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Welcome to in Focus Update… |
Past Issues << | Issue 274: 20 December 2011 |
It is important that we let our students know what is happening at UEL in the lead-up to and during the Olympic and Paralympic Games. A set of student FAQs are available on the 2012 website at www.uel.ac.uk/2012faqs which aim to give clarity around areas such as length of term times, which services will be open during Games-time and the longer-term benefits to UEL students.
If you work directly with students, please pass this information on along with the link to the webpage. If any students have questions they can email 2012studentenquiries@uel.ac.uk and the FAQs will be updated accordingly.
A new document entitled Building the Cultural Bridge to Transformation for Excellence is now available to all staff. This outlines how some of our processes, practices and policies will need to change to achieve the goals outlined in the University-wide strategy Transformation for Excellence.
The publication of this document aims to start a ‘conversation’ to discuss and exchange views on the kinds of things that we might be doing in order to get to where we want to be. Please feel free to join this debate, either by attending one of the discussion groups being organised across Schools and Directorates or by sending your views directly to culturalbridge@uel.ac.uk
View the publication now at
www.uel.ac.uk/culturalchange
As we approach the University's closure days, we'd like to remind everyone to ensure all areas of UEL are shut down as much as possible. This includes switching off all lights and equipment at the wall socket, such as printers, computer screens and chargers. Please also check that windows are closed and secured and that all heating, particularly portable electric radiators, has been switched off or set to the frost setting. For more tips on staying green during the winter period, read UEL's ‘12 Green Days of Christmas' at
www.uel.ac.uk/greenthing/winter.htm
With such a competitive job market we want to give our students as much help as possible to secure employment. The Employability and Enterprise Team are here to support academic colleagues and have developed a range of web-based interactive materials to support students and graduates in preparing for the job market. An online resource called ‘Get that job’ can assist you with the delivery of the Employability modules, with videos, guides and online tests. See employability.uelconnect.org.uk
EET also offer CV checks, interview preparation, careers advice and guidance, volunteer opportunities, mentoring schemes, internships and paid placements so please encourage your students to get in touch on 020 8223 2424 or eet@uel.ac.uk and visit www.uel.ac.uk/eet
A UEL student has been selected for the England Lions cricket squad, which will begin a tour of Bangladesh in January. Tymal Mills, who is a BA (Hons) Sports Journalism student, currently plays cricket for Essex County Cricket Club and comes from Brandon in Suffolk. All 16 members of the Lions squad were selected on the England Performance Programme in October. For the full story see bit.ly/TymalMillsLions
The Black Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) staff network will be hosting a Christmas party this Wednesday 21 December from 5pm in KD.2.13 on Docklands Campus. The party will include discussions on BAME student attainment, why there is an attainment gap for good degrees between BAME and white students in HE, and development and promotion opportunities for BAME staff at UEL and beyond. Please email bame@uel.ac.uk if you would like to attend.
The following opening hours apply to UEL libraries across all sites over the festive and new year period:
• 19 – 22 December: open 24 hours
• 23 December: open until 3pm
• 24 – 26 December: CLOSED
• 27 – 30 December: 10am – 5pm
• 31 December – 2 January: CLOSED
• 3 January – 5 January: open 24 hours
• 6 January: open until 9pm
• 7 – 8 January: CLOSED
• 9 January: open 24 hours
More details of staffed and self-service opening hours can be found on the library website at www.uel.ac.uk/library
UEL has come together with charity Making History to document the genealogy of young people in the local area. Third year film students and academics worked with Hackney’s Grasmere Primary School in order to explore the varied family histories of its pupils. The short films were then screened at a special event which took place at the British Film Institute on London’s Southbank last week. The charity, which is currently also working with the University of Lincoln, is supported by such celebrity mentors as ‘Dark Knight’ star Colin McFarlane, and actor Jim Broadbent.
