Australian artist Euan Heng has made a generous gift to the Charles Sturt University (CSU) Art Collection with the donation of 20 of his prints valued at more than $10 000. A former lecturer in drawing and printmaking at one of CSU’s predecessors, the Riverina College of Advanced Education, Euan Heng has exhibited his distinctive work across Australia and internationally. His art also features in the public collections of the National Gallery of Australia and the state galleries in Victoria, Tasmania and Queensland as well as many regional galleries. “This represents a substantial and very generous gift and a donation which will further enhance the University’s Art Collection,” said CSU Art Curator Thomas Middlemost. Boasting 1 700 pieces, the CSU Art Collection has a focus on print-making. The works are hung in public spaces throughout the University.

A competition to design the Learning Commons building on Charles Sturt University’s Thurgoona campus has attracted entries from five of Australia’s major architectural firms that specialise in environmentally sensitive buildings. The winning design and concept diagrams for the proposed $10 million project will receive around $30 000 first prize. The competition, which includes entries from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Albury, is endorsed by the Royal Australia Institute of Architects. The Learning Commons will complement the existing award winning buildings already on the University’s "greenfields" site. It will combine a new library and computer facilties with group and individual learning areas as well as recreational facilities that embody the latest concepts for tertiary education in Australia. The winning entry is due to be announced in late November.

As political and economic forces continue to impact upon and shape rural Australia it’s becoming increasingly important for people to develop the capacity to influence the direction of change in local businesses and communities. Recognising this, Charles Sturt University (CSU) has designed a new course, the Bachelor of Rural Studies, to fill a demand in rural communities where understanding of rural society leads to more effectively managed businesses and organisations. The course will be launched at the Australian National Field Days, Orange, by The Hon. Ian McDonald, NSW Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries. Beginning at 10.40am, on Tuesday 18 October, the Minister will be joined by Federal Member for Calare, Mr Peter Andren at the CSU Exhibition Site (site 5), located on the corner of Central Avenue and J Streets, between the Information and Function Centres at the Australian National Field Days, Orange.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) Communication (Theatre/Media) graduate, Brendan Cowell has won The 2005 Philip Parsons Young Playwright's Award. Announced in Sydney on Sunday 9 October, Mr Cowell, 28, received a $10,000 mentoring commission from Sydney's Belvoir Street Theatre Company B. He won the award for his treatment for Ruben Guthrie, a tale of male depression, addiction and the pressures of success. In order to qualify for the award, playwrights under 35 must submit a play that has already been performed in Australia by a professional theatre company. But the award is unlike other Australian playwright awards as it is given on the basis of a treatment for a potential new work and to the playwright rather than for the play. This recent success for Mr Cowell follows other awards including the 2003 Griffin Award for Rabbit, the 2002 Patrick White Award for Bed and the Gloria Payten-Gloria Dawn Foundation Young Artist Award for his work as an individual.

Sufferers of ingrown toenails can help train future regional-based podiatrists at Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) Allied Health Clinic in Albury in coming weeks. The final year students, supervised by podiatric surgeon Caroline Robinson from the UK, offer a range of treatments for the painful problem, from conservative care with cutting and footwear advice to low impact surgery carried out under local anaesthetic in the clinic. The experience provided to the students is a vital part of their training for their four year course, the only podiatry degree offered outside an Australian metropolitan area. For details and to book an appointment, contact the CSU Allied Health Clinic on telephone (02) 6051 6922.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) is taking the next step in a strategic plan to dispose of its South Campus in Wagga Wagga. A development application for the demolition of 12 redundant buildings on site will be lodged with Wagga Wagga City Council this week. CSU Executive Director of the Division of Facilities Management, Mr Stephen Butt, said the decision to demolish the 50-year old buildings was made after extensive investigation of the site. "Reports have found the buildings have served their purpose and are now past the point of preservation, particularly as they are no longer used," Mr Butt said. "The buildings are in very poor condition and present a risk to safety. We are taking the necessary steps to remove this hazard." Student lodging at South Campus stopped last year and a $16 million student accommodation on the Boorooma Campus will open in late February. The University offers a range of housing options for students and assists students to find on and off campus accommodation. CSU plans to dispose of the majority of the South Campus site before the end of 2015, as it is now surplus to the needs of the University. The CSU Regional Archives, Riverina Conservatorium of Music and CSU Kay Hull Veterinary Teaching Hospital located on the South Campus site will be retained.

From testing agility to monitoring heart rate and ice bath recovery, some young athletes will gain an insight into exercise and sports science during a camp at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst this week.Almost 40 students from The Canobolas Rural Technology High School will attend the high performance camp which is being held in partnership with CSU's School of Exercise Science, Sport and Health and other allied health professionals."The athletes, who all compete in their respective sports at a regional level or higher, will take part in variety of practical physical tests making use of the staff expertise and equipment at Charles Sturt University," lecturer in exercise science, Dr Melissa Skein said."There's also team building activities, education workshops for various aspects that contribute to developing the athlete as a whole, including sport psychology."The camp is part of the Canobolas High Performance Athletics Program.

Starting in Bathurst on Thursday 29 March, the Charles Sturt University (CSU) Division of Learning and Teaching Services will hold forums on a number of its campuses for academics to discuss developments in online and mobile learning and teaching at the University. Forums facilitator, Associate Professor Philip Uys, the Director of Strategic Learning and Teaching Innovation in the CSU Division of Learning and Teaching Services, said, “The continued evolution of quality in learning and teaching at Charles Sturt University, and the growing expectations of our students for appropriate technology responses, requires the University’s staff to skilfully use an ever-growing set of internal and external educational technologies. Charles Sturt University is increasing its digital, mobile and paperless learning and teaching, which pose challenges for strategists of these new technologies, and for academics using them. It will be good to share information about education technology developments at the University and have some in-depth conversations about why these changes are occurring. We will explore what the learning and teaching potential of the respective educational technologies is, and what issues we are facing.”

A social work academic from the United Kingdom is the guest lecturer at residential schools at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Wagga Wagga on Monday 16 April. The visit by Professor Pamela Trevithick, from Buckinghamshire New University, is being hosted by Professor of Social Work, Manohar Pawar, of the CSU School of Humanities and Social Sciences in Wagga Wagga. “Professor Trevithick is an entertaining and provocative speaker and is well known in the UK and internationally for her forthright views on the purpose of social work and the ways in which social work contributes to a better society,” Professor Pawar said. “She has interesting and useful views on the role of social work in capitalist societies generally, and clear strategies for bringing change both at individual and societal levels. Professor Trevithick has visited a number of Australian universities to discuss social work practice skills with students, practitioners and educators.” While lecturing at a residential school, Professor Trevithick will talk to community and academic social workers along with students about the skills and knowledge needed in social work.