People will fence, plant, prune and plan new and existing gardens as part of a Permablitz to be held in Thurgoona on Saturday 6 November. Charles Sturt University (CSU) and the Albury-Wodonga Environment Centre will host the Permablitz which is a community project to redevelop existing gardens and cleared paddocks around the Inland Living Experience (ILE) House on the University’s Thurgoona site. Activities for participants will include establishing ‘no-dig’ and perennial herb gardens using permaculture principles and an irrigation system. ILE coordinator and chair of CSU in Albury-Wodonga’s Environmental Committee, Dr John Rafferty, said the blitz is an opportunity for the Albury-Wodonga committee to help establish an education centre to demonstrate practical ways of living more sustainably. “The permablitz is really concerned with engaging with the environment, learning new skills and having fun. Set up permaculture gardens is a good thing to do on many levels,” Dr Rafferty said. The Permablitz will start at 10am at ILE House, St John’s Road (though the CSU entrance on Elizabeth Mitchell Drive), Thurgoona.

A panel of senior academics will explore the topic University Education in the 21st century: Profession, Praxis or … Purchase??? at a special seminar for university educators at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst on Monday 8 November. The CSU Education For Practice Institute (EFPI) will host the seminar to be chaired by its Deputy Director, Dr Stephen Loftus. “The panellists will discuss a range of important and related questions for the audience of university educators,” Dr Loftus said. “What is 21st century university education like and what is driving it? From the point of view of the educators, is it a profession or a practice/praxis? Or is it more like a business where the commodity of education is purchased? Has higher education become a matter of survival? What should universities be doing to flourish within the higher education marketplace but stop short of becoming a shop? What are the implications of these debates and trends for Charels Sturt University?” The seminar precedes the CSUED 2010 conference to be held on 10-11 November.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) is set to host its 33rd annual Vintage Dinner in Wagga Wagga on Friday 12 November. CSU Winemaker, Mr Andrew Drumm, says while the overall quantity of fruit harvested was down due to rain, the fruit is of higher quality, with a lot more hand-harvesting this year. “The harvesting of grapes by hand is a more delicate procedure to mechanical harvesting and therefore leads to a superior product,” Mr Drumm said. Up to 270 guests are expected to attend the Vintage Dinner. Wines from various vintages will be provided including the hand-harvested 2010 Rosé, the award-winning 2007 sparkling wine, and the 2010 Moscato, the first commercial crop off the Muscat vines at CSU in Wagga Wagga. Entertainment will be provided by the Italian-born classical/pop singer Mr Antonio Villano. His performances include The Elder Park Christmas Carols, The Australian Tour Down Under, The Adelaide Carnivale, Italian festivals and charity events. Tickets are on sale for $60 from Ms Karen Jamieson on 02 6933 2221. Pre-dinner drinks will be held from 6.45pm with dinner served in the Convention Centre at CSU in Wagga Wagga from 7pm.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) will take over providing all services to its students such as sports clubs, medical, counselling and advisory on Wednesday 4 April. On the Wagga Wagga Campus, CSU Executive Director, Financial Services Jim Hackett will accept the handover of these services from local CSU Student Association president Bernie Moorehead. “CSU students will not notice any difference in the level of services they receive at the University with the change,” said Mr Hackett, who is also overseeing the takeover of student services across all CSU. “CSU has taken the stand that the student services provided by the CSU Student Association were an important part of the whole university experience, so the University has stepped in to continue these services, which are particularly important on our regional campuses.” The move has occurred as the result of the voluntary student unionism legislation passed last year by the Federal Government.

The Vice-Chancellor and President of Charles Sturt University (CSU), Professor Ian Goulter, and CSU senior executives will meet with Mr Barry O’Farrell, MP, Leader of the NSW Opposition, and Mr Andrew Stoner, MP, Leader of the Nationals, at the University in Bathurst on Wednesday 3 November. Councillor Paul Toole, the Mayor of Bathurst, will also attend in his capacity as the National Party candidate for the seat of Bathurst at the NSW state election in March 2011. The meeting will discuss strategic priorities for rural and regional NSW in the lead up to the State election including: the rural doctor shortage and CSU’s proposal to establish a rural Medical School; future collaboration on meeting State workforce needs; regional development; and, decentralisation of government services.

