Experience
Newcastle

1876 gift among treasures at upcoming Book Fair

Two volumes of poetry and prose by Robert Burns given as a farewell gift to a Scottish immigrant bound for Newcastle in 1876 are among the treasures at this year’s University of Newcastle Book Fair.

According to Mr Vic Levi, President of the Friends of the University, the leather bound books were presented to Mr William Muir who worked his passage to Australia and then spent 42 years in the postal service, most of them at Newcastle Post Office.

The inscription on the books reads – 'Presented to Mr William Muir in May 1876 at Dundee on the occasion of his leaving for Australia by a few Brither Scots.'

The volumes are just two of the many thousands of items which will go on sale at the Book Fair in the University’s Great Hall from August 10 to 17.

Proceeds go towards funding much needed student scholarships and special building projects at the University.

The Friends of the University have raised close to $1 million for the University.

“Other rare items to go on sale are a Beatles Collection which includes a beautifully preserved box set of 13 LPs with the records and spectacular jackets in near new condition”, Mr Levi said.

“The records, all the Beatles’ British LPs, sold for $319 in the late 1970s. Also included in the collection are 101 Beatles Songs for Buskers, a video titled The Compleat Beatles and a set of press cuttings from 1971 about Paul McCartney.”

The Book Fair runs from 10-17 August between 10am and 5pm on Saturday and Sunday and 10am to 4pm Monday to Friday, with trading extended to 7pm on Thursday.

3 Minute Thesis Competition Winner – Kymme Laetsch

How do you cram years of study and research into a 3-minute speech? That was the challenge faced by winner of the University of Newcastle Final of the 3 Minute Thesis Competition, Ancient History and Classical Languages PhD candidate, Kymme Laetsch.

Kymme will now go on to compete in the National/Trans-Tasman Competition in Sydney in October.

Kymme, who is in the second year of her PhD, says she entered the competition as an exercise to re-focus herself back on her research.

“Getting your work narrowed down to about 400 words is really hard. It forces you to really think about what it is that you’re doing,” Kymme said.

Kymme’s thesis is titled “The portrayal and implications of feminine ageing in Latin literature” and she recognises that it’s not necessarily a topic that excites many people.

“My research will not cure cancer or childhood obesity and Latin poetry is certainly an acquired taste - one which many people would struggle to identify with or find 'important'. So, one of the toughest challenges I faced was trying to make 2,000 year old poetry written in a dead language engaging and relevant to a contemporary audience,” Kymme said.

“Rather than just talk about what I do and how I do it, I tried to illustrate that very briefly and draw parallels between ancient and contemporary attitudes to older women.”

“For example, Roman literature is full of the same stereotypes we see today – the ugly old witch and the nasty step-mother. Even older women who take younger lovers, today known as cougars, are subjected to stereotypical revulsion.”

“I also tried to inject some humour into it as I think it always helps people to remember things if they laugh. The rest is LOADS of memorising and practicing and crossing your fingers that 'on the day' you can remember well enough to get the job done despite the nerves,” Kymme said.

Watch the best of the competition...

Kymme Laetsch - PhD (Classics) achieved 1st place at the UoN's 2013 Three Minute Thesis Final.

Jason Girkin - PhD (Immunology & Microbiology) 2nd place at the UoN's 2013 - 3 Minute Thesis Final.

Sally Hall - PhD (Biological Sciences) 3rd place at the UoN's 2013 Three Minute Thesis Final.

Find out more about the 3 Minute Thesis Competition and research Higher Degrees.

$5 feeds at Callaghan

Strapped for cash and keen for a feed at uni? Perhaps these on campus deals will tickle your fancy.

Life as a uni student can often be expensive. When you only have an hour break between lectures, forgot to pack your lunch with you or and just fed up with living on mi goreng, then the on campus outlets have you covered with a great range of feeds that will sustain you right though to that last tutorial.

Godfrey Tanner Bar

• Breakfast: Muesli with yoghurt, fruit, nuts $4.00
• Lunch: Toasted focaccia with middy of soft drink

Uni Bakehouse

• Gourmet pies $2.50
• Traditional pies $2.00
• Muffins $2.50
• Various desserts $2-$3
• Breaky Deal $5- any muffin & milk or juice

Subway

$5 Subs with your choice of soft drink! Choose from:

• Meatball
• Turkey, Ham
• Pizza Sub with cheese
• Seafood Delight
• Veggie Delight

Mamaduke

• Banana bread $3.95
• Pear & raspberry bread $3.95
• Assorted pastries $3.95
• Almond croissants $4.95
• Croissant with jam & butter $3.95
• Gluten free and non-gluten free friands $3.95
• Muffins $3.95
• Hunter Valley cookies $3.50
• Half wraps $4.95
• Pre-pack sandwich $4.90
• Assorted pizza $4.20 & $4.50

Unifood Café

• Kransky roll $4.50
• Roast beef roll $4.50
• Chips $3.95
• Wedges $4.50
• Pre-pack sandwich $4.00
• Half wraps $4.95

A BOLD Solution

Professor Susan Ryan wanted an assessment tool that would test her students' ability to assess the homes of people with arthritis, dementia and spinal cord injuries. The problem was access. It's a logistical challenge to send a troop of 30 occupational therapy (OT) students into someone's home to measure it up. So she needed to fake it. That's when Chris Barrett from the BOLD Lab got to build a house with his computer.

The BOLD (Blended and Online Learning Design) lab is a place where instructional designers breathe life in to the ideas of academic staff who are teaching in the online arena.  As part of the Centre for Teaching and Learning, the BOLD Lab is key for academics who want to extend the scope of their teaching parameters.

Prof Ryan initiated this project in October 2012 when, after a meeting with Chris and Melissa Crain, an occupational therapist from Hunter New England Health, the concept of a simulated house was suggested as a possible exam tool.

Chris Barrett used a variety of commercial-grade software to develop the house, including a 3D modelling application and an engine that is used in gaming. His design is based on actual plans of a housing commission three-bedroom home. The walk-through navigation includes 360degree visibility and the ability to measure internal dimensions. Door frames, rooms and steps are all set to scale, accurately simulating the exact situation a student would encounter if they were to assess a real house. The virtual house is used to assess a student's ability to observe any hazards or modifications that might be required in the home, depending on the person's disability.

The first batch of students to undergo the interactive exam, current third year OT students, sat the test in February this year. So far, the project has been hailed a great success. Students have been incredibly enthusiastic about using the virtual house, due to its use of gaming techniques and interactivity. For Susan Ryan, seeing the practical application and increased level of student engagement has made the project extremely gratifying. And for Chris Barrett, the house is the first building in what is turning into a virtual village. He's already designed a virtual playground in association with OT and is working with Nutrition and Dietetics to create a virtual hospital ward, so students can practice assessing different patients with a variety of nutritional needs.

Chris's cutting edge creations are proving widely adaptable and useful across a range of disciplines in the University. Building and Construction have expressed interest in using the house to help students as they work towards becoming building inspectors. The hospital ward could also be applicable to Nursing or Medicine and the playground may be a valuable tool for Education students. Applications for this kind of tool are limitless.

"Essentially, it's just a house," says Chris Barrett. "The beauty lies in the fact that once it's built, it can be used for a number of different purposes, depending on the needs of the staff and their students."  Increasingly, students will be using virtual worlds and online assessments as part of their studies, which means more projects for the designers in the BOLD team. Chris doesn't seem too concerned. He grins. "It's actually been a lot of fun."

Click here to take a tour of the OTSUNVILLE house:

http://tinyurl.com/cdnum92

Written by Jodie McEwen

Aiming High for the Future

The AIM High program within the Equity and Diversity Unit at the University of Newcastle seeks to challenge social exclusion by supporting positive change through education. The project is focused on supporting educational aspiration, attainment and access for students and families from low SES backgrounds.

The program was developed in response to the recommendations in the Bradley Review of Higher Education (2008) and the Sutton Trust (2008) report on widening participation in higher education. This area of the University's work builds on the University's strong track record of being a place of opportunity and a national leader in the equity of access to Higher Education.

Believing the future starts now, the AIM High program draws from thirteen targeted Low SES high schools and their partner primary schools to support early and direct intervention with young people and their families to increase their knowledge and understanding of their post school options. By immersing family members and parents in the program they are better equipped to support their child's career and educational aspirations, engagement and attainment, regardless of their own educational experience.

A range of tertiary education experiences developed with the community are offered throughout the primary and secondary learning stages, delivered both on campus and in schools. The program uses innovative approaches to demonstrate the links between a student's lived experience, classroom learning and career and study options.

The Careers through Reading program introduces Year 2 students to a variety of career and study options through university students reading them story books related to their study or future career. Year 5 and Year 10 students act as role models for the younger students, while continuing to enhance and develop their knowledge of careers.

Discover Uni Days provide an opportunity for year 6 students and their family members to experience what on-campus life is like as a Uni student. By participating in a series of activities as well as visiting Uni facilities, the students and family members are exposed to a wide variety of careers and study options.

The SMART (Science, Maths and Real Technology) program mixes entertainment and education in demonstration based science shows. Teachers appreciate the curriculum links, pupils love the exciting demonstrations and Uni students develop their communication skills whilst presenting the shows.

The Girls'Choices Summer School and LIVE IT! (for boys) programs are five-day residential experiences for Year 9 students from equity target groups across NSW. The programs are designed to inspire students to build upon their potential to succeed in years 10, 11 and 12, Throughout the week students participate in a program of actitivies, lectures, workshops and industry visits, all designed to reinforce the importance of furthed education and expose them to the wide range of study and career options that exist for HSC graduates.

Other programs aimed at the later high school years include MAN (Mentoring for AspiratioN), which was developed in conjunction with Callaghan College, and HSC Coach, which provides students with digital access to high-quality, annually updated, course-specific HSC expertise.

The AIM High program resides in the Equity and Diversity Unit at the University of Newcastle. The role of the Equity and Diversity Unit (EDU) is to work in partnership with staff, students and the wider community to ensure that the principles of equity, diversity, access and social justice are embedded into all that the University aims to achieve.

All about iLead

Have you ever wanted to study abroad but also be involved with extra-curricular Leadership Program that will expose you to new experiences and international awareness? Why not join iLead?

The iLead Program enables you to participate in additional activities on top of your regular degree. You’ll have the opportunity to attend lectures of your interest, volunteer and even study abroad. Completing these activities allows you to be awarded points that ultimately allow you to complete the Program.

The Program involves many different events including the highly anticipated International Leaders Series (ILS). This event occurs 2-3 times a year and hosts some very distinguished speakers. In previous years, speakers including Lane Beachley (world champion surfer), John Anderson (founder of Contiki Tours), Khoa Do (Young Australian of the year 2005) and Mr. Amit Dagupta, (the Consul General of India).

Other highlights of the Program include travelling the world! Student testimonials show tremendous positive feedback with UoN student Laura Bereicua who says, “Studying abroad through iLead was the best decision of my life”.

Have you ever thought about taking the plunge to study into another culture? Why not check out these testimonials here.

There are some requirements that you must fill to be eligible to partake in the program. Firstly, you must be enrolled in an undergraduate or postgraduate degree, have studied at least 60 units already and must have a GPA of at least 4.5.

If this sounds like the Program for you, click here for more details on how to get involved.

Alumni Advantage Program

The Alumni Advantage Program is a student engagement program connecting current students with graduates of the University of Newcastle.

The program contributes positively to the student experience and assists students with their transition into the Alumni community. The event is open to all students – with special emphasis on final year students.

To date, the program has been hosted as a ‘working breakfast’ where a topical issue is discussed, presented or debated by graduates relevant to a certain discipline. Graduates at different stages of their careers are invited to share their story from graduate to successful industry professional.

For more information click here.

Student Andreena Kardamis awarded 'Young Citizen of the Year'

Congratulations to University of Newcastle student, 19-year-old Andreena Kardamis, who was honoured with ‘Young Citizen of the Year’ awards on Australia Day.

Andreena, who was named Young Citizen of the Year for Lake Macquarie, is a full-time Business and Law student and is the driving force behind the Lake Macquarie Youth Advisory Council where she is currently serving her second year as Chair.

Andreena was selected as a member of the NSW Youth Parliament, and filling the roles of Shadow Attorney General and Shadow Minister for the Central Coast, she developed a petition for placing life mentors and coaches in schools.

Andreena has since worked with Lake Macquarie Youth Development Officer Bradley Dunn to implement a life mentors and coaches program in the Lake Macquarie area. She is a Hunter Life Education ambassador and has helped organise International Youth Day celebrations.

Art for Art's Sake

What do you do when you’re perhaps a little too old to have your finger painting stuck with pride on the fridge at home? Well, you graduate to having your work displayed in a gallery for the entire world to admire.

The University Gallery, built in 1995, resides in the bushland surrounds of the Callaghan campus of the University of Newcastle and is an award winning, purpose-built facility. The Gallery building actually comprises two different areas: The University Gallery on the upper floor and the Senta Taft-Henry Museum underneath.

The Gallery had the original aim of providing graduating students with a high quality space in which they could exhibit their work for examination. Over the years, The Gallery has expanded its role to not only examination exhibitions, but also to providing a place where discussion and presentation of artistic and cultural developments as well as achievements in other areas of research at the University of Newcastle could find a home.

The Gallery also offers public programs and mentoring sessions throughout the year that promote awareness of contemporary artists, communities and disciplines that may be of interest to the wider Hunter community.

The Senta Taft-Hendry Museum opened in 2011 in a dedicated space underneath the University Gallery.

The museum houses an extensive and diverse collection of artefacts: carved wooden masks used in ancestral pageants, weapons featuring carved bone, cassowary feathers and shells, cooking pots, ancient drums and body adornments.

The collection dates back to the 1950s when Senta Taft Hendry began her travels to Papua New Guinea, West Papua (Irian Jaya), Micronesia, Polynesia and remote Australian communities.

The University Gallery has a number of exhibitions and events taking place over the latter half of 2013.

2013 - A big year for our stellar Athletes at the University of Newcastle!

2013 will be a massive year for many of the University of Newcastle’s student-athletes. Not only do we expect bumper teams at the Eastern and Australian University Games, some of our elite students have their sights set on success at the World level.

Two UoN students are looking to make their mark on the international stage when they represent Australia at the 2013 Student Rugby League World Cup, to be held in England from 3-15 July. Cameron Copeland and Michael Gavan were selected following strong performances for NSW in the 2012 NSW v QLD Interstate Match in October.

Physiotherapy student Celia Sullohern will make her debut for Australia in Open competition, when she competes at the World Cross Country Championships in Poland this March. She was Australia’s top-placed finisher at the 2011 World Championships, placing 21^st in the junior category.

2012 Australian University Games Heptathlon Champion, Sophie Stanwell, has qualified to represent Australia at the 2013 World University Games in Russia in July, while Matt Lynch (400m) and Blake Blackburn (Pistol Shooting) are also hoping to qualify to wear the Green & Gold for Australian Universities this year.

The University of Newcastle wishes all our outstanding athletes the best of luck for the Games! If you are an athlete and want to know more about competing at University level, check out www.unisport.com.au/nusport.

Audition Call for Echology – Join the University of Newcastle’s Chamber Choir for a Trip of a Lifetime

Echology, the University of Newcastle Chamber Choir, is inviting singers from around Australia to audition for the group and join them on a week-long invitational singing tour of Italy.

The choir will host 30 additional singers as they represent Australia on the prestigious International Festival of Sacred Music and Art (Festival Internazionale di Musica e Arte Sacra) held in Rome in November.

Choir Conductor, Dr Philip Matthias, says the trip is a once in a lifetime opportunity.

"We're widening the choir to allow more choristers to join us on this fantastic trip where they will not only have the chance to visit iconic locations such as the Sistine Chapel, but also sing for an international audience as part of one of the finest musical festivals in the world," said Dr Matthias.

Auditions are on an as needed basis (i.e. according to singer's experience), and will be held until mid-August either in person or via Skype or video for singers based interstate.

Rehearsals for the tour will be held from mid-August.

"Singers need just a good choral tone and good music reading ability. Much of the learning will be done in the singers' own time, negating the need for weekly rehearsals; it's a more 'project-based' approach," said Dr Matthias.

Sharing the stage with the likes of the Vienna Philharmonic, the Cologne Cathedral Choir and Guerzenich Orchestra, the Sistine Chapel Choir and the IlluminArt Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus from Japan, Echology will present a program of selections by Stravinsky, Berkeley and Petrassi in addition to Australian composers Butterley, Stanhope and Donovan.

With a long and successful history of performance tours and competitions including the World Choir Games, Battle of the Choirs and the Australian National Choral Championships, conductor Philip Matthias is no stranger to the international stage. Having had appearances in China, France, Korea, England and the United States, Matthias will now share the podium with the likes of Eberhard Metternich, Tomomi Nishimoto, and Leopold Hager.

"This is a great privilege, being able to perform in such an important event as this, one which we look forward to with much anticipation, including its impact to our community and University," said Dr. Matthias.

Established in 1995, the University of Newcastle Chamber Choir includes students and staff of the University along with members of the wider community who share a love of singing and enjoy performing a challenging and varied repertoire. Decorated on numerous occasions with top ranking awards and medals, Echology has been featured on ABC Radio, BBC Radio, national and international television, and has an extensive discography.

The choir will also perform the tour program at Sacred Heart Cathedral, Newcastle West, on Sunday 20th October at 2.30pm.

For more information contact Conductor, Dr Philip Matthias, on 02 4921 8928 or send an email.

Basketball Court Lights Up with the Energy Hunter Program

The Energy Hunter program run by the Hunter Business Chamber in conjunction with The City of Newcastle and Hunter TAFE is providing assistance to small and medium sized businesses across the Hunter Region.

The program enables businesses to identify, manage and improve their energy consumption, saving money on energy costs by becoming more energy efficient.

The Forum at the University of Newcastle's Callaghan campus is participating in the program, having recently upgraded the high bay lights in the Auchmuty basketball court to LED, with an energy saving of around 70%. This is the first LED upgrade of its kind to be undertaken for a basketball court.

"The Energy Hunter Program has provided NUSport with the tools and expertise to confidently focus on improving energy efficiency with education sessions and business networking forums," said NUSport Finance Manager, Tony Cleva. "The two year commitment to the program is a realistic timeframe for us to establish benchmarks and measure progressive improvements."

NUSport are also actively looking into other energy efficiency upgrades, using an electricity monitoring system supplied through the program.

The service has been made possible by $1.2 million in federal funding from the Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism. Energy Hunter aims to create a living laboratory in the Hunter to showcase clean energy technology and best practice energy efficiency.

For more information about the Energy Hunter program, please call 4974 2563 or visit the Energy Hunter website.

Beijing and Shanghai Alumni Dinners

Ten final-year business and commerce students from the University of Newcastle spent a month in China recently as part of their degree's Work Integrated Learning (WIL) placements.

Three students spent time in Shanghai while the other seven travelled to Beijing. A social dinner in each city on July 19 connected students with local alumni and the University's global alumni network.

The dinner was an opportunity for the students to gain a broad perspective of what it is like to live and work in China by hearing first-hand experiences from local alumni.

Shanghai WIL placement student, Kieran Dixon said it was great to learn how each graduate went from graduating in Newcastle to working in one of the largest and most dynamic cities in the world. "Hearing the career path and development of others is always insightful," he said.

University of Newcastle Beijing Alumni Coordinator, Weina Chen, said the alumni were happy to get together and 'give back' to the University by sharing their experiences with the students.

Ben Percy is learning, teaching and creating

Ben Percy is a UoN Graduate with a Bachelor of Teaching and a Bachelor of Design and Technology. He is winning design competitions, taking commissions, exhibiting his features around the country, and working hard on new projects, all whilst he teaches uni and school students how to do what he does. You may think it’s all too much to handle, but 26-year old Ben Percy is learning and teaching as he builds himself a substantial career.

“I’ve always been into woodworking and started through school. I wanted to become a design and technology teacher. It wasn’t until my second year at UoN when I became really passionate about designing as well as teaching,” says Ben.

Out of only six makers around the country, Ben was picked to work on a commission project for the American Hardwood Export Council, (AHEC). He was invited to collaborate with the AHEC to design and make two outdoor benches that featured in Sydney at an InDesign Live Exhibition. Ben says that he loves to create “modern and clean designs.”

Ben also had two chairs entered into the Australian Timber Design Awards. The chairs became finalists in the ‘Furniture and Joinery’ category and in the ‘Rising Star’ category and were featured in the Australian Timber Design magazine.

“I worked on one of the chairs; ‘The Pod' for three years while I was still at uni. It was made from salvaged timber from the gutted Hunter building on Callaghan Campus in 2009.”

Ben has returned to the Uni and is currently working at Callaghan in design and technology after finding his niche with woodwork at the Sturt School for Wood. He was there last year, where he won an Australian Decorative and Fine Arts Scholarship and achieved his Certificate 4 in Furniture Design and Technology. Ben is now teaching uni and school students design and woodwork.

“I teach students, instruct them with the machines and help them solve their design problems. It’s a challenging role with a lot of variety. I like the challenging design briefs that students are working through. I’m still learning a lot while I teach students, which I can then incorporate into my work.”

Next on the agenda for Ben, is to continue what he’s doing with ambition and stamina, as well to branch off onto many new projects.

“I’m currently developing a new rocking chair made from bamboo plywood. I’ve got several of my features in galleries all around the east coast; I’m still trying to extend my reach. This year has been about developing my own business and getting my name out there, because I want to continue featuring my work in exhibitions so that I can get commissioned… I also want to start doing pop-up shops around Newcastle.”

Ben says that without his time at UoN, he wouldn’t be where he is today. “The staff were very knowledgeable and professional. I wanted to learn everything I could and they provided me with what I needed. It’s greatly influenced what I want to do and how I want to teach.”

Check out Ben’s website and creative works here.

Be Positive Be Healthe: A new weight loss program for young women

Researchers at the University of Newcastle are launching a new weight loss program for young women.

Chief Investigator, Dr Melinda Hutchesson, said Be Positive Be Healthe was developed following consultation with over 500 young women in 2012.

“We know that young women aren’t interested in participating in traditional weight loss programs that are typically delivered face-to-face, in a group-based format,” Dr Hutchesson said.

“Be Positive Be Healthe is delivered using information technologies that appeal to young women such as a website, a smartphone application, SMS and email.

”As the program is only for young women it focuses on the food and exercise habits that make it challenging for young women to manage their weight, such as eating-out regularly with friends.

“Although Be Positive Be Healthe acknowledges the long-term health benefits of improving eating and physical activity behaviours, we know this isn’t a motivator for young women. So instead our focus is on helping young women to improve these behaviours to feel confident and better in themselves.”

Researchers are calling for 30 young women (aged 18 to 30 years) who have a body mass index between 25 and 29.9kg/m2 to take part in the initial pilot of the three-month Be Positive Be Healthe program.  They must be able to attend two assessment sessions at the University in September and December 2013, and have access to the Internet and an iPhone.

For more information please email Dr Melinda Hutchesson or call 49215405.

The Book Fair raises more than $80,000 for student scholarships

The recent Friends of the University Book Fair has raised more than $80,000 for student scholarships at the University of Newcastle.

Vice-Chancellor, Professor Caroline McMillen, thanked the Friends of the University group for their efforts.

"It takes this committed group of volunteers two years to prepare for the Book Fair, and on behalf of the University community, I would like to thank the Friends of the University mostly sincerely for their tireless hard work and support.

"The money raised will offer vital financial assistance for our students including scholarships in Fine Art, Music, Nursing and Sport, as well as two Honours scholarships and an Open Foundation scholarship."

Friends of the University President Mr Vic Levi said this year's Book Fair was the second most successful in the event's 30 year history.

"We were really pleased with the turnout we had. On our first day we had hundreds of people lined up waiting to come in.

"Surprisingly, vinyl records were among our best sellers. It is amazing to think that records are making such a resurgence.

"We had some rare items that went on sale including a Beatles Collection which includes a beautifully preserved box set of 13 LPs with the records and spectacular jackets in near new condition.

"We also had some very old and rare books that we auctioned off including two volumes of poetry and prose by Robert Burns given as a farewell gift to a Scottish immigrant bound for Newcastle in 1876," Mr Levi said.

Since the formation of the Friends of the University group in 1981, the Book Fair, which is held once every two years, has raised almost $1 million for the University.

