Student Services Departmental Newsletter
■■ This issue includes: ■■ Improving Student Satisfaction pg 9
ber 2011
■■ novem
■■ A day in the iCentre pg 15 ■■ Mission Croatia pg 28
Freshers’ Feedback
pg 2–6
News from our Sports and Active Lifestyles team pg 24
www.anglia.ac.uk/studentservices
November 2011
Note from the editor
Editor’s Note Welcome everyone to a new look Link-Up. Some of