In time for the beginning of the 2011 school year, Charles Sturt University (CSU) School of Information Studies lecturer Dr James Herring has published his new book, Improving Students' Web Use and Information Literacy: A guide for teachers and teacher librarians. The book is a practical resource about using the web effectively in order to enhance learning and teaching in schools. It covers topics such as learning and teaching in today’s schools, finding and using information on the web, evaluating websites, improving student use of the web, and developing learning websites for student use.

Three universities in New South Wales will bring an information road show about going to university to regional schools to give senior high school students a better understanding of tertiary education. The University Road Show comprises Charles Sturt University (CSU), Southern Cross University and the University of New England. Students will get the chance to discover more about university life and potential career paths when the University Road Show visits schools in the New England, North Coast, Hunter, Central West and Blue Mountains regions during March. Now in its tenth year, the University Road Show will visit more schools than ever before, sharing information with around 5 000 students at 120 schools. CSU Prospective Student Adviser Ms Katy Fardell said, “By pooling resources, Charles Sturt University, Southern Cross University and the University of New England are able to provide excellent advice to students in one visit, maximising the study options presented to students while minimising the amount of time students need to be away from the classroom.”

With a strong collaborative relationship already established between Charles Sturt University (CSU) and the Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA), the partnership will be extended on Wednesday 21 April when APA representatives meet the first students at CSU in Orange. “Although the APA have visited Physiotherapy students at CSU in Albury for a number of years, we now offer Physiotherapy at the Orange Campus and the APA were eager to meet the new students,” lecturer Ms Kerstin McPherson said.  “A fourth year Charles Sturt University physiotherapy student is currently a member of the APA National Student Committee and we hope that a representative from the Orange Campus can be included on the committee in the future.” The APA visitors will meet with CSU students and lecturers, tour the CSU campus and enjoy a barbecue lunch.

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. Head of Dubbo Campus Mr Gary Shipp will accept the handover of these services from Matthew Hare, President of the Student Representative Council. “CSU students will not notice any difference in the level of services they receive at the University with the change,” said Jim Hackett, who is overseeing the takeover of all student services by 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, welcomed the NSW Minister for Lands, the Hon. Mr Tony Kelly, MLC, to the campus in Bathurst on Monday 31 January to formally approve a change to the ‘public purpose’ of CSU land to allow the University to commence formal negotiations with Day Procedures Australia Pty Ltd to establish a private hospital on the campus. “This is an important step in the development of Charles Sturt University’s planned new Medical School and will enable us to provide high quality training for students in a busy clinical environment,” Professor Goulter said. The University has been in discussions with Day Procedures Australia, which operates the Bathurst Private Hospital and Orange Day Surgery Centre, to lease land on the campus for a new private hospital development. The hospital will be built in a new Health Education Precinct on the campus in Bathurst, alongside the new Dental and Oral Health Clinic and CSU’s planned Primary Health Clinic, and will include two surgical theatres and a 20 bed ward, with radiography, pathology and other services. It will provide services to the Bathurst and central western communities, and expand clinical training opportunities for students enrolled in CSU’s planned medical program and existing health science courses.

A critically acclaimed program to reduce the incidence of antisocial and dangerous behaviours among young people will be launched in the NSW central west with a free public lecture at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst on Monday 7 February. The Manager of Residential Operations at CSU in Bathurst, Orange and Dubbo, Mr James Kelly, said, “Putting Youth in the Picture is a unique educational program that has been developed in regional Queensland to help communities deal with issues confronting youth. This program uses a series of authentic but confronting movie scenarios to show how young people can become involved in life altering incidents as a result of poor decision making. The issues presented and discussed include sexual assault, a bar-room fight, use of illegal recreational drugs, binge drinking and underage drinking at a party featuring all of these behaviours. This program is about peer-to-peer education delivered in a way that youth understand, which is in line with current government literature, and how one bad decision can change their life. The University intends to offer this program to not only its students, but as a regional engagement initiative, extend this to communities in the central west.”

Having raised more than $6 000 at last year’s Relay for Life, staff at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Orange with help from friends and family hope to donate another large sum to the NSW Cancer Council following this year’s event on Saturday 19 March. Relay for Life is an overnight community event where teams participate in a relay-style walk or run to raise funds for the NSW Cancer Council. Team coordinator and lecturer in anatomy and physiology in the School of Biomedical Sciences at CSU, Dr James Wickham, believes CSU staff’s commitment to the community plays a big part in their past success. “We had 15 people in our team last year and 14 will take part this year,” Dr Wickham said. “Charles Sturt University staff enjoy taking part in community events and being for a good cause we can always rely on our family and friends to help us donate money for cancer research, accommodation for patients, and to support the Cancer Council Helpline. Last year, we initially wanted to raise $2 000, so to raise such a large sum was fantastic. We will be thrilled if we can raise $5 000 this year.”

Academics from Charles Sturt University (CSU) have raised a record amount at the Orange Relay For Life, an overnight community event where teams participate in a relay-style walk or run on Saturday 13 March to raise funds for the NSW Cancer Council. Aiming to raise $2 000 for cancer research, the CSU team finished with over $6 000, the highest amount of the 74 participating teams. “Charles Sturt University has supported Relay For Life since its first event in Orange,” team captain and CSU lecturer in the School of Biomedical Science, Dr James Wickham said, “but this is the most we have ever raised, partly thanks to an anonymous donor who donated $2 000.” With 14 staff members in the team, CSU was recognisable on the track with CSU caps and ties to complement their tracksuits. “Everyone did a great job walking or running for their allotted time but we were all a bit sore the next day, ” Dr Wickham said.

Construction projects valued at approximately $7.5 million are underway at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst. Three projects, jointly-funded with Commonwealth Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, are expected to be completed later in 2011. The Regional Inter-Professional Clinical Simulation Centre is a state-of-the-art teaching building for nursing and paramedics students; the Model Digital Learning Module will provide cutting edge physical and digital infrastructure necessary for the preparation of ‘job ready’ teachers for Australian schools; and the Health & Wellness sports facilities upgrade will enhance recreational amenities. This involves the building of four new tennis courts and two multi-purpose courts, the creation of sun shade and barbeque areas, the renovation of the rugby oval and the training oval with new lighting, irrigation, laser levelling and new turf, the upgrade of the existing rugby union club house, and the construction of change rooms and amenities at the training field.