Other projects funded by the Friends include a contribution towards the organ in the Great Hall, a woven tapestry, purchasing rare books for the University library and funding for the pavilion overlooking the University wetlands.

About the University of Newcastle Foundation:

The Foundation is the fundraising arm of the University of Newcastle. Donations to the University help fund student scholarships and prizes, research, community projects and academic positions.

Contact: Tanya Carlyle, University of Newcastle Foundation Communication and Marketing Coordinator

Contact Phone: +61 2 4985 4178 or 0407 276 061.

Campus Scamper 2013

Join the Campus Scamper on Saturday the 14th of September!

The starting pistol will go off at the University's 5km run and the 3km walk at 10am.

This annual event has been running since the 1960’s and attracts over 300 runners, not only students and staff, but members of the Newcastle athletic elite and the broader community as well.

You can choose between the five kilometre run and three kilometre walk. Both of them will start at University Oval No.2, from beneath the covered outdoor Basketball Courts, and will wind their way around the University Campus back to Oval No.2.

The Co-op Bookshop will be providing $50 book vouchers for the first male, first female and first staff member across the line in the 5km run.

A number of staff will be employed to stand at certain points and direct the runners as well as watch for cars at crossings.

There is no registration necessary, just turn up to The Forum, Callaghan Campus, around 9:30am. See you there!

Why should you do it? It’s a University tradition!

Find out more from UoN Services or the Forum.

Capturing the Soul of East Timorese Culture

A chance encounter with the US Ambassador to East Timor led to music PhD student, Ros Dunlop, publishing her book Sounds of the Soul, a bilingual book on the traditional music of East Timor.

The book placed second in the Faculty of Education and Arts Research Higher Degree publication prize and also won a gold medal in the Independent Publishing Awards in New York and was just announced as the winner of the music category in the Australian Government’s Inaugural Australian Arts In Asia Awards.

Ros has been to East Timor over forty times in the past decade, first as an activist, then as she got to learn more about the people of East Timor she found that their culture had almost vanished. She’s now writing her thesis titled ‘The traditional music of East Timor and how it is placed in social and cultural mores of East Timorese society.’

“The Timorese are a complex people, their culture suffered due to occupation over many centuries and was almost completely wiped out during Indonesian occupation, now they’re independent they’re starting to rebuild this endangered culture,” Ros said.

Ros made many recordings of traditional East Timorese music and created a DVD that the US Ambassador to East Timor discovered in a shop.

“He asked me what I was going to do with all this information I had gathered and suggested that I apply for a grant from the US Ambassador’s Fund. With these funds I was able to produce the book, a CD and DVD and an additional 1000 copies which I distributed to schools and libraries in East Timor, in January 2013."

“Because a large percentage of East Timorese are illiterate, I designed the book to be visually rich and appealing so that even non readers can learn about aspects of their culture. It’s also bilingual – written in English and in Tetun, one of National languages of East Timor and the traditional language of the East Timorese.”

“It’s the result of 10 years of work and I’m really glad it’s making a difference to the people of East Timor, they really seem to be engaging with it,” Ros said.

“The teachers College in Baucau has already started to use the book as a resource to help create teaching programs in music for teachers.”

See the list of winners of the Australian Arts in Asia Awards.

CARPOOLING BAYS – 39 More reasons to Carpool

The University has dedicated 39 car parking bays to support carpooling at Callaghan. Students and staff can register with myCarpools to obtain a carpooling permit from Infrastructure and Services (Services Building). The carpooling permit will entitle the holder to park in one of the carpooling bays providing the vehicle carries at least 3 persons. Infrastructure and Service will issue carpooling permits to 80 students or staff at any one time who satisfy the carpooling rules.

Carpooling is a great way to ease traffic congestion, save fuel costs and reduce vehicle emissions. The University provides an online carpooling service to encourage carpooling and to make it easier to form carpools. This service is hosted by myCarpools.

For further information on the University's new carpooling initiative and the carpooling bays click here.

Catching up with Bernadette Drabsch, past scholarship winner

Not even the most advanced camera can capture the same intricacies of colour, depth and texture in a 500,000 year old hand axe, as Bernadette Drabsch.

Bernadette, a PhD student at the University of Newcastle and a past recipient of the Williams Scholarships in Classics, has travelled the world, where she has been researching and drawing rare and wonderful artefacts.

Bernadette, who is an archaeological illustrator, said that if it weren't for the scholarships she received as an undergraduate, she would never be where she is today.

"I thought about quitting my studies a few times, but the scholarships gave me that extra boost in confidence to stay on. I really appreciate that."

Originally a legal secretary, Bernadette then spent some years as a full time mother before enrolling in the University's Open Foundation where she fell in love with art and ancient history.

As part of a trip to Pella in Jordan she was reconstructing ancient wall paintings through detailed pen drawings.

She has also ventured into the digital world, using programs that recreate the ancient site of Teleilat Ghassul, which is located near the Jordanian-Israeli border.

Her efforts in recording the artefacts could not be more timely, as many of the wall paintings are so fragile they will not last more than a few years. Other artefacts she has worked with include glass mosaics, ancient wineglasses, and buckets upon buckets of pot shards.

"My experiences have been wonderful. Our site in Pella was regularly visited by Jordanian royalty.

"The University of Newcastle provides most of the illustrators for the site, and we have had our work highly commended," said Bernadette.

Celia Sullohern named Sports Person of The Year

Cross country runner Celia Sullohern has been named Sports Person of The Year at the University of Newcastle Sports Awards. The prestigious title was presented by Vice-Chancellor Professor Caroline McMillen in front of over 180 guests, including sporting legend Peter Fitzsimons, at Newcastle City Hall on Friday evening.

Sullohern joins an illustrious group of past winners including Newcastle Jets player Ben Kantarovski, Paralympian Heath Francis OAM, and London Paralympian sailing gold medallist Liesl Tesch.

A current Bachelor of Physiotherapy student, Sullohern has won some of the globe's most challenging events including the Open Women's 8km event at the Oceania Cross Country Championships and the 8km National Cross Country championships.

NUsport CEO, Mr Chris Hicks, said the success of University of Newcastle past and present students clearly demonstrated the calibre of sports people from this region.

"Since 1955 the University has presented sporting awards that celebrate world-class performance and excellence. The Sports Awards acknowledge the outstanding contribution, hard work and dedication of individuals, teams and the organisations," he said.

The Sports Awards also recognised the sporting excellence of 17 students (past and present) and five University Sports Clubs including the Badminton Club, which was named Sports Club of the Year for attainment of high standards in sports administration.

Tia Brady (Track and Field), Sophie Stanwell (Heptathlon), Joshua Bennett (Cricket), Jessica Richardson (Rowing), Laura Harris (Triathlon), and Jessica Colwell (Ultimate Frisbee) were each awarded a prestigious University Blue for displaying outstanding sporting ability while representing the University of Newcastle.

For contribution to the administration and organisation of University sport, University Colours were awarded to Amelia Leotta (Football), Greg Preston (Hockey), Heidi Turon (Hockey), Andrew Godwin (Mountaineering), and Gabriella Sainsbury (Water Polo).

The University and Friends of the University presented eight sports scholarships to students currently balancing their academic and sporting pursuits. Recipients were Sophie Stanwell (Athletics - Heptathlon), Matthew Harris (Athletics - Decathlon), Kasimir Gregory, (Orienteering), Jessica Richardson (Rowing), David Graham (Skiing – Freestyle Moguls), Jessica Colwell (Ultimate Frisbee), Arjun Mahadevan (Water Polo), and Ashleigh Main (Water Polo).

The University of Newcastle Sports Awards are managed and presented by Newcastle University Sport (NUsport), which manages the health and fitness facilities, The Forum University and The Forum Harbourside.

Cheap Food - Fruit and Vegetable Box Service from NUSA

Did you know NUSA runs a fruit and vegie box service every week during semester? You can purchase a box of fruit and vegetables for $15. You need to order and pay by 4pm on a Wednesday for collection after 11am Thursday.

This service is run by volunteers who go to the fruit and vegie market at 6am with the money and purchase the contents for the boxes. Volunteers then sort the content into everyone's box from 7am.

A cost comparison on a box last year found that the produce was $35.10 cheaper than in the supermarket. Above is a picture of the actual contents of a box from semester one this year. The content varies each week due to seasonal variation.

More information is available at NUSA.

Chinese Scholars Visit University

Memoranda of Understanding between the University of Newcastle and two Chinese universities - Ningde Normal University and Shanghai Normal University - are the result of a recent visit to Newcastle by Chinese academic staff hosted by our Faculty of Education and Arts. The group of English and Chinese as a Foreign Language teachers received a warm welcome as they trained in language acquisition, teaching and testing.

The visiting group was made up of twelve English teachers from Ningde Normal University in Fujian Province, and two teachers of Chinese as a Foreign Language from Shanghai Normal University. They visited for three weeks in July with the Ningde group led by Associate Professor Gong Fanyuan (Joe), Dean of the Foreign Languages Department, while the Shanghai participants were accompanied for the start of the program by Professor Cao Xiuling, Dean of the International College of Chinese Studies at Shanghai Normal University.

The visit has led to the formation of a number of personal and professional affiliations including the MoUs. It is hoped that the close ties formed during the visit will lead to a range of further collaborations between our universities.

Communication students feast their eyes on a world of cultures

A group of five students from the Bachelor of Communication degree, who were selected for a travel internship/scholarship opportunity to work at the Festival Les Cultures du Monde in France, have returned home after documenting the amazing festivities with people from all over the world.

Recently the group, consisting of students- Jacob Stuart, Grant Gibbins, Luke Ryan, Patrick Wood and Shelby Houghton, made their way to a small country village in the middle of France called Gannat. They worked with media coverage at an event called ‘Festival Les Cultures du Monde’ (the Festival of World Cultures).

The festival is a celebration of folk culture, and this year, it included 20 different folk groups from all over the world, some of which were from- Benin in Africa, Peru and Chile, Rajhistan in India, and the Yakoutie people of Russia. This year marked its 40th festival in Gannat and attracted about 65,000 people over the 10 day festival.

The Communication students travelled with Media Production lecturer, Dr Vikrant Kishore, who has had an association with the festival for over twenty years. They were given the opportunity to work in an international context at Gannat, filming a documentary about the happenings at the festival. They were privileged to work in association with the festival’s media team, Gannatworld.tv, to cover the event.

The group hopes to have a screening of the finished short documentary in the coming months at the Uni, along with a photo exhibition of some of the shots from the trip.

Journalism graduate and law student, Shelby Houghton, says the experience was like nothing else-

“As students, we were given the opportunity to work overseas in an environment that exposed us to so many different cultures. I had the chance to really practice my interviewing skills throughout the festival- I spoke to people on camera from all around the world, many of whom only speak English as a second language. As we were capturing a live event on film, we learnt how to think on our feet. It was these kinds of real-world experiences that really put into practice what we have learnt throughout the degree.”

Luke Ryan, a final year Bachelor of Communication student majoring in Media Production, says he had an excellent time-

"I knew that it would be interesting but I think what surprised me so much was how blown away I was at a lot of the talent in the performances. From the Indian acrobats to the Peruvian break-dancers, every act was as well rehearsed and impressively executed as it was symbolic and culturally relevant. My favourite part of the internship was the opportunities to not only befriend people from a variety of different cultures but also to have a very unique experience of France with the added bonus of work experience.”

Dr Vikrant Kishore has also established a blog which provides more information about the festival.

Would your career get a boost by being able to speak Chinese?

Would your career prospects be improved by being able to speak Chinese? The Confucius Institute at the University of Newcastle has just opened enrolment for Term 4 Chinese language and culture courses at the Callaghan and Ourimbah campuses.

The courses offered in Term 4 include:

Language Courses

A range of Chinese language courses to suit every level from beginners to advanced. With professional Chinese teachers and a supportive learning environment, learning to speak Chinese is easy and fun!

• Chinese Beginners 1 & 2
• Chinese Intermediate 1 & 2 
• Chinese Advanced 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6

Cultural Course

• Tai Chi – Learn the slow controlled movements of Tai Chi to reduce your stress, improve your fitness, and enhance your overall wellbeing. Tai Chi is a form of ‘moving meditation’ that is good for your body and mind. 
• Chinese Calligraphy – Explore the fascinating art form of Chinese calligraphy and master the ancient brush techniques of Chinese calligraphy to create your own masterpiece!  

The Confucius Institute was officially opened on 11 May 2011 and since then it has been dedicated to enhancing understanding of Chinese language and culture in the Newcastle and Hunter region, Central Coast and Mid-North Coast through training and culture exchange programs. 

As part of the University’s International and Advancement Division, the Institute also plays a major role in developing the University’s capacity, and that of its stakeholder’s and its communities’, to effectively engage with the Asian Century.

Check out enrolments in language and cultural courses.

Visit the Confucius Institute’s Facebook page.

Do you DiG it?

The University of Newcastle is a Platinum Sponsor and Official Innovation Partner of the inaugural 2013 Design, Interactive Technology & Greentech (DiG) Festival, to be held in Newcastle from 2-4 October 2013.

The University of Newcastle is providing leading international commentators and thinkers in the areas of interactive education, sustainable transport, robotics, solar paint, and interactive public art as part of the outstanding line up of speakers at the inaugural DiG Festival.

As part of DiG Festival's objective to transition Australia to a technologically smart and clean economy, University of Newcastle experts will showcase the most advanced thinking available.

Visionary biophysicist, Dr Gary Ellem, from the Tom Farrell Institute at the University of Newcastle, will showcase the latest global research into sustainable transport solutions, including a ground breaking concept to prevent the leakage of $12 billion annually in importation costs associated with the purchase and operation of private passenger vehicles in NSW.

Professor Liz Burd, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Learning and Teaching) at the University of Newcastle, will explore how technology influences education and vice versa, the impacts of equal access to technology and how people work together to harness technology for education.

World-renowned physicist, Professor Paul Dastoor, will profile his research into free household power with his development of an energy system based on solar cells that can be printed - and ultimately painted - onto surfaces like roofs, walls, or even windows.

University of Newcastle speakers announced to date are:

Oct 3 – Thursday

12 noon – Paul Dastoor – Painting the Town Solar

1pm – Gary Ellam – Can we kill the electric car … for something better?

3.30pm – Tristan Perez – Intelligent Autonomous Vehicles – Challenges and Innovation

Oct 4 – Friday

10am – Liz Burd – Technology Enhanced Learning

1.30pm – Mario Minichiello & Chris Tucker – Dead Centre of Town: The Story behind City Evolutions

University of Newcastle students qualify for a 75% discount off the ticket price of the event.

"The University of Newcastle support has also enabled us to release special student pricing for the two day event, which will make it accessible and affordable for some of the region's brightest young minds," said DiG Festival organiser Craig Wilson.

The student rate is $99, a discount of $300 off the $399 adult rate for the two-day event.

Visit the festival website to view the full conference program and purchase tickets.

Do you have some free time in your holidays? Why not Volunteer?

Why not volunteer some of your free time for the greater good of our community? The University of Newcastle Career Service is always posting new opportunities for students and friends to get involved with. Not only are there internships available, but volunteering positions such as Lifeline, Ronald McDonald House and even tutoring positions are open for eager individuals.

There are also great initiatives such as Timebanking that many of the Universities staff and students are getting on board with. Timebanking allows members of the community to exchange services to earn credits for other services they may need. For example, if you are a good dog walker however, are horrible at cleaning, you can volunteer your time to walk someone’s dog and someone else can volunteer to clean for you.

Volunteering is a great way to give back to the community and looks very impressive on your resume. If you want to check out the opportunities available, visit the CareerHub. For more information on Timebanking click here.

Do you know someone who has made a difference by volunteering their time?

Dr Ian Cook – Scholars and Artist in Residence (SAR) Fellowship at the National film and Sound Archives

Senior Lecturer in Music, Dr Ian Cook has returned from a seven-week fellowship at the National Film and Sound Archives (NFSA) in Canberra. His research analysed recordings of Mozart opera performances to examine the differences in interpretation of the music by performers and conductors in the context of historical informed performance (HIP) practices.

As part of the SAR Fellowship, Dr Cook compared over 180 recordings of Mozart opera performances in the NFSA collection to performances of Sir Charles Mackerras from the late 20th century.

“I wanted to identify trends associated with historical informed performance practice and to see if they existed in earlier periods of the 20th century,” Dr Cook said.

“A problem that results in opera performances is when misinformed decisions of speed are adopted by a performer/conductor as it then directly impacts upon Mozart’s dramatic intentions the opera story. The balance and interconnection within the relationships of the speed is paramount in the final performance when all musical and dramatic elements are brought together,” Dr Cook said.

The database of NFSA contained material covering a broad time frame of Mozart performances from 1906 to the present.

“Mapping the trends and discussing the comparison against the European/English counterpart was valuable in observing how HIP developed in context of Australian performances.”

“One significant area of research that developed through the Fellowship was the work of Hector Crawford. Crawford was a musician and conductor and produced radio programs like Opera for the People and the Mobil Quest where Mozart repertoire was regularly performed,” Dr Cook said.

In September Dr Cook will be presenting his research at a Conference: Training Early Musicians in the Age of Recordings at the Israel Conservatory of Music.

During your exam

So you’ve found your room and your seat now you’re ready to show this exam who’s boss!

Reading time is like a little gift wrapped up and tied with a bow – if you’ve got it use it wisely! Read over each question (make sure you look at every page back and front) and then split up your time. How long you should be spending on each question to make sure you answer everything?

It’s easy to get caught up writing away on a question you know everything about – be strict with your time allocation to avoid this from happening. You don’t want to walk away with one question answered amazingly well and the rest not started.

Don’t worry if you come across a question you don’t know the answer to. Brainstorm some key points or key words and then move on.

If time is running faster than you’re writing try speeding through your remaining questions and summarising your intended answers in point form – who knows you might pick up an extra point or two.

Allow yourself a bit of time at the end to make sure you’ve filled in your answer sheet correctly and read over what you’ve done.

Eat Well in Semester 2

Set yourself up for success in Semester 2 by getting into a healthy eating routine.

The link between academic performance and nutrition is well established and increasing evidence suggests mental health is also significantly impacted by what you eat. Get into a healthy eating routine early in the Semester and you’ll be more likely to stick with it. Perhaps get together with friends so you can shop, cook and eat together.

Plan your meals each week including snacks. The Healthy Living Pyramid provides information on the different types of food and proportions that make up a healthy diet so is a good place to start planning. Check your pantry for staples. You may find you can save money by sharing these with others. The healthy food pyramid will help guide you to which food types and how much of each should be on your plate.

Find some easy budget recipes for meals and snacks at Nutrition Australia or at our own UoN Nutrition and Dietetics developed site- Back to Basics. You’ll also find some useful youtube cooking demos.

Ask around about the best places to shop for good quality fresh fruit and veg at a good price. Don’t forget NUSA have $15 veggie boxes you can order each week. When shopping for fruit and veg aim for 2 serves of fruit and 5 serves of veg each day. Check this gofor2and 5 site for easy ideas and suggestions.

Useful tips for food shopping on a budget can be found on the Nutrition Australia website.

Carry a snack in your bag for those sluggish low energy moments. Fresh fruit such as an apple or orange is easy to carry and won’t mess with your bag. You’ll save money and perk up for late afternoon concentration. Avoid too many high sugar or high salt health bars and snacks.

There’s nothing better than growing your own. Get in touch with UoN Services about their Community Garden. They run a range of workshops on veggie gardening and composting.

If you require specific nutritional advice make an appointment with a nurse or doctor at the UoN Health Service. Don’t forget to keep moving. Physical activity is important for balancing your energy intake and output.

Further information available from Healthy UoN - Student Health Promotion – a University of Newcastle Healthy University Initiative. Email Healthy UoN

Echology to Perform Indigenous Song in Concert

The University of Newcastle’s chamber choir, Echology, will deliver an afternoon of soaring music at Newcastle’s Sacred Heart Cathedral in their last concert before embarking on a week-long tour of Rome and the Vatican.

Choir Conductor, Dr Philip Matthias, said a highlight of the concert will be the performance of Oui Tooli, a traditional piece from Murray Island, (from the group of Torres Strait Islands).

“We have been working with Toby Whaleboat, a Murray Islander, to perfect this Indigenous piece for some time and we are very excited to debut it to a Newcastle audience,” Dr Matthias said.

The concert will feature Stravinsky’s Mass for Mixed Chorus, Brass and Wind (the brass ensemble will be led by acclaimed Sydney trumpeter Daniel Mendelow, who is accompanying the choir to Rome,) and Gabrieli’s renaissance masterpiece, In Ecclesiis, as well as music from Gerald Finzi, Daniel Moe, Bernard Rose and Paul Stanhope.

This concert is Echology’s last warm up before representing Australia at the prestigious International Festival of Sacred Music and Art held in Rome.

“We’re all looking forward to this fantastic trip where we’ll not only visit iconic locations around Rome, but also share the stage with the likes of the Vienna Philharmonic, the Cologne Cathedral Choir and the Sistine Chapel Choir,” Dr Matthias said.

DATE: Saturday, 20 October 2013

VENUE: Sacred Heart Cathedral (Catholic Cathedral), 841 Hunter St, Newcastle West

TIME: 2.30pm

TICKETS: Online or at the door. Discounts available for group bookings of 10 or more.

"Like" Echology on Facebook to follow their updates.

Emma Elsworthy’s Simple Steps to Happiness

Aspiring writer, 22-year-old Emma Elsworthy, is a final year Bachelor of Communication student at the University of Newcastle. Her thoughtful blog-post- “16 small steps to happiness,” generated an explosive amount of re-blogging and social networking hits, earning her an article in the Newcastle Herald!

On her self-actualising piece of writing, Emma says she never saw its popularity coming- “I feel really lucky that I live in a digital age where my voice can be heard by so many really. I mean this all started because I posted something on a blog that I access for free. What gave it wings was the audience who responded to it, as opposed to notoriety or my job title or something... It gives me hope that maybe talent is all you need to make it in media, not knowing the right people.”

Article by Emma (from the Newcastle Herald):

ALREADY struggling with the typical woes of student life, my worries intensified as I began the final year of studying communications at the University of Newcastle.

I was contemplating entering the competitive media industry that I had wanted to be a part of since my childhood.

Sitting down one particularly stressful Monday afternoon, I began to write down some simple steps to remind myself of how to return to my carefree and balanced self in trying times.

I posted the 16 steps on my blog as an afterthought. What I hadn't realised was the chain reaction the blogging platform was capable of. Within two days it had been re-blogged 1700 times, and within a week, 100,000 times.

Now re-blogged almost 300,000 times, shared across numerous social media platforms and seen by countless eyes, I realised the simple steps I wrote for my own peace of mind has led to hundreds of thousands of others across the world benefiting from my words.

Here are my 16 small steps to happiness.

1. Push yourself to get up before the rest of the world. Start with 7am, then 6am, then 5.30am. Go to the nearest hill with a big coat, a scarf and watch the sun rise.

2. Push yourself to fall asleep earlier. Start with 11pm, then 10pm, then 9pm. Wake up in the morning feeling re-energised and comfortable.

3. Erase processed food from your diet. Start with lollies, chips, biscuits, then erase pasta, rice, cereal and bread. Use the rule that if a child couldn't identify what was in it, you don't eat it.

4. Get into the habit of cooking yourself a beautiful breakfast. Fry tomatoes and mushrooms in real butter and garlic. Fry an egg, slice up a fresh avocado and squirt way too much lemon on it. Sit and eat it and do nothing else.

5. Stretch. Start by reaching for the sky as hard as you can, then trying to touch your toes. Roll your head. Stretch your fingers. Stretch everything.

6. Buy a one-litre water bottle. Start with pushing yourself to drink the whole thing in a day, then try drinking it twice.

7. Buy a beautiful diary and a beautiful black pen. Write down everything you do, including dinner dates, appointments, assignments, coffees, what you need to do that day. No detail is too small.

8. Strip your bed of your sheets and empty your underwear draw into the washing machine. Put a massive scoop of scented fabric softener in there and wash. Make your bed in full.

9. Organise your room. Fold all your clothes (and bag what you don't want), clean your mirror, your laptop, vacuum the floor. Light a beautiful candle.

10. Have a luxurious shower with your favourite music playing. Wash your hair, scrub your body, brush your teeth. Lather your whole body in moisturiser - get familiar with the part between your toes, your inner thighs, the back of your neck.

