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Welcome to in Focus Update… |
Past Issues << | Issue 227: 18 January 2011 |
Due to proposed strike action, there may be disruption to DLR services this Thursday 20 and Friday 21 January. Please be aware examinations will continue at all sites as scheduled on these two days. To assist students sitting examinations at Docklands Campus we are currently attempting to arrange a bus service from Canning Town Station to Docklands Campus to supplement TfL local bus services. Further details will be published at uel.ac.uk/conferences/timetable/exam_timetable.htm after discussions with Transport for London are complete. An email has been sent to all students advising them to allow extra time for their journey on these days and a link has been provided to the TfL web site (tfl.gov.uk) to assist them in planning their journey. All examinations will commence at the scheduled time and no changes will be made to the late arrivals procedure. Anyone arriving later than 30 minutes after the start of an examination will be denied entry; anyone arriving after the start of the exam but within the first 30 minutes will be permitted to sit the examination but no additional time will be allowed.
The National Student Survey will be begin on Monday 7 Feb and will run till the end of April. Open only to final-year undergraduate students, the online survey measures teaching, development and overall satisfaction amongst students UK wide. This year, building on the work of the NSS Project Group and the Student Experience Project Group, there will be more marketing and communications than ever before to raise awareness of the survey and its importance amongst our students. Together with all the usual banners, posters and flyers, there will be a number of special NSS days at both campuses where students can come for coffee and use an iPad to complete the survey. We will also increase the online presence this year using Universe (the student e-zine), UELDirect, the plasma screens and social media. There are some big cash prizes this year which should increase participation but we ask that, where possible, you encourage your students to take part and support UEL. The survey results are open to the public and can shape outside perceptions and influence potential students – the NSS is therefore incredibly important and we welcome your support. To find out more about the NSS visit thestudentsurvey.com
Following the launch of our new university strategy Transformation for Excellence, Corporate Marketing has engaged in an extensive consultation and research process with staff, students, prospective students and external stakeholders to develop a new brand proposition to support our new vision and strategic direction.
“UEL is dedicated to enabling people to transform their lives”
Consideration was then given to the University’s visual identity and on 4 January rollout of the refreshed master identity began. The new identity comprises two key elements: an evolved version of the UEL logo (the plectrum) and an accompanying secondary device which in its master execution represents the River Thames and the position of UEL’s campuses within London. This gives the university a flexible and distinctive positioning in east London in the build-up to the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and into the future. To ensure a cost-efficient rollout Corporate Marketing will be rolling out the new identity incrementally over the next twelve months. We will be in touch shortly to agree rollout plans for your School/Service. For further information visit uel.ac.uk/brand or contact your account manager in Corporate Marketing via http://bit.ly/dUQNPl
Four female UEL students, who read a range of sport-related degrees, are this week working alongside the England women’s national football team at the squad’s pre-World Cup training camp in Spain. Rather than preparing for penalties, however, the students will be assessing the training methods used by the team in the run up to The FIFA Women’s Football World Cup in June. Annie Ottey (a final-year Sports Science student) will be working with the England strength and conditioning coach Naomi Datson, whilst Rachel Kent (MSc Sport Psychology) will be interviewing the Lewisham-born coach Hope Powell about preparing her squad for the summer, as well as the benefits of warm-weather training. The second half of the party, Dominique Hume (Sports Journalism) and Hannah Griffiths (Sports Coaching), will interview captain Faye White and midfielder Katie Chapman. The expedition provides a unique opportunity for UEL students to see first-hand the work of world-leading professionals in sport. Marcia Wilson (Field Leader for Applied Science and Exercise Science) is heading the group, which will return to the UK on Friday (21 January).
