A Commencement Ceremony, cultural tours, meet and greets, and a barbeque lunch are all part of the start of Orientation Week (O Week) for more than 90 new students commencing at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Dubbo on Tuesday 21 February.Head of Campus at CSU in Dubbo, Ms Cathy Maginnis (pictured), said O Week allows new students to become familiar with their surroundings and to meet new friends while learning how to navigate the University before classes commence for all students on Monday 27 February."O Week plays an important role by allowing students the opportunity to meet academic staff who will be teaching them and familiarise themselves with the campus and their schedules without pressure," Ms Maginnis said."I look forward to welcoming new students and their families to the University at the Commencement Ceremony on Tuesday. It marks the start of their degree and the beginning of a journey of lifelong learning. This is cause for celebration and pride for this achievement."Enrolments at the University in Dubbo continue to grow, with nursing attracting the largest cohort of new students (30+), followed by social work and teacher education."The new-look campus is very student-centric with contemporary learning spaces and furniture, as well as study areas and quiet spaces. We welcome the community to engage and share these spaces with us. There will be a new café and courtyard to relax and socialise in, and new areas for support staff to assist students. The University recognises the need for flexibility to assist with students' busy lives, so a 24/7 area will be available for students to access to assist them with their learning journey."I also encourage CSU online students living in and around our campus to use its newly-completed amenities and support staff."At the Commencement Ceremony, Wiradjuri Elder Uncle John Hill will do the Welcome to Country. There will be brief addresses by the Administrator of Dubbo Regional Council, Mr Michael Kneipp, followed by President of the Dubbo Student Representative Committee and Bachelor of Nursing student Ms Mikaela Dart, and O Week coordinator and Bachelor of Education student Ms Alice Barber.The CSU in Dubbo O Week schedule is:Tuesday 21 February9.30am to 10am Commencement Ceremony, followed by Market Day from 10am to noon, then the Student Representative Council welcome barbeque lunch, and campus tours during the afternoon, a mature age students meet and greet forum, and then ten pin bowling and pizza from 6pm.Wednesday 22 FebruarySchool welcomes, introductions, and courses information sessions throughout the day. In the evening, a trivia night and barbeque from 6pm in the Multipurpose Hall.Thursday 23 FebruaryMore courses information sessions. For nursing students there will be a treasure hunt from 10.45am, and a Q&A session with current students at 2pm. There will be an Open Forum at 3pm, and from 6pm barefoot bowls at the Dubbo Bowling Club.

More than 140 new students will be welcomed to Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Orange at the start of Orientation Week (O Week) on Monday 20 February.Head of Campus at CSU in Orange, Dr Heather Robinson, will welcome new students and their families at a Commencement Ceremony at 10am on Monday.The formal academic Ceremony on Monday will welcome new students to Charles Sturt University in Orange but orientation will continue all week," Dr Robinson said."It is an important opportunity for students to settle in to university, find their way around and make friends."The experience of university is much more than studying a particular degree; it is about gaining the generic skills and knowledge that can be applied to all areas of life, the friends and colleagues that remain part of a professional journey, and participation in the University and Orange communities."I welcome all new students at Charles Sturt University in Orange and encourage them to make the most of this wonderful experience."The Commencement Ceremony will be followed by Market Day stalls and activities for clubs and local businesses, with academic orientation and social activities throughout the week.Classes for new and continuing students start on campus on Monday 27 February.Across the University, more than 8 700 students will begin studying at CSU in 2017, 2 800 of those on-campus and nearly 6 000 through CSU Online.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst will welcome more than 700 new students and returning students for the start of 2017 Orientation Week (O Week) on Monday 20 February.Ms Alexandra Cary, student liaison officer in the University's Office for Students at CSU in Bathurst, said O Week serves two important purposes for new students."O Week is a fun week of 'getting to know you' before classes for new and continuing students start on campus on Monday 27 February," Ms Cary said."As a traditional annual fixture on the University calendar, O Week is designed to make new students feel at ease and at home and be able to navigate their way around campus and their schedules, and the expectations that come with tertiary study."O Week introduces new students to the practical features of University life such as their on-campus accommodation and the dining hall, the location of lecture theatres and their respective Schools and the location of lecturers' offices etc, and it introduces them to their fellow new students."Other O Week highlights include academic sessions, and library and laboratory tours and a range of social activities.Across the University, more than 8 700 students will begin studying at CSU in 2017, 2 800 of those on-campus and nearly 6 000 through CSU Online.O Week social events at CSU in Bathurst:Monday 20 February10.30am Commencement Ceremony at CD Blake Auditorium (building 1220, 'the gym')11.30am to 2pm Market Day on the Library Lawn7pm Toga Party at the Rafters Bar; $5 entry* from O Week leader tentTuesday 21 February3.30pm Scavenger Hunt on campus; meet at the Library Lawn8pm Comedy Night – Mug and Kettle Comedy at the Rafters Bar, free entryWednesday 22 February3pm Beach Party at Dining Hall/Towers LawnMetro Cinema Movie Night; limited free tickets available from O Week Leader tent 7pm Hawaiian Luau in the Rafters Bar; $5 entry*, tickets available from O Week Leader tentThursday 23 February3pm O Week Fair on the Library Lawn7pm Moonlight Cinema, on the Library Lawn, with free pizzasFriday 24 February2pm Fresher Cup on the Diggings Oval8pm Dag Night featuring Jellybean Jam at the Rafters Bar; entry - $15* tickets available from O Week leader tent. (*A Weekly Event Ticket available for $20, saving $5.)

