As the nation celebrates the centenary of local government in Australia, a Charles Sturt University (CSU) academic has published a history of three councils – Culcairn, Holbrook and Hume – in a twentieth century account of rural NSW. Historian Professor Bruce Pennay has told the story of how rural people shared good times and tough, through depression, drought, fire, flood, war and changing markets. “The book explains how local government responsibilities changed and how they struggled for improvements to help them win or retain populations,” Professor Pennay said. He also examined the impact and subsequent unravelling of the Albury Wodonga Growth centre in the 1970s and 80s and finally their recent amalgamation into a single council. “This work shows communities are shaped by their memories and histories, as well as their geography and economic development,” he said.

One of Australia’s largest banks Westpac will announce an agreement with Charles Sturt University (CSU) to produce regular agribusinesses reports for all Australia’s regions. CSU’s Western Research Institute will produce quarterly reports for Westpac on the health of farming and related businesses in all Australia’s States and territories, starting in 2007. This will be the first such report on each and all regions of the nation.The official announcement will be made during a Business and Community Reception to be hosted by CSU Vice-Chancellor Professor Ian Goulter. The reception will start at 5pm on Thursday 7 December on the University’s Albury-Wodonga Campus at Thurgoona.

Barriers to education and employment for Indigenous people will be among topics discussed at a workshop at Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) Bathurst Campus tomorrow, Wednesday 6 December. The workshop is the first in a series to be held across CSU as part of its Indigenous Employment Strategy promoting the employment of Indigenous Australians. Workshop presenters will include guests from the Wiradjuri Elders Group and other community members who will discuss topics such as workplace issues, cross cultural communication and protocols for community consultation. The University’s Indigenous Employment Coordinator Karen Kime said the University is a great place to work and Indigenous people contribute to an interesting and dynamic workforce, which reflects the cultural makeup of the region it serves. The workshop will be held between 9.30am and 3pm at the Human Resources Training Room, Phillips Building.

The collaboration between Charles Sturt University (CSU) and TAFE NSW’s Western Institute Dubbo Campus which enables TAFE students to articulate into a bachelor degree was celebrated recently at the United We Stand conference in Perth. The conference was described as a first for social and welfare workers and educators. CSU Humanities and Social Sciences senior lecturer Bill Anscombe presented a paper at the conference with TAFE education leader Andrew Crowley and head teacher for Community Services section Deanne Davis, who said the relationship has given TAFE students an avenue to new opportunities. “This gives students access to a university level course that they wouldn’t have thought of applying for before. Working together has helped tackle issues regarding access to education in rural areas.” Mr Anscombe agrees. “By combining with TAFE we’ve been able to offer a full-time equivalent program that combines the best of uni study with the best of TAFE competency training.”

Teamwork comes first at Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) Contact Centre which is why the staff were awarded the Vice-Chancellor's 2006 Team Award For Performance Excellence. Managed by Ms Kerry Browning, the Contact Centre is located at the Bathurst Campus. In their nomination, Heads of School from the Faculty of Arts Associate Professor Tracey Green and Associate Professor Rosemary Woolston said the staff “exemplify quality and professionalism”, singling out the Contact Centre’s contribution to the School of Policing Studies career day. Ms Browning said the staff  “like to work with the people we are here to support, and unless we are flexible, we can’t meet the needs of the customer. They are a great team and they are really focused on providing excellent customer service. They enjoy the interaction with other parts of CSU and always keeping University information up-to-date”.

The first sod will be turned for construction of the next academic building on the Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) Thurgoona site by Vice-Chancellor Professor Ian Goulter on Tuesday 12 December. He will be joined by representatives from international chemical company BASF and regional energy provider Country Energy, whose products and services will be incorporated into the building’s construction and management. Worth $3 million, the two storey office block will use innovative materials developed by BASF for building insulation, the first time these materials have been used in Australia. Country Energy will provide expertise in monitoring and managing energy use in the building. “We are aiming to build a public building that minimises air conditioning and energy use by improving building insulation,” says Professor Goulter. “It demonstrates the University’s commitment to sustainability and will be a showcase for all Australia.”

With an audience of 250 students from universities across Australia and New Zealand, the new Vice-Chancellor and President of Charles Sturt University (CSU) Professor Andrew Vann will attend a pharmacy conference opening in Wagga Wagga as one of his first official duties in the new role. The University is hosting the National Australian Pharmacy Students’ Association (NAPSA) Congress 2012 from Sunday 22 January to Saturday 28 January, a first for regional Australia. Planning for the event stems back to 2010 when the University’s student club, Pharmers' Society won a bid to host the Congress. The Congress will be attended by students and recent graduates from pharmacy programs at universities in Australia and New Zealand. The opening will take place from 9am to 11am on Monday 23 January at Joyes Hall at CSU in Wagga Wagga. Read more about NAPSA Congress 2012 on CSU News here. Read more pharmacy news on CSU News here.

The new Murray Children’s Centre at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Albury-Wodonga will open its doors to the public on Friday 27 January. The $3.5 million building, located on Elizabeth Mitchell Drive, Thurgoona, will welcome almost three times the number of children at the previous building located on Olive Street in the Albury city centre. The new 72-place early childhood centre currently has full-time places available for infants, toddlers and pre-schoolers. The new Centre has been built with sustainability in mind, featuring lighting that adjusts to the daylight, temperature controlled under floor heating, high ceilings for air flow, views of the natural landscape, and ergonomic kitchen, play and bathroom facilities. The community is invited to tour the new facility at the Murray Children’s Centre open house from 2pm to 4pm on Friday 27 January.

Leading speech pathologist Mrs Mary-Ruth Mendel, the 2012 NSW Australia Day Ambassador, will be the special guest at a lunch organised by the Charles Sturt University (CSU) speech pathology program in Albury-Wodonga on Wednesday 25 January. Ms Libby Clark, the organiser of the lunch and lecturer in the speech pathology program within the School of Community Health at CSU in Albury-Wodonga, said this was a wonderful opportunity for speech pathologists and early childhood educators in the region to meet and hear a leader in the field. “Mrs Mendel is a distinguished speech pathologist, specialising in literacy and language learning issues. While she has an international client base for her private practice in Sydney, she has also shown, through the development of a range of programs, a real commitment to supporting literacy in indigenous languages.” Ms Clark said. “She has many achievements and we are delighted that she has made time to visit Charles Sturt University in Albury-Wodonga before officiating at Australia Day activities on Thursday. This will be a wonderful opportunity to discuss potential links between the work that Mrs Mendel has been doing and the projects related to indigenous language and literacy that are being carried out by Charles Sturt University speech pathology students and staff in Condobolin and Wagga Wagga.”