We have a two day visit from Mr Geoff Pritchard, Assessor from SGS Group, on Thursday 20 and Friday 21 January. He will be reviewing how UEL has moved forward since it was accredited for the Customer Service Excellence Standard at the end of 2009. He will be meeting with members of the Customer Service Excellence Working Group and will be visiting and speaking to staff and students of the School of Computing, IT and Engineering and the School of Arts and Digital Industries at Docklands Campus on Thursday. He will be visiting and speaking to staff and students of the School of Health & Bioscience at Stratford Campus on Friday morning, before returning to Docklands Campus to meet David Cosford, UEL Director of Sport. The CSE Working Group will receive feedback from the Assessor on the afternoon of Friday 21.
UEL’s Foundation Degree in Professional Development offers the opportunity to study while you work. You can choose to study the subjects that are of interest to you and most relevant to your work. You will achieve a recognised university qualification and have the option to continue studying a full undergraduate degree in Professional Development. Modules run in the evenings or by distance learning. Karen Wilton (pictured), student and Conferencing & Events Executive in Knowledge Dock, commented, “The flexibility of this course has helped me to achieve my career goals and complete my degree course. UEL has also taken into consideration what I’ve learnt previously, so I’ve been able to count it towards this degree. No other degree has offered this level of personalisation.” To apply to start in February, please visit uel.ac.uk/profdevelopment or email wbl@uel.ac.uk
Demand for February UG FT places from home/EU has this year far outweighed the number of places that we have to offer. Following the December census Admissions found that the University had just 140 funded places left. With over 350 applicants prior to Christmas, some applicants have been offered a part-time place in February or a guaranteed UCAS offer as a full-time student in September 2011 instead. Admissions are no longer accepting applications from home/EU applicants to study an undergraduate programme with us this February on a full-time basis. However, places are still available for international students. Please see uel.ac.uk/february for further details. Interest in part-time and postgraduate study is at about the same level as last year and we still have places available on most programmes. The Open Day on 22 January at the Stratford Campus between 12 noon and 4pm is a great opportunity to secure keen applicants for these areas, and the Admissions Team will be on hand to provide applicants with formal offers on the day. For further information please visit uel.ac.uk/openday
UEL’s School of Psychology has just completed a project with the British Army. Mark Holloway worked with the Army to help them develop coaching and training skills for use with operations staff. In a parallel project, Jonathan worked with staff in driving training to review their use of coaching as a learning technique. The project involved a randomised control trial of instructors using the new coaching methods compared with using traditional instruction-based methods. This is the first such evaluation of coaching for driver learning. The results showed that coaching was a more effective and efficient technique. The project has major implications for driver training in the UK, and Jonathan has met the Association for Chief Police Officers and the Driving Standards Agency to discuss these results. Jonathan also had the opportunity to drive one of the British Army’s new desert vehicles (pictured). For more information contact Jonathan via j.passmore@uel.ac.uk
John Smith's Bookshop would like to thank everyone who has already submitted a reading
list for this upcoming semester. The bookshops in UEL received a record number of reading lists last semester, and, as a result, have increased availability of the right texts for students. With the continued support of UEL staff, John Smith's can ensure this happens again this semester. To recieve a reading list form, or to discuss reading list requirements, contact
joe.dyde@johnsmith.co.uk (020 7511 3918) for Docklands Campus or
gillian.isbell@johnsmith.co.uk (020 8536 0084) for Stratford Campus.
UEL offers the majority of its full-time undergraduate students a progress bursary which can be used at the John Smith’s Bookshops. Students may be able to use their bursary to purchase texts recommended by UEL staff. Visit uel.ac.uk/progress for more information.
