Students at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Albury-Wodonga, Orange, Port Macquarie and Wagga Wagga will put comfort aside in sleep outs during September to raise money for the not-for-profit organisation, Street Swags. Supported by CSU's Office for Students, the students are supporting Swagtember and the purchase of street swags for people unable to find accommodation. Students are being encouraged to register with Swagtember and get sponsored to spend a night away from home. A range of activities have been organised to keep students entertained throughout the night including music, karaoke, movies, a pillow fight tournament and a barbecue breakfast. The sleep outs will be held from 7.30 pm to 7.30 am starting: - Thursday 18 September, HeBrews Cafe, Munster Street, CSU in Port Macquarie. An outdoor cinema will show three movies during the sleep out.- Thursday 18 September, The Hub, building 20, CSU in Wagga Wagga.- Tuesday 23 September, Learning Teaching Hub, building 754 at CSU in Albury-Wodonga. A free soup dinner will be provided by the Uniting Church group from 6.30 pm to 7.30 pm followed by a guest speaker from Youth Emergency Services to talk about local youth homeless. A Zumba class will be held on Wednesday 24 September from 6.30 am followed by a barbecue breakfast.-  Wednesday 24 September, Templers Mill Bar at CSU in Orange.

To mark the 25th anniversary of Charles Sturt University (CSU) in 2014, social media competitions are being held for students and Alumni. The student competition runs over 25 days from Monday 15 September till Thursday 9 October when the University will host a 25th Virtual Birthday Party. Students have the chance to win prizes valued at over  $2 000 by following the CSU Daily Tasks on the CSU Facebook page and being inspired to post photos. Winners will be named weekly on CSU Facebook page. In the Alumni competition, people are urged to share their best CSU story or image and post it on the CSU Facebook Alumni page where daily winners will also be named. Read more about the competitions and the 25th anniversary at CSU here. Ms Gael Evans-Barr, Senior Officer, Alumni and Donor Relations in the CSU Division of Marketing and Communication, said, "Charles Sturt University wants to celebrate its 25th anniversary with students, both past and present. We want to know where the graduates are and where our students aspire to go in the future. For this reason, the 25 Days of CSU competition is encouraging students and Alumni to share their photos and stories, to show and tell their Charles Sturt University experiences."

Charles Sturt University (CSU) will field a team of 5 students at the 2014 Australian University Crops Competition in Temora from Wednesday 17 September to Friday 19 September. The team includes third year Bachelor of Agricultural Science students Mr Joshua Hart, Ms Lucy Darragh, Ms Catherine Worner, Ms Anna Dye and Mr Albert Gorman and is coached by Dr Sergio Moroni, a lecturer in crop science in the School of Agricultural and Wine Sciences at CSU in Wagga Wagga. Dr Sergio said, "It is encouraging to witness the team's confidence and determination to test themselves against the top agricultural science students in Australia and from the United States. They have had to train for the competition outside their studies and during the recent Semester break. It shows a significant level of dedication and effort. Regardless of the result, for me, they are already winners." The highest scoring competitors will win an overseas industry study tour with an award presentation to be held at 2pm at Temora Agricultural Innovation Centre on Friday 19 September.

Students at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Dubbo will have the support of Vice-Chancellor Professor Andrew Vann and Dean of Students Professor Julia Coyle during a sleep out on Tuesday 16 September for Swagtember. The sleep out in the University's Multi Purpose Centre will be held from 7.30 pm to 7.30 am with approximately 20 students expected to raise money for the not-for-profit organisation, Street Swags.  Similar events will be held by students at CSU in Albury-Wodonga, Orange, Port Macquarie and Wagga Wagga throughout the month. Supported by CSU's Office for Students, the students will raise money for Street Swags to purchase swags for people unable to find accommodation. A range of activities have been organised to keep students entertained during the sleep out including music, movies and a barbecue breakfast.

