The first Canadian students from Charles Sturt University (CSU), Ontario to do their practicum teaching experience in Australia have started work at North Wagga Public School.  The three Canadians are among the first group of Bachelor of Educational Studies (Primary Teaching) students at CSU, Ontario which began in August 2005 with 114 students. The one-year postgraduate teacher education program which operates between CSU in Australia and school boards in Ontario, prepares candidates to teach in Ontario elementary or primary schools. Juanita Germaine, 34, of Barrie, Ontario; Deb Gross, 24, of Hamilton, Ontario and Kristin Larion, 23, from Paris, Ontario will spend three weeks teaching kindergarten and year 2/3 students at North Wagga Public School. All three said the opportunity of practice teaching in Australia as well as CSU’s reputation in teacher education were factors which attracted them to the CSU program. Four other CSU Ontario students are doing their practicum teaching in Dubbo at the same time.  Professor Tom Lowrie, head of CSU’s School of Education, said the Australian practicum experience was an exciting component of CSU’s Ontario program which he hoped would be expanded. Read more here.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) Council has welcomed its newest member, Mr Chris Hancock, who brings more than twenty years’ experience in leadership and senior executive positions to the University and is a graduate of CSU. He is also Chief Executive Officer of Australia’s Academic and Research Network (AARNet). “I completed a Bachelor’s degree at CSU and I’m very fond of the University, but more importantly I’m excited about what the University is doing from a regional perspective," said Mr Hancock. “I’m delighted by the appointment of such a distinguished graduate to the CSU Council, the University's governing body. Mr Hancock’s background and skills will enable him to make an outstanding contribution to the University,” said acting Vice Chancellor Professor Ross Chambers. The University also welcomes the reappointments of Ms Susan Benedyka, Dr Geoffrey Wise and Ms Patricia Murphy. "The re-appointments are pleasing because their distinguished record for Council has been recognised,” added Professor Chambers.    

 A Charles Sturt University (CSU) lecturer with a passion for providing support and guidance to first year students studying via distance education has been named the winner of the Vice-Chancellor’s Teaching Excellence Award for 2005. Dr Mir Rabiul Islam, from the School of Social Sciences and Liberal Studies on the University's Bathurst Campus, is course coordinator of the largest undergraduate psychology course, Bachelor of Social Science – Psychology. Including Education/Psychology double degrees, he is coordinating courses for over 450 students. In his online teaching, he strives passionately to use “online strategies” that empower students to be self-sufficient and adaptive to the ever changing needs of life. Student evaluations of his teaching of research methods are extraordinarily high, no mean feat in the area of Advanced Research Methods and Statistics in Psychology unit, a course often regarded as difficult and complex. He considers learning from students as a unique opportunity to assess and re-assess his own professional integrity. Each year the University recognises and encourages excellence in teaching through the presentation of this award. The award will be presented to Dr Islam in May at the Faculty of Arts graduation ceremony.

The Corporate Communication and Media team at Charles Sturt University wish all the media a very safe and happy Christmas and New Year and thank you all for your support and work with CSU over the past year. The University will be closed from 12.30pm Friday 23 December 2005 until Tuesday 3 January 2006.

A member of the Charles Sturt University staff in Bathurst has been named the winner of the Vice-Chancellor's Award for Performance Excellence, for General Staff 2005. Gail Wotton, Food Services Officer at Café Mitchell on CSU’s Bathurst Campus, has been honoured by Vice-Chancellor Professor Ian Goulter for her dedication to her position and the University. Ms Wotton said she couldn’t believe it and offered her thanks to all staff who had supported her. “Everyone in our team is excellent and I’m honoured to be rewarded in this way; it’s the best Christmas present,” added the CSU employee. The Vice-Chancellor's Award for Performance Excellence, for General Staff recognises outstanding contributions by individuals or teams for sustained high level performance. “CSU staff continue to excel in areas such as client service, support for teaching and learning and regional engagement and this award has been established to acknowledge this dedication and commitment of general staff,” said Professor Goulter.

Through one of its leading research centres, Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) has formed an alliance with four leading international theological institutions.  CSU”s Public and Contextual Theology Strategic Research Centre or PACT has played a key role in the formation of the Global Network for Public Theology. “The group will encourage research collaboration and connections with key international civil society networks, whilst CSU will take the lead in developing student exchanges and cooperation within the network,” said Director of PACT, Reverend Professor James Haire.  The principal members of the Network include Charles Sturt University; Beyers Naude Centre for Public Theology at South Africa’s University of Stellenbosch; Centre of Theological Inquiry, Princeton University, USA; Centre for Theology and Public Issues at University of Edinburgh and Manchester Centre for Public Theology at the University of Manchester, UK. PACT is an innovative CSU strategic research centre with a focus on issues in contemporary Australian society.

The respect and affection which staff at Charles Sturt University (CSU) hold for retiring Dean of the Faculty of Education, Professor Bob Meyenn is apparent in their unique choice of retirement gift, a cow and calf. Retiring after 19 years of distinguished service as Dean, a farewell function will be held on Friday, 9 December from 4pm in the James Hardie Dining Room, Centre for Professional Development, CSU, Bathurst. Professor Meyenn will receive a second creative gift from the University at the farewell function. The cow and calf, a gift from Professor Meyenn’s Faculty of Education colleagues, will be delivered to his property in the NSW central west to enjoy during his retirement.

The Remote Telescope at Charles Sturt University (CSU) at Bathurst has a full calendar of observation events plotted for the UNESCO 2009 International Year of Astronomy, which celebrates 400 years since Galileo first turned a telescope to view the night sky. The initiator and administrator of the CSU telescope, Associate Professor David McKinnon at the CSU School of Teacher Education says that images of the southern night sky through the telescope can be seen via the Internet, weather permitting, around themes that depend on which celestial objects are visible at that time. “The observation calendar centres on special events such as the particular phases of the Moon and planets, as well as requests that are lodged via the Remote Telescope website,” Professor McKinnon said. “This year is a wonderful opportunity for school students and anyone interested in astronomy to access the telescope and website to see planets and other objects as they may never have seen them before.”

Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Ontario hosted 15 principals from Peru on Wednesday 6 February for an international exchange of ideas on education and teacher training. As part of their visit to Ontario, the principals toured the campus and its classrooms as guests of the Ontario Principals' Council.  “The Ontario education system has been acknowledged as one of the top four systems in the world, and they particularly wanted to learn about our pre-service teaching program and how it could be used in Peru,” said Associate Head of the CSU Ontario School of Education, Mr Cam Fraser. After a guided tour of CSU facilities in Ontario, the group visited CR Wilson Elementary School in Oakville, Ontario, to see CSU pre-service students in action in the classroom. The Peruvian principals will continue their Ontario tour for another week, based in Toronto.