Celebrating Your Future is the theme of Orientation 2010 at Charles Sturt University (CSU) from Monday 22 to Friday 26 February. In distinctive yellow t-shirts, five student coordinators and 45 student leaders will welcome the new arrivals at CSU in Wagga Wagga as part of the week-long introduction to university life. Orientation 2010 activities include academic information sessions, campus, library and Wagga Wagga city tours as well as social events such as an all-age, alcohol-free pool party from 5 to 8pm on Thursday 25 February. The Head of CSU in Wagga Wagga Mr Adrian Lindner will officially welcome the new students and their families during the Commencement Ceremony from 2 to 3pm in Joyes Hall on Monday 22 February. The Orientation 2010 program, which is coordinated by the Division of Student Services at CSU, can be found here. The University expects to enrol about 2 800 new on-campus students in 2010; 1 050 based at CSU in Wagga Wagga.

A new initiative for selecting students for the pharmacy program at Charles Sturt University (CSU) has led to the arrival in Orange and Wagga Wagga of new students this week. Thirty-eight new students were chosen through the new application process for entry into the Bachelor of Pharmacy degree at CSU in Orange with a further 75 students at CSU in Wagga Wagga. In addition to lodging an application with the University Admissions Centre (UAC), prospective students had to complete a written application form sent directly to CSU. On the basis of this application, interviews were conducted in Orange and Wagga Wagga last December. About 160 applicants were asked questions by interview panels of CSU academics, members of the community and pharmacists from across the NSW Riverina and Central West regions. “Charles Sturt University believes the new approach to selecting students for our pharmacy program in 2010 beyond the traditional academic results offers greater opportunities to find students and ultimately graduates who are genuinely committed to pharmacy in regional and rural Australia,” said Head of the School of Biomedical Sciences, Associate Professor Lyndall Angel.

New figures released by Charles Sturt University (CSU) show significant savings for the environment in the management of its vehicle fleet. The data prepared by CSU’s Division of Finance reveals that although the distance travelled by CSU vehicles on official business rose last year by eight per cent, from 6.3 million kilometres in 2008 to 6.8 million, the amount of fuel consumed dropped from 664 000 litres in 2008 to 580 000 in 2009, a decline of 84 000 litres or over 12 per cent. “The carbon emissions saved through the greater efficiency of the University’s vehicle fleet is about 380 tonnes of carbon - the equivalent of taking 88 cars off the road for 2009,” said CSU Green Manager, Mr William Adlong. CSU vehicles are used to support staff on official University business including travelling between campuses in five major NSW regional centres as well as in Canberra, Goulburn and Sydney. “We hope to improve these figures with staff encouraged to consider using practical alternatives to travelling between campuses, such as video-conferencing, or sharing vehicles.” Over 60 per cent of CSU’s transport fleet are lower emission vehicles, such as four cylinder petrol, gas, diesel or hybrid.

Among hundreds of students who will spend this week getting to know the academic and social side to university life are Wagga Wagga twins Ms Rosemary and Mr Austin Teakel. The 18 year old twins will spend the next four years at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Wagga Wagga studying the same degree, a Bachelor of Education (Technology and Applied Studies).   Approximately 1 050 students are expected to enrol as on campus students at CSU in Wagga Wagga in 2010. Celebrating Your Future is the theme of Orientation 2010, which continues this week ahead of classes commencing on Monday 1 March.  During the week, students will be fundraising for the NSW Volunteer Rescue Association with the hope of raising $5 000 for the organisation. The official Orientation 2010 program, coordinated by the Division of Student Services at CSU, can be found here.  Read more CSU News about Orientation 2010 here. 

