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Welcome to in Focus Update… |
Past Issues << | Issue 225: 17 December 2010 |
The end of the calendar year causes me to reflect on the last 12 months and indeed 2010 has been a particularly signficant year for our University. We discussed and agreed our new strategy, Transformation for Excellence, which will guide us over the next 5
–
10 years, we established a new postdoctoral research scheme and began work on our new Sports centre, SportsDock. Our recruitment levels have exceeded previous records and we have enjoyed many national and international successes in research, teaching and student achievement. Our international recruitment activity, which is so important to our future success, has been ramped up particularly in China and India. Indeed we have in the past few days just got keys to our new administrative base in Beijing. This year has seen a General Election, a new coalition Government, the most signficant changes to university funding in a generation and a new and controversial hike in student tuition fees
– which as you know I have vociferously opposed. The new funding settlement for HE will throw up challenges, but not ones that we cannot work through and emerge from stronger. Throughout all this what has always struck me is the passion and dedication with which our staff work to make UEL better for our students, and for each other. In that context my personal memories of 2010 at UEL are at least as much about some of the simpler occasions: watching our football teams win in the bitterly cold wind, impromptu conversations with colleagues on the DLR, queueing up for breakfast at The Edge, chatting with colleagues and being unspeakably proud of our students at our art exhibitions and fashion shows, the infectious enthusiasiam of our students at Graduation and the quiet dignity of our Armistice Day gathering. I hope you enjoy the Christmas break and I look forward to working with you in the New Year.
Happy Christmas and Best wishes for the New Year, Professor Patrick McGhee, Vice-Chancellor
This year’s graduation season concluded last Thursday (9 December) honouring students from the School of Humanities and the Social Sciences, and the Graduate School. Graduating alongside UEL students was comedian Lee Evans, who received an Honorary Doctorate of the Arts. In his citation, orated by Jill Grinstead (the University’s Secretary and Registrar), he was described as “a role model” for graduates, to which Lee responded, “I'm so proud to be among you. You all worked for this today, I'm just blagging!” Other honorary graduates included the former University Secretary and Registrar Alan Ingle (pictured), who received an Honorary Doctorate of the University, and the founder and Chief Executive of Newham-based charity the EKTA Project Mrs Ramesh Verma, who received an Honorary Master of Business Administration. The Barbican Centre has seen more than 4,000 graduates and 10,000 guests pass through its doors over the past six weeks, and we would like to congratulate every student who graduated from UEL in 2010. For the full story on this (and previous) ceremonies, please see the University news pages, uel.ac.uk/news
The Vice-Chancellor of the University of East London, Professor Patrick McGhee, and the Principals of three east London further education colleges have warned the Government that cuts to funding for FE students are tantamount to cutting East London adrift and abandoning a generation of disadvantaged learners. For the full story, please visit uel.ac.uk/news/press_releases/EMA.htm
The University’s first ‘Communications Forum’ took place this Monday (13 December), bringing together members of staff from a plethora of Schools and Services from across UEL to learn about the workings of PR and Communications within the University. Avid listeners were able to absorb the expert knowledge of the Editorial Director of Archant London, Bob Crawley (pictured), on how to make a good news story. Attendees then pitched their ideas for a UEL news story to Bob, with staff from the Royal Docks Business School, HSS, International Office and Corporate Marketing winning the coveted Communications prize. The PR and Communications team are planning further Communications Forums throughout 2011. For more information, contact Sara Hazzard via s.hazzard@uel.ac.uk
UEL 80s Staff Christmas PartyAre you longing for leg warmers? Rummaging for your Rubik's Cube? Crying out for crimping and wistful for your wet-look gel? Well put on your piano tie, push up your jacket sleeves and join us at the UEL 80s Christmas Party on Friday 17 December, 3 – 8pm, at Aqua East (Docklands Campus). To RSVP, or for more information, please email staffparty@uel.ac.uk
Spread season’s cheer by building and sending free personalised eCards to your nearest and dearest this holiday season. Choose from a range of backdrops, animated characters, music and even upload your own pictures to personalise your season’s greetings.
Start building your eCard now at uel.ac.uk/ecards
UEL’s inaugural sports scholarships were awarded to student athletes on Wednesday 15 December in honour of their outstanding achievements over the last year.
In accepting the scholarship, the athletes thanked the University for its continuous support and commitment to their sporting careers. Director of Sport at UEL, David Cosford, praised the athletes for their hard work and commitment in his opening speech, reiterating UEL’s ambitions to become the number one university for sport in London within the next five years.
