|
|
Welcome to in Focus Update… |
Past Issues << | Issue 284: 13 March 2012 |
SportsDock's grand opening will take place on Saturday 24 March for all staff, students and their families. Come along for sports club demonstrations, taster sessions, tours, inductions and healthy living advice, as well as face painting, a bouncy castle, and more! Also coming will be Paralympic/Olympic winners Ade Adepitan MBE and Teresa Edwards. Find out more about SportsDock on the new website.
You may have noticed that you are receiving far fewer ‘all staff’ emails these days. This is because we are launching a new bulk email policy to ensure that only genuine emergencies or essential updates are sent via the all staff email facility. General messages will now be included in the weekly inFocus newsletter, your universe, social media, jobs bulletins and our other internal communication channels – so make sure you read inFocus regularly to keep up-to-date with the latest news!
If you would like a message promoted to staff or students, please send your request to communications@uel.ac.uk
View the all staff and all student email policy and see our useful resources section for further information.
Projects are sought that will demonstrate an innovative approach to learning and teaching, and address the themes of: enhancing the quality of teaching and/or assessment; academic advice and support on study choices.
Please note:
• selection of projects will be made on a competitive basis
• projects must be completed within the 2012-13 academic year
• funding is available for small (up to £3,000) and medium (up to £5,000) projects
• funding is for projects that are beyond the range/scope of usual academic/service practice
Click for further details and proposal forms. Send proposals to Dallas Davis. Feedback will be provided approximately one month after the closing date of Thursday 10 May 2012, 5pm.
Do you have opinions to share about the experiences of mature students at university? million+ and the NUS are staging joint workshops for university staff, mature students and SU officers, reps and staff to discuss the experiences of mature students. Attendees can share ideas and strategies, with results appearing in the final report to be launched in Parliament on 23 May.
UEL is hosting one workshop on Wednesday 21 March, 2 – 4pm, in EB.G.09, Docklands Campus. Staff are invited to come and share perspectives. Refreshments provided.
If you wish to attend, or nominate an individual to attend, email Jayne Franklin with a name, email address, role and access requirements if applicable. Read more about the research project here.
The lunchtime discussion forum 'Minding the gap about BAME student attainment: some preliminary findings of BAME students' experience of HE' which was due to be held on 20 March will now take place on Thursday 26 April, 12 noon – 2pm, in RB.G.13 on Stratford Campus. For more information contact Dinaz Trudeau.
An affiliate of the Royal Docks Business School, the Centre for Diversity and Business (CDB) is set to open in May and will provide a forum for research focusing on equality, diversity, inclusion and leadership in business. The centre aims to provide services to businesses and forge links between the community and UEL. Find out more on the CDB webpage.
The Centre of Excellence for Women’s Entrepreneurship (CEWE) is sponsoring the ‘Business Planning’ seminar at the Working Mums Live conference in Islington on Tuesday 27 March. Wilma Garvin (Researcher and Royal Docks Business School Lecturer), Cathy Underwood (Director of Yoga4Mums) and Ana Paula Nacif (current UEL student and experienced coach and trainer) will form a panel of experts sharing their own experiences of setting up a business and business planning. Register here for this free event and please do advise CEWE if you plan to attend.
Starting on Monday 19 March the Employability and Enterprise Team is running a 10-week programme of events to get final-year students into work. Events will include presentations and workshops on job seeking strategies, CVs, interview techniques, social media as a recruitment tool, and networking. Sessions will be delivered by employers including Barclays, Accenture and Enterprise Rent-a-Car. The programme will culminate in a full recruitment fair on 23 May at East Winter Gardens. Please encourage students to view the full programme of events.
Following his work in Japan around the devastating effects of the tsunami, one year ago this weekend, ACE Lecturer Dr Ravindra Jayaratne has been invited to mark the anniversary at a ceremony of remembrance at the Japanese Embassy in London. Read more on the news pages.
International Women's Day was held on 8 March, and to mark the occasion a photographic exhibition featuring women involved in the construction of the London 2012 Olympic Park was held at SportsDock last week. Read more on the news pages.
