The effective management of diabetes, one of Australia’s major health problems, will come through input from a range of health professionals, not just a general practitioner (GP), says Professor of Rural and Remote Pharmacy Patrick Ball of Charles Sturt University (CSU). In response to the Federal Government’s plan to keep the growing number of diabetics out of hospital, Professor Ball said one-on-one professional input from diabetes educators, dietitians, pharmacists, physiotherapists and exercise physiologists are needed to tackle the health problem. “While additional resources are welcome, the Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s plan seems to lack a clear appreciation of how the outcomes will best be delivered, particularly in inland Australia,” Professor Ball said. “While the GP must always be kept in the information loop, routing all the resources through already over-worked general practices is unlikely to be the best way to achieve the outcomes for which the government is aiming.” Professor Ball believes the successful control of Type 2 Diabetes requires that the diabetic takes their prescribed treatment but successful management also requires a change of diet and lifestyle.  “This has to come from the person, the family and the community.  How can one person change their diet if the rest of their household will not?  How can people walk more if we don’t have safe streets and pavements?” questioned Professor Ball.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) at Dubbo is hosting the twenty-second annual Western Districts National Exhibition of Photography during the month of August. Coordinator of the competition and exhibition, Ms Lorna White from Dubbo said, “This event grows in quantity and quality of entries every year, with entries from most states in Australia. We’re delighted it is again displayed at Charles Sturt University, and visitors to the exhibition will be impressed by the range of subjects and approaches taken by individual photographers.” The exhibition received 292 film print entries from which 100 prints from 33 entrants were selected for display in five sections - Open Colour, Open Monochrome, People, Nature and Photo Journalism. There is also a digital images category which received 964 submissions from which 293 images were selected from 96 entrants in the sections Open, Nature, People, Photo Journalism and Photo Travel. The exhibition opened at the Interactive Learning Centre at CSU on Monday 3 August and ends on 28 August.

More than $51,000 in scholarships will be awarded to students at CSU in Dubbo at a ceremony on May 27. Bachelor of Nursing students Mr Robert Taylor and Mr Jye Forrester will receive Charles Sturt University Foundation scholarships. Mr Taylor currently works with Catholic Healthcare in the Dubbo community health branch, and said he had aspired from a young age to work in healthcare. Mr Forrester volunteers his time to educate young indigenous children about his journey to becoming an Aboriginal Drug and Alcohol Worker. Ms Emily Ryan and Ms Hayley Nuss will recieve Tony McGrane Scholarships, while Ms Geena Purcell will receive the inaugural, $3,000 Wellington Shire Council scholarship. Ms Purcell said she hoped to complete her Bachelor of Accounting, then finish a cadetship and build a career in the field. All scholarships are administered by the Charles Sturt University Foundation Trust, which seeks to promote excellence in the education, research and service activities of the University. Its activities include a capital development program, internships, guest lectureships, cooperative research projects and a scholarship scheme. Head of Campus Dr Beverley Moriarty said, "We congratulate our students on receiving scholarships, prizes and awards that recognise their hard work and commitment to their studies. We are very appreciative to all of our donors of scholarships and prizes and I know that our students are very appreciative as well. The generosity of our donors makes it possible for our students to complete their degrees locally and to be able to contribute back to our communities as professionals in their fields. It is especially rewarding to see donors and scholars meeting each other on the night of the awards." The scholarships ceremony will be held in conjunction with the Deans' Awards for Excellence at CSU in Dubbo from 6pm Tuesday May 27.

Teachers from nearly 200 schools across the region have been invited to attend a special introductory training day at Charles Sturt University (CSU) at Bathurst on Friday 27 November in preparation for the NSW central west region RoboCup Junior Challenge to be staged at the University at Bathurst in June 2010. Mr Allen Benter, the coordinator of the 2010 RoboCup Junior Challenge and an associate lecturer at the CSU School of Computing and Mathematics at Bathurst, said this is the first of the preparatory workshops CSU will hold for supervising teachers whose students want to participate in the Challenge. “We at Charles Sturt University are very excited to be able to promote computer sciences to young people in this way,” Mr Benter said. “RoboCup is an international competition/conference promoting artificial intelligence and robotic research around the world. RoboCup Junior is aimed at primary to secondary school children and focuses not only on engineering and computing skills, but also emphasises sportsmanship, teamwork, cooperation and organisational skills. This workshop for teachers will assist them to guide their students through the process of constructing and programming a robot to compete in one of three events dance, rescue or soccer. The winners of the regional competition will then advance to the state competition.”

