A leading Charles Sturt University (CSU) and NSW Department of Primary Industries researcher is warning of dire consequences for Australia’s land, environment, farming industries and rural and regional communities in the face of the crippling drought. Professor Deirdre Lemerle, Director of the EH Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation, says, “The current drought is having huge negative impacts on the Australian environment, its people, and our capacity to feed ourselves. Lack of water has drastically reduced local food production and food prices will go up for consumers.” Professor Lemerle also warns that “Australian farmers are highly skilled at drought management, but the droughts of the last few years are amongst the worst on record and are severely testing farmers' resilience. Drought is reducing land managers capacity to protect the environment and make a profit from production. Social and economic effects are causing depression, family disintegration and many other social costs. Government and industry must support land managers if Australia is to be self-sufficient in food production and for agriculture to remain environmentally sustainable," says Professor Lemerle.

The Dubbo Campus of Charles Sturt University (CSU) will host a two day conference for about thirty CSU indigenous staff on Wednesday 10 and Thursday 11 October. Head of Dubbo Campus and Director of the University’s new Centre for Indigenous Studies, Mr Gary Shipp, said that this was the first time a CSU Indigenous staff conference has been held in Dubbo. “Indigenous staff from all CSU’s major campuses will attend and the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ian Goulter, will address staff at the opening dinner on Tuesday evening, 9 October. This is an important meeting because it not only allows the Indigenous staff at CSU to establish contacts, but it will inform all staff of the recent developments at CSU with the establishment of the new Centre for Indigenous Studies and the development of an Indigenous education strategy. This will place CSU as a lead higher education provider in progressing Indigenous education nationally and in particular within inland Australia.“ A number of speakers will address the conference including Ms Lynette Riley-Mundine, Academic Coordinator at the Koori Centre at the University of Sydney, who was raised and attended school in Dubbo.

Applications have opened for students seeking financial assistance in 2008 through the Charles Sturt University (CSU) Equity Scholarships. The scheme offers students three types of scholarships; the Commonwealth Accommodation Scholarships, Commonwealth Education Costs Scholarships and CSU Equity Scholarships. The Commonwealth Scholarships are offered by the Federal Government for students from a low socio economic background, especially Indigenous students and students from rural and regional Australia. The CSU Equity Scholarships were introduced in 2006 when the University’s allocated $3.25 million from 2006 to 2008 to assists students from disadvantaged backgrounds. “The scholarships, which vary from $2 000 to over $4 000 each, are an integral part of the University’s commitment to ensuring equitable access to national and internationally recognised educational opportunities, “ said Mr Les Burr, acting Executive Director of Student Services at CSU. Students have until the end of November 2007 to complete their application forms. More information is available at the Equity Scholarships website here. 

Charles Sturt University will be represented in the new system to assess where Federal Government research dollars should be spent in 2008. Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Research) at CSU, Professor Paul Burnett will chair one of the 13 assessment panels for the Research Quality Framework. The panels will assess the research applications submitted by higher education providers and will award a rating for quality and impact. As Head of the University's Centre for Research and Graduate Training and being responsible for the administration of research and research training at CSU, Professor Burnett will head the Psychology, Psychiatry, Neurological, Behavioural and Cognitive Sciences panel. With five degrees, Professor Burnett is a counsellor, counselling psychologist and educational and developmental psychologist.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) 2006 television production graduates Luke Heywood and Tim Pass are ecstatic with the news that their production Chance Your Hand will be screened at the 2007 New York Television Festival Independent Pilot Competition. Chance Your Hand, a situation comedy showing the behind the scenes drama of a television game show, was a major project during the students’ third year studies. Produced at the CSU School of Visual and Performing Arts studios at the Wagga Wagga Campus in inland NSW, Chance Your Hand is one of only three productions selected from outside the United States. CSU Associate Lecturer Patrick Sproule says, “this is a major accolade for the both the course and the students, showcasing just how capable, creative and talented our television, acting and theatre design graduates are”. Luke and Tim will travel to New York to attend the festival from 5 – 9 September and hope to meet network executives to further their television careers.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) is reaching out to students in distant and remote locations through the growing education resource of podcasting, the broadcast of audio files across the internet. CSU School of Computing and Mathematics lecturer Anthony Chan says: “Podcasting is now happening in CSU biomedical sciences, accounting, information technology, food and wine sciences and commercial radio and management courses. Podcasts are provided to students before and after classes and include interviews with experts from around the world”. An international collaborative project between CSU and USA’s Bentley College allows students in a first year computing subject to learn from each other and another lecturer half way round the world. The School of Computing and Mathematics also uses podcasting with a local Wagga Wagga high school, with their work in Japanese learning and teaching featured on Japanese television. Studies within CSU have shown that podcasting reduces the effects of isolation and promotes inclusiveness. Surveys with CSU undergraduate students also show podcasting reduces their stress levels, especially students who are coming into a higher education environment for the first time.

A Charles Sturt University (CSU) researcher is off on a trip offering “excitement of a life-time”. The trip to a remote Alaskan island is to gather an inventory of guns left behind by Japanese military forces after World War II. Archaeologist and principal researcher with CSU’s Institute for Land, Water and Society (ILWS), Associate Professor Dirk Spennemann has been contracted by the US Fish and Wildlife Service to inspect and document the guns on Kiska Island in the Bering Strait and to assess their state of conservation. He is one of a party of five who will spend five days on the island. Professor Spenneman says “This research fits into my interest in modern heritage and the planning problems. We can’t plan for the island’s volcano erupting but at least if we can document what we have now, then we can plan for future management and how we might stop these guns rusting away or being stolen.”

An innovative experimental winery is set to enhance Australia’s reputation for producing a quality product from the fruit of the vine. The new winery, to be launched on Tuesday 30 January, will be built next to the National Wine and Grape Industry Centre on Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) Wagga Wagga Campus, the result of a partnership between CSU, NSW Wine Industry Association and NSW Department of Primary Industries. Director of the National Wine and Grape Industry Centre, CSU’s Professor Geoff Scollary says “This year 120 different wines will be produced at the CSU Winery. The expansion will allow production to increase to 150 for the 2008 vintage and provide grape growers and wine producers with strong scientific and practical information to ensure the Australian wine industry remains sustainable and profitable”. Professor Scollary believes the expansion “will further establish CSU as one of the nation’s leading wine extension and research centres”.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) Professor of Theology and Executive Director of the University’s Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture, Reverend Professor James Haire, was made a member of the Order of Australia in the Queen’s Birthday Honours 2006 announced on 12 June. Reverend Professor Haire was awarded a Member in the General Division of the Order of Australia (AM) for service to religion and the community through the promotion of ecumenical and interfaith dialogue, the Uniting Church in Australia and theological education. Born in Ireland, James Haire studied at Oxford University in UK and was ordained a minister in the Presbyterian Church in Ireland in 1972. Since moving to Australia in 1985, Rev. Professor Haire has held numerous positions including current president of the National Council of Churches in Australia (since 2003); president of the National Assembly Uniting Church in Australia (2000-2003); and joint chair of the Uniting and Roman Catholic Church Australian National Dialogue (1992-2004). CSU Acting Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ross Chambers praised Professor Haire’s leadership in promoting dialogue between the churches and between Christians, Muslims and Jews. “Reverend Professor Haire’s high quality work in ecumenism and interfaith dialogue is particularly important in Australia at this time in history. Under Professor Haire’s leadership it has become an important focus of teaching and research at CSU,” Professor Chambers said.