The doors to new student residential accommodation under construction at Charles Sturt University (CSU) at Wagga Wagga will be open to staff and students for inspection on Wednesday 26 November. The work, being undertaken by Joss Construction, will provide 200 new on campus beds for CSU students in the 2009 academic year, and is part of a large scale project for 600 new on campus beds across CSU campuses that will expand the range of student accommodation at the University to about 3 000 beds. Each block of 10 modular concrete and corrugated iron buildings will provide self-catered accommodation, with open plan kitchens and living areas, dedicated study facilities and high quality data networks. The new residences are clad with 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 air conditioning. Rainwater collected from roofs will be used to flush toilets.

Landholders in the Greater Hume Shire of southern NSW can state the land management incentives that they prefer - such as fixed grants, rate relief, stewardship payments for existing practices or tenders - in a study being conducted by Charles Sturt University (CSU). Social researcher with CSU’s Institute for Land, Water and Society, Mr Jonathon Howard, said the study was the first attempt in Australia to map landholder preferences for different types of land management incentives across the landscape. “Government agencies are looking for more effective ways to achieve environmental outcomes,” Mr Howard said. “Catchment management authorities usually provide incentives through fixed grants or tenders but rarely ask people on the land what they actually need. This survey allows landholders to have their say on what sorts of programs should be available to them.” The study will help catchment authorities select the best incentive programs to address particular environmental issues. Landholders in the Greater Hume Shire are encouraged to complete a survey they will receive in the post during December. The study is in association with the Murray Catchment Management Authority, CSIRO and the Council.

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.

Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) Institute for Land, Water and Society has welcomed three new members to its Advisory Board who will support the Institute’s development as an internationally recognised provider of research in social and environmental sustainability. Ms Samantha Edmonds from the Council of Social Service of NSW (NCOSS) has joined Dr Shayne Williams, Senior Lecturer in Indigenous Education Studies at CSU, and PhD student Ms Anna Lukasiewicz, as the new appointments. The new board appointees reflect the diversity of ILWS members and research. Ms Edmonds, who is NCOSS’ Deputy Director, Policy and Communications, will meet with ILWS researchers on Wednesday 10 December at CSU at Wagga Wagga. She will speak about social services policy and needs, and discuss research collaborations with ILWS members.

Ms Kate Lewis, who was one of two Charles Sturt University (CSU) photography students to be short-listed in the National Photographic Portrait Prize 2009, has been honoured by having a second portrait short-listed in another major national competition. Ms Lewis’ portrait entitled ‘Paul’ has been listed as a finalist in the 18 years and over category for the 2008 Australian Human Rights Commission Photo Competition. The winner will be announced on Wednesday 10 December. Ms Lewis this year completed the Bachelor of Arts (Photography)  in the School of Visual and Performing Arts at CSU at Wagga Wagga. The 2008 graduating class of the photography program are currently showcasing their works in the exhibition Solo at the Wagga Wagga Art Gallery.

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.

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.”