BSU ONLINE Mary Berry ‘People of the Year’
Stephanie Kitchen in FAD finals
Elke Sada - Front cover treatment
Jan 2013
Front cover: Ceramic pieces by Elke Sada
In jan’s issue of BSU Online... Update from the Vice-Chancellor 4 Newton Park Campus development update 5 New Look New Name - Competition 6 Katharine Reeve lecture at Annual Futurebook conference
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Partnership prospers with The Holburne Museum 8 Creative Futures 2013 9 Spotlight on… SU President Amy Dawson 10 Bath Spa Live 13 More than a passing FAD 14 My Beautiful High Nelly 15 Creating voices 16 Mary Berry - ‘People of the Year’ 17 Elke Sada - Front cover treatment 18 Bill Hughes stokes Gothic flames 20 Keith Harrison residency at the V&A 21 Graduate placements with Parragon Books 22 BSU Events 23 Masters graduate receives recognition for her work in textile design
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BSU : International 26 BSU: In the news 27 Students’ Union news 28 Staff News 29 BSU ONLINE JAN 2013
Update from the Vice-Chancellor It is now a year since I joined Bath Spa University. I would like to reiterate my thanks to staff and students for the extraordinary level of support that they have given me. Pic: Professor Christina Slade Vice-Chancellor
We have all worked tirelessly in the last 12 months to formulate a new Vision for the University and then to develop and begin to implement the strategy. I said when I arrived that the University was facing a perfect storm, of increased fees, a financial crisis, an unpredictable recruitment regime, and Government policies which were forcing smaller universities to redefine their niche. Increasing global and local competition meant an emphasis on rankings, in which we figured modestly. Within the University, a massive programme of building was underway; and staff were preparing for the Research Excellence Framework (REF) in 2014 which determines our standing for the next five years. The Vision moving forward Bath Spa University will be the leading university in creativity, culture and enterprise, known for its student experience and its location in a world heritage city. Students will be global citizens with an active engagement with the community. We have set out on the journey, with a clear sense of focus. We have begun a global citizenship programme for high achieving students, and developed strong new partnerships such as that with the Holburne Museum in Bath which recognise our distinctive vision. International Relations Office The International Relations Office has been established and we now have bases in China and India. The major initiatives relate to Transnational Education, with plans to validate degrees with a private provider in Catalonia, and with further partners in Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia and the US. Development and Alumni Relations Office We continue to work on establishing the team and we hope to have the Alumni Relations Manager in post within the next few months. Colleagues are invited to engage with the team, sharing their knowledge of alumni by contacting alumni@bathspa.ac.uk 4
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Pic: New academic building
Newton park campus development update As we entered the New Year, work on the academic building continued at a fast pace.
The concrete frame of the building is now clearly visible as columns were erected from the first floor up to the second. The steel frame was completed on the energy centre behind Sydney halls of residence and a trench was dug to allow connection of the energy centre to the academic building. Towards the end of January cladding work to the exterior of the academic building commenced and work began on the roof of the energy centre. Concrete pouring works are continuing and due to be completed by the end of March. The noise from the site will begin to change as work starts on the upper slabs of the academic building and the roof of the energy centre is put in place. Alexi Marmott Associates have been appointed as fit-out designer for the academic building and will work together with the University to select interior furniture and other facilities for the buildings. Details of proposals for the interior of the building will be shared with students and staff in due course to ensure the views of those who will use the building are considered. As always, you can keep track of the building work via two webcams of the site here
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NEW LOOK NEW NAME You will hopefully have noticed that BSU Online has had a bit of re-vamp this month. As well as getting your thoughts on the new content and layout, we would like to invite you to enter our competition to re-name BSU Online. We’re open to all suggestions and they can be as creative as you like. If you would like to enter, please email your suggestion/s to Jane Wakefield j.wakefield@bathspa.ac.uk by 5:00pm on Friday 15 February. The winning name will be revealed when the February issue is launched. Good luck!
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Katharine Reeve lecture at Futurebook Katharine Reeve, Acting Head of Creative Writing and Publishing, spoke at the annual publishing industry Futurebook conference.
Pic: Katharine Reeve
In her lecture ‘The future editorial product’, she proposed a new role for commissioning editors as creative producers heading up a collaborative team of digital developers and designers to work with authors on new digital forms for their ideas and stories. Over 600 people attended the conference and this was the first time that editors and their role in digital had been discussed. As a result, a number of major publishing companies have been in touch to request Bath Spa students’ help in addressing digital challenges. Universities have an important role to play in carrying out research to help publishers develop models of good practice around digital. There has also been a high level of industry interest in Katharine’s ‘Digital Days Out’ for editors which will be hosted at Bath Spa’s Publishing Lab. The Social Media Experiment filmed the event, with Mike Johnston as Director, and will be producing a series of short films. Also at the conference, Professor of Creative Writing, Naomi Alderman, was awarded the ‘Futurebook Adult App Award’ for her ‘Zombies, Run!’ mobile app.
