One the of the oldest public institutions in Albury, the public hospital, is celebrating its 150th anniversary. Local historian and adjunct academic with Charles Sturt University’s Institute for Land, Water and Society, Associate Professor Bruce Pennay, has gathered a collection of documents, photos, films and artefacts to commemorate the event, which will be on show at the Albury LibraryMuseum in Kiewa Street. “Many people have been involved with the Albury Hospital since it was established in 1861, either as patients, visitors, employees or fund-raisers. This is their opportunity to celebrate the hospital and its links to the Albury community,” Professor Pennay said. The Exhibition will be officially opened at 1pm on Sunday 13 March in the LibraryMuseum, and continues to Sunday 1 May.

Staff and students at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst are being encouraged to sign up for the Red Cross 2011 Inter-campus Blood Donation Challenge when the mobile donor unit visits the campus from Monday 14 to Thursday 17 March. The Head of Campus in Bathurst, Mr Col Sharp, said, “Charles Sturt University is happy to encourage such a competition. The activity is entirely consistent with the University’s desire to see CSU students contribute to the broader society and develop their sense of social responsibility.” Mr Brendan McIlveen, a final-year paramedic student at the CSU School of Biomedical Sciences, said that the competition aimed to see which CSU campus can donate the most blood to save the most lives. “Just one blood donation can help save the lives of three people, so with hundreds of potential donations from people at the University we may be able to save the lives of thousands. As well as this, blood donations assist medical research and can be used to treat patients in emergencies and disasters. It takes less than an hour to make a donation and it’s a wonderfully practical thing to do to assist others in need,” Mr McIlveen said.

Senior students from high schools in the region will gain information and insights about communication courses they can study when they attend the MyDay promotion at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst on Tuesday 15 March. CSU Prospective Student Adviser, Ms Fran Dwyer, said, “This MyDay will focus on journalism, public relations, theatre/media, advertising, and commercial radio. About 40 students from 14 schools around the central west will attend general information sessions and interactive sessions with academics from the relevant disciplines and courses.” Participating schools include All Saints College, Cowra High School, Gulgong High School, James Sheahan Catholic High School, La Salle Academy Lithgow, Lithgow High School, Mackillop College, Mudgee High School, Muswellbrook High School, Oakhill College, Portland Central School, Red Bend Catholic College, St Mary’s Senior High School, and St Stanislaus College.

A Charles Sturt University (CSU) academic will address a dinner in Bathurst on Tuesday 8 March to celebrate the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day (IWD). Associate Professor Leonora Ritter, an Honorary Fellow in the CSU Division of Learning and Teaching Services, will speak about the achievements of women in the past century and draw attention to what she thinks needs to be achieved in the future. Outlining her speech, Professor Ritter said, “We seem to have made more progress in masculinising women to suit a patriarchal world of aggression, competition and oppositional politics than in feminising the world. I believe we need to ‘feminise’ men and the public sphere by promoting creativity, collaboration, communication, empathy and adaptability.” Professor Ritter will also address a CSU Senior Women’s Forum IWD breakfast at 8am at the University on Tuesday 8 March.

As part of an extensive research project driven by the Charles Sturt Universitys (CSU) Faculty of Education, regional and remote CSU Early Childhood and TAFE Diploma of Children’s Services students will attend forums this weekend in Griffiths and Parkes. Associate Head of School of Teacher Education at CSU in Dubbo, Dr Alison Lord, says the forums are part of a project that aims to build workforce capacity in Early Childhood Education and develop training pathways that are accessible and locally supported in these areas. “This project is a great example of how Charles Sturt University has collaborated with partners to create a valuable resource,” Dr Lord said. “Along with TAFE NSW Western Institute (WIT), TAFE NSW Riverina Institute (RIT), and Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Education (BIITE), CSU will hold public forums for students and volunteer mentors to discuss the wellbeing and rights of children who are part of inland and Indigenous education.” The project team plans to develop online resources for teachers studying and working in regional and remote Australia.

A key part of the graduation celebrations later this month at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Wagga Wagga is the Town and Gown ceremonial parade through the city’s central business district. The annual parade of academics, local councillors and graduates will be held from 4pm on Tuesday 29 March. The procession will be led by the Riverina Concert Band and follow a route down Baylis Street to the Civic Theatre where a reception will be hosted by the Head of CSU in Wagga Wagga Mr Adrian Lindner and the Mayor of Wagga Wagga, Councillor Wayne Geale. More than 3 000 graduates are eligible to attend six ceremonies to be held at CSU in Wagga Wagga from Wednesday 30 March to Friday 1 April. The Town and Gown is open to members of CSU’s governing body, the CSU Council; CSU general and academic staff; Wagga Wagga City Councillors; CSU graduates. Eligible staff from the Riverina Institute of TAFE NSW, UNSW’s Rural Clinical School, and the Wagga Wagga City Council have also been invited to participate in the colourful annual event.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) will host the 2011 Practice-Based Education Summit in two sessions at two venues in April. Professor Joy Higgs, the Director of CSU’s Education for Practice Institute, said the summit will hear from Australian and international experts, led by CSU Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Ian Goulter, including Professors Dave Boud, Stephen Billett and Peter Goodyear. “Higher education places a high priority on preparation of graduates for work and life,” Professor Higgs said. “This Summit provides a forum for those working in practice-based education to highlight challenges to the field, and contribute to its advancement by sharing good practice models and examples.” The first session of the Summit will be held at the CSU centre at 102 Bennelong Parkway, Sydney Olympic Park, on Thursday 7 April, and will be followed by a two-day residential forum at CSU in Bathurst on Wednesday 13 and Thursday 14 April.

The new Head of the School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Wagga Wagga, Professor Nick Sangster, is keen to make research a priority. Professor Sangster joined CSU in 2006 and specialises in Veterinary Parasitology, the study of the relationship between parasites and animal hosts. He has a passion for research and has earned an international reputation for his work into drench resistance of sheep internal parasites. In his new role, Professor Sangster wants to ensure his School continues to turn out high quality graduates while further developing research opportunities and infrastructure. “At Charles Sturt University, we have a close connection with farmers in the region,” Professor Sangster said. “Our diagnostic services and student workplace learning in the rural sector means we are in a unique position to identify problems, find solutions and pass those on to producers.” The new appointment comes as the first group of veterinary science students prepare to graduate from CSU in Wagga Wagga on Friday 1 April. In 2006, Professor Sangster was awarded the Fellowship of the Australian Society for Parasitology.

While most spend their holidays relaxing, a group of Charles Sturt University (CSU) students has been learning how to generate positive environmental change. Six CSU students are taking part in the Green Steps  training and internship program. The program aims to bridge the gap between study and work, by equipping young leaders with the skills, knowledge and confidence to tackle sustainability issues. CSU environmental science and management student Ms Karina Maloney took part in the training program held in Wagga Wagga from Monday 4 to Friday 8 April. “I wanted to broaden my understanding of environmental issues and gain practical skills to take into the workplace,” she said. The training will be put into practice during internships between April and October. During this period students will work with an organisation to reduce its environmental footprint. CSU is the first regional university to host the Green Steps program following its introduction by Monash University in 2000.