Staff and students at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Orange will benefit from a wellness and wellbeing conference and expo on Wednesday 26 March. The CSU 2014 SGE Credit Union Wellness and Wellbeing Conference and Expo is an initiative to enhance staff health, productivity and happiness. Dr Heather Robinson, the Head of Campus at CSU in Orange, said the University recognised and valued the importance of staff and student wellness and wellbeing. The Wellness and Wellbeing Expo aims to make staff and students more aware of and engaged with the services available to them in our communities. The Expo will provide participants with information and the opportunity to participate in workshop activities such as yoga, and Pilates. This will help individuals to make better decisions about health behaviours which lead to better general health and wellness. "We also hope this will help students to fulfil their academic potential and enjoy their student experience, and ensure our graduates are resilient well-rounded individuals," Dr Robinson said. The CSU 2014 SGE Credit Union Wellness and Wellbeing Conference and Expo at CSU in Orange is from 9.30am to 4.30pm Wednesday 26 March. More information about it can be found here, or email healthyu@csu.edu.au

A best practice childcare centre planned for the Bathurst Campus of Charles Sturt University (CSU) “would boost our early childhood education profile and be of benefit not just for the professionals in the field, but for our students as well,” according to Lynda Ireland, lecturer in the School of Teacher Education. The play area is to be designed collaboratively between the School of Teacher Education, Mitchell Childcare Centre and leading outdoor environment designer, Prue Walsh. Ms Walsh, an early childhood playground consultant and long time advocate for better play environments says “we’ve never had more exciting research available about what happens in early childhood centres. IQ is no longer rated as the main skill, socio-emotional skills are”. She says that repeated evidence shows positive childcare environments support children’s social and emotional development. “Children who have good social and emotional development go on to develop less drug addiction, fewer teenage pregnancies, are more likely to stick to university, and have more capacity and resilience to cope and adapt to the changes in life.” Annabelle Hillsdon, a tutor in the School of Communication, has children at the centre and is driving the fund-raising effort for construction of the facility. Ms Hillsdon says currently teachers and centre directors travel to Sydney to see Australia’s best childcare play environment. “So the idea is that we build the regional best practice, so people from Warren, Trangie, Trundle, instead of going to Sydney, they come to CSU.” Work is due to start this July.

The story of two women living on "a knife's edge" in the Villawood Detention Centre has won an inaugural international broadcasting award for former Charles Sturt University (CSU) student Kirsti Melville. The Commonwealth Broadcasting Association (CBA) Amnesty International Award for Human Rights Programme was presented to Ms Melville by Irene Khan, Secretary General of Amnesty International at a ceremony in New Delhi. The Radio National documentary is described as "the human story behind the federal government's stance on deporting long-term visa overstayers". Ms Melville, a 1994 graduate with a BA Communication (Broadcast Journalism), says it was a compelling program "because their stories were equally moving and powerful as those of refugees, but they are voices you don't hear very often. I think it was one of the first times I felt like I had had a little bit of an impact. You become very aware of your responsibilities as a journalist and to the people involved." The news that she won came as a surprise, "I was completely gob smacked, and on top of that to find out I was going to India in two weeks to accept the Award was mind-blowing." Kirsti's next documentary is about ageing Holocaust survivors in nursing homes in Sydney.

Are you around 50 years, female and have a pain in the heel? Podiatry honours student at Charles Sturt University (CSU) Luke Hewitt is looking for middle aged women with heel and foot pain in the Albury-Wodonga area. “Heel pain affects over 10 per cent of the population and is more common among middle aged women. As part of our research we will test treatments including orthotics to lessen or cure heel pain,” said Mr Hewitt. If you are a woman aged between 30 and 60 years and you suffer pain on the bottom of your heel, Mr Hewitt, supervised by qualified CSU podiatrists, will assess the condition and treatment options as a free service as part of his research at the CSU Allied Health Clinic. The clinic is located on the corner of Guinea and Olive Streets, Albury, each Wednesday and Thursday starting tomorrow, Wednesday 1 March. To take part in the study, contact Mr Hewitt on telephone 02 6051 6733.

“Lazarus with a triple bypass”. The year was 1989, and John Howard had just lost the Opposition leadership. One reporter at the media conference asked him if he felt like a “political corpse”, another if he thought he could ever regain the leadership. How did John Howard go from that moment in political time, to today marking his tenth year in office with four straight election wins, making him Australia’s second-longest serving Prime Minister? Dr Wayne Errington (left), Lecturer in the School of Social Sciences and Liberal Studies at Charles Sturt University (CSU) is currently writing a biography about John Howard, and will present a paper to a weekend conference looking at Mr Howard’s skill as a politician and his refusal to succumb to political rejection. “He’s grown as a politician, he’s a much more calm person than he was 10 or 15 years ago, he’s much more measured in his policies, he’s prepared to compromise to get things through the senate or to mollify public opinion, and that’s a recipe for a much more successful conservative politician.” Dr Errington’s paper also examines all the elements that have led to John Howard’s remarkable four election wins.

An outreach program run by Charles Sturt University (CSU) for Indigenous recruits will be proposed by NSW Police. This follows a recommendation from the NSW Ombudsman’s report into Aboriginal policing throughout rural NSW. The proposal has enthusiastic support from the Goulburn Police College as well as significant support from within the Aboriginal community. Regional Commander for the Western Region based at Dubbo, Steve Bradshaw, says Indigenous recruits often find it difficult training at Goulburn because they are so far away from their homes in western NSW. “The recommendation by the Ombudsman suggests that we do some of the police training in an institute close to where the Aboriginal communities are. CSU currently has the contract to conduct police training, and has a campus at Dubbo in the NSW central west, so it seems obvious to approach CSU to develop an outreach program. It has my total support,” he said. CSU Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic) Professor Ross Chambers says the University welcomes the proposal. “We look forward to working with NSW Police to strengthen Indigenous recruitment,” he said.

Health and education courses are a popular choice for commencing Charles Sturt University (CSU) students in 2006, according to the latest figures from the NSW Universities Admissions Centre.  “CSU continues to take large numbers of students into education courses. Intakes into health courses are up about a hundred up on last year – graduates in both areas provide direct benefit to rural and regional NSW,” said Director of CSU’s Office of Planning and Audit, Col Sharp.  High profile courses in which entry was particularly competitive include veterinary science and pharmacy at Wagga Wagga Campus.  “The health courses proved particularly strong at Wagga Wagga medical imaging, nursing and pharmacy are real strengths, but the primary education, agriculture and medical science areas also enrolled large numbers of students,” Mr Sharp said.

Health and education courses are a popular choice for commencing Charles Sturt University (CSU) students in 2006, according to the latest figures from the NSW Universities Admissions Centre.  “CSU continues to take large numbers of students into education courses. Intakes into Health courses are up about a hundred up on last year – graduates in both areas provide direct benefit to rural and regional NSW ,” said Director of CSU’s Office of Planning and Audit, Col Sharp. High profile courses in which entry was particularly competitive include pharmacy at Orange Campus, while nursing also proved popular.

Health and education courses are a popular choice for commencing Charles Sturt University (CSU) students in 2006, according to the latest figures from the NSW Universities Admissions Centre.  “CSU continues to take large numbers of students into education courses. Intakes into health courses are up about a hundred up on last year – graduates in both areas provide direct benefit to rural and regional NSW ,” said Director of CSU’s Office of Planning and Audit, Col Sharp. Primary teaching and nursing were the most popular courses at Dubbo Campus, while pharmacy and nursing proved popular at Orange.