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partnership prospers with the holburne museusm Students and staff have been working in collaboration with the Holburne Museum in Bath for a number of years.
This has included the Holburne contributing to degree courses and Bath Spa curating and sponsoring exhibitions, creating innovative performances and concerts and student and graduate artwork being exhibited. To further promote and develop this academic and cultural collaboration, the University and the Museum have announced a new formal partnership. Vice-Chancellor Professor Slade said: “Bath Spa University is a creative hub of culture and enterprise and
and we support our students in their endeavours to develop their practice. Our various project partnerships with the Holburne Museum have continued to expand over the years, so it is fitting that we now work more closely together to further develop our relationship.” Dr Alexander Sturgis, Director of the Holburne Museum said: “Education is at the core of what the Holburne is about. We are delighted and proud to be working in partnership with Bath Spa University. I can’t wait to see the ways in which our collaborations will develop and flourish over a wide range of museum activities and academic disciplines.”
Pic: Richard Sackville, William Larkin, oil on canvas 8
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To celebrate the announcement, the University sponsored the Holburne’s latest exhibition: ‘Painted Pomp: Art and Fashion in the Age of Shakespeare’, which opened on 26 January and runs until 6 May. The exhibition features nine exceptional full-length Jacobean portraits by William Larkin, painted around 1613-18. The Vice-Chancellor addressed an audience at the opening night of the exhibition on 25 January to welcome the new partnership alongside Dr Sturgis.
creative futures 2013 Following the success of Creative Futures 2012, the season of events is set to run again throughout May and June this year.
It is a celebration of all that the University, its students, graduates and staff have achieved this academic year. Being a part of Creative Futures 2013 is a great way of promoting degree courses, showcasing the talent of graduates and students and highlighting the creativeness and of Bath Spa University as a whole. Last year saw events held by groups of staff and students across the various schools of study and featured student work from the creative and cultural industries including heritage, design, fashion, film, music, performing arts, photography, textiles and visual arts. A programme of events for this year will be available in the Spring.
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spotlight on
“I began to realise that moaning was a waste of time unless you are willing to do something about it� 10
Pic: Amy Dawson
n...
Students’ Union President Amy Dawson
Amy Dawson is now roughly half way through her tenure as President of Bath Spa University Students’ Union. Having graduated from BSU with a degree in Cultural and Drama studies, the Scunthorpe born 22 year old explains what attracted her to the job.
“I remember as a student I was never really that involved with the Students’ Union until my second and third year when I got a bit more involved with things like the Union radio station, SpaLifeRadio. I believe I was like most students in that I was more often than not willing to complain and have a bit of a moan, but not willing to do anything about it”, she said. “But as the years went by, I began to realise that moaning was a waste of time unless you are willing to do something about it and campaign, so I decided to apply for the Students’ Union President role. “Whilst I knew it would give me the opportunity to help implement change, it also appealed to me because it seemed to be such an amazing and wide ranging position. As a recent graduate, to be able to say you have been a governor of the University, a trustee of a charity and that you have experience of
sitting on different boards and panels is a great advantage over other job market competition.” But what does a Students’ Union President do from day to day? As Amy described, it isn’t a simple nine-till-five desk job. She said: “Where do I start? It is such a broad job and very wide ranging. In short I am the voice of the students. Through listening to their frustrations, I can attempt to try and improve their overall experience as students. “I am also involved with academic representation regarding course issues and timetabling which I will then voice to the University providing a vital link in communication between students and the University.” Each sabbatical officer begins their new position with a handful of aims and targets and BSU ONLINE JAN 2013
hopes to have ticked each one off the list by the time they leave, usually a year later. As chief of student representation, Amy painted a busy picture of what she hopes to achieve before she leaves BSU for good. “One of my main issues when I was a student was communication across the board staff to students, University to students and communication from the Students’ Union to its students is a huge area I would like to help improve”, she said. “I am also very keen to introduce student-led teaching awards which would be massively exciting and a first for Bath Spa.” Despite being smaller than some other universities, Amy feels size doesn’t matter and if anything, is an advantage. It was something she drew upon when recalling what she loved so much about being a BSU 11
student. She said: “I absolutely loved my time as a Bath Spa student. The fact the University is smaller in size than other Universities is a real selling point. As a student here, you are never made to feel you are out of your depth and there is a genuine community feeling. When walking from one of the end of campus to the other, you can be sure you will bump into people you know. “When I came to the Open Day, which can be a daunting experience, I felt at ease and this really matters, especially if you are moving away from home for the first time. Also, the city of Bath is such a small and beautiful city it makes it hard to feel lost or lonely. “Also, for me, the teaching was really what made studying so worthwhile. The amount of effort put in to getting to know you and your personal needs is what makes the teaching staff here that extra bit special. They were always willing to go that extra mile which is something I really valued and to know you have such good support when you need it is a really comforting feeling.”
