Dialogue Magazine - Issue 30

The Gospels have arrived!

After months of planning and preparation, the much awaited exhibition opened its doors to the public on 1st July 2013. / Page 04

Also in this issue: Queen’s Campus anniversary

Centre for Evaluation and Monitoring

Celebrating 20 years of Durham University in Stockton.

Looking back at 30 years of world-class educational research.

/ Page 06

/ Page 10

Dialogue 30 | July / August 2013

/durhamuniversity

@Durham_Uni

DurhamUniversity

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This issue of Dialogue seems to celebrate anniversaries – which is important to do as anniversaries illustrate the constant need to adapt and innovate in the pursuit of excellence and long-term sustainability.

The Centre for Evaluation & Monitoring (CEM) and Queen’s Campus, celebrating their 30th and 20th anniversaries respectively, have continually changed and developed since they were first founded.

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CEM, part of the School of Education, is now an internationally recognised leader in educational monitoring and research with nearly 90 staff following the progress of over a million schoolchildren and providing educational policy advice worldwide. CEM started as a small research team in Newcastle, moved locations to Durham and, within Durham, has continued to innovate and adapt, and so to flourish.

Queen’s Campus was originally established as a joint activity on a brownfield site with the then Teesside Polytechnic and shortly thereafter became part of Durham University. Queen’s Campus has moved on tremendously and is an integral part of our University and our strategy for excellence in education and research.

The third celebration is for the Lindisfarne Gospels. Now back in Durham at Palace Green Library, it is a celebration of over 1,000 years of leadership in scholarship, culture and creativity in Durham and the wider North East region. Our library team has exceeded even the British Library’s expectations and high standards by putting together one of the best cultural exhibitions in the UK this year.

To misquote our former Chancellor Bill Bryson “It is simply wonderful, just go…”

With best wishes,

C hris Higgins, Vice-Chancellor and Warden

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EDITOR:

03 Bill Bryson Library

Governance Review Get Social

04 Lindisfarne Gospels 06 Queen’s Campus Anniversary

08 News highlights 10 CEM 30th Anniversary 12 Buy-in:

Procurement News

13 Jeremiah Dixon Exhibition

14 HR news

Rebecca Grundy, Corporate Communications Officer.

15 CIS news 16 Event Durham,

Retail and Catering

17 DUCK Annual Round-up

18 Experience Durham 19 Greenspace 20 Under investigation What’s On

ASSISTANT EDITOR: Zoë Thomas, Marketing Projects Co-ordinator.

CONTRIBUTIONS: Sharon Battersby, Computing and Information Services; Tara Duncan, Greenspace; Louise Elliott, Event Durham; Lyndsey Gilmartin, DSU; Caroline Hall, HR; Peter Holmes, Procurement Service; Elizabeth Kennedy, IBRU; Media Relations Team, Communications Office; Vicky Ridley, Experience Durham; Jenny Wesgarth, CEM.

DESIGN: wearewarm.com PRINT: statex.co.uk

FRONT COVER: Eloise Grundy with the Lindisfarne Gospels Durham Exhibition storytelling chair.

Share your story...

If you have anything interesting coming up such as an event, lecture, news article, radio/TV appearance, etc. get in touch with zoe.thomas@durham.ac.uk

Library

BILL BRYSON LIBRARY REFURBISHMENT In Summer 2013, a new programme of refurbishment work is beginning at the Bill Bryson Library.

Do you follow us on our social media channels?

We have compiled a list of our favourite posts, tweets and videos over the past two months to show you what has been happening around the University!

Heating, lighting and electrical systems are being replaced and we’re upgrading study facilities in the older part of the building to match the high standards of the new East Wing.

The store collections housed in the East Wing on Level 1 are being transferred to an external closed access store. This will allow the books from the central area on Level 4 to be moved down to the mobile shelving in the East Wing on Level 1 from July to August 2013, after which the older part of Level 4 will be closed for refurbishment.

Find out more... visit www.durham.ac.uk/library/developments

Your favourite photograph with 238 likes and 22 shares was taken at Summer Congregation. Congratulations to all of our students who graduated in June – we wish you all the best for the future!

Top 5 Tweets • Final year PhD students offer advice on how to balance your #thesis deadline and job search http://ow.ly/lS9qk via @guardian #PhD

Project Board members have been participating in a series of workshops, which will carry on throughout the summer, to consider the comments and suggestions raised in the focus groups and questionnaire responses.

Find out more... visit www.dur.ac.uk/governance.review

• Listen to Prof Louise Amore on R4’s More or Less ‘The maths of spies and terrorists’ http://ow.ly/lJ3F9 #terrorism #security

Video of the Month As part of the cutting edge lecture series Dr Thom Brooks delivered a lecture on the UK Citizenship test and discussing whether or not it is fit for purpose on the 13th June 2013. If you haven’t yet seen this lecture visit http:// youtu.be/RhSZuzCvOB4 to watch it now!

DurhamUniversity

Recommendations will be taken to the September Council meeting, after which there will be a period of consultation with all staff and students on the proposals made. Further information on the consultation phase will be available nearer the time on the project web pages and through Dialogue magazine and Signposts.

• Read @JJTehrani BBC News - Viewpoint: Did our brains evolve to foolishly follow #celebrities ? http://bbc.in/17Be9ub #CelebrityCulture

@Durham_Uni

• Read Prof Stephen Gorard article ‘Gove #education plan is a curate’s egg few will want to eat’ http://ow.ly/ lS6EN #michaelgove

• Law in Action @BBCRadio4 Tuesday at 4pm has fascinating experiment about gender & judges recorded @DurhamLawSchool http://ow.ly/m6KBN

/durhamuniversity

A weekly retrieval service for books required from the store is available. You can request store books online and they will be available to collect from the Bill Bryson Library or Queen’s Campus Library each week from Thursday afternoon.

