Charles Sturt University's (CSU) Regional and Remote Learning Support Team is gearing up to help students living in some of the most remote areas of New South Wales through the 2013 study year. Regional and remote student support advisor Ms Lois Watt, based at CSU in Dubbo, is the latest addition to the team and said the goal was to help students stay engaged and successful in their studies. “Our aim is to make studying with Charles Sturt University by distance education a positive experience for students living in regional and remote areas of the state by helping students stay engaged with the University and ensuring they have the skills they need to succeed in their studies,” Ms Watt said. “This team understands the complexities of studying via distance education in regional and remote areas as they have had similar experiences themselves.” Ms Watt, a New Zealander who recently settled in Australia after working on a tertiary education project in Bahrain, said the Regional and Remote Learning Support team visited towns across the state to hold study sessions with distance education students on a range of topics. “The team can provide support with skills like assignment writing, note-taking, reading skills, online learning, and time management,” she said. “We will either work with students face-to-face, or, when we are not able to visit, we can use email, Facebook, online chat, Skype, telephone or video connections to answer enquiries and offer support. “We also work with Study Centres at Griffith, Parkes and Broken Hill, which allow students to access computers and the internet and are staffed to provide support.” When not ‘on the road’ Ms Watt provides academic support to students studying at CSU in Dubbo.