From 17 January 2011, Learning, Teaching & Student Experience will now be known as Academic Practice & Student Experience. Our areas of work and office contact details remain the same, and more details will follow. For more information please see uel.ac.uk/apse
For the latest on our activities visit the news releases section of our website www.uel.ac.uk/news
Open Day dates in 2011
Following consultation with Schools and Services the open day dates for January – August 2011 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 |
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 |
2012: Striving For Excellence: Thursday 3 February, 4-6pm (Stratford Campus)
If you are interested in sports and the 2012 Games, come along to the Knowing Sport event and meet Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls. You will get the opportunity to take part in interactive workshops, providing the latest information on fitness assessment, sports nutrition and strength & conditioning, and be given the chance to find out more about UEL’s facilities and sports related programmes. If you would like to attend, please RSVP to Joanna Bowen via j.bowen@uel.ac.uk
'Write Now': Thursday 17 February, 7pm (Stratford Circus, Theatre Square, Stratford E15 1BX)
The Writing Centre at UEL presents an evening of readings and performances by staff and students in creative writing. Admission is free. Please contact Tessa McWatt via t.a.mcwatt@uel.ac.uk for further information.
See Events Calendar for a full listing: www.uel.ac.uk/marketing/support/eventscalendar.htm
Our weekly recreational drop-in badminton session will continue on Tuesday evenings at 5.30pm at Sarah Bonnell School in Stratford. To register and receive more details please contact David Cosford via d.cosford@uel.ac.uk.
Some of our new sports clubs are in need of additional support and participants. If you would like to try one of these sports for the first time, want to rekindle your interest in the sport or feel you can assist in its development, please come forward. The clubs in need of support are Handball, Olympic Weightlifting, Table Tennis, Judo and Karate. Contact Katy Hollands via k.hollands@uel.ac.uk to find out more details.
We plan to start weekly indoor rounders and also the exciting sport of dodgeball! Register your interest with David Cosford asap via d.cosford@uel.ac.uk
We are finalising details for lunchtime and early evening classes for pilates, yoga, aerobics, circuit training and tai chi. Register your interest with Jacqueline Leach via j.leach@uel.ac.uk These sessions will be run on a pay as you go, drop-in basis. Get fit and healthy in 2011!
Here are the details of the next tennis coaching programme starting on Thursday 20 January. Dates and locations for the coaching sessions will be as follows:
–
Mondays & Thursdays at 12.15pm (New Beckton Park)
–
Tuesdays & Fridays at 12.15pm (West Ham Park)
To book your place on a session, please go to http://bit.ly/fRrWFt and indicate the sessions you will be coming to. Alternatively, contact Nurudeen Isa via n.isa@uel.ac.uk or 07828 485 961. In addition, this year we hope to try out the indoor facilities at the Score Centre in Leyton (more details to follow).
'Tennis Tournament A Hit!' Read a blow-by-blow report on the first all-UEL tennis tournament and see some photos too at http://bit.ly/f3XJTy
Get Involved with UEL Tennis – register with Nurudeen Isa (University Tennis Coordinator) via n.isa@uel.ac.uk
It's that time of year again when Team UEL gets the running shoes on and pounds the roads in readiness for our annual entry into the Newham 10k. There are two different 10k events run now in Newham:
– Newham London Run 10k
–
Sunday 27 March
–
£22.47 each (see http://bit.ly/7Y2hxP)
–
Newham Classic 10k
–
Sunday 10th April
–
£16.50 each (see http://bit.ly/aWpwV8)
Interested participants should register and pay individually, through the websites above. If you intend to run in these events and would like to join Team UEL as a group, please register your name and the event you will/have entered to David Cosford via d.cosford@uel.ac.uk
In order to get ready for the 10k runs, UELSports continue to deliver the weekly lunchtime jogging sessions from both Docklands and Stratford Campus. Contact Kirstie Adam via k.adam@uel.ac.uk
UELSports is always keen to hear from staff and students about activities that you desire, or ideas that may assist us improve our service. You could become a sports rep, and assist us get our new initiatives and activities promoted across Campus. Get in touch via uelsports@uel.ac.uk
Thank you and we hope you have a fantastic 2011!
For more information on any of the above please contact uelsports@uel.ac.uk
To view the UELSports webpages visit uel.ac.uk/sports
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)
© 2011
