CSU course: Supporting university staff with their mental health

Today I attended the Charles Sturt University course: CSU Real Talk: Supporting university staff with their mental health

"Mental health is a state of well-being in which every individual realises their own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to contribute to their community" - World Health Organization 

 Mental health spectrum: healthy - coping - difficulties - diagnosed with illness 

 NIP: notice - inquire - provide 

Here are two general information slides from the session: 

 

Kangaroo walk on Country to start CVC2026

 CVC affiliates gathered at the Kangaroo Walk behind CSU to spend an hour acknowledging the traditional custodians and Wiradjuri land as the first event of CVC2026. Over 100 local kangaroos were there to greet us.

 

Welcome back Audrey

 I am so excited to welcome back Dr Audrey (Cen) Wang to work with me for 2 days/week as a statistician on our Catholic Education Tasmania research grant. Audrey has published so many important papers with our team. It will be wonderful to work with her again.

 

CSU's Higher Degree Research (HDR) students

 Today I learned these interesting statistics from DVC-R about CSU's HDR (PhD, MPhil) students:

• 63% distance students
• 49% part time students
• 56% over 40 years of age and older
• 87.2% retention rate 

Vice Chancellor's All-staff Session

Today I attended the CSU Vice Chancellor's All-staff Session on the Bathurst. It was advertised as "This is a chance for me to update you on the university’s direction and priorities and to hear directly from you with any questions or views." The VC asked for news and updates, so I was able to provide a shout out to A/Prof Kathy Cologon, Dr Belinda Downey, Dr Goutam Roy, Dr Shukla Siker, their children and the Communications Team (Kevin Ng and Dom Lindsay) for their research that lead to the World Health Organization profiling our CVC children's advisory group 7-minute video in their presentation at the United Nations in June.

 

Holly has printed her PhD

There is a significant moment in writing a PhD - and that is when you print what you have written for the first time and start to read it as a book. Congratulations Holly McAlister for ticking off this important milestone.

 

CSU Writing for Publication Program

I am both an invited speaker and mentor for the CSU Writing For Publication Program run by the Research Office. There are 22 participants who meet every 3-weeks on Fridays. Their goal is to write a journal article during the program. I am mentoring Dr Carolyn Gregoric to write the paper about Children Draw Playing in Mongolia. This morning focused on writing the introduction, conclusion and literature review.

It takes a villiage to submit a grant

Thanks to everyone who has supported me to get my latest grant application completed including DVC-R Neena Mitter, PVCI Michael Friend/Jason White, Lisa Limbrick, Sharon Geltch, Annette Harris, Lee Williamson, Helen L. Blake, Stefania Graham (who clicked submit) and Emma Hayes and Emma Scanlon who celebrated submission 

Learning from Lee on Sunday evening!

Support from Helen on Wednesday

CSU Research Office - Stefania Graham

Celebrating submission with Emma S at The Treehouse

Writing the final chapter of your PhD

Today Sarah Bartlett, Holly McAlister and I spent an hour looking at the formula for writing their final PhD chapters (then they write their first PhD chapter).

I always ask my students to print the work they have written and read it in hard copy before summarizing it in their final chapter. We were very impressed with Sarah's large pile of double-sided printing!

CSU Foundation Day: Blast from the past!

CSU's Foundation Day social media includes a photo of my son and I in 2001 advertising the new speech pathology course at CSU! (Thanks Holly for finding this).

Children's advisory group at The Treehouse and CSU TV studio

This week members of our CVC Children's Advisory Group came to The Treehouse to create artwork representing their ideal hospital for our advice to the World Health Organization.

Next, they went to the CSU TV studio and recorded their insights about the Disability Discrimination Act and Children Draw Health that will be presented at the CVC2026 conference in September.

It's such a joy to have the children visiting.

 

Visitors from Sri Lanka

It was wonderful to welcome visitors from Sri Lanka to The Treehouse this week: Ms Yasaara Kaluaratchi (Co-founder and Director of Academics of Prospects College of Higher Education), and Mr Somesh Perera (Founder and Chairman of Prospects Education). They were hosted by Trent Pohlmann (Head, International Partnership Development, Charles Sturt University).