As 2010 draws to a close, the lectures and exams are at an end for many students at Charles Sturt University (CSU). However a group of social work students is preparing to embark on a trip to India later this month. “This first trip to India by social work students at Charles Sturt University aims to give the students valuable international field experience working with social workers in villages between the major metropolitan centres of Mumbai and Pune in the country’s south,” said Dr Bill Anscombe, senior lecturer from the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at CSU in Wagga Wagga. “The local social workers are very skilled at field work and work in a variety of challenging situations. It is a great opportunity for our students to see and experience international social work. The 19 students from Charles Sturt University will assist the local staff with reporting and monitoring, and experience reality there and learn about development programs.” The itinerary includes field trips to orphanages, mobile health vans, disability services, a leprosy disability institution, as well as providing opportunities to learn about micro-credits and micro-finance programmes, women’s empowerment programmes and child protection programmes. During the trip the students plan to donate to building accommodation at an orphanage in the Malvali-Lonavala district.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) dentistry student Mr Mike Azer will travel to the Northern Territory in his holidays to provide dental care in Indigenous communities. A qualified dental therapist, and in his second year of his Bachelor of Dentistry degree at CSU, Mr Azer will spend six weeks working with an assistant to help ease the pain of patients. “It’s a great way to get some life experience and also assist those who normally don’t see a dentist in their community,” Mr Azer said. When he visited the same region last year, Mr Azar experienced life in a remote area. “I see people who are in a lot of pain so I do what I can to help them and try to educate them to take better care of their oral health.” Mr Azar plans to provide similar dental care when he travels to East Timor with a group of CSU dentistry students in 2011.

Already well known for its locally produced wine, cheese and olive oil, Charles Sturt University (CSU) can add lavender to its repertoire. Known as Riverina James, the lavender was bred by Dr Nigel Urwin, a lecturer in animal genetics and gene technologies at the School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences at CSU in Wagga Wagga. “Riverina James is a garden ornamental bred as a sturdy, fast growing and water-wise plant,” Dr Urwin said. “It emits a strong and pleasant fragrance from its green foliage and is a plant suitable for hedges as well as for cut flowers due to their long vase life.” Riverina James is one of five new lavender varieties bred by Dr Urwin at CSU with four others developed specially for the essential oil industry to be high oil yielding varieties. Riverina James is produced and marketed by Plant Growers Australia and is on sale through Plant Plus in Wagga Wagga and will be available next year from Bunnings as part of their Lavender Patch collection.

An introduced pest bird, the Common Myna, is trying to make its home in Orange, an occurrence that Charles Sturt University (CSU) academic Dr Cilla Kinross is attempting to prevent. Setting traps for this major pest of national significance and removing nests is Ms Kinross’ answer to these birds. “We have spotted them nesting in and around Bunnings and Lone Pine Avenue,” Dr Kinross said. “Bunnings have been supportive of their removal and we will set traps to capture and euthanise them humanely.” A successful trapping program was started earlier this year and is about to recommence to try and catch those missed in the first round. A project run with volunteers of the Orange Field Naturalist and Conservation Society, and supported by the Orange City Council and the Central West Catchment Management Authority, was set up in the hope that the situation of these pests becoming a serious problem as seen nearby in Bathurst can be prevented. In Bathurst the Common Myna has had a negative effect on native wildlife, both birds and mammals. In many areas this species has come to totally dominate the birdlife and few natives are seen. “We can prevent the spread of these pests but we need to be vigilant and ask anyone who sees a Myna bird in their garden to contact Dr Cilla Kinross on 6365 7651,” Dr Kinross said.