The UEL Postgraduate Research Students Survey (PRSS) launches on Thursday 29 March. Aimed at Professional Doctorate, PhD and MPhil students, the survey will be available online and in paper form. Final submission dates are Friday 20 April (paper responses) and Thursday 26 April (online). Modelled on the biennial, national Postgraduate Research Experience Survey (PRES), the PRSS covers a range of areas relevant to research students including supervision, school facilities and professional and researcher development. There will be a prize draw for participants, with a first prize of £200, and a second prize of £100, both in Amazon vouchers. For more information contact Alan White
CareersBuzz, a new careers service for young people in Newham, was launched at UEL last week. The service offers professional guidance on career options via a mobile learning vehicle, alongside a variety of media such as iPhone apps and short films. Read more on the news pages.
If you are travelling to either of our main campuses during the Olympic Games, we are launching a text update service to keep you up-to-date with the latest travel issues specific to that campus.
To subscribe, text 2012Docklands or 2012 Stratford followed by your name to 88020. If you work across both campuses, you will need to subscribe to both.
Text updates are free, however your phone provider may charge you the standard rate to subscribe. If you have a university-owned phone, you will still need to subscribe.
If you have any questions please contact Olympic and Paralympic Services Manager Phil Andrews.
For the latest on our activities visit the news releases section of our website www.uel.ac.uk/news
RDBS Masterclass: An audience with Lord Victor Adebowale
Thursday 15 March, 3pm, MLT, Royal Docks Business School
• A masterclass with the Chief Executive of Turning Point.
‘Translating Egypt's Revolution’ – understanding the language of Tahrir
Thursday 15 March, 6.30pm, EB.G.06, Docklands Campus
•
Prof. Samia Mehrez (The American University in Cairo) and Laura Gribbon (School of Oriental and African Studies) will talk about their unique interdisciplinary publishing project – a re-enactment of the infectious revolutionary spirit of Egypt today.
• Click here for more information.
Student Health Matters event
Tuesday 20 March, 10am – 2pm, Computer and Conference Centre foyer, Stratford Campus, and Duncan House foyer
• Student Health and Wellbeing team are holding information stalls to build students' awareness of all things health related.
• Prizes and free fruit will be available.
Access to NHS services in the era of superdiversity: reflections from Britain’s most diverse city
Tuesday 20 March, 1pm, UH.3.08, Stratford Campus
• Presented by Dr Jenny Phillimore (Senior Lecturer at the University of Birmingham and part of the Third Sector Research Centre).
• RSVP to Gail Barrow-Guevara.
IRCD seminar
Thursday 22 March, 11am, AE.3.18, Stratford Campus
• Dr Jyrki Tuomainen will present The effects of expectations and selective attention on audio-visual speech integration.
• For further details email Elena Kushnerenko
Life in the higher sausage factory
Thursday 22 March, 5 – 6pm, ED.2.02, Stratford Campus
•
Glen Rikowski, Senior Lecturer in Education Studies at University of Northampton, will be presenting this next research seminar.
• Please RSVP to Veronica Burton.
Improving health in Newham – Research Seminar Series
Tuesday 27 March, 4.15 – 5.30pm, Classroom 3, Education Centre, NUHT
• Paul Sugarhood will be presenting ‘ATHENE – Assistive Technologies for Healthy Living in Elders: Needs Assessment by Ethnography’.
• Click here for full details.
• Please RSVP to Research Secretary Sadna Ullah or call 020 7055 5628.
RDBS Masterclass: An audience with John Burton
Thursday 29 March, 1pm, MLT, Royal Docks Business School
• A masterclass with the director of Westfield's Stratford City Project.
Lunchtime discussion forum: Minding the gap about BAME student attainment: some preliminary findings of BAME students' experience of HE
Thursday 26 April, 12 noon – 2pm, RB.G.13, Stratford Campus
• Facilitated by Dr Pippa Dell, School of Psychology
• The session will explore the ways in which BAME students construct their expectations about, and experiences of, higher education, and will use this to clarify some of the reasons for the lower attainment of good degrees.