PHOTOGRAPH OF THE MONTH

Exhibitions

T H E Lindisfarne G os After months of planning and preparation, the Lindisfarne Gospels exhibition opened its doors to the public on 1st July. Described as the most important exhibition in England this year, more than 25,000 people have already bought their tickets to the exhibition which is situated in our Palace Green Library.

The exhibition provides a unique opportunity to see the Lindisfarne Gospels and St Cuthbert’s Gospel on display together for the first time since the Reformation. St Cuthbert’s own treasures – his sapphire ring, his travelling altar, his jewelled cross and fragments of his vestments – are also on display.

Together, they tell the story of the incredible journey of the medieval monks who guarded these sacred items for generations.

The exhibition showcases many other precious treasures from the Anglo Saxon era including the Viking Raiders’ Stone, the Taplow belt buckle, the Hexham Plaque and signature pieces from the Staffordshire Horde.

Situated on the first floor of the exhibition, the Wolfson Gallery provides the young and young at heart with plenty of interactive activities and events. In pride of place is a bespoke story telling chair, designed by school children with the help of local artist Alison Ashton. Following a school trip to Lindisfarne Island, the children looked at images of the Gospels before choosing the colours, fabrics and jewels which Alison incorporated into the chair’s design. The children included a number of hidden objects around the chair, which are all based on imagery from the Gospels.

Every week during the summer holidays a story teller will sit in the chair and tell tales of Viking sagas and Anglo-Saxon tales that were first told 1,300 years ago.

Visitors can also grab a book from the beautiful art cart and read their own story.

Children (and adults!) have the opportunity to dress as ninth century monks and get a taste of what it was like to dress like medieval monastics. It’s also possible to create your own Gospel carpet page using light boxes and to examine the Gospels in detail using state-of-the-art turning-the-page technology.

Children can follow the Meowfrith trail to guide them around the exhibition and a special Lindisfarne Cat trail takes families around the City Centre starting on Palace Green – this is available from Palace Green Library reception or the World Heritage Site Visitor Centre.

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ospels HAVE ARRIVED! Lindisfarne Gospel facts:

Visit details:

516 pages made from calf skin.

The exhibition costs ÂŁ7.50 with concessions for the under 16s and over 60s.

150 cows would have been needed to create the book.

The cattle were likely to have been gifts from religious communities, kings and nobles wishing to participate.

Scholars believe the manuscript was created c.700AD by one man - Eadfrith, Bishop of Lindisfarne.

The Gospel maker was an extremely

skilled chemist.

His yellow was orpiment (trisulphide of arsenic), red and orange was toasted lead and green was verdigris made by suspending copper over vinegar. Purples and crimsons were created by introducing acidity (sources suggest stale urine) to wood and lichens.

The Gospels took approximately six years to create. The initial page of St Luke contains 10, 600 tiny drops of red lead (approximately six hours of work).

The Gospels weigh 8.7kg (nearly nine bags of sugar) or as much as an adult badger or 30 red squirrels.

Tickets are timed and dated and can be purchased online in advance or from Waterstones Academic bookstore and the World Heritage Site Visitor Centre in Durham for each day.

The exhibition is open from 10am to 10pm, seven days a week until 30th September.

For more information you can visit the website www.lindisfarnegospels.com which will be regularly updated with news or visit the reception at Palace Green Library.

@gospelsdurham

/LindisfarneGospelsDurham

All the evangelists are painted with

green eyes.

There are 516 birds depicted in the Gospels but only one cat!

Some claim the maker invented the

first light box and the first lead pencil.

IMAGES Top & bottom left: The Lindisfarne Gospels Exhibition. Middle left: Rebecca & Eloise Grundy trying out the story telling chair. Middle right: Exhibitions Officer, Julie Biddlecombe-Brown, looking at the Gospels. Bottom right: Eloise Grundy hunts for the hidden objects around the story telling chair.

Anniversary

CELEBRATING 20 YEARS OF DUR On 17th June 2013 a reunion afternoon of celebration took place at Queen’s Campus which included a visit from Professor Lord Robert Winston, the well-known fertility expert and television presenter.

Professor Lord Winston delivered a talk to an audience of staff and students, past and present, along with the Mayor, the ViceChancellor of Teesside University, members of the general public and representatives from Health Education North East.

Following the lecture guests went on to join Professor Lord Winston, the ViceChancellor and the Dean of Queen’s Campus at a celebration that included drinks, canapés and an anniversary cake.

Guests were entertained with a surprising flash mob from current students.

As part of his visit, Professor Lord Winston also unveiled a plaque to mark the formal opening of the GP training facility,

(shared between ourselves and the Health Education North East), in the new fourth wing of the Wolfson Building. The new wing is part of our on-going investment in world-class and sustainable development to support education, research, student experience and the economy.

The Dean of Queen’s Campus, Professor Jo Phoenix, said: “Queen’s Campus has made a significant contribution to the development of not just Stockton, but the region as a whole. Our new GP training facility builds on that spirit of collaboration; it will lead to a growth in GP trainees and also increase the number of them that are taking part in postgraduate education and research.”

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1994

1995

1998

The Campus welcomes its first 190 students

University College, Stockton is officially opened by HRH Elizabeth II.

The Earl of Stockton opens the first student residences, home to 234 first year students.

The first students graduate in a ceremony at Stockton Parish Church.

