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 Orange Campus, the Head of Campus Professor Geoff Gurr will accept the handover of these services from local CSU Student Association president Andrew Smith. “CSU students will not notice any difference in the level of services they receive at the University with the change,” said Jim Hackett, the CSU Executive Director of Finance who is overseeing the takeover of all student services by the University. “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.

More than 130 Charles Sturt University (CSU) administrative staff will converge on CSU in Orange to attend the University’s biennial conference, Admin Focus - Diversity @ one university on Wednesday 17 November. Every two years administrative staff from six CSU campuses gather to attend a program of professional and social activities and this is the first time the conference has been held at CSU in Orange. “Charles Sturt University values the significant contribution of administrative staff in office and support positions,” said Ms Jenna Sharp, chairperson of the Admin Focus organising committee. “Admin Focus gives staff the opportunity to increase their understanding of relevant professional development topics, and it fosters a sense of community among administrative staff who normally would only be interacting between campuses via phone and email.” The two-day conference will include talks by professional educator and director of Keys to Success, Ms Mary Brell, and the Deputy Chancellor of the CSU Council, Ms Kathryn Pitkin.

Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) Emeritus Professor Ted Wolfe will receive a national medal for his outstanding contributions to agricultural education and research at a ceremony in Canberra this evening, Tuesday 9 November. Awarded by the Australian Institute of Agricultural Science and Technology, the Australian Medal of Agricultural Science for 2010 will be presented to Professor Wolfe who continues to actively support agricultural research, extension, professional activities and rural communities in the Riverina, and in Eritrea, North East Africa. In 1990, Professor Wolfe was appointed head of the then-School of Agriculture at CSU in Wagga Wagga and coordinated the agriculture degree at CSU until his retirement from the University in 2001.He is a member of the EH Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation, a collaborative alliance between CSU and Industry & Investment NSW. Professor Wolfe has experienced another busy period in 2009/10, completing two book chapters, writing a Pasture Profile of Australia for the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations, and supporting an Australian-funded agricultural project in Eritrea.  Read more about Professor Wolfe’s Australian Medal of Agricultural Science for 2010 here.

Construction has begun on the $7.7 million allied health development at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Orange. The development includes a new Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Science teaching facility for the School of Community Health along with restructured access roads and a new alternative entrance allowing easier access to campus accommodation. With the Bachelor of Physiotherapy course established at CSU in Orange  this year, the University is continuing its development of the campus with a new purpose-built facility which will include academic offices, a rehabilitation gym and a practice clinic. Until the facility is completed, students will continue to use state-of-the-art rooms in the Experiential Learning Centre and Dentistry building, and attend lectures in one of the three lecture theatres on the campus. “Both the students and academics are very excited about the new facilities,” said Associate Professor Julia Coyle, Head of the School of Community Health. The building is due to be completed by mid-2011.

Safety-conscious staff at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Wagga Wagga will be honoured when the annual Wagga Mutual Credit Union Safety Awareness Awards are presented on Thursday 11 November. Six staff, including a lecturer, a laboratory manager and a security officer, will receive an award during the ceremony from 3.30pm to 5pm in Joyes Hall at CSU in Wagga Wagga. The awards in 2010 have focussed on staff who have used the official hazard reporting system at CSU, or have shown good occupational health and safety practice in offering solutions to potential hazards which range from road safety on campus, lighting and a washing machine with an electrical fault.

With an asteroid named after him, Professor Fred Watson, AM, is a master of the universe whose passion for astronomy will excite those who attend his public lecture at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Orange on Friday 12 November. Astronomer-in-charge of the Australian Astronomical Observatory at Siding Spring near Coonabarabran, NSW, Professor Watson’s main scientific interest is gathering information on very large numbers of stars and galaxies. He is well-known for his astronomy discussions on ABC Radio, has been a guest speaker at venues ranging from Parliament House and the Australian Museum, to Science in the Pub, and is in demand among science educators. Professor Watson is a frequent guest on ABC TV’s weekly science program, Catalyst, and writes regularly for several publications, including Australian Geographic and the annual Yearbook of Astronomy. To find out more about the universe and the asteroid 5691 Fredwatson, the Central West Branch of the Royal Society of NSW invites the public to attend Professor Watson’s public lecture, An alien like you, at 6pm Friday 12 November at Lecture Theatre 3, CSU in Orange. Tickets are $3 for Royal Society members, $5 for non-members.

Australian farmers and those involved in the production of food and natural fibres need strong support as they confront the challenges resulting from recent heavy rain and flooding, according to Associate Professor John Kent, Head of Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) School of Agricultural and Wine Science. Professor Kent believes that a coordinated movement of volunteers to assist farmers in the rebuilding process is needed as farmers are facing the loss of their crops, equipment and infrastructure like fences, irrigation channels, and, in many cases, the soil itself. “It will take a long time to recover from these floods, and on top of 10 years of drought this is a cruel blow,” says Professor Kent. “Australia’s farmers are some of the most important people in our society and we need to look after them and support them as they go through difficult times. They daily deal with the variations in climate and weather. They have business decisions and large financial investments to make because production of food is a long-term process involving much planning and up-front investment, and when a disaster like this occurs it impacts severely on these long-term plans.” In addition, there is a need for long-term strategies. “We have to learn how to manage climate change disruptions and how to adapt to a warmer and more variable climate. Australia and the world needs people to carry out research in order to find ways to adapt farming practices, develop new crop and pasture varieties and farming systems, and then pass on this knowledge to current and future farmers,” Professor Kent said.

A Charles Sturt University (CSU) academic says the recent wide-spread floods in Australia demonstrate the importance of home owners understanding whether their home and contents insurance covers damage caused by flooding. Senior lecturer in law at the CSU School of Accounting, Dr Bede Harris, says, “In many parts of Australia, insurers do not offer flood insurance because the risk is too great, and even where flood insurance is offered, the premiums tend to be high. The type of risks a policy-owner is covered for depends entirely on the wording of their policy, and this can differ from insurer to insurer.” Dr Harris also emphasizes that it is important to note that insurance policies distinguish between damage caused by rising waters (flood) and falling waters (for example, rain leaking through a roof). “In those cases, coverage will depend on what the immediate cause of the damage was,” Dr Harris said.

For the first time, Orange Buslines has included Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Orange on its bus route this week. Travelling on the first bus to the campus, Head of Campus at CSU in Orange, Professor Kevin Parton, said the service is of great convenience to the staff and students. “The Charles Sturt University campus is on the outskirts of Orange so in the past students have needed a bike or car to travel to classes. Now they can catch the bus almost anywhere in town to attend classes and return home in the same fashion. It’s good to know students don’t have the pressure of purchasing a bike or car when they first arrive here. It is hoped that more staff can leave their cars at home and catch the busy to work, to reduce our carbon footprint even more,” Professor Parton said. At this stage, the bus will travel to CSU and back three times a day picking up passengers from Hill Street, Summer Street and Dalton Street bus stops and dropping off at the Orange campus.