Pic: Campaign material
in making sure the student voice is heard. With the fee increases, there is a danger of students becoming consumers, so we must encourage students to be partners in shaping their learning experience.” Amy is still undecided about whether to campaign to stay in office for a second term. If not, what next for the SU President? “I’m really not sure what I am going to do after leaving BSU. I need to visit careers and work out what my skills are first! I have always felt comfortable talking to people, and considering how worked up I get when I am faced with obstacles, maybe a job that entails implementing change or policy, but not necessarily politics.”
It is undoubtedly an exciting time to be part of BSU with the new academic building and halls of residence developments, a feeling Amy echoed. “I think the new developments at Newton Park are going to have a massively positive impact on students and will transform the campus”, she said. If you would like to recommend a fellow student “It’s great that the University are consulting with students to work out how best the new academic building can meet and exceed their needs. The Students’ Union involvement will be essential 12
or colleague to be interviewed for ‘Spotlight on’ please let us know by emailing Rob Breckon r.breckon@bathspa.ac.uk
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Coming up in Feb... Gamelan Concert Wed 6 Feb, 7:30pm, Michael Tippet Centre The dulcet tones of Bath Spa University’s Indonesian Gamelan orchestra Tickets: Full Price £5; Concessions £3; Free for Bath Spa Live members.
Musica Viva Wed 13 Feb, 1:10pm, Michael Tippett Centre Programme to be confirmed. Musica Viva events are free lunchtime concerts by students, staff and friends of the Department of Music at Bath Spa University. Tickets: Free - no booking required
Big Band Extravaganza Wed 20 Feb, 8:00pm, Michael Tippett Centre Featuring a cross-section of Big Band music from the last 80 years, in a variety of styles and genres, performed by musicians from Bath Spa University Department of Music and the wider community. Tickets: Full Price £8; Concessions £6; BSU Students & U16s $5. Free for Bath Spa Live members.
Comedy Cavern feat. Kevin Shepherd Thurs 21 Feb, 8:00pm, Burdall’s Yard The cheekily charming Kevin Shepherd will be joined by William Peck, Zahra Barri, Carl Jones and Jack Brown, with MC Geoff Whiting. 10 student comedians will also take to the stage for one quick-fire minute each. Bar opens 7:30pm – acts on stage 8pm. Tickets: Full Price £8; Concessions £6; BSU students & U16s £5. Free for Bath Spa Live members
These Beautiful Things 4 Thurs 21 Feb, 8:00pm, Burdall’s Yard A night of new acoustic music that displays all the poetic, lyrical and sonic sensibility Bath Spa music students have become noted for. Bar opens 7:30pm – acts on stage 8pm. Tickets: £3 on the door. Free for BSU students. BSU ONLINE JAN 2013
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more than a p
Stephanie Kitchen, Fashion Design st representing Bath Spa as one of only and universities in the UK to have a s the final. Stephanie and the fourteen other
Pic: Stephanie Kitchen design
finalists were selected from over 100 entries submitted to FAD over the last year in which they were asked to design optimistic solutions for the next decade. The brief challenged students to ‘look forward and explore’ and asked them to envisage a key development or change taking place in the next ten years, and design two outfits which respond to it.
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The catwalk final is set to take place at London Fashion Week in February as part of the Vauxhall Fashion Scout showcase where aspiring young designers compete for vital funding and top industry placements. The contestants have until February to make their final designs which will be judged by a top industry panel including iconic fashion journalist and talent spotter Hilary Alexander.
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Commenting on making the final, Stephanie said: “I am so excited to have been selected for the FAD final. I really enjoyed working on such an inspiring brief and am really grateful to have been given the opportunity to showcase my designs during the London Fashion week.” Louise Pickles, Course Leader and Coordinator of Fashion at BSU, added: “This is the fourth year we have had finalists in the FAD competition, and we are thrilled that Stephanie will now have the opportunity to develop her collection and showcase at Vauxhall Fashion Scout to the fashion industry in February. Developing this collection at the same time as her own collection for her degree will be challenging, and we wish her every success for the finals.”
passing FAD Pic: Stephanie Kitchen design
tudent will be y 12 colleges student in
My Beautiful High Nelly Dr Brian Griffin a Senior Lecturer in History has a keen interest in the social history of cycling, especially in Ireland, so was very happy to act as a consultant for ‘Mo High Nelly Álainn’, a documentary programme about the impact of the “High Nelly” pushbike on Irish society in the first half of the twentieth century.