Chancellor Sir Peter Ustinov officially opens the Ebsworth Building and the new residential accommodation.

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2002

John Snow and Stephenson Colleges are created and the Wolfson Research Institute opens.

Awarded the title “Queen’s Campus” in the Queen’s Golden Jubilee year.

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2011

A state-of-the-art Sports Centre opens along with a boat house.

New social and study facilities enhance both colleges.

Developments to central campus library, the Careers, Employability and Enterprise Centre, Café Aroma and a postgraduate study area.

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2013

The Wolfson Building is extended to deliver a stateof-the-art NHS Primary Care training facility and provision for the Business School for research and postgraduate study.

Professor Lord Robert Winston (pictured) officially opens the new 4th wing of the Wolfson Building in June. The new Pharmacy undergraduate course (MPharm) welcomes its first students in October.

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RHAM UNIVERSITY IN STOCKTON It gives me a great sense of pride and achievement that the staff at Queen’s Campus have been able to bring anthropology, not the most widely known of disciplines, to an extraordinarily diverse range of people. Using anthropology as the basis for personal and intellectual reflection on social, cultural and biological difference is a powerful tool. There has been a real sense that we have made a difference in people’s lives or, more accurately, have given students the wherewithal to make a difference in their own. Distances travelled by our students have often been immense and it has been a genuine privilege to have been part of these.

Professor Bob Simpson, Head of Department of Anthropology

For me, the highlight of the 20th anniversary celebrations was the opportunity to be reunited with some of the students that I had taught when the Campus opened. We shared memories of classes, colleagues, challenges and congregation celebrations. The early students were different from the stereotypical undergraduate with a significant number running households.

This welcome diversity generated very specific demands and gave huge rewards.

It is an exciting time for Queen’s Campus and I am looking forward to being part of this new phase. We are launching the new Master of Pharmacy (MPharm) programme in October, taught in parallel with our Phase 1 Medicine programme. The MPharm is delivered as an integrated curriculum to orientate students to professional practice from their first day with us.

Andy Husband, Acting Dean of Pharmacy

Mandy Marlow, Senior Tutor (Student Experience)

As a small community, most people at Queen’s Campus (including the student population) know each other and staff work together to ensure that the Campus moves forward. It’s a supportive atmosphere where we all join in to get the job done, whatever that happens to be. My nine years here have flown by - testament to how much I enjoy it!

David Fionda, Operations Director

Research highlights

Why loophole on extreme pornography needs to close The rediscovery of a mystery animal in a museum’s underground storeroom proves that a non-native ‘big cat’ prowled the British countryside at the turn of the last century.

The animal’s skeleton and mounted skin was analysed by a multi-disciplinary team involving Durham University scientists and found to be a Canadian lynx – a carnivorous predator more than twice the size of a domestic cat.

The research establishes the animal as the earliest example of an “alien big cat” at large in the British countryside.

The research team says this provides further evidence for debunking a popular hypothesis that wild cats entered the British countryside following the introduction of the 1976 Wild Animals Act.

Extreme pornography laws should be reformed to criminalise the possession of images of rape, according to experts at Durham Law School who have welcomed a new report on the issue.

The academics believe such feral “British big cats” as they are known, may have lived in the wild much earlier, through escapes and even deliberate release. There is no evidence that such animals have been able to breed in the wild.

“This Edwardian feral lynx provides concrete evidence that although rare, exotic felids have occasionally been part of British fauna for more than a century,” said lead researcher, Dr Ross Barnett, Department of Archaeology.

“The animal remains are significant in representing the first historic big cat from Britain.”

COVERAGE INCLUDES: International and national TV and radio news channels (Sky Australia, BBC, ITV), international and national print media.

IMAGES Left: Professor Clare McGlynn. Right: Professor Erika Rackley.

Professors Clare McGlynn and Erika Rackley are calling on the Government to close the ‘loophole’ in the extreme pornography legislation to include possession of images of rape.

They welcomed a new report ‘Deeds or Words?’ published by the End Violence Against Women Coalition.

Professor Rackley said: “The extreme pornography legislation is in urgent need of reform. The current law excludes the vast majority of pornographic images of rape.

Pornographic images of rape are easily and freely accessible online.

Some pro-rape pornography images revel in the distress of women, enticing viewers with claims that ‘these girls say no but we say yes’ or ‘it doesn’t

matter if they want it or not’.

Some sites offer ‘rape photos made by real criminals’.”

Professor McGlynn said: “While those who view extreme pornography will not necessarily go on to commit sexual offences, their use of such material sustains a culture in which rape and sexual violence is normalised; in which a woman’s ‘no’ is not taken seriously; in which equality and dignity are not protected.

The criminalisation of the possession of pornographic images of rape can be justified because of the ‘cultural harm’ of this form of extreme pornography.”

COVERAGE INCLUDES: International press (Times of India), BBC News, The Guardian, The Independent, Huffington Post, regional print and broadcast media.

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Newly-discovered 12th Century recipes recreated Newly-discovered food recipes from a 12th century Durham Priory manuscript have been found to predate the earliest known ones by 150 years.

The recipes were recreated with the help of Dr Giles Gasper from the Institute of Medieval and Early Modern Studies (IMEMS).

The recipes are now to be used as part of a cookery workshop for history, English and archaeology Master of Arts (MA) students at Durham.

The Latin manuscript mainly consists of medical recipes and was compiled and written at Durham Cathedral’s priory around 1140. The work was recently re-examined and found to contain the recipes which experts believe are the oldest in the western medieval culinary tradition, preceding the previously known examples from circa 1290.

