Charles Sturt University (CSU) staff and current students will welcome about 200 students commencing their studies at CSU in Orange in 2013. They join more than 500 students already completing their courses in Orange. O Week coordinator and student support team leader, Mr Nik Granger, said the first week on campus was a chance for students to get a feel for university life. “O Week allows students to become familiar with their surroundings, staff and other students,” he said. “Charles Sturt University staff are ready to respond to queries about courses, subjects and services available in Orange, and student O Week leaders who have already spent a year or two on campus are on hand to help the new students make the transition”. New students living in the on campus residences will arrive on Sunday 24 February, with the first formal events commencing on Monday 25 February, including an official welcome, with academic procession.

Fresh air and the country lifestyle are thought to be factors in gaining the upper hand at the Roland Bryant Cup, the inaugural sporting event held in Sydney last week between first and second year dentistry students from Charles Sturt University (CSU) and the University of Sydney. “Charles Sturt University won the touch football and University of Sydney won the netball. It came down to Charles Sturt University winning the basketball by one point,” said Dr Sabrina Manickam, senior lecturer at the CSU School of Dentistry and Health Sciences in Orange. “The students were very excited by their win and it was great to see how very proud they all are to belong to Charles Sturt University in Orange.” Student Mr Adam Barrett said, “The win has made Charles Sturt University dentistry students determined to hold the trophy. We’ll have to be prepared next year because Sydney Uni will be keen to beat us.”

The Evocities campaign which aims to encourage Sydney residents to live, work and invest in one of NSW’s seven Evocities, will be launched in Orange, Albury-Wodonga and Wagga Wagga on Friday 24 September. Charles Sturt University (CSU), as a corporate sponsor, is excited about the opportunities this collaborative project will provide. Evocities is a major marketing and public relations campaign funded by the Australian Government and the participating councils, and is supported by the NSW government and corporate sponsors, including CSU. “Research already undertaken indicates that more than 30 per cent of the Sydney population has considered a move to one of the seven Evocities,” said Professor Kevin Parton, Head of Campus at CSU in Orange. “Charles Sturt University is based in five of the seven cities represented, so we are in a great position to support this campaign.”

Having recently returned from a tour of the United Kingdom (UK) through the myOE Travel Scholarship program, Charles Sturt University (CSU) communication student Mr Angus Rutherford has begun his first job even before finishing his studies. “I think the trip to the UK was a great addition to my overall university experience,” Mr Rutherford said. “As part of the scholarship I made a video which showcases my skills in that area. I showed it to [employer] Coxinall Communications and now they have me doing some visual media work as part of my role.” Scholarships like myOE are giving CSU students the ability to discover the possibilities of working professionally overseas after graduating from university. “It was good to see how easily you could get set up in the UK if you wanted to work there,” Mr Rutherford said. For now, Mr Rutherford, from Wellington, NSW, is completing his studies and enjoying his second week of full-time employment in Australia.

A peregrine falcon chick is the newest resident at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Orange. The fledgling hatched from the one of two eggs produced this season by CSU’s resident pair of peregrine falcons, known as Beau and Swift, and was named Snow in reference to the August snowfall in which the egg was laid. The falcons have been permanent residents at the University since 2007, when staff first noticed them hunting from the iconic water tower on campus. CSU staff mounted a nesting box in the tower and fitted it with two video cameras, and the falcons quickly moved in and raised eight healthy chicks there over the following four breeding seasons. The project has been supported by the RAAF 30 Squadron Beaufighters, whose emblem is the peregrine falcon and whose motto is ‘Strike swiftly’, so the two adult birds have been named Swift (female) and Beau (male). This year Swift laid two eggs, but one was lost when it became stuck in Beau’s plumage as he left the nest. Footage from the nest-box cameras has been available on the FalconCamProject website since 2007 but this is the first year a formal study of the birds’ behaviour has been conducted. The site is one of only a handful in the world where a breeding pair of peregrines can be monitored around the clock, because peregrines normally choose to nest in very inaccessible places like cliff faces and quarries.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) will hold Wellness and Wellbeing Expos at its five main campuses, starting in Bathurst on Tuesday 5 and Wednesday 6 February, to promote happier, healthier, more satisfied and more productive employees who are also resilient in an ever-changing workplace. Mr David Tallentire, CSU manager of occupational health and safety, said, “Charles Sturt University recognises and values the importance of staff wellness and wellbeing, and aims to adopt a holistic approach to the treatment of workplace health and safety. The University appreciates that personal problems can adversely affect employees’ work performance, work satisfaction, health, and feelings of wellbeing. We’re running Wellness and Wellbeing Expos to provide information to staff on the many health and wellbeing services available to them at Charles Sturt University and in our local communities, and to participate in workshops.” The Wellness and Wellbeing Expos will be held at CSU in Bathurst on Tuesday 5 and Wednesday 6 February; at CSU in Orange on Thursday 7 February; at CSU in Dubbo on Friday 8 February; at CSU in Wagga Wagga on Monday 11 and Tuesday 12 February; and at CSU in Albury-Wodonga on Thursday 14 February.

School leavers whose Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) was not as high as they had hoped have been told they don’t have to give up their university aspirations, with Charles Sturt University (CSU) continuing its Pathway Program in 2013. The program, a partnership between CSU and TAFE, runs for one year full-time and provides entry options for students who applied to CSU but were unsuccessful, or who need further preparation. Pathway coordinator Ms Sandra Fisher said the program offered multiple benefits. “Upon completion, students receive a Diploma of General Studies from Charles Sturt University and the Certificate IV in Further Education, or Tertiary Preparation Certificate from TAFE,” she said. “They are also guaranteed entry into a range of CSU degrees and may receive credit for some subjects.” The program is offered face-to-face at CSU in Bathurst, Wagga Wagga and Albury-Wodonga, and this year will be offered at CSU in Dubbo as a blended distance education option.

An expert in the study of paranormal events from Charles Sturt University (CSU) believes the only scary thing about Halloween is the risk of tooth decay from all the sweets that children have an excuse to guzzle on the day. Dr Krissy Wilson, Head of CSU’s Science of Anomalistic Phenomena research unit, said the celebration of Halloween most likely started as a pagan tradition that coincided with the new harvest. “It later became a Christian celebration of All Hallows or All Saints Day. Modern times have seen it evolve into ‘Halloween’ – which came literally from ‘hallowed’ or ‘holy’ – that typically involves trick or treating, dressing up in silly outfits and watching horror movies!”

Staff and students of Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Orange are gearing up for National Ride2Work on Wednesday 17 October. The CSU team will be riding as part of Ride2Uni day, which runs concurrently with the Ride2Work activities at university and TAFE campuses across the country. CSU in Orange campus services manager, Mr Mark Chapman, said the University had also held a successful ride for NSW Bike Week last month. “We had a great turnout for that event, and we’re hoping to have even more riders for Ride2Uni day,” he said. “The Ride2Work and Ride2Uni days are a great incentive for people to try riding to work for the first time and to get a sense for the enjoyment and health benefits that can be had from cycling regularly.” The CSU team will muster at Bills Beans on McLachlan Street, Orange, at 8am and leave for the University at about 8.15am. Cyclists will be served a continental breakfast at Banjo’s Café and can register for the ride online.