The Charles Sturt University (CSU) Koori Admissions Program (KAP) will run at the University’s Dubbo Campus this week. The manager of the University’s Indigenous Student Services, Mr Ray Eldridge, said KAP is an alternative entry program designed for Indigenous students. “KAP allows the staff of the Indigenous Student Services on our various campuses to assess the individual’s level of skills need to complete tertiary study and to offer successful participants a place in a course at CSU,” Mr Eldridge said. “This program provides a ‘test drive’ of life at university by allowing prospective students to meet staff and current Indigenous students, and experience and explore the facilities, courses and the career paths that may open to them.” For more information contact the Barramielinga Indigenous Student Services at CSU at Dubbo on 6885 7305 or visit here.

A sod-turning ceremony at Charles Sturt University (CSU) at Dubbo on Wednesday 16 September will mark the start of the building program for the new University Dental and Oral Health Clinic which is part of the CSU School of Dentistry and Health Sciences. The Foundation Head of the School, Professor Ward Massey, said, “This is any exciting day for the University in Dubbo and when completed the clinic will enhance the practical opportunities for our students and dental care for the community of Dubbo and the surrounding region.” The dental clinic is a joint initiative of CSU, the Greater Western Area Health Service, and the University of Sydney, and is expected to be completed in the second half of 2010 at a cost in excess of $8 million. The first sod of soil will be turned by the Hon. Mr Mark Butler, MP, Parliamentary Secretary for Health, representing the Prime Minister. Also attending are members of State Parliament, dignitaries from CSU and its partner institutions, the Mayor of Dubbo Regional Council, councillors from surrounding areas, Wiradjuri elders, and staff and students.

The latest debate on climate change and bushfires is “the discussion the Australian community has to have”, a senior CSU ecologist says. Associate Professor David Watson with the University’s Institute for Land, Water and Society said the latest debate is a timely reminder of the importance of extreme weather events in Australia. “Recent reports have shown climate change is real and is linked to increasing extremes in weather such as droughts and dry periods, which will increase the chance of bushfires,” said Professor Watson. “Increasing incidences of floods and cyclones are also more likely with climate change, so we as a nation need to consider how we are going to address this. We need to plan for both short-term responses and longer term planning of our cities and settlements across Australia and the various landscapes that will be affected. This is not a political issue — in 2006, then Prime Minister John Howard linked human-induced climate change with increased bushfire risk.  Insurers, agronomists and many other industries are already planning for increases in bushfires, severe storms and other extreme events, so it seems incongruous that the federal government is not being more pro-active.  We cannot afford to sit back and just let climate change happen with doing something about it,” he said.

Primary and secondary school teachers and pupils from schools across the NSW Central West will gather at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst on Monday 15 February for training to help them compete in the regional RoboCup Junior Challenge to be held at the University in June. Mr Allen Benter, a PhD student and researcher at the Centre for Research in Complex Systems (CRiCS) in Bathurst and coordinator of the RoboCup Junior Challenge, said, “This workshop for teachers and pupils will assist them through the process of constructing and programming a robot to compete in one of three events at the competition in June: Dance, Rescue or Soccer. The winners of the regional competition will then advance to the NSW competition. About 45 teachers and students will attend in groups of one teacher and two students from schools in Bathurst, Orange, Wellington, Oberon, Hampton and O’Connell. During the training day they will construct a robot using Lego and write programming on computers.” CSU is the official sponsor of the regional RoboCup Junior Challenge in the NSW Central West.

Celebrating Your Future is the theme of Orientation 2010 at Charles Sturt University (CSU) from Tuesday 23 to Friday 26 February. In distinctive yellow t-shirts, student coordinator and leaders will welcome the new arrivals at CSU in Dubbo as part of the week-long introduction to university life. Orientation 2010 activities include academic information sessions, campus and library tours and a cocktail party welcoming news students and their families at the Western Plains Cultural Centre hosted by the Dubbo City Council. The Head of CSU in Dubbo, Doctor Beverley Moriarty will officially welcome the new students and their families at 1pm on Tuesday 23 February. The Orientation 2010 program, which is coordinated by the Division of Student Services at CSU, can be found here. The University expects to enrol about 2 800 new on campus students in 2010, with 80 based in Dubbo.

