Celebrations have taken place after two Indigenous trainees at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Wagga Wagga graduated from the TAFE NSW Riverina Institute. Ms Maggie Lipu and Ms Stacey Anne Gemmell received their certificates in business administration during a ceremony in Wagga Wagga on Tuesday 23 March. Ms Lipu completed the course while employed by the University’s School of Education in Wagga Wagga as an Indigenous trainee since the start of 2009. Ms Gemmell finished the same program while working in administration for CSU Training. The traineeships were offered as part of the Australian Indigenous Employment Strategy, which aims to increase the number of Indigenous staff at CSU. Now employed as a casual Administrative Assistant with the School of Education, Ms Lipu is doing a Certificate IV in Community Services at TAFE and hopes to eventually do a CSU degree in social work. Ms Gemmell is considering enrolling in Certificate IV in Frontline Management through CSU Training, then a Diploma of Events Management in the future.

A paramedic from the South Australia Ambulance Service brings a different perspective on pre-hospital ambulance practice to her new role as a paramedic educator at Charles Sturt University (CSU). Professor of Paramedic Practice and Leadership at CSU’s School of Biomedical Sciences in Bathurst, Professor Peter O’Meara, welcomed the appointment of Ms Rhiannon Evans, saying, “Rhiannon strengthens the paramedic program through her experience as a recent graduate and her clinical practice. She brings the youth and vitality that was so much a feature of her leadership role within Student Paramedics Australasia (SPA), a special interest group of the Australian College of Ambulance Professionals.” Ms Evans’ first interaction with CSU staff and students was in her role with SPA. “I was surprised at how relaxed and friendly everyone was,” she said. “Even before I applied for the lecturer position, I was being supported and encouraged. I’m a strong believer that a great education is student-driven and is about encouraging students to focus their learning to get the most from their experiences.”

An annual prize to highlight a Charles Sturt University (CSU) graduate’s commitment to social justice will be donated to The Edel Quinn Shelter, a homeless support service for men in Wagga Wagga. Bachelor of Social Work graduate Mrs Michelle Knight from Wagga Wagga has been awarded the Lila Kirilik Memorial Social Justice Award  for her project, SHINE - Squalor and Hoarding Integrated Networking Enterprise, adirectory of services and their contacts in Wagga Wagga that can  help during cases of squalor  or hoarding. The project was compiled while Mrs Knight was doing her workplace learning in 2008 at The Forrest Centre, a service for the aged and disabled people in Wagga Wagga. Mrs Knight said, “I am donating the $500 prize to the Edel Quinn Shelter because of the organisation’s help in putting together the network”. The Lila Kirilik Social Action Award was established by the School of Humanities and Social Sciences in Wagga Wagga in 2004 in honour of the late Ms Lila Kirilik, a senior lecturer in social welfare at CSU.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) and Dubbo City Council (DCC) will renew their cooperative agreement when representatives sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at CSU in Dubbo on Wednesday 31 March. CSU Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Ian Goulter, said, “We are building on the strong foundation of the existing MoU to continue important collaborative work to benefit regional Australia. Under the MoU, the University and Dubbo City Council will enhance each other’s strategic direction. Our focus is on sustainable economic, environmental and social development within the local government area and broader region. In particular, we are keen to explore and maximise opportunities that mutually benefit communities, businesses, government and Indigenous agencies in Dubbo.” The agreement will be signed by Professor Goulter and the Mayor of Dubbo City Council, Councillor Allan Smith, in the presence of CSU’s Head of Campus in Dubbo, Dr Bev Moriarty, and Councillor Matthew Dickerson, a member of the CSU/DCC Working Party.

Parents of Newcastle senior high school students will be able to discuss life after high school with regional university advisers at the Hunter School of Performing Arts on Wednesday 21 April. Local mother of two, Ms Brenda Powell, whose youngest son is in Year 12 at the Hunter School of Performing Arts, believes the session will be of great benefit to anyone with a senior high school-age child. “It’s a great opportunity to look at the alternatives to our closer universities,” she says. “I don’t think a lot of people realise that regional universities can give their children a fantastic university experience. Living away from home means students can immerse themselves into university life and develop skills they wouldn’t necessarily get if they were living at home and just visiting the campus to attend lectures.” The Parent Information session is part of the Regional Universities Road Show which sees Charles Sturt University, Southern Cross University and the University of New England pooling resources to bring university information to those who need it.

