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Welcome to in Focus Update… |
Past Issues << | Issue 18: Friday 1 September 2006 |
Two exciting appointments took place in our Graduate School recently with more to follow in the coming weeks
Dr Alan White took over as interim Head at the beginning of August and Becky Whitham has just joined us as the new Research Funding Office
Becky is responsible for seeking funding for new and existing research projects and facilitating the proposal writing process through to submission. She joins us from Bournemouth University where she worked in the Central Research Office and gained experience of the funding environment. Becky would be pleased to hear from anybody who is looking to secure funding for a research project, or from anybody who would like to know more about research taking place here.
Alan has worked with us since 1985 and previously has been Programme Leader for the Sociology and Psycho-social Studies undergraduate programmes and for the Masters in Research.
From 1996 to 2005 Alan was an elected staff Governor and he is also a QA auditor. Alan’s academic background is in contemporary social theory and nineteenth-century social history.
Alan says: ‘This is a period of rapid change for the Graduate School. We have recently appointed Becky and other key appointments will be made over the next few months. In addition, the school itself has relocated from Stratford to Docklands and in October we will be moving into new accommodation. I look forward to working with colleagues university-wide to enhance the role of the Graduate School in our research activity.’
Contact Becky on Tel: 0208 223 2731 or b.whitham@uel.ac.uk and Alan on Tel: 020 8223 2776 or a.p.white@uel.ac.uk,
For more information about the Graduate School visit http://www.uel.ac.uk/gradschool/index.htm
http://www.uel.ac.uk/clearing/index.htm
What is the Progress Bursary and who is eligible
The Progress Bursary is a new way of helping our students that we are launching in the coming Academic Year 2006-07. All new full-time undergraduate students based in the UK or other European Union countries are eligible for the Progress Bursary which is worth £500.
To get their Progress Bursary our students must satisfactorily complete their first semester with us. They will get their bursary when they start their second semester and students will be able to look up on UEL-Direct to see that they have received it.
The Progress Card is swipe card which our students can use to make their purchases in John Smiths bookshops as well as online – and entitles them to a range of offers and discounts. All first year students will be entitled to a FREE Progress Card
We are currently discussing with John Smith’s the option of making the card available to second and third year students as well.
What is the Flying Start scheme?
Our Flying Start scheme guarantees to reimburse Progress Bursary students IN CASH for all their autumn book and stationery purchases, in February when they receive their bursary. Our Progress Bursary students will also be able to use their money for other expenses related to their studies such as field trips, campus accommodation and artists materials and studio expenses.
Don’t miss out on our Cycle to Work Scheme
Our recently launched 'Cycle to Work' scheme enables colleagues to access tax and National Insurance exemptions on buying a bike to commute to work.
For example, colleagues on the basic tax rate save around 33% on their new bike up to the value of a £1000. To help with the initial outlay, paying off the reduced price is spread over 18 months - and payments come straight from your salary so all the administration is done for you. Although technically UEL owns the bicycle during this 18 month period, you take personal ownership after paying a final purchase fee which is 2% of the original value.
Twelve colleagues have so far signed up for the scheme and we’ll get their feedback in future editions.
For more information about how to take part in the Scheme contact Greg Price Organisational Development Manager on Tel: 020 8223 4361 or g.price@uel.co.uk
For the latest on our activities visit the news releases section of our website www.uel.ac.uk/news
Campus Clearing Centres and community outreach
Clearing is a busy time for us both at our Clearing Centres and out in the community. Complementing our Clearing Centre hotlines our Education and Community Partnerships (ECP) team offers one-to-one Information, Advice and Guidance (IAG) to prospective students. Visitors to our Centres are often mature students, non-traditional students or people with overseas qualifications who are not sure about their UK equivalencies. Our ECP team meets with them to review their qualifications and experience and help to make sure potential students get onto the programmes that are right for them.
Up until 29 August our IAG advisors had seen a total of 1045 prospective students. Of these around 170 students secured offers, just under 50 were referred to New Beginnings 2 and about 50 students are planning to undertake Access courses at our partner colleges. Our IAG advisors whose remit ranges from making offers to giving finance and welfare advice, complements the work of our Clearing hotlines and academic colleagues, and has been praised by our Schools.
Julie Walker who manages the Clearing Centre in Stratford says: ‘We offer a service tailored to meet the needs of each individual and nobody walks away empty handed. If they are not yet qualified or ready to undertake one of our degree programmes we are able to refer students on to a range of preparatory programmes including our own New Beginnings 2* (NB2), Extended degrees and a range of Access courses at local colleges.”
In addition to supporting our Clearing Centres our ECP team are staffing the Learning and Work Advice Centre at Vicarage Fields Shopping Centre in Barking, during Clearing. Hundreds of people drop in on a weekly basis to seek advice on a range of educational opportunities. Here too clients can access one-to-one guidance on a drop-in or appointment basis. Our ECP team also ran a stall in Stratford Mall last Friday and a stall at the Ilford Exchange throughout last week promoting the Clearing Centres and providing prospectuses and other programme information. As a result, many people have come along to our Clearing Centres and gained places on our programmes.
The Stratford and Vicarage Fields information, advice and guidance services are open year round. For further information please go to http://www.uel.ac.uk/clearing/visit.htm#opencentres or contact Julie Walker (Stratford) 020 8223 4354 or Debbie Brisco (Vicarage Fields) 020 8591 9882 or advisors@uel.ac.uk
* New Beginnings 2 is a 14 week preparatory programme for those returning to education or coming to education through a non-traditional route. For further information please contact Anne-Marie Ducker 020 8223 3003.
For more information about Clearing visit: http://www.uel.ac.uk/clearing/index.htm
See Events Calendar for a full listing: www.uel.ac.uk/marketing/support/eventscalendar.htm
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Visit http://www.uel.ac.uk/sdel/staff_development/accredited_courses.htm or contact Annette Odell, Module Leader on: tel: 020 8223 3326 email: a.odell@uel.ac.uk
Brush up your IT skills and get an internationally recognised qualification online. Contact Greg Price, Organisational Development Manager on ext 4361 or email g.price@uel.ac.uk
For details of Staff Development courses scheduled for August to October 2006 see:
For Learning and Development Course dates see: www.uel.ac.uk/staff-development/handbook
1. Thames21’s Cleaner Thames Challenge
Thames21 is an environmental charity which cleans and greens London’s rivers and canals. Between Fri 8 and Tues 12 September Thames21 has organised their biggest clean up ever on the stretch of Thames Foreshore in the Isle of Dogs and they want to raise awareness among our students and staff to go along and lend a hand at some point during this clean up.
The clean up is championed by Jim Fitzpatrick MP (the foreshore lies in his constituency) and ITV have teamed up with Thames21 as a media partner. For more information and to register your visit, go to www.thames21.org.uk/news/cleanerthameschallenge_06.html
2. Big Clean Up (London)
Well known charity Community Service Volunteers (CSV) like Thames21 has also teamed up with ITV to bring about a Campaign called the ITV Big Clean Up. This is a national single day of environmental volunteering action happening on Sunday 17 September and there’s an event happening near us at the Lee Valley Park in East London. CSV would like our students, staff and their families to get involved and go along to help out.
For more information and to register to attend, visit http://www.csv.org.uk/bigcleanup
Please send comments or contributions for in Focus Update to: infocus@uel.ac.uk
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