Coverage includes: The Discovery Channel, regional print media.

Dr Giles Gasper said: “Some of the medical recipes in this book seem to have stood the test of time, some emphatically haven’t! But we’re looking forward to finding out whether these newly-discovered recipes have done so and whether they also possess what you might call a certain Je Ne Sais Quoi – or Quidditas, to use the Latin.”

The recipes were noticed recently by Professor Faith Wallis, an expert in medical history and science and an international member of IMEMS. She immediately realised the significance of these recipes, since they so markedly predated the previously earliest-known ones by a century and a half.

Dr Gasper continued: “The recipes are for sauces to accompany mutton, chicken, duck, pork and beef. There’s even a seasonal version of the chicken recipe, charmingly called ’hen in winter’. We believe this recipe is simply a seasonal variation, using ingredients available in the colder months and specifying ’hen’ rather than ’chicken’, meaning it was an older bird as it would be by that time of year.”

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Dialogue 30 | July / August 2013

The Centre for Evaluation & Monitoring The Centre for Evaluation & Monitoring (CEM) is an educational research centre that has been part of Durham University since 1996. CEM works with thousands of schools across the world, providing independent assessments and measurements of progress that allow teachers to investigate how to increase the effectiveness of their schools.

Originally known as the Curriculum, Evaluation & Monitoring Centre, CEM established itself at Newcastle University in 1981. Under its second Director, Professor Carol Fitz-Gibbon, the centre moved to Durham, joining the School of Education at the Leazes Road site. Rowan House at Mountjoy is now home to CEM and the centre has continued to grow with staff numbers nearly reaching 90.

The bedrock of CEM’s success is its range of school monitoring systems. The first was the Confidential Measurement Based Self-Evaluation project (COMBSE) in 1983. COMBSE introduced the concept of ‘value added’ analysis to British education, allowing students’ progress at A level to be measured and compared to their peers. This was a powerful way for schools

to evaluate their own effectiveness and research the impact of interventions.

COMBSE grew into the Advanced Level Information System (Alis) which is still running today. CEM developed other school monitoring systems including, MidYIS (the Middle Years Information System) and PIPS (Performance Indicators in Primary Schools). Most of these are based around independent assessments of student ability developed in-house by the centre. CEM now provides monitoring for every phase of education from nursery to post-16.

As well as working directly with schools, CEM also fulfils major research contracts for sponsors such as the Education Endowment Foundation. In doing so CEM is able to draw on its continuing links with the School of Education who are

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currently collaborating on a number of such research contracts, combining the School’s research resources with CEM’s expertise in assessment and data analysis.

School assessments are traditionally of the paper-and-pencil variety. As early as 1996, CEM released its first computer-delivered test and has since developed and rolled-out a number of cutting-edge computerised assessments. These new assessments are fully computer-adaptive as it tailors questions to the level of ability demonstrated by the student. This results in both a very efficient way of measuring a student’s ability and a more pleasant experience for the child!

The switch to computerised testing has allowed CEM to greatly expand its international activities. CEM tests have been adapted for use in over 70 countries including, Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Germany, Abu Dhabi and China.

This experience has put CEM in a good position to gather comparative international data, which has resulted in a project to establish a truly global version of the PIPS baseline test, christened ‘iPIPS’.

Professor Tymms, a former Director of CEM, is returning to head up a programme that has already attracted a lot of interest from such diverse nations as the USA, South Africa, New Zealand and Russia. The hope is that one day iPIPS will be the standard worldwide benchmark from which national education systems measure their progress – there’s a long way to go, but watch this space!

While international developments are always exciting, the bulk of CEM’s work is still within the UK, and the centre’s main focus is on helping schools improve how effective they are in improving the life chances of their students. A good example of this is a ‘toolkit’ produced by CEM for the Education Endowment Foundation: a summary of the evidence supporting a wide range of interventions in education, the toolkit has been used to inform the spending decisions of over a third of head teachers in England.

This year sees CEM mark 30 years of providing independent, objective monitoring data to schools, with a schedule of events that will start with a celebration at Durham Castle and will culminate in a conference to explore what evidence in education has taught us since 1983. CEM has achieved a lot in that time, but hopefully the best is yet to come!

Find out more... visit www.cem.org

IMAGES Far left, top: Two pupils take part in the Durham Shared Maths intervention, a study of peer tutoring being performed by CEM for the Education Endowment Foundation.

Far left, bottom: Neil Defty, one of CEM’s longestserving managers, delivers a training session on CEM monitoring systems to teachers.

Above left: CEM’s International Co-ordinator, Lisa Miller, observes the trialling of a new assessment.

Above right: A primary school pupil completes one of CEM’s computer-adaptive tests.

Below: CEM’s Director, Professor Robert Coe.

Procurement Welcome to the Procurement Service’s first Dialogue update. In this feature we’ll bring you information, hints and tips, and introduce you to key people.

Strategic Sourcing

Procurement Capability Assessment

Strategic Sourcing, which we started to implement in 2012, highlights the benefits of having early involvement in procurement exercises. The new category management structure supports strategic sourcing, and ensures each category is understood, appropriate strategies are put in place and the key stakeholders are involved at relevant stages.

A Procurement Capability (Maturity) Assessment (PCA) helps organisations improve their procurement processes and performance through best practice. A PCA was recently undertaken

by Advanced Procurement for Universities and Colleges (APUC). The results are as follows.

