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.”

Winemaker Vikki Fischer is already taking out awards after graduating from Charles Sturt University (CSU) last year. Vicki’s Kardinia 2006 Riesling won the ACT Chief Minister’s award for the best Riesling for the Canberra district at the recent 2006 Hyatt International Riesling Challenge. Director of the National Wine and Grape Industry Centre (NWGIC) and CSU Professor of Oenology Geoff Scollary said the University played a significant role in the Challenge, with wine science and viticulture students and the CSU Winery assistant winemaker acting as stewards for the tasting program, while NWGIC experimental winemaker, Emily Rouse, was Associate Chief Steward. Professor Scollary also convened the event’s Winemakers’ Seminar, which he said is an important part of the University’s outreach to the wine industry and assists with the ongoing training of winemakers.

“At a time of unprecedented global ecological degradation, I believe popular television has a responsibility to educate audiences about environmental issues,” says Bruce Fell, a lecturer with Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) School of Communication. He has spent two years interviewing Australian television executives, producers, directors, scriptwriters and performers as part of PhD thesis. Bruce will present some of his findings in Melbourne at the upcoming CSU Alumni event, Tell me about the environment. “My work looked at who are the most influential people in television when it comes to communicating with the audience. I discovered that the stars of soap opera and drama had the most influence. Fans mimic the stars purchasing habits, fashion, language, and indeed what the stars strive for in life. In a way, the TV stars are part of our new religion, they are the people we admire and worship — they lead, we follow.”

The Australian and Argentinian wine industries opened doors to closer collaboration when Charles Sturt University (CSU) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Instituto Nacional de Vitiviniculture (INV) of Argentina last month. The MOU links the National Wine and Grape Industry Centre (NWGIC), based on CSU’s Wagga Wagga Campus, and INV, which is responsible for coordinating and overseeing grape growing and winemaking in Argentina. The agreement was signed by CSU Vice-Chancellor Professor Ian Goulter and INV President Lic. Raúl Guiñazú in Canberra. NWGIC director Professor Geoff Scollary said, “Our wine industries have a lot in common, so there is much we can learn from each other. We are also discussing collaborative programs in wine business, research and law as well as student and staff exchange programs. This will place NWGIC in an ideal position to collaborate on issues facing the world wine community”.

A new initiative within the NSW Ambulance Service (NSWAS) has seen 22 Charles Sturt University (CSU) Paramedic graduates begin a one-year internship. Peter O'Meara, Associate Professor in CSU’s School of Public Health said previously the CSU graduates had to train all over again within the NSWAS three-year entry program. “This recognises our students’ skills and knowledge and it means they get out into practice more quickly. It is excellent for CSU and we hope to see it expanded in the future, with the ultimate aim of all entry into the NSWAS being by university degree.” Professor O’Meara explained that other states have phased out their own training programs altogether in favour of university graduates. And, he added: “We understand anecdotally that the students are doing very, very well and have made quite an impression.”

A leading Charles Sturt University (CSU) academic will lead a team of researchers contributing to the recently announced five-year, $30 million Australian Centre for Groundwater Research and Training. Professor Allan Curtis, a social researcher with the CSU Institute for Land, Water and Society is well known for his work in natural resource management and rural communities in South Eastern Australia. Professor Curtis says the project aims to improve Australia’s capacity to better manage ground water resources which are threatened by over-extraction and pollution. “While the Centre will examine issues around the sustainable harvesting of groundwater resources, including the interactions between surface and groundwater, there is an important contribution for social research in terms of engaging groundwater users in developing practices that make more effective use of groundwater; and developing innovative arrangements that lead to more sustainable use of groundwater,” he said. The new centre is a partnership of 20 organisations including the Australian Research Council and the National Water Commission, CSIRO and 12 universities. Professor Curtis, along with other CSU researchers including Dr Digby Race and Dr Maureen Rogers, will work to identify projects to be funded over the next six months.

There was loud applause for awarding-winning Charles Sturt University (CSU) researcher Associate Professor Gavin Ash as he received public recognition for his work in the fields of agricultural and veterinary sciences and environmental sciences. Professor Ash was named earlier this year the recipient of the Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Research Excellence 2007. The CSU academic received his award from the Vice-Chancellor Professor Ian Goulter during the graduation ceremonies on the Wagga Wagga Campus in April. Professor Ash, from the CSU School of Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences, was honoured for his outstanding contribution to innovative research in plant pathology, identifying and determining the risk posed by diseases in crops and exploring innovative approaches to the management of diseases and weeds. Since joining CSU at Wagga Wagga in 1990, Professor Ash has attracted more than $4.2 million in research funds, written for over 150 publications and supervised 38 postgraduate students. In the last five years Professor Ash has authored 27 refereed publications and gained 27 research grants.