Mo High Nelly Álainn” (or, “My Beautiful High Nelly” in English) gave a nostalgic look at the impact of the “High Nelly”, as the pushbike was often known as in rural Ireland, in the first half of the twentieth century. It discussed the use of the bicycle by the IRA during the War of Independence, with a particular focus on Michael Collins, who favoured the Irish-made “Pierce” bicycle, and by the fledgling Irish
Army in the years after independence, but its main focus was on how the bicycle helped to transform the lives of ordinary men and women in the Irish countryside. Testimony from numerous witnesses documented the bicycle’s central importance for conducting day-to-day business, attending sports events on weekends, going to Mass on Sundays and going to dances and courting. BSU ONLINE JAN 2013
The programme also included a segment devoted to the annual “High Nelly Festival” in South Meath when enthusiasts dress up in period costume and cycle on their “High Nellies” on the rural byroads in the Trim area. It was broadcast on the Irish-language television station TG4 on Sunday 14 November and on Monday 15 November.
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Creating Voices Students from the University are working in conjunction with Bath Abbey as part of a lottery funded oral history project.
“an ideal opportunity to look back and record the experiences of those who have
The ‘Creating Voices’ project has been
worked on the Abbey in the
designed to capture the stories of the many individuals who were involved in caring for the Abbey’s fabric or who worked on restoring the present Abbey building. The project has received £22,200 funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF). In addition to the £22,200 received from the HLF, a further £7,000 has been provided by the Friends of Bath Abbey bringing the project total to £29,200.
past”
Heritage and History students from the University will help the Abbey collect and present people’s stories from over a 60-year period of the Abbey’s rich and inspiring history, from the 1942 Bath Blitz, which provided the impetus for the 13 year post-war restoration of the Abbey, up to the end of the Abbey 2000 restoration. The formation of the Friends of Bath Abbey in 1948 was crucial to the preservation and enhancement of the Abbey during this period as the Friends provided the driving force and much of the funding for both these programmes.
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Dr Kristin Doern, Heritage Subject Leader, said: “This is an exciting time for the Abbey, and an ideal opportunity to look back and record the experiences of those who have worked on the Abbey in the past. A particular strength of the project is the collaboration between Abbey volunteers and our students, broadening the range of people our students work with, and helping the Abbey capacity build in terms of the skills of its core volunteers. “Because the project runs over two years, it also gives us the chance to be involved in something on a longer term basis which has opened up new possibilities for how we can be involved, and increases the number of students who will benefit from working with the Abbey team. We are delighted to be involved in a project that further develops what is already a key partnership for the University, and welcome the opportunities it will bring for our students.”
President of the Alumni Association, Mary Berry was named by The Daily Telegraph as one of the ‘People of the Year’ 2012.
Mary Berry ‘People of the Year’
Writers and editors at the newspaper chose 25 notable Britons to make up the list and along with Mary Berry it included film director Sam Mendes, dancer Darcey Bussell and the Queen’s cousin Margaret Rhodes. Commenting on her selection, The Daily Telegraph said Mary: “cemented her place not only as a baking treasure, but as a national fashion icon.” Mary’s connection with Bath Spa goes back to when at the age of 18 she trained at Bath College of Domestic Science. She went onto complete a Paris Cordon Bleu course and has written more than 70 cookery books since her first was published in 1970. She has hosted several television series for the BBC and been a judge on The Great British Bake Off since 2010. She was recently awarded an Honorary Degree by the University and is keen to promote the new Alumni Association to other graduates. Speaking about the Association she said: “I was very pleased to accept Bath Spa University’s invitation to be President of the Alumni Association.
Pic: Vice-Chancellor (L) with Mary Berry (R)
My time at Bath College of Domestic Science was wonderful and gave me a good start to my career. It is inspiring to hear about the achievements of other alumni and I look forward to welcoming many more of them to the Association.”
