The summer perennial weed Silverleaf Nightshade is estimated to cost agriculture millions of dollars every year in reduced crop and pasture production. Researchers at the EH Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation, an alliance between Charles Sturt University (CSU) and the NSW Department of Primary Industries, are half way through a project to look for innovative solutions to tackle the invasive weed. At a field day to be held on Thursday 4 December, Dr Rex Stanton will speak at a Leeton trial site about the effective chemical control of Silverleaf Nightshade. At a second site at Narrandera, he will discuss the use of mulch crops in suppressing the weed. The trial sites were established to investigate the role that competitive crops and herbicides can play in challenging the weed’s dominance.

Construction of the new 200-bed residential development for Charles Sturt University (CSU) students is nearly complete on the University’s Thurgoona site, and CSU students and staff will be able to inspect some of the new facilities on Thursday 20 November. On completion, ten modular concrete and corrugated iron buildings will each house 20 students in self-catering accommodation. The development will include ‘open plan’ kitchens and living areas in each block, with two buildings enclosing an open courtyard. The corrugated iron, which is light, strong, adaptable and durable, shields the internal concrete walls from the summer heat, enabling the buildings to maintain a more constant temperature without the use of expensive air conditioning. Rainwater collected from roofs will be used to flush toilets, while wastewater, or ‘grey water’, from kitchens and bathrooms will be pumped into the existing grey water treatment ponds on the Thurgoona site. Three buildings totalling 120 beds will be completed by the start of the academic year in February 2009, with a further 80 beds to be ready by April.

With the launch of his new book Nurse Managers, A Guide to Practice (2nd Edition) on Thursday 11 December, Charles Sturt University (CSU) Associate Head of the School of Nursing and Midwifery and Senior Lecturer in Mental Health Nursing, Dr Andrew Crowther, is thrilled that the United State Joint Commission has already ordered 500 copies. The Joint Commission is the predominant body for standard setting and accreditation in health care in the USA. “The text offers nurse managers practical advice and tools in order to work effectively, so it’s rewarding when a group like this verifies your work by ordering so many copies,” Dr Crowther said. A collaboration of experienced international authors has produced this innovative resource to address the range of problems facing nurse managers. “The book offers contemporary perspectives on the variety of daily issues that confront the nurse manager during the early stages of his or her managerial career.”

For the first time, Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) Regional Bonus Point (RBP) scheme is available to school leavers in regional areas across Australia. “The scheme has been open to school leavers who studied their tertiary entry exam in regional or remote schools in NSW, Queensland and Victoria,” said CSU Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Ian Goulter. “Now school leavers from other states and territories will automatically receive the Regional Bonus Points.” The RBP program is an equity program targeting regional youth. The program offers an additional five points to the university admission score. “CSU recognises that higher education participation rates are quite often lower in regional, non-metropolitan areas so the RBP program gives regional students easier access to courses at any of our campuses.” More information on the RBP scheme is available here.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) has consolidated its commitment to sustainable development and environmental conservation with the establishment of the CSU Green Office on Monday 8 December. Mr William Adlong has been appointed the inaugural manager of CSU Green, and starting on the same day is the new CSU Energy Manager, Mr Edward Maher. Both officers are committed to reducing the University’s energy and water use in line with CSU targets. “The University wants to reduce its energy consumption by 10 per cent and reduce its water use by 25 per cent by 2011. CSU Green aims to bring together staff and student efforts for the environment to help us reach these targets,” said Mr Adlong, who has worked and studied extensively in this area. Mr Maher draws on years of experience with Sydney Water, including the management of the Every Drop Counts Business Program.

A new charter has been designed by Charles Sturt University (CSU) to articulate what it means for students to be members of the wider CSU community. The Student Charter has been publicly released after being endorsed by the University’s Academic Senate on Wednesday 3 December. The document outlines the University’s values, ranging from intellectual independence, to the dissemination of knowledge, social justice and economic, social and environmental sustainability. The Student Charter sets out what students can expect of CSU and the University’s expectations of its student body. These expectations include respect and tolerance, honesty and integrity and positive participation in teaching, learning, professional and research activities. “The purpose of the charter is to promote engagement between students and the broader CSU community, and to help students and staff of the University understand the expectations they may have of each other,” said CSU Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration), Professor Lyn Gorman. “The introduction of the charter is a welcome move as it clearly outlines how the University and students can work together productively to benefit all,” said Mr David Atkinson, President of the Student Senate. Read the CSU Student Charter here.

In conjunction with the final Charles Sturt University (CSU) Council meeting for 2008, to be held in Bathurst on Thursday 18 December, representatives of the University, Bathurst Regional Council (BRC) and Orange City Council (OCC) will celebrate the continuing success of collaboration between these key regional organisations. CSU Chancellor Mr Lawrie Willett, AO, and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ian Goulter, will host an end of year catch-up at the University on Wednesday 17 December for members of the CSU Council with local government partners including the Mayor of Orange, Cr Reg Kidd, the Mayor of Bathurst, Cr Paul Toole and Bathurst Regional Councillors, as well as BRC General Manager, Mr David Sherley, and other senior staff.

The changing communication needs of Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) multi-campus environment have led the institution to secure the services of global company, Interactive Intelligence. The firm, which provides contact centre and IP telephony products and services, has won the contract to deploy a unified communications platform across CSU by the end of 2009. . In a competitive tender process, the Interactive Intelligence all-in-one IP communications software suite, Customer Interaction Center® (CIC), was selected. “The aging PABX platform is increasingly difficult to maintain and unable to scale with the University’s changing communications requirements,” said Mr Phil Roy, Director of Operations at CSU’s Division of Information Technology. “The new unified communications solution will be implemented by Interactive Intelligence partner, CallTime Solutions. It is unique in Australia in that it is a single software platform with several features. In addition to all campuses, the University will roll out the new IP telephony system to the University’s new student residential accommodation under construction at CSU at Bathurst, Thurgoona and Wagga Wagga, It will also be deployed for the University’s new dentistry and oral health therapy program.”

Ten Indonesian national sports coaches are undertaking intensive training for an Advanced Certificate in Sport Conditioning at Charles Sturt University (CSU) at Bathurst this week following the success of the Indonesian team at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Dr Stephen Bird from the CSU School of Human Movement Studies said, “The Olympics success has led to CSU signing a contract for the University to provide expertise to the Indonesian national team in the lead-up to the South-East Asian Games in 2009. CSU will provide coaching and technical support, particularly for strength and conditioning, for all athletes across 25 sports that include fencing, boxing, taekwondo, canoeing, track and field and badminton.” The Indonesian coaches conclude their CSU training on Friday 19 December, and then in January 2009 Dr Bird and colleague Mr Benjamin Barrington-Higgs will travel to Indonesia to launch the Physical Preparation Unit for 227 athletes in the Indonesian National Elite Athlete Program.