Celebrating Your Future is the theme of Orientation 2010 at Charles Sturt University (CSU) from Tuesday 23 to Friday 26 February. In distinctive yellow t-shirts, student coordinator and leaders will welcome the new arrivals at CSU in Dubbo as part of the week-long introduction to university life. Orientation 2010 activities include academic information sessions, campus and library tours and a cocktail party welcoming news students and their families at the Western Plains Cultural Centre hosted by the Dubbo City Council. The Head of CSU in Dubbo, Doctor Beverley Moriarty will officially welcome the new students and their families at 1pm on Tuesday 23 February. The Orientation 2010 program, which is coordinated by the Division of Student Services at CSU, can be found here. The University expects to enrol about 2 800 new on campus students in 2010, with 80 based in Dubbo.

Orientation Week is the traditional start of the university year for new students at Charles Sturt University (CSU), and runs until Friday 26 February. Around 600 students, including part-time students, will enrol in courses as varied as physiotherapy, teaching, nursing, speech therapy, adventure ecotourism, accountancy, and information technology. Head of CSU in Albury-Wodonga, Professor Allan Curtis said Orientation Week activities were vital to introduce new students to study and life at CSU. “Orientation Week provides space for students to become familiar with their surroundings, staff and other students. CSU staff are ready to respond to queries about courses and subjects, help students find accommodation, and help them make the most of the cultural and sporting activities available in Albury-Wodonga,” Professor Curtis said. Major events during the remainder of the week include: Wednesday 24 February – Big BBQ for all new students at lunchtime. Students officially enrol in courses this day; Thursday 25 February – Visit to oz.e.wildlife at Ettamogah by new international students, commencing at 3pm; and, Friday 26 February – Race Around Thurgoona for new students to help get to know their local area and campus.

Researchers from Charles Sturt University (CSU) will hold a number of focus groups in Cowra in March so that residents aged 60 years and over can share their experiences of what is it like to live in a rural community as they get older. Dr Rhonda Shaw and Ms Judith Gullifer, lecturers from the CSU School of Psychology in Bathurst, argue that it is important to understand what it is like to grow older in rural communities like Cowra to gain a more complete picture of ageing in Australia. “Too often research about ageing is conducted using samples from metropolitan areas, and issues or views raised from this research are assumed to apply across rural, regional and remote areas,” Dr Shaw said. “This is a metro-centric perspective of ageing which places emphasis on averages across states or territories rather than on the needs and views of specific communities. This is despite evidence that non-metropolitan areas have older age profiles than metropolitan areas, which is, in part, due to a process that has become known as a ‘tree change’, whereby many older adults from metropolitan areas migrate to rural areas in their retirement.” Cowra residents aged over 60 years who wish to participate in the research can contact Dr Rhonda Shaw on (02) 6338 4826.

A new initiative for selecting students for the pharmacy program at Charles Sturt University (CSU) has led to the arrival in Orange and Wagga Wagga of new students this week. Thirty-eight new students were chosen through the new application process for entry into the Bachelor of Pharmacy degree at CSU in Orange with a further 75 students at CSU in Wagga Wagga. In addition to lodging an application with the University Admissions Centre (UAC), prospective students had to complete a written application form sent directly to CSU. On the basis of this application, interviews were conducted in Orange and Wagga Wagga last December. About 160 applicants were asked questions by interview panels of CSU academics, members of the community and pharmacists from across the NSW Riverina and Central West regions. “Charles Sturt University believes the new approach to selecting students for our pharmacy program in 2010 beyond the traditional academic results offers greater opportunities to find students and ultimately graduates who are genuinely committed to pharmacy in regional and rural Australia,” said Head of the School of Biomedical Sciences, Associate Professor Lyndall Angel.