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Pic: Elka Sada piece
Elke Sada - Front c
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cover treatment Talented ceramicist and Bath School of Art and Design graduate Elke Sada featured on the cover of the January issue of Ceramic Review. After graduating from Bath Spa in 2003, Elke secured a place at the Royal College of Art in London where she undertook a Master of Arts in Ceramics and Glass. Elke combines expressive paintings and everyday objects in her work. She begins by painting the image or artwork on plasterboards and then pours clay on top. While it is still flexible, she cuts off fragments of the clay and combines to form her vases, plates and other objects. She has said: “My work has always been about surface and colour. Everything can inspire me, consciously or unconsciously. It can be a painting, a song, a bunch of flowers, an image in a magazine, a pot, or emotion.� BSU ONLINE JAN 2013
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Bill Hughes stokes Gothic flames
The first of these, the two-volume Encyclopaedia of the Gothic for Blackwell was co-edited with David Punter of the University of Bristol and Andrew Smith of the University of Glamorgan. It features 200 newly commissioned entries, several of which were provided by current and past Bath Spa English faculty. The second, the Historical Dictionary of the Gothic, for the US academic publisher Scarecrow Press, is a single-author reference work of 130,000 words. EcoGothic, is the first critical work to examine the connections between ecocriticism and the Gothic. It has been edited by Bill Hughes and Andrew Smith and will also be published in 2013 as one of the first volumes in Manchester University 20
Press’s new International Gothic Series. Bill expressed his delight with the timeliness of these two publications, and commented: “These books close what has been a rather busy 12 months for me. Last year marked the centenary of the death of Bram Stoker, author of Dracula, and in consequence I was an invited plenary speaker at three conferences, including one at Trinity College Dublin, where Stoker studied. “The year has also seen the publication of the co-edited collection The Victorian Gothic: An Edinburgh Companion for Edinburgh University Press (2012), and the submission of EcoGothic (forthcoming, 2013) to Manchester University Press. Both of these titles are the first books in series initiated by their respective publishers and managed by Andrew Smith and myself. “On top of this, I remain editor of Gothic Studies, the premier academic journal in the field, also published by Manchester University Press, and will stand down this year as one of the two Presidents of the International Gothic Association in July.” BSU ONLINE JAN 2013
Pics: (from Top to bottom) Historic Dictionary of Gothic, Encyclopaedia of the Gothic and Gothic Studies
Bill Hughes, Professor of Gothic Studies has celebrated the New Year with the publication of two significant reference works in the field of Gothic Studies, both published in January 2013.
Keith Harrison residency at the V&A
Pic: Part of the Keith Harrison collection
Two months into his Ceramics residency at the V&A and Keith Harrison has made his mark
The glass studio walls looking into the galleries are white-washed to provide another sketchpad surface to reveal the inner workings of Keith’s mind and add a little bit of privacy to the daily activity of the artist. Inside the studio and away from most visitors view, walls and desks are filled with more sketches, diagrams and post-it notes. Under the tables stereo systems await their assault with clay and on the stools microphones are already morphed with ceramic material. Keith’s work is far from that of a conventional potter. Since 2002 he has been shocking the world of ceramics with a series of live public experiments, exploring the process of transformation, converting clay from its raw state using industrial and domestic heating elements. In more recent work Keith uses sound to transform the clay and his largest experiment was impressively seen and heard in 2011 at the Jerwood Makers Open in the form of ‘Float’ a huge structure made up of twenty six handmade speakers. Speaking about the he said: “I would hope the work evokes a sense of monumentality. I am interested in the line between creation and destruction, functionality and obsolescence.” BSU ONLINE JAN 2013
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On a slightly more domestic scale, Keith’s initial clay and photographic montages reside comfortably in the allocated display cases amongst the extensive and awe inspiring V&A Ceramic gallery collection, yet the artist’s work is far from comfortable.
The current residency ‘Disruption Series’ is developed through installation and performance, and exist temporarily across the Museum.
The V&A describe the work as: “Disruptions are intended as a riposte to the lunchtime recital, a succession of short, experimental shocks within the structure of the institution.”
Graduate placements with Parragon Books The University has seen a substantial increase in the number of placement schemes including the continuation of a highly successful one with Parragon Books
Over two thirds of undergraduate awards at Bath Spa give students the option of a placement or work-based learning module. There has been around a 300 per cent increase in the number of students opting to take the University’s work placement module since the 2011/12 academic year. One of the most successful programmes has been the Parragon Graduate scheme. This three month internship for graduating publishing students, at Parragon Books in Bath, provides a fantastic opportunity for them to experience a real working environment. Head of HR at Parragon Books, Claire Williams, explained: “The scheme is designed to prepare graduates for the world of work and to build up local relationships within the community. It aims to integrate students into the workplace, encouraging the appropriate attitudes, responsibilities and commitments which are all vital 22
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in the work place. “We try to make the whole experience for graduates as professional as possible where they will go through the whole recruitment process including professional interviews and feedback as well as the full induction process when they join the business. “So far the placement scheme has been a great success. We have had some really fantastic graduates join the business, some of which have gone on to secure permanent roles and for others, it has provided a great stepping stone into the industry they want to work in.” Acting Head of Department in Creative Writing and Publishing, Katharine Reeve, said: “Parragon has been amazing through this whole process and they have really driven this. We are incredibly grateful and delighted to be working with them.”