11. Push yourself to go for a walk. Take your headphones, go to the beach and walk. Smile at strangers walking the other way and be surprised how many smile back. Bring your dog and observe the dog's behaviour. Realise you can learn from your dog.

12. Message old friends with personal jokes. Reminisce. Suggest a catch-up soon, even if you don't follow through. Push yourself to follow through.

14. Think long and hard about what interests you. Crime? Sex? Boarding school? Long-forgotten romance etiquette? Find a book about it and read it. There is a book about literally everything.

15. Become the person you would ideally fall in love with. Let cars merge into your lane when driving. Pay double for parking tickets and leave a second one in the machine. Stick your tongue out at babies. Compliment people on their cute clothes. Challenge yourself to not ridicule anyone for a whole day. Then two. Then a week. Walk with a straight posture. Look people in the eye. Ask people about their story. Talk to acquaintances so they become friends.

16. Lie in the sunshine. Daydream about the life you would lead if failure wasn't a thing. Open your eyes. Take small steps to make it happen for you.

You can see more of Emma’s reflections on her blog.

You can view the Newcastle Herald article here.

Erin Nugent is one to watch

Erin Nugent is about to finish her honours year in her Bachelor of Physiotherapy degree at UoN and has been named as one of Women’s Agenda Magazine’s “Sixteen female graduates to watch in 2014.”

After deciding to partake in honours year at the end of 2012, Erin applied for a Summer Research Scholarship with the School of Health Sciences. Over the summer holidays, she participated in a mentoring program with Dr Suzanne Snodgrass from the Discipline of Physiotherapy. There she learned about ethics applications, referencing, literature searching and writing manuscripts to meet the publishing specifications of journals. The aim of the program was to equip Erin the research skills to complete her own honours project.

Erin’s project involves investigating the reliability of an isokinetic strength machine in the Human Performance Lab here at UoN. Already, Erin has carried out some significant research into the field, having developed her own method of investigating isokinetic leg strength, where the same tension is maintained as muscles shorten or lengthen.

“We recruited 70 healthy volunteers to be tested on our machine and we looked at the strength of their knee flexors and extensors on both legs at five different speeds. The machine works by setting resistance at set velocities, so it took quite a bit of time!” says Erin.

Having worked hard in a variety of work experiences throughout her degree including placements at Rankin Park Centre, Tamworth Rural Referral Hospital, the Ageing Disability and Home Care in Grafton and Blacktown Hospital, Erin is modest about her development in the field and her recognition in Women’s Agenda Magazine.

“My honours supervisor nominated me for the position, I had never heard about it before…to be honest, I feel a bit silly being up there next to women who work with NASA or are featured in the New York Times! But I’m happy to represent the physiotherapy profession and health sector in that area.” says Erin.

On the top of Erin’s to-do list after she graduates is find a job in the highly competitive industry.

“There are a lot of physiotherapy graduates coming out of uni across Australia this year and there are not that many jobs, so it is very competitive. If I can get anything I will be happy. I don’t really have a preference and can’t afford to be picky at this stage!”

However, Erin’s long term plans are starting to form as she begins to think about her future ambitions.

“Where I see myself in the future is always changing and I haven’t made up my mind, but I think physio has a massive role to play in health promotion. I would love to be involved in community programs to promote healthy lifestyles, particularly among kids.”

Check out Erin Nugent in Women’s Agenda Magazine here.

Exam Anxiety

1. Feeling Anxious About Exams

It’s natural to feel some degree of anxiety, stress or apprehension about exams. The challenge is to manage your arousal level successfully and optimise your performance. Some arousal can help you perform better: your thinking is sharp, you’re focussed and alert, and your mind is able to work quickly. Too much arousal and you can “go blank”, “freeze”, and “panic”, forget things, make mistakes, not be able to concentrate or recall information. You may even feel sick in the stomach and your heart may be pounding. To assist in managing these reactions successfully, you may need to look at the problem from different angles. The information and the knowledge is there, if you have prepared for the exam. You just need to calm down.

Cognitions: How do you perceive the situation, and what are you saying to yourself? Is it negative, sabotaging and fear-producing or helpful and encouraging?

• e.g. Oh no I won’t get it all done, I’ll fail
• I can’t remember the answer, I’ll fail
• I’ve gone blank I’ve blown the entire exam

Or more realistic and positive

• I don’t have to know everything or get 100%
• I will attempt all that I can
• I can come back to this question and have a go at it later. More will come to me as I get going
• This stress reaction will settle down. I just need to calm down and breathe slowly

Behaviours: How can you change your behaviours and become calmer?

Physical reactions: How can you settle your body down, reduce tension and arousal?

Energy flow: Is it balanced and flowing smoothly or is it disrupted and disorganised?

2. Preparing For Exams & Exam Technique

Being prepared for exams is essential. You are more likely to feel stressed and overwhelmed if you have not set aside the time to review your studies. Over-prepare by studying earlier and more than is absolutely essential. If you over-prepare, your responses become more automatic and performance is less affected by anxiety. The University of Newcastle has an online Module, “Passing Exams”. It has lots of helpful information about preparing for exams and passing them. Topics include:

• Exam Preparation
• Setting goals
• Planning your exam timetable
• Different types of exams and how to study for them
• Preparation immediately prior to the exam
• Exam Technique
• Reviewing how you went
• The module is found under Students, New Students, Managing Your Studies

3. Some General Tips to Manage Stress & Anxiety during the weeks prior to exams

Teach yourself to consciously relax. It’s physiologically impossible to have a stressed mind if your body is relaxed. Try out different types of relaxation and meditation.

Learn to focus. Each day take a few minutes to focus your attention on a specific object. Concentrate your attention on this. When distracting thoughts occur, take your attention to your object and its particular sight, sound, touch etc. The idea is to calm your mind by occupying it with a particular sensory sensation. When in the exam room, use this technique by focusing on the wood of your desk or a pen to regain your focus.

Exercise reduces our bodies’ stress reaction. Research links a healthy body with a healthy mind. Study is usually a sedentary activity and needs to be combined with periods of physical movement. A brisk walk will aid concentration. More demanding activity and physical exertion are vital 3- 4 times per week. This increased blood flow assists memory.

Sleep A healthy sleep routine also supports improved memory and concentration. Research indicates that 6-8 hours’ sleep produces the best improvements in cognitive abilities. Our mind is working during sleep. Sleep is very restorative. Compromising healthy sleep patterns during exam times is rarely helpful. A “cat nap” during intense study periods, or meditation, yoga nidra or some other relaxation technique can also assist memory and concentration. UoN counselling web site has meditations that can be downloaded.

Leisure Maintaining some enjoyable activities during intense study periods can greatly aid the effectiveness of your study.

Diet The brain uses up a lot of energy. The better the fuel you put in, the better your performance. A healthy balanced diet including proteins, grains, fresh fruit and vegetables etc all helps. If you are stressed and find it difficult to eat, try fruit smoothies, fruit, nuts or small meals more frequently.

4. Some simple exercises to assist in reducing stress and assisting better performance

Visualise what it would be like to succeed. Create detailed pictures in your mind of how you will successfully manage the exam situation.

Abdominal Breathing. With feet flat on the floor and sitting comfortably in your chair, close your eyes and focus on your breath – breathing in and breathing out – following the breath, noticing its effects on the body (rising chest, rising abdomen, falling abdomen, falling chest….). Focus your attention on your abdomen rising as you breathe in and falling as you breathe out. If your attention wanders off elsewhere, bring it back to your breathing and the rise and fall of your abdomen.

Heart Focused Breathing. Focus your attention in the area of your heart, feel your attention there. Imagine breathing in and out through your heart. Whilst maintaining heart focus and heart breathing try to slow and deepen your breathing e.g. 1 2 3 4 in & 1 2 3 4 out. Breathing in and out to the same count. Imagine your breath coming in and out from your heart area, deeply but easily and evenly.

Now it’s time to ease into a positive feeling. Try to feel a positive feeling: care for someone, appreciation of good things in your life or an uplifting experience. Ease into that positive feeling as you maintain a heart focus and heart breathing. Research has shown that this process can have a good calming effect and increase our ability to learn.

Over-energy correction. Cross your left ankle over your right ankle, your right arm over your left arm with palms facing. Clasp your palms together and bring your hands up and under to rest on your heart. The tip of your tongue will be resting behind the top teeth. Roll the tip of the tongue so that the underneath of the tip is resting on the top teeth. Breathe. Hold for a few minutes until you take a sigh or deep breath or feel a shift in your energy. Relax. If you have trouble keeping your tongue on the roof of your mouth, drop the tongue as you breathe out and bring it up to the roof as you breathe in. This process can be calming, grounding and centering.

5. During the Exam

When outside the exam room, don’t get involved in conversations about the possible exam content (particularly with confident students!). This can lead to panic and that horrible thought that everyone knows more than you.

Manage your thoughts or “self talk.” You’re thinking has a direct impact on how you feel and react. If sitting exams is viewed as a threat rather than a challenge, your body can become more anxious than it needs to be. What are you saying to yourself? Is it helpful, realistic and encouraging? Or negative, sabotaging and fear producing? E.g. “I’m going to fail.” “I can’t do this.” “I won’t be able to remember everything.” Say to yourself STOP if your thoughts are negative and you feel as if things are getting out of control. E.g. “I can do this. Don’t panic. As I get going, it will get easier.”

Slow down your breathing. Focus on slowing down the rate to 10 – 14 breaths per minute. Breathe deeply into the lungs; focus on pushing your diaphragm down and the abdomen rising with each breath in. Anxious and tense people breathe in very quick shallow ways that set up physiological reactions that create more stress and fuzzy thinking.

Recognise muscle tension.Learn to tense and then release groups of muscles throughout the body. Let the tension go on each outward breathe. Observe the difference.

Simple visualisation skills.Visualisation skills such as imagining yourself being at your favourite location without any worries can help you as well, allowing you to attend again to the memory recall process.

Where can I get help from others?

Talk to a counsellor at the Newcastle campus (4921 5801) or at the Central Coast campus (4348 4060).

What other resources are available?

Surviving first year uni: Passing exams module.

Dorland, S. (2009). Exam stress: No worries. Wrightbooks: Queensland.

UoN listens to students.

UoN listens to students. We read your comments, take on board your feedback and make the improvements you want. Have a look around this website at some of the great things on offer.

Your Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF) will fund a number of improvements to services for all students.  The purpose of the SSAF is to fund specific services and amenities permitted under legislation that directly support you.  Many student services and amenities that we provide are not covered by SSAF legislation, so naturally we will continue to provide these.  Your feedback; in surveys, on Facebook and from student representatives, establish student priorities for improvements.  Great student services and amenities are important to you and the University so take a look around Experience Newcastle to find out more about each of these improvements. 
In addition to this, SSAF will continue to support student associations and campus service providers that represent you.

We value your feedback and will continue to work and consult with students about University services.  Check your student email regularly and complete the surveys we send you to make sure we keep making the improvements you want. You will be asked to fill in a survey about services soon called Student Feedback on the University (SFUN) and later in Semester a survey about courses called Student Feedback on Courses.

You can add and share your suggestions to any of the information on this website and see what others are saying.  Come back and visit soon to check out the latest info about SSAF improvements and see what others have said.

Extended partnership between uni and academy will boost sport on the Central Coast

UoN has announced a significant community partnership with Central Coast Academy of Sport signing a five-year sponsorship agreement.

The University of Newcastle aspires to be a global leader in each of its spheres of achievement. Through engagement the University delivers world-class innovation to support the development of strong regional communities. Its association with the Central Coast Academy of Sport demonstrates that through engagement, significant benefits can be achieved for this region’s aspiring sporting talent.

The Central Coast Academy of Sport (CCAS) is a highly valued community organisation that delivers high performance training programs across fifteen sporting disciplines. The close alignment of core values between the University and the CCAS has been the catalyst to the development of this important business partnership.

The sponsorship by the University of Newcastle will see significant cash, in-kind support and direct support to athletes through an athlete scholarship program. The many elements of the agreement allow the Academy of Sport to operate at a level not previously enjoyed by the organisation.

Ian Robilliard, Founder and Managing Director of the Academy of Sport, said the new five- year agreement with the University of Newcastle would mark a milestone in the Academy’s development.

“The partnership with the University is important to the Academy on a number of fronts. Financial support allows the Academy access to $30,000 in direct funding - with any SME the ability to apply adequate resources to the business is paramount in terms of building organisational capacity and strength," he said.

"The University also brings world-class support to our sporting programs through the use of the Exercise and Sports Science (ESS) facility at the Central Coast campus. The ESS facility provides elements to our training programs that set the Academy apart in what we are able to provide our athletes, coaches and support staff.

“This agreement is ground breaking, and to say I’m delighted is an understatement, as it sets the organisation up for years to come. I would like to thank Professor Andrew Parfitt, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), and Professor Bill Hogarth, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Science and Information Technology), for their genuine interest in the work the Academy does, and in their support of building capacity within the Central Coast as a region. Both Andrew and Bill have been instrumental in the support provided to the CCAS and we are indebted to them for this ground breaking announcement.”

Professor Andrew Parfitt, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic), said the University was proud of its long standing relationship with the Academy.

“The University of Newcastle is a world-class university and nowhere is that more important than in our own community. We are pleased to support the sporting excellence being fostered at the Academy,” he said.

“Our relationship with the Academy fosters our shared priorities around innovative sports education, training and research, and brings significant collaborative opportunities for our students and researchers to engage in athlete testing, reporting, research and Work Integrated Learning placements.”

Find out more about the CCAs.

Fellowship Winning UoN Scholar to be featured on Radio National

The University of Newcastle’s Associate Professor, Maryanne Dever has won the inaugural Humanities Research Centre/Gender Institute (HRC/GI) Fellowship.

The fellowship will allow Associate Professor Dever to spend two months conducting research at the Australian National University in Canberra.

“The aim of the new HRC/GI Fellowship is to deepen research engagement on questions of gender and sexuality at the ANU,” Associate Professor Dever said.

“I will be working on my next book, ‘Paper: Materiality and the Archived Page’ which poses new questions about intimacy and materiality as they relate to research practice in archival settings.”

Associate Professor Dever will also be featured on an upcoming Radio National ‘Hindsight’ program edition called ‘Archive Fever’ focused on the politics of working in personal archives.

“I’ll be talking about my research into archived personal letters, especially those of film star Greta Garbo and those of Australian writer, Marjorie Barnard,” Associate Professor Dever said.

Associate Professor Dever co-convenes the international research network 'Archive Futures' and network members Catherine Hobbs (Head of Manuscripts, Libraries and Archives Canada) and Linda Morra (Bishops, University) will also be interviewed.

The programme airs on 22 September at 1pm and is repeated on 26 September at 1pm. http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/hindsight/ Hindsight is Radio National's history programme.

Find out about our scholarships

Did you know you’re probably eligible to apply for dozens of scholarships? The University of Newcastle offers a wide range of scholarships for students in both undergraduate and postgraduate coursework and in research higher degrees. Most of these scholarships are worth thousands of dollars!

You can visit the UoN web page regularly to keep up with the latest in scholarships information and availability. The information is updated as new scholarships are established and become available.

Undergraduate Scholarships

Commencing students at UoN have access to a whole heap of scholarships. Some of these included the Bishop David Walker Scholarship, the Catherine and Peter Tay High Achiever Engineering Undergraduate Scholarship, the Central Coast Campus Academic Scholarship and the Colourworks Australia Scholarship amongst many more!

As a continuing student, in your 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th or 6th year in your undergraduate program, you could be eligible to apply for a range of scholarships such as the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Scholarship, the Challenge Science Communication Scholarship, the Evatt House- Mark Charles Undergraduate Scholarship, the Friends of the University Thelma Wright Memorial Nursing Scholarship, the Job Centre Australia Scholarship, the Residential Life Scholarship, and the Unifood Group Scholarship, along with many more.

You could also apply for one of our Summer Vacation Scholarships. The aim of summer vacation scholarships is to provide students with an opportunity to undertake supervised research in an area relevant to their program of study. It is expected that the program will include any of the following elements as appropriate: an introduction to research methodology, literature reviews, statistical and/or data analysis, interviews, experiments, project design or laboratory work.

Industry Scholarships

Industry Scholarships are another great way of getting industry experience in your area of study whilst getting financial assistance. Industry Scholarship scholars enjoy the benefits of close association with industry and gain valuable skills and experience with no long-term obligation. Scholars are highly regarded by industry and keenly sought by employers who need talented graduates with proven industry skills.

Equity Scholarship Scheme University of Newcastle

Another option for you may be the Equity Scholarship Scheme University of Newcastle are for students eligible for Centrelink means tested payments such as Disability Support Pension, Parenting Payment Single and Carer Payment undertaking any year of any Undergraduate degree in 2013. ESSUN scholarships are available in 2013 valued at $3000 p.a.

There are so many more scholarships on offer for Honours Students, Post-graduate Students and Research Higher Degree students.

Make sure you apply for as many as you can! If you never try, you’ll never know!

Food, glorious food!

There are plenty of options for eating and drinking on campus at Newcastle Uni. From crepes and sushi to burgers and chips, there’s something for everyone.

Hunter Side

1. Bar on the Hill - Cafe: Sandwiches, pasta, chips, burgers and more.
2. Bar on the Hill - Bar: An icon of the Newcastle music scene, Bar on the Hill is the centre of entertainment on campus. By day, the Bar on the Hill Cafe serves up delicious and cheap options for breakfast and lunch, and into the afternoon the bar opens and the fun begins.
3. Espresso Plus: Great for a quick coffee stop, or for a cheeky afternoon cake!
4. Hunter Kitchen: Tasty burgers and chips, and freshly made sandwiches.
5. Pinkies: Lollies, lollies, lollies! Oh, and drinks, chips and general essentials.
6. Delish Express: Crepes, sushi and fresh juices and smoothies!

Shortland Side

1. Godfrey Tanner Bar: You can pick up a great range of yummy and affordable food from tasty breakfasts to gourmet burgers and pizzas big enough to share. The bar stocks all of your favourite drinks and there is plenty of comfy seating both indoors and outdoors.
2. Gloria Jeans: For a coffee hit in the Shortland Building, make sure you pay Gloria Jeans a visit. The store also sells a great range of hot chocolate, tea and cold drinks.
3. Subway: A popular lunchtime spot selling a huge range of fresh subs, wraps, salads, cold drinks and who could forget their cookies!
4. Delish: Crepes, sushi and fresh juices and smoothies!
5. Uni Bakehouse: The Uni Bakehouse sells a range of super cheap sausage rolls, pies, pastries and sweets.
6. Unifood Cafe: Enjoy a great lunch with fresh & tasty hot and cold meals, including pastas, curry & rice combo's, roasts & oven baked vegetables, as well as Caesar & asian salads, mouth watering fresh made burgers, hot chips or our great wedges with sour cream & sweet chilli!
7. Mamaduke: Mamaduke is a cosy cafe that is the perfect place to meet up with friends for a bite to eat or a coffee.
8. Isabella: Serves up delicious breakfasts, buffet lunches and provides a great area to hang out and catch up with colleagues over coffee, great food & a premium beer or wine!
9. Pinkies: Lollies, lollies, lollies! Oh, and drinks, chips and general essentials.
10. Prima Doner Kebab: Newcastle Uni's favourite place for kebabs and pide. Our made to order meals menu includes kebabs, fresh salads & great sauces - Halal certified products for you to enjoy!
11. Shortland Sweets: For those who love ice creams, smoothies, gelato, donuts & home made biscuits, come & enjoy a sweet sensation!
12. Coffee Cart: Grab a quick barista coffee or snack on your way to class.
13. The Hub Cafe: Stop for a quick bite for breakfast or lunch with friends.
14. Noodle Bar: Offering made to order hot meals, let Phoui & his team serve your favourite soup noodles - fresh and hot! Specialties include, rice and noodle dishes and a great selection of beef, chicken, vegetarian and seafood meals.

Find out more.

Free food on campus!

Did you know, there’s FREE food on offer for all students from 8am-6pm at NUSA headquarters, and two free BBQs a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays?

NUSA is the representative body for students studying at the University of Newcastle, Australia.

NUSA is located between the Bar on the Hill and the Commonwealth Bank on the Callaghan campus.

Feeling hungry? Come and get it!!!

More information is available at NUSA.

Friends of the University

The group's aims include fostering an awareness of the University and its place in the community, as well as fundraising for projects including the Hunter Tapestry in the Great Hall, the Don Morris Walk, the Wetlands Pavilion and student scholarships in Fine Art, Music, Nursing and Sport, as well as two Honours scholarships and an Open Foundation scholarship.

Friends' secretary Judith McLaughlin has watched Friends of the University grow since she joined in 1987, with currently around 70 financial members. According to Ms McLaughlin, members have a genuine love of the University and have a real interest in supporting students. They follow the progress of their scholarship winners, and feel a part of their students' success.

Friends of the University has raised almost one million dollars since its inception with most of the money acquired through the group's Book Fairs, held every odd-numbered year. Through sales of second-hand books, rare books, records, CDs and sheet music the fairs, running since 1983, consistently raise more than $60,000 per event. Planning is already underway for the next fair in mid-2013, with a core group of volunteers working tirelessly to ensure its success.

In August this year the Friends hosted a Collectors' Choice exhibition at the University Gallery, reviving the iconic art exhibition instigated by the renowned arts patron Anne von Bertouch. Like its predecessor, the exhibition seeks to provide quality art at affordable prices, and features the best of contemporary Australian art including many artists from the Hunter region. Friends of the University will continue to run an art exhibition each alternate year to raise funds for student scholarships.

The group also holds a 'lunch with a writer' three to four times per year that is open to the community.

Friends of the University is open for all to join, with no joining fee, just an annual subscription of $10 for individuals and $15 for households. Membership forms are available online at the Friends of the University website.

Generous benefactor establishes lucrative engineering scholarship

A donation from a generous graduate has established a new scholarship for high-achieving undergraduate students to study engineering at UoN.

The Catherine and Peter Tay High Achiever Engineering Undergraduate Scholarship is worth $32,000 over four years, and will be awarded to the highest ranked commencing student in the Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment with an ATAR of more than 99.0.

Peter completed a double degree in industrial engineering and economics at the University in the 1970s through a Singapore Colombo Plan Scholarship (CPS) from the Australian Government.

“For many of us, the Colombo Plan Scholarship represented our only opportunity to study overseas and even to achieve a university education,” Peter said.

“The CPS was a stepping stone for me into a successful career, and now it is time for me to give something back to the Australian people and the University.

“Catherine and I are proud to help talented local students stay in Newcastle for their engineering studies, and gain their higher education at one of the best engineering faculties in Australia.”

Peter has been instrumental in bringing about the creation of three scholarships at the University, and the revitalisation of a fourth. Through garnering the support of fellow Singapore alumni, he has attracted more than $500,000 in donations for these scholarships.

Based in Singapore, Peter is a corporate advisor engaged in business development and coaching business leaders, and serves on the boards of companies in the food and education industries. Catherine worked for more than 30 years as an executive assistant with the Law Faculty and the Deputy Vice-Chancellor’s Office at the National University of Singapore.

Getting your academic back on, after it’s been so long…

Did you start your degree after a gap year? Maybe you took a two or a three year gap. Perhaps it’s been a decade since you’ve written an essay. However long you were away, don’t fret! There are others just like you.

Immediate school leavers, fresh from the HSC, explore University campus come week one of semester one. But there are those in the crowd who had elected to have some of life’s experiences before venturing into University life. Between the teenage school-leavers and the mature aged-students finding classes on their first day, are the gap-yearers, or rather- the ‘in-betweeners.’

One student in this bunch is 21-year-old Veronica Thomas-Frost, who began studying a Bachelor of Fine Arts this year, following a two year break between school and university.

“In that time I had a full time job at a law firm and I moved out of home, but now I’m back living with my family and studying full time,” says Veronica.

While office work would have its own set of challenges, Veronica says that getting back into study mode has not been hurdle-free.

“It’s mostly been the routine of coming in to uni and having the pressure to attend classes. Also, taking assignments home with me and having to meet deadlines instead of being able to leave work and have fun. It’s something I’m still getting used to,” she says.

Veronica thinks it’s often a challenge for the ‘in-betweeners,’ as they often haven’t had to think analytically or felt the pressure to advance their learning for quite some time.

“I had to start thinking academically again. This semester I’ve been getting used to writing essays and paying attention in lectures,” says Veronica.

