Charles Sturt University (CSU) researchers are asking beef producers to help them find out more information about a condition affecting up to 10 percent of calves. Researchers from the Fred Morley Unit are undertaking one of the first studies of the impact of scours (diarrhoea) in calves in Australian beef herds. It is the most common symptom of illness in young calves reducing growth rates and causing death in a small number of cases. Senior lecturer with the School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Dr Jan Lievaart said,  “Most of the research into calf scours in beef cattle has been done in Northern America and this project aims to get hard data for the Australian situation to see if there are any differences”. Surveys have been sent to 1 000 beef producers in the Hume Livestock Health and Pest Authority area and researchers hope to follow up by collecting samples from affected animals to identify the types of pathogens causing the infection. Producers who return their surveys will receive free entry to the EH Graham Centre  Beef Field Day on Thursday 4 August.

A Charles Sturt University (CSU) veterinarian said the Hendra virus is very unlikely to pose an immediate risk for horse owners in southern NSW. However, senior lecturer in Equine Medicine with the School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences Dr Kris Hughes, said a confirmed case of the Hendra virus at Wollongbar on the north coast does serve as a warning for all horse owners, veterinarians and other individuals dealing with horses in the region to be vigilant. “The risk is very low given our geographical location, but people should be aware of any changes in their horses’ behaviour, neurological signs and respiratory signs,” he said. The Hendra virus is transmitted to horses by flying foxes and is known to emerge only in autumn and winter in Queensland and northern NSW. In rare cases it can be transmitted from horses to humans and four of the seven people ever diagnosed with the virus have died. Dr Hughes hopes a vaccine being developed by the Australian Animal Health Laboratory will be available and widely distributed next year.

A national conference for Australian pharmacy students will be held at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Wagga Wagga in 2012. Members of the University’s student club, Pharmers' Society  won a competitive bid to host the National Australian Pharmacy Students’ Association or NAPSA Congress in January 2012. “Our successful bid to host this national event is sweetened by the fact this is the first time the annual NAPSA conference will be held in a regional centre,” fourth year CSU pharmacy student Mr Sean Dodd said. “We are very proud that the event will be held in inland Australia. It is a vote of confidence in those of us that choose to live, study and ultimately pursue our chosen profession in regional Australia to improve health services,” pharmacy student Ms Amy Minett said. “The work has now begun to stage a relevant and cutting edge conference in Wagga Wagga for more than 200 students from 13 universities,” Mr Dodd said. Head of CSU’s School of Biomedical Sciences Associate Professor Lyndall Angel said, “Again the pharmacy students at Charles Sturt University have shone and shown their maturity and dedication to serve rural and regional Australia”. Read more about the NAPSA Congress Wagga Wagga 2012  here.

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.”

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.”