More than 700 new students, their families and friends will be welcomed to Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst at a Commencement Ceremony on Monday 20 February.Following an academic procession, Head of Campus at CSU in Bathurst, Associate Professor Chika Anyanwu, will formally welcome the students and guests, telling the students that they are commencing an academic journey that the University hopes they will find both stimulating and fulfilling."The University is a community, which forms part of a bigger social, cultural and educational heritage of the City of Bathurst and its surrounds," Professor Anyanwu said. "I encourage new students to not only be active participants in University life, but also to respect and become part of the wider Bathurst community."The University provides a vibrant, inclusive, tolerant and supportive environment where students will be intellectually challenged to perform their best."Students will also become socially involved in making long-lasting friendships and connections, and they will be culturally stimulated to see the world differently. They will be empathetically aroused to help those less fortunate in our society, and to reflect on their journey as they pursue their dreams."Professor Anyanwu will stress to new students that they are now part of a privileged group who have been making positive impacts in this community and the nation through academic achievements and participation in a range of civic events and other activities.Special guests and dignitaries include Wiradyuri Elder Aunty Gloria Rogers; Mayor of Bathurst Regional Council, Councillor Gary Rush; and the Most Reverend Bishop Michael McKenna.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Albury-Wodonga will launch its Community University Partnerships (CUP) program on Monday 13 February with thousands of dollars available to support local organisations and groups.On Monday 13 February, CSU Vice-Chancellor Professor Andrew Vann will launch the 2017 program via video link, which this year will particularly target Indigenous, educational, arts and sporting groups.Head of CSU in Albury-Wodonga, Dr Jenni Munday, said the CUP grant program, which commenced in 2014, forms an integral part of the University's ongoing commitment to make a positive contribution to its communities."This year's CUP program will support the development of regional NSW through direct grants from Charles Sturt University totalling $100 000 to local community groups."In 2016, CSU provided 103 CUP grants across all its regions."We want the young people in our regional communities to aspire as much to higher education as their metropolitan cousins, and this is one way to raise their awareness of what is available on their doorsteps," Dr Munday said.CUP funding applications for the Arts opens on Monday 27 February.Further information about CUP is available here.

A Charles Sturt University (CSU) researcher is working with Accessible Living Options (ALO) in Bathurst to improve services for people who are aged and/or have a disability.Dr John Rae, a researcher and senior lecturer in health services management in the CSU School of Biomedical Sciences in Bathurst, said his research with ALO comes at an important time in the evolution of services delivery in Australia."Aged and disability services in Australia are undergoing massive changes, including aged care reforms and the introduction of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). The project is timely because creativity at an organisational level is going to be even more important," Dr Rae said."This project aims to understand why ALO is so creative, based on the fact that in 2015 they received a Best Practice Award for Innovation in providing frail aged people with a mix of social activities who live in rural, remote and very remote areas. ALO has a philosophy of problem-solving using creativity to overcome obstacles such as isolation and transport issues. As well, their Executive Officer, Ms Cheryl Keogh, recently received a leadership award titled Most Inspirational Women Award 2016."In my research I use art. I interview staff or other relevant personnel, make paintings for them and take the artwork back to them to probe deeper. This process works well to discover hidden elements of people's and organisations' creative capacities."ALO provides services to people who are frail aged or have a disability, and who live in Bathurst and surrounding region, Oberon, Blayney, Greater Lithgow, Kandos, Rylstone, and into the Blue Mountains to Katoomba.Dr Rae is pictured (second from left) with some of the 10 ALO volunteers he met on Monday 6 February to initiate the research process with ALO.

