It’s not hard to see why Mr Lachlan Harris was recently appointed student president of the Student Representative Council at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Dubbo. He may only be 19 and in his first year of study, but this local Dubbo resident is passionate about his work, his study and his home town. While studying a Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood and Primary) degree, Mr Harris manages to hold two jobs and attend meetings in his role as student president. “The Student Representative Council at Charles Sturt University is keen to increase students’ interaction with the Dubbo community and we’re looking at how we can get more involved,” Mr Harris said. Having moved to Dubbo in primary school, Mr Harris is now a piano teacher at Macquarie Conservatorium, and through his teaching discovered his interest in educating young people. “I find it more enjoyable to teach children who haven’t learnt piano before and I’d like to pursue teaching as a career. I’m fortunate that Dubbo has a Charles Sturt University campus where I can study and still keep my friends and family close. I have a great job and a future here, so I’m stoked.”

The Sturt Desert Pea, which is the Charles Sturt University (CSU) floral emblem, is alive and thriving. “Remarkable photos of the Sturt Desert Pea were captured recently at White Cliffs by Mr Jacob Philip, son of a fellow educator, Ms Julie Philip, from western NSW,” said Dr John Harper, senior lecturer in plant science at the CSU School of Agricultural and Wine Sciences. “The desert has not bloomed like this for many years. It is a clear sign that the drought has finally broken.” The native plant, known as Swainsona formosa, takes pride of place on the CSU Arms reflecting the University's reputation as a national institution. The Pea was named after the explorer Charles Sturt for his exploration of inland Australia. The Aboriginal name for the pea is Ngooringa. It is based on a story about a girl who fell in love with someone from another tribe and, as a consequence, she became ill and died. Her spirit came back as the beautiful desert flower.

The importance of engaging students in their first year of higher education is the focus of a forum at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Wagga Wagga this week that has attracted staff from across the institution. The experience of first year undergraduate students has been identified as a priority for the University as part of the new Transition Project, which supports a Federal government priority to increase participation in tertiary education. “We want to increase the participation of students from various backgrounds including Indigenous students and those from rural and regional Australia,” Transition Project Director Ms Liz Smith said. “We must ensure that our students are successful and autonomous adult learners by the start of their second year of study.” The Student Engagement Forum started today, Monday 20 September and continues until 12.30pm on Tuesday 21 September at the Convention Centre at CSU in Wagga Wagga.

“At what point did people start to talk about sporting defeats as terrible tragedies, and wins as glorious triumphs?” In his seminar The Birth of Passion, Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) Dr Michael Gard asks, in modern sport, do highly paid players need to demonstrate their “passion” for sport in ever-more overt ways because, if they didn't, it would be more difficult for us “mere mortals” to overlook the huge sums of money players are paid? “Sport has become a bigger and bigger business. It is a self-fulfilling prophecy. People get swept along with it; suddenly they really do think it is important whether or not Federer wins the French Open, and if he does, you have people dancing in the street. And the players, instead of just shaking their opponent’s hand, are prostrate on the ground. The displays of emotion have changed dramatically over time.”

As many universities embrace a closer association with the social aspect of student lives, due to voluntary student unionism introduced last year by the Federal government, Charles Sturt University (CSU) has helped establish the Orange Campus’ first soccer team, who won their debut game last weekend. CSU Rangers, a new team in the local Division One soccer competition, made a bright start to their season with a 1 – 0 win over last season’s semi-finalists, Kinross Wolaroi. Team member and third year Pharmacy student Tim Denham was thrilled with the outcome. “Considering we only had one training session and no trial games, we did pretty well. It’s great to have another sporting option at the Campus and with both Pharmacy and Rural Management students in the team and it’s a good way to meet some new people.”

A Charles Sturt University (CSU) research team, funded by Land and Water Australia, believe they know where the key to successful serrated tussock control in native pastures can be found - in the people most affected by this weed, farmers. “A weed of national significance, serrated tussock covers more than one million hectares in NSW alone and impacts on the ability of farmers to make a living,” researcher Dr Aaron Simmons explains. “There are no concrete figures on how much land in the greater Bathurst area is infested but there are infestations around Turondale, Hill End, Rockley and Trunkey Creek.” Some farmers have been able to control this devastating weed whilst others have struggled. Although the CSU research team have interviewed many farmers in the district they are looking for more. Dr Aaron Simmons explains, “We want to interview around 80 people, or 40 sites, for this project and we are halfway there. Any further sites that could be found would be greatly appreciated”.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Ontario graduate Elizabeth Wild has been chosen as a First Year Teacher of Excellence for the Calgary Catholic School District in Canada. Elizabeth was in the first group of graduates from CSU’s Bachelor of Primary Education Studies, an elementary program for primary–junior teachers, which is offered by CSU onsite in Burlington, Ontario. Elizabeth teaches grade two at St. Rupert Elementary School in Calgary. She says she “loved” her CSU experience. “It provided me with hands-on, practical knowledge and experience and I was taught very cutting edge and progressive teaching techniques. CSU's program was absolutely fantastic. I really do feel like it is the best program in Ontario to prepare teachers for what the real classroom is going to be like. I think what I learned from CSU was a big part of the reason I was nominated for this award.”

A Charles Sturt University (CSU) Distance Education psychology student will be awarded four separate University prizes as well as the University Medal when he graduates with first class honours at the CSU Bathurst Campus graduation ceremony on Friday 11 May. Mr Justin Harrison will receive his Bachelor of Psychology (Honours, Class 1) together with the Australian Psychological Society Prize, the Coleman's Prize in Psychology, the Social Sciences and Liberal Studies School Prize, and the W J Coote Showcase Jewellers Prize. “I did my first three years undergraduate as a distance education student in Alice Springs and completed my thesis part-time in Wagga Wagga,” Justin explained. “It is great to reap the rewards of hard work, but at the end of the day you are as good as your training, and my training has been excellent. I am now honoured to be counted as a new colleague among the CSU teaching team I hold in such high regard,” Justin said.

Professor Lyn Gorman has been appointed the new Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration) at Charles Sturt University (CSU). In making the announcement on Thursday 3 May, CSU Vice-Chancellor Professor Ian Goulter congratulated Professor Gorman and said, “I look forward to working with Professor Gorman in achieving the University Strategy 2007-2011 over the coming years”. Professor Gorman, who was previously the Dean of the Faculty of Arts and acting DV-C since June 2006, began her career at CSU in 1991. “I love what I am doing. I enjoy the opportunity for engagement with the Divisions, but I also remain involved with the Graduate Certificate in University Leadership and Management, which I sponsored when I was Dean of the Faculty, and also in developing online resources through my work as the presiding officer of the NSW HSC Online project’s Board of Management.”