, and 20 per cent by 2015. CSU Green communication and education officer, Ms Nicole Maher said it is a practical way for people to make a difference to the local environment. “It’s really satisfying to walk past the site in the months and years that follow, and watch the plants you put in growing into a beautiful natural area,” she said. “By getting involved in something like this, people get a far greater appreciation for the incredible native flora and fauna that we have right here on our campuses.”

Former and current police officers and school teachers are sought to participate in Charles Sturt University (CSU) research about decision-making in their careers. The study by Ms Loene Howes, a psychology student and a teacher for 14 years, will focus on the career decision-making of police officers and teachers who stay in these professions or enter new careers. “In particular, I need former school teachers and police officers who have gone into other fields, as well as current police officers and school teachers, to complete an anonymous online survey,” said Ms Howes. "The survey usually takes 10 to 30 minutes to complete, depending on how many questions are relevant to the experience of the individual completing the survey. I hope my research will be of use to police officers and teachers considering career change, counsellors assisting police officers and teachers with career transitions, and police and education departments in addressing the needs of staff and keeping experienced staff in the professions.” The survey can be found here. 

A student from Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst has been selected to take part in the 2011 World Youth Day in Madrid, Spain. Ms Makayla Bischof, a Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Teaching (Secondary) student from Cowra will attend the event from Tuesday 16 to Sunday 21 August. “I was selected based on my involvement in the Catholic Diocese of Bathurst,” said Ms Bischof. “I have been involved in the Cowra Youth group and youth festivals such as Manifest. I’m looking forward to a spiritual and a cultural experience. I loved World Youth Day held in Sydney in 2008 so much and am looking forward to the unity of different youth around the world coming together.” Ms Bischof will initially spend time in northern Spain exploring sacred sites and Spanish culture. “We will visit the provincial capital León and stand inside its famous cathedral with 182 stained-glass windows. We will stay in ancient Astorga, which is encircled by walls, and walk part of the Camino de Santiago, a Christian pilgrimage trail, before heading to Madrid for World Youth Day.” Ms Bischof’s trip is supported by CSU Global, the Catholic Diocese of Bathurst, and the Parish of Cowra.

The place of manners and etiquette in colonial Australia is the topic of the next Theo Barker Memorial Lecture at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst on Friday 12 August. An organiser of the free public lecture, CSU adjunct lecturer Dr Rob McLachlan, said, “This is the fourth biennial Theo Barker Memorial Lecture co-sponsored by Charles Sturt University and the Bathurst District Historical Society. This lecture, titled Tea, Talk and Town Life: The Manners of Colonial Australia, will be delivered by Associate Professor Penny Russell from The University of Sydney. Her latest book, Savage or Civilised?, provides the insights she will share with her audience. The lecture will be both entertaining and educational – with some delicious morsels of gossip and scandal.” Professor Russell has found many examples of colonists for whom good manners mattered very much. She said, “In this lecture I will examine the tensions between rural and urban manners, the social ramifications of the tea table, and the significant social meaning of different modes of speech, such as slang, swearing and gossip. I will show that manners mattered then to how individuals understood themselves, and to how we should understand our history now.”