New figures released by Charles Sturt University (CSU) show significant savings for the environment in the management of its vehicle fleet. The data prepared by CSU’s Division of Finance reveals that although the distance travelled by CSU vehicles on official business rose last year by eight per cent, from 6.3 million kilometres in 2008 to 6.8 million, the amount of fuel consumed dropped from 664 000 litres in 2008 to 580 000 in 2009, a decline of 84 000 litres or over 12 per cent. “The carbon emissions saved through the greater efficiency of the University’s vehicle fleet is about 380 tonnes of carbon - the equivalent of taking 88 cars off the road for 2009,” said CSU Green Manager, Mr William Adlong. CSU vehicles are used to support staff on official University business including travelling between campuses in five major NSW regional centres as well as in Canberra, Goulburn and Sydney. “We hope to improve these figures with staff encouraged to consider using practical alternatives to travelling between campuses, such as video-conferencing, or sharing vehicles.” Over 60 per cent of CSU’s transport fleet are lower emission vehicles, such as four cylinder petrol, gas, diesel or hybrid.

Among hundreds of students who will spend this week getting to know the academic and social side to university life are Wagga Wagga twins Ms Rosemary and Mr Austin Teakel. The 18 year old twins will spend the next four years at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Wagga Wagga studying the same degree, a Bachelor of Education (Technology and Applied Studies).   Approximately 1 050 students are expected to enrol as on campus students at CSU in Wagga Wagga in 2010. Celebrating Your Future is the theme of Orientation 2010, which continues this week ahead of classes commencing on Monday 1 March.  During the week, students will be fundraising for the NSW Volunteer Rescue Association with the hope of raising $5 000 for the organisation. The official Orientation 2010 program, coordinated by the Division of Student Services at CSU, can be found here.  Read more CSU News about Orientation 2010 here. 

Australia and Finland may be geographically poles apart but researchers from both countries are striving to best prepare teachers for their profession. As part of their development, two academics from Finland are braving Australia’s February heat to visit Charles Sturt University (CSU) after discovering the institution’s reputation as a leader in research on professional practice, teacher education and learning. CSU’s Research Institute for Professional Practice, Learning and Education  (RIPPLE) is hosting Professor Petri Salo from Abo Akademi University and Dr Hannu Heikkinin from the University of Jyväskylä as they collaborate on joint research projects with CSU. Leading international education researcher, Professor Stephen Kemmis from CSU, said, “Professor Petri Salo is working with our team on a three-year Australian Research Council project investigating the connections between practices of school leadership and professional development and how these can lead to changes in students’ academic and social practices, while Dr Hannu Heikkinen is collaborating with RIPPLE researchers on mentoring for new teachers.”

The earthquake and tsunami that hit Chile on Sunday 28 February are reminders of the harshness of nature and the need for governments, emergency services and relief agencies to plan for natural disasters, says an expert in disaster management from Charles Sturt University (CSU). Mr Ian Manock, lecturer in emergency management at CSU’s Australian Graduate School of Policing, said that with a burgeoning world population and in spite of increasing technology, research shows that the incidence of damage to facilities and harm to people from the impact of natural and technological hazards is increasing exponentially. He said the disaster will no doubt have emergency service agencies in Chile pushed beyond their limits and the international community will be called on to assist.

Five days into the start of the new academic year and on campus students at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Wagga Wagga are being asked to consider  and sign-up for a variety of social and sporting activities for 2010. The annual Clubs Day will be held from midday until 5pm on Friday 5 March at CSU in Wagga Wagga. Organised by the Rivcoll Student Representative Committee (SRC) and the Division of Student Services at CSU, Clubs Day will showcase over 40 social and sports clubs  ranging from equestrian, hockey and rugby union groups, to clubs focusing on animation, pharmacy and wine. Clubs Day, including an array of tents, stalls, giveaways and a barbeque, will be held in the quadrangle near the student canteen in building 20, near car park 2, Darnell Smith Drive, CSU in Wagga Wagga. Read more about sports clubs at CSU in Wagga Wagga here, and read more about social clubs at CSU in Wagga Wagga here.