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Welcome to our weekly in Focus update...... |
Past Issues << | Issue 74: Tuesday 9 October 2007
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Opening our Corporate Planning Conference on Thursday 4 October, our Vice-Chancellor Professor Martin Everett outlined key themes and goals for the forthcoming round of Service and School planning for 2008/09. These include enhanced student focus, visibility and sustainability; to embed equality, diversity, research and knowledge transfer into our curriculum and to be responsive, inclusive and innovative.
In a presentation entitled 'Where we are and where we go next', Professor Everett presented a snapshot of UEL's position, and an overview of trends in higher education. He highlighted a number of strengths, including our recruitment and retention, our improved campuses, our opportunity to capitalise more on our research and knowledge transfer, our community engagement, the quality of our provision and our outstanding employability record. However, he also identified a number of areas for improvement, including the need to diversify funding streams, to raise the numbers of students achieving 2:1 degrees, and to overcome tendencies to be too modest and inward looking.
The guest keynote was given by Professor Colin Gilligan, a leading expert on global education marketing and author of the influential Gilligan Report for the British Council. He told delegates that the global market for Higher Education market is healthy, but as competition intensifies and students become more demanding, universities need to deliver a high quality of student experience and establish a strong brand in order to survive and grow. “We will need to respond to the needs of the ‘new’ students from these markets consistently delivering what we say we will and making sure we get the student experience right”, he said.
Over 120 staff took part in workshops throughout the day, which looked at enhancing our student experience, internationalisation, and key aspects that differentiate us from other universities. In the afternoon, Our Director of Finance Nirmal Borkhataria led a workshop on new ideas for income diversification, and colleagues rose to the challenge with a variety of innovative proposals. Deputy Vice-Chancellors Professor Alan Sibbald and Professor Susan Price presented on Research and Knowledge Transfer, and Diversifying the Academic programme.
If you would like a copy of the presentations from the Coporate Planning Conference please contact your Head of School or Director of Service.
Some of the Highlights include a documentary film screening, presented by Media Studies and Cultural Studies student Clarence Davies Man dem nor Gladdy'O (Thurs 25 Oct 12 - 2pm West Building Lecture Theatre) about Sierra Leone which is only now just beginning to recover from 12 years of civil war.
Two film presentations from alumnus Roy Thomas Voices Unseen (18 Oct 5 - 7 Business School Lecture Theatre) and Faces Indie Jungle (25 October 6.30pm Business School Lecture Theatre), explore cultural xenophobia and an history of 'drum'n bass' respectively.
The programme of events ends with panel debate: Keeping the peace? Gangs, culture and identity (31 October venue tbc) and poetry readings.
Photo Caption: External speaker David Woodger talks about the Ghandi-King-Ikeda exhibtion on display in the Hub, second floor of the Docklands Library until Friday 12 October at last week's Black History Month launch..
For full listings for our Black History Month events visit: http://www.uel.ac.uk/news/events/bhm07.htm
Professor Andrew Silke's inaugural lecture 21st Century shocks: the psychology of terror, takes place tonight, Tuesday 9 October, 6.30pm at Duncan House.
Andrew's lecture explores the way in which psychology is increasingly recognised as key to developing an effective understanding of terrorists and terrorism. Andrew aims to provide a review of some of the psychological approaches to studying terrorism and the key findings which have emerged.
For details and registration, contact Miriam Watt 020 8223 2884 or email: m.watt@uel.ac.uk
For full listings check:
Events webpages: http://www.uel.ac.uk/news/events/index.htm
Public Lectures webpages: http://www.uel.ac.uk/lectureseries/
Our annual Wise Up health and safety events will be held at our Docklands Campus in the Atrium on 30 October (10am-4pm) and at our Stratford Campus in the Education building on 1 November (10am -4pm). Please make a note in your diary!