The importance for students to gain high quality work experience is continually being highlighted and reflected in employer and student surveys. Results from the most recent High Fliers research warned that graduates without work experience will struggle to get jobs no matter how good their grades. The University last year established a dedicated placements team which, in partnership with its employer liaison team, is supporting more students and local business than ever before in seeking and developing new placement opportunities. With over 1,500 Bath Spa students on placement in a range of businesses, schools and other settings, Head of Enterprise & Local Partnerships, Adam Powell, added: “Placements and industry-led projects are an essential part of degree programmes today not only for the skills, knowledge and networks developed, but to gain an understanding of how formal and informal recruitment works.”
BSU EVENTS Digital Corsham Lunchtime Talks Wed 20 Feb, 1:00pm Room F24, Corsham Court New Professor of Creative Writing, Philip Hensher will talk about his Digital Writing Life. Thurs 21 Mar, 1:00pm The Barn, Corsham Court Donna Hancox, at Bath Spa on a year-long research fellowship from QUT, Brisbane, Australia, will be taking about ‘Transmedia – what is it and what’s in it for writers and artists?’ Thurs 18 Apr, 1:00pm Corsham Court Charlotte Abbott will be visiting from New York for the London Bookfair. She will give a talk about ‘The Future Bookshop’. As bookshops disappear from the high street and bookselling moves online, how will readers find books? If the phrase ‘Search is the new bookshop’ is true, what does it mean for us as writers and readers?
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Masters graduate receives work in textile design Penny Seume studies MA Design: Fashion and Textiles and her work was recently shown at the prestigious Society of Designer Craftsmen annual exhibition at the Mall Galleries, London. She was invited to exhibit following her being awarded a highly commended recommendation at the New Design Britain awards at Interiors UK in January 2012. For the exhibition, Penny designed printed velvet fabric based on the New York skyline and worked with upholsterer, Ann Dyke and interior designer for Dulux, Chris Read, to produce a spectacular sofa. Capturing the atmosphere of New York glittering in the winter sunlight the sofa, entitled Vagabond Shoes (in homage to Frank Sinatra singing New York, New York - the very hub of this design) is a true collaboration of all their skills.
Pic: ‘Vagabond Shoes’ sofa by Penny Seume
Penny Seume has been awarded fo with her collection recently featurin
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recognition for her The whole body of work has been given a Distinction award by the Society and in addition to the sofa, Penny showed cushions and linen lampshades based on her paintings and collages of the city. Following the exhibition, the sofa will be featured alongside the Dulux colour of the year, a deep midnight blue in contrast to the golden sofa. Penny now works full time from her studio in Bristol, designing and creating beautiful printed fabrics, wallpaper and interior products. Her products reference the original location in a subtle way and capture some of the inherent mood and magic. Her collections have been variously inspired by the Bath skyline, New York and London. The latter captured twinkling lights, barges and architecture by the Thames Embankment and was designed for the ‘London: A Celebration’ show at the Oxo Tower Gallery in May 2012.
or her work in textiles design ng at a prestigious exhibition.
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BSU: INTErN Exchange Opportunities
Scholarships
Ever dreamed of studying abroad? These
New scholarships are available to interna-
dreams could be a reality and where better to study than in Australia or the USA. The IRO has availability at State University of New York, Geneseo and at the University of Technology, Sydney. Students who are interested in opportunities to study abroad for a semester should contact international@bathspa.ac.uk. Please note that there is limited availability so please contact us asap to avoid disappointment. Please note that capacity has been reached for the Erasmus exchange programme.
tional students. Pre-sessional progression scholarship: Students who complete either the six week or 12 week pre-sessional course or progress to an undergraduate full-time degree programme are entitled to a £500 bursary in the form of a tuition fee reduction for the first year. This can be used in conjunction with the Early Payment Scholarship. Students who pay their tuition fees in full before enrolment, will be entitled to a £1,200 bursary in the form of a tuition fee reduction. More information is available at www.bathspa.ac.uk/international
Study Abroad
BSU India
A new Study Abroad programme is now
The IRO would like to thank staff involved
available to students wanting to join BSU for a semester or full academic year. Any academic credits achieved can be transferred to their home institution and contribute towards their degree. Students will study a range of courses across the university’s five schools and prices are £7,310 for Semester 1, £8,600 for Semester 2 or £16,610 for the full academic year. Fees include accommodation, assessment, transcripts, airport pick up and tuition fees.
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in Hitanshu Bhardwaj’s extremely successful visit to Bath Spa University from the BSU India office. Hitanshu was able to meet with all of the schools and visited Sion Hill and Corsham Court during his stay. He also met with Student Housing but unfortunately his visit was cut by the snowy weather. Hitanshu will be able to speak with those departments he was unable to meet with via video link soon.
