I would like to welcome everyone back, and I hope you had a restful break over the holiday season. As we return to work, I look forward to catching up with everyone over the coming months.
We have received with sadness and disappointment the news that we were not successful with the NSW Police contract. Despite this setback, our resolve remains unwavering. We are dedicated to delivering our program under the current contract with the highest level of professionalism and maintaining our high standards. This commitment underscores our dedication to meeting our obligations with the NSW Police and supporting our community.
I understand how disappointing the news about the NSW Police contract is for all of us. We are mindful of the impact this is having on our colleagues in the School of Policing Studies. School and Faculty Leadership teams will be working over the coming months to map the road ahead and will continue to communicate regularly with you about developments, but in particular communicate with staff that are most directly impacted by the loss of the contract. Additional employment support is available for staff in Goulburn. For more information on how to access these services, please reach out to your line manager or the employee assistance support services directly.
Around the grounds
We are delighted to welcome Professor Jacqueline (Jac) Birt, who commenced as Head of the School of Business on 20th January 2025 at the Port Macquarie campus. Jac holds a PhD in Financial Accounting and has extensive experience in academic leadership. She joins us from the University of Western Australia, bringing a wealth of experience from prestigious institutions such as the University of Queensland, Monash University, the Australian National University, and the University of Melbourne. Jac can be contacted via HOS-SOB@csu.edu.au or Teams.
I would also like to extend my heartfelt thanks to Associate Professor Dianne McGrath for her exceptional leadership as Acting Head of School during the recruitment process. Dianne has made a significant impact on the School and will continue to contribute positively as Associate Head of School. Please join me in welcoming Jac to the Faculty and in thanking Dianne for her invaluable contributions.
We are excited to announce the commencement of new engineering courses in 2025. These courses are designed to equip students with cutting-edge skills and knowledge to excel in the engineering field. In addition to this, late last year, our first-year students Toby Wilson, Daniel Skrinnikoff, and Hamish Lang have already made a mark by winning the ‘Most Outstanding Design Project’ and Showcase Pitch Award at the Engineers Without Borders annual showcase for their innovative rainwater catchment and storage project. You can read more about their project here: ‘Portable tarp-based rainwater catchment and storage for Pu Ngaol, Cambodia’
The 2024 independent external review of the Centre for Law and Justice highlighted several key points. The Centre received commendations for its exceptional achievements, especially as a young institution. The review also provided recommendations for improving efficiencies and effectiveness. An action plan has been drafted to implement these improvements starting this year.
The School of Computing, Mathematics, and Engineering, along with the School of Business, will also see the opening of the Melbourne campus in partnership with Navitas in session 202530, offering Business and IT courses.
These developments highlight CSU’s commitment to providing high-quality education and fostering innovation in various fields.
In other exciting news, Michael Bewong has been nominated to the Australian Academy of Science’s National Committee for Information and Communication Sciences. Additionally, Tanmoy Debnath has received seed funding for an innovative AI-enabled brain MRI segmentation project. We are also proud to announce that several journal publications and conference papers have been accepted for 2025 in high-ranking journals (Q1 and Q2), showcasing our faculty’s commitment to research excellence and innovation.
As we face a challenging budget in 2025, we will need to focus on curriculum changes and teaching efficiencies. Please continue to make careful financial decisions, especially regarding travel.
Lastly, there have been several recent IT security issues, including email scams and phishing attempts. Ensure you complete the Information Security Awareness ELMO Module and comply with Charles Sturt policies. Report any security incidents or data breaches to the IT Service Desk immediately.
Thank you for your continued dedication and hard work. Let’s make 2025 another successful year together.
