Sixty Year 5 school students from the central west will participate in a ‘Check It Out’ Day at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst on Thursday 27 June as part of the University’s Future Moves program to encourage aspiration for higher education. The participating schools are Bathurst South Public School, Portland Central School, and Parkes Christian School. Ms Tonya Graham, CSU Future Moves coordinator, said, “Future Moves creates opportunities for school students from regional NSW and Victoria to visit Charles Sturt University campuses and interact with students and staff. The program targets students who have the potential to succeed in tertiary education and who come from families with little or no experience of higher education. By introducing young people to the world of university study we hope to encourage them to become more engaged in school studies and more confident to consider tertiary study as a realistic option. Students often say, ‘I never considered university, but now I really want to go’. Events like ‘Check It Out’ are a great way to start a conversation with students and their families about what options are available to them after school.”

Budding writers in Year-12 at several Albury high schools will have the support of families and friends, and some critical feedback, when they present their HSC major works to a supportive audience at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Albury-Wodonga on Thursday evening, 27 June. CSU academic and former English Head Teacher, Mr Paul Grover, will coordinate the event where audience members will assess the presentation of major works by students studying English Extension 2 for their HSC in local high schools. “The audience will hear the voice of the author as they read from the major play, poem, author study or short story they have spent twelve months planning and composing for their HSC examination. These talented student writers will receive valuable feedback to include in their final writing and revision process”, Mr Grover said. This public event will be held at 6pm on Thursday 27 June at the CD Blake Lecture Theatre, CSU in Albury-Wodonga, off Elizabeth Mitchell Drive, Thurgoona. To attend, contact Mr Grover on telephone (02) 6051 9707 or send an email.

Ms Isobel Colson, an Honours student in ecology at Charles Sturt University (CSU), has won the Terry Hillman Honours Educational Prize for 2013. Ms Colson will receive her $3 000 prize from Professor Hillman on Wednesday 26 June at the Murray-Darling Freshwater Research Centre (MDFRC) in Wodonga at 10.30am. The prize, named after former MDFRC director Professor Terry Hillman, was established in honour of Professor Hillman’s contribution to freshwater ecology around Albury-Wodonga. The MDFRC has given the annual award since 2006 to support and encourage students in freshwater ecology. Ms Colson, who has nearly completed her Bachelor of Environmental Science and Management with Honours at CSU and MDFRC, is investigating the impacts of temperature, ultraviolet radiation, and billabong characteristics on the termination of zooplankton hibernation. She is supervised by Dr Paul Humphries and Dr Nicole McCasker from CSU’s School of Environmental Sciences and Dr Daryl Nielsen from MDFRC.

A group of Charles Sturt University (CSU) students will gain an insight into business and information technology in Asia during a visit to Malaysia in July. The nine students from CSU’s Faculty of Business will visit HELP University and discuss trade with representatives from the Australian High Commission in Kuala Lumpur. Other highlights will include a round-table discussion about strategic marketing with low-cost airline Air Asia, and tours of the Seagate hard disk factory in Penang, and the largest cloud computing data centre in South-East Asia. Tour leader, Mr Anthony Chan, a lecturer with CSU’s School of Computing and Mathematics said, “The tour will give students the opportunity to interact with political and business leaders to get a better understanding of the trade, education and employment opportunities”. The trip is supported by CSU Global, a University initiative to give students the opportunity to experience the world through a broad range of international study experiences.

The latest cohort of veterinary students from Charles Sturt University (CSU) will promise to practice their profession 'ethically and conscientiously' when they take the Veterinarians’ Oath at a ceremony on Saturday 6 July. The 65 Bachelor of Veterinary Biology/Bachelor of Veterinary Science students will celebrate their transition to the workforce with family, friends and staff from CSU’s School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences. Head of the School Professor Nick Sangster said this is the fourth group of students to complete the CSU veterinary science program. “Our graduates are keenly sought by the profession and are recognised by their practical skills and ability to excel in rural practice,” he said. “Each year is better prepared than the last and these students are now poised to make a huge contribution to veterinary science and be future leaders in Australian agriculture.” The ceremony will also be attended by National Veterinary Director of the Australian Veterinary Association (AVA) Dr Kevin Doyle while students will be lead in the Oath by President of the Veterinary Practitioners’ Board of NSW Dr Ruth Thompson. Students hope to register as veterinarians in early August and will receive their degrees in a formal graduation ceremony at CSU at the end of 2013.