As part of the Raising Aspirations drive to encourage sports education progression in our local young people, the Schools and Colleges Team in conjunction with the School of Health, Sport and Bioscience, led a visit from 17 Year 11 physical education students from St Paul’s Way Trust School in Tower Hamlets. The boys were put through their paces with a full day of activities from careers in sports to sports psychology and BMI testing. For the full story see bit.ly/stpaulsway
UEL's Sustainable Mobilities Group hosted its first mobile symposium 'Performing the City' on 7 December. Funded by the Economic and Social Research Council's Cycling Cultures project, the event attracted 25 participants and featured talks and performances in different locations around London by postgraduate students, alongside early career and established academics. The event was focused around mobile ideas, people and environments, including a mini walking tour of city alleyways, a talk on the number 19 bus (pictured), some road crossing role-play and many other unusual happenings. Everyone involved said how much they enjoyed it and the Group hope to host a similar event in 2012.
ExCel will be hosting three special events from 12 to 15 January – The Outdoors Show, The Active Travel Show and the London Bike Show – and we have a limited number of FREE weekday tickets to give away to UEL staff members. In order to claim your free weekday ticket email sophie@vosmedia.co.uk with ‘NEWHAM UNI HOSPITAL’ in the subject line. Advanced adult tickets can also be bought at a discounted rate of £14 when booking online at www.theoutdoorsshow.co.uk and quoting ‘HOSPITAL’ when prompted. Offer valid until 25 December. For more information click the link above.
B-Fit Expo, the fitness event of the year, is bursting into London from 28 to 29 January in the ExCel Exhibition Centre. The event will feature interactive classes, industry experts and a celebrity line-up, as well as lots of opportunities to flex your retail muscles with the latest sports fashions and equipment on offer. To book your 2 for 1 ticket deal, call 01926 485 423 and quote UEL241, and for more information about B-Fit see b-fitexpo.co.uk
For the latest on our activities visit the news releases section of our website www.uel.ac.uk/news
Improving health in Newham – research seminar series: Tuesday 20 December, 4.15 – 5.30pm (Education Centre, Classroom 3, NUHT)
The seminar series returns with ‘Infants at risk: an overview of studies underway at the UEL Institute for Research in Child Development’ presented by Professor Derek Moore. Full details here For further information and to book your place contact Sadna Ullah on Sadna.Ullah@newhamhealth.nhs.uk or 020 7055 5628.
Sports scholars reception: Tuesday 20 December, 5pm (Cass Building, Stratford Campus)
To celebrate the successes of UELs sports scholars, an end-of-semester reception, followed by an educational workshop, will be held. For further details please email e.egan@uel.ac.uk
BAME staff network Christmas party: Wednesday 21 December, 5pm (KD.2.13, Docklands Campus)
The Black Asian and Minority Ethnic staff network will be hosting a Christmas party this on Docklands Campus. Please email bame@uel.ac.uk if you would like to attend.
See Events Calendar for a full listing: www.uel.ac.uk/marketing/support/eventscalendar.htm
Congratulations to the UEL sports scholars who've had an extremely successful semester. At the BUCS small boats head our rowers won four medals, while our judo players won international honours across the globe. To celebrate these successes, an end-of-semester reception, followed by an educational workshop, will be held for the scholars at 5pm today (20 December) in the Cass School of Education and Communities Building on Stratford Campus. All academic staff who teach the scholars, or who are interested in supporting their academic studies are invited to the reception. For further details please contact Elizabeth Egan, High Performance Sport Manager, at e.egan@uel.ac.uk
Click on the image below for a special gift from the UELSports team.
Welcome to the Green Thing, a regular section full of information on environmental projects, tips and ideas for staff at UEL. Visit our website www.uel.ac.uk/greenthing, follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/uel_greenthing or get in touch at greenthing@uel.ac.uk
We’d love to hear from you!
Environment Team, Facilities
Get ready to waste less and recycle more with the launch of UEL’s Waste Management Strategy 2011-2015. The strategy provides clear and practical advice and guidance for maintaining and improving sustainable and cost-effective waste management over the next four years. It highlights how we can deal with waste in the most environmentally-friendly way possible, using the Waste Hierarchy, a UK-wide priority-based approach to waste management. Visit www.uel.ac.uk/greenthing/wastereporting.htm to read the full strategy.
… that the UN Decade on Biodiversity launched in Japan this weekend? The UN aims to use the initiative as the basis for halting and eventually reversing the loss of biodiversity on the planet. Find out more and keep up-to-date on plans and progress over the next ten years by visiting the UN's website at cbd.int/2011-2020 or by following @UNBiodiversity on Twitter.
Please send comments or contributions for in Focus Update to: infocus@uel.ac.uk
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© 2011
