New students to Charles Sturt University (CSU) wanting to apply for scholarships for the coming year will need to get their applications in before Monday 18 February. The scholarships, which are offered through the Charles Sturt Foundation, are awarded to students who have demonstrated high levels of academic performance, leadership and motivation throughout their school careers. Some scholarships are also available for students undergoing economic hardship, are disadvantaged, are Indigenous or are undertaking distance education with CSU. In 2007, the Foundation provided 235 students with ongoing support for their University studies through the scholarship program.

A Charles Sturt University (CSU) psychology student is looking for volunteers from the Blayney-Bathurst-Orange area to participate in her research project on victims of mistreatment. Ms Belinda Harris said her research is designed to assist people aged 18 years or older who continue to experience distress, hurt or pain caused by others. “Participants will be invited to take part in a group treatment program that has been designed to assist people who believe they have been abused or significantly hurt by the actions of another individual or group,” Ms Harris said. “The treatment is for people who want to reduce the anger, hurt and discomfort they may feel as a result of interpersonal injustice.” For further information, with no obligation to participate, contact Ms Harris on 0401 276 322 or via email.

A book on economic globalisation with local, national and international contributions edited by CSU academics will be officially launched by the Vice-Chancellor and President of Charles Sturt University (CSU), Professor Ian Goulter, on Wednesday 13 February. Engagement & Change - Exploring Management, Economic and Finance Implications of a Globalising Environment, examines the issue of globalisation from diverse perspectives. Co-editor Dr PK Basu, Associate Head of the School of Marketing & Management at CSU’s Bathurst Campus, said the book contains “23 papers by Australian and international researchers from different disciplines and addresses the effects of globalisation on areas such as management, economics, finance, accounting, marketing and human resources”. Contributors included 19 academics from CSU and from seven other Australian universities, as well as from the United Kingdom, New Zealand, South Africa and the United States.

With a background in business planning and policy development, Mr Stephen Butt has been appointed the new Executive Director of Facilities Management at Charles Sturt University (CSU). Mr Butt, who is an experienced engineer and project manager, comes to CSU from the Greater Southern Area Health Service based in Wagga Wagga. The former fitter and turner who trained in Wollongong, has post graduate qualifications in engineering management. At CSU he will oversee the largest set of building projects ever embarked on by the University, with academic facilities and services and student residences worth $240 million being constructed over five years from 2007 on its campuses in Albury-Wodonga, Bathurst, Orange, Dubbo and Wagga Wagga. This includes nearly $45 million to be spent by 2009 on the expansion of the Albury-Wodonga Campus.

More than 500 mourners have attended a memorial service at the Charles Sturt University (CSU) Wagga Wagga Campus on Monday 4 February to honour former Chancellor, Dr David Asimus, AO, who died on Australia Day 2008. Moving tributes to Dr Asimus were delivered in eulogies from Ian Macintosh, Ian Sully and son-in-law James Sutherland. The congregation included the Hon. Kay Hull, federal Member for Riverina; The Hon. Daryl McGuire, NSW Member for Wagga; John Fairfax, Chairman, Fairfax Media, the Hon. Tim Fischer, Former Deputy Prime Minister; The Rev. Archbishop Francis Carroll, Catholic Bishop of Canberra; Mr Lawrie Willet AO, Chancellor CSU and Mr James Sutherland, CEO Cricket Australia. Dr Asimus was elected the foundation Chancellor of CSU in 1989 and served in this post until 2002. As Chancellor, he oversaw the integration of the Riverina-Murray Institute of Higher Education and Mitchell College of Advanced Education to form the new Charles Sturt University.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) is mourning the death of one of its founding fathers, Mr Peter Hastie, who passed away on Tuesday 29 January at Eltham Lodge in Victoria at the age of 79. Mr Hastie was appointed on 16 October 1969 as Chairman of the Interim Council of the Riverina College of Advanced Education (RCAE), and then as Chairman of the Council until 30 June 1982. At the time, he was the longest serving Chairman of the governing body of an institute of higher education in New South Wales. Under his Chairmanship, RCAE grew from a small single-purpose institution, with fewer than 450 students, to the ninth largest College of Advanced Education in Australia. Mr Hastie was also a driving force behind the relocation of the former Wagga Teachers’ College to land adjoining the Wagga Agricultural College. The CSU Boorooma site stands as direct evidence of Mr Hastie’s vision, energy and insight. The Peter Hastie Ovals, located at the CSU Wagga Wagga Campus, were named in his honour on 21 October 1992. A funeral service for Mr Peter Hastie will be held at the Le Pine Chapel at Eltham, Victoria, on Monday 4 February commencing at 12 noon. Mr Hastie is survived by daughters Janet Twigden, Fiona Cropley and son Warwick Hastie.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) and the National Wine and Grape Industry Centre (NWGIC) have extended condolences to the Drayton family over the tragic death of Mr Trevor Drayton who was killed in an explosion at the Drayton Family Winery at Pokolbin in the NSW Hunter Valley on Thursday 17 January 2008. Professor Thomas Henick-Kling, Director, National Wine and Grape Industry Centre, says Mr Drayton was a highly respected leader of the Australian wine industry who will be sadly missed by all who knew and worked with him. His knowledge and experience was a wonderful resource for the national wine industry. Mr Drayton contributed to the research activities of the NWGIC and his input will be missed but not forgotten. CSU and the NWGIC also expresses condolences to the family of a second man, Mr Edgar Orgo, also killed in the tragic incident, and hopes for a full and speedy recovery of Mr William Rikard-Bell, a graduate of CSU in 2006 with a Bachelor of Applied Science (Wine Science), who was injured in the conflagration.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) is ensuring communities of inland Australia have continued access to quality higher education by granting approval for the Sydney-based art-supply company The Art Scene to continue to deliver the Mitchell School of Arts (MSA) programs. CSU Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration), Professor Lyn Gorman, says the driving force behind this decision is to continue a long standing program that provides artistic, social and economic stimulus to the arts community, and to allow CSU to maintain focus on its core business of providing higher education programs. The Art Scene has been involved with the MSA program for many years and has the expertise to continue the program, according to its manager Mr Paul Malouf. “We are committed to continuing and further developing the excellent art programs that have been offered in the past by the University and retaining a reputation as the leading arts program of its kind in Australia,” he said. The Art Scene plans to offer the Henry Malouf Mitchell School of Art Scholarship and will continue to use facilities on CSU’s Bathurst Campus. Funds held in trust by CSU from the Friends of the MSA will be transferred to The Art Scene, enabling it to continue to offer scholarships to eligible participants in the program.

Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) Division of Library Services will ensure Dubbo’s educational resources are of the highest standard by donating a significant number of visual arts and photography books to the TAFE NSW Western Institute – Dubbo campus library on Thursday 21 August. “The books are duplicates of copies already held in the CSU Library collection at the Wagga Wagga Campus,” explained CSU’s Director of Operations at the Division of Library Services, Ms Kerryn Amery. “We go to great efforts to make sure any duplicates are given a good home.” The books will enable the Dubbo TAFE Library to provide additional support for fine arts, cultural arts and Aboriginal visual and performing arts courses taught at Dubbo. “CSU has a strong relationship with TAFE NSW and this is just one of the many collaborative efforts that guarantee our campus towns offer the highest educational programs,” Ms Amery said.