A diverse range of rural career paths will be on display at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Wagga Wagga on Wednesday 13 August. The annual student-led Agriculture and Animal Industries Careers Fair (AAICF) brings together more than 200 students from CSU's School Animal and Veterinary Sciencesand with 30 potential employers from the primary industry sector. One organiser,Bachelor of Animal Sciences student Ms Lucy Watt said it's an opportunity for students to make connections with industry members for future employment and work placement. "I have made some great contacts and every year I find something else that sparks my interest in other areas of animal production and agriculture," she said. "We always have a fantastic group of industry members who are willing to provide valuable advice on the opportunities available in rural Australia." The fair includes workshops on resume writing and the use of social media along with a panel discussion with recent CSU graduates and industry representatives. Read the full program here.

Charles Sturt University and GOTAFE will host two evening workshops in August to provide parents, guardians, grandparents and carers with up-to-date information about educational pathways beyond high school. The free workshops are offered to parents through the Careers and Pathways network partnership between Charles Sturt University, Northeast Tracks LLEN, and high schools in Wangaratta, Benalla and surrounding areas. CSU Schools Outreach Coordinator Ms Anne Geddis said the program helps carers support their children effectively "when they're making those important career transition decisions for secondary school and beyond". The first workshop on Wednesday 6 August between 6 and 8 pm will include discussion, practical exercises, printed handbook and opportunities for carers to work with schools and other parents on such varied topics as Finding a place to start, learning to use the Job Guide and connecting skills. The second workshop at the same time on Wednesday 13 August will investigate training and further education options such as apprenticeships, traineeships, TAFE and university, the employment market, and interview and job seeking skills. Both workshops will be held at the GOTAFE - CSU Rural Skills Centre, Tone Road, Wangaratta. For details, contact Ms Anne Geddis on 0417 629 294.

Outstanding service by staff at Charles Sturt University (CSU) will be acknowledged with the presentation of annual awards in Bathurst on Wednesday 6 August. The 2014 CSU Vice-Chancellor's Awards for Excellence, and Faculty and Division awards, aim to strengthen professionalism and reward staff for their commitment to the University and its mission. CSU Vice-Chancellor, Professor Andrew Vann, said, "As an institution committed to advancing the public good, Charles Sturt University relies on and acknowledges the dedicated service of its staff to achieve its goals. It is important that the University recognises the many individuals and teams whose innovative and sustained contributions benefit our students and regional communities. This is a welcome celebration of the University community's efforts." The Vice-Chancellor's awards include categories for excellence in leadership, sustainability, innovation, performance, teaching and research. The Faculty and Division awards recognise improvements in workflow, knowledge and understanding, cost-savings, work to enhance the student experience, and building the service culture at the University. A full list of the awards can be found here.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) students can learn about travel scholarships and overseas study opportunities at the second biannual CSU Global Showcase in Bathurst on Monday 4 August. Dr Shevahn Telfser, manager of CSU Global, said, "The CSU Global Showcase celebrates the many varied experiences that students have when studying at the University. It will be held on several campuses, including online, over the coming weeks, and is a wonderful event that lets many students showcase the opportunities they have had to study overseas and the benefits they gained. It will be a great opportunity to meet returned exchange students, past short-term program participants, incoming exchange students from partner universities, and CSU Global staff to share stories and details about the various programs on offer." CSU Global administers scholarships worth $3 000 to $5 000 to study in the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, China, Hong Kong, and Korea. The CSU Global Showcase will be on-campus at: Bathurst, 12pm to 2pm Monday 4 August at the Library Learning Commons (building 1412); Online, 8pm to 9pm Tuesday 5 August at the CSU Global online meeting room; Wagga Wagga, 12pm to 2pm Wednesday 6 August at 'eat@20'; Albury-Wodonga, 12pm to 2pm Thursday 7 August at 'The G'; and Orange, 6pm to 8pm Thursday 14 August at lecture room 120, building 1004.  