Maths guru to millions, Johnny Ball (pictured) wowed trainee teachers with an exhilarating demonstration of how teaching fractions, equations and square-roots needn’t be a classroom turn-off.Mr Ball, famous for his long-running BBC children’s show Think Of A Number, was guest of honour at UEL’s Cass School for Education on Wednesday 15 December, where he used a series of classroom props to explain how teachers-to-be could transform even the traditionally least popular of subjects into a joy for pupils. For the full story, please visit uel.ac.uk/news/press_releases/Ball.htm
Although the cast of the world's longest-running play, The Mousetrap, regularly changes every ten months, senior AVA lecturer Ralph Hall has remained the play’s production photographer for the past sixteen years, producing the photographs which are used in the front-of-house displays and brochure. Such an opportunity allows UEL students the privilege to work with Ralph and shoot the dress rehearsal at the St Martin’s Theatre in Cambridge Circus. The images are selected immediately after the shoot and printed the same evening, ready to display at the theatre for the new cast's first night. Photography students Kevin Baker and Fran Hergessel can here be seen assisting Ralph in shooting actors Robert Irons and Ann Wenn. For more information, contact Ralph Hall via r.g.hall@uel.ac.uk
Students and staff from UEL’s School of Health and Bioscience have spent the last three months putting players from local professional football club Leyton Orient through their paces as part of a rigourous fitness regime. A specially designed sports science programme, designed by UEL sports science experts, offered high-intensity work-outs to both youth and first-team players, aiming to improve core-strength, increase stamina and reduce the risk of injury. For the full story, please visit uel.ac.uk/news/press_releases/Orient.htm
On Monday 15 November, Professor Steve Strand (University of Warwick) presented his latest findings on disadvantage, ethnicity, gender and educational attainment to the Secondary Initial Teacher Training cohort and staff from Sarah Bonnell School, and, in a second evening event, to staff from UEL Partnership Plus schools. Professor Strand talked about his latest research on the attainment of white, working-class pupils. His research challenges us to develop more nuanced interpretations of educational attainment in terms of class, ethnicity or gender. Steve has also completed a large-scal, DCSF-funded research on the white British, black Caribbean achievement gap. Staff and students found the talks to be of significant interest to them in their work setting.
This week (commencing 13 December) UEL’s Thurrock Learning Shop celebrated its first year of opening. Situated in the heart of Grays (Essex) on the High Street, the Learning Shop occupies half of the former Post Office, and since opening its doors back in December 2009, has welcomed a staggering 5,000 visitors from all sections of the local community. The primary goal is to offer free, impartial advice and guidance about learning opportunities available to residents wherever they may be on their educational journey. For further information on the Thurrock Learning Shop, please contact Debbie Brisco via d.brisco@uel.ac.uk or 01375 485490. For the full story, please visit uel.ac.uk/partnerships/ThurrocksFirstYear.htm
Teacher trainers at the Cass School of Education held another successful December recruitment fair with recruitment officers from eleven local authorities including London boroughs, Norfolk and Hertfordshire. Employability workshops included interview presentation and writing personal statements. Kelvin Wilson, from Redbridge, consultant Barry Hancock, and Sister Jude, Primary Adviser for the Catholic Diocese of Brentwood, drew on their wealth of recruitment experience in their stimulating lectures. Trainee feedback was very positive: “I realise that I need to keep my options open about where I want to work” said one trainee. Another commented: "It’s good to be able to access the tutors’ pool of knowledge.”
Over 100 UEL alumni came together last night (Thursday 16 December) at West Ham Football Club in a fantastic Christmas Party. For the full story, visit uel.ac.uk/alumni/events and to view the photos of the Christmas party, visit facebook.com/group.php?gid=3122985233&v=photos
Two successful small businesses, Eco Cleaning & Ironing Services and Lovely Gorgeous Things, have both benefitted from the EUREKA programme by UEL Product Design students, who have been working on designs for a range of products. The EUREKA programme is a European funded programme which offers free environmental and sustainability expertise to London based Small and Medium Enterprises – from product development, through to expert environmental advice, accessing new markets, reducing waste and reducing the business carbon footprint. Students were asked to source containers, as well as to develop brand identity, graphics and labelling issues for a variety of packaging options for both companies, each with an underlying environmental ethos. They were then asked to present their designs to their clients.