If you would like your School or Service to contribute, or if you wish to contribute personally, please contact: Del Basi Tel: 020 8223 2966 Email: d.s.basi@uel.ac.uk Kate Beaven-Marks Tel: 020 8223 2585 Email:k.beaven-marks@uel.ac.uk.
David Woodhouse has provided a series of links so that we can access information and news from our Academic Board, Governing Body and Corporate Management Team.
Please see the following links:
Academic Board: http://www.uel.ac.uk/qa/committees/acaboard.htm
Board of Governors: http://www.uel.ac.uk/governors/board.htm
Good news from the CMT: http://www.uel.ac.uk/vcg/news/index.htm
To conduct a search of current funding opportunities , including all the major competitions , 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 Tim Brooks (Acting Research Funding Officer) in the Graduate School. Tim is retaining his other responsibilities within the Graduate School so the more notice you can give, the better!
For a round-up of what's on in London visit: http://kids.visitlondon.com/whatson/august_events.html
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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
Simply click here for the dates for Staff Development courses:
http://www.uel.ac.uk/staff-development/documents/ForthcomingStaffDevelopmentCoursesOct-NOv07.doc
30 October, 2pm - 4pm Duncan House
This seminar explores the benefits of a development scheme to increase representation of Black and Minority Ethnic staff at senior levels. Chaired by Secretary and Registrar Alan Ingle, speakers at the seminar are Joe Greenland - Director of the Mentor and Equalities Unit, Sonia Harding - Project Manager UEL Black and Minority Ethnic Staff Development Scheme, Chartered Psychologist - Professor Derek Mowbray and Marcia McKnight - Director of Communications Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals NHS Trust.
For more information contact Sonia Harding Project Manager, Mentor and Equalities Unit, Tel: 020 8223 6379 Email: s.harding@uel.ac.uk or websites www.nmc-online.com and www.uel.ac.uk/nmc/
To find out more about the wide range of E-Learning applications available to us in our everyday work, visit:
UEL Plus info: http://www.uel.ac.uk/uelplus/index.htm
SDEL staff development: http://www.uel.ac.uk/sdel/staff_development/index.htm
E-Learning Resources: http://www.uel.ac.uk/sdel/e_learning/resources.htm
The unique ‘Ancient Dreaming’ event at the crypt in St John's Church, Bethnal Green, marked the launch of Big Draw East, a month-long drawing campaign officially opened by artist and illustrator Quentin Blake and Guardian cartoonist Posy Simmonds at the nearby V&A Museum of Childhood.
Senior Lecturer Pauline Desouza and director of the Diversity Art Forum, one of the organisers for the event, said: "Ancient Dreaming was a wonderful event and a great way to kick-off this year's Big Draw East. It's been fantastic to see so many people of all different ages just pick up a pencil and draw!
“That’s exactly what this campaign's all about – giving people the chance to have fun, do something different, and remind themselves how engaging and enjoyable the act of drawing can be.”
Ancient Dreaming is one of a series of events taking place in Bethnal Green as part of the Big Draw East campaign. On Saturday 6 October, people of all ages were invited to take part in ‘Rumble in the Jumble’ at St.Pauls Artspace, also organised in association with Diversity Arts Forum. The event encouraged people to explore different modes of drawing as they made their way round a jumble sale.
For the full release see: http://www.uel.ac.uk/news/press_releases/releases/artcampaign.htm
Kate Beaven-Marks, Assistant Health and Safety Manager spoke at an Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) National Safety Symposium, in September. Kate presented her five step model for effective health and safety training, which she developed as part of her Doctorate studies. Kate is currently studying for her Doctorate of Education.
Kate's five steps to Health and Safety Heaven are: evaluation, preparation, provision, reflection and revision .
Topics covered at the IOSH symposium included health and safety training, safety culture, work-related road safety, dealing with stress and major incident management..
For more information contact Kate Beaven-Marks Tel: 020 8223 2586 Mob: 07738 886923 Email: k.beaven-marks@uel.ac.uk.
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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