The recent decision by the Federal government to reduce the Higher Education Contribution Scheme (HECS) loan repayments for science and mathematics programs offered by Australian universities is a positive message for young Australians, especially those in inland areas, says the Dean of the Faculty of Science at Charles Sturt University (CSU), Professor Nick Klomp. “The move recognises the importance of science for Australia’s future in the knowledge world,” he says. “Although total university enrolments have increased in recent decades, enrolments in science courses have not. This recent federal announcement will help Australia obtain the science graduates it needs to meet the scientific, environmental and technological challenges of the 21st century.” CSU offers science courses in such diverse areas as agricultural, veterinary and wine sciences, dental, biomedical and health sciences, environmental and water sciences, and science teaching.

A research project at Charles Sturt University (CSU) using global positioning system (GPS) collars to track the movement of ewes and their newborn lambs aims to reduce the high lamb mortality rate and boost farm productivity. Starvation, mismothering and exposure contribute to up to 40 per cent of lamb mortalities and the rate for twins is higher, but appropriately designed ‘sheep shelters’ could reduce these levels. Based at the School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, PhD student Mr John Broster says a greater understanding of how animals use shelter and appropriate shelter design may lead to a decrease in deaths. “I’m looking at how both ewes and newborn lambs use two different types of shelter: shrub rows and shorter hedgerows of either phalaris (a perennial pasture), or artificial hessian cloth,” he said. Preliminary data from the electronic tracking devices has shown that reducing wind speed through shelter has influenced lamb survival rates. “The project is important because the results will demonstrate to farmers the optimum shelter design in order to improve newborn lamb survival, which will increase farmers’ income. Farmers may also choose to design tree plantings to suit the needs of sheep during lambing.” The 3 year project is funded by the Future Farm Industries Cooperative Research Centre and is using an EverGraze project site in the Tarcutta catchment in southern NSW.

A keynote address by a Charles Sturt University (CSU) academic to a national conference in Melbourne on Monday 22 September will advocate that the concept of ‘cultural competence’ is necessary as a teaching framework for university-trained professionals because social attitudes and the services professionals provide to Indigenous Australians remain powerful barriers to achieving social justice. Ms Wendy Nolan, lecturer and Deputy Director of the Charles Sturt University (CSU) Centre for Indigenous Studies at its Dubbo Campus in NSW, will speak on Changing Paradigms, Changing Practices: A Cultural Competency Approach at the Indigenous Australians: Safe and Competent Counselling Practices Conference. “Australia’s professionals must have the skills to increase their professional capacity to work effectively to achieve social justice for Indigenous Australians,” Ms Nolan said. “Australian universities have a significant role to ensure that all graduates have a sound knowledge and understanding of Indigenous cultures, histories and issues.”

Special recognition has been given by Charles Sturt University (CSU) to several staff for their commitment to developing their leadership and management skills. CSU Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Ian Goulter, attended a special presentation for the staff in Wagg Wagga on Monday 22 September for the seven staff who completed the Graduate Certificate in University Leadership and Management. The qualification is offered through the CSU Faculty of Business as part of a CSU objective to provide a range of learning opportunities and resources for current and future leaders. The staff are Mr Peter Jones, Manager of Campus Services in the Division of Facilities Management (DFM) at the Albury-Wodonga Campus; Ms Shelley McMenamin, University Records Manager in the Division of Information Technology (DIT), Albury-Wodonga Campus; Mr Jorge Rebolledo, Academic Registrar and lecturer in Research Methods at the United Theological College, Parramatta Campus; Mr Brian Roberson, Manager, Technology Integration in DIT, Bathurst Campus; Mr Wayne Millar, Director of Operations in the DFM; Mr Sam Parker, Team Leader, Systems and Business Processes at the Learning Materials Centre at Wagga Wagga Campus; and Mrs Miriam Dayhew, University Ombudsman.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) staff and students are being encouraged to participate in a Walk at Work Day on CSU’s Wagga Wagga Campus on Friday 3 October. As part of the Pedestrian Council of Australia’s Walk to Work Day, the University’s Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) Committee has organised a four kilometre walk around the campus before work. The walk will start at 7.15am from the quadrangle outside the Nosh Pit canteen and will proceed along Tabbita Walk, Keajura Walk, Walla Walk, Valder Way, Pine Gully Road, Pugsley Place, Nathan Cobb Drive and then cross country back to the starting point for a free healthy breakfast. The breakfast will be served between 8am and 9am. Prizes will be presented for best outfits, including headwear, in the categories of individual and team walkers.

