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Welcome to in Focus Update… |
Past Issues << | Issue 257: 17 August 2011 |
With record numbers of prospective students set to start searching for university places this week, the University of East London has recorded its highest ever student satisfaction rating.
In the National Student Survey (NSS) results released by HEFCE earlier today (Wednesday, 17 August 2011), UEL has seen its overall student satisfaction rating increase from 76 per cent to 81 per cent – a significant increase of 5 per cent. In this latest survey, UEL also experienced a rise of 21 places in the overall table of UK universities and recorded a 97 per cent satisfaction rating in relation to its teacher training.
To read the full story please visit NSS Story
With an increase in tuition fees from September 2012 and strict capping of undergraduate full-time home/EU places for September 2011 it has been a bumper year already for those working in Admissions.
Over the past two years we have seen a UCAS application increase of 47%, and received 12% more applications this year than in the 2010 cycle. The increase for this year is well above the national rise of 5% and also significantly higher than the increase for our aggregate competitor group which stands at 8%.
Thanks are extended to all staff across UEL who have supported the Admissions Team in the processing of these applications throughout the year. Applicants too are realising the value of a UEL degree, with more applicants than ever choosing UEL as their first choice HEI – firmly accepted conditional offers have risen by 16% on last year’s UCAS figures.
Emma Burchfield
Head of Student Admissions
Successful bidding for additional student numbers last year means that the late summer recruitment period and clearing operation is still critical to the achievement of our student numbers. As we still have places available across the majority of our programmes we are promoting ourselves heavily through local media, UCAS, our webpages and social media. We expect that call volumes will exceed that of A Level results day last year where we received 1000 calls in the first half-hour of opening, and 9000 calls in total throughout the day.
In anticipation, we have significantly increased staffing in the Telephone Centre. Our Hotline Team has been expanded to 35 staff who have already been taking calls from interested applicants this week in the lead up to A Level results publication on Thursday. School desks have also increased their telephone teams in anticipation of increased interest and call volume from applicants wanting to start their studies this September. All teams will be ready to go from 7.30am on 18 August and the Telephone Centre at Docklands has an unprecedented 170 phone-lines ready to receive calls.
The Information Advice and Guidance (I.A.G.) Team are essential to our late summer recruitment operation and will once again be operating a drop-in service throughout the summer period at our Application and Advice Centres. The majority of I.A.G. staff are located at Stratford Campus on the ground floor of the Computer Centre but in-person visitors are also welcome to call into Docklands Campus to receive information, guidance and even an offer! The Student Money Advice and Rights Team (S.M.A.R.T.) will also be operating from these centres to advise students on available funding and methods of application.
We will be encouraging new full-time undergraduate applicants to come and visit us on Saturday 20 August for our Applicant Day. This is a great opportunity for applicants without a place to see our campuses, speak to academic staff about their studies and receive an offer on the day. If they want to accept an offer on the spot we will have teams of assistants to help them access their UCAS account and confirm that UEL is the place for them.
The Student Money Advice and Rights Team will be on hand to advise on available funding and assist applicants with their initial online application to Student Finance England – after all, a funded start is a flying start!
For further information on any of our applicant events please visit www.uel.ac.uk/openday
– Sunday 14 August – UEL receives A Level results for existing offer holders; embargo on place confirmation for UG FT applicants until A Level results publication.
– Wednesday 17 August – late summer recruitment overview and Q&A session, 10am – 12 noon, WB.G.01 (Docklands Campus).
– Thursday 18 August – A Level results published; clearing commences; Telephone Centre open 8am – 8pm.
– Saturday 20 August – Undergraduate Applicant Day, 12 noon – 4pm (Docklands and Stratford Campus).
For further information on any of our applicant events please visit
www.uel.ac.uk/openday
For full details of our Telephone Centre’s and Application and Advice Centre’s opening hours and contact details, please see the Summer Recruitment Handbook 2011 on the following link: www.uel.ac.uk/marketing/admissions/internal/summerrecruitmenthandbook2011.pdf
Part-time and postgraduate programmes are areas where we can grow our student numbers. Postgraduate acceptances for full-time applicants have risen by 4% with over 300 of these applicants already meeting the requirements for entry. Our part-time postgraduate acceptances have also increased by 8%, but we still have some distance to travel to meet target for this group.
To capitalise on this opportunity we will be launching a part-time and postgraduate recruitment campaign in late August. The campaign will feature general adverts in the Metro, City AM and on DLR and Underground platforms. This will be accompanied by an extensive programme of trackable subject specific email campaigns and online adverts.
Postgraduate applicants can also come to dedicated Open Evenings on Tuesday 6 September (at Docklands Campus) and Thursday 8 September (at Stratford Campus) between 6 and 8pm. Applicants will be able to tour the Campuses, speak to academic staff and receive an offer on the evening. For further information about any of our applicant events please visit www.uel.ac.uk/openday
The UK Border Agency (UKBA) introduced major changes to the Tier 4 student route earlier this year. These changes have had a negative impact on studying in the UK, particularly in a number of key markets. Along with many of our competitors, we have seen a drop in overseas applications for September. Late summer recruitment remains an important activity for the UEL International Office as we aim to increase applications and conversion from international students studying A Levels, foundation programmes or professional qualifications in the UK. One of the new UKBA student visa regulations means that students must demonstrate that there are making academic progress with their studies. The International Office interviews international applicants studying in the UK as part of this assessment. This interview is also used as a conversion activity providing an opportunity for prospective students to visit the Campuses and have one-to-one guidance with their admission.