However, the artistic student says there is an up-side to starting university study after a couple of years of life experience. Fresh out of high school, Veronica says she was enrolled in a Bachelor of Arts Degree because she wasn’t sure whether Fine Arts would be for her. Now, she’s glad she waited and chose the right degree for her.

“I like my degree because I’ve had the time to realise what I value, what I’m interested in and how to make the most of my time at uni. Exploring new ideas has been a highlight; so has meeting new people with similar interests who are going through the same things as me.”

Veronica has advice for school leavers who are considering taking a gap between school and university, or in between studying a degree-

“Use your gap year wisely if you decide to take one. Try to travel and learn something. Don’t waste it.”

So, whether you need a break from study, want to get some work experience under your belt or intend to do some travelling, there are loads of opportunities out there and it’s important you do some research and planning to make the most of your time out from studying.

If YOU are feeling stressed and overwhelmed from the pressures of entering into university life and getting back into study mode, here are some amazing tips on everything you need to know about balancing life, university study and your health.

Starting your semester, you need to know

There are a number of valuable student support services on offer and organisations to join that will make your semester experience the ultimate.  

We do everything we can to help you get the skills you need - work placements that get you ready for your career, amazing new campus facilities and helpful support networks.

No matter what type of student you are or where you are studying, there is something to support you. 

Come back and visit soon to check out the latest info and see what others have said.

Tell other students about your favourite club or society experience below.

HELP! (I need somebody…)

The University has lots of different ways to help you get your feet back on the ground.

The Enquiry Centre & Student Hubs provide help in the following ways

In person

Student Hubs provide a one-stop shop for you to access essential student services. Each Hub can give you advice and referrals from trained staff about issues relating to your studies.  They are also your pick up point for essential items like your student card, parking permit, diary and to sort out any enrolment issues.  Locate where to find a hub right now.

Via the phone

Call (02) 4921 5000 (Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm).

Online

Random question or issue?  Just ask the question (any question) at destination AskUoN.

There is also a feedback portal on AskUoN where we welcome your feedback, suggestions, concerns and comments about any aspect of your experience at the University of Newcastle.

Please be aware that we have a specific office if you would like to lodge a formal complaint. Find out more information about the Complaints Office.

Dean of Students

The Dean of Students works to ensure that all students receive fair and equitable treatment at the University of Newcastle across all courses and campuses.  The Dean of Students role includes providing information and advice and helping students resolve problems of an academic nature. The Dean of Students may bring your problem to the attention of the relevant staff member or help you make contact with one of the other University Services.

Dean of Student contacts are available published in this Dean of Students brochure.

IT Services

The IT Services team offers a range of services to help you with your studies.

Visit their web site for information about getting connected and facilities available.

If you need to talk to them about accessing your accounts, changing your password, or providing feedback, you can contact them online in the 17triplezero Service Portal or if it's urgent call their friendly staff (02) 492 17000.

If you are having trouble with IT related assignments or using particular software, you will need to speak to your lecturer or tutor.

Library

You can get help in the library from librarians and student rovers.  However, you can also email, text and chat with a librarian ;-)     

Contact a librarian!

Urgent help from a librarian via chat and email.

econsult – Learning Development

Having trouble with an assignment or during study?  You can email Learning Development staff at econsult@newcastle.edu.au.  Just send a draft of your assignment with specific questions or issues for feedback.  You can also ask a question related to studying.

Inaugural Volunteer Recognition Dinner a Great Success

This story has been provided by the University’s International Office joined with the Community Engagement Office on their recent Volunteering recognition dinner.

It started as a simple idea to say ‘thank you’ to those who volunteer and support volunteering in our community, and so the University’s International Office joined with the Community Engagement Office to plan an evening where we could come together and let our volunteers know how much we value the work they do.

The event had a ‘party’ feel - this was a celebration after all - with lollies on the tables as a take-home gift, balloons, a thank you cake and DIY chatterbox templates to encourage guests to have fun together.

Jack Dawson, a newly graduated student, provided the perfect guitar solo entertainment to start the night.

Vice-Chancellor Caroline McMillen spoke about the huge role volunteering plays in our region, citing statistics indicating that there are 100,000 volunteers in the Hunter region alone.

Simon Watts, Senior Manager Volunteering, Office of Communities, showed the passion he brings to his role when he said, “I've got one of the best jobs in NSW. I get to promote volunteering.”

UoN student Mohammed Ehsan Ebrahim, who was this year named as New South Wales Higher Education International Student of the Year spoke about his own experiences as a student volunteer and finished by reading The Diversity Creed. The celebration closed with entertainment from a local Greek duo who had everyone tapping their toes until it was time to head home.

Some of the comments from our guests included:

“It was great to hear the stories of the other volunteers and to recognise the dramatic positive effect volunteering has in the wider community.”

“We should be thanking you for putting on such a fun night! It really made people feel like their work is being appreciated.”

“It has also given me the desire to get back into volunteering and I will be looking into volunteer options over the next few weeks.”

“It’s great to see so much support and kindness from the local community to help the university and fellow community members.”

“It was a fun informal event and I loved the retro party theme, especially the lollies.”

“It was so inspiring to see and meet other volunteers, sharing stories and good spirit.”

“The event was remarkable: fantastic venue, such warm and heart filled welcome from Kikki from the Community Connections, and very touching speeches from the VC Professor McMillen and other organisers. I felt very much appreciated and filled with pride to be a part of such a great community.”

“We felt special and encouraged to continue in giving and sharing. Best of all it was good to catch up with everyone and make new contacts.”

The Volunteer Recognition Dinner was organised to align with National Student Volunteer Week, a nationwide initiative presented by Volunteering Qld, dedicated to recognising and supporting student volunteering in Australia.

The University of Newcastle is proud to partner with a wide range of community organisations in a variety of volunteering activities. We are also incredibly fortunate to be in partnership with individuals and organisations who give of their time freely to work with the University. Finally, we take great pride in the students and staff from our University who make a real difference in our community through their volunteering work. We are already looking forward to celebrating with our volunteers at the 2014 Volunteer Recognition Dinner.

Compact Skateboard Design by Industrial Design Graduate David Powers

Compact skateboards, easy jar openers and modern coffee makers are just some of innovative products students at the University of Newcastle have come up with in recent years.

It's all in the name of creating exciting products to solve some pretty common problems.

Industrial Design graduate David Powers, for instance, knows how inconvenient the longer style of skateboard can be.

His son was even refused access to a bus because his board wouldn't fit in a backpack.

Given the increasing popularity of the street-savvy sport, David decided to create a long skateboard that folds in half - while still retaining the flexibility and feel of a normal board.

Fellow graduate Jonathan Fenwick also had convenience on his mind.

Jonathan observed that many people, particularly those with arthritis, just couldn't open stubborn jars.

To help make life that little bit easier, he designed a jar opener that can be used by just about anyone.

David and Jonathan are just some of the Bachelor of Industrial Design graduates who have showed their impressive creations in the NEWcastle Products Industrial Design Exhibition.

The annual student showcase is a great opportunity for prospective students and other community members to learn about the field of Industrial Design.

Industrial designers create "just about everything that isn't buildings", Jonathan said.

"But the degree is almost like a mystery, a lot of people don't know about it."

Industrial Design students attend TAFE for three years, after which they complete one year of university study to obtain a degree.

Find out more about the Bachelor of Industrial Design program.

UoN Students shine at NEWcastle Products Exhibition

At the beautiful Newcastle Museum Link Gallery, students and staff joined with important figures from the region’s business community for the NEWcastle Products exhibition. The exhibition showcases the designs of final-year students in the Bachelor of Industrial Design program.

Nineteen budding industrial designers showed off a wide-reaching range of products at the industry evening.

They included: a watch for the visually impaired; a coffee percolator that makes aroma visible; new and improved ski boots; a folding skateboard; an effortless jar opener suitable for people with arthritis; a wireless payment system for not-for-profit and charity groups; a super hygienic toilet brush; and much more.

One such designer was graduating student David Powers who opened the event.

Emphasising the importance of student showcases like NEWcastle Products, David spoke about the lack of general awareness surrounding his field.

“Industrial design is still something that people don’t fully understand,” David explained.

“It’s hard to put in a nutshell what we do – that’s a shame because we really are passionate about it.

“One minute you’re looking for inspiration…and literally, a heartbeat later, you have developed something material. In fourteen weeks we took a sketch on a piece of paper and turned it into a product.”

Also addressing the crowd was fellow graduating student Ray Wills.

The gracious student thanked everyone in attendance for “acknowledging the extraordinary amount of hard work” students in the Industrial Design program put in.

On behalf of all students, Ray extended “a most heartfelt thanks” to both TAFE and University staff, particularly “our educational chaperone” Wyn Jones.

Ray said Newcastle’s Industrial Design degree – which incorporates both TAFE and University study – offered the perfect balance between “manufacturing, functionality, cost and aesthetics”.

“That balance just isn’t available in other university programs,” Ray said.

“The job of an industrial designer is to solve problems and to answer questions, but the real gift of industrial design is to ask questions.

“There is nothing stopping us from coming up with fantastic answers.”

Reaffirming the night’s buzzword was Neville Sawyer, co-founder of leading international electrical supplier The Ampcontrol Group.

Mr Sawyer delivered a passionate talk about the importance of innovation.

“Innovation can be the driver of any good business to be successful in the region or in Australia,” he said.

“Innovation and industrial design are something that are just so intertwined, and that is just so important.”

With innovation a key area of focus for many big local organisations such as the University and Council, Mr Sawyer said industrial designers could look forward to a very bright future.

Institute of Architects honours University of Newcastle students

An astronaut training centre, an inner-city spa and a post-industrial development designed by three students from the University of Newcastle’s School of Architecture and Design have won medals at the prestigious Australian Institute of Architects’ 2013 NSW Graduate and Student Awards.

University of Newcastle Masters of Philosophy and PhD student, Anthony Parsons, won the NSW Design Medal, the highest accolade for a graduate in the state, for his design of an astronaut training centre set in an abandoned copper mine in Tasmania.

Bachelor of Design (Architecture) student, Angus Vinden, won the Undergraduate Prize – the first time a University of Newcastle student has won this category – for his ‘bold’ vision for an inner-city spa.

Masters of Architecture student, Chris Mullaney, received a commendation for ‘Muloobinba’, a floating dock design set in Newcastle’s harbour that presents a framework for adaptive re-use development.

Masters of Architecture Program Convenor, Chris Tucker, said the medal results were a reflection of the talent and high standards the students have in the University of Newcastle’s Architecture program.

“We’re extremely proud of our students. Over the past four years, University of Newcastle students have won the Design Medal three times and received three commendations.”

Anthony Parsons, of Cooks Hills, said that his work, titled ‘The Iron Blow,’ was inspired by a fascination with the space race.

“The Architecture program at the University of Newcastle has great facilities – such as the 24 hour studio – offered in a down-to-earth, friendly environment. The program is really shining,” said Anthony.

“I was intrigued with the concept of machines that people could live in – the space suit being the first machine of this kind. This led me to explore degraded landscapes such as former mining sites and ways we could incorporate the materials in these spaces into an environment that will enable people to break the emotional link with earth.”

The judges praised Parson’s work as having a ‘great response to the site’ and described it as ‘dark, extremely bold and strangely optimistic in its raw beauty’.

Anthony’s work also received a commendation in the AIA Digital Innovation Prize this year. Both Chris and Anthony received commendations in the national BlueScope Steel Glenn Murcutt Prize in March this year.

Mechatronics Summer Scholarship

University of Newcastle graduating mechanical engineering student Jarrah Peddie has spent an exciting summer playing with Robots.

Jarrah undertook a summer research scholarship this semester break which investigated the teaching and learning possibilities of an industrial robotic manipulator, commonly used in the manufacture of cars, electronics etc.

Using an off the shelf hardware and software combination, Jarrah’s research has focused on the possibilities for application of the robot to students studying mechatronics.

It has been an exciting prospect for Jarrah, who has learnt a new programming language and investigated the applications in a university environment – from simple drawing tasks to designing problems that may be presented to an undergraduate student.

"It’s a very real environment for a Mechatronics engineer – these are the kind of robots that graduates will be working with.

"And it’s great fun - I'm playing with robots."

Summer research scholarships in Mechatronics Engineering are relatively competitive and the best chance is to ask an academic whose work you are interested in, Jarrah explains.

"Speak to an academic you know or find interesting – the path in is definitely via the supervisors, most are proposed via face to face contact.

"It’s definitely worth it if you have an interest in postgraduate studies - It’s a great insight into what a career in research is all about."

To find out more about summer research scholarships and to see other projects undertaken in 2013 check out The Summer Research Scholarships page.

Jessica Saunders has a healthy experience at the National Paediatric Hospital in Cambodia

JMP student Jessica Saunders has used her MIGA Elective Grant to provide much needed medical resources for the neonatal and emergency departments at the National Paediatric Hospital in Cambodia.

Jessica was one of five recipients across Australia to receive the grant that provides financial assistance to those completing their elective in a developing country.

Jessica chose to do her medical elective abroad as she believed it would give her the opportunity to explore different health systems and provide her with a unique experience.

‘Overall, the experience exposed me to the global burden of disease, with particular emphasis on childhood mortality’ Jessica commented.

More specifically, Jessica used the grant to purchase laryngoscopes, oxygen manometers and much needed pulse oxymeters for newborn oxygen monitoring.

The program aims to bring medical skills to communities in desperate need; provide medical or other aid to communities in key areas as identified by students; and enrich students’ learning experience.

Applications are now open for the 2013 Elective Grants Program.

Read more:

http://www.miga.com.au/library/Jessica%20Saunders%20Elective%20Grant%20Report.pdf

Katie and Ari prove support is the key to success

Katie Butler is a shining example of how a second chance to pursue a tertiary education, and ongoing support, can achieve a dream.

After leaving high school during Year 11, the vision-impaired student completed the University of Newcastle’s tertiary preparation program, Newstep. Now, she has crossed the Great Hall stage with her trusted guide dog companion Ari, to collect her Bachelor of Social Science with distinction. Ari too will receive a certificate of recognition to acknowledge his support during Katie’s university study.

“I loved studying at Newcastle,” Katie said. “I had fantastic lecturers and tutors and I made lifelong friends. I completed Newstep in the year that would have been my HSC year and I think Newstep was a much better option for me because I was able to study in an environment that really encouraged success and further study. I am eternally grateful to my lecturers in that program.”

Katie credits technology and support services as the key to her study success. A Vision Australia Further Education Bursary helped her purchase vital equipment such as a computer program that interprets written information into synthesised voice output. Katie also used an electronic Braille computer.

“I received a lot of assistance from the Adaptive Technology Centre staff on campus, who made sure I had access to all readings and textbooks that I needed. The Disability Support service also assisted me, and my lecturers and tutors were always helpful and understanding. I simply could not have studied without this technology and the support.”

As for her mate Ari, theirs was a match made in heaven, and one that considered Katie’s needs as a student.

“I began training with Ari one month before starting Newstep. Much of our training was carried out on the Ourimbah campus so he is well and truly a Uni dog and very special to me. Ari has given me a huge amount of independence and confidence to pursue my studies.

“I remember my first day on the Callaghan campus. Every other new student was running around all flustered trying to find their classrooms, but Ari and I had already been trained by Guide Dogs NSW/ACT to find all my classes, so we were the most knowledgeable and confident of the lot.”

Katie and Ari have left a lasting impression on lecturer, Professor Dennis Foley, who appreciated the feedback Ari provided on his teaching skills.

“I have been lecturing for near on 20 years and have had numerous guide dogs in my classes. Ari definitely has charm and a presence that has helped me in the delivery of my subjects,” Professor Foley said.

“When he is restless in tutorials it’s time to change subject matter; when he snores I am boring – a sign to lift my game; when he watches and the tail tap, tap, taps on the chair leg I am interesting and he likes the pace of discussion and delivery. It’s not easy teaching a Labrador but when you get it right, it is very satisfying.”

Katie currently works in community development, focusing on disability access and community inclusion. Her dream is to undertake research in the field of disability to assist in removing barriers to full social and economic inclusion of people with disabilities.

Kits to save lives of new mothers

In developing countries, women give birth at home in poor conditions and many deaths occur because of high-infection rates. There is a great need for birthing kits and training in how to use them in these countries.

Bachelor of Midwifery student, Theressa Lavender, from the Port Macquarie campus, is helping to make change for these women in developing countries by organising a Birthing Kit Assembly day. On the day, birthing kits will be made and sent to countries with high maternal birth rates. Theressa is looking for people to donate some time and help make a difference.

The birthing kit pack provides six basic items- a plastic sheet, soap, gloves, sterile scalpel, string and gauze squares. These items are assembled into a small sealable bag and are then sent to developing countries to be used during child birth.

This is a community event to be held on Friday, September 20, between 3pm and 7pm, and has been organised and supported by the joint efforts of both the Mid North Coast TAFE and UoN.

The kits will be put together at the Graduate’s Restaurant, Port Macquarie TAFE campus. Refreshments will be provided to all volunteers.

If you would like to be involved in this event, contact Theressa on 0437 772 614 or email.

Newcastle researchers leapfrog ahead in world-first

University of Newcastle researchers have successfully developed a method to freeze frog embryonic cells in a world-first breakthrough that could slow the threat of extinction to hundreds of frog species.

The researchers have separated, isolated and frozen the embryonic cells of an Australian Ground Frog (the Striped Marsh Frog, Limnodynastes peronii), using cryopreservation techniques that will now allow for cloning.

This is the first time anyone in the world has successfully used slow-freezing techniques on amphibian cells, project leader at the University of Newcastle, Professor Michael Mahony, said.

“Almost 200 frog species have been lost in the past 30 years due to disease and a further 200 species face imminent threat – this is the worst rate of extinction of any vertebrate group,” he said.

“Amphibian eggs and early embryos, unlike human eggs and embryos, are large in size and have traditionally presented a challenge to researchers attempting to cryo-preserve and store frog genomes, as they would shatter during the freezing process.

“The new technique, developed by our University of Newcastle researchers, will act as an insurance policy to buy us time for species on the edge of extinction, as we search for answers to diseases and other threats.”

Professor Mahony said the development would have wider implications for other species facing extinction.

“Not only will it help us preserve the genetic diversity of frogs, but this discovery could also help in the conservation of other species with large embryonic cells, such as fish.”

The University of Newcastle is leading the world on research into amphibian protection. This discovery follows on from recent work with other universities on the Lazarus project, which generated live embryos using cells from an extinct Australian frog.

The technical work was led by Dr John Clulow and Professor Michael Mahony, alongside Ms Bianca Lawson and Mr Simon Clulow.

Papua New Guinean Australian Development Scholarship recipient Mark Sakarao’s journey to the University of Newcastle

As a boy growing up in sleepy Wabag, capital of the Enga province in rural Papua New Guinea, Mark Sakarao dreamed of Newcastle.

“There was a community school in my village which employed a number of Australian teachers. I desperately wanted to go but was too young.

“The teachers measured me with a ruler and told me I was too small for school. They told me to go back home and I cried!

“A year later I went back and was allowed to start kindergarten.

“I must have been 4 or 5 years old and that was when my love affair with Newcastle really started. Every Friday I used to go to a house where they had a television and watch the Newcastle Knights play.

“I started to say one day, I will go there.”

After a 10-year journey from high school to tertiary qualifications in primary teaching and a burgeoning career teaching in local schools, Mark realised his dream with the help of an AusAID Australian Development Scholarship (ADS).

“I met a social worker from Queensland through my work who gave me the scholarship application forms two days before they were due.

“I thought, I’m young, energetic, and want to study more, what an opportunity,” he said.

Mark managed to complete the forms and sent them off to Port Moresby just in time.

“Two weeks later I got an email informing me that my application was being processed. I jumped high just to know it had been received.

“I waited, putting lots of positive energy in thinking I would get it,” he said. It paid off.

Mark was having a coffee and looking through a local newspaper when he saw a list of names of scholarship recipients.

“There was my name! I cleaned my eyes and thought is it me or someone else?!” he said.

“I could choose where I wanted to go and wondered if there was a university in Newcastle. When I found out there was my mind was made up.

“I was so thankful the door to the place I had dreamed of was open,” he said.

Mark arrived in Newcastle at the beginning of 2012. It was all very new to him, but, he says “it was so organised and there was a lot of support.”

“I’ve been part of an international institution, one of the top in the world. It makes me very proud and puts me on another level,” he said.

“I can’t wait to share my experience at home. I have a lot to give back through the skills I gained in Newcastle.”

As well as being a graduate, Mark is also a new father. His son was born on 8 November. In a tribute to Mark’s experience the little boy’s name is Ncastro, derived from Newcastle.

“A name should have a meaning and Ncastro’s will keep me in touch with my memories. I will tell my son the story of how I was in Newcastle when he was born and what an incredible time I had there,” Mark said.

This year marks the 21st anniversary of the University of Newcastle’s intake of ADS recipients. Beginning in 1993 with just one ADS scholar, in 2013 the University will host 60 ADS scholarship recipients from developing countries.

The scholarships are long term development awards administered by AusAID. They aim to contribute to the long term development needs of Australia's partner countries in line with bilateral and regional agreements.

University of Newcastle student wins Midwife of the Year

University of Newcastle research doctorate student, Namira Williams, has won the prestigious Australian College of Midwives 2013 NSW Midwife of the Year.

Beginning her PhD thesis with UoN last August, Namira is focusing on improving care for women with an intellectual disability during and after pregnancy.

Namira was recognised by her peers for her contribution to the profession of midwifery and her more than 25 years’ work in improving services for Aboriginal women, rural and remote families and women with disabilities.

University of Newcastle’s Pro-Vice Chancellor of Health, Professor Nicholas Talley, congratulated Namira on her achievement, stating that the research student set a fine example for the upcoming graduates of the University’s new Bachelor of Midwifery programme.

“We congratulate Namira not only on receiving this prestigious award, but on a lengthy and worthwhile career that has helped thousands of families.”

Namira said working with women and their partners in the transition to becoming parents is her favourite part of the job. She plans to use her thesis to implement further programs to help women.

“I’m glad I have the opportunity to help parents get off to a good start. It leads to stronger families and a better society in general,” Namira said.

“Becoming a new parent is hard enough, but even more so for women with intellectual disabilities,” she said.

“Approximately 40 to 60 per cent of women with learning disabilities will have their children removed from their care. This is generally due to the women not being educated or informed about what is required of them when they become a Mum.

"We need to be doing more, so I’m really looking forward to developing programs from my thesis to help these women during pregnancy.”

Namira, who lives in Forster, has worked across Australia and Papua New Guinea and is currently working as a clinical midwife specialist at Manning Rural Referral Hospital in Taree.

Namira was formally awarded at the Australian College of Midwives NSW branch’s conference in August.

Mohamed named NSW International Student of the Year

University of Newcastle Bachelor of Medicine student Mohamed Ehsan Ebrahim has been named the New South Wales Higher Education International Student of the Year.

The 2013 NSW International Student of the Year Awards, announced by Deputy Premier and Minister for Trade and Investment Andrew Stoner, showcase the initiatives and achievements of NSW-based international students across a range of educational programs, including higher education, vocational education and training, and schools programs.

Since arriving at the University of Newcastle in 2007 Mohamed has balanced a demanding Bachelor of Medicine program with a wide range of community roles. He has advocated for the rights of international students; represented the interests of Muslim and international students on various student bodies, and worked tirelessly toward cross-cultural understanding between Muslims and non-Muslims in schools and the local community.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), Professor Andrew Parfitt, congratulated Mohamed on receiving the award that acknowledges the valuable advocacy role he has played at the University of Newcastle since 2007.

“Mohamed’s efforts to represent the interests of international students, as well as his work to increase cross-cultural understanding between Muslims and non-Muslims in Newcastle, is of great importance.”

“The University of Newcastle is immensely proud of Mohamed and as a community we congratulate him on this prestigious accolade.”

As president of the Islamic Society for over three years, Mohamed organised cross-cultural activities on campus with the aim of countering negative stereotyping and misperceptions about Muslims. His passion to help his fellow students regardless of their background saw him elected as an executive of the International Students Department of Newcastle University Students’ Association (ISD-NUSA) and as the Public Relations Officer for the Council of International Students Australia (CISA) in July 2012.

Mohamed has also played a key role in the Department of Education’s Multicultural Ambassador program. In January 2013, Mohamed was part of a taskforce, headed by the NSW Police Commissioner, to look into student safety in Newcastle. Since February 2013, as elected Vice-President of the Newcastle University Students Association, Mohamed has advocated for local and international students welfare on campus.

