A national information technology service award will be presented to the Charles Sturt University (CSU) Division of Information Technology (DIT) in Bathurst on Thursday 14 February. CSU has been ranked number one in the tertiary education sector (Australia/New Zealand) for IT service quality for staff in 2012. The award will be presented to Mr Brian Roberson, director of Customer Service Management, and Ms Vicki Brown, manager of Customer Service Management in the DIT. Ms Bronwyn Fletcher, the executive director of Systems Thinking, the company working for the Council of Australian Universities Directors of Information Technology (CAUDIT) conducting these annual surveys, will make the presentation at 12 noon Thursday 14 February at The Rafters Bar (in building C4) at CSU in Bathurst.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst will host a training day on Tuesday 19 February for primary and secondary school teachers and pupils from schools across the NSW central west to help them prepare to compete in the regional 2013 RoboCup Junior Challenge to be staged at the University in mid-June. RoboCup Junior Challenge coordinator, Mr Allen Benter, a PhD student and researcher at the CSU Centre for Research in Complex Systems (CRiCS) in Bathurst, saidRoboCup Junior Australia is a project-oriented educational initiative that supports local, regional and international robotic events for primary and secondary students. “The focus of RoboCup Junior is the development of cooperative teamwork and technical skills in an environment of participation, fun and excitement. Teams choose to take up the challenge at their own skill and interest level. RoboCup Junior offers three distinct challenges - Dance, Rescue, and Soccer. The first event for the year is the workshop for teachers and pupils to assist them through the process of constructing and programming a robot using Lego to compete in one of three events at the competition in June. The winners of the regional competition will then advance to the state competition.”

Orientation Week begins on Monday 25 February for approximately 1 200 new students at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst, a week before the start of the 2013 academic year. CSU student support officer, Ms Alex Leis said, “O Week is a busy and exciting time for students and staff at the University. A lot of preparation has gone into making the new students’ transition as smooth and enjoyable as possible. We are assisted by a raft of continuing students, five of whom work as O Week coordinators and about 40 others as O Week leaders”. The schedule of events for O Week includes a Commencement Ceremony at 10.30am Monday 25 at the CD Blake Auditorium (building E1, the gym), followed by a morning tea for parents and supporters hosted by the Head of Campus, Mr Col Sharp; a market day and welcome barbecue on the library lawn; tours of the campus, and information sessions. On Tuesday 26, Wednesday 27 and Thursday 28 there are compulsory School and course information sessions for students, with a special orientation for international students on Friday 22. A range of entertainment is scheduled for the evenings and at various times during the week.

A child and family health nursing textbook edited by Charles Sturt University (CSU) nursing academics will be launched at Bathurst Base Hospital on Wednesday 13 March. The text book, Child and Family Health Nursing in Australia and New Zealand, was edited by Ms Christine Haley and sub-edited by Ms Amanda Stott, both lecturers at CSU's School of Nursing, Midwifery and Indigenous Health in Bathurst. There were about 25 contributors, including seven clinicians from Bathurst Base Hospital, and others from local health services and academics from Monash University, who all edited and revised chapters of the textbook. Ms Haley says, "Until now we have only had US textbooks. Our textbook applies a nursing and midwifery focus in its evidence-based approach to child growth and development. It establishes the core skills necessary to recognise illness in children before moving onto clinical areas such as management of childhood diseases. The region-specific references to statistics, drug names, legislation, culture, community and public health systems are all pertinent to Australia and New Zealand.”

The annual Village Fair hosted by Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst will rock the CSU-Mt Panorama precinct from 3pm on Saturday 23 March. CSU student support officer and event organiser, Ms Alex Leis, said “The Village Fair in its 39th year in 2013, and is the largest locally-run music festival in the NSW central west. This year, as well as the main stage featuring acts like Drapht and Yacht Club DJs, there is an open-air silent disco* featuring up-and-coming local DJs. Other bands and performers include Strange Talk, Fozzey & Vanc, The Griswolds, Peacock Dreams, Rainbow Rd, and Blue Red Army. Tickets are currently on sale through moshtix or the CSU cashiers, and will be available on the day at the gate.” The CSU Village Fair is only for music lovers aged 18 and over, and the music kicks off at 3pm Saturday 23 March at the site between CSU and Mt Panorama’s Pit Straight. The CSU Village Fair is funded by the Mitchell Student Guild.

