Fred Morley Unit
The Fred Morley Unit is a new initiative of CSU's School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences. The Unit will assist the rural livestock industries by providing specialised training of undergraduate and graduate veterinarians to ensure additional services focusing on the 'whole farm' approach can be provided to producers. Assessment of research outcomes for onfarm implementation and participation in on-farm research will provide further support to the livestock industries.
The Fred Morley Unit was officially opened at CSU Wagga on 20 August, 2010.
The Unit's Mission
"To improve the profitability, productivity and animal welfare of the broadacre agricultural industries to ensure the industries remain sustainable and viable now and into the future."
The Unit will achieve these aims primarily through education rather than active consulting. The Unit will focus on providing:
- A livestock health and production rotation for final year veterinary students, to give them additional exposure to the livestock industries
- Formal and informal postgraduate training for veterinarians and other agricultural professionals
- Information packages to assist agricultural professionals
- An assessment of research findings for their on-farm application
- On-farm research
The Fred Morley Unit will provide some direct consulting services to a limited number of clients to ensure adequate teaching material for undergraduate and graduate students. However, the Unit will not primarily be offering consultancy services to producers.
The Unit will also offer:
- Postgraduate Certificate, Diploma and Masters programs for veterinarians and other agricultural professionals. Postgraduate professionals will work up cases on existing clients' properties as part of their postgraduate studies. This will enable professionals to expand their current work and overcome the difficulty of running a large consultancy service within a teaching unit.
- Support to agricultural professionals and producers via seminars and web-based information. This will include information packages for on-farm implementation of economically important strategies
- Specialist referral service for veterinarians
- On-farm research services and assessment of research outcomes
- Production / animal health sheep and cattle rotation for final year (Phase 3) CSU veterinary students
- Support for Phase 2 undergraduate teaching for CSU veterinary students.