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Welcome to our weekly in Focus update...... |
Past Issues << | Issue 43: Monday 12 March 2007
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Acting Vice-Chancellor Professor Susan Price returned from a recent trip to Amity University where she both received an award for excellence and opened the ninth INBUSH (International Business Summit and Research) conference at Amity International Business School: “Inbush 2007- Harnessing Happiness for Global Economic Growth through Innovation, Competitiveness and Transformation”
INBUSH is the biggest gathering of academics as well as political and industrial leaders from Britain, Australia, Japan, China and Indonesia.
The Global Academic Excellence award was presented to us as an institution and Susan was presented wih a gold medal. Susan said of the visit: "We were greatly honoured to receive the award for global academic excellence from our partner Amity University and I was delighted to have the opportunity to speak at the INBUSH conference. The conference featured an impressive range of participants and interesting debate. This event has certainly strengthened the ties between our two institutions."
For more information about the conference visit http://www.amity.edu/events/eventdetails.asp?id=246
Last Wednesday's results from the National Student Survey (NSS) 2007 showed that just under 40% of our final-year students have now completed the survey. The breakdown shows the response rate for a number of subject areas and of the 30 categories Teacher Training and Physical Studies have response rates of 50%, followed closely by Biology and Related Sciences on 49%.
This year the survey, which has been well underway for several weeks now, comes with a differnce! For the first time, the results will be published on the UCAS website - the first port of call for many prospective undergraduates - and used by the media, specifically the Times and Guardian, to create their league tables.
Funded by the Higher Education Funding Council (HEFCE) and carried out by IPSOS MORI, the NSS is sent to almost all final-year students in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The publicly available results show student satisfaction ratings within subject areas as well as for each higher education institution.
In the two years since the introduction of NSS, our scores have shown generally high levels of satisfaction, although like many institutions, the response has not been high enough to produce officially published results.
This year, we are working to promote NSS among our final year students, to ensure a significant positive return. Students can complete their five minute online survey NOW by visiting http://www.thestudentsurvey.com/.
Please encourage your final-year students, who have not already done so, to complete the survey.
For more information contact Karen O'Connor
The swans have been sighted swimming on the Royal Albert Dock again.
Many thanks to Alan Ingle for providing this picture.
Online tutoring short course: Managing and fostering online communication 16
April – 8 May Our School of Distance and E-Learning is running a 15-hour short course designed forf staff who support students online, such as, in WebCT or UEL Plus.
Staff tutoring distance modules are strongly recommended to complete this course before carrying out online tutoring.
You will learn to:
- Recognise the different kinds of support that students need online.
- Clearly identify your role and responsibilities in different tutoring contexts.
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Compare the different communication tools available online and be able to justify the choice of one over another.
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Monitor student activity, promote effective online communication and pre-empt problem situations developing.
This course is offered in a “blended learning” format, and begins with a pre-course task and a 3-hour face to face session. This is followed by approximately 10 hours of online work (some individual and some group work).
Face to face sessions take place:
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Monday 16 April 9am – 1pm (Docklands IT Cluster 10)
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Tuesday 17 April 1pm – 5pm (Stratford UH269)
Online work will take place from Wednesday 18 April – Tuesday 8 May
For further information and a booking form visit http://www.uel.ac.uk/sdel/staff_development/short_courses.htm
23 April – 4 May
The School of Arts and Digital Industries is hosting a Festival of Drawing. The aim is to celebrate the wide range of approach practiced by artists, designers, and architects. A series of interviews with artists will form a web-based publication, and will include contributions from our AVA visiting professors Grayson Perry and Richard Wilson, as well as other eminent artists such as Grenville Davey and Faisal Abdu’Allah.
The Festival is a two- week event involving an exhibition, speakers, and practical workshops led by leading artists, critics, curators, and practitioners representing the fields of fashion, design, new media, fine arts and architecture. Speakers include architect, David Adjaye and Mark Hampson from the Royal College of Art. Contributions are invited from practitioners and critics who wish to make a presentation or offer a workshop which explores the wider context of drawing.
For more information contact Sian Harris, Festival Administrator sian@uel.ac.uk 020 8223 3405
Don’t miss Careers & Jobs Live Sunday 25 March 11am - 5pm Monday 26 March 10am - 4pm
Careers & Jobs Live, Britain’s largest recruitment, careers, training and education fair is back at ExCeL London offering a wide range of exciting opportunities set to inspire job seekers of all ages and skills including those in full-time education, graduates, under-graduates and school and college leavers.
To pre-register FREE for the event and be entered to win a Plasma TV or £7000 Computer course (donated by Women in IT) simply visit www.careersandjobslive.co.uk.
We’ll have our own stand there so drop in and say Hello!
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To conduct your own search of current funding opportunities, or to set up email alerts specific to your interests, visit www.researchresearch.com. If you intend to submit an application for funding please contact Becky Whitham in the Graduate School.
To find a listing of all the major competitions visit:http://www.uel.ac.uk/gradschool/events/deadlines/deadlines.htm
Dr Donald Ridley, School of Psychology
Tuesday 20 March Stratford Campus, 300LT 6.30pm
From top-level government to lower-league football, mistakes are inevitable in all walks of life. Indeed, thinking that they can ever be entirely avoided is possibly the greatest mistake of them all. Donald Ridley is a Chartered Occupational Psychologist and Principal Lecturer at our School of Psycholgy. His lecture will explore the underlying reasons why individuals and organistions, despite the very best intentions and the very latest technology, will never be able to completely eradicate error.
