A big line-up of bands and music will feature at the Charles Sturt University (CSU) 2010 Village Fair in Bathurst on Saturday 25 September. Village Fair organiser, Mr Joel Begnell, said, “This is the 36th consecutive annual Village Fair music festival and we think it has the biggest and most exciting line-up to date. It blends a carefully chosen mix of dance, indie, rock and electronica acts, with electro-pop favourites Miami Horror headlining the event. With capacity for only a relatively small audience and three stages - one dedicated solely to the DJ acts, the other two dedicated to live bands - the Village Fair is truly one of the most intimate and friendly festivals you could attend. Anyone who has ever had the pleasure of attending a CSU Village Fair can tell you that life does not get much better than watching the sunset over Mount Panorama while listening to some of Australia’s best live music.” The event is staged at the foot of Australia’s iconic Mount Panorama in Bathurst, and features some hot acts including Yves Klein Blue, The Only, Beni, The Melodics and Hey Now. There will also be two of this year’s Triple J Unearthed success stories so far, TreeBoi + Kone and Bloody Lovely Audrey.

The organisers of this year’s Village Fair at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst are staging Kids Day Out for families with small children on Saturday morning 25 September. “Kids Day Out is a free event held on the Charles Sturt University rugby oval for small children and their families on the morning of the Village Fair,” said Ms Alex Leis, a CSU Student Support Officer. “This year we have a baby animal farm, a fire truck and ambulance on display, plus jumping castles, stalls, face painting and the opportunity to meet Dora the Explorer and her cousin Diego.” The jumping castles and face painting are a gold coin donation, with all proceeds from the day, and a donation from the Village Fair committee, going to the Bathurst branch of Riding for the Disabled. The event runs from 10am to 1pm.

Tickets are on sale for the annual Somerville Lecture to be delivered this year by leading Australian scientist Professor Michael Archer, AM, in Bathurst on Tuesday 26 October. Lecture organiser Dr Peter Wilson, from the School of Teacher Education at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst, said the lecture, titled ‘The extraordinary nature of the Australian fossil record in a global context’, is an opportunity to hear one of Australia’s leading scientists. “Professor Archer is an author, teacher, researcher and a leading authority on the Australian fossil record. He is also a friend of Professor Warren Somerville, who the lecture honours for the world-class fossil and mineral collection now housed at the Australian Fossil and Mineral Museum in Howick St in Bathurst.” Tickets can be purchased from the lecture venue, the Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre, William St, Bathurst, or by phone on (02) 6333 6161. CSU is a major sponsor of the Somerville Collection and the Australian Fossil and Mineral Museum.

Twenty theatre/media students at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst will stage A Night In The Never Never, an outdoor flea market with music and performers, on the William Street side of Machattie Park in Bathurst on Friday evening 15 October. Event coordinator, Mr Tom Griffiths, said, “A Night In The Never Never is part of the SPRUNG Festival collection of final year theatre/media students’ major projects, and will bring together the cultures of the University and the local community in a unique atmosphere that combines elements of carnival and vaudeville in an elemental array of light and shadow, sound and silence, fire, circus and a little bit of magic. The stalls are a combination of local businesses, artists and community groups. There are some community art projects that the public can add to and these are facilitated by the students. The event aims to take the audience on a visual and auditory journey stimulated by a transformed local landmark with roving characters and performance, culminating in a loud and comedic show at the end of the night.”

For those with an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander background who are interested in attending university, Charles Sturt University (CSU) has launched a new program which will make the university experience more attainable. CSU’s Indigenous Student Services has introduced a new skills assessment program called Darrambal. “Darrambal means ’footmarks’ or ’roadway’ and is used here to represent the lifelong journey of learning we all travel,” explains CSU’s Indigenous Student Services manager, Mr Ray Eldridge. “The program assesses each person’s skills, abilities and potential to succeed in their preferred course of study. Students who successfully the complete Darrambal program may be offered a place at Charles Sturt University to study their chosen course.” Any person who identifies as an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander may attend. “This is the perfect program for anyone who would like to study at university but are not sure if they satisfy the usual entry requirements.”

  Charles Sturt University (CSU) has ensured the continuing success of the Orange Campus by appointing Professor Kevin Parton as the new Head of the Orange Campus. Vice-Chancellor Professor Ian Goulter said Professor Parton is the right man for the job. “I congratulate Professor Parton in taking on this important position. He will play an active role in strengthening the University’s links with the region and the delivery of service to the community.” Professor Parton will hold the position of Head of the Orange Campus concurrently with his position as Head of School of Rural Management. “It gives me great pleasure to continue the work already commenced to expand the teaching and research work of the Orange Campus,” said Professor Parton. “There will be a more extensive range of courses in 2007 including those from Rural Management as well as Nursing, Pharmacy and Clinical Sciences. The emphasis in these undergraduate programs is on professional education and as such they offer great opportunities for students of our region and beyond to move towards highly sought after careers. I look forward to working with our dedicated staff as they guide students on this path to success.”

There has been strong interest in the third Education for Sustainability Conference: connecting classrooms and communities to be held at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst on Friday 29 October. One of the conference organisers, Ms Jan Page, lecturer at the CSU School of Teacher Education in Bathurst, said, “We have received many registrations for the 2010 conference, but anyone interested can attend on the day. The program explores ways to live lightly on the earth, with presentations by highly-regarded permaculturalist Ms Rosemary Morrow. Other topics include: transition towns, a way communities are meeting the challenges of global warming and peak oil; achieving sustainability through kitchen gardens; eco-literacy – what we need to know; empowering children; and how to build support for your programs. The conference also offers networking opportunities and a range of displays.”

The Vice-Chancellor and President of Charles Sturt University (CSU), Professor Ian Goulter, and CSU senior executives will meet with Mr Barry O’Farrell, MP, Leader of the NSW Opposition, and Mr Andrew Stoner, MP, Leader of the Nationals, at the University in Bathurst on Wednesday 3 November. Councillor Paul Toole, the Mayor of Bathurst, will also attend in his capacity as the National Party candidate for the seat of Bathurst at the NSW state election in March 2011. The meeting will discuss strategic priorities for rural and regional NSW in the lead up to the State election including: the rural doctor shortage and CSU’s proposal to establish a rural Medical School; future collaboration on meeting State workforce needs; regional development; and, decentralisation of government services.

A panel of senior academics will explore the topic University Education in the 21st century: Profession, Praxis or … Purchase??? at a special seminar for university educators at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst on Monday 8 November. The CSU Education For Practice Institute (EFPI) will host the seminar to be chaired by its Deputy Director, Dr Stephen Loftus. “The panellists will discuss a range of important and related questions for the audience of university educators,” Dr Loftus said. “What is 21st century university education like and what is driving it? From the point of view of the educators, is it a profession or a practice/praxis? Or is it more like a business where the commodity of education is purchased? Has higher education become a matter of survival? What should universities be doing to flourish within the higher education marketplace but stop short of becoming a shop? What are the implications of these debates and trends for Charels Sturt University?” The seminar precedes the CSUED 2010 conference to be held on 10-11 November.