Central Queensland University’s School of Health and Human Performance (HHP) will turn the spotlight on the region’s volunteers at this year’s SportsStar of the Year Awards.

Head of the School of Health and Human Performance, Dr Peter Reaburn announced the school will be funding the inaugural Volunteer of the Year Award as part of The Morning Bulletin’s gala sporting event.

CQU Health and Human Performance industry liaison officer Alex Bright has recently returned from Wanganui, New Zealand, where she represented Australia at the Oceania Track Cycling Championships. Alex won two Bronze medals (for the 500 Time Trial and Keirin).

There has been action galore at CQU Bundaberg for the past four days during the traditional Orientation Week activities, with 300 first-year students finding their way around the campus.

The week began with the Formal Orientation Ceremony last Monday morning and continued non stop with activities ranging from surfing lessons to stress management workshops and even a pyjama breakfast.

Students at CQU's Gold Coast International Campus on Marine Parade are making the most of 24-hour, seven-days-a-week access to information technology and electronic library resources and are enjoying improved facilities.

About 420 undergraduate and postgraduate students are expected to start classes next week.

CQU's Australian international campuses are facing new challenges and opportunities as more universities launch CBD campus projects.

Recent arrivals include La Trobe University in the Melbourne CBD and the University of Canberra in Brisbane's heart.

Central Queensland University is offering free Study Abroad places in 2004/2005 to a student from Mexico and two from Colombia through a new Peace Scholarship program initiated by IDP Education Australia.

CQU is one of 27 Australian universities which are providing fee waiver places as part of the $5.

CQU\'s Dr Taylor hasvisited Capetown as a guest of the Cape Technikon University to discuss establishment of a Community Informatics centre for the emerging Capetown University of Technology. He was hosted by Professor Geoff Erwin, Dean of the Faculty of Business Informatics, who presented a paper at the recent ITiRA conference in Australia.

10,000 Steps has this week accepted the award for the State Best Overall Project for Queensland for the 2003 Heart Foundation Kellogg Local Government Awards.

The award was announced in late 2003 with a follow-on announcement in November of the project winning the National best overall project and physical activity project.

Mr Rennie Fritschy becomes Chancellor of CQU from tomorrow, after being installed during Saturday morning's Rockhampton graduation ceremony.

His background includes broad manufacturing industry experience covering alumina, nickel, petrochemicals and textiles.

An early graduate is now a guest speaker, a pioneering Chancellor retires, the first Indigenous PhD graduate crosses the stage and three generations of a CQU family assemble. The three CQU Rockhampton graduation ceremonies on Friday and Saturday (March 5-6) this week have plenty of highlights.