Here is information about their relationship with CSU: https://news.csu.edu.au/latest-news/charles-sturts-international-expansion-to-underpin-regional-education-and-research-commitment2 

Sharynne  McLeod, Mr Somesh Perera, Ms Yasaara Kaluaratchi, Trent Pohlmann, Tamara Cumming

CVC on the CSU Office of Engagement and Enterprise webpage

 The Children's Voices Centre has been profiled on the Charles Sturt University Office of Engagement and Enterprise: https://www.csu.edu.au/office/engagement-enterprise/community/programs-and-initiatives/initiatives/childrens-voices-centre

Support from the CSU Research Office

It is wonderful to receive support from the CSU Research Office.
This morning Juanelle Furness Executive Officer, Office of the Pro Vice-Chancellor, Research (Performance and Governance) talked us through the Research Infrastructure Support Scheme (RISS) scheme. Thanks Juanelle!

 

CSU Townhall and morning tea

 Today at the CSU Townhall the senior executive provided positive news and clear direction for 2026.

 

Sharynne, A/Prof Tamara Cumming, Andrew (4th year dentistry student) and Vice Chancellor Renee Leon at the staff morning tea

CSU welcomes people from across Australia and across the world

I was very honoured to show a new CSU student around the university today - and to watch her proudly add a sticker to the world map indicating where she was born. I added a sticker to where I was born as well.

International Speech Screener recording session and testing with young friends

This morning Dom Ingersole from CSU Communications recorded my speech at the CSU radio station to be imported into the updated International Speech Screener to be used in our CeTasSSD research project. Thanks Dom!

I had a delightful weekend practicing using the ISS with some of my young friends. One 4;5 year old said that she liked it, her favourite part of the test was the smiley face and there was nothing she wanted me to change. Her Mum said to remind children to keep their hands away from their mouths - and put the device close to the child. Thanks for your helpful feedback.

CSU orientation week 2026

2026 has officially begun for the Charles Sturt University students. Welcome to CSU to our new undergraduate students!

All of my PhD students have been working hard throughout February. My new PhD student, Felicity Laurence had her PhD induction sessions this week.  I have been delighted to read drafts of journal articles (chapters) ready for submission from Sarah Bartlett, Holly McAlister and Anniek Van Doornik. These three students are in their final year of PhD studies and have undertaken great work.

Welcome to The Treehouse Holly and Merlin

It was lovely to welcome my PhD student Holly McAlister and her dog Merlin to The Treehouse (CSU Bathurst) this week. While visiting, she and Wiebke Freese (visiting PhD scholar from University of Lubeck, Germany) spent time together looking through some of the speech tests I have gathered from across the globe).

Sharynne  McLeod, Holly McAlister, Wiebke Freese, Shukla Sikder

 

Farewell Lorraine

We are very sad to farewell Lorraine Bennett who has been the inaugural Senior Administration Officer for the Children's Voices Centre. She has been an amazing support as we have established the Centre and The Treehouse. We wish her well and will miss her very much. Thank you Lorraine.

 

Kathy Cologon, Carolyn Gregoric, Tamara Cumming, Lorraine Bennett

Tamara, Sharynne and Lorraine

Thank you Lorraine

Lorraine gave me permission to include her "heartfelt words" in my blog:

Subject: A Fond Farewell from Lorraine

Hello CVC Team,
As I sign off today for the final time as Senior Administration Officer with the Children’s Voices Centre, I wanted to take a moment to say thank you.

It has been an absolute privilege to be part of the CVC journey and to work alongside such passionate, thoughtful, and committed people. Being involved in a centre so deeply focused on research “with, for and about children”  — and ensuring that children’s voices are gen  heard, valued, and respected — has been incredibly meaningful to me.

I am so proud of what has been built: from the vision and values that guide the Centre, to the people who bring it to life every day, and the spaces (especially the Treehouse) that welcome children, families, researchers, and community. Watching CVC grow and flourish during 2025 has been such a wonderful experience.

I look forward  to following  your achievements and successes into the future, and will welcome any invitation to share in your successes and homecoming soup celebrations.

Always grateful for this experience 😊

Lorraine Bennett