Agribusiness firms on the NSW North Coast that want to make the most of Australia's free trade agreements (FTAs) with China, Japan and Korea can gain more information on opportunities on offer in an education program run by the Charles Sturt University Centre for Customs and Excise Studies.The program includes a workshop being run next week in Port Macquarie, which concentrates on market opportunities, provides technical training on the regulatory requirements to enter each market, and provides advice on how to best to manage their supply chains, so that producers retain maximum value in their businesses.The program will be led by CSU senior lecturer Mr Brent Juratowitch, and will run from 9am to 4 pm on Wednesday 15 February at CSU in Port Macquarie, MacInnes Rd, Port Macquarie. He will be accompanied by presenters from the private sector with relevant experience in claiming FTA market benefits.Mr Juratowitch said topics covered include market selection, market trends, product classification, tariffs and duties, valuation, regulations, supply chain management, and how to participate in Authorised Economic Operator schemes."The workshop is part of a six-week program that also includes online business forums, mentoring and tailored advice," he said."Once enrolled, a participant can access an online platform containing FTA fact sheets, business guides and other materials. They can then review this material in their own time and can contact presenters with specific questions relating to their business."The one-day program is subsidised by the Australian Government and supported by the Export Council of Australia. The full cost to participants is $100 which includes all the materials, workshop, business advice and mentoring. Participants can enroll online inthe FTA program.

The story of an Aboriginal Elder that reflects the experiences of her generation will be discussed at a book launch in Wagga Wagga on Thursday 9 February.A Charles Sturt University (CSU) PhD student Mr Bernard Sullivan said the story of Ngiyampaa woman Aunty Joyce Hampton is told in her book, Menindee Girl: The story of my life.   "At the book launch at the Wagga Wagga City Library, Aunty Joyce, and collaborators Deb Evans, Nives Zalokar and myself will discuss the way we created the book which was a key creative project in my PhD research," Mr Sullivan said, "My research explored a culture-centred way of working which fosters deep engagement and respect. It is a methodology that emphasises a researcher's responsibility to those who share their knowledge with them."Aunty Joyce's book shows how, despite moving off her Country, she remains strongly attached to it, and immersed in her culture. Working together, over three years, we arranged her unique prints, drawings and historical images with contemporary photos by Nives Zalokar and myself. The result vividly describes her deep connections to place and people. Her clear and simple words lead us on the journey. Her hand is in the design of every page, laid out in a beautiful full colour large format book."It's been a great honour to come to know Aunty Joyce, her family and the values she lives by," Mr Sullivan said, "In the book, Aunty Joyce demonstrates her cultural strength and enriches the identity of her family, her community, and the understanding of the wider society. One of the most enjoyable things was seeing Aunty Joyce give copies to each of her grandchildren."Menindee Girl: The story of my life will be launched at 6pm Thursday 9 February at Wagga Wagga City Library. Bookings on (02) 6926 9700 or wcl@wagga.nsw.gov.au

After being selected as one of nine finalists in a major annual national poetry competition, a Charles Sturt University (CSU) lecturer has been announced in the top three.Dr Lachlan Brown (pictured), senior lecturer in English literature in the CSU School of Humanities and Social Sciences in Wagga Wagga, gained the third prize in the Overland 2016 Judith Wright Poetry Prize for his poem, 'Self-division: little song selections'.Dr Brown said, "Judith Wright was such an influential Australian poet, and I am profoundly moved every time I teach her poetry in my Australian literature classes at Charles Sturt University. To have placed third in the Overland prize that bears her name is an absolute honour."The Overland prize also values experimentation, the pushing of poetic limits. I'm grateful that these prizes exist to encourage emerging poets who are trying new ways of writing."The third prize is valued at $1 000."Studying contemporary literature and poetry is important because it challenges us to think differently about the world around us," Dr Brown said."Good poetry offers us language at its most potent, as it jags across the surfaces of everyday experience. I'm so often impressed by the originality and brilliance of the students in my poetry classes here at the University."Dr Brown has won or placed in numerous prestigious poetry prizes and has had his poems published in many journals. This includes winning the Sydney University Henry Lawson poetry prize, the Macquarie Fields poetry prize, and the Hermes best poem award. He has also been shortlisted for the Blake Poetry Prize, as well as being shortlisted and commended in the 2014 Newcastle Poetry Prize.His poems have appeared in journals including Cordite, Mascara, Heat, Rabbit, Southerly, and Etchings. His first volume of poetry, Limited Cities, was published by Giramondo in 2012 and was highly commended for the Dame Mary Gilmore Award.Dr Brown's second book of poetry, The Surface of Your Lunar Inheritance, explores his Chinese-Australian heritage and is due to be published by Giramondo in 2017.A summary of the nine finalists in the 2016 Overland Judith Wright Poetry Prize can be found here.