For the latest on our activities visit the news releases section of our website www.uel.ac.uk/news
UEL 80s Staff Christmas Party: Friday 17 December, 3 – 8pm (Aqua East, Docklands Campus)
Slip on those leg warmers and join us at the UEL 80s Christmas party on Friday 17 December at Aqua East. To RSVP please email staffparty@uel.ac.uk
Open Day dates 2010/11
Following consultation with Schools and Services the open days dates for the 2010/11 academic year have now been set. The Student Recruitment & Marketing Team will be reviewing the format of these events with colleagues and prospective students over the next few months to ensure we maximise our recruitment this year. If you are planning any School recruitment events over the coming year please contact your account manager in the Student Recruitment & Marketing Team who will be able to provide you with advice and support. You can find details of all account managers by visiting: uel.ac.uk/marketing/srm/accountmanagers.htm
Date |
Event |
Time of event |
Times staff required to work |
Campus |
Saturday 22 January |
Application drop-in event |
12-4pm |
9-5pm |
Docklands and Stratford |
Saturday 25 June |
General (UG & PG) open day |
12-4pm |
9-5pm |
Docklands and Stratford |
Saturday 20 August |
Clearing application drop-in day |
12-4pm |
9-5pm |
Docklands |
See Events Calendar for a full listing: www.uel.ac.uk/marketing/support/eventscalendar.htm
Get involved with some of the activities that UELSports has to offer in 2011 and make a commitment to get fit, healthy and active. UELSports are constantly increasing the activities available, with the following planned or already arranged:
No-Strings Badminton
Social, fun and organised weekly badminton sessions on Tuesdays from 5.30 – 7pm at Sarah Bonnell School (opposite Stratford Campus). Restarts on Tuesday 11 January. Available to staff and students.
Jogging sessions
Join our lunchtime and after-work jogging sessions at both Docklands and Stratford Campuses. Suitable for all levels of fitness.
Triathlon Club
Join fellow staff and run at Triathlon Club (weekly swimming and jogging sessions available). For more information, email triathlon@uel.ac.uk
Rounders
A new, weekly indoor rounders session will start in the new year (late January), leading through to outdoor sessions in the summer. Contact us to register.
Dodgeball
A new, weekly dodgeball session will start in the new year. Contact us to register for this fun, fast and frenetic activity.
Yoga, Pilates, Tai Chi, Aerobics and Circuit Training
UELSports have planned these sessions to run on a weekly basis from 2011 on campus during lunchtimes and after work. These pay-as-you-go sessions are a great way to fit in healthy activity during a busy and hectic work schedule.
For more information on all of the above, and to register your interest, please contact uelsports@uel.ac.uk
All the best for the rest of 2010 and best wishes for 2011!
UELSports (David, Katy and Nurudeen)
UEL Sports – ‘Get involved, Join, Learn, Participate, Train, Motivate, Compete, Enjoy’
Please see below the dates of a new seminar series in 2011 on the theme of 'social justice'. There is no need to book, but please notify Veronica Burton via v.burton@uel.ac.uk if you wish to attend any of these sessions:
Wednesday 19 January, 5pm (ED2.02, Stratford Campus)
Aaron Winter (University of Abertay)
The Frontiers of Whiteness: White Settlers, Survivalism and Separatism on the American Extreme Right
John Preston (UEL)
White hyper-masculinities in disaster education in popular culture
Thursday 27 January, 5pm (ED2.02, Stratford Campus)
Helen Colley (MMU)
How does austerity impact on the work of educators? Time, space and ‘ethics work’ in an economic crisis
Thursday 3 February, 5pm (ED2.02, Stratford Campus)
Charlotte Chadderton (UEL)
Citizenship Education - an oppressive space for minority ethnic young people
Magdalini Kolokitha (UEL)
Policy methodology: investigating the Bologna Process
Thursday 10 February, 5pm (ED2.02, Stratford Campus)
Mary Igenoza (Sheffield)
The Racial Division of Femininity in Western Culture
Thursday 17 February, 5pm (ED2.02, Stratford Campus)
Gil Robinson (UEL)
What Human Resource Management (HRM) means for race: a critical race theory perspective
Thursday 10 March, 5pm (RB1.15, Stratford Campus)
Mohamed Moustakim (UEL)
Young people's counter narratives on 'disaffection' from education
Namita Chakrabarty (UEL)
Buried Alive: Cultural absence in civil defence preparedness
Please send comments or contributions for in Focus Update to: infocus@uel.ac.uk
To contribute a UEL news item please supply a headline (c. 10 words), short paragraph (c. 50-100 words) with a call to action (email / web link or phone) together with a photo.
To contribute a UEL event please supply a headline (c. 10 words), date, time, location, short description, with call to action (email / web link or phone)
© 2010