Adrienne Clarke
Director International Office
We have a wealth of information on the UEL webpages, with links from the UEL front page to programme vacancies and information on how to apply, whatever the course and mode of study.
For those supporting late summer recruitment, the Summer Recruitment Handbook 2011 is available online. It's for internal use only so you will need your staff username and password to access everything you need to know about how we recruit applicants over the summer. Have a look now by visiting www.uel.ac.uk/marketing/admissions/internal/summerrecruitmenthandbook2011.pdf
The general Admissions Team webpage can accessed via www.uel.ac.uk/marketing/admissions/internal
An incredible amount of work from staff across UEL goes into our late summer recruitment drive, so I would like to thank everyone involved. We are expecting places to fill quickly this year and I know that all involved will continue to work hard through First Week and beyond to ensure that applicants are well prepared for life as a student at UEL.
Catherine Downes
Director of Corporate Marketing
For the latest on our activities visit the news releases section of our website www.uel.ac.uk/news
Open Day dates in 2011
If you are planning any School recruitment events over the coming year please contact your account manager in the Student Recruitment and 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 20 August | Clearing application drop-in day | 12 – 4pm | 9 – 5pm | Docklands and Stratford |
| Tuesday 6 September | Postgraduate application drop-in evening | 4 – 7pm | 3 – 7pm | Docklands only |
| Thursday 8 September | Postgraduate application drop-in evening | 4 – 7pm | 3 – 7pm | Stratford only |
Bike Portraits: Now until the end of August (Hackney, east London)
Seeking to present some of the rich and diverse cycling cultures of Hackney, this exhibition showcases 25 photographic portraits of the area taken during the past 12 months. They will be displayed for a short time across cycle stores and cafés in Hackney, while people looking to attend are encouraged to cycle from venue to venue. To find out more about the exhibition see bit.ly/bike_portraits
Leading Success: an induction programme for new programme leaders: Tuesday 6 September, 9.30am – 4pm (Stratford Campus)
This is an essential, one-day induction programme for all new programme leaders, and is hands-on and practical. The course is designed to support you in managing your role effectively and confidently by enabling you to understand fully your leadership role, its remit and how it fits in with our infrastructure. To book your place email n.harding@uel.ac.uk by 31 August.
Sixth Learning, Teaching and Assessment Conference: Wednesday 7 September (Docklands Campus)
Have you registered for UEL’s sixth Annual, Learning, Teaching and Assessment Conference? The conference is free and open to all UEL staff and collaborative partners. This year we focus on research-informed teaching and teaching-informed research in higher education. Themed sessions include Academic Excellence and Innovation, and Technology Enriched Practice. Professor Stuart Hampton-Reeves, from the University of Central Lancashire, will give our morning keynote speech and Dr Cath Ellis, from the University of Huddersfield, will give the afternoon keynote address. Thank you to all who submitted abstracts. We have a broad range of high-quality sessions this year. For more information see bit.ly/6thLTA To register your place visit bit.ly/lta_booking_form
See Events Calendar for a full listing: www.uel.ac.uk/marketing/support/eventscalendar.htm
The more complete lists of opportunities are available from a secure page on the ReDS website – please login with your UEL username and password: www.uel.ac.uk/secure/reds/current-opportunities/index.htm
Highlights
EC Prevention, preparedness and consequence management of terrorism and other security related risks
Open for proposals on given and other related topics: critical infrastructures; critical info infrastructures; robustness of global ICT networks; emergency communication in crisis situations; enhancing communication to strengthen cooperation between public and private sectors; interdependency analysis; all-hazards catalogue for critical infrastructures; monitoring and assessment of evolving threats; increasing security awareness; improving information management; increasing critical infrastructure protection capability.
Total budget €17m, (up to 90% EU funding of total eligible costs), deadline 12 October 2011.
Coventry City Council Continuing Professional Development Programme
Ref (TED) 2011/S 155-258239. To secure a HEI to work in partnership to develop and deliver the academic component for a training-based, employer-led CPD Programme; to support the development of professional practice for qualified social workers in Children and Families services. There will be an opportunity for the CPD Programme places to be purchased by other LAs. Contact ReDS if interested.
£120k - £360k ex VAT CONTRACT for 40 months, deadline 20 September 2011.
Europe Research EC Restructuring, well-being at work and financial participation
To promote employees' financial participation within the meaning of the Commission Communication on a framework for the promotion of employees' financial participation. Sub-programmes: Improvement of expertise in restructuring; Better understanding of health & well-being at work during change; Promoting the financial participation of workers.
Budget €2.3m Grant for 12 months, deadline 6 September 2011.
EC Pilot project to encourage conversion of precarious work into work with rights
To fund projects relating to the issue of precarious work in the EU and the ways and means to improve the social rights of the jobholders concerned. The notions of "precarious work" and "social rights" should be considered in the widest sense.
Budget €1m Grant for 12 months, deadline 27 September 2011.
NIHR Research Professorships
Aimed at leaders in the early stages of their career. To facilitate strong research leadership and develop research capacity in areas critical to accelerating the transfer of research ideas into improved health. Open to health researchers and methodologists with experience in health research at consultant level or equivalent, working in the areas of medicine, health services research or methodological research.
Grant for up to 5 years, deadline 21 September 2011.
The ReDS team provide administrative and development support to all research and knowledge exchange projects across UEL. Please contact us on 020 8223 7776 or email reds@uel.ac.uk if you would like to discuss any opportunities.
Please send comments or contributions for in Focus Update to: infocus@uel.ac.uk
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© 2011