Each Category Team is managed by a Senior Category Manager. Throughout 2013/14, our three Senior Category Managers, Liam Glasper, Lyndsay Keane and Rebecca Morris, will be reviewing their category areas by using spend analysis. We will look to engage with stakeholders as we move forward. If you have any queries on this, please email laura.watson@durham.ac.uk

SECTION ATTAINMENT Procurement Leadership & Governance

95%

Procurement Strategy & Objectives

71%

Defining The Supply Need

89%

Procurement Commodity / Project Strategies & Collaborative Procurement

87%

Contract & Supplier Management

83%

Key Purchasing Processes & Systems

61%

People 100% Performance Measurement

73%

Overall 83% The overall score is the highest achieved by any institution on a first assessment and one of the highest achieved by any institution. The assessors said: “Durham University has recorded a score very comfortably within the top quartile of procurement capability assessment, categorised as “superior”.”

Supplier Exhibition On 18th April, 35 companies attended our third successful Supplier Exhibition.

The purpose of the event was for suppliers to meet and engage with their customers and for end users within the University to gain a better understanding of the contracts that Procurement have in place.

Over 180 end users attended the event and feedback was very positive.

Ann Parks, from the School of Applied Social Sciences said: “I’m very pleased I attended. It is the first event of this kind I have been to and I gained a better insight into companies and suppliers that I can use in future.”

We welcome all constructive feedback on how we can improve our communications.

Please email alison.holmes@durham.ac.uk or laura.watson@durham.ac.uk for further details.

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Exhibition The Gospels are HERE Did you know that the Procurement Service helped to prepare for the arrival of the Lindisfarne Gospels by completing 10 tenders worth over £300,000?

This was to ensure the exhibition space was designed appropriately and was environmentally sound in order to meet the stringent requirements of the British Library.

The Insurance Service has resolved the extremely complex insurance requirements for the transport and display of the artefacts.

Do you travel on official University business?

We are in the process of rolling out an online system for current staff and registered students travelling on official business.

The system, “Viator” will replace the current system of paper travel forms used to request travel cover, making the process of confirming travel cover much more streamlined, efficient and sustainable. Some departments are already using Viator, but for those that aren’t Claire Robinson will be getting in touch to facilitate the roll out to your department. Viator goes live on 30th September 2013, after which paper travel forms will not be accepted.

The international Boundaries Research Unit (IBRU) and the Geography Department are sponsoring an exhibition at Bowes Museum in Barnard Castle looking at the life of Jeremiah Dixon who, although born to humble beginnings in County Durham, was a renowned surveyor, cartographer and scientist.

Most famously, in 1763 he surveyed the first accurate boundary between Maryland and Pennsylvania which is now more commonly known as the Mason-Dixon Line.

This very demanding project took a total of five years and much of the time was spent battling through thick forest with a support team which included Native American Indians. American Surveyors before them had been unable to complete the job but Dixon and his partner Charles Mason were more than up to the task. Back on home soil, Jeremiah Dixon was the surveyor for the Raby Estates and produced exquisite maps of the local Durham area.

This exhibition celebrates the 250th anniversary of the Mason-Dixon Line and includes many items such as model ships, surveying equipment and historic maps.

The exhibition ‘Jeremiah Dixon: Scientist, Surveyor and Stargazer’ is on show until Sunday 6th October 2013. The museum is open every day between 10am – 5pm and the admission is £9.50 per adult, £5.00 for students with a valid student card and for children under 16, admission is free.

IMAGES Left: A map cartouche which was on the original map of the Maryland/Pennsylvania border and is reproduced by kind permission of The Lord Barnard TD. Below, left: Map of Auckland Castle in 1772 reproduced by kind permission of Auckland Castle Trust. Below, right: A model made by Martin Saville of the observatory Dixon used in Cape Town to transit Venus on another of Dixon’s expeditions.

acquire implementation Following a review by the consultants Gartner, the roll out of the pilot for the integrated supplier-sourcing and procurement-to-pay software system acquire is now underway.

The Procurement Service Help Desk has been providing staff training to support the college go-live and work has commenced with Professional Services. In support of Strategic Sourcing, the latest sourcing component of acquire was successfully implemented in May 2013.

Are you aware of the Procurement Policy?

All University staff likely to requisition, order or receive goods or services are required to adhere to this policy which has recently been revised.

Go to: www.durham.ac.uk/procurement/ policiesprocedures/procurement_policy

Find out more... about this exhibition and surrounding family events, visit www.thebowesmuseum.org.uk

HR news...

Durham University has joined Stonewall’s Diversity Champion programme, Britain’s good practice employers’ forum on sexual orientation.

The Diversity Champion programme promotes a good working environment for all existing and potential staff and students and helps to ensure equal treatment for those who are lesbian, gay or bisexual.

Professor Ray Hudson, Deputy ViceChancellor, said: “We are committed to promoting diversity and creating a work and study environment where all members of our University community can fulfil their potential. This celebrates the progress we have made so far and helps us plan for the future.”

For further information on the LGBT staff network, contact lgbt.staffnetwork @durham.ac.uk

TRAINING NEW COURSES Look out for our new programme of courses available from July via www.durham.ac.uk/training.course/hr Our open course programme has been revised following the training and development needs identified by departments during ASRs.

IMAGE Professor Ray Hudson, Deputy ViceChancellor and Amanda Turner, Stonewall Client Account Associate with Paul Brierley, chair of Durham University’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender staff network; Rowan Williams, Women’s Place President for Durham University Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender Association; Sarah Winship, Diversity Manager and Simon Lee, Diversity Officer.

UNIVERSITY NURSERY Did you know that the University has its own OFSTED registered nursery? Based at Hild and Bede College, the University Nursery is a highly valued benefit for parents working at Durham University.