If you are a Bathurst resident affected in some way by adoption, a Charles Sturt University (CSU) student's research project needs your help. Ms Alesha Elbourne, an honours student in the CSU School of Communication and Creative Industries in Bathurst, is researching the use of art-based methods to explore stories, experiences and issues concerning people affected by adoption. "I am seeking adoptees, parents, siblings, grandparents, close relatives and persons who identify themselves as being part of the community of people affected by adoption," Ms Elbourne said. "My research will ask participants to participate in small art-making workshops in which art works exploring their stories and experiences of adoption will be presented through creative activities such as collage, drawing, sculpture and storytelling. No artistic skills or training are required as a homemade style is appreciated, materials will be provided, and I will help you throughout the art-making process." As an adoptee herself, Ms Elbourne's research aims to study interactive arts-based methods as a tool for bringing cultural awareness to the broader community. Through this study participants will have an opportunity to contribute their story and experience of adoption to a community art project while maintaining anonymity if they choose. Several two to three hour-long workshops for participants are planned, starting in mid-August in Bathurst. For further details or to register your interest, please contact Ms Alesha Elbourne on 0407 871 202 or aleshaunleashed@gmail.com.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) and Goulburn Ovens TAFE (GOTAFE) will host a professional development day for school teachers across North East Victoria to show how agriculture and horticulture topics can be incorporated into their programs. Speakers from the Victorian Farmers Federation, Murray Dairy, Rural skills Australia, CSU and GOTAFE will show how teachers can build contacts with rural industries, find teaching resources and build partnerships with local farmer groups such as the Alpine Valley Dairy Pathways Project and TAFEs to help incorporate agriculture and horculture into the school curriculum. School Outreach Coordinator with CSU's Wangaratta Study Centre, Ms Anne Geddis, said the workshops provided an opportunity for teachers with similar objectives but different experiences to build a supportting network for themselves. The day long workshop will run from 9.30 am to 3.30 pm on Tuesday 5 August at the GOTAFE-CSU Rural Industries Campus, 218 Tone Rd, Wangaratta.

Indigenous education advocate Professor Jeannie Herbert AM has been appointed as the new Head of Campus at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Dubbo. Professor Herbert, who is based in Dubbo, is currently Pro Vice-Chancellor (Indigenous Education) and Foundation Chair of Indigenous Studies, positions she will continue to hold. "Professor Herbert has many years' experience in community engagement and is passionate about providing greater access to education for Aboriginal people," said CSU Vice-Chancellor Professor Andrew Vann. Professor Herbert said her key priority is building quality relationships between the University and the diverse community in the Dubbo and western regions of New South Wales. "Open and meaningful engagement with all these groups, will not only grow Charles Sturt University's capacity to deliver quality programs that reflect the learning needs of the communities it services, but will also increase the numbers of students from those communities, including Aboriginal students, successfully getting what they want out of their tertiary education," she said.  Professor Herbert replaces Dr Beverley Moriarty as Head of Campus at CSU in Dubbo. "I would like to acknowledge and thank Dr Moriarty for her outstanding leadership of the Dubbo Campus over the last five years," said Professor Vann. Read more about Professor Herbert here.

The month of fasting, or Ramadan, is well under way for Muslims in Australia and around the globe, and two Charles Sturt University (CSU) academics will explore the meaning of the month. During Ramadan, Muslims are not allowed to eat or drink between sunrise and sunset. The month ends with a celebration known as Eid al-Fitr.  Dr Waseem Afzal and Dr Hassan Obied will present a public lecture, What is Ramadan (the Month of Fasting) anyway?, from 1 to 2 pm Thursday 24 July at CSU in Wagga Wagga to address questions about this month of fasting. The lectureis presented by the University's Islamic Students Association. "Ramadan carries special significance in Islam, and is aimed at many physical, social, and spiritual aspects. In this lecture, we aim to introduce some of the essentials concerning the Month of Ramadan," said Drs Afzal and Obied. There will be time for questions and answers at the end of the lecture which will be held in Room 278, Connected Learning Space, building 13 near car park 7, Nathan Cobb Drive, CSU in Wagga Wagga.

An international early childcare researcher will discuss the German experience of the commercialisation of the early childcare sector during a forum at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Albury-Wodonga at the School of Education on Wednesday 23 July. Professor Johanna Mierendorff, from Martin Luther University in Halle, Germany, investigated the entry of commercial interests in 2005 into the care of children aged 0 to 6 years, where traditionally the sector was dominated by small not-for-profit organisations. With the broader public concerned with possible detrimental effects on access to and quality of commercial services, Professor Mierendorff interviewed parents and commercial centre managers to find out how they coped with these concerns. The results suggest that the traditional German ideas of equality of opportunities in early childhood are challenged by the change in the provision of child care. In addition, the changed child care sector has provided new ways to understand parenthood and social equality and inequality in the country.