Charles Sturt University (CSU) students and staff will puff and pant to work and study on Wednesday 12 October as part of the annual Ride to Work Day 2011. Cyclists from CSU in Albury-Wodonga, Bathurst, Orange and Wagga Wagga will participate in the morning event, which will finish with a free breakfast. Event coordinator, Ms Nicole Maher from CSU Green, said the Ride to Work Day is a great way to, “enjoy some exercise, travel with low emissions and enjoy a free breakfast. More and more people are riding to work for fitness, health and to reduce their environmental footprints, as well as to enjoy a relaxing period before the pressures of daily work.” Tips on cycling to work are available from the Ride to Work official site here.

One thousand new faces are expected to converge on the Charles Sturt University (CSU) Wagga Wagga Campus from Monday 19 February for Orientation Week activities. New students will attend information sessions about courses, enrolment and living both on and off-campus. New students will learn about CSU’s online services, electronic communications, library and student services. Students will be given a formal ”Welcome to Country” by Wiradjuri elders at Joyes Hall from 2pm on Monday. An estimated 600 students will get a taste of CSU life at a huge barbecue on Tuesday from 2.30pm outside the Dining Hall. Social activities include a ’Dive-in Movie’ on Thursday night at the CSU Wagga Wagga Pool. For the first time Wagga Wagga City Council will provide Wagga Wagga City bus tours for new CSU students, running all day Friday.

The new President of Dongguk University’s Computer Science Institute in South Korea, Dr Kyung-sun Beak, will visit Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Albury–Wodonga on Monday 17 October to sign an agreement and investigate opportunities for expanding collaboration between the two universities. CSU’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) Professor Ross Chambers and Dr Kyung-sun Beak will sign a new articulation agreement during the visit to facilitate further pathways for students from Dongguk University to study business and information technology at Charles Sturt University. A number of students from Dongguk University are already studying at CSU in Albury-Wodonga under a previous agreement signed in 2008. Two of these students will meet for lunch with the South Korean delegation, which will also include the Dean of International Studies, Professor Min-jung Ko, and the Director of Marketing, Jong Wook Ryu. The Head of Albury-Wodonga Campus and Director of CSU’s Office of International Relations, Ms Sue Moloney, will take the delegation on a campus tour after lunch and then, time permitting, a brief tour of Albury city.

Almost 3 000 new students are expected to descend upon Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) six Campuses next week for the beginning of Orientation Week 2007. At CSU’s Albury-Wodonga Campus 500 new students will arrive on Monday 19 February. They will check into Thurgoona accommodation cottages and tour the campus and library. On Tuesday 20 February from 9am new students will meet with community services, government agencies, local businesses and University student clubs at the annual Market Day on the Thurgoona site. Official welcomes will also be held on the Thurgoona site for new education students at 9.30am, followed by health students and 11.30am and all others at 1.30pm. Academic advisory sessions will be held on Wednesday 21 February on Albury City and Thurgoona sites, as well as enrolments and library tours. Activities on Thursday 22 February include information sessions about study and library skills, student services and personal well-being for the new students. Paul Shaw, Senior Program Coordinator said CSU staff look forward to a busy week. “It is a very mad week - in a good way.”

Almost 3 000 new students are expected to descend upon Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) six Campuses on Monday 19 February for the beginning of Orientation Week. At CSU’s Dubbo Campus, O Week starts on the Monday and new head of campus, Mr Gary Shipp has invited indigenous leaders to join new students at the welcome ceremony between 1pm and 1.30pm. This will be followed by a BBQ for students and family.  As well as social events, the week will include information sessions about courses, enrolment and living on and off-campus. New students can learn about CSU’s online services, electronic communications, library and student services. Student coordinators and leaders will wear orange shirts with paw and claw prints to reflect the 2007 Safari theme and, to compliment the theme, new students will visit Western Plains Zoo on Friday 23 February. Paul Shaw, Senior Program Coordinator said CSU staff look forward to a busy week. “It is a very mad week - in a good way.”

A ‘think tank’ on early childhood education policy met with Professor Gordon Cleveland, a world-leading Canadian economist from the University of Toronto, at Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) Bathurst Campus last week. Professor Cleveland, who specialises in early childhood education and care policy, contributed to discussions about the implications of current government policy towards early childhood education. Jennifer Sumsion, Professor of Early Childhood Education from CSU’s Faculty of Education, said, “The forum participants included academics from a range of universities and personnel from the non-government sector and unions. They agreed to identify a research agenda for investigating issues that need to be considered as a result of a market-driven approach to the provision of early childhood education and care in Australia.”

The new Dubbo Health Council (DHC) met for the first time late last month. The DHC will work with the Greater Western Area Health Service (GWAHS) and community members to enhance health services and facilities for the people of Dubbo and surrounding towns. Charles Sturt University (CSU) Bachelor of Nursing course coordinator Cathy Maginnis is Deputy Chairperson of DHC. She believes the importance of CSU having representation on local boards and councils is “very important, especially the engagement with the community. The DHC will identify what health areas may need special programs or funding. It is all about having input into how health funding should be spent.” Ms Maginnis said Council members will also liaise with other Health Councils and Area Health Services “about what we have achieved and hope to achieve”.

The Greater Western Area Health Service (GWAHS) says their success in attracting graduate nurses is partly due to the close relationship between GWAHS and Charles Sturt University (CSU). Around 45 Registered Nurses are commencing their careers with the GWAHS in February through the flexible GWAHS Nurse Graduate Program (NGP) that enables nurses to work full or part time. Rebecca Dixon and Matthew Rowe, who both studied nursing by distance education at CSU will soon move from their home in Melbourne to Orange. Rebecca will begin the NGP at Orange Base Hospital while Matthew continues his studies at CSU, this time as a Pharmacy student. Matthew said their CSU experience was “fabulous, very supportive. We realised that was where we would like to have a future.” Rebecca added that “it just all fell into place. We never thought a few years ago when we first started studying that we would end up moving to the Central West.”

Australia’s chronic skills shortage and the Federal Government’s push to get people off welfare and into the workforce is presenting teachers, trainers and welfare workers new challenges. How can we make the transition easier? This pressing issue will be canvassed at a half day Research in Vocational Education and Training (RIVET) group colloquium at the Charles Sturt University (CSU) Wagga Wagga Campus on Tuesday 13 February. Speakers include Dr Steve Johnson, Director of the Policy Research Institute of the Leeds Metropolitan University, where he will outline the skilled workforce shortage also confronting the United Kingdom. CSU experts will also examine the social implications and various teaching strategies that can be used in the welfare to work policy. RIVET’s Associate Professor Erica Smith says “The success of Welfare to Work policy is important for individuals entering or re-entering the workforce as well as the nation.”