We have places available now for children from 6 months to school age. Find out more on our new website and call to arrange a visit. www.durham.ac.uk/hr/benefitsplus/nurseryplus

TRAINING CHAMPIONS In recent months, a network of Training Champions has been developed across the University. The network’s purpose is to create a two way dialogue about development needs and opportunities across the University.

Champions are individuals in departments, sections and teams who will liaise with providers of training and development and their own areas. Do you know who your training champion is?

If you are interested in becoming a Training Champion for your area of work, please contact the HR Training Team on hr.trainingteam@durham.ac.uk or ext. 41647.

WELCOME TO DURHAM A new brochure to help welcome new staff to Durham is now available with useful advice to help members of staff settle in before and after their move.

For a copy of the brochure go to Staff Induction on the website or www.issuu.com/durhamuniversityhr/docs/welcome_to_ durham_university

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CIS news...

Say hello...

New World Programme...

Even though it’s summer, the University doesn’t stop and many departments and teams are busy making preparations for the coming academic year.

Even though the official start date for the programme is 1st August, we have been working since May to make progress where we can with our existing resources.

to the Campus Services Team

One of our teams for whom summer is a busy challenge, is our Campus Services team.

They have primary responsibility for audio visual equipment (e.g. monitors, projectors, Smartboards, audio and video conferencing equipment) in teaching rooms, lecture theatres and meeting rooms across the University. Whilst teaching facilities are relatively quiet, they undertake upgrade activity which this summer includes: • The refurbishment of two large lecture theatres at Queen’s Campus;

making progress

Here’s just a sample of what we’ve been doing…

• The business case for the programme was approved by Finance and General Purposes Committee and we’ve been working closely with colleagues in Procurement in preparation for the tendering activity that the programme will require.

• Recruitment for some of the new and additional positions identified by the programme has commenced and interviews have been taking place since June. There will be a number of job opportunities arising as the programme progresses. Take a look at our dedicated web pages www.durham.ac.uk/cis/nwp/recruitment for details of current vacancies and keep checking as more are released.

• Installation of IT and audio-visual kit in 10 rooms in readiness for the opening of the new Business School;

• We have also published web pages giving you an overview of the programme and progress to date: www.durham.ac.uk/cis/nwp

• The renovation of more than 15 rooms across the campus including three meeting rooms in Rowan (Mountjoy) and two rooms in Government and International Affairs;

• At the time of writing nearly 60% of DUCAS users had been migrated over to the Managed Desktop Service (MDS) which provides a single, consistent, supported desktop environment.

We expect to finish all moves in the next few months.

• The upgrading of 15 NPCS machines in teaching rooms.

In addition to this, the team support Event Durham’s conference activity throughout the year. Many locations across the University are used for conferences, catering to both academic and commercial activity. Our Campus Services team ensure that the appropriate facilities are available to organisers and participants and that they interact with external services/facilities. The team are on call for the duration of the conference contributing to activities enhancing the reputation of the University in the academic and wider world.

Find out more about CIS visit www.durham.ac.uk /cis

• The tendering process for the expansion of wireless across student accommodation commenced in June. This is one of the first pieces of work identified by the programme and will provide wireless access to all college bedrooms.

By the time you read this, we’ll have done more, so take a look at our New World Programme web pages to find out the latest. Keep your eye on the weekly Dialogue Signposts email, as we’ll be publishing updates there too.

Find out more about the New World Programme at www.durham.ac.uk/cis/nwp

Event Durham, Retail & Catering

Event Durham Our congratulations go to Anthony Packer who won the ‘On Campus’ category at Durham University’s Student Employee of the Year Awards.

Anthony worked for Event Durham during summer vacation 2012 as senior courier for Summer Study. Anthony graduated last month and we wish him all the best for the future.

IMAGE Anthony Packer, winner of the Student Employee of the Year award in the ‘On Campus’ category, with George Martin from Event Durham.

Retail As part of the Lindisfarne Gospels we have opened a new fantastic exhibition shop at Palace Green Library.

The shop is fully stocked with Lindisfarne branded preserves and biscuits, Celtic inspired sterling silver jewellery, replica Saxon helmets and of course our own range of Lindisfarne Gospels Durham merchandise which includes Eddie the teddy bear monk.

To view our merchandise range visit www.shop.lindisfarne gospels.com

Catering University Catering Collaboration with The Prince’s Trust and Groundwork North East The catering department has been working with charity organisations, The Prince’s Trust and Groundwork North East to provide hands-on experience for long term unemployed young people aged 18-24 in the workplace.

Groundwork North East supported the ‘Prince’s Trust, Get into Hospitality’

intensive training course which included training in food safety, food and wine service and customer care. In April this year, after their work experience in the University Catering department, a delegate has now gained a permanent role within one of our colleges.

Following this success, we are now working with The Prince’s Trust to support a further twelve work experience placements for unemployed young people.

17

A year in review From holding Rag raids up and down the country to raising tonnes of pennies for Pudsey and growing some terrific tashes for Movember, DUCK has been busier than ever raising funds for local, national and international charities.

Over £300,000 will be donated to charity this year, and there are still some big fundraising events taking place.

Love was in the air as DUCK set students up on Blind Dates, we were awarded best RAG at the Manchester Breast Cancer Campaign Mega raid, and our college reps once again excelled themselves in hosting college events from charity auctions to bar nights and a whole host of activities in between.

Here’s a quick glance at some of this year’s highlights…

Jailbreak

shocks and lots of thick mud. Incoming Development Officer Chris Pocock achieved 32nd place out of 3711 participants. Well done, Chris!