A political philosophy forum hosted by Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Canberra on Wednesday 3 and Thursday 4 July will examine a range of issues about political rights and responsibilities when it asks, 'What's so special about having a democracy?'. The convener of the ‘Democratic Rights – Democratic Duties’ academic forum is Dr Piero Moraro, lecturer in justice studies at the CSU School of Humanities and Social Sciences in Bathurst and a research fellow at the Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics. "The forum will see academics from Australia and overseas debate a range of issues," Dr Moraro said. “Some will argue that a genuinely democratic society shouldn't grant the right to vote to everyone. Others will claim that truly democratic citizens, under some circumstances, should disobey the law. But could the duty to obey the law, and the duty to vote, be the wrong duties to focus on, as they might also undermine democracy?” The ‘Democratic Rights – Democratic Duties’ academic roundtable in political philosophy is at the Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture 15 Blackall Street, Barton, Canberra, and is funded through a Compact Grant from the CSU Faculty of Arts and by CAPPE.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) theatre media  students at the School of Communication and Creative Industries in Bathurst have collaborated with Bathurst Arts Theatrical Society (BATS) to produce the hilarious Five Woman Wearing the Same Dress. Set at a wedding, Five Woman Wearing the Same Dress is a comedy about five bridesmaids who, in spite of their differences, discover that they have more in common with each other than the bride. Co-director Ms Clare Hennessy said, “This comedy follows a group of women who have been brought together to form a disjointed bridal party. The play takes place in the bedroom of the bride’s sister as the bridesmaids each escape the overdone bridal reception. They banter behind the bride’s back about the horrid dresses they are forced to wear as they each share twisted tales of treachery. The show is equal parts hilarious, irreverent and disarmingly heartfelt - a saucy affair. Don’t miss it.” Five Woman Wearing the Same Dress will be performed nightly at 7pm from Thursday 18 to Sunday 21 July as a double bill with the BATS production of Slut. Enjoy a night of comedy, two shows for the price of one – tickets $5 available at the door of the Ponton Theatre (building N3) at CSU, Panorama Avenue, Bathurst.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) will present a free seminar in online marketing in Orange on Thursday 25 July, as part of a series of Small Business Management Foundation Seminars. The seminar is designed to help small business operators increase the effectiveness of their online marketing efforts and will address the basics of search engine optimisation (SEO) and search engine marketing. CSU Graduate Certificate in Small Business Management course director Dr Lan Snell, who will chair the seminar, said online marketing could be a powerful tool for small business. “By using simple techniques such as a SEO self assessment tool, Google’s URL builder tool, and a basic conversion checklist, your business can increase its online marketing effectiveness to achieve desired results,” she said. Mr Ben Stickland, CEO and Founder of Alliance Software, will be a guest speaker at the seminar which is presented in conjunction with the Orange Business Chamber, NSW Business Chamber, Orange City Council and Orange Ex Services Club. “The seminars will be short, sharp, and engaging sessions that address the challenges in small business management,” Dr Snell said. The topics include marketing, finance, and human resources.

Members of the Port Macquarie community will gather for an Iftar dinner, hosted by Charles Sturt University (CSU) and the Affinity Intercultural Foundation, to mark the Islamic month of Ramadhan on Friday 12 July. ‘Iftar’ refers to the evening meal when Muslims break their fast during the holy month, and is traditionally shared with friends, neighbours and relatives. Foundation executive director Mr Ahmet Keskin said Ramadhan was a significant time of the year for the Muslim community. “It's a time for reflection and sharing. Each year we see the Muslim community open their hearts and their homes to the general public, as they invite friends from all walks of their life to be around the dinner table. We look forward to breaking bread with our friends from the north coast of NSW," he said. CSU in Port Macquarie campus director Dr Muyesser Durur said the University was very happy to have the opportunity, in conjunction with the foundation, to host the dinner. “Part of the University’s role on the Mid North Coast is to encourage and support the sharing of ideas and ideals within and among the community,” she said.