The must-have apps

Learning on the go:

The myUoN app is available free for iPhone and Android from your app store. The app gives single sign on access to important student systems and includes the following features:

It is anticipated that the MyUoN V2.1 app upgrade will include your Numail and MyHub and Print Copy accounts.

Blackboard Mobile Learn is a free mobile application that enables interactive access to Blackboard course sites via a compatible mobile device. Blackboard Mobile is not yet a complete alternative to accessing and managing Blackboard courses via a web browser on a computer. However, it does add mobility to some Blackboard features including Announcements, Course Content, Discussion Boards and more. The app is available on iPhone, iPad, Android, Blackberry and HP devices.

The UoN Future Students app has great interactive maps to help you easily find your way around the Newcastle, Central Coast and Port Macquarie campuses. It’s also handy for looking up events and researching degrees.

The Library's mobile web pages are also useful to bookmark on your phone.

Get lost much? The Lost On Campus app will help you find every tutorial room, lecture theatre, coffee shop, carpark, bus stop, sports field, toilet, even your nearest vending machine. A compass even points you in the right direction.

Are you a note loser? Get the Evernote app, which will store and organise your notes, webpages, photos etc using your computer, phone, and the web.

Dropbox will let you store files (cloud computing) via desktops and mobiles.

Do you like to be a crowd pleaser during your presentations? Keynote is for iPads, iPhones and iPods and will allow you to create and share presentations. It can also be stored in iCloud!

The app- 'Pages' on itunes could be handy too, as it lets you create letters, reports, flyers and invitations.

Google Apps will probably make your life easier too. It’s for iphones and Androids and includes apps for Google Search, Google Docs, Google Books.

Entertainment:

If you want to stay up-to-date with the latest social activities and gigs on the Newcastle campus, download the U smartphone app called the U at UoN. The U (aka UoN Services) provide a range of support services, food and drink outlets and put on the social activities and events on campus. It also has a student diary, club events and member discount locations. It’s compatible with all smartphones and is free to download! Search it on the App Store now. There’s also a mobile version of their website.

On the Central Coast campus, you can download iCampusCentral for free. The app is provided by Campus Central and is compatible on all smartphones. The app features a diary and discount system. You can also get the latest news, campus maps, upcoming events as well as discounts on and off campus. You can personalise your diary by subscribing to the clubs and societies that interest you, and add your own events, notes and reminders.

Personal apps:

MEDITATION AND RELAXATION APPS

Breathing and Relaxation app - Breathe2Relax is a portable stress management tool. It is designed to help stablise your mood, control your anger and manage your anxiety.

Mayo Clinic Meditation app is a clinically validated method of meditation you can easily practice using your iPhone or iPod. Developed by Mayo Clinic, this meditation program will help you feel more focused and relaxed throughout your day.

MOOD APPS

Exercise Your Mood app from Black Dog Institute encourages you to exercise. The free app allows you to set your distance and time goal and tracks your personal best.

myCompass is an interactive self-help service that aims to promote resilience and wellbeing. You can track your moods, write about them and view information and tips. You can also choose to do one of the modules designed to help you manage mild to moderate stress, anxiety and depression.

The Finding Optimism app is designed to help develop your understanding of your own mental health. It acts as a springboard to detect patterns in your health and develop strategies to proactively manage depression, bipolar disorder, and other mental health conditions.

The Get Happy Mobile app helps people with depression to better manage their symptoms. This app is a 8-10 week course involving 6 lessons. This program is part of a clinical trial and is an alternative to face to face counselling.

Other apps we found handy:

The Transport Info app features up-to-date details about train, bus and ferry services in Newcastle and Sydney. You can access timetables and get information about service changes. The app is compatible on iPhone and Android.

The mTAXI 2 app allows Iphone users to book taxis in Newcastle and Sydney. It’s a much quicker and simpler way than calling and the app is free.

iTorch is a simple, but incredibly convenient application that turns your iPhone or iPod touch into a flashlight.

A QR Reader and Scanner allows you to read QR codes being used at University. You simply hold the reader over the code and it will open the web page for that code.

Do you have any recommendations for great apps?

Need somewhere to hang out? There are plenty of places!

We created indoor and outdoor chill-out areas at Newcastle Uni with comfortable lounges and wifi access. Use these great spaces if you need some time to relax by yourself, or hang out with a group of friends.

Check out some of the chill-out zones in the:

-  Hunter Building on the concourse as well as the courtyard

-  Science / Chemistry Building ground floor as well as levels 1 and 2

-  Geology foyer and common room

-  Maths (V) Building level 1 and the Maths Clinic

-  Engineering Foyer of ES, EF and ground and level 1 of EA

-  McMullin Building room MCG47 and McMullin courtyard

-  ITC room 327

-  CT foyer

-  At Wollotuka we created an outdoor seating area in a bushland setting with Aboriginal artwork and signage.

There is also an array of outdoor seating on both the Central Coast and Callaghan Campus.

Check out where each of the chill-out zones are located on our maps.

New Callaghan Campus Pharmacy

The U is excited to announce that the brand new Callaghan Campus Pharmacy has now opened. The pharmacy is located on level one of the Shortland Building, between the Co-Op Bookshop and the U¹s new office.

The Callaghan Campus Pharmacy will be open Monday to Friday 9am to 5.30pm, and will offer a range of pharmacy services including:

• Fast PBS prescription service
• Qualified herbalists
• Emergency contraception (without a prescription)
• Extensive range of vitamins and herbs with qualified advice
• Free medication reviews
• Travel medicine
• On campus delivery service
• Gifts, cosmetics and skin care range
• Medical Certificates
• Ordering online via website for pick-up in store or delivery (delivery fee may apply) of prescription and non-prescription items.

Newcastle: A day of op-shopping

Let's just say it; the Newcastle op-shopping scene is highly underrated. I myself, an avid op-shopper, had never properly investigated the unique finds and bargains to be had in the second-hand hotspots- Mayfield, Wallsend and Hamilton.

Op-shops have become more popular over recent years with some metropolitan stores in Sydney and Melbourne charging retail-hyped prices for second-hand items. However, I’ve found that Newcastle’s second-hand stores are calmer, are rarely stampeded by frenzied bargain hunters, and so, most stock goes out the door, astoundingly under-priced for their worth.

My first stop, with some expectant friends on a bright Saturday morning is a Samaritans warehouse in Mayfield. Bombarded with masses of stock, there I pick up three casual shirts and a dainty gold necklace, all for just $18. I might add that one of the shirts is a designer brand, in fabulous condition and priced at only $6! A friend in my company is also given a free mug because he bought so many items. I engage in conversation with the delightful lady behind the counter who compliments me on my outfit, (all op-shop buys,) and sends me on my way with a customer loyalty card.

The next stop is a quirky no-name store also in Mayfield, where I stumble upon an unimaginably unique find- a homemade, playfully coloured striped jumpsuit. Experiencing the exhilarating feeling you get when you find something that you just know nobody else has, I am further elated to find out that it will only cost me $3!

Upon exploring a strip of eccentric op-shops on the main street of Wallsend; some charity stores, and some no-names, I find six pieces of clothing and three accessories, all for under $50! It’s funny how I could have spent my whole day’s budget on just one item at Westfield Kotara or Charlestown Square. Instead, I’ve managed to reshape my entire spring wardrobe with just over $70 so far.

At this point, a certain condition known to me as ’op-shopper’s jealousy’ occurs when my friends see that I’m snapping up all of the good stock whilst they’re having less luck. However, that’s risk with op-shopping; some days are wonderful with masses of treasures to be found, and some days will turn up nothing too special.

The last stop of the day is a store called “Twice Upon A Time” on Beaumont Street in Hamilton. This is where the success of the shopping day really comes into light. Known as a second-hand store, the small shop works also as a second-hand exchange, where you can not only buy clothes, but also sell your own. You can even trade your clothes for theirs. I find a pair of particularly chic, real leather boots and grab their card for the next time I need to clear out my overflowing wardrobe.

All in all, despite having to feast your eyes on A LOT of outdated stock and fashion disasters, setting a day aside to experience the op-shops of Newcastle, will be a day well spent. I promise you you’ll acquire the most… unique wardrobe, which often I’ve found, will be envied by many. You’ll save money, get insight into some shocking fashion trends of the past, and you’ll get the fun out of forcing your friends to try on some truly hideous material mistakes. (Watch it, they’ll force you too, and probably instagram/tweet/facebook it.) Hopefully however, you’ll discover some terrific finds and make charming op-shop memories along the way.

Written by Bachelor of Communication student- Emily Leary

Newcastle Business School Students Complete Work Placement in China

In the month of July, ten students from the Faculty of Business and Law headed to China as part of their Bachelor of Business and Bachelor of Commerce programs.

This provided an exciting opportunity for our students to immerse themselves in Chinese culture through work experience in an organisation located in either Shanghai or Beijing, China.

Before jetting off, fourth year Bachelor of Business/Bachelor of Commerce student Miranda said, "My expectations of the trip are of a rich professional and cultural experience. China is renowned for its incredible business culture, and as a result I have no doubt that the professional work experience I will gain will be invaluable and help to better prepare myself to enter the workforce."

Fellow fourth year student Kieran shared the same enthusiasm for the trip, "Having studied finance and international business, the University of Newcastle's program has provided the perfect opportunity to further my study in both areas while simultaneously gaining relevant industry experience. I will be provided the chance to utilise my majors while working with a domestic financial information provider in Shanghai's World Financial Centre."

Such practical opportunities for student learning and cultural awareness are part of our commitment to students in preparing them for global citizenship and providing the knowledge and skills to allow them to excel in the global market place.

The trip was supported by the Faculty of Business and Law and the University of Newcastle along with the Department of Industry Innovation, Science, Research and Tertiary Education and CRCC Asia.

Find out more about our business and commerce degrees.

Newcastle Locals Connecting with International Students

The University of Newcastle's reputation as a world class institution, combined with our region's celebrated lifestyle and location, are real drawcards for international students looking to study in Australia. In return international students enrich our University and the wider community. They bring valuable cultural and life experiences to our Australian students while they experience the Australian lifestyle.

The University of Newcastle's International Student Support Team provides a range of welfare and support services which are designed to make international students' time at the University a rich and rewarding experience.

The Community Connections program is a cross cultural friendship program through which volunteers from the local community link with international students from all levels of study.

International students join this program to meet people from the community and to broaden their Australian friendships. The program allows students to learn more about Australian culture and customs, while sharing information about their home country with others.

People of all ages and walks of life join the program as volunteers. After first meeting both the student and volunteer decide how often and where they will meet and what they will do together, including going to movies, playing sport or just catching up for coffee.

Majid Hosseini, his wife Homa, and daughter, from Iran, are paired with locals Adam and Mel Burgess and their two children.

Majid came to Australia for the first time in 2006, as a backpacker. After three years in Malaysia gaining a Masters in Computer Science, Majid received a scholarship offer from the University of Newcastle to do a PhD in Computer Engineering.

Majid and Homa were computer engineering classmates in Iran. Homa studied education in Malaysia, and is now also doing a PhD in engineering. Their nine-year-old daughter attends a local school.

Both families have been enjoying the benefits of their friendship of 18 months. They catch up in the park with their children, and barbecues are taking on a combined Aussie-Iranian flavour.

"Whenever I have questions, I am sure that Mel will be available. She was very supportive and helpful," says Homa. Explaining customs and language idiosyncrasies are just a couple of examples where having a local contact can make a difference.

For the Burgess family, the Community Connections program was a good fit, as the program works to match people with like interests and also families with other families.

"It's very two-way," Mel says. "At first I thought I could be helpful to someone else, but I was very surprised at how much magic happens. It helps teach my kids that there is an array of people who come into our lives, and we don't have to fear difference."

Mel encourages other locals to become a part of Community Connections. "I'd recommend anyone who is available to link in with the program and get a new friendship started."

To learn more about the Community Connections program, visit the website.

New Course for 2014 - Music in the Creative Industries

From 2014, students can apply to study ‘Music in the Creative Industries’ as part of the Bachelor of Music degree at the University of Newcastle. The new course will equip students with the skills needed to work in the music industry as agents, producers, entrepreneurs, promoters, writers, music publishers, music managers and administrators, writers, and researchers.

Over the three years of their degree, students will be able to take a range of courses that will teach them about the creative industries. Head of the School of Creative Arts, Professor Richard Vella said the courses would furnish students with the technological, communication, conceptual and business skills to prosper in their career.

“The new creative industries strand is designed for music industry professionals who wish to manage, produce, market and publish music. The creative industry students will work with student performers and composers on projects thereby learning skills in arts management, promotion, production management and other aspects of the music business,” Professor Vella said.

Key skills taught will include: grant writing and fundraising; contracts, royalties and management agreements; project management, communication, management, publishing, marketing and promotion; the structure of the music industry and its networks, and how to anticipate and adapt to changes in the industry.

Students wishing to major in the Creative Industries strand will need to do an interview. For those students wanting to major in performance, composition, creative production or song writing, it is possible to enrol into a double major.

The Bachelor of Music at Newcastle University is renowned for the breadth of the musical knowledge it provides. It’s one of the few music schools where students can combine their study in classical, contemporary, jazz and world music and where creativity is central.

With events such as the Space Time Concerto Competition, it’s shown itself to be at the cutting edge of contemporary performance and the revitalisation of traditional musical forms. The new “Music in the Creative Industries’ strand further develops students’ scope to develop their interests and acquire the skills to enjoy careers as agents, managers, technological innovators, creative industries researchers, entrepreneurs, and event producers.

Keep your eyes on the Bachelor of Music Page for more information coming up.

Or contact the Faculty of Education and Arts.

New Professors Talk - Simon Dennis

The New Professors Talk lecture series introduces you to the new people in our community and shares the knowledge and expertise of these leading commentators and thinkers.

On Wednesday 28 August, Professor Simon Dennis will be speaking on The quantified self: harnessing smartphone technology to understand and augment human memory.

Professor Dennis says his goal is to eliminate forgetting.

"People forget stuff," he says. "Nonetheless, when we visit the doctor, enter court or manage people we rely heavily on our fragile memory systems.

"The long term objective of my work is to eliminate forgetting and to do that we need to better understand why we forget.

"I want to create technologies that can remember and retrieve information for us. In my talk I'll outline my research project that is using smartphones to understand the psychological and neuroscientific underpinnings of memory and to record and index the events of our lives without our intervention."

Professor Dennis was recently appointed Head of the School of Psychology. He holds qualifications in computer science, mathematics and psychology from the University of Queensland and his research expertise is in human memory and language processing.

Join us to welcome Professor Simon Dennis to our community through the New Professors Talk series.

This is a free public lecture. Refreshments will be served after the lecture.

WHEN: 6.15 for a 6.30pm start Wednesday, 28 August

WHERE: Newcastle Museum

Workshop Way

Honeysuckle

RSVP: Monday 26 August

To RSVP and for further enquiries please email.

Nicolas Roche’s FANA Fundraiser is close to his heart

Bachelor of Personal Development, Health and Physical Education student Nicolas Roche is taking fundraising for FANA (Foundation for the Support of Abandoned Children,) into his own hands and has worked tirelessly to raise a massive $31,000 to provide new and better resources for Colombian orphans within FANA.

Nicolas was adopted at 3 months old from FANA in Colombia in 1989 and was brought back to Australia with his parents. After a trip to Colombia in 2008, and with the inspiration of two friends who are Ambassadors for Prosperity with Heart for Change, Nicolas gave himself six weeks to raise money for the beginning of his passionate involvement with FANA- the FANA Fundraiser.

Nicolas’ fundraiser built up a huge amount of support, with 240 people participating in raffles and auctions at a function in July. Ultimately, a whopping $31,000 was raised. Nicolas and his crew ventured to Columbia at the beginning of August for two and a half weeks, to help improve FANA’s resources and contribute to their mission.

FANA is a non-profit organisation dedicated to the protection of children. It began in 1971 and provides protection, nutrition and early education services for abandoned children. There are currently 85 children living there, all under the age of 10, with half of them between the ages of 0 and 3 years old. Nicolas says there were key areas of the organisation that needed the funding.

“One of our goals was to set up better web resources so that people could make more donations.” Nicolas says.

The raised money was also used to refurbish classrooms and living areas in FANA and to provide new volunteers, teachers, physios and mentors to work one-on-one with kids to better their development. Nicolas says that the children’s interaction and development during their early life stages is important for when they get adopted and have to rapidly adjust.

“We’re trying to limit the barriers and the transitions for kids when they get adopted.”

FANA works to focus on the health, education and happiness of the children and a main goal is to make life for the children at FANA easy to transition them into a new home.“It’s not giving a child to a family it’s giving a family to a child,”says Nicolas.

“It’s a loving orphanage with great facilities, support and great children. It’s a part of me. I want to provide the children at FANA with opportunities and further resources to help their development into the world. My goal is to establish a charity in Australia and scout for volunteers within universities and schools and set up programs to get more people involved," says Nicolas.

Check out the FANA Fundraiser’s Facebook page.

Check out FANA.

Check out Nicholas’ video testimony about his volunteer work in Columbia.

Nominations for the 2013 Work Integrated Learning (WIL) Awards are open!

Kicked goals on your internship? Has work placement (organised as part of your studies) improved your career readiness and learning experience at the University of Newcastle? Tell us about it and you could win a share of a $6,000 prize pool.

Nominations for the 2013 Work Integrated Learning (WIL) Student and Staff Awards are now open.

If you have completed an internship, practicum, clinical or work placement, on or off campus, then you may be eligible to apply.

Domestic and international undergraduate students can apply for the awards with $1,000 given to the chosen students from each of the University's five faculties. A $1,000, university-wide WIL Award will also be available for a post-graduate student.

Creating career-ready graduates is a focus of the University of Newcastle and the WIL Awards are awarded to students and staff that participate in, or help organise practical experience programs that has enhanced the learning experience of students.

Access the WIL Student and Staff Member of the Year 2013 nomination forms. Nominations close 5pm on Monday 30 September 2013.

The WIL Student and Staff Awards ceremony will be held at the University Gallery, Callaghan Campus, on Thursday 31 October at 5.30pm.

If you have any questions in relation to the WIL Awards please email or contact Dr Kylie Twyford on 49215589.

Go NUbots! Go!

The University of Newcastle’s robotics team, recently competed in the International RoboCup competition in Eindhoven, Netherlands and were placed in the top 12.

RoboCup runs annually and hosts 2500 competitors from Universities across 40 countries.

The aim of the project is to build a soccer playing robot that looks like a human and can beat the human world soccer champions by 2050!

The Newcastle Robotics Laboratory is an interdisciplinary research initiative of Computer Science & Software Engineering, Electrical Engineering, and Statistics at The University of Newcastle, Australia. The team comprises of both undergraduate and postgraduate students, academics and laboratory staff.

The Nubots have participated at RoboCup regularly since 2002. They competed in the RoboCup Four-Legged League 2002-2007 using Sony AIBO robots and won the Worldtitle at RoboCup 2006 in Bremen, Germany. They were placed second at the worldcups in 2005 and 2007, and third in 2004, 2003, and 2002.

In 2008 they won the worldtitle again in the RoboCup Standard Platform League using NAO robots as part of the NUManoid team. The NUbots are the 2011 Australian champions in the RoboCup Standard Platform League.

Find out more about RoboCup.

Like our NUbots on Facebook.

Once again Evatt House contributes to the community!

Evatt House, one of the colleges on Callaghan Campus, is once again priding themselves in their outstanding charity work in 2013.

The College was established in 1990, using the motto ‘Carpe Diem’ (which means to seize the day) to strive to contribute to the college’s community, and community at large.

This year, Evatt House are participating in the Relay for Life for the third year consecutively and are aiming to reach an outstanding $10,000! The team have been involved in the Relay since 2011 and have managed to raise $4000 in that year and $7000 in 2012. The College hope to raise the much needed funds by 7 September, for the commencement of the Relay.

Evatt House have also been involved with numerous other charity projects including the Salvation Army food drive. This semester, they were able to donate $850 worth of non-perishable food.

“Evatt House are known for our charity work and are proud to say that we are the highest raiser of charity in the University for a number of years” says Liam, the Residential Coordinator of Evatt House.

The College also holds yearly events for the Breast Cancer Foundation and Movember. Last year, for Movember, Evatt House raised a massive $1322 for the cause!

It is amazing to know that these dedicated students are able to put in so much effort towards the community whilst studying at the University of Newcastle. If you are someone who wants to get involved in the wonderful charity work Evatt House are participating in, contact Liam Mowbray on 0432510797.

Oral presentation jitters

Do you start to feel anxious just at the thought of giving an oral presentation? Do you choose courses simply because they do not contain presentation assessment tasks? Take comfort in the knowledge that you are not alone. Most students get anxious when they have to talk in front of others.

Here are a few tips that will help to reduce your anxiety to a more manageable level…

Before the presentation

• Give yourself plenty of time to prepare the content of your talk and make sure you know it well. The more confident you are with your material the less anxiety you will experience.
• Practice giving your presentation in front of supportive family and friends. The more practice, the more confidence. The more confidence, the less anxiety.
• Use your imagination. A few times per day for at least a week prior to the presentation, imagine that you are presenting your talk in a clear and confident manner. Visualise the interest that the other students show towards the content of your talk.

On the day of the presentation

• Accept your anxious thoughts and feelings. The more you worry about these feelings the worse they will become. Your heart may be thumping madly but it‟s good to know that it will stay in your chest. Anxiety may not feel good but it certainly is energising!
• Affirmations can help, such as 'I‟ll be OK', 'I can do it'.
• You can reduce the intensity of your anxiety by slowing down your breathing. Count slowly to five as you breathe in and then count to five as you exhale.
• Relax your muscles as much as possible.
• Arrive slightly early for your talk. Rather than focussing on your anxiety, distract yourself by chatting with fellow students before the class begins.
• Remind yourself that your main task is to deliver information, not to give a wonderful performance.

During your presentation

• Accept your anxious feelings however try not to focus on them. Concentrate on the content of the material you are presenting.
• Increase the normal volume of your voice.
• Make an effort to speak more slowly (anxiety can cause you to rush your words). This will also assist you to slow down your breathing.
• Maintain an upright sitting or standing posture (don‟t slouch). You can relax a bit by occasionally moving your body rather than standing or sitting too rigidly.
• Make eye contact with your fellow students. You‟ll realise that the vast majority are supportive. Remember that they too have been, or will be in the same situation.
• Give yourself permission to fumble your words, lose your place, „go blank‟ and experience moments of confusion. These are all quite normal and they won‟t destroy your presentation.
• Avoid post mortems after your presentation as it is very easy to only focus on negatives and then blow them out of proportion. You can end up feeling a total failure irrespective of how well you may have performed. Why create such misery for yourself?

Every time you do a presentation you will be building your confidence, making it just a little bit easier next time.

Remember that everyone (even lecturers!) gets nervous before giving a presentation or talk, it is a natural reaction. This nervousness will not prevent you from getting through the presentation, it may even help you to stay alert and get through the task! Remember to tell yourself ‘even though it may not feel like it, this presentation is only a snapshot in time of my entire life; I accept that I may not enjoy public speaking and I will get through this!’

Imagine your sense of achievement when you have confronted your fears and completed your presentation! Who knows where this may lead….. a career as a university lecturer, a news reader or even a politician?

Where can I get help from others?

If you would like more help make an appointment with the University Counselling Service – it is free and confidential.

Phone 4921 5801 or drop in (we are in the Hunter Building foyer near the Griffith Duncan Theatre) or email.

What other resources are available?

Podcasts

https://academicskills.anu.edu.au/sites/default/files/skillsoup_tip_09.mp3

Websites

http://www.canberra.edu.au/studyskills/learning/oral

http://sydney.edu.au/stuserv/documents/learning_centre/communicative.pdf

Books:

Brown, M. (2001). Making presentations happen. Allen & Unwin.

Smale, L. (1999). How to take the panic out of public speaking. Wrightbooks.

Westerfield, J. (2002). I have to give a presentation, now what?!. Silver Lining Books.

Plexus

Plexus means interweaving or plaiting, and the research for this PhD exhibition at the University Gallery explores ways in which history, nature and society mesh to distinguish specific locations. The history of place and memories, the journeys to and from it, the connections to the environment and to its people, all shape our experience of place.

