Charles Sturt University (CSU) staff from Ontario, Canada, had a brief taste of the Australian summer during a visit to CSU campuses in December. As students in the successful Bachelor of Primary Education Studies in Ontario undertook their teaching practical work, lecturers Ms Janet Adler, Ms Gail Grant, a lecturer in language and literacy, and Mr Don Jones travelled to CSU campuses at Albury-Wodonga, Bathurst and Wagga Wagga. Their trip included a visit to meet primary school students at the Wagga Wagga Public School by Ms Grant and Mr Jones.

Strong demand for a one-day seminar at the National Library of Australia (NLA) on Web 2.0 and its potential for the library community has seen the event’s audio recording placed online. The conference on the potential of the new generation of online technologies attracted interest from across Australia. This led organisers from Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) School of Information Studies to ‘podcast’ the event held recently in Canberra. “The event filled within hours of the registration process going online. With an impressive selection of speakers and demand for the event from across the country, we decided to record the presentations and make the audio available over the web to encourage its use in professional development,” said CSU lecturer Mr Jake Wallis. The audio is available here.

The reported link between the suicide rate amongst farmers and the drought is often based on hearsay, according to Charles Sturt University (CSU) academic, Dr Judith Crockett. The lecturer in social sustainability, from the School of Rural Management on CSU’s Orange Campus says that while the tragedy of suicide must not be downplayed and undoubtedly continues to be of major concern, many of these comments are based on hearsay. However, there is a lack of evidence concerning the actual rate of suicide in rural areas linked to the drought. “What is clear is that an early intervention approach linked to improved referral pathways to care is the most effective way of assisting rural people. The Drought Mental Health Assistance Package, funded by the NSW Government, has resulted in the implementation of a multifaceted approach across rural areas to increase the capacity of individuals, communities and service providers in drought affected areas to deal with mental health issues and to encourage practices that promote mental well-being,” said Dr Crockett. “Extensive evaluation of the program shows very positive results, including helping to reduce the stigma of mental illness in rural communities.”

A woman’s experiences of living in regional Australia in the 1940s and 1950s is the subject of a special one-off performance of the play, The Weather and Your Health at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Wagga Wagga on Wednesday 5 December. The 50-minute show will be hosted by rural women’s advocate Professor Margaret Alston from CSU. The Weather and Your Health was written by Ms Bethany Simons, who based the work on her mother’s experiences in regional Australia. Directed by Mr David Wicks from the CSU School of Visual and Performing Arts,  The Weather and Your Health will be performed by Ms Simons and her fellow acting honours student Mr Andrew Dodds. The performance will start at 6pm in the drama studio, building 70, Kywong Place, near carpark 20, on CSU’s Wagga Wagga Campus. Drinks will be served from 5.30pm. There will be an opportunity after the 50 minute show to discuss the issues raised during the performance.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) has been recognised for its efforts to address the shortage of veterinarians in rural and regional Australia, with praise from Dr Norm Blackman, former Senior Advisor in the Office of the Federal Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. Dr Blackman hailed the innovative veterinary science program, which began in 2005, while speaking at a cocktail function hosted by the Charles Sturt Veterinary Science Foundation in Wagga Wagga for local veterinary practitioners and industry representatives.  Director of Veterinary Science at CSU, Professor Kym Abbott commended Dr Blackman’s dedication to the industry. He also presented certificates of appreciation to Dr Brian Munro and Dr Doug Bryden for their contributions to the Charles Sturt Veterinary Science Foundation.

The University Co-operative Bookshop on Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) Bathurst Campus won a top award at the 2007 Australian Book Industry Awards ceremony in Sydney in November. Mr Mark Bancroft, manager of the Bathurst Campus branch, said that his outlet was named 2007 Australian Publishers Association Small/Regional Bookstore of the Year. “The staff and I are very proud to have achieved this level of industry recognition and we will continue to provide the best textbook service possible,” Mr Bancroft said. “I thank all at CSU for their support and co-operation which plays such a large part in our success. We sell about 55 000 individual volumes each year, and about 70 per cent of our business is to distance education (DE) students. We send orders to CSU students in all corners of the globe.” The Bathurst Campus branch was established in 1970 and processes DE orders for most CSU campuses.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) Chancellor, Mr Lawrence Willett, AO, will officiate at the launch of The Centre for Inland Health (CIH) and the Inland Health Foundation (IHF) on Monday 10 December on the CSU Bathurst Campus. CIH Director Dr Rod Pope explained that the Centre is based on a model that “involves academics from all campuses who participate in research and development in the four CSU faculties – Arts, Business, Education and Science – to serve the shared vision of health for our inland communities. It builds linkages between staff from various CSU Schools, Centres and Groups and links them with service providers, government agencies and community representatives for research and development, rather than operating as a discrete grouping of academics focused on either research or teaching and learning,” Dr Pope said. The Inland Health Foundation is being established to fund the Centre’s work through donations.

Three Charles Sturt University (CSU) academics from Ontario in Canada will get a taste of the Australian summer when they visit the Albury-Wodonga, Bathurst and Wagga Wagga campuses this month. The trio will visit CSU in Australia on a familiarisation tour of campus facilities and staff as well as the larger regional cities of Albury, Bathurst and Wagga Wagga. Ms Janet Adler, a lecturer in creative arts and mathematics, Ms Gail Grant, a lecturer in language and literacy and social studies and Mr Don Jones a lecturer in mathematics and science are a key part of the CSU Ontario team delivering the University’s Bachelor of Primary Education Studies, an elementary program for primary-junior teachers in Ontario. The 2007-2008 student intake are currently on their teaching practical work before they head off for their winter holiday break. The group represents CSU’s third annual student intake in the successful Ontario program.

Community support is growing for Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) Centre for Inland Health initiative, which was established in response to the existing lack of information and realistic solutions to meet the health needs of inland Australian communities. Riverina identity and past president of the Country Women’s Association (CWA) Ms Elaine Armstrong congratulated CSU for the initiative to present the health symposium, Planning Together for the Future and the launch of the Centre on Thursday 29 and Friday 30 December. “The workshops offered are of special interest to women and their families in this region as they cover areas such as lung health, muscle, bone and joint health, life with cancer, health workforce and services, heart health, ageing and health and mental health,” said Ms Armstrong. “Of special interest is the symposium on mental health, because of the extended drought conditions which are causing stress and anxiety for families. Anxiety in younger farmers is another major issue, with statistics showing that men aged 30 to 45 years and living in rural and remote areas, are at risk of mental breakdowns and suicides.”