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NATIONAL Pre-sessional courses
Two new pre-sessional courses have been launched. The aim of these courses is to give international students the language, academic skills and confidence they need to progress on their chosen undergraduate or postgraduate degree programme and maximise their full potential as learners. • Six week pre-sessional course from 5 August to 13 September 2013. UG Students with 5.5 IELTS (in all components). PG Students with 6 IELTS (in all components). • 12 week pre-sessional course from 24 June to 13 September 2013. UG Students with 5 IELTS (in all components). PG Students with 5.5 IELTS (in all components). The courses are intensive with 20 timetable hours per week. Throughout the course, students are given individual support from their personal tutor, who will ensure that the student learning experience is a positive and enjoyable one.
Transnational Education (TNE)
Over the past few months, the IRO have been making significant progress with TNE and International Relations Director Jeremy White is pleased to confirm a TNE programme at the Lifelong Learning College, Hong Kong. Students at Lifelong Learning College, Hong Kong will study BSU modules from Business and Management which will be validated by BSU. Students will achieve a joint degree award from Bath Spa University and Lifelong Learning, Hong Kong. The IRO anticipates that there will be more TNE programmes agreed in the coming months. For further information about any of the above, please contact the IRO by emailing international@ bathspa.ac.uk
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Funding available for Postgraduate study Fee reductions for Bath Spa Graduates
If you are in your final year of study at Bath Spa University and you start a postgraduate course in October 2013, you will be eligible for a £1,200 reduction to the fees for that course*. The reduction is available to both UK/EU and international students and also pro-rata for part-time study. * There is no fee reduction available for MA Professional Practice in Higher Education and the Professional Master’s Programme
Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) Studentships
Bath Spa University has a number of AHRC studentships available for 2013-14. All are for full studentships covering tuition fees (paid to the university) and maintenance allowance (paid to the student in non-taxable quarterly instalments). Studentships are available in the following areas: MA Creative Writing, MA Writing for Young People, MA Scriptwriting, MA Fine Art, MA Design: Ceramics, MA Design: Fashion and Textiles, MA Design: Investigating Fashion Design, MA Investigating Crafts, PhD Creative Writing. Further details and how to apply can be found here - www.bathspa.ac.uk/study-with-us/postgraduate/fees-and-finance
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BSU: in the news The Guardian interviews Gerard Woodward
Professor of Fiction Gerard Woodward was interviewed by The Guardi-
an about his latest poetry collection The Seacunny. The article discusses his illustrious career including time at art school, travelling around Europe, his alter-ego Julian and his successful writing of both novels and poetry. One poem in particular is singled out. Several Uses for a Trampoline was written after he moved to Frome to take up his post here at Bath Spa over 10 years ago. The full interview is available here
Pic: Gerard Woodward
Dr Iain Haysom on BBC about Food waste
Dr Iain Haysom, Course Leader in Diet and Health and Senior Lecturer in Food Safety spoke on BBC Radio Bristol about why the world wastes so much food and if it is our fault. National news headlines that day focused on a report by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers claiming as much as half of the world’s food, amounting to two billion tonnes worth, ends up being thrown away.
Philip Hensher interviewed by The Sunday Times
Philip Hensher was the feature of The Sunday Times World’s Fastest
Interview column on 13 January. In it he gave his views on gay marriage, cocktails and persuading youngsters to read. In response to the question: “What’s all this about you becoming a Professor at Bath Spa University?” he said: “Talking about how to write with young, hungry, talented people – keeps you on your toes!” A glowing review of our Creative Writing students!
Pic: Philip Hensher
Dr Anil de Sequeira speaks on horse DNA in beefburgers
Subject Leader in Food and Nutrition Dr Anil de Sequeria was interviewed by BBC Radio Wiltshire about reports in the media that horse DNA was found is certain own brand supermarket beef burgers. Anil talked about the stringent procedures in place that should ensure situations like this do not occur and gave advice to consumers about what to do if they were concerned. BSU ONLINE JAN 2013
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Students’ Union Successful bid for NUS teaching grant The Students’ Union have been successful in applying for a grant to help run the annual Student Led Teaching Awards.
The Students’ Union have been chosen as one of only 15 in the UK to receive the funding consisting of £800 and three supportive training sessions to assist in running the awards scheme effectively. The Student Led teaching awards give students the chance to nominate university staff as examples of excellence with the creation, promotion, nomination and selection all done by students. It is hoped that Student Academic Reps will lead on this. Students’ Union President Amy Dawson said: “The awards are a really positive way of giving students a voice. It helps them become partners in their education by getting them to think about what makes great teaching. In turn, this should highlight what they value in terms of teaching, assessment and feedback and help spread good practise. “We’re hoping it will be seen as an opportunity to thank great members of staff, and therefore improve relationships between students and staff. With students paying significantly more for their education, there is a danger of a consumerist attitude towards teaching and hopefully with these awards, students will get an increased sense of ownership of experience.”