The site for this research is Hanging Rock, near Nundle, NSW. Sandra Burgess considered the discarded waste from the mining past, the fragments of domestic life, the weeds that invaded the country along with the colonists and the small life forms which are important to the environment but often disregarded.

Microscopic organisms, such as diatoms, are of particular interest as the forms are varied and delicate, inviting imaginative interpretation. Single celled microalgae found in abundance in healthy aquatic environments, diatoms make up a large part of the bio mass of the planet and are an important part of the web of life that we all share.

Using media such as ceramics, paper and found objects, a new environment is created as a Wunderkammer of the extraordinary and ancient environment of Hanging Rock. Entry is FREE, all are welcome.

WHEN: 28 August - 14 September

Opening: 2pm Saturday, 31 August

Gallery hours are 10am-5pm Wed-Fri

12noon-4pm Sat

WHERE: University Gallery (see campus map for directions)

University of Newcastle

Callaghan Campus

Prestigious fellowship awarded to University of Newcastle Researcher

The University of Newcastle English Lecturer, Dr Patricia Pender has won the $41,000 S. Ernest Sprott Fellowship from the University of Melbourne to research the roles that women played in the literary culture of the 16th and 17th centuries.

Dr Pender will spend five months in 2014 conducting archival research in the British Library that will inform her second book, “Early Modern Women and the Institutions of Authorship: Publication, Collaboration, Translation.”

“The British Library is the world’s largest repository of sources relating to the literary culture of early modern England. I am thrilled to have won this fellowship which will allow me to conduct a large amount of research in a short timeframe,” Dr Pender said.

Dr Pender said she would look at the “extra-authorial” activities women undertook as patrons, editors, publishers, collaborators, and translators to expand our understanding of early modern literary authorship.

“My study endeavours to challenge and refine categories of authorship that have been defined in predominantly masculine terms, and provide a more complete and historically nuanced account of the emergence of the category of the “author” in early modern England,” Dr Pender said.

The book will include five case studies spanning the 16th and 17th centuries with the aim of questioning the role that gender plays and investigating women’s long-neglected contributions to the history of literature.

“In methodological terms, my book will ask an important question: how does including women’s neglected literary activities change and refine our ideas of authorship in early modern England?” Dr Pender said.

S. Ernest Sprott Fellowship - Background

The late Samuel Ernest Sprott, who died on 20 May 2009, was born in Hobart, Tasmania. He was an academic in the department of English at Dalhousie University, Canada, from 1958 to 1985. For almost 25 years after his retirement he kept an office at Dalhousie University and continued his research in early modern literature (most notably in Shakespeare studies).

He was best known for his work on John Milton, notably Milton's Art of Prosody, his first book, which appeared in nine editions between 1953 and 1978, and John Milton, A Maske: the Earlier Versions. His book Suicide: The English Debate from Donne to Hume was published in 1961. He also published a collection of poems in 1955.

UoN Professor Bogduk receives AM for spinal and pain research

Congratulations to University of Newcastle’s Professor Nikolai Bogduk, on becoming a Member of the Order of Australia in recognition of 40 years of research and education into the science behind spinal, neck and back pain.

Professor Bogduk, a conjoint professor with the School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy and the Director of Clinical Research at the Newcastle Bone and Joint Institute, was one of 134 people who received recognition as part of the Queen’s Birthday Honours.

Professor Bogduk’s previous accolades include the Volvo Award for Back Pain Research, the Research Prize for Cervical Spine Research Society and the Award for Outstanding Research from the North American Spine Society. He has won the Spine Society Australia’s Research Prize three times.

Professor Bogduk began his career at the University in 1987, and is a Member of the International Association for the Study of Pain Research Committee and consultant for the International Spine Intervention Society.

Two other distinguished researchers associated with University of Newcastle also received recognition in this year’s Queen’s Birthday Honours.

Dr Cameron Archer, a board member at the Tom Farrell Institute for the Environment, became a Member of the Order of Australia for his dedication to the field of heritage.

Richard Owens, a former board member of the University of Newcastle’s Hunter Medical Research Institute, also became a Member of the Order of Australia.

Public Event: The 2013 Human Rights and Social Justice Lecture

The 2013 Human Rights and Social Justice Lecture will be delivered by Peter FitzSimons at the Great Hall on 6 September. This public event is brought to you by the Equity and Diversity Unit at the University of Newcastle.

One of Australia's most prominent and successful media identities and social commentators, Peter will be speaking on the topic 'Harnessing the Power of Sport for a Better World.'

A well respected columnist for the Sydney Morning Herald and Sun-Herald, Peter speaks four languages and has an Arts degree from the University of Sydney, majoring in government and political science.

As the author of eighteen best-selling books, Peter was Australia's biggest selling non-fiction author in 2001, a feat that he duplicated in 2004, with his book on Kokoda. Peter has interviewed every Australian Prime Minister from Gough Whitlam to Kevin Rudd.

In 2011 Peter was named a Member of the Order of Australia for service to literature as a biographer, sports journalist and commentator, and to the community through contributions to conservation, disability care, social welfare and sporting organisations.

The Human Rights and Social Justice Lecture series is one of the University's flagship events.

The series was inaugurated in 2001, and has been held annually since then. The lecture series was established to provide an opportunity for members of the University and the wider community to reflect on issues of social justice that challenge Australia.

This is a FREE event, open to the public.

WHEN: 1-2pm Friday, 6 September

WHERE: Great Hall (see campus map for directions, University of Newcastle, Callaghan Campus

RSVP: email the Equity and Diversity Unit

Researchers aiming to improve quality of end-of-life care

The University of Newcastle has been granted $495,306 from the National Health and Medical Research Council in partnership with the Cancer Council NSW to investigate patients’ preferences in relation to end-of-life care.

The multidisciplinary research team behind this study brings a unique blend of clinical, legal, behavioural, bioethics, health economics, information technology and biostatistics expertise.

Laureate Professor Robert Sanson-Fisher AO, Director of the University’s Centre for Health Behaviour and co-leader of HMRI’s Public Health program, will lead the research study titled ‘Who decides and at what cost’.  The research will address community concerns about the care of terminal cancer patients who may be offered more therapy at the end-of-life than they might want if their views were sought.

“People who receive end-of-life care consistent with preferences are said to experience higher quality of life, and lower physical and psychological distress,” Professor Sanson-Fisher said.

“However, patient preferences often aren’t clearly communicated to providers and families, who become surrogate decision makers. Providers then have to rely on the perceptions and personal views of the surrogates rather than the patients themselves.

“The consideration of advance care directives is an important but sensitive and often difficult matter in healthcare. This research will consider the important issue of effective decision making by cancer patients, their families, or surrogates, and oncologists.”

­Professor Sanson-Fisher has questioned the lack of a national plan for the preparation of people and family caregivers when they are “expecting” to approach the other end-of-life’s continuum, comparing end-of-life to childbirth.

“It makes good sense to plan for impending birth. It increases the chance of good health while reducing fear and stress. Planning helps the family to develop a shared sense of responsibilities and values.”

Professor Sanson-Fisher said death is also certain and our risk of dying or experiencing serious illness increases as we age. There are many critical decisions to be made, yet many people are unable to make some or all decisions as they approach the end of their lives.

“Planning can make a crucial difference. Some folks will experience serious illness in the form of acute emergencies. However, it’s more common for serious illness to come in the form of a set of chronic and progressively disabling conditions,” he said. “What if we started by accepting that illness and end-of-life occur? What lessons could we derive from childbirth and parenting classes?”

This will also be the first study to provide clinically relevant data on the degree to which providers and surrogate decision makers accurately reflect cancer patients’ end-of-life decisions over time. This information will inform strategies to improve awareness of end-of-life care options and advance care planning within the community.

Newcastle researchers help in the fight against STDs

Newcastle researchers have contributed to the discovery of a protein in the female reproductive tract that protects against sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) such as chlamydia and herpes simplex virus (HSV).

An estimated 450 million people worldwide are newly infected with STDs each year. Chlamydia has the highest infection rate of all the sexually transmitted infections (STIs) reported in Australia.

The research, published in the prestigious journal Science, was led by Professor Paul Hertzog at the Monash Institute of Medical Research (MIMR) in collaboration with the University of Newcastle’s Professor Phil Hansbro* and his team, including Jay Horvat and Jemma Mayall.

The team discovered a protein, which they called Interferon epsilon (IFNe), and showed it plays an important role in protecting females against infections. The discovery could have clinical potential to determine which women may be more or less susceptible to disease such as STIs or to boost protective immunity. IFNe could also potentially be used to treat STIs or other inflammatory diseases. The Newcastle researchers characterised the role of IFNe in protecting against chlamydia.

“Infection is more serious when progesterone levels are high and estrogen levels are low. IFNe levels are low in the presence of progesterone and high in the presence of estrogen,” Prof Hansbro said.

“The lack of IFNe during times of low estrogen levels leads to more serious infection that moves up the reproductive tract and affects the uterus and ovaries. This results in damage to the upper reproductive tract and is likely to contribute to infertility in women.

“IFNe is produced almost exclusively by the inner surface of the female reproductive tract. It protects against infection by promoting the movement of immune cells into the area that counters the infection.

“Since this protein protects against chlamydia infection we may be able to use it to prevent chlamydia infections or to treat people once they become infected.”

Prof Hertzog said STIs were a critical global health and socioeconomic problem and it was likely the protein discovery would be important for other infectious diseases like HIV and HPV.

According to the 2011 Australian Bureau of Statistics, chlamydia infection rates have more than tripled over the past decade. The disease affects more women than men, with more than 46,600 women aged over 15 diagnosed compared to 33,200 men aged 15 and over.

Professor Hertzog said the next step was to work towards clinical studies within the next five years.

“We are also keen to see whether this work can be applied across other diseases including cancer, female reproductive tract related disorders such as endometriosis and pelvic inflammatory disease, as well as other non-reproductive tract diseases.”

The research was done in collaboration with partners at other departments of Monash University, the University of Adelaide, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and the University of Oklahoma.

* Professor Hansbro leads the University of Newcastle’s Microbiology, Asthma and Airways Research Group in the Centre for Asthma and Respiratory Disease. It conducts research in collaboration with the Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI) Viruses, Infections/Immunity, Vaccines and Asthma Research Program. HMRI is a partnership between the University of Newcastle, Hunter New England Health and the community.

Research for the next generation

Bazinga! Have you heard your lecturers talking about honours and research training, or even the research they conduct themselves? If you have wanted further information on these or even just where to take your degree or career, join us on the 20th August in the Shortland Union to find out more.

Various information sessions will be held by leading researchers on what an honours year is and also about research degrees. The Careers Service will also provide information on how a research degree can help you in the real world.

Join us for research speed dating! Information booths will be set up offering details on current research opportunities, scholarships available, poster displays and you will have the chance to chat with current honours and research degree students on their experiences.

From 12pm to 1pm, a panel discussion will be held on the ‘next generation of research leaders’ along with a short talk presented by Colin Sanctuary, Performance Director of the Higher Performance Unit, Newcastle Knights, on how he applies his research training in the real world.

There are two iPad minis to be given away and entry is easy! Just attend any or all of the sessions, (the more sessions you attend the more entries you will receive) and you automatically go into the draw. A BBQ lunch between 1pm and 2pm will also be available for those who attend the sessions.

WHEN: Tuesday 20th August, 2013

WHERE: Shortland Union, Callaghan Campus

TIME: Various, commencing at 9 am

Find out more about the presenters, sessions and presentations!

Research shows storytelling is child's play

Is there a right and wrong way to tell a story?

University of Newcastle – Central Coast Research and Learning Librarian, Dr Julie Mundy-Taylor has researched this question and has been awarded a Doctor of Philosophy for her thesis “Storytelling engagement in the classroom: Observable behavioural cues of children’s storytelling experiences.”

Dr Mundy-Taylor’s research was prompted by some feedback in 2003 from one of the many storytelling programmes she operated at local schools, pre-schools and day care centres.

“I was telling a favourite folktale, The little half-chick to a group of three and four year old children when the pre-school director interrupted,” Dr Mundy-Taylor said.

“She insisted that I stop as I wasn’t telling the story ‘the way everyone knows a story should be told to children.’”

The feedback led Dr Mundy-Taylor on a journey to discover if there was a ‘right’ way to tell a story and a means of measuring how engaged children were.

After six months of searching the literature and asking her academic colleagues, it became obvious to Dr Mundy-Taylor that there was a lack of research in this area and that she would have to find the answers for herself.

To discover the best methods for storytelling, Dr Mundy-Taylor spent five months conducting research in a primary school, where she completed 33 storytelling sessions telling 43 different stories. During that period, she recorded 41 hours of video footage and collected hundreds of pages of transcripts of these sessions. Then after hundreds of hours of analysis of the information, the answers began to emerge.

Dr Mundy-Taylor determined that there is no single correct way to tell stories and that each storyteller develops their own storytelling style, often changing their presentation style to suit a particular story and the needs of each audience.

Reflecting back on the feedback from the pre-school director that spurred on her research, Dr Mundy-Taylor says the director did her a great service as a practising storyteller and as a librarian.

“When the incident I now call 'Half-chick got burned' occurred, I had been storytelling for over 10 years. While I was by no means complacent, I had neglected my own professional development,” she said.

“Doing a Research Higher Degree forced me to take an objective and analytical approach to an art form I was passionate about. In the process I learned far more than I ever imagined about the art of storytelling, and also gained a valuable insight into research practice.

“I answered the questions I began with and gained research skills that I can now share with library clients. This process has greatly enhanced my empathy and understanding of what researchers undertake.”

RoboCup Junior 2013

RoboCup Junior is set to kick off again for 2013 and is the second consecutive year that the University of Newcastle’s Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment have hosted the tournament.

Last year’s event saw 160 participants from 15 schools across the Hunter Region compete across the day with over 140 students witnessing the action as spectators. In the past, such robotic events were only hosted in Sydney so the return of the event to the area was highly welcomed.

The day consists of students from both primary and secondary schools compete in a series of robotic challenges ranging from students programing their robots to dance. Playing an action packed game of robotic soccer and programming robots to save an object in an obstacle based scenario known as rescue.

RoboCup junior is a feeder strand for the international RoboCup tournament which is hosted by a different country each year that comprises of Universities and research institutions all around the world aiming to harness the abilities of artificial intelligence. By the year 2050 the international RoboCup tournament aims to beat the current (Human) world champion soccer team using robotics and artificial intelligence.

The purpose of RoboCup Junior is to educate and nurture the student’s ability to program, learn a logical sequence to solve complex problems, discover the potential of artificial intelligence and most importantly having fun whilst doing it! It is vital that events such as RoboCup junior exist as it provides a platform for future engineers and creative thinkers of the future to exhibit and learn the potential of their skills.

The tournament is organised by school teachers, parents, University staff, Academics and students both past and present from the University of Newcastle’s NUbots robotics team.

The event kicks off on the 1st of August 2013 at 9am hosted at the Forum (University of Newcastle). Spectators are more than welcome to attend at the cost of $2.00 per person and must register by sending an email to Ryan Jeffery. Any students, teachers or parents wanting to know more about the tournament can also contact Ryan by phone on 4921 7997 or email Ryan.Jeffery@newcastle.edu.au.

Rugby League Development Program for local high schoolers gives insight and encouragement

The local secondary school students of Bulladelah Central School and Gorikan High School were lucky to visit our Callaghan Campus and participate in a Rugby League Development Program.

A fun-packed day was has by sixteen Year 10 and Year 11 students from these schools, who were engaged with and encouraged to consider a tertiary education with the help of the love for the game!

Driven by Dr Michael Seamer from the Newcastle Business School, the program used rugby league to introduce male students to university culture and address preconceptions regarding access to tertiary education.

The program consisted of rugby league clinics delivered by Tony Butterfield (former Newcastle Knight and Newcastle Business School graduate), a weights session facilitated by Matt Toohey from The Forum and personal development workshops focused on goal setting and post school options. Additionally, students had a campus tour to check out the University facilities.

The objective of the program was to help those students who may not have considered a tertiary pathway to see university as a possibility. Feedback from students, teachers and parents who attended the day-long program was overwhelmingly positive. Hopefully we’ll see some Bulladelah Central School and Gorikan High School students around UoN soon!

R U OK? A conversation could change a life

You don’t have to be an expert to support someone going through a tough time. You just need to be able to listen to their concerns without judgment and take the time to follow up with them.

Below are some simple steps to start a conversation. You can also download our powerpoint presentation or check out our video role play. You can also watch videos with leading experts or call any number of crisis lines for immediate support.

1. Ask R U OK?

• Start a general conversation; preferably somewhere private
• Break the ice with a joke
• Build trust through good eye contact, open and relaxed body language
• Ask open–ended questions

‘What’s been happening? How are you going?’

‘You don’t seem like yourself and I’m wondering are you ok? Is there anything that’s contributing?’

2. Listen without judgement

• Guide the conversation with caring questions and give them time to reply
• Don’t rush to solve problems for them
• Help them understand that solutions are available when they’re ready to start exploring these

‘How has that made you feel?’

‘What do you think caused this reaction?’

3. Encourage action

• Summarise the issues and ask them what they plan to do
• Encourage them to take one step, such as see their doctor
• If they’re unsure about where to go to for help, help them to contact a local doctor or the Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

‘What do you think might help your situation?’

‘Would you like me to make an appointment or come with you?’

4. Follow up

• Put a note in your diary to call them in one week. If they’re desperate, follow up sooner
• Ask if they’ve managed to take that first step and see someone
• If they didn’t find this experience helpful, urge them to try a different professional because there’s someone out there who can help them

‘How are things going? Did you speak with your doctor?’

‘You’ve had a busy time. Would you like me to make the appointment?’

If you are concerned about yourself, someone else, or just need to talk with someone, please phone the University Counselling Service

Callaghan - (02) 4921 5801

Central Coast - (02) 4348 4060

Or call...

• NSW 24 HOUR MENTAL HEALTH LINE - 1800 011 511
• Lifeline - 13 11 14
• SANE Australia - 1800 18 SANE (7263)
• beyondblue - 1300 22 4636

Online resources

• University of Newcastle Counselling Service
• UoN Resources and Tip Sheets
• University Health Service
• Online crisis and mental health information for young people 14-25 years

Save the Date – Alumni Awards 2013

Each year, alumni and friends from across the globe gather in Newcastle for this gala event that celebrates our world-class graduates. The Alumni Awards have been a sold-out event for the past three years – don’t miss this great night!

Our graduates are leaving their footprints across the globe. Mark Tuesday 22 October 2013 in your diary and join us for a gala dinner at Newcastle City Hall.

The Alumni Awards are across eight categories and recognise professional excellence, innovation, creativity, exceptional leadership and those who inspire others in a range of fields through local, national or international service.

Read more about our 35 finalists for 2013.

Email to register your interest for tickets!

School of the Air Gets SMART

The SMART project was delighted to perform one of their dynamic live science shows to students in some of the remotest parts of Australia through a visit to the School of the Air.

This unusual event was part of a wider tour to the public schools of Alice Springs, and the SMART presenters Karlie Noon (2nd year Maths and Physics student) and Jade Fisser (2nd year Primary Teaching Student) were delighted to be able to include this virtual show in their itinerary.

The SMART project, part of the University of Newcastle's Equity and Diversity Unit's AIM High program, mainly performs for its partner schools in the University's footprint but through a joint venture with Engineers Australia and funding from Shell Petroleum they are biannually touring the Northern Territory. As well as stops in Alice Springs, Darwin, the SMART team are performing in remote communities out of Katherine and in Arnhem Land.

The School of the Air show was a resounding hit, with 35 students logging in online and seven joining the SMART team in the studio (very handy when volunteers were needed to help with experiments). Students logged on from as far as 1600km away in Borraloola and islands north of Darwin.

As well as watching the show via webcam, the audience was able to ask and answer questions via a text chat box, and the presenters were surprised by how instantly the responses came in. SMART presenter Karlie Noon commented, "It was amazing just how normal the experience was. When the kids called in on the webcam, it was just like having the kids there in the room."

SMART continues its current tour of the Northern Territory with a trip to Arnhem Land next week.

Strengthening the Relationship with our Vietnamese Counterparts

A visit from the heads of Pham Ngoc Thach University of Medicine (PNTU) has further strengthened ties between the Vietnamese university and the University of Newcastle.

A three-year Memorandum of Understanding was signed by both Universities in February 2012 to facilitate and promote cooperation between the two Universities as well as investigate opportunities for collaboration in speech-language therapy training, post graduate research and course work programs, exchange of students and staff, joint seminars, publications and supervision.

Newcastle’s Head of Speech Pathology, Dr Sally Hewat, has spent time at PNTU since signing the agreement, however this is the first opportunity that PNTU representatives have had to visit Australia.

The Vietnamese equivalent of Vice Chancellor, Rector Prof. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Dung (Prof. Dung) and Vice Rector Dr Pham Dang Dieu, (Dr Dieu) will discuss current collaborations and explore new opportunities while visiting Newcastle.

Dr Hewat said both universities have benefited from the international relationship.

“Working closely with the Trinh Foundation Australia, the University of Newcastle has supported the development of the first speech therapy course in Vietnam through PNTU and has collaborated in some clinical research with graduates of the program,” Dr Hewat said.

“Its also been great for our speech pathology staff and students who have travelled to Vietnam for clinical placements, teaching, research and development, giving our students an internationalised curriculum and staff the opportunity for unique research and professional development.”

The first cohort of Vietnamese speech therapy students graduated in September 2012 with some now involved in collaborative teaching and research projects with leading academics from Australia.

“Many of these graduates have also established speech therapy departments in public hospitals in Ho Chi Mihn City, and will provide clinical placements (work integrated learning opportunities) for the current student group at PNTU and for some University of Newcastle students.”

“We’re happy to be part of a program that has increased community awareness of speech therapy and communication disorders and will deliver long term personal and health benefits for the Vietnamese community.”

Students in higher education are healthier than others their age

The latest Australian Social Trends (AST) report, released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), looks at the characteristics of higher education students in Australia- who they are, where they come from, where they live, and what they do.

ABS Assistant Director of Social and Progress Reporting, Jane Griffin-Warwicke, said that it appears the stereotypical student party lifestyle isn’t as true as we think.

"We found that higher education students are actually less likely to smoke or drink at risky levels, and more likely to exercise than other people their age," said Ms Griffin-Warwicke.

The AST report found that the majority of students at higher education institutions go there directly from school or soon after, with three in every five students aged 15-24 in 2011. There were also more women than men studying, as has been the case since 1987.

"Business and management, and teaching were the most popular courses, followed by nursing, accounting and law," she noted. "The most popular course for women in 2012 was teaching, with business and management being most popular for men."

"The report showed that it is common for higher education students to work while they study. In 2012, nearly half of those students aged 15-24 worked part-time and studied full-time, whereas older students did the opposite and were more likely to work full-time and study part-time.

"In regards to nationality we found nearly a third of higher education students were born overseas. In 2011, over half of these students were born in Asia. Overseas students were more likely to be living in overcrowded conditions than those born in Australia.

"Higher education students tend to study in a region similar to where they lived 5 years ago. The majority (86%) of students currently studying outside a capital city also lived outside a capital city five years ago," said Ms Griffin-Warwicke.

Sourced from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

All Australian Bureau of Statistics articles are available in full and for free online.

Speech Therapy Students Return from “Life-Changing” Placement in Vietnam

A group of final year Speech Therapy students have come home to Newcastle after a three-week clinical placement in Vietnam.

The trip was the result of collaboration between the University of Newcastle and Pham Ngoc Thach University of Medicine and two Foundations that support the development and health of children in Vietnam - the Trinh Foundation Australia and the UK-based Kianh Foundation.

Head of Speech Pathology, Sally Hewat, visited Vietnam last year to support the delivery of the country’s first speech therapy training program, and accompanied the students on this trip, supervising their work with Director of Clinical Education in Speech Pathology, Jo Walters.

The students, Sophia Thibaadeau, Lauren Woodbridge, Emma Whalley, Erin Fraser, Tabitha Pethybridge, and Kate Connolly worked in hospitals in Ho Chi Minh City delivering speech therapy services. The group then traveled to Vung Tau and worked with babies and toddlers in an orphanage.

“The students integrated into the facility to support the carers of the children, and worked with the orphanage’s psychologist to help facilitate language for the children,” said Sally.

“We did not have anywhere near the resources that we have in Australia, yet we managed to make huge therapy gains for the children and their teachers in the short time that we were there,” said student Erin Fraser.