How do you actually study? Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst will host a day of practical Skill Fix workshops to help Year 11 students from the region to answer this question. Ms Tonya Graham, the pre-entry program coordinator at CSU, said 53 students from Kandos High, Narromine High, Wellington High, Portland Central School, Yeoval Central School and Peak Hill Central School will visit CSU in Bathurst on Monday 25 March for Skill Fix, as part of the CSU Future Moves program. “The aim of the day is to equip Year 11 students with the skills to reach their potential in senior schooling and beyond,” Ms Graham said. “The Future Moves team will engage expert University staff, as well as headspace, Bathurst, to facilitate the Skill Fix workshops that provide students with valuable advice about learning styles, writing skills, effective internet research, note taking, time management, exam preparation, and coping with anxiety. An added benefit of the day is the exposure of regional students to university life. Students will visit various learning spaces on campus and interact with current uni students to get a real understanding of what university is actually like.” Find more information about Future Moves here.

High school students in the NSW Mid-North Coast, central and southern NSW and regional Victoria can learn vital life skills while running a simulated business in an online game to be hosted by Charles Sturt University’s Faculty of Business. The GameOn! organisers at CSU are now calling for teams of Years 10 and 11 students from high schools around regional NSW and Victoria to participate in the game in 2013. The game was first staged in 2012. “The student teams will make vital business decisions about marketing, human resources, operations and finance for an online, simulated business. Apart from developing problem-solving skills in their businesses, GameOn allows students to develop important life skills such as leadership, group work, critical thinking, negotiation and time management,” said GameOn coordinator Dr Abbey Dwivedi.  Teams will need to be nominated by the extended deadline of Friday 5 April, with eight rounds of ‘decisions’ to be made during the year and winning teams due to be announced in September 2013.

The ability to communicate to clinical colleagues while using the latest in patient simulation technologies is the focus of a two-day joint training exercise for nursing and paramedic students at the Charles Sturt University (CSU) Inter-professional Clinical Simulation Centre in Bathurst on Thursday 4 and Friday 5 April. “In the real world, where life and death decisions must be made quickly, communication is the key,” said Mr Sandy MacQuarrie, lecturer in the paramedic program at the CSU School of Biomedical Sciences in Bathurst. “Nurses and paramedics play an important part in emergency patient care. Training for that is not easy, but a series of planned ‘high fidelity’ simulations will allow the second and third-year paramedic and nursing students to learn about the importance of communication, teamwork and skilled patient care. Under close supervision, the students will learn to think critically and to relay important information quickly. Charles Sturt University is committed to leading the way in world-class health care training, and initiatives like this train our future leaders in emergency health care.” The joint simulation training for 146 students (76 nursing, and 70 paramedic) in groups of 30 over the two days has been planned by Mr MacQuarrie and Mr Paul Mahony, lecturer in nursing at the CSU School of Nursing, Midwifery and Indigenous Health.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) will host two MyDay information events on Monday 15 April for senior high school students interested to study communication subjects in Bathurst and dentistry and allied health subjects in Orange. The MyDay in Bathurst will help students explore careers in advertising, commercial radio, journalism, sports journalism, public relations, and theatre/media through the School of Communication and Creative Industries. In Orange, the MyDay will profile dentistry at the School of Dentistry and Health Sciences, pharmacy and clinical science at the School of Biomedical Sciences and physiotherapy through the School of Community Health. CSU prospective student adviser, Ms Fran Dwyer, said, “MyDay offers Year 11-12 students the opportunity to find out about the courses available and to experience a day in the life of a university student ‘living and learning’ on campus. The day will involve hands on activities, tours of facilities, and up-to-date information about courses, international study options, and the application process. Students will also get the opportunity to talk to current students and academic staff.” Both MyDay events will be from 10am to 2pm on Monday 15 April, with concurrent information session for parents. Students need to register their interest online at www.csu.edu.au/myday or phone 6338 6010.