For details and registration , please email Franc Gooding at f.gooding@uel.ac.uk or call him on 020 8223 2884
For more information visit www.uel.ac.uk/lectureseries
RK Burt Gallery 57 Union Street SE1 1SG
Nearest Tube London Bridge
Private View 16 March 3 - 5
Exhibition runs 12 - 23 March
A group show of new work by MA Fine Art students On Paper
Serap Akbas, Denise Basso, Deborah Benjamin, Jaswant Bhopal, John Costin, Fatma Durmish, Christos Fotiou, Verity-Jane Keefe, Fabian Vogler, Klaudisusz Zembrzuski, Joseph Avery, Emma Bell, Kimberley Bennett, Susan Cooper, Max Dolding, Michele Farmer, Sian Harris, Evangelia Vogiatzi and Timothy Weston.
For more information contact Michele Farmer (pictured at a recent University House exhibition she organised) on M.C.Farmer@uel.ac.uk
Organised by Continuum - our research centre for widening participation, this prestigious international conference is the premier networking event for everyone with an interest in: access, widening participation, lifelong learning and student success. We expect to attract around 250 delegates from both the UK and overseas. We would also like to take the opportunity to encourage our colleagues to attend this event as a platform for their work and a great networking opportunity.
Visit http://www.f-a-c-e.org.uk/conference2007.htm today to find out more.
Great offers and discounts
Our staff and students are being encouraged to take part in a 'Be a local tourist' campaign and enjoy a weekend of fun and discovery on 17 and 18 March.
Shops and businesses across the borough are offering discounts, meal deals and exclusive tours to people who live or work in the area.
You can take a behind-the-scenes tours of 3 Mills Studios, learn the Irish jig at Discover, meet the animals at Newham City Farm or take a boat tour of the developing Olympic Park - all for free too.
All you need to do is request a voucher booklet.
For more information call 0800 052 2012 or visit www.newham.com/2012Games
Ryder Cup hero David Howell will be one of the many visitors when the London Golf Show returns to ExCeL London for its third outing from 26– 29 April.
Nike, Wilson, Cleveland and PING are all booked in and this year there are even more reasons to attend as two juniors can go free if accompanied by a paying adult. The iconic floating green will once again attract much interest, but it has been revamped to provide an even more exciting and unique experience. Elsewhere in the show there will be a 30-bay driving range where you can try the latest equipment before having it custom fitted in Europe’s largest golf retail area, provided by american golf, where you can also find hundreds of bargains.
There is also the popular fashion show, highlighting the latest in on-course design; the opportunity to test your skills head-to-head with celebrities on the chipping green; a chance to win a stunning prize for sinking a 100ft putt; displays from participants in the World Golf Trickshot Championship; myriad game-improvement gadgets and interactive displays and an increased junior section, with free coaching, fun and games and more prizes to be won.
BBC London 94.9 will be present throughout the four-day show, carrying out interviews and competitions on the main stage with special guests and BBC presenters. It really is the ultimate day out for all the golfing family. For tickets visit www.londongolfshow.com or call Ticketmaster on 0870 1451205.
Win Tickets to the London Golf Show: We have teamed up with our friends at the London Golf Show to offer 5 pairs of tickets to the event. To stand a chance of winning, simply answer the following question:
Who captained the successful 2006 European Ryder Cup team?
Email your answer to henry@golfshowco.com with “Ticket competition” and the name of the company you work for in the subject line.
Terms & Conditions:
The closing date for entries is Friday, March 23, 2007. Winners will be drawn at random after this date and notified within ten days. The competition is not open to employees of the London Golf Show or their relatives. The promoter’s decision is final.
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
Graham Hoffman, a first-year Computer Games Design student, has won £10,000 to start up his own business after the ‘Dragon’s Den’ style finale of the Knowledge Dock ‘E-Factor’ business plan competition, held last Wednesday.
Graham enjoyed a champagne celebration after impressing a panel of industry experts, including representatives from Barclays Bank, Tate & Lyle, Grant Thornton and the LDA.
The winning idea - a ‘Console Café’ to host high-profile, international computer game contests - will now be developed into a fully functional business under the guidance of Knowledge Dock's, enterprise development and support service.
Graham said: “It’s a cliché, but I honestly feel like I’m dreaming! It’s my birthday on Sunday and I can’t think of a more exciting present than the opportunity to start up my own business, especially in an area I’m so passionate about. I came here tonight with no expectation of winning; I hadn’t given a public presentation for years, and the last time I did I fainted. It just goes to show how much studying at UEL and taking part in the E-Factor has increased my confidence, understanding and ability to convey ideas.
“The £10,000 prize will go towards the initial rent and interior design of the café, as well as paying for the first batch of consoles. I’m really excited about working out the plans, but all that has to wait a week – right now, I’ve got some coursework that desperately needs to be done!”
For the full story visit http://www.uel.ac.uk/news/latest_news/stories/efactor07.htm
For a round-up of events see www.uel.ac.uk/events.
In Focus Update is issued each Monday morning. If you would like items included in In Focus Update please send them to me by Wednesday of the preceding week at infocus@uel.ac.uk
Please print off a copy of In Focus Update for those of your colleagues who may not have easy access to email.
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