As part of the re-enactment of the famous Freedom Ride bus trip in 1965 to break down segregation laws in regional NSW and Australia, participants in the Freedom Ride 2011 will camp at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Dubbo on Sunday 13 February on their way from Sydney to Moree. The Head of Campus at CSU in Dubbo, Dr Bev Moriarty, said, “Charles Sturt University welcomes the 2011 Freedom Riders to Dubbo. We recognise the significance of this event and understand the historical importance of the present event in light of the original 1965 Freedom Ride.” Mr John Nolan, Community Relations Officer at the Centre for Indigenous Studies at CSU in Dubbo, said, “The University will host about 40 participants and give them a warm welcome to Dubbo and the University, including a Welcome to Country ceremony. The travellers will meet local Elders and community members, and guests including the Vice-Chancellor and President of Charles Sturt University, Professor Ian Goulter, and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), Professor Ross Chambers.” The evening will conclude with a barbeque and entertainment.

A passion for teaching has earned Charles Sturt University (CSU) Faculty of Education academic Dr Beverley Moriarty an award for her efforts. The inaugural CSU Faculty of Education Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning Award was offered for the first time in 2010 and invited all Faculty of Education staff at CSU to apply. The evaluation panel noted the strong feedback from students in an application that reflected Dr Moriarty’s passion for teaching and dedication to students. “Charles Sturt University values its academic staff and rewards the quality of teaching and learning experiences, as this is the core of what we do.” explained Dr Alan Bain, acting Sub-Dean Learning and Teaching and Associate Professor at the School of Teacher Education. “What came through in Dr Moriarty’s application was her responsiveness and sensitivity to the needs of students. She has a real passion for what she’s doing.” The Award’s application process asks the applicant to support their case with feedback from peers, students and referees.

Three universities in New South Wales will bring an information road show about going to university to regional schools to give senior high school students a better understanding of tertiary education. The University Road Show comprises Charles Sturt University (CSU), Southern Cross University and the University of New England. Students will get the chance to discover more about university life and potential career paths when the University Road Show visits schools in the New England, North Coast, Hunter, Central West and Blue Mountains regions during March. Now in its tenth year, the University Road Show will visit more schools than ever before, sharing information with around 5 000 students at 120 schools. CSU Prospective Student Adviser Ms Katy Fardell said, “By pooling resources, Charles Sturt University, Southern Cross University and the University of New England are able to provide excellent advice to students in one visit, maximising the study options presented to students while minimising the amount of time students need to be away from the classroom.”

A Charles Sturt University (CSU) academic says the recent wide-spread floods in Australia demonstrate the importance of home owners understanding whether their home and contents insurance covers damage caused by flooding. Senior lecturer in law at the CSU School of Accounting, Dr Bede Harris, says, “In many parts of Australia, insurers do not offer flood insurance because the risk is too great, and even where flood insurance is offered, the premiums tend to be high. The type of risks a policy-owner is covered for depends entirely on the wording of their policy, and this can differ from insurer to insurer.” Dr Harris also emphasizes that it is important to note that insurance policies distinguish between damage caused by rising waters (flood) and falling waters (for example, rain leaking through a roof). “In those cases, coverage will depend on what the immediate cause of the damage was,” Dr Harris said.

Racehorse injuries and performance are the subject of new research led by Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) Dr Brian Spurrell from the School of Biomedical Sciences at CSU in Wagga Wagga. While the equine industry contributes up to $6.3 billion annually to the Australian economy, of which racing contributes around $3.9 billion and equestrian events $0.87 billion, the management of equine athletes and detection of injuries remains a significant problem. The relationship between a horse’s gait and the performance surface may contribute to the incidence of lower limb injuries. “As many as 70 per cent of two year-old thoroughbreds suffer stress related injuries in their lower limbs and up to 35 per cent of racehorses never resume racing as a consequence,” Dr Spurrell said. “The aim of the research is to develop a system which can be used in the field to measure important biomechanical parameters of a horse such as how hard the hoof hits the ground, the way the limb moves and how that relates to joint movement and muscle activity. The system will hopefully also indicate how quickly the horse is tiring, post-event recovery and a comparison to its last monitoring.” The research is expected to produce results in various stages by October 2011 and mid-2012.

As families prepare for Christmas celebrations, with festive goodies such as candy canes, gingerbread and chocolate within easy reach, Charles Sturt University (CSU) Dental Clinic dentist Dr Ying Shi Chang asks parents to remember the importance of children’s teeth. “Holidays often mean lack of routine and the festive season is a time when people eat more sugar, more frequently, than at any other time of the year,” says Dr Chang. “That can cause serious problems for teeth unless sensible and straightforward steps are taken.” Dr Chang recommends limiting the number of times a day your child eats sugary treats or snacks between meals and avoiding soft, sticky treats that get stuck between teeth. “It is best to eat sugary treats at the end of mealtime while there is still plenty of saliva in the mouth, as saliva helps to wash away the sugars and acids. Drinking a glass of water after eating a sugary treat also helps.” Finally, always have your child brush and floss before going to bed. It is also suggested that parents book their children in for an annual check-up before the start of a school year.

A group of 21 Charles Sturt University (CSU) MBA students has received a first hand account of the European business environment through a joint program with the University of Applied Sciences, Berne , in . Through a combination of classes taught by academics and business practitioners, as well as visits to world leading organisations in and , the subject Doing Business in Europe offers MBA students at the University the opportunity to experience the challenges and practicalities of conducting business in Europe. The two-week trip to in August included visits to the headquarters of Roche Pharmaceuticals, Credit Suisse, and Daimler Chrysler. “It is vital that MBA programs include the opportunity for students to experience the dynamics of other industries, and an insight into other cultures,” said CSU’s Professor Mark Farrell. 

The Vice-Chancellor of Charles Sturt University (CSU), Professor Ian Goulter, announced the appointment today of Mr Ian Macintosh, AM, as the first Pro-Chancellor of the University. The Pro-Chancellor is a newly created position that will act as an ambassador for the University in the Bathurst and central western communities, including deputising for the Chancellor and Deputy Chancellor at ceremonies. Mr Macintosh is a former Mayor of Bathurst Regional Council and Deputy Chancellor of CSU. He served as a member of the University Council for eight years, including four years as Deputy Chancellor. “Ian is a wonderful servant of the community and a great advocate of Charles Sturt University, and the unanimous endorsement of his appointment by the University Council to this important position reflects the esteem in which he is held within the University,” Professor Goulter said. “It is a great opportunity to continue my connection with one of Australia’s most progressive Universities and to support its development as the national University of inland Australia,” Mr Macintosh said. Mr Macintosh will hold the position for a period of 2 years until December 2010.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) at Bathurst will host the first national Mensheds Australia conference on 16, 17 and 18 June. CSU is the major sponsor of the conference which has the theme ‘Sustaining your Menshed’. Dr Pat Bradbery, Director of the Professional Development Unit in the CSU Faculty of Business, said this is the first-ever national conference for Mensheds Australia participants, with about 70 indigenous and non-indigenous men attending from all over Australia. “The Mensheds movement is relatively new, has grown rapidly to about 300 individual Menshed groups/locations, and has a strong focus on educational development. The conference will include a half-day workshop to consider the CSU-TAFE education initiative developed for Mensheds, and CSU looks forward to building a relationship with Mensheds Australia into the future,” Dr Bradbery said. Conference participants will be welcomed to Bathurst by Mr Greg Westman, a Bathurst Regional Councillor, and to CSU by the Head of Campus, Mr Col Sharp.