Olives from Charles Sturt University (CSU) have placed well in the 2008 Royal Canberra Extra Virgin Olive Oil Show. During a ceremony held on Saturday 20 September, the olive oil produced by ‘Long Paddock Olive Rustlers at Charles Sturt University’ received two silver medals and a bronze medal. In the show’s Class One Small Volume Bottled Category, the oils known as Suspence and After Glow received silver, and the oil Heritage Trees received bronze. “I am absolutely delighted at these results in the national competition for the industry,” said Mr Shane Cummins from Long Paddock Olive Rustlers. “The medals are a tribute to the quality of the olives picked from the Experimental Olive Grove and Heritage Olive at CSU earlier this year.” The 7th Royal Canberra Extra Virgin Olive Oil Show was conducted under the auspices of the Royal National Capital Agricultural Society to showcase the quality product now being produced by the Australian olive oil industry. Read more about the two olive groves at CSU’s Wagga Wagga Campus here.

Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) strong tradition of working with farmers to provide solutions to agricultural challenges is continuing through collaboration on a project with Murrumbidgee Landcare to manage drought through sustainable farming systems. Funded by grocery giant Woolworths, the project was launched by the NSW Minister for Primary Industries, The Hon. Ian Macdonald, MP, at the Henty Machinery Fields Days in the Riverina on Tuesday 23 September. Researchers from the EH Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation will work on the project with Murrumbidgee Landcare and farmers at Henty, Junee, Mirrool Creek and Harden. Centre director Professor Deirdre Lemerle says encouraging farmers to retain the stubble from cereal crops, rather than burning it, increases soil moisture and carbon content. “The funding means we can continue to work closely with farmers to manage stubble for soil health, which, in association with integrated weed management, aims to secure the long term sustainability of agriculture,” she said.

An innovative Charles Sturt University (CSU) program to educate and train Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders to work as mental health and drug and alcohol practitioners in their communities will be on show later this week. Nine final year students in the Bachelor of Health Science (Mental Health) will attend an Indigenous mental health conference on CSU’s Wagga Wagga Campus on Thursday 25 September. The students from across Australia will address mental health topics involving colonisation, carers, Aboriginal women, drugs and sexual assault. Known as the Djirruwang Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Mental Health program, the course aims to build workforce capacity and improve health care in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities by equipping the graduates to work in mainstream and cultural organisations and communities. The conference is being held during the students’ final residential school at CSU. Professor Elaine Duffy, Head of the CSU School of Nursing and Midwifery, Mr Ray Eldridge, the Manager of CSU Indigenous Support Unit, and Mr Wayne Rigby, the Director of the Djirruwang program, will also address the conference.

With a significant percentage of stroke victims left with speech and language impairments, Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) speech pathology course is training a new generation of therapists to ensure that the focus is always on getting people back to the activities that are important to them. Lecturer at CSU’s School of Community Health, Ms Libby Clark, believes that rehabilitation after stroke is something that should not stop at the hospital door. “It needs to reach right back to the community level to support people who have strokes to get back into the everyday activities that give their lives meaning,” she says. “The CSU program strongly emphasises the social aspects of health to students. This teaches them to think beyond what the person can’t do, and to think about what the person can do, and what everyday activities are important to the person. Our students get very practical, hands-on experience during the four year course, with a real emphasis on working in partnership with the client and their families.”