“The most important thing a teacher can do each day is to teach so that students want to come back tomorrow.” Charles Sturt University (CSU) Ontario teacher education students were challenged by these words from keynote speaker Les Asselstine at the Fourth Annual Integrated Curriculum Conference held in February. Mr Asselstine also spoke about the importance of building inquiry into all school students’ learning activities. Other sessions focused on integrating science and social studies through dance, drama, media, technology, visual arts and literacy activities in the primary and junior divisions.  Students also attended a field trip to Crawford Lake, a 15th Century reconstructed Iroquoian Village. At the end of the conference, one CSU student said, “It’s important not to ‘section off’ parts of the day, but rather to ‘live’ the curriculum all the time, connecting learning to real life at every chance”.

As part of Orientation Week at Charles Sturt University (CSU) Orange, academics at the School of Dentistry and Health Sciences will meet the 40 students they will spend the next five years teaching. “We are very excited about spending time with the students preparing them for the semester ahead,” senior lecturer Dr Sabrina Manickam said. “As well as theory-based learning, the students will experience hands-on dentistry in Session 2 in the simulation lab and clinical environments.” The introduction session is part of a full schedule of orientation events happening at five of CSU’s campuses this week. New students, including those living on and off campus, can participate in campus and library tours, attend compulsory academic information sessions and complete online enrolment as well as participate in a range of social activities.

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.

At its final meeting for 2008 on Thursday 18 December, the University Council of Charles Sturt University (CSU) congratulated Associate Professor David McKinnon and Dr Lena Danaia from the School of Teacher  Education for winning a prestigious 2008 Australian Award for University Teaching. The Chancellor of CSU, Mr Lawrie Willett, AO, said “The Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC) award reflects the dedication and expertise of Professor McKinnon and Dr Danaia, and that of their School, the Faculty of Education and the whole University. We are proud of their contributions to the education of the professions for our regions and the nation. This award reflects Charles Sturt University’s mission to provide education and research to national and international standards, for the people of inland Australia.” Read more about the ALTC award here.

Local and international scientists specialising in condensed matter and materials will converge on Charles Sturt University (CSU) at Wagga Wagga this week for the 33rd Annual Condensed Matter and Materials Meeting.  Organising committee member, Associate Professor Trevor Finlayson, said it's an opportunity for scientists to discuss current research and future directions. “Over 100 people are attending and the program will include a session on ‘soft matter’ – an interdisciplinary field featuring studies of biomaterials,” he said. The program includes topics important to Australian science, such as the status of the international Avogadro project, a collaborative project to establish a new standard for mass, and an update on Synroc, the Australian-discovered artificial mineral with the potential to successfully process radioactive waste materials. “Condensed matter and materials scientists are important because their research leads to new applications of materials with improved properties for the benefit of society,” Professor Finlayson said.

Recent media reports of a dengue fever ‘plague’ in northern Queensland are an overstatement of what periodically occurs in that State, according to a senior Charles Sturt University (CSU) academic and member of the Institute for Land, Water and Society. “I don’t see dengue fever marching south from tropical Australia as a great plague, but rather gradually moving with the fluctuations and movements of climate change over many years,” says Professor Kevin Parton. “My work on Ross River fever, a similarly mosquito-borne disease endemic to parts of southern Australia, shows that the virus is present in humans across NSW – which would surprise many people. It becomes more common in certain weather conditions, hence the appearance of an ‘outbreak’. Sure, take public health precautions such as use insect repellent, fix fly screens and tip out standing water around your house, but some current reports are a little sensationalist.”

The Neonatal Emergency Transport Service (NETS) team from Sydney will conduct a seminar on neonatal emergency care and retrieval for Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) School of Nursing and Midwifery in Wagga Wagga on Friday 30 January. NETS is well known in rural NSW as the team flies to hospitals in Wagga Wagga and outlying areas to stabilise and transport sick babies to major hospitals for specialist care. “The seminar is for student midwives returning to a residential school at CSU after six months of clinical practice. The School has also invited 20 local midwives to attend. We see it as very important to participate in and promote the ongoing education of nurses and midwives,” Ms Shackleton said. “Most nurses and midwives in rural hospitals will have participated in the retrieval of a sick baby by the NETS team. These babies are usually very tiny and sick, so they require the highest level of professional nursing and medical care to achieve the best possible outcome.”

Demand for health and education courses offered to Victorian students by Charles Sturt University (CSU) at Albury-Wodonga continues to be healthy, says the University’s Student Administration Executive Director, Mr Geoff Honey. “The physiotherapy course appears to be full, while our other allied health and education courses have been in strong demand from Victorian students,” Mr Honey said. “However, there are places available in most offered courses on the campus, especially in environmental science and business.” Offers for CSU places through the NSW University Admissions Centre will be made this Thursday 22 January. Orientation Week for new students will commence on Monday 16 February. Victorian applicants considering a CSU course should contact the University’s Student Administration Office on (02) 6051 6811 to discuss their application.

An executive with over 25 years experience in the Australian advertising industry says she understands why Charles Sturt University (CSU) advertising and advertising/marketing graduates are so highly sought by the industry. Ms Anne Llewellynn has joined the CSU School of Communication at Bathurst as lecturer in advertising after a career as a senior account director for major agencies including McCann-Erickson, MDO (Mojo) and DDB, where her expertise contributed to the success of a range of national and international products and services in the pharmaceutical, cosmetics, consumer goods, banking and finance sectors. “Last year I worked with final year students in the School’s advertising agency Kajulu Communications to prepare complete communications recommendations for real clients,” Ms Llewellynn said. “The presentations and the calibre of the work produced by some of these students were industry standard. The students graduating from this School enter the industry with the highest academic qualifications and hands-on industry experience.”