A new physical theatre production by Charles Sturt University (CSU) theatre/media students will tour secondary schools in central west NSW from Tuesday 11 to Friday 14 June. The production, titled Outta Touch, was devised as part of the second-year subject Drama and Theatre for Young People, and involves movement, comedy, body percussion and acrobatics. Outta Touch is directed by Mr Dan Aubin, lecturer in theatre/media at the CSU the School of Communication and Creative Industries in Bathurst, and Mr Adam Deusien. Mr Aubin said, “The cast has been working to devise a show from scratch exploring the questions: Have we become too distant? What would happen if we could not touch? How far will our safety culture go, and what does this mean for connecting to other people?” The production will visit four schools - The Scots School, Bathurst; Canowindra High School; La Salle Academy, Lithgow; and Wellington High School. Find out more about Outta Touch here.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) is making up to $150 000 available for staff and student projects to help the University reduce its environmental footprint. Sustainability Grants are awarded by CSU Green annually as part of  the University’s commitment to reduce energy and water use, increase biodiversity, cut solid waste, and support research into sustainability. An extra $50 000 is being made available this year for one large project to help the University reach its sustainability goals. Co-ordinator of Partnerships with CSU Green, Ms Nicola Smith, said the program aims to educate and promote cultural change. “Applications for the grants have increased each year with more exciting and engaging projects,” she said. “It has increased the knowledge of environmental and social sustainability issues as well as providing an outlet for staff and students to develop social and professional networks.” Past projects include a student and community-run produce garden, a sustainable film festival and a project to increase good waste management practises within student residences. Applications are open until 5pm on Friday 28 June.

Eleven final-year Charles Sturt University (CSU) commercial radio students have devised three promotional campaigns about the University’s ‘Doctors4theBush’ medical school proposal. The students worked in three teams, then presented the finished campaigns for assessment by an expert panel at the University on Monday 3 June. Mr David Maxwell, lecturer in advertising, media sales and commercial radio in the School of Communication and Creative Industries in Bathurst, said, “We always try to give our students real-world learning challenges, and this exercise has an important social focus for all people in regional Australia. The expert panel considered the work to be of a professional standard suitable for broadcast.” The presentation was attended by the University Secretary and Director of Corporate Affairs, Mr Mark Burdack; manager of radio 2BS (Bathurst), Mr Phil Cole; Mr Steve Golfin, general manger of Southern Cross Australia Broadcast Centre (Orange); Head of the CSU School of Communication and Creative Industries, Professor Chika Anyanwu; and course director, Mr Brett Van Heekeren.

The 2013 Central West RoboCup Junior Challenge for schools in the central west returns to Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst on Tuesday 11 June. The coordinator of the competition, Mr Allen Benter, who is also a PhD student and researcher at the Mining Research Laboratory in the School of Computing and Mathematics in Bathurst, said, “We expect about 76 enthusiastic students from seven central west schools to build and operate mini robots at this annual robotics competition. As with previous events, University staff have provided technical advice to students and their teachers, and will be the judges at the RoboCup Challenge. It’s great to see that students and schools in the region have embraced the concept and the opportunity that the RoboCup offers, as robotics is an important and rapidly developing field.”

The introduction of four hundred mixed recycling bins at Charles Sturt University (CSU)  in Bathurst has helped the University achieve its largest increase in recycling rates since it set targets in 2006. An assessment of CSU’s waste management in 2012 showed 35 per cent of waste was recycled, up from 28 per cent in 2011. “This significant increase is mostly due to the roll-out of mixed recycling bins on the Bathurst campus,” CSU Green Acting Energy Manager Christopher O’Connor said. Additional bins with signage were purchased for kitchens and common rooms in residences to promote separation of waste materials as part of the scheme. Meanwhile, a trial system of office waste collection using colour-coded bins reduced landfill waste volume by 30 per cent. The system is now used at CSU in Albury-Wodonga, Orange and Bathurst and is due to be rolled-out at CSU in Dubbo and Wagga Wagga in July. CSU Green is also looking into further recycling infrastructure in common areas, such as teaching spaces, and is investigating ways of separating organic waste from general waste, with an overall target of a 70 per cent recycling rate by 2014. “While it will be a challenge, I believe that with appropriate resources and with the right projects CSU can achieve this target,” Mr O’Connor said.

