A recently published history of the former Orange Agricultural College, now Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Orange, will be launched at the University’s Conference Room at 10am on Friday 5 March. A History of Orange Agricultural College, written by historian Mr Philip Gissing, documents the events leading up to the College’s establishment in 1973, its struggles during the early years of operation, its ongoing battle to maintain its independence, and its steady rise to become Australia’s leading provider of rural management education by the 1990s. Between 1973 and 2000 Orange Agricultural College educated and influenced thousands of students, many of whom now play leading roles in agricultural industries and agribusinesses in Australia and overseas.“The College operated during a period of great change in Australia in both the tertiary education and agricultural sectors,” said Professor Kevin Parton, the Head of Campus at CSU in Orange. “As a consequence, it was constantly battling to maintain its identity and independence, while delivering innovative programs relevant to the primary industries it served.”

The Charles Sturt University (CSU) School of Theology has called for papers for presentation at an ageing and spirituality conference it will host in Canberra from 28 September to 1 October. Reverend Professor Elizabeth MacKinlay, AM, Director of the Centre for Ageing and Pastoral Studies (CAPS) at CSU, said the Fifth National CAPS Conference, Ageing and Spirituality: Resistance, Resilience and Change, will bring practitioners, researchers and older people together to share and examine ageing and positive well-being in later life. “We will examine the integration of spiritual care into holistic programs of care for older adults, including issues of chronic ill health, disability and resilience in later life, and the changes experienced in ageing related to loss and grief. There will be a focus on finding meaning in life and coping with the changes of ageing, especially psychosocial, emotional and spiritual changes, as well as the use of story in supporting continued growth, well-being and resilience in later life, and contemporary information and skill sharing strategies for working with people who have dementia and their carers.” The closing date for paper abstracts is Monday 15 March.

Academics, staff and students will celebrate the 2010 International Women’s Day (IWD) at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst with a range of activities on the library lawn starting at 12.30pm on Monday 8 March. Two of the spokespeople for the women involved in this event, Professor Jo-Anne Reid, Acting Dean of the Faculty of Education, and  Associate Professor Jane Mills from the School of Communication and Creative Industries, said, “Our theme  is Equal rights, equal opportunity: Progress for all. The event provides an opportunity to focus on the relevance of IWD to issues of student life and culture, and foreground the intellectual and political life of our campus in a way that is both welcoming and inclusive of all students and staff”. The event has support from the Head of Campus, Mr Col Sharp, the National Tertiary Education Union, and the student association, who are all keen to advance the recognition of women in all roles in the university community, as well as in the community broadly.

Five days into the start of the new academic year and on campus students at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Wagga Wagga are being asked to consider  and sign-up for a variety of social and sporting activities for 2010. The annual Clubs Day will be held from midday until 5pm on Friday 5 March at CSU in Wagga Wagga. Organised by the Rivcoll Student Representative Committee (SRC) and the Division of Student Services at CSU, Clubs Day will showcase over 40 social and sports clubs  ranging from equestrian, hockey and rugby union groups, to clubs focusing on animation, pharmacy and wine. Clubs Day, including an array of tents, stalls, giveaways and a barbeque, will be held in the quadrangle near the student canteen in building 20, near car park 2, Darnell Smith Drive, CSU in Wagga Wagga. Read more about sports clubs at CSU in Wagga Wagga here, and read more about social clubs at CSU in Wagga Wagga here.

The earthquake and tsunami that hit Chile on Sunday 28 February are reminders of the harshness of nature and the need for governments, emergency services and relief agencies to plan for natural disasters, says an expert in disaster management from Charles Sturt University (CSU). Mr Ian Manock, lecturer in emergency management at CSU’s Australian Graduate School of Policing, said that with a burgeoning world population and in spite of increasing technology, research shows that the incidence of damage to facilities and harm to people from the impact of natural and technological hazards is increasing exponentially. He said the disaster will no doubt have emergency service agencies in Chile pushed beyond their limits and the international community will be called on to assist.

Australia and Finland may be geographically poles apart but researchers from both countries are striving to best prepare teachers for their profession. As part of their development, two academics from Finland are braving Australia’s February heat to visit Charles Sturt University (CSU) after discovering the institution’s reputation as a leader in research on professional practice, teacher education and learning. CSU’s Research Institute for Professional Practice, Learning and Education  (RIPPLE) is hosting Professor Petri Salo from Abo Akademi University and Dr Hannu Heikkinin from the University of Jyväskylä as they collaborate on joint research projects with CSU. Leading international education researcher, Professor Stephen Kemmis from CSU, said, “Professor Petri Salo is working with our team on a three-year Australian Research Council project investigating the connections between practices of school leadership and professional development and how these can lead to changes in students’ academic and social practices, while Dr Hannu Heikkinen is collaborating with RIPPLE researchers on mentoring for new teachers.”

Among hundreds of students who will spend this week getting to know the academic and social side to university life are Wagga Wagga twins Ms Rosemary and Mr Austin Teakel. The 18 year old twins will spend the next four years at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Wagga Wagga studying the same degree, a Bachelor of Education (Technology and Applied Studies).   Approximately 1 050 students are expected to enrol as on campus students at CSU in Wagga Wagga in 2010. Celebrating Your Future is the theme of Orientation 2010, which continues this week ahead of classes commencing on Monday 1 March.  During the week, students will be fundraising for the NSW Volunteer Rescue Association with the hope of raising $5 000 for the organisation. The official Orientation 2010 program, coordinated by the Division of Student Services at CSU, can be found here.  Read more CSU News about Orientation 2010 here. 

New figures released by Charles Sturt University (CSU) show significant savings for the environment in the management of its vehicle fleet. The data prepared by CSU’s Division of Finance reveals that although the distance travelled by CSU vehicles on official business rose last year by eight per cent, from 6.3 million kilometres in 2008 to 6.8 million, the amount of fuel consumed dropped from 664 000 litres in 2008 to 580 000 in 2009, a decline of 84 000 litres or over 12 per cent. “The carbon emissions saved through the greater efficiency of the University’s vehicle fleet is about 380 tonnes of carbon - the equivalent of taking 88 cars off the road for 2009,” said CSU Green Manager, Mr William Adlong. CSU vehicles are used to support staff on official University business including travelling between campuses in five major NSW regional centres as well as in Canberra, Goulburn and Sydney. “We hope to improve these figures with staff encouraged to consider using practical alternatives to travelling between campuses, such as video-conferencing, or sharing vehicles.” Over 60 per cent of CSU’s transport fleet are lower emission vehicles, such as four cylinder petrol, gas, diesel or hybrid.

A new initiative for selecting students for the pharmacy program at Charles Sturt University (CSU) has led to the arrival in Orange and Wagga Wagga of new students this week. Thirty-eight new students were chosen through the new application process for entry into the Bachelor of Pharmacy degree at CSU in Orange with a further 75 students at CSU in Wagga Wagga. In addition to lodging an application with the University Admissions Centre (UAC), prospective students had to complete a written application form sent directly to CSU. On the basis of this application, interviews were conducted in Orange and Wagga Wagga last December. About 160 applicants were asked questions by interview panels of CSU academics, members of the community and pharmacists from across the NSW Riverina and Central West regions. “Charles Sturt University believes the new approach to selecting students for our pharmacy program in 2010 beyond the traditional academic results offers greater opportunities to find students and ultimately graduates who are genuinely committed to pharmacy in regional and rural Australia,” said Head of the School of Biomedical Sciences, Associate Professor Lyndall Angel.