Hockey fundraising for Children’s Ward at RUH
The Hockey team have been enthusiastic in supporting the ward and have previously made visits at Christmas time in order to provide gifts to the children through various fundraising activities. The team have been active in raising money for a variety of charities through supermarket bag packs, collections for the poppy appeal and a Santa dash for Children’s Hospice South West. The money raised enabled the ward to receive two brand new iPad 2’s just before Christmas. This was greatly received by the hospital who had been hoping to get these in order to support some therapy sessions with the children.
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staff news Sad news – death of former Head of Music Miss Joan Niblett
The University was saddened to hear of the death of former music lecturer, Miss Joan Niblett. Miss Niblett joined the University, then called the City of Bath Training College at Newton Park, as its first ever Head of Music and led on the PGCE music course. Originally from the Gloucestershire area, Miss Niblett came to Bath having taught music at a local school. She was appointed as Head of Music by the College’s Principal Miss Dawson and remained at the College until she retired aged 65 in the early 1970’s. During her time at the College, she appointed Professor George Odam who became Head of Music between 1965 and 1999, following her guidance and mentorship. She lived locally in Newton St Loe where, during retirement, she became a great supporter of the Mid-Somerset music festival. Miss Niblett achieved an impressive milestone last year when, on 4 June, she reached 100 years of age.
Starters and Leavers
In December and January we welcomed… Alexandra Hyde – Student Administration Assistant, Student Services Richard Winfield – Technical Demonstrator Three Dimensional Design (Ceramics), Bath School of Art and Design Jane Nelmes-Warden – Kitchen Assistant, Catering Sampath Karunaratne – Marketing Administrative Assistant, Marketing and Communications Robert Breckon – Communications and PR Coordinator, Marketing and Communications Cathryn Orchard – School of Education Administrator Peter Etchells – Senior Lecturer: Psychology, School of Society, Enterprise and Environment Philip Hensher – Professor of Creative Writing, School of Humanities and Cultural Industries BSU ONLINE JAN 2013
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Greg Mullin – Copy Shop Technician, Estates Sharon Love – Account Administrator, Finance Aminatta Forna - Professor of Creative Writing, School of Humanities and Cultural Industries Richard Marshall – Senior Lecturer in Food Enterprise, School of Society, Enterprise and Environment Sarah Squires – Administrative and Secretarial Assistant: Fashion, Textiles and 3-Dimensional Design, Bath School of Art and Design Sarah Bloomfield – Lecturer/Senior Lecturer in Business and Management, School of Society, Enterprise and Environment Kyriaki Hadjiafxendi – Senior Lecturer: English Literature – Literature and Place, School of Humanities and Cultural Industries Nilashis Ghosh – Lecturer/Senior Lecturer in Business and Management, School of Society, Enterprise and Environment Pamela Karantonis – Lecturer/Senior Lecturer: Voice, School of Music and Performing Arts Indaka Weerasekera – Partnership Administrator, School of Education Ann Durbin – Executive Assistant, School of Humanities and Cultural Industries Faith Binckes – Senior Lecturer in English Literature: Modern and Contemporary Literature, School of Humanities and Cultural Industries Rachael Howard – Lecturer in Textile Design, Bath School of Art and Design
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We also said farewell to‌ Jonathan Brain - Cleaner/Caretaker, Estates Rebecca Molnar - Cleaner, Domestic Services Karen Cooper - Partnerships and Projects Administrator, School of Humanities and Cultural Industries Alison Yeoman - Shelving Assistant, Library and Information Services Nadine Hennessy - HR Manager, Human Resources Yuki Saito - Cleaner, Domestic Services Marcus Witt - Senior Lecturer: Primary Mathematics, School of Education Keith Ansell - Senior Lecturer in Primary PGCE, School of Education Carrie Ansell - Senior Lecturer PEY English, School of Education Rachael Jefferson-Buchanan - Senior Lecturer: PE, Dance, Education Studies and Primary Prof, School of Education Liz Hemingway - Well-Being Advisor, Student Services Ben Leventhall - Widening Participation Outreach Officer, Enterprise and Local Partnerships Barbara Molloy - Information Manager, Library and Information Services Sharen Hunt - Student Housing Services Administrator, Student Services Nicola Morrison - Campus Librarian, Library and Information Services Ola Bankole - Environmental Officer, Estates
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lease let us know if you have any interesting news you think could feature in the next issue by sending your stories to j.wakefield@bathspa.ac.uk Deadline: Friday 15 February 2013.
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