Sleepout Over £11,000 was raised for local homeless charity Moving On as 287 students spent a night sleeping in Durham Cathedral.

99 students broke free and fled to destinations across the UK and Europe without a penny in their pockets. Over £9,000 was donated to 34 different charities. The winners “Hildebeasts on tour” managed to free-ride to Athens!

Comic relief

Tough Guy

DUCK race

111 students participated in this year’s ‘Tough Guy’ Challenge raising over £25,000 for Help for Heroes and Hawk.

107 students in total completed the 15km outdoor obstacle which involved fire, underground tunnels, electric

DUCK invited Jack Whitehall from Fresh Meat to take part in DUCK’s Tricycle race on Palace Green. This was filmed by the BBC for Comic Relief and £1,300 was donated to the cause.

£2,500 was raised in this annual event which saw thousands of ducks race from Elvet Bridge to Kingsgate Bridge. The funds raised were split across the Mayor’s charities Heel and Toe and Blind Life in Durham and WaterAid.

Local Charity Allocation £17,663 has been awarded to local charities. 74 local charities applied for the grants and 35 charities from across the region were awarded funds including Children North East, Durham Alcohol Self Support and Framwellgate Moor Scout Group.

Finally, Over the summer, more than 100 students will be sent on projects abroad from climbing Kilimanjaro; working in schools in India to orphanages in Romania.

Find out more...

visit http://duck.dsu.org.uk

Experience Durham...

Last year Team Durham was celebrating finishing in second place in the British Universities & Colleges Sport (BUCS) points table for the first time in history. Twelve months on and we’re celebrating again, after another record breaking year and another second place finish.

This year Durham was represented in an incredible 22 BUCS Championship semifinals, which we suspect to be an all-time record for any university.

The Men’s 1st Rugby team, who played in the BUCS Championship finals at Twickenham for a third successive year and won, have recently been named ‘Club of the Year’ by Rugby World and ‘Team of the Year’ at the Team Durham Palatinate Dinner. Post exams they enjoyed a highly successful tour to Australia.

Durham University Boat Club (DUBC) who were awarded Team Durham ‘Team of the Year’, jointly with the Hockey Club, have enjoyed a spectacular summer season.

At the BUCS Regatta DUBC topped the medals table and clinched the Victor Ludorum for the 10th successive year.

This record breaking streak makes DUBC the most successful rowing club in BUCS sport history!

Durham University Hockey Club saw the women’s first team clinching the BUCS Championship title, the men reaching the BUCS Championship semi-finals, the teams finishing 2nd and 3rd respectively in the Northern Premier League and the 2nd, 3rd and 4th hockey teams have had great successes in their respective competitions.

In other sports, the women’s football team retained their National Futsal title in an incredibly close game against Gloucester.

Durham’s tennis players enjoyed yet

In other news…

Over 170 students from the University Chamber Choir, Symphony Orchestra and College Choirs performed an evening of British music in a packed Durham Cathedral. The highlight came as University Chancellor Sir Thomas Allen joined the students to give a sensational performance, which was a fitting conclusion to a wonderful year of music.

Post exam theatre performances sprung up everywhere from the Assembly Rooms, to the University’s Botanic Gardens and even Durham Indoor Market.

Durham Revue hosted a brilliant evening of comedy, showcasing the best sketches of the last three years as well as welcoming the return of alumni. Several companies are preparing to take shows to this year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

another great season with the men reaching the BUCS finals and the women reaching the semi-finals. Durham shined too in the Canoe Polo with the women reaching the BUCS Championship finals and the men making it to the semi-finals.

We could go on, but all in all, 2012-13 has been another fantastic year and all of our dedicated athletes, coaching and support staff deserve a huge congratulations for making the year unforgettable.

Finally, Student Community Action (SCA) celebrated their achievements and contribution to the local community at their annual oSCArs awards evening.

Over 880 students have volunteered this year, contributing 12,134 hours to local community projects. SCA was also awarded the County Durham Age UK ‘Intergenerational Organisation of the Year’ award, in recognition of the work their volunteers have done with local older people.

Find out more...

visit www.durham.ac.uk/ experiencedurham

Supported by:

19

Greenspace...

Nature watch e-card competition If you are interested in photography, enjoy the beautiful nature of Durham University and would like your photograph to be used as an e-card by staff and students, why not enter the ‘Nature Watch’ photo e-card competition?

This competition aims to celebrate the wonderful biodiversity on the University estate and showcase some of the photographic talents of our staff and students. The winning images will be used to create e-cards on the Greenspace website, which will be available for staff and students to send.

We are looking for photographs taken at Durham City and Queen’s Campus on the theme of ‘Nature Watch’. Subjects could include flora and fauna, or other natural scenes. Please note photos must not include images of people or private accommodation.

To enter, please email your photograph(s) along with your name and department/college to greenspace.staff@durham.ac.uk by 5pm on Friday 30th August.

Don’t bin it - WARPit WARPit is our new online furniture and stationery reuse system. The WARPit system allows you, internally, to offer items for reuse or search for items you want to reuse.

Designated staff in each department and college can list items for their department / college and sign up to receive a nightly or weekly email showing what items are on offer.

The new system also enables us to offer good condition items which cannot be reused internally to designated local charities.

For more information on WARPit, including user guidelines visit www.durham.ac.uk/greenspace/policies

TRAVEL Corporate Discount Schemes for Bus Travel A new interest free loan scheme will be introduced from August 2013 for staff that use local bus services to travel to work.