The impact of public-funded university research on communities will be explored in the latest 2014 Explorations Series lecture on Wednesday 17 September, hosted by Charles Sturt University (CSU). Professor of Information Studies Lisa Given will use 'real world' case studies and examples to show the economic, social and environmental impact of research on society. Professor Given recently completed a report for the federal Government exploring the implications for the use of research impact case studies. Her project included a public workshop in Sydney with researchers, university administrators and research office staff as well as interviews with key stakeholders involved in university-based research. Professor Given said, "We do so much research in our universities and we want to ensure that our results are used in practice, to change the lives of people in our local communities, and worldwide. Ensuring that our research is useful and taken up by the community is something we all do, but often quietly and behind-the-scenes. It's important for us to talk about the changes that we've seen as a result of our research activities." Professor Given's report, Qualitative Research Practice: Implications for the Design and Implementation of a Research Impact Assessment Exercise in Australia can be found here.  Professor Given is Acting Sub Dean (Research) with University's Faculty of Education and a member of CSU's Research Institute for Professional Practice, Learning and Education (RIPPLE). The public lecture is free and will be held from 6pm in the Wal Fife Theatres, building 14, near car park 4, Tooma Way, CSU in Wagga Wagga.

Five Charles Sturt University (CSU) male students have sported smooth legs for a good cause.Students living on campus at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Wagga Wagga have raised $1 200 for The Rock Central School following a fire in its main administration building in April.Bachelor of Social Work student and Head Resident Mr Angus Stead will present the cheque to Principal of The Rock Central School, Ms Donna Rockley at 10.30am on Monday 15 September.  The money was raised during a 'Friday Unwind' event at the University's Crow Bar on Friday 16 May when five CSU students and Residential Advisors (RAs) had their legs waxed.The money is being donated by the CSU students to help the School replace equipment damaged in the fire. The blaze followed flood damage in floods in December 2010 and again March 2012.At the same time Mr Stead will donate $2 500 to the not-for-profit organisation Riverina Bluebell to help support its mental health awareness work. The money was raised by CSU students living on campus during 2014.The University's Residence Life employs the student RAs to provide pastoral care and support to students living on campus. Read more about the Residence Life Support Scheme here.

A series of events have been organised at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Albury-Wodonga, Bathurst, Dubbo, Orange and Wagga Wagga to celebrate 2014 NSW Bike Week from Sunday 13 September to Sunday 21 September. Organised by CSU Green, the free events include daily Movie Showings and Rides to Campus at CSU in Bathurst on Tuesday 16 September, CSU in Albury-Wodonga, Orange and Wagga Wagga on Wednesday 17 September and CSU in Dubbo on Thursday 18 September. Free breakfasts will be held on campus following the rides. Read the full program of events on the CSU Green site. Further information is available from Ms Nicola Smith from CSU Green on (02) 6933 4863 or email csugreen@csu.edu.au. NSW Bike Week is held annually to celebrate the joys of cycling.

The annual Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition for Charles Sturt University (CSU) PhD students is on in Wagga Wagga on Monday 15 September. Sixteen PhD students will pitch their theses to a selected academic judging panel and interested audience members in just three minutes using only one static visual aid. Event organiser Ms Lisa McLean said, "The 3MT gives us a chance to hear about the wide range of research being undertaken at the University by our higher degree research candidates, and marvel that they are able to do it in under three minutes. A number of prizes will be awarded, and one of the sixteen will go on to represent Charles Sturt University at the 3MT Trans-Tasman Finals at the University of Western Australia in early November. The winner of the Judges' Choice Award will receive a $1 000 research/travel grant and audience members can also vote for their favourite presentation in the People's Choice Award, and the recipient of this award will receive a $500 research/travel grant." Audiences can also watch, and vote for their favourite presentation, online via Adobe Connect http://connect.csu.edu.au/threeminutethesis The 3MT will start at 1pm Monday 15 September in the Indyamarra Room, Convention Centre, at CSU in Wagga Wagga and conclude at about 4pm.

The Riverina Press Goes to War is the topic of a free public lecture on Saturday 13 September by Charles Sturt University (CSU) academic Dr Nancy Blacklow. As part of the Museum of the Riverina's History Week events, Dr Blacklow will explore some of the letters printed by Riverina newspapers and how they provide a social history of World War I. Dr Blacklow is an adjunct lecturer in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at CSU in Wagga Wagga. Dr Blacklow said, "During World War I, newspapers were the main source of news for Riverina communities. Even very small towns boasted their own newspaper. These newspapers looked after their communities by not only providing war news, but printing letters sent home by local soldiers. These letters tell stories of a sense of adventure, relief at surviving a battle, pride in achievements, and a growing sadness as the war continued." The Riverina Press Goes to War will be held from 10.30am to 11.30am at the Museum of the Riverina, Botanic Gardens site, Lord Baden Powell Drive in Wagga Wagga. To attend, contact the Museum on (02) 6926 9655 or email museum@wagga.nsw.gov.au