Bathurst Charles Sturt University (CSU) students managed to bring home silver and bronze medals from the National University Games, despite representing just a fraction of the five and half thousand who attended. Sports Administrator Jean Ryan said CSU was successful in the Women’s Hockey and Mixed Touch Football at the Games, which were held in the last week of September, “41 CSU Bathurst students went along and everybody had a great time.” Jackson Goman is a fourth year Bachelor of Sport & Recreation/Bachelor of Arts (Communication-Journalism) student and Vice-President of the Touch club. “I always enjoy going away with CSU because we are a close Uni and we do support each other. As soon as we finished our bronze medal match we went straight to the Hockey match to cheer on CSU. It is that sort of unity between all the teams at CSU that make it all worthwhile.”

Earlier this year Braidwood in the Southern Tablelands of NSW was listed on the State Heritage Register – the first town on the east coast of Australia to be recognised in this way. Now the residents will find out how Braidwood will be affected economically by the listing when the Western Research Institute (WRI) of Charles Sturt University begins its study to monitor the town’s future. Kathy Sloan, a senior research officer with the WRI says “the listing does restrict what can happen to buildings and what people can do on their properties. On the other hand, a heritage listing can be a good way to attract more tourists, and they already market themselves that way.” The study has commenced with an economic profile of Braidwood, including an analysis of the local economy. Once benchmarks are identified, a business survey will be conducted every year for five years. The WRI will then compare Braidwood’s economic trends with trends across regional NSW.

Samdech Hun Sen, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia will inspect the Wagga Wagga Campus of Charles Sturt University (CSU) on Thursday 12 October. He will be accompanied by a large delegation from Cambodia, a country in Southeast Asia with a population of more than 13 million. Head of the University’s Wagga Wagga Campus Professor David Green says the Prime Minister is visiting Wagga Wagga as part of his official visit to Australia. “The Cambodian Prime Minister expressed an interest in seeing Australian agricultural facilities, hence the visit to our Campus.” Vice-Chancellor Professor Ian Goulter said “it is very clear that our model of collaboration with government agencies and with industry, as demonstrated with the E H Graham Centre and the National Wine and Grape Industry Centre, is a model for other countries to use.”  The Cambodian delegation will be briefed on current collaborations between the NSW Department of Primary Industry and Cambodian research institutions before a luncheon hosted by CSU. Professor Deirdre Lemerle, Director of the E H Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation, a joint research venture between CSU and the NSW Department of Primary Industries, says the visit is a “tremendous opportunity to showcase our excellent research capacity in agriculture, and further develop our collaborative links with Cambodia to create profitable and sustainable agricultural systems.”

Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) Bachelor of Health Science (Complementary Medicine) has signed an articulation agreement with Workers Educational Association (WEA) Hunter. CSU’s Dean of the Faculty of Health, Professor Mark Burton, says “this is a significant industry partner. WEA Hunter run a variety of programs in vocational education including Advanced Diplomas in naturopathy, western herbal medicine and massage therapy.” Professor Burton explains that graduates from WEA Hunter can then join CSU and “upgrade to degree status by adding in a variety of CSU science based programs”. Ben Grushka, Executive Director of WEA Hunter, describes the agreement as “very important. It allows our graduates to project themselves into further education. We believe that once the word gets out, it will become very popular.”

According to a report published in March of this year, the well-documented nursing workforce shortage is an international problem. Nurse resignation rates in the USA are around 12-15 per cent per annum, while the annual attrition rates in New South Wales are closer to 20 per cent. Susan Bragg, a PhD student with the School of Health Science, is hoping to explore the reasons why NSW rural registered nurses resign from hospitals by interviewing nurses who resigned from a NSW rural hospital for reasons other than maternity, retirement or geographic relocation. “The idea came to me after I left the hospital system, and then we kept hearing about the nurse shortage. I wondered why no one was listening to the nurses who had resigned. I strongly believe that the nurses who have left the system hold the reason why. I think there are quite a few issues impacting on why nurses leave and hopefully I can summarise those in my thesis and then the system may pay attention.”

“I feel very confident in promoting the University as a great place to work.” Karen Kime is Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) new Indigenous Employment Coordinator. Although she only started in the position in June, already she has held cross cultural training workshops and Indigenous staff forums. “The workshops were about the different communication styles that many of our people have. Things such as eye contact, and women and men’s 'business', are sensitive issues. Silences are often used to show respect. Body language is very different. The forums meanwhile are a fantastic way for our people to be able to get together, to network, learn University processes, and to get some training which is specifically targeted for their needs.” Next up will be the introduction of pathways between TAFE, schools and CSU and the development of a mentoring scheme “to encourage people to see CSU as a potential and relevant employer - where one could have a career. In addition, our people contribute to an interesting and dynamic workforce; one that reflects the cultural makeup of the region it serves.”

This year’s National Drama Australia Conference had more drama than usual for Associate Professor Dr John Carroll, who was named the recipient of the 2006 Drama Australia Award for Excellence in Drama Education. The Charles Sturt University (CSU) Associate Professor in Communication Research also launched a new book at the Turning The Tides conference which addressed such issues as online drama, digital performance and drama learning. Professor Carroll says Real Players? coauthored with David Cameron of CSU and Michael Anderson of the University of Sydney is “aimed at drama educators, secondary teachers and the university community, as well as a broader group of people who are interested in what’s happening in new technology and performance. It covers the shift that is going on in how young people are relating to new media, and how they are creatively using alternative channels of information.”

Residents of the Orange region will have the opportunity to assess and discuss Cadia Valley Operations’ present and future environmental management programs at a public seminar at Charles Sturt University (CSU) on Tuesday 7 November. ”The development of this mining site will ultimately affect the prosperity of entire region,” says Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) School of Rural Management Adjunct Professor David Goldney, who will chair the CSU Orange Campus seminar. Cadia Valley Operations Environment and Community Relations Manager Greg Morris will address the seminar, exploring major issues facing the operation now and into the future. This includes the development of a new Cadia East Project, an extensive zone (830Mt) of gold and copper minerals. Mr Morris says the proposed Project “has the potential to extend the current operational life of the mine by 30 years”. Cadia Valley Operations, comprising the Cadia Hill Open Pit and the Ridgeway underground mine, is the largest gold and copper producer in New South Wales and the largest employer in the Orange district. With a current mine life predicted to end in 2013, a $100 million feasibility study is being conducted which will see an estimated 18 million ounces of gold and 2.9 million tonnes of copper extracted from the 1.9km deep open pit. “Cadia Valley Operations is working with CSU on several projects involving operations, environmental assessments, rehabilitation research and the positive impact our work has on the local economy,” Mr Morris says. “This seminar will give those who attend an insight into our collaborative research program.” The public seminar will be held at CSU Orange Campus on Tuesday 7 November from 1 to 2pm in Lecture Theatre One.

Sprung Festival 06, a showcase of performance, media and theatre from final year Communication students at Charles Sturt University (CSU) is underway for 2006. Running for the next three weeks, theatre / media students will “dazzle” audiences at various venues around Bathurst, according to Annabel Scholes, lecturer in the School of Communication at CSU’s Bathurst Campus. She says the students have used a variety of performance skills learned over the past three years to make theatre which is “fun, entertaining and witty.” Shows include a twisted coming of age tale set in a circus tent, reality television theatre, musical comedy, a psychological thriller set in a psychiatric ward, a high school rock concert, absurdist drama and a classic love story from Greek mythology.