Australia and Finland may be geographically poles apart but researchers from both countries are striving to best prepare teachers for their profession. As part of their development, two academics from Finland are braving Australia’s February heat to visit Charles Sturt University (CSU) after discovering the institution’s reputation as a leader in research on professional practice, teacher education and learning. CSU’s Research Institute for Professional Practice, Learning and Education  (RIPPLE) is hosting Professor Petri Salo from Abo Akademi University and Dr Hannu Heikkinin from the University of Jyväskylä as they collaborate on joint research projects with CSU. Leading international education researcher, Professor Stephen Kemmis from CSU, said, “Professor Petri Salo is working with our team on a three-year Australian Research Council project investigating the connections between practices of school leadership and professional development and how these can lead to changes in students’ academic and social practices, while Dr Hannu Heikkinen is collaborating with RIPPLE researchers on mentoring for new teachers.”

The earthquake and tsunami that hit Chile on Sunday 28 February are reminders of the harshness of nature and the need for governments, emergency services and relief agencies to plan for natural disasters, says an expert in disaster management from Charles Sturt University (CSU). Mr Ian Manock, lecturer in emergency management at CSU’s Australian Graduate School of Policing, said that with a burgeoning world population and in spite of increasing technology, research shows that the incidence of damage to facilities and harm to people from the impact of natural and technological hazards is increasing exponentially. He said the disaster will no doubt have emergency service agencies in Chile pushed beyond their limits and the international community will be called on to assist.

Five days into the start of the new academic year and on campus students at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Wagga Wagga are being asked to consider  and sign-up for a variety of social and sporting activities for 2010. The annual Clubs Day will be held from midday until 5pm on Friday 5 March at CSU in Wagga Wagga. Organised by the Rivcoll Student Representative Committee (SRC) and the Division of Student Services at CSU, Clubs Day will showcase over 40 social and sports clubs  ranging from equestrian, hockey and rugby union groups, to clubs focusing on animation, pharmacy and wine. Clubs Day, including an array of tents, stalls, giveaways and a barbeque, will be held in the quadrangle near the student canteen in building 20, near car park 2, Darnell Smith Drive, CSU in Wagga Wagga. Read more about sports clubs at CSU in Wagga Wagga here, and read more about social clubs at CSU in Wagga Wagga here.

A grassroots energy saving project conducted in the School of Education at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Wagga Wagga has reached its halfway mark, with preliminary results showing substantial cuts in electricity use. Energy use has been reduced over a two-week period by between 16 per cent and as much as 74 per cent, with an average reduction per staff member of 37 per cent. “While energy-savvy, many of the 16 participants have been surprised by the amount of energy that can be saved by simply switching off a power point,” said the project’s leader, Ms Barbara Conlan. “We also hope to raise student awareness about the energy saving, which will hopefully encourage energy saving behaviour within the education institutions in which they will work.” Mr William Adlong, Manager of CSU Green, which coordinates the grant scheme, said, “The University aims to reduce its energy consumption by 10 per cent and to reduce its water use by 25 per cent by 2011. Initiatives such as this project will help us reach these targets."

In any industry freelancing is not for the faint-hearted, but a Charles Sturt University (CSU) graduate has one successful year under her belt and is confident her second will be even better. Ms Gemma Thornton had experiences as varied as sailing on the eco-boat ‘Ady Gil’ and maintaining the boat’s videoblog while moored in New Zealand’s Auckland Harbour, to working on broadcasts for the ABC and SBS. Ms Thornton, who grew up in Ulladulla on the NSW South Coast, finished a Bachelor of Arts in Television Production in 2008. She says she was prepared to give freelancing a go for a year to “see if I could carve out a career”. “During the past year I found the skills and training gained at Charles Sturt University were outstanding and stand up well in professional practice. I feel well-prepared to go out on my own for another year,” she said. “The opportunity to work last November as a volunteer on the ‘Ady Gil’, one of the boats operated by the Sea Shepherd conservation group, was incredible. I really felt that we could make a difference. Of course it’s a memory cherished more fondly since the boat was sunk in the Antarctic in January.” Ms Thornton says the contacts she built in 2009 will help her find work in television studios doing camera operating and assistance work this year.