Fine food expertly matched with selected Charles Sturt University (CSU) wines will be celebrated at the inaugural Bathurst Winter Feast at the University on Friday 5 July. Head of Campus, Mr Col Sharp will host the event, and CSU winemaker, Mr Andrew Drumm, will introduce the wines that accompany the special degustation menu prepared by the CSU catering team. Mr Sharp said, “The Charles Sturt University Winery produces quality wines and was rated four and a half stars in the 2013 James Halliday Australian Wine Companion. The Bathurst Winter Feast will feature new and old wines, including the 2012 ‘PG’ Pinot Gris, the first from the University’s vineyard in Orange, and the new 2012 ‘T’ Tempranillo. I encourage food and wine lovers from the Bathurst region to come along for a night of enjoyment and excellent fare.” Dress is ‘smart casual with a touch of Winter’ and tickets are $90 each by booking on (02) 6365 7643 or send an email csuwinery@csu.edu.au. The inaugural Bathurst Winter Feast starts at 6pm on Friday 5 July at The Rafters (in building C4, car park P10) at CSU in Bathurst.

Sixty Year 5 school students from the central west will participate in a ‘Check It Out’ Day at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst on Thursday 27 June as part of the University’s Future Moves program to encourage aspiration for higher education. The participating schools are Bathurst South Public School, Portland Central School, and Parkes Christian School. Ms Tonya Graham, CSU Future Moves coordinator, said, “Future Moves creates opportunities for school students from regional NSW and Victoria to visit Charles Sturt University campuses and interact with students and staff. The program targets students who have the potential to succeed in tertiary education and who come from families with little or no experience of higher education. By introducing young people to the world of university study we hope to encourage them to become more engaged in school studies and more confident to consider tertiary study as a realistic option. Students often say, ‘I never considered university, but now I really want to go’. Events like ‘Check It Out’ are a great way to start a conversation with students and their families about what options are available to them after school.”

A group of Charles Sturt University (CSU) students will gain an insight into business and information technology in Asia during a visit to Malaysia in July. The nine students from CSU’s Faculty of Business will visit HELP University and discuss trade with representatives from the Australian High Commission in Kuala Lumpur. Other highlights will include a round-table discussion about strategic marketing with low-cost airline Air Asia, and tours of the Seagate hard disk factory in Penang, and the largest cloud computing data centre in South-East Asia. Tour leader, Mr Anthony Chan, a lecturer with CSU’s School of Computing and Mathematics said, “The tour will give students the opportunity to interact with political and business leaders to get a better understanding of the trade, education and employment opportunities”. The trip is supported by CSU Global, a University initiative to give students the opportunity to experience the world through a broad range of international study experiences.

A political philosophy forum hosted by Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Canberra on Wednesday 3 and Thursday 4 July will examine a range of issues about political rights and responsibilities when it asks, 'What's so special about having a democracy?'. The convener of the ‘Democratic Rights – Democratic Duties’ academic forum is Dr Piero Moraro, lecturer in justice studies at the CSU School of Humanities and Social Sciences in Bathurst and a research fellow at the Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics. "The forum will see academics from Australia and overseas debate a range of issues," Dr Moraro said. “Some will argue that a genuinely democratic society shouldn't grant the right to vote to everyone. Others will claim that truly democratic citizens, under some circumstances, should disobey the law. But could the duty to obey the law, and the duty to vote, be the wrong duties to focus on, as they might also undermine democracy?” The ‘Democratic Rights – Democratic Duties’ academic roundtable in political philosophy is at the Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture 15 Blackall Street, Barton, Canberra, and is funded through a Compact Grant from the CSU Faculty of Arts and by CAPPE.