Academics, staff and students will celebrate the 2010 International Women’s Day (IWD) at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst with a range of activities on the library lawn starting at 12.30pm on Monday 8 March. Two of the spokespeople for the women involved in this event, Professor Jo-Anne Reid, Acting Dean of the Faculty of Education, and  Associate Professor Jane Mills from the School of Communication and Creative Industries, said, “Our theme  is Equal rights, equal opportunity: Progress for all. The event provides an opportunity to focus on the relevance of IWD to issues of student life and culture, and foreground the intellectual and political life of our campus in a way that is both welcoming and inclusive of all students and staff”. The event has support from the Head of Campus, Mr Col Sharp, the National Tertiary Education Union, and the student association, who are all keen to advance the recognition of women in all roles in the university community, as well as in the community broadly.

The Charles Sturt University (CSU) School of Theology has called for papers for presentation at an ageing and spirituality conference it will host in Canberra from 28 September to 1 October. Reverend Professor Elizabeth MacKinlay, AM, Director of the Centre for Ageing and Pastoral Studies (CAPS) at CSU, said the Fifth National CAPS Conference, Ageing and Spirituality: Resistance, Resilience and Change, will bring practitioners, researchers and older people together to share and examine ageing and positive well-being in later life. “We will examine the integration of spiritual care into holistic programs of care for older adults, including issues of chronic ill health, disability and resilience in later life, and the changes experienced in ageing related to loss and grief. There will be a focus on finding meaning in life and coping with the changes of ageing, especially psychosocial, emotional and spiritual changes, as well as the use of story in supporting continued growth, well-being and resilience in later life, and contemporary information and skill sharing strategies for working with people who have dementia and their carers.” The closing date for paper abstracts is Monday 15 March.

A recently published history of the former Orange Agricultural College, now Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Orange, will be launched at the University’s Conference Room at 10am on Friday 5 March. A History of Orange Agricultural College, written by historian Mr Philip Gissing, documents the events leading up to the College’s establishment in 1973, its struggles during the early years of operation, its ongoing battle to maintain its independence, and its steady rise to become Australia’s leading provider of rural management education by the 1990s. Between 1973 and 2000 Orange Agricultural College educated and influenced thousands of students, many of whom now play leading roles in agricultural industries and agribusinesses in Australia and overseas.“The College operated during a period of great change in Australia in both the tertiary education and agricultural sectors,” said Professor Kevin Parton, the Head of Campus at CSU in Orange. “As a consequence, it was constantly battling to maintain its identity and independence, while delivering innovative programs relevant to the primary industries it served.”

Senior high school students in Orange will get the chance to discover more about university life and potential career paths when Charles Sturt University (CSU) and others bring the Regional University Road Show to town on Friday 5 March. Orange Christian School will host one of the Road Show events, which career advisor Mrs Melissa Brown describes as a wonderful opportunity for her students, as well as students from other local high schools. “A large percentage of Orange school graduates complete their tertiary education at regional universities and this is a chance to hear from three different universities in the one session, which enables them to consider a number of options for future study,” Mrs Brown says. The sessions are informative and provide ample time for questions about both study options and the admissions process.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) will be one of three universities to provide senior high school students in Dubbo with the chance to discover more about university life and potential career paths when the Regional University Road Show comes to town on Thursday 4 March. Dubbo Senior College will host one of the road show events, which career advisor, Mrs Denise Latta, describes as a wonderful opportunity for local students. “A large percentage of Dubbo school graduates complete their tertiary education at regional universities and this is a chance to hear from three different universities in the one session. This enables them to consider a number of options for future study,” Mrs Latta said. “Often regional students have difficulty attending university open days, so here the universities come to the students. The sessions are very informative and give lots of time for questions about both the study options and the admissions process."

A grassroots energy saving project conducted in the School of Education at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Wagga Wagga has reached its halfway mark, with preliminary results showing substantial cuts in electricity use. Energy use has been reduced over a two-week period by between 16 per cent and as much as 74 per cent, with an average reduction per staff member of 37 per cent. “While energy-savvy, many of the 16 participants have been surprised by the amount of energy that can be saved by simply switching off a power point,” said the project’s leader, Ms Barbara Conlan. “We also hope to raise student awareness about the energy saving, which will hopefully encourage energy saving behaviour within the education institutions in which they will work.” Mr William Adlong, Manager of CSU Green, which coordinates the grant scheme, said, “The University aims to reduce its energy consumption by 10 per cent and to reduce its water use by 25 per cent by 2011. Initiatives such as this project will help us reach these targets."

The newly-appointed Professor of Paramedic Practice and Leadership at Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) School of Biomedical Sciences in Bathurst, Professor Peter O’Meara, has returned from teaching a one week course for paramedics from several states centred around the  US state of Illinois. “They have a very different system in the US to ours in Australia,” Professor O’Meara explained. “The professional practice and management issues are similar, however they have 17 000 ambulance service providers compared to eight in Australia. Services range from very small to moderately sized organisations serving a city or regional community and there are no state-wide services. Many are run by the fire brigade, others by city councils, hospitals and private companies, some for profit and others not-for-profit. In Australia we are well advanced in the education and training of paramedics and ambulance service managers. However, we can learn from experiences in the US where they face challenges over a very large and diverse country. I see potentially great opportunities for the University to extend into the US paramedic education market in partnership with professional associations and other universities involved in paramedic education. I am also pursuing opportunities for CSU paramedic students to undertake clinical placements in the US.”

In any industry freelancing is not for the faint-hearted, but a Charles Sturt University (CSU) graduate has one successful year under her belt and is confident her second will be even better. Ms Gemma Thornton had experiences as varied as sailing on the eco-boat ‘Ady Gil’ and maintaining the boat’s videoblog while moored in New Zealand’s Auckland Harbour, to working on broadcasts for the ABC and SBS. Ms Thornton, who grew up in Ulladulla on the NSW South Coast, finished a Bachelor of Arts in Television Production in 2008. She says she was prepared to give freelancing a go for a year to “see if I could carve out a career”. “During the past year I found the skills and training gained at Charles Sturt University were outstanding and stand up well in professional practice. I feel well-prepared to go out on my own for another year,” she said. “The opportunity to work last November as a volunteer on the ‘Ady Gil’, one of the boats operated by the Sea Shepherd conservation group, was incredible. I really felt that we could make a difference. Of course it’s a memory cherished more fondly since the boat was sunk in the Antarctic in January.” Ms Thornton says the contacts she built in 2009 will help her find work in television studios doing camera operating and assistance work this year.

Commencing on Monday 22 February, Orientation Week  is the traditional start of the university year for new students at Charles Sturt University (CSU). Around 600 students, including part-time students, will commence 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 familar 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 acitivities available in Albury-Wodonga,” Professor Curtis said. Major events during the week include: Monday 22 February - Check-in of new residents to the student residences at Thurgoona; Tuesday 23 February - Official welcome to CSU in Albury-Wodonga by acting Head of Campus, Associate Professor John Atkinson; Tuesday 23 February - Market Day for student-run academic, sporting and leisure clubs and local businesses; Wednesday 24 February – Big BBQ for all new students at lunchtime. Students are officially enrolling this day; and, Friday 26 February – Race Around Thurgoona for new students to help get to know their local area and campus.