The group then spent two weeks in Hoi An at the Centre for Development of Children with Special Needs, a facility supported by the Kianh Foundation. The centre has Vietnamese teachers, special education teachers, Australian volunteers, but until now, no speech therapy input.

“The students spent two weeks assessing the children and preparing communications plans for each child… (They) saw a level and severity of disease, disability and disorders that we just don’t have in Australia,” Sally said.

“This experience was a life changing one & I feel that I learnt more in the 3 weeks here than I would have in 5 weeks at home. Great experiences, great people, fantastic working with children with disabilities & within a different culture,” said student Tabitha Pethybridge.

Another group of Students are planned to venture to Vietnam at the end of the year and a grant has been applied for to enable a trial of an innovative joint clinical placement model with the students from UoN and Pham Ngoc Thach University of Medicine.

Stuff actually happens… So have your say!

We all know that we are continuously bombarded with different emails asking us for our feedback on a variety of different issues. But one survey that really makes a difference to Uni life is Student Feedback on Teachers and Courses (SFC). As you venture though the years of your degree, you start to realise that after submitting your feedback, stuff actually happens.

"I never used to bother responding to student feedback surveys, I just didn't think they made a difference. Then I started casual work at Uni with Planning Quality and Reporting, the Unit that manages these surveys. The team reads every single response and stuff actually happens. In my three years at UoN, I have seen sign upgrades, increased security, better teaching, and improved services. Something that takes five minutes of our time actually results in things that really improve our experience".-Jock Spence, Student, Bachelor Commerce and Law.

Giving your feedback is anonymous so there is no need to worry that anyone will know if you didn’t like a particular subject. After all the information is gathered, the Uni publishes the scope of results to allow students to see what other students have said about the course. It also allows teaching staff and faculty to see whether their methods are working and being well received by the students.

Do you want to know what others have said about the course you have chosen? You can access the results here.

Don’t forget to have your say in the feedback, as it truly makes a difference.

Survival Stations – Another great way to eat cheap on Campus!

Everyone knows that surviving University can be tough. Therefore, it was only natural that students would want a self-serve kitchen on campus. So with the assistance of SSAF funding, Survival Stations have been installed across campuses at the University of Newcastle.

The Survival Station at the Shortland Hub has been well received with feedback suggesting having more around all campuses as they are great for students who want to be self-sufficient and save their hard-earned dollars!

“Love this spot. I was unable to find the kind of food I can eat on campus and I love being able to reheat my own food here. Thanks for the hot water!” says Julie Lewis.

“I love them, they’re a great way to save money and I love being able to make my own tea at Uni,” says Emily Leary.

Currently there are Survival Stations at the Shortland Hub and in the Hunter Building at Callaghan Campus. Keep an eye out for the new Survival Station being installed at the Central Coast Campus!

Survival Stations are bought to you by SSAF (Federal Governments Student Services and Amenities Fee). Find out more about SSAF.

TAKE AIM

Academic Integrity is an essential part of university life. To support this there is now a required online course provided to all students via Blackboard on UoNline.

This new self-teaching module will assist students to gain a consistent understanding across a range of important University policies.

The module will cover a range of topics, including:

• Group work - how to work successfully as part of a team
• How to interact with Social Media as part of your studies
• What your responsibilities are as a student of UoN
• University expectations around referencing and plagiarism, and
• The Academic Integrity Policy

It's important that students commencing a new program from 2013 take the time to complete this module before the end of their first term of study. The module can be accessed from Blackboard.

Find out more about Academic Integrity and our Shared Values

Further information about the implementation of the University Academic Integrity Module can be obtained by emailing Keith Foggett, Learning Development Coordinator (Centre for Teaching and Learning) at keith.foggett@newcastle.edu.au

The Lucy Mentoring Program

The issue of women in senior management and director roles within companies is a contentious one. In 2004, the NSW Government made a commitment to increase the number of women employed in management and board positions within both private and public sector organisations.

In response to this commitment, the Office for Women and the NSW Premier’s Department, in partnership with individuals and organisations within the public and private sectors, created the LUCY Mentoring Program.

The Faculty of Business and Law at the University of Newcastle has been participating in the LUCY program since 2007, joining the University of Sydney and the University of Western Sydney who have been participating since inception.

The LUCY program is aimed at women at university who are studying business and economics with the aim of inspiring, motivating and educating them about the opportunities for employment within the private and public sectors.

From May to September the program allows students in their final years to be guided and supported by an experienced mentor from outside the University while they explore various career options they may be interested in. Mentors and students work together over a period of weeks on an agreed Work Based Activity (WBA). The WBA aims to encourage an increased understanding of the challenges of working in the private or public sector. The mentor and student will meet regularly throughout this period. The WBA is designed to be flexible, totalling 35 hours in the mentor’s workplace.

The LUCY program is offered to students through the Faculty of Business and Law at the University of Newcastle and has so far seen over 100 female undergraduates complete the program since 2007.

Further information about the LUCY Mentoring Program can be provided by coordinator Anne Sullivan.

“There’s nothing I love better than photographing ants in the holidays” says UoN student Charlie!

Not everyone wants to lay back and relax in the holiday period. UoN student Charlie prefers working and challenging his skills in media production in his spare time. This of course means photographing all sorts of weird and wonderful creatures including ants!

Charlie is in his final year of completing a Bachelor of Communications majoring in Media Production. Even though he has three years of study up his sleeve, Charlie believes that work experience is one of the greatest ways to practice what you learn in class.

"The reason I chose Media Production is I want a career based on a hobby that I truly love to do. The holidays are good for downtime, but they’re also great for personal projects to learn new things and harness your skills. Every holiday period I give myself a 'holiday project', I've done short films, news programs, even maintained an entire radio station from my basement. Nothing beats photographing my ants though!" says Charlie.

Charlie’s hobby of photographing insects began when he was introduced to the world of pet ants. From then on he found the insect world inspiring and through the lens of his camera he was able to capture the extraordinary features that the naked eye just cannot pick up. Charlie now has an extensive gallery of insects of all shapes and sizes and is adding to it during these holidays.

When Charlie isn’t out and about searching for creatures great and small, he is either filming and editing videos at his part time job at the Uni or working with his friends in their media production business. Charlie and his team have created productions such as a ‘Planet Fitness’ advertisement and also a security video for the University.

Are you like Charlie continuously doing uni related hobbies? Or is the couch your new best friend in the holidays?

The Wollotuka Institute

The Wollotuka Insitute is the body of the University of Newcastle that serves the University’s commitment to collaboration with Indigenous communities. The Institute serves four main functions that cover the areas of academia, research, Indigenous student support and development as well as Indigenous staff support and development.

Wollotuka began its life as an Indigenous Australian student support program at the Newcastle College of Advanced Education in 1983. Over the next 29 years, it has grown into a multi-campus institution that offers a variety of academic and support services.

Throughout the 1990s Wollotuka expanded its offerings, including the introduction of a Diploma in Aboriginal Studies, which later became a full undergraduate degree, as well as the establishment of an Indigenous Australian Higher Research Centre. 2002 saw Wollotuka move into its new, purpose built home in the Birabahn Building located on the Callaghan campus of the University.

Over the next few years, Wollotuka expanded its work to encompass all levels of academic programs across the three main campuses of the University (Callaghan, Ourimbah and Port Macquarie), and even today the work that they do and the study programs they offer continue to grow.

This is not Art!

The University of Newcastle is the principal sponsor of the This is Not Art Festival, coming to Newcastle on 3-6 October.

This is Not Art (TiNA) is recognised as one of Australia's leading independent arts festivals, which takes place annually in Newcastle over the October long weekend. TiNA is dedicated to the development of experimental and emerging arts practice by creating spaces for artistic collaboration and discovery. There are over 200 events packed into four days.

The TiNA festival is a convergence of writers, performers, thinkers, independent and industry musicians, dancers, visual artists, thespians, arts workers, media makers, creative researchers, electronic artists, physical performers, dilettantes, and DIY culture makers in a showcase featuring over 400 local, national and international artists. It also provides a forum of professional development, in which industry professionals, emerging artists and students are encouraged to showcase their work, network, collaborate and develop new skills.

UoN has been a major sponsor of TiNA for the last four years, with annual financial support provided to both the broad festival operations and a prescribed amount to the Critical Animal program.

Critical Animals is a creative research-focused forum within the TiNA program which aims to foster the development of critical thought and reflection in artistic practice and research through discussion and collaboration. Designed for students, researchers, writers, artists, and people critically engaged with creative and experimental art practices.

TiNA's program is available online, as are links to ticket purchasing.

Three UoN students selected to represent Australia at World University level in 2013!

Congratulations to students Cameron Copeland, Sophie Stanwell and Matt Lynch who have all been named to represent Australia at the World University level this year!

Cameron Copeland has been selected to represent Australia at the University Rugby League World Cup in England this July.

Sophie Stanwell and Matt Lynch have been named to represent Australia at the World University Games in Russia, also in July.

Sophie and Matt were both part of UoN’s 2012 Athletics team at the Australian University Games. Sophie is the current Australian Universities Champion in Heptathlon and also became the NSW State Heptathlon Champion over the recent athletics season.

Matt was a member of our Bronze Medal winning men’s 4x100m relay at the 2012 Australian University Games, and placed 6thin the 400m at the Australian Athletics Championships in April.

Stay tuned for updates on how our amazing students go in their respective competitions.

Time Management and Time Saver Strategies

Are you having trouble getting on track, prioritising your to-do list and banishing your distractions? Read these 33 simple steps and learn the best ways to manage your time.

1. Clarify your values, (what’s most important to you at this time in your life?)

2. Set your goals based on your values (ie. daily, weekly, semester goals.)

3. Set goals that are specific, measurable, acceptable to you, realistic, time framed for completion, ie SMART

4. Develop an action plan based on your goals.

5. Set top priorities and work on these.

6. Break down big tasks into smaller do-able chunks.

7. Allow enough time for each task. Don’t rush.

8. Use calendars: semester, weekly, daily

9. Plan your day. Write daily “to do” lists and cross off tasks as they’re completed.

10. Participate in group related tasks.

11. Plan tasks before you begin them.

12. Set deadlines.

13. Review your short and long term goals.

14. Use your peak times wisely.

15. Watch out for time wasters.

16. Have small tasks at hand for waiting times.

17. Review your notes soon after lectures and regularly during semester.

18. Carry a note pad for times when an important thought comes along.

19. Have a purpose for everything you do.

20. Identify and eliminate tasks that don’t need to be done by you.

21. Eliminate tasks that aren’t related to your goals.

22. Allow extra time for the unexpected.

23. Do creative work where you won’t be disturbed.

24. Know your limitations and don’t overschedule.

25. Return calls & texts, answer emails and go on facebook at a set time.

26. Organise your workspace.

27. Develop a good filing system.

28. Put aside material that you won’t read.

29. Don’t trust your memory. Write it down.

30. If you organise study groups, stick to the purpose and finish on time.

31. Allow some time for yourself, family and friends.

32. Learn from failures and mistakes then forget them.

33. Reward yourself for effective time management.

Get more useful resources and tip sheets from the University's counselling service.

$2.2m project to enhance mathematics and science teacher training

UoN is part of a new $2.2m project that will enhance the training of mathematics and science teachers, being led by the University of Queensland.

A team of six University of Newcastle scholars will partner with academics from 5 other universities to develop new interdisciplinary approaches to enhance maths and science pre-service teacher education.

The project aims to foster sustained collaboration between maths, science and education scholars to integrate their collective expertise to improve teacher recruitment, preparation and continued learning after graduation.

The University of Newcastle team working on this project includes:

• Dr Kathryn Holmes is Senior Lecturer in the School of Education and Program Convenor for BTeach(Sec)/BMath. She has won an ALTC Citation and has four current research grants in education.
• Dr Elena Prieto is a Lecturer in the School of Education and Deputy Program Convenor Master of Educational Studies (mathematics cohort). She has ten years of experience of interdisciplinary work with the Faculties of Engineering and Education.
• Dr Judy-Anne Osborn is a Lecturer and First Year Experience coordinator in the School of Mathematics and Physical Sciences. She has held teaching and learning grants at ANU and Newcastle, and has publication and conference organisation experience in mathematics and education/outreach.
• Dr Peter Howley is a Senior Lecturer in statistics in the School of Mathematics and Physical Sciences. He has won a Faculty teaching award and has extensive experience in interfaculty team teaching, multi-campus and online teaching.
• Dr Andrew Kepert is a Lecturer in the School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences. He has a research expertise in computational and numerical mathematics and operations research.
• Dr Malcolm Roberts is a Lecturer in the School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences. He has an academic interest in undergraduate mathematics education and primary, secondary and tertiary mathematics education.

The project has been funded under the Federal Government’s Office of Learning and Teaching.

University of Newcastle lecturer delivers a feel good story out of Africa

A University of Newcastle lecturer is behind a film documenting a permaculture project in Zimbabwe that has changed lives and boosted food security.

Senior Sociology Lecturer, Dr Terry Leahy, will launch his documentary “The Chikukwa Project” on September 25 at the CERES Centre in Melbourne.

Dr Leahy and his documentary-making sister, Associate Professor Gillian Leahy of the University of Technology Sydney, travelled to Zimbabwe in 2010 and saw how the use of permaculture changed the degraded landscape into a lush paradise that produces food.

“Where once the 7,000 people of the Chikukwa villages suffered hunger, malnutrition and high rates of disease, this community has turned its fortunes around using permaculture farming techniques,” Dr Leahy said.

The Chikukwa Project was started over 20 years ago and through the use of permaculture practices has consistently produced food during that time.

“Now they have a surplus of food and the people in these villages are healthy and proud of their achievements.”

“Complementing these strategies for food security, they have built their community strength through locally controlled and initiated programs for permaculture training, conflict resolution, women’s empowerment, primary education and HIV management,” Dr Leahy said.

Dr Leahy will continue his own research into food security when he travels to Zambia, South Africa, Uganda and Zimbabwe in 2014. He will visit villages where successful project designs for food security are operating.

“A lot of money has been spent on projects in Africa which have had no lasting impact and the intention of my research is to find out what actually does work and to promote it. The film on the Chikukwa project is a key part of that work as that project has been remarkably successful over a 20 year period," Dr Leahy said.

Funding for the film was provided by the University of Newcastle, the University of Technology Sydney and the Pozible crowd funding website.

View the 20-minute trailer for the “The Chikukwa Project”.

DVD’s of the film can be purchased from October.

University researcher’s antibiotic device to improve home healthcare

A mobile antibiotic device co-invented by a University of Newcastle researcher is set to revolutionise patient home healthcare and free up hospital beds, thanks to a Medical Device Fund (MDF) grant worth $215,000 from the NSW Government.

The announcement was made by the Minister for Medical Research, the Hon Jillian Skinner MP, at the Cochlear Building in Sydney.

A conversation 10 years ago between Professor Paul Dastoor from the University of Newcastle and Ken Logan from medical device maker MobiLIFE led to a back-of-napkin concept design that, with the assistance of the University’s commercial arm Newcastle Innovation, today sees the MobiDRIP in use in six hospitals across NSW and Queensland.

“The MobiDRIP allows patients requiring an intravenous drip to recover in the comfort of their own homes; freeing up hospital beds and dramatically lowering healthcare costs,” said Professor Dastoor.

“The simplicity of the MobiDRIP design means it doesn’t require electrical power, it is lightweight and easy to operate.”

“We see this product being used not only in hospitals and homes, but in ambulances, the military and even veterinary clinics.”

The MobiDRIP delivers a predetermined infusion flow rate by applying controlled pressure to a standard bag of IV fluid, which is wrapped in a cuff that inflates via a disposable compressed gas cannister. Clinical trials have shown that it is more accurate at supplying antibiotics than computer-based pumps.

The MDF grant will be used to further develop the device and to commercialise distribution of the MobiDRIP.

University of Newcastle Acting Pro Vice-Chancellor Research, Professor Deborah Hodgson, said the MobiDRIP was a great example of how the University’s research was being turned into commercially viable products that could have global benefits.

“We’re incredibly proud of Professor Dastoor’s achievement in designing this revolutionary device that will provide more treatment options and improve clinical practice globally,” said Professor Hodgson.

“One of the greatest challenges facing healthcare systems is the rising cost of treatment and therapies. The long-term opportunity for MobiDRIP lies in the huge international market for home healthcare, which in the USA alone is more than one billion dollars annually.

“The success of the product so far is the result of a 10-year collaborative effort between the University researchers, MobiLIFE, Newcastle Innovation and other industry partners and all should be congratulated on developing a product that will help so many people.”

The MDF is funded by the NSW Government through the NSW Ministry of Health and aims to promote innovative medical devices and technology within NSW.

In the News:

New technology set to free up hospital beds, NBN, July 2013

Newcastle Uni’s physicists hand in revolutionary device, Newcastle Herald, July 2013

UNLSA Mooting Success

From the 9th-16th of July 2013, a team of nine students from Newcastle Law School competed at the Annual Australian Law Students' Association Conference, which was held in Perth. The University of Newcastle Law Students' Association provides the opportunity for students to compete in a range of competitions at a national level. The students who usually represent our universities at these competitions are the finalists in our internal educational competitions that are held in Semester 1 and 2.

Representing UNLSA and Newcastle Law School in the National Championship Moot were Joan Williams, Katrina Hogan and Daniel Bullock (fifth year), in the Witness Examination competition Sarah Hammond (fourth year) Paper presentation Brooke Murphy (fourth year), Client Interviewing Laura Bereicua and Kia Daley (fourth year), Negotiation Monique Nash and Alexander Winn (2nd year).

All teams competed in three preliminary rounds of competition against a variety of law students from Australia, New Zealand and Asia.

Following the preliminary round of competition, the mooting team of Joan, Katrina and Daniel broke through to the quarter final of the competition.

In the quarter final the team were required to moot a problem question on an obscure area of Western Australian mining legislation and successfully beat a team from Auckland University to progress through to the semi-final.

The team competed against Sydney University in the Semi Final and won. It should be noted that the Sydney team was made up of two very well-known student mooters who had both competed at the Jessup competition internationally. To be able to say that the Newcastle mooting team defeated this team is a testament to their advocacy and legal research skills.

The Grand Final was presided over by His Honour Chief Justice French of the High Court of Australia. The team handled a number of challenging questions from the panel on the area of Administrative Law and demonstrated a thorough understanding of their submissions and the applicable law.

At the Closing Gala of the ALSA Conference the team were declared the Runners Up of the National Competition.

As the heads of our delegation, UNLSA Vice President Amanda Dixon and Clare Griffis were very proud of the efforts of all who competed and pleased to see the support that was extended to their team mates across the week.

UoN Academic Receives Local Tourism Award

Congratulations to Dr Kevin Lyons from the University's Faculty of Business and Law on being awarded in the category of 'Outstanding Contribution by an Individual to Local Tourism' at the 2013 QantasLink Hunter and Central Coast Tourism Awards.

This category is considered to be the major award among the 21 given on the night, and was one of only two that were given to an individual. The award recognises the extraordinary personal and professional achievement and contribution by an individual over many years to NSW regional tourism. Judges considered the particular activities and contributions of the nominee outside the expectations of normal employment.

Since 1997, Kevin has championed tourism education at the University of Newcastle and in the Hunter region. Over the years, Kevin has worked closely with the local and regional tourism industry to ensure the tourism courses available at the University of Newcastle help develop graduates who understand not only the global but also the local role tourism plays in the economic, social and environmental wellbeing of the Hunter Region.

UoN Nursing and Midwifery Community Engagement Award Winner

Bachelor of Nursing student Laura Casey is the winner of the Community Engagement Award at the School of Nursing and Midwifery Awards ceremony held recently at the University of Newcastle.

After discovering volunteering in years 11 and 12 and loving not only the joy it brought to the people she was involved with, but also the life experience she gained, Laura continued to look into volunteering while at University.

Laura has been volunteering for the past two years at the John Hunter Children's Hospital working with the play therapist in the paediatric oncology ward.

"My experiences volunteering in the facility have proved to be invaluable to my nursing practice," Laura says. "Interacting with sick children and their parents has developed my communication skills as well as gaining trust and building therapeutic relationships, as often kids can be the hardest patients to win over."

Laura has found working with the play therapist has given her a greater appreciation and understanding of utilising the interdisciplinary team at the hospital, and she has seen firsthand the benefits of doing so.

As the youngest volunteer, Laura has also enjoyed interacting with fellow volunteers who have completed their careers. "They are always so willing to give advice and provide valuable interactions that can only be gained by talking to the older generation in our community," she explains.

Initially Laura was unsure whether she wanted to work in paediatrics, but her volunteer experiences and a recent clinical placement on the paediatric oncology ward have helped to clarify her goals.

"After working with these incredible children and their parents, I would love to use my volunteer experiences which have enriched the knowledge I have gained at university, and work as a registered nurse in paediatric oncology."

Laura urges other students to consider volunteering. "It isn't just for retirees and the hours can be flexible - it could be just a one off commitment or as regular as weekly," she says. "There is a lot to gain personally and also for your local community."

UoN’s first China Festival!

The Confucius Institute and UoN Services at the University of Newcastle are pleased to present Newcastle's first China Festival on 1-2 September.

The two-day China Festival will be a vibrant cultural experience full of free, fun and fascinating performances, demonstrations and hands-on workshops and competitions.

Sunday, 1 September is Community Day at the China Festival - a free family-friendly day open to the general public.

Held at the Callaghan Campus, the Festival's highlights include cooking demonstrations by celebrity chef Poh Ling Yeow of Masterchef and Poh's Kitchen, plus Chinese Lion Dancing, extreme martial arts, Chinese language, calligraphy and tai chi workshops, chopstick competitions, ping pong, Confucius talk, Chinese Opera Mask face painting and more. The Giant Panda and Chinese Fortune God will be popular with the kids.

WHEN: 10am-2pm Sunday and Monday, 1st & 2nd September

WHERE: Auchmuty Library Courtyard (see campus map for directions), University of Newcastle, Callaghan Campus.

For more information, visit the China Festival website or Facebook page.

Find out about other students

UoN experiences are enjoyed both on and off campus, and sharing these stories here through UoN Share reinforces the message that UoN is all about learning, knowing, joining in and having fun.

With over 36,000 students and 2,500 staff at UoN there is no shortage of great teaching and learning experiences. 

We’ve only scratched the surface in terms of uncovering these great stories so have a look around this website and feel free to share your own experiences on Facebook.  

Come back and visit soon to check out the latest info and see what others have said.

Share a memorable learning experience you have had at Uni with other students.

UoN student Josh brings the Law to the Land!

When you come to UoN you start to realise that our students come from a variety of different backgrounds.

Meet Josh!

Josh has recently graduated from a Bachelor of Commerce but continues his studies with a Bachelor of Laws combined with a Diploma of Legal Practice. He originates from the little town of Nabiac and commutes 4 hours every day to Uni. Why you ask? Well Josh is a farmer and even though he has lived in Newcastle to study previously, he has decided to go back to live on the farm where he can spend his free time attending to his cattle.

Not only is Josh a farmer by heart, he is also part of the NSW Young Farmers Council where he advocates for young farmers and represents the agricultural community at a variety of events. He plans to combine his love for the land and his law degree - to bring the law to the farmers instead of the farmers chasing the law.

"I have always wanted to practice law, but I never really wanted to leave the farm. Most law students don’t want to go out west for work, but I think these areas are in great need of legal practitioners and cannot wait to start my career out here!" says Josh.

Not only has Josh received numerous regional scholarships; he has also had work experience with his local practice and with the ABC. He cannot wait for the opportunities his degree will give him and shows his support for others who do not chose the traditional career path.

What's your story?

UoN student Sarah says "I love Lucy"

Finally after so many weeks of study, assignments and exams it’s holiday time! But what are you doing these holidays? We’ve decided to share some of our student experiences.

Sarah is completing a Business degree with a double major in Management and Human Resources at the Central Coast Campus. After a long and challenging semester, she will spend her time relaxing and completing her Lucy Mentoring Program.

The program is an innovative leadership program to inspire, educate and motivate women seeking leadership positions in the workforce. It was introduced after the NSW Government made a commitment to increase the number of women employed in middle and senior management positions and has been run with the Business and Law Faculty of UoN since 2007.

Sarah received two host organisations for the program and is completing her hours with Inspire Success and Deborah Buckley Artesian. She looks forward to working with her mentors, who are both inspiring and successful women.