The effective management of diabetes, one of Australia’s major health problems, will come through input from a range of health professionals, not just a general practitioner (GP), says Professor of Rural and Remote Pharmacy Patrick Ball of Charles Sturt University (CSU). In response to the Federal Government’s plan to keep the growing number of diabetics out of hospital, Professor Ball said one-on-one professional input from diabetes educators, dietitians, pharmacists, physiotherapists and exercise physiologists are needed to tackle the health problem. “While additional resources are welcome, the Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s plan seems to lack a clear appreciation of how the outcomes will best be delivered, particularly in inland Australia,” Professor Ball said. “While the GP must always be kept in the information loop, routing all the resources through already over-worked general practices is unlikely to be the best way to achieve the outcomes for which the government is aiming.” Professor Ball believes the successful control of Type 2 Diabetes requires that the diabetic takes their prescribed treatment but successful management also requires a change of diet and lifestyle.  “This has to come from the person, the family and the community.  How can one person change their diet if the rest of their household will not?  How can people walk more if we don’t have safe streets and pavements?” questioned Professor Ball.

The highest academic accolade open to a Charles Sturt University (CSU) graduate will be presented to an Information Technology (IT) specialist from Wagga Wagga. Mr Greg Smythe, Operations Manager for the Riverina Media Group will be awarded the University Medal by the Chancellor Mr Lawrie Willett, AO during a ceremony at CSU in Wagga Wagga on Thursday15 April. Mr Smythe will receive the Medal as he is awarded his Bachelor of Information Technology degree. The CSU graduate manages the operations department of the Riverina Media Group in Wagga Wagga and helps maintain the IT infrastructure for locations across south-western NSW. “I found the information technology course challenging but, thanks to a passion for this area and a very understanding family, I managed to successfully complete this course by distance education,” Mr Smythe said. The University Medal grants special recognition to CSU graduates whose academic performance is ‘superlative’. “Mr Smythe has been outstanding in achieving and maintaining High Distinctions throughout his CSU studies. I am confident that he will continue his exceptional academic performance in the Honours course in which he is now enrolled,” said Courses Manager Dr Tanveer A Zia from the School of Computing and Mathematics at CSU in Wagga Wagga.

A visiting international expert on the transition of children from preschool to formal schooling will discuss the effects on children of starting school in a seminar to be hosted today, Wednesday 7 April by Charles Sturt University (CSU). Professor Inge Johansson from the University of Stockholm in Sweden will speak on Transition from preschool to school: some experiences from Sweden and future challenges at the seminar to be held at the CSU Murray School of Education in Albury-Wodonga. “In Sweden, nearly all children go to preschool before they start school up to the age of six years, moving from one state of familiar surroundings to new experiences, from one educational culture to another,” Professor Johansson said. “How does this affect the children and their forming of identity? What is the role of parents and teachers in the transition? What can we learn from research in this field and what are the challenges for the future?” Event organiser Professor Bob Perry said Professor Johansson’s visit highlights the importance the Murray School of Education places on bringing international expertise to regional Australia.

Ms Kath Read has travelled from South Australia to take part in residential classes in Orange as part of her distance education studies in Ecological Agricultural Systems  at Charles Sturt University (CSU). Tired of sitting at a desk in her career as a successful graphic and web designer, Ms Read decided to quit her job and complete a permaculture course in Adelaide. Having gained the certificate, she has now moved on to a degree which she hopes will see her consulting in third world countries, ensuring farms can be more sustainable. “If you want to get somewhere and be taken seriously, I think a degree is the best thing you can do,” Ms Read said. “By coming along to the residential classes, I can meet like-minded people taking the course, and bounce ideas around before heading back home and continuing my studies.” Residential schools for distance education courses are taking place on CSU campuses across central and southern NSW throughout the week.