A new agreement will be signed between Charles Sturt University (CSU) and Anglicare Canberra and Goulburn on Monday 21 March. The purpose of the agreement is to further develop the relationship between the higher education institution and the welfare agency over the next five years. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) outlines a number of ways the two organisations can foster future cooperation. These include initiatives such as adjunct academic appointments; reciprocal ethics committee arrangements; and expanding workplace learning opportunities for CSU students with Anglicare Canberra and Goulburn in areas such as social work, allied health and nursing. Course Director from the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at CSU in Wagga Wagga Dr Bill Anscombe said, “As Charles Sturt University is one of the leading providers of social work, nursing and allied health education in Australia, the new broad ranging Memorandum of Understanding will give us more opportunities to ensure our students are ‘work ready’’. The MoU will be signed by the University’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) Professor Ross Chambers and Bishop Stuart Robinson from the Anglican Diocese of Canberra and Goulburn at 12midday on Monday 21 March. The ceremony will take place in the Chancellor’s Room in the Convention Centre, building 230, near car park 16, Jingellic Place at CSU in Wagga Wagga.

The support Charles Sturt University (CSU) offers staff serving as Reservists in the Australian Defence Force (ADF) has been publicly recognised at a reception at the Army Recruit Training Centre at Kapooka on Thursday 24 February. Head of the Cadet, Reserve and Employer Support Division of the ADF, Major General Paul Brereton AM RFD presented the NSW Employer Support Award 2011 to the Head of Campus at CSU in Wagga Wagga, Mr Adrian Lindner. The award was presented because 'Charles Sturt University is an organisation that values and supports its Defence Reserves. It has made generous provision in its employment policies to allow individuals to undertake their Reserve Service'. CSU was nominated for the award by Army Reservist Major Wendy DeLuca, who is a lecturer with the School of Education at CSU in Wagga Wagga.  CSU has provision within its leave policy for staff involved in the ADF Reserves.

Some of the key educational facilities available to students at Charles Sturt University (CSU) will be on show in Wagga Wagga when senior military figures visit the campus on Wednesday 9 March. Commandant of the Army Recruit Training Centre at Kapooka, Colonel David Hay, Commandant of RAAF College, Group Captain Anthony Checker and Naval Commander, Lieutenant Commander Linton Lee will be guests of CSU from 9am to 12.30pm. Head of Campus at CSU in Wagga Wagga Mr Adrian Lindner will accompany the trio on visits to the Oral Health and Dental Clinic, the Veterinary Clinical Centre and the Media Centre, including the professional television studio space. The trip will conclude at the CSU Winery and lunch. The senior ADF leaders will also meet with a number of CSU academics representing a cross section of disciplines.  Mr Lindner said, “The city is fortunate to the presence of all three defence forces and as part of our engagement with the local community, Charles Sturt University is delighted to host this familiarisation tour for the military leaders. The collaboration between our institution and the ADF encompasses defence personnel undertaking our courses, graduates recruited by the ADF as professionals and our role as an employer of relatives ADF personnel based in Wagga Wagga.”

Three students studying dental science, medical radiation science and journalism at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst, Orange and Wagga Wagga have been named the winners of the inaugural Residence Life International Travel Scholarships.  The new competitive scholarship scheme was established to recognise the outstanding work and commitment to continual improvement demonstrated by students within the CSU Halls of Residence.  Mr Oran Yota, a Bachelor of Dental Science student  in Orange, will use his $2 500 scholarship for a trip to Wattana Hospital in northeast Thailand. “I will be looking at the hospital’s dental programs, how dentists are perceived in other cultures and how they teach people in the local community,” Mr Yota said. Ms Madeline Jensen, a Bachelor of Medical Radiation Science student at CSU in Wagga Wagga, will put her $1 250 scholarship towards an overseas volunteering program in Vietnam working with orphans with disabilities in June. Ms Gabrielle Timmins, a Bachelor of Communication (Journalism) student in Bathurst, has also been awarded $1 250. She is developing a documentary examining young entrepreneurs in India, sustainable tourism initiatives and the transformation of rural India.