After the stresses of exam and assessment period, Sarah’s tip for students is no matter how far you are behind in a subject, make a list of priorities, put on some Bon Iver and start at number one.

“This semester I had to complete the infamous Taxation course known as ACFI3004 which has a reputation for mind explosions. But in the exam I felt better when I had organised notes compared to some who had notes everywhere. My tip is – try and stay organised and don’t have a mental breakdown if it’s exam period is looming and your notes only say Week 1, this is your chance to start organising!” says Sarah.

So are you doing anything exciting these holidays? Or is it time to sit in front of the TV and watch the entire series of David Attenborough, The Simpsons or Gossip Girl?

Interested finding out more about the Lucy Mentoring Program? Click here.

UoN Students in the Global Community

A university graduate emerges from their studies with much more than a piece of paper and a photograph of themselves in academic dress. The experience of being a student has the potential to shape a person for life, in a multitude of ways.

Student experiences in the community - both here and overseas - provide opportunities for personal growth alongside the acquisition of the skills essential for a work-ready graduate.

The University of Newcastle has a number of such opportunities available for students to live and study internationally. They range from internships, volunteering and short-term programs over summer and winter.

The International Leadership Experience and Development (iLEAD) program is a program that allows students to participate in activities in addition to their regular coursework. iLEAD helps students develop new skills through student exchanges, conferences, volunteering, internships and community work. Participants also have the opportunity to meet respected international figures who have travelled the world and have been part of significant international events and organisations.

The University also runs the very successful Study Abroad & Exchange Program, which provides students the opportunity to take advantage of both short and long term exchange programs to study at UoN’s partner universities all over the world.

The Student Exchange Program allows students to experience life as a student at an overseas university while completing a semester of study that is credited to their degree back at the University of Newcastle.

Short-Term Experiences allow students to volunteer, complete work placements and attend conferences overseas for a shorter period of time - usually a number of weeks - during university holidays.

Students who participate in these programs may also be eligible for scholarships, interest-free loans or grants to help ease the financial burden of international travel.

For more information on the international study opportunities available to University of Newcastle students, visit the Study Abroad and iLEAD website.

Time to knuckle down, do some planning and work out how you can get the best mark possible.

It’s hard to believe that we’re already finding ourselves at the pointy end of the semester.  The time for final exams and assessments is upon us, as is the time to knuckle down, do some planning and work out how you can get the best mark possible.

Experience Newcastle UoN Study is all about providing you with the tools you need to get through these final weeks and exam time without too much stress.  Start on the right foot by getting your exam prep down, attending final lectures and PASS sessions, creating revision timetables and hitting the library. Get some tips for responding to your exam format and find out where to go if you need some help. Make sure you’re all over the adverse circumstances requirements should something unexpected crop up and know where to go if you’re finding everything a bit overwhelming.

Good luck with your exams and final assessments!

Comment about your memorable study experience or tip.

Vanuatu Coral Reef Trip

For the second time this year volunteers have the opportunity to head to Hideaway Island in Vanuatu to take part in the University’s Coral Reef Regeneration program.

Staff, students and the general public are invited to roll their sleeves up and get involved with the bi-annual project which was established through the discipline of Marine Science by lecturer Dr Kenneth Zimmerman.

Since the project was established in July last year, a coral reef replanting nursery has been built to restore parts of the reef damaged by storms and fishing.

A reef monitoring system was also introduced to continually examine the health of existing coral reefs and look for changes over time.

Dr Zimmerman is implementing actual regeneration sites throughout the coral reef surrounding Hideaway Island prior to the December trip.

There are a variety of participation levels to choose from, catering for the highly experienced to those interested in just coming along for a Pacific getaway.

Spaces are limited and filling fast so get in touch soon.

Details:

Dates: 16 to 23 December, 2013

Cost: $1875 which includes return airfares, accommodation, meals and more.

Contact: Dr Kenneth Zimmerman to receive a full information pack.

What does the Dean of Students do?

The Dean of Students works to ensure that all students receive fair and equitable treatment at the University of Newcastle across all courses and campuses.

Their role includes providing information and advice and helping students resolve problems of an academic nature. They may bring your problem to the attention of the relevant staff member or help you make contact with one of the other University Services.

The Dean of Students can also provide direct assistance. For example, they may be able to help you negotiate in a difficult situation or perhaps talk to a Lecturer or Supervisor on your behalf. Sometimes in more serious matters the Dean of Students may act as a support person or as an intermediary or negotiator in conflict situations.

When to consult the Dean of Students

You're not sure of your rights in a particular situation

You have a problem and don't know how to proceed

You need assistance with University procedures such as applications or appeals

You need information about University policies and procedures

You feel you have been treated unfairly or inequitably

You think the University has made an error in your case.

Steps to resolve a problem

You can approach the person who has caused you the concern. For example, your Lecturer, Tutor or Course Co-ordinator

You can approach the Head of School

You can contact the Dean of Students

You can consult the University Policy Library

What the Dean of Students can't do

The Dean of Students acts through informal pathways to assist the resolution of complex problems. They may not:

Become involved in judicial matters

Direct the actions of University staff

Change or waive University rules.

Contact the Dean of Students if you have any concerns.

What makes a successful student?

The future depends on what we do in the present – Gandhi

Everyone will approach university life differently and have different experiences of study and current life responsibilities such as family and work. There are times when it is relatively easy to be a student (before assignments start rolling in!) and times when it is particularly difficult due to general life struggles.

Let’s be clear what we mean by “success” here. Whilst there are many measures of success; social, relationship, career etc, for the purposes of this short article, “success” is limited to academic success. But remember, university life should be so much more than just engaging with study – thank goodness!

Sometimes life deals out circumstances that make it just too difficult to pursue a university career at that time. Sometimes you may feel that you need an extra helping hand to get over a few rough patches. There are characteristics though, that are associated with being a successful university student. These characteristics give us some hints about how to handle the rough patches. There have been several studies to show that certain factors make success more likely.

The factors identified include taking an active attitude towards your studies, identifying challenges early and taking effective action to address them, setting clear and achievable goals and balancing external demands. Other studies have demonstrated that it isn’t the number of competing outside demands you have which makes the difference but the way in which you approach those demands. Sometimes life can confront you with multiple demands and it can very helpful to seek counselling.

Habits of the Successful Student:

Attend your lectures, tutorials and labs

There are always times when it becomes difficult to attend classes. You may be sick or having to care for someone who is unwell. Missing the occasional class when you are determined to catch up is understandable. Missing classes to have a coffee will become a problem. Successful students try to attend all of their classes.

Effective time management

Develop a study planner or weekly schedule to map out your classes, study time, and other commitments. You may be surprised by how much time is being spent on activities such as Facebook or in front of the TV! Don’t forget to schedule in some time for reviewing notes each week, and preparing for tutorials. A successful student also organises their travel, work hours, babysitting, appointments, and family commitments.

Don’t leave things until the last minute

Many students say that they work best under pressure. However the reality is that often the work produced under stressful circumstances is not always of a high quality. Little mistakes may cost you marks and be the difference between a pass and a credit etc. By managing your time and preparing for assignments ahead of time, you may avoid unnecessary stress. Successful students begin preparation for assessment tasks in Week One, and work steadily on their goals throughout the semester!!!

Ask questions

Answering questions is one way that lecturers can determine whether they have taught their course properly. You are doing them a favour! You can almost guarantee that there will be someone in the class who will be grateful that you asked that particular question. Challenge yourself and ask one question in your next class.

Keep up with assignments

Playing constant catch-up is no fun. If you think that you are going to need extra time to complete an assignment, keep your lecturer informed about what is going on. If necessary, they will encourage you to apply for an Extension of Time. For more information about applying for extension of time or special consideration for your assignments, click here.

Take time to be proud

It’s easy sometimes to ignore the completion of one assignment because there are more due just around the corner. Nonetheless, it is important to acknowledge each achievement. Take time to be proud. Each of those completions brings you a step closer to getting your degree.

Set realistic goals

A successful student knows why they are studying. What are your goals for being at university? Develop some realistic short term and long term goals to help you through each semester. The best goals are SMART goals; Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Timed; “I will complete each of my set readings by week 8 of semester.”

Know your degree requirements

Being clear about your chosen career direction can help you to stay motivated. Some students attend Uni just because they enjoy learning and have no particular career ambitions – and that’s fine too. However, having a clear career direction can help to give focus to your studies and assist with goal setting. Consider consulting a University Careers Advisor who can assist you to identify strengths, interests and skills and help you to determine an appropriate academic pathway.

Use the resources available to you

Complete the Connect 2 Success quiz to explore available support options. Successful students access support services to improve their grades and wellbeing. You may also benefit from the "My Journey" website which offers ideas and tips to help you negotiate life as a student.

Learning Development is an excellent resource and available to all students throughout their time at university - from commencing students to PhD researchers. Learning Development staff work with students on a range of issues to help improve academic success. You may wish to attend workshops or make an individual appointment to discuss an assignment or prepare for an exam. For appointments, workshop registration and an extensive range of academic resources on Blackboard visit the Learning and Development webpage.

Talk to student mentors

Make contact with a student mentor who is doing (or has already done), the same course. They have the experience and may give you some valuable practical advice which relates specifically to that course. Mentors‟ email addresses are available from this website.

Take care of your physical and mental wellbeing

Successful students make the adjustments necessary to achieve a balance in their lives (See “Work / life balance‟ tip sheet). You need to ensure that you are caring for your physical and mental health too. Be sure to get sufficient sleep so that your brain can download all of the stuff that you are learning each day! Doing an activity such as meditation or yoga might also help you to focus when you are studying and to manage academic pressures. Exercise and a balanced diet also help with maintaining good mental health. The counselling service runs a free meditation program throughout the semester. You can access information about this program plus meditation exercises on the counselling service website.

What’s on this weekend? Markets!

Got nothing to do this weekend? Are you always hunting for a bargain? Dozens of markets are held throughout Newcastle and the Hunter every weekend, where you’ll most likely save some dollars and cents and pick up some great finds!

Newcastle City Farmers Markets

These handy stalls are where you can grab some fruit and vegetables. They run most Sundays from 8am-1.30pm at Newcastle Showground, Broadmeadow. You’ll find a bunch of organic and healthy products as well as having access to blacksmiths, jewellery makers, painters, photographers, toy makers, artists and more. And if you’re interested in organic food, there’s an Organic Food Market which takes place in Hunter Street Mall on Wednesdays through to Thursdays.

The Olive Tree Market

The first dedicated artisan market in Newcastle is a fortress of craft and creativity. On the first Sunday of every month, The Junction Public School hosts this market filled with a collection of bits and pieces, handmade with care. There, you may find some inspiration and some quirky additions for your house with printmaking, jewellery, design, handmade toys, fashion, photography and ceramics stalls. There is also delicious food, organic bread, coffee and plants for you to enjoy. Local musicians also play at the markets.

Hamilton ClockTower Markets

Beaumont Street in Hamilton is usually known for its high quality boutiques and abundance of cafes and restaurants. However, every Saturday, James St. Plaza hosts the ClockTower Markets, where you’ll find plenty of food, music, art, clothing, jewellery and a general array of knick knacks.

Maitland Market

If you want to make your way out into the country this weekend, then head to the host of Australia’s biggest country market on the first Sunday of every month. For those with eclectic tastes, Maitland Market is the place to go. There’s a huge variety of memorabilia and collectables, including antiques, records, stamps, watches, furniture and bric-a-brac. There’s also food, arts and crafts and fashion; as well as hardware, gardening and home decorating stalls to make use of!

If you’re looking for something that runs every weekend head to the Morisset Mega Markets, Adamstown Lions Markets or the Parklea Markets. For something a little out of the ordinary, make your way to the Cherry Blossom Markets, which are on every second Saturday, or the Nelson Bay Craft Markets, on every second Sunday.

For a full list of all the local markets and their details, click here!

When a crisis happens

What to do when a crisis affects your life and when professional help might be needed. Learn ways to help someone suffering a crisis and helpful tactics you can use to continue study when a crisis strikes your life.

Ways to cope with a crisis

• Be gentle on yourself and accepting of your reaction. Remember it is a normal reaction to an abnormal event.
• It helps to talk things out even if normally you keep things to yourself– seek out the support of friends and family. It is OK to express a whole range of emotions and thoughts. If you feel it is difficult to talk to people you know seek out the assistance of a Counsellor, Doctor or Chaplain. Talking things out in the day can reduce the chance of nightmares at night.
• Make a point of being with people who can offer support and understanding. Sometimes it can be surprising who is more able to do this. Support may come from surprising places or you may feel disappointed that other friends or family have not been as understanding as you would have expected.
• Avoid people who may be critical, challenging or demanding.
• Give yourself some time to be alone and time to be with people.
• Reduce as many pressures and demands on yourself as you can. Being gentle in the short term will pay off in the long term.
• Let people around you know that you’re not at your best because of the crisis event. Even if you do not discuss the details it can be very supportive for you to know that they are aware.
• Let people know how they can help. We often wish people will know what to do but often they do need some guidance. What you need will be different to someone else. Give yourself permission to ask for help.
• Eat nutritious meals and exercise as much as possible, even if it is just a short walk around the block. This will reduce the likelihood of getting an illness as your immune system may be compromised during a period of stress. Exercise also reduces physical tension as well as anxiety and depression.
• Try to maintain some regular, basic routines. This will help you feel more secure and part of the world.
• Take time out – nurture yourself by doing something that you normally enjoy, even if at first you are not very motivated.
• Avoid making major decisions such as moving house or changing jobs.
• Try not to be impatient. You will have good days and bad days but with time the intensity of your reaction will lessen.

When professional help might be needed

Professional help might be needed if your feelings are prolonged, persistent or too intense. There is no set recovery time so if you feel you have followed the suggestions on this tip sheet and are not experiencing some relief seek professional help. There are some suggestions for extra sources of help on the back of this tip sheet.

Ways to help someone who has experienced a crisis

• Be supportive and offer to spend time with the person. Be available to assist with practical tasks. Don’t wait to be asked.
• Provide ongoing support and realistic reassurance and not just in the early stages. It is not uncommon for a stress reaction to be delayed.
• Be a good listener. Don't underestimate the healing qualities of listening and just being with the person.
• Allow the person to deal with the crisis event in their own time – they may recover quickly or need more time. Sometimes things improve only to get worse later on – this can be quite normal.
• Don't make judgments about their reaction to the crisis eg. “I thought you'd be feeling better by now”.
• Avoid platitudes such as “it could have been worse”. This only tends to minimise the crisis event.
• Make allowances for the person. They may be uncharacteristically snappy, argumentative, unmotivated or anxious. Try not to take this personally.
• If you have also been affected by the crisis event, make sure that you have support for yourself, both practically and emotionally.

Coping with a crisis and study

The crisis event you have experienced may make it difficult to concentrate on your studies. It is common to feel unmotivated, exhausted and to have difficulty thinking clearly. Some ideas to help you manage your studies include:

• Accept for a time you will not be able to function at your optimal level. It may be helpful to study for shorter blocks of time and to vary the study tasks. Set specific tasks and make your study as interactive and active as possible eg underling, making brief notes, doing a small part of an assignment.
• When your mind wanders gently bring it back. Each time you do this you are helping to train your mind to go where you want it to go.
• Pick the time of day you generally study best.
• Allocate a time each day to process the crisis. Knowing you have this time will help you contain wandering thoughts at other times.
• As much as possible try to attend lectures tutorials and labs. The routine and structure often helps. You may wish to notify academic staff that you have experienced a crisis event.
• Ask fellow students for assistance with notes or with anything else you may need, associated with your studies. It may help to study with someone, even if they are quietly working on something else.
• It is helpful to talk to people about your crisis event but know when to stop. Sometimes going over and over things is unhelpful.
• If you are concerned about failing or submitting late assignments, apply for extensions or special consideration.
• TAFE students can speak directly to their teacher.
• Remind yourself of your original goals even if just now they don’t seem important.

Cope with a crisis and access these crisis services.

Work, Life and Balance

'Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving' Albert Einstein

To do the best you can at uni, you need to strike a balance in your life among all of your commitments, ensuring that you have adequate time out.

Take this short quiz to see if you’re in balance: Agree/Disagree

1. I find it hard to relax
2. I don’t have many interests outside of uni
3. I often feel anxious about uni work
4. I rarely have enough time to spend with friends/family
5. I don’t have time to have some fun each week
6. On most days I feel overwhelmed/over committed
7. I often feel exhausted or don’t sleep well
8. I often skip meals or eat junk food
9. I drink alcohol often or a lot
10. I often think about uni when I’m not there
11. My friends/family get upset about how much time I spend on uni

If you agree with 4 or more of these, you may be losing your balance! You may think that the more you study, the better you will do! Actually, your productivity will deteriorate if you only study and work! Everyone is more productive when they undertake a variety of activities in their life.

What supports balance?

1. Organisation. Have a timetable of lectures, work commitments and free time so you can plan recreational activities. Ideally, you need a few days off during each semester and mid-semester break, one full day off per week, a few hours off each day and a few minutes off each hour. Plan your study times and other activity times! Putting together a weekly schedule can sometimes be surprising when you realise where your time is going!
2. Exercise. Movement provides your mind with rest and your body with health! There is overwhelming research that exercise is the most valuable contributor to good physical and mental health. Find something you enjoy that is physical and do it regularly. Join a team, walk, swim, dance, organise some of your social activities around exercise!
3. Socialise. We all have friends and family who love us, listen to us, help us solve problems and feel understood. We need to maintain these networks and enjoy social time out without feeling that we should be studying! Social life helps us focus when we do study.
4. Interests and hobbies. Many people love to read a good novel, see a movie, commit to a TV series, cook a new recipe, knit a sweater, attend a church/mosque/spiritual group. These are things we love to do, that renew our energy and distract us from work and study. They make us more interesting to and interested in, those around us.
5. Sleep and nutrition. Sleep is critical to optimal functioning. Everyone needs time to allow the body and mind to refresh themselves. Chronic sleep deprivation affects performance in the same way as being drunk! If you have difficulty sleeping, seek help! Also, what we eat and drink affects our overall level of stress and energy. When we study and work all the time, we sometimes skip meals or eat convenience foods, which may lack the nutrition we need to feed our brains and bodies! Drink plenty of water, eat healthy, regular meals and use alcohol and other drugs responsibly. Large doses of alcohol, caffeine and drugs will adversely affect the brain and put stress on the body, particularly the liver and kidneys.
6. Visualisation, relaxation, meditation. When we feel overloaded with work, we can get caught in a cycle of thinking about life negatively – focusing on what’s wrong. There is evidence that performance can be improved by visualising the result we want. Visualise yourself relaxing, succeeding, finishing an assignment etc. and notice how this helps you reach your goals. Everyone finds different activities relaxing – reading a magazine, cooking, lying on the beach, walking in nature, gardening. Determine what it is that you find relaxing and include it in your day. Meditation has been found to be one of the most relaxing activities for many people. There are many types of relaxation – muscle relaxation, guided imagery, mindfulness, energy clearing, spiritual – experiment with meditation to see if it can work for you. See our website for meditations online.
7. Values. We are all motivated by our values, so it is helpful to review them occasionally to remind us why we are here doing our study, working towards our goals. Self reflection takes time and privacy and setting time aside for this helps maintain the balance.

Summary:

• Don’t work too many paid hours if you have a full time study load.
• Stress builds up if you only focus on study.
• Having a break will help you to focus more on study.
• Staying fit and healthy through eating well and exercise will help your concentration and keep you happy.
• Have fun whilst you are at uni. Uni life isn’t just about studying. Keep in mind though, you will get into difficulties with studies if you only focus on partying.
• Seek help if you can’t seem to get it right. Come and speak with a counsellor to help you get the right balance for you. A counsellor may help you to develop a schedule, and work out what things are preventing you from being in balance.

Visit our website for details of our service and links to resources.

Would you like to be a student representative?

Nominate now to be a student member on a University Committee in 2014.

All you have to do is visit the University Elections site, download the relevant form and take the completed form to your student hub or return it directly to the Returning Officer, located in Secretariat in the Student Services Centre.

Nominations for all the following student positions must be received by the Returning Officer by 5pm on Wednesday 9 October 2013. If you are lodging your application at a Hub, make sure you lodge it by 5pm on Friday 4 October 2013 to ensure they get it to the Returning Officer in time.

The following positions are available:

A student member on the University Council

Council is the University’s overarching governing body. Council plays a significant role in setting the University’s strategic direction, risk management, effective governance and monitoring the University’s performance. All Council members have important legal and fiduciary responsibilities. More information about the Council.

The following student positions on the Academic Senate

• Two undergraduate students
• One postgraduate coursework student
• One postgraduate research higher degree student

The Academic Senate is the principal academic body of the University of Newcastle. It is the primary forum for debate on academic issues in the University, approves and amends academic policies, and has a major role in academic quality assurance processes through its Committees. Academic Senate has a mission to promote and enhance the excellence of the core academic activities in our institution - teaching and research. More information about the Academic Senate.

Be on your Faculty Board. Each one is looking for:

• One undergraduate student
• One postgraduate coursework student
• One postgraduate research higher degree student

A Faculty Board is the principal academic body of each of the University’s five faculties, and as a student member of the Faculty’s governing body, you will have input into major decisions on the affairs of that Faculty. It’s a great opportunity to experience high level decision making at a senior level. More information about Faculty Boards.

Five to Seven positions on the Student Services and Amenities Fee Student Consultative Group (SSAFCG)

The SSAFCG operates as a consultative group providing advice to the Student Services and Amenities Fee Management Committee (SSAFMC). It continues the consultative process to ensure students have input into and provide comment on priorities for proposed SSAF expenditure. For more information on the role of SSAFCG.

Go to the Elections pages to download your nomination form.

Wyong students given taste of university life

More than 180 primary school students from Wyong Public School began their University education earlier than expected when they visited the University of Newcastle Central Coast campus.

The Year 3, 4 and 5 students, along with their family members, experienced a real taste of student life with; a dynamic science lecture, delivered by current science student Karlie Noon, a hands-on “fishy” Marine Biology Lab, organised and presented by Central Coast academic Dr Ken Zimmerman and Dr Margaret Platell, and a special library tour with the Central Coast Library’s very own storyteller Dr Julie Mundy-Taylor.

The visit had been arranged by the University’s Equity and Diversity Unit, in partnership with Wyong Public School, as part of the AIM High program. AIM High works with schools and low income communities as a whole to increase awareness of, and to build aspiration and expectation to, participate in higher education. It achieves this through delivering a suite of activities and experiences, from infants through to senior high school.

For most of the students attending, this was their first trip to a University campus and they were excited about being shown around the campus by current University of Newcastle students who acted as their tour guides.

The AIM High team hopes that this is the first of many University experiences for the Wyong students and their visit will result in them returning to their local university as undergraduates.

Every time you fill in a survey it makes an impact!

Every time you fill in a survey it makes an impact on how we enhance your experience at University. Over the past two years we have listened to you, addressed your feedback and focussed on improving student learning, teaching and the overall University experience.

In the past year:

YOU SAID you wanted an improvement to teaching standards in your courses.

WE DID invest in substantial resources to improve courses and degrees and committed ourselves to extensive work across the University in facilities and student support services. As a result, our graduates now rank Newcastle in the top half of the sector for Overall Satisfaction*, the top quarter of the sector for the Good Teaching Scale* and almost at the top of the sector for the Generic Skills Scale* when compares to all universities in Australia – an outstanding result.

YOU SAID you wanted up-to-date info on your courses that was easy to access.

WE DID work with your fellow students to improve the information on Blackboard for all courses. We created Program Blackboard sites for each degree program. We also set up a mobile app for Blackboard so now you can log in anytime, anywhere.

YOU SAID you want help from someone who has already successfully completed your course.

WE DID introduce Peer Assisted Study Sessions (PASS) which is a learning support scheme for students by students. These have been successful and we will continue to expand PASS across the University in 2013.

YOU SAID you need to know more about what’s happening around the Uni.

WE DID create a UoN Students webpage, Facebook account, Twitter account and we installed 45 digital screens across campuses and students are now producing ‘Yak’ – a magazine for students, by students.

YOU SAID you want a relaxed place to hang out, do some group work or private study.

WE DID create chill-out areas for students to hang out for some alone time or with others.

THANK YOU for taking the time to fill out student surveys.

*Information and rankings from the Australian Graduate Survey 2012