Corporate discount schemes will be in place with Go North East and Arriva bus services. This will allow staff to purchase an annual season ticket via a salary sacrifice scheme. For more information please see www.durham. ac.uk/greenspace/travel/public

New X1 Inter-campus Bus Timetable A new Arriva X1 inter-campus bus timetable is now in place.

To see the timetable please visit www.durham.ac.uk/ greenspace/travel/intercampusbus All staff and student can travel free on this service between Queen’s Campus (Harvard Avenue) and Aykley Heads in Durham (Dryburn Site). Please show your valid Campus ID card to the driver to gain free travel.

The X1 now services all stops between Coxhoe and Durham Bus Station and the new timetable will see the introduction of all bus stops between Stockton High Street, including Rialto Court, to Princeton Drive.

Travel Survey Thank you to everyone who completed the Staff and Student Travel Survey. An analysis is now taking place and reports will be circulated in due course.

The Ushaw College Arriva U1 bus service is proving to be very popular with both students from the University Business School and staff and students travelling from the bus station to the Science Site (stop near Collingwood College). Along this route staff and students can also travel free on a small number of other Arriva bus services to assist with travel to Ushaw Moor/College.

Electric Charging posts A new double-point charge post has been installed at Queen’s Campus and three have been installed at Durham – one at Hild-Bede and two on the Upper Mountjoy site.

Find out more... visit www.durham.ac.uk/ greenspace

/durhamuniversity

@Durham_Uni

DurhamUniversity

Under investigation Sue Bock

Undergraduate Programme Director in the School of Applied Social Sciences

Have you got any pets?

Give me a picture of your ideal day:

No, but we would love a dog.

A sunny day with my family on the beach collecting shells and paddling; home to good food and wine; catching the final scores (Spurs have beaten Arsenal 3-0, and qualified for the Champion’s League). Bliss.

What are you reading at the moment?

My eight year old niece has just lent me Shadow by Michael Merpergo. I was moved by her reactions to the story.

What would you like your epitaph to be?

On a scale of 1-10, how much do you care what other people think of you?

There was never a dull moment!

9-10. Probably too much.

Which historical figure would you most like to be?

What’s your greatest vice?

Florence Nightingale – a remarkable applied scientist who worked in the toughest of field settings, was a brilliant statistician, and left a legacy of health-care training.

My Sky & BBC News Apps. I am addicted.

What’s your favourite film?

Any of The Pink Panther series – I am a Peter Sellers fan.

What was the first record you bought?

Any nicknames?

A back copy of Billy Joel’s Piano Man (I used to try and play it on the piano when I should have been practising my scales!).

I was ‘Bocky’ throughout my school years.

What’s the worst job you’ve ever done?

August Lindisfarne Gospels Durham Exhibition Until Sunday 30th September Palace Green Library The Lindisfarne Gospels is the centrepiece of this contemporary exhibition on Durham’s UNESCO World Heritage Site which tells the tale of our famous Saint Cuthbert, and this beautiful manuscript – its creation, its journey and its special symbolism for the people of the North.

Art Tours of the Palatine Centre Wednesdays throughout August, 2pm Enjoy a tour of Durham University’s modern art collection in the stunning Palatine Building.

Tours are free, but places should be pre-booked by visiting the website www.durham.ac.uk/ conference.booking Teddy Bears Picnic Wednesday 21st August, 10am – 4pm Botanic Garden Take your Teddy Bear and a picnic along to join in the fun and games at the Botanic Garden.

Activities include arts, crafts and storytelling.

Marko’s Circus Workshop Thursday 29th August, 11am – 3pm Botanic Garden Clown around in the Botanic Garden, learning to juggle and spin plates with Marko’s Circus Workshop.

My five year old daughter.

Mucking out horses for a summer when I was 16. My Mum would hose me down each night before I was allowed in the house!

What was your best subject?

What’s your favourite place in the world?

Geography & PE (tied).

Pacific Rim National Park, British Columbia.

When was the last time you laughed and why?

Tell me a secret:

Shakespeare’s ‘As You Like It’ Sunday 1st – Tuesday 3rd September Durham Cathedral

I am the tooth fairy. (This is strictly a one-child deal, and I am not available for bookings).

Presented by Castle Theatre Company in the stunning setting of the Cathedral. Book tickets through the World Heritage Site Visitors Centre.

What luxury item would you take to a desert island?

Heritage Open Days Friday 13th to Sunday 15th September Durham Castle, Durham University Colleges

What achievement are you most proud of?

Yesterday evening – attempting a ‘seat drop to half twist’ on my child’s trampoline. I was not laughing alone! (There was a time when I would have nailed it!).

What did you want to be when you were a child?

A radio – I would go a little crazy without music and world news.

A vet – but I discovered allergies to cows and cats while on work-experience at a farm (aged 15). It was a long week!

What’s your greatest indulgence?

Where will you be going for your next holiday?

A week in a cottage on Lindisfarne in August (which will no doubt mark the start of the rainy season).

What skill or talent would you most like to acquire?

To multi-task effectively.

Caramel Chew Chew ice cream and ‘Strictly come Dancing’ – preferably at the same time.

Pass the buck: Finally, who would you like to see in the hot-seat?

Costas Kapsalis – Technical Analyst in CIS.

September

Enjoy free admission to Durham Castle and the Oriental Museum. Several of the University Colleges will also be open to the public for cultural art tours over the weekend.

Heritage Open Days Talks at the Oriental Museum Friday 13th to Sunday 15th September Come along to one of a series of talks taking place daily as part of the Heritage Open Days: 1pm China at the Oriental Museum 2pm Ancient Egypt at the Oriental Museum No need to pre-book.

For more information on University events go to www.durham.ac.uk/whatson