• Booking not necessary. Buffet lunch (first-come, first-served).
• View the Lunchtime Learning and Teaching Series schedule.
The Centre of Research on Migration, Refugee and Belonging: Imaging Migrants
Wednesdays, 5.30 – 7.30pm, EB.1.37, Docklands Campus
• A series of free seminars for staff and students.
• See the full schedule.
Book launch
Wednesday 14 March, 3.30 – 5pm, EB.G.08, Docklands Campus
• Erika Cudworth and Steve Hobden from the International Politics Programme at UEL will be presenting their book, Post Human International Relations: Complexity, Ecologism and Global Politics.
• Professor John Urry from Lancaster University and Dr Jonathon Louth from Chester University will be speaking at the event.
• Refreshments will be provided. Discounted copies of the book will be available for purchase.
T and Q event and book launch
Monday 19 March, 10am – 4pm, Cass School of Education and Communities Building
• Former UEL student Simon Watts will launch his new book Doing Q methodological Research: Theory, Method and Interpretation.
• For more information contact Neil Herrington or Joy Coogan
The small ‘c’ campaign
Tuesday 20 March, 10am – 4pm, lower ground floor, Westfield Stratford City
• Health, Sports and Bioscience students will be manning a charity stand along with Community Links, to raise awareness of possible signs and symptoms of bowel and lung cancer. Come along and show your support for the students’ first experience of health promotion in action!
• For more information email Fiona McGowan.
Forthcoming workshops for researchers include:
• Wednesday 14 March: Maintaining Momentum in the Academic Environment (for PGR students)
• Wednesday 14 March: Ensuring PGR Students Complete on Time (for PGR supervisors)
• Thursday 22 March: Academic Writing for Publication
• Thursday 22 March: Using the “Researcher Professional” Funding Information Service
• Tuesday 27 March: Presenting Your Research
• Tuesday 27 March: Public Engagement
• Monday 16 April: Preparing For Your Viva
For workshop synopses, plus times and venues, see the RDP webpage. To book a place email Researcher Development Manager Dr Caroline Dunmore.
See Events Calendar for a full listing: www.uel.ac.uk/marketing/support/eventscalendar.htm
Welcome to the Green Thing, a regular section full of information on environmental projects, tips and ideas for staff at UEL. Visit our website 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
UEL is launching its own WARP IT (Waste Action Reuse Portal) Club. From Monday 12 March UEL staff will be able to use WARP IT to redistribute or acquire their/other school’s or department’s unwanted furniture, fixtures, fittings and office equipment. WARP IT is a redistribution network which makes it easy for individuals in an organisation to give away, loan or acquire unwanted items to others inside the same organisation or beyond by uploading the details to the site. For more information or to join see the Green Thing website, or email Mollie Miller/call 020 8223 3330/2107.
Green Impact, the accreditation scheme that rewards green actions taken by staff teams in departments across UEL, is entering its second stage. We currently have 22 teams working hard to complete their workbooks, and on Monday 26 March, volunteer auditors will be visiting all teams to check the progress that has been made. Both students and staff, whether previously involved in Green Impact or not, can join our team of auditors, with full training is provided. To find out more about this unique opportunity and for a first-hand view of what UEL’s Environmental Champions have been up to visit the Green Thing website.
Recycle your batteries on campus! You will now find battery collection points at over 20 UEL locations. Batteries are 100% recyclable. However, around 600 million UK household batteries (22,000 tonnes, the weight of 110 jumbo jets) are unnecessarily sent to landfill every year. So let’s make sure they end up in our battery buckets instead. See the list of places in which you can find a green battery bucket at Docklands, Stratford and Duncan House. If you are based in a prominent location and would like to host a battery recycling bucket please contact Toby Jones.
...that 'Munch', the cafe at UEL’s newly opened SportsDock, stocks KeepCups? Buy yours today!
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