In 2005, then 20 year old Mr Josh Bullock was given a lift to his Dubbo real estate job by a Charles Sturt University (CSU) staff member and in conversation mentioned he would have liked to be a teacher but did not do well in the Higher School Certificate. By the time he had closed the car door and walked into work, he had new aspirations to complete a degree in teaching. Mr Bullock paid his way through his CSU Bachelor of Education degree working as a plumber’s labourer and now has a full-time teaching job at Wellington Primary School. Lecturer in Teacher Education, Ms Maria Bennet says Mr Bullock can graduate with pride. “Josh was always keen and passionate about what he was doing and very involved in the whole uni process and furthering his career,” she says. “It’s great to see Josh fulfil his dream of working in education. He has the right qualities to be a fantastic teacher.” Mr Bullock will attend the CSU Graduation ceremony in Dubbo on Wednesday 24 March along with 94 fellow graduates.

The Dean of the Faculty of Science at Charles Sturt University (CSU), Professor Nick Klomp, a notable science media personality, will present entertaining public talks about science at the University’s various campuses during August. Members of the community, government and industry representatives, and future students are invited to attend to learn about initiatives currently planned or being implemented in various science disciplines at CSU, such as: the opening of dental clinics on five CSU campuses; a recently completed, environmentally sustainable building that has already won building awards and been awarded six green stars as a world class example of building sustainability; new courses and international opportunities for CSU students; the new $44 million state-of-the-art ‘science precinct’; and current science research at CSU that will ultimately contribute to results which significantly improve industries, communities and the environment. Presentations, which will be open to the public, will be held between 4pm and 5pm, followed by refreshments.

New figures released by Charles Sturt University (CSU) show significant savings for the environment in the management of its vehicle fleet. The data prepared by CSU’s Division of Finance reveals that although the distance travelled by CSU vehicles on official business rose last year by eight per cent, from 6.3 million kilometres in 2008 to 6.8 million, the amount of fuel consumed dropped from 664 000 litres in 2008 to 580 000 in 2009, a decline of 84 000 litres or over 12 per cent. “The carbon emissions saved through the greater efficiency of the University’s vehicle fleet is about 380 tonnes of carbon - the equivalent of taking 88 cars off the road for 2009,” said CSU Green Manager, Mr William Adlong. CSU vehicles are used to support staff on official University business including travelling between campuses in five major NSW regional centres as well as in Canberra, Goulburn and Sydney. “We hope to improve these figures with staff encouraged to consider using practical alternatives to travelling between campuses, such as video-conferencing, or sharing vehicles.” Over 60 per cent of CSU’s transport fleet are lower emission vehicles, such as four cylinder petrol, gas, diesel or hybrid.

The Charles Sturt University (CSU) School of Human Movement Studies is hosting a three-day symposium in the NSW Blue Mountains for national and international experts in exercise and exercise rehabilitation. Professor Frank Marino, Head of the CSU School of Human Movement Studies at Bathurst, said The Future of Fatigue in Exercise: An International Symposium on the Limits to Exercise Performance, which runs from Monday 20 to Wednesday 22 July, is the first symposium of its kind in Australia. “The symposium provides an opportunity for leaders in the field from around Australia and the world to come together to discuss a range of issues related to exercise, rehabilitation, health and wellbeing. We expect it will advance our research and the way in which we work together to solve problems that affect many of us, particularly athletes, at some stage in our lives.” Presentations at the symposium include Anticipating fatigue during exercise by Professor Marino and Cancer-fatigue in exercise by CSU’s Dr Jack Canon.