Research into how native fish move through river systems, specifically factors that affect how fish larvae swim, is underway at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Albury-Wodonga. CSU fish ecologist, Dr Paul Humphries, is working with Associate Professor Hubert Keckeis, from the University of Vienna in Austria, to discover how native fish survive in Australian rivers. “As rivers in the Murray Darling Basin come under greater pressure due to drought, climate change and diminishing water resources, we need to learn more about how native freshwater fish such as the iconic Murray Cod survive and what we can do to help them,” Dr Humphries said. “This has major implications for the health of rivers in the Basin and the recreational fishing carried out in them.” This week is National Native Fish Week. Professor Keckeis is visiting CSU to learn techniques developed in Australia for use in the rehabilitation of the giant Danube River that runs across southern Europe, including his native Austria.

The results of a collaborative project that includes speech pathology students from Charles Sturt University (CSU) will be on show this week for schools around Albury and Australia. During the year, second and fourth year students have provided innovative programs aimed at improving children’s communication skills in public schools across the southern Riverina region, including Albury. As part of the School Project, students have developed resources and lesson plans for teachers so they can continue to help their students develop skills in listening, literacy, public speaking and interviewing. A website making some of these available for use by teachers around Australia and overseas will be launched during the showcase. The “Schools Showcase Event”, which highlights some of this year’s best student projects, will be held between 5pm and 6pm on Thursday 28 October at the Nowik Theatres, Guinea St, Albury, as part of the final year Student Speech Pathology Conference. Student teams will display their projects for teachers, education department staff, and interested professionals over wine and cheese.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) is addressing the critical need for professionals in regional Australia, such as accountants and nurses, with a program that encourages TAFE diploma students to enrol in CSU degrees. Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) Professor Ross Chambers said CSU will guarantee entry into most of its undergraduate courses to people who have completed diplomas and advanced diplomas from any TAFE institution in Australia. “In addition, TAFE students who have also completed a Tertiary Preparation Certificate (TPC) and gained  a Tertiary Entrance Score of 157 or over are also eligible for guaranteed entry into Charles Sturt University undergraduate courses,” Professor Chambers said. This program is in addition to the existing scholarship program between CSU and a number of regional and metropolitan TAFE institutions across NSW and Victoria. “Charles Sturt University is committed to supporting the aspirations of TAFE graduates.  It provides pathways to its professional degrees from TAFE diplomas and advanced diplomas based on substantial credit for prior learning,” Professor Chambers said.  

Two Charles Sturt University (CSU) student advertising teams have again been named as finalists in the annual 2010 International Advertising Association’s (IAA) National inter-University ‘Big Idea’ competition. Ms Anne Llewellynn, lecturer in advertising, at the School of Communication and Creative Industries in Bathurst, said, “Teams from the University’s Kajulu Communications have won the national competition five times in the last seven years. The competition attracts entries from all IAA-accredited institutions around Australia and the IAA invites two teams from each to submit an industry-standard professional campaign presentation for an Australian charity or not-for-profit organisation. This year, the client was the outback charity, Frontier Services. For any team to make the top three is a huge achievement, and I couldn’t be happier or hope for more than to have both Charles Sturt University teams - Kajulu Blue and Kajulu Red - as two of the three finalists.” Congratulating all the teams in the competition, Mr Tim Parker, chair of the IAA judging panel, said, “All of the judges were stunned by the depth and the quality of the submissions, which is a tribute to the smart young people involved and the faculties they represent”.

The issues surrounding the sexualisation of girls will be discussed at a public lecture in Narrandera on Wednesday 3 November. Lecturer in philosophy and ethics at Charles Sturt University (CSU) Dr Emma Rush will give an overview of what researchers and experts have to say about the risks associated with the sexualisation of girls and explain the government’s response. Dr Rush will also identify resources for parents and professionals who work with girls. “As a society we must strive for the development of healthy and happy girls,” Dr Rush said. “Yet we are now seeing miniature celebrity fashion magazines, lip gloss and padded bras being sold for everyday use by girls from the age of eight. The increasing pressure on girls to meet very narrow appearance ideals at younger and younger ages is of significant concern to experts in child health and welfare.” The free lecture Getting Real: Challenging the Sexualisation of Girls will be held from 6pm at Saint Joseph’s School in Larmer Street, Narrandera.  CSU wine and cheese will be served after the lecture.