Starting school can be exciting and, perhaps, a little scary – and that’s just for parents. Two senior education researchers at Charles Sturt University (CSU) have developed guidelines to help parents, teachers and children as they start school. “Starting school is an important milestone in the lives of children and families. If children have a successful start to school, they are likely to stay connected to school and regard it as a positive place to be,” says Professor Bob Perry from CSU. Drawing on over 15 years of research, Professor Perry and Professor Sue Dockett, who research and teach at the University’s Murray School of Education, have led the way for parents and teachers on how to help all involved feel competent and confident when children start school.

While managers put much energy into improving business performance by investing in innovation, increasing product and service quality or through expansion, little effort is given to improving the culture which is the backbone of every organisation’s operation. A Swiss graduate from Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) Doctor of Business Administration program says carefully managing organisational culture can positively influence the company’s bottom line. Dr Patric Maerki is the first graduate to complete his studies through a partnership with CSU and the University of Applied Science in Bern, Switzerland. He devised a way to help manage the aspects of corporate culture influencing business performance. “My research into companies in five different industries showed that corporate culture values such as freedom, risk taking, open and shared communication, and respecting employees can be used to enhance operational performance in innovation, organisational alignment and customer orientation, and to increase profits,” said Dr Maerki. CSU’s distance education program attracted Dr Maerki as he could balance his business commitments with the demands of completing a doctorate while receiving support from a Swiss supervisor.

Charles Student University (CSU) animal science students came face to face with the harsh reality of elephant cruelty and mistreatment during a visit to Thailand to undertake a project on wildlife conservation. The 18 day excursion in January centred on volunteer work at the Elephant Nature Park near Chang Mai in the country’s north. The park rescues maltreated, physically handicapped and mentally disturbed Asian elephants and provides a sanctuary for their rehabilitation. One agricultural science and 17 animal science students from CSU returned from the trip last week, recounting their cherished experiences being ‘up close and personal’ when feeding and washing the elephants. Course Coordinator of the CSU veterinary science program, Dr Gaye Krebs said the trip was an incredible learning experience and one student is planning to return to the park next year. “It was the impetus for one student to propose an Honours project with Lek, who runs the park, which is a fantastic outcome,” said Dr Krebs. “The trip went ahead with the assistance of CSU Global and the IGA supermarket at Hillston who donated $6 000 towards costs.”

Having worked diligently to ensure Year 12 students had access to the best possible resources, the Charles Sturt University (CSU) NSW HSC Online website  team has taken time out to congratulate students who worked hard to receive notable results in their NSW Higher School Certificate (HSC) last week. "While creating this website, the NSW Department of Education and Training and Charles Sturt University were keenly aware of the crucial information this website delivers to students studying for the HSC," said NSW HSC Online coordinator and CSU senior lecturer Dr Deb Clarke. "It’s wonderful to know our resources helped students gain the marks they wanted in the HSC.” The NSW HSC Online developers are now reviewing the site to ensure the next group of students studying for the HSC can access quality education resources for 50 HSC subjects in 2010. “Each month the website delivered up to 1.65 million pages to students, teachers and parents and we believe this will increase in 2010.”

Final year high school students around Australia are receiving their final results and making big decisions about their futures - What do I want to do? Do I study or work next year? Where do I study? Charles Sturt University (CSU) is helping these students make informed decisions with a series of Change of Preference Information Sessions on all campuses next week. CSU Market Development Manager Ms Cheryl Howell says these sessions will help students and their parents think about study options for 2010 at CSU, with academics and support staff available for discussions. "If prospective students want to discuss our courses, preference options, school results or living and learning at CSU, they can attend one of these sessions being run throughout the University's region," said Ms Howell. Victorian students can call CSU on (02) 6051 9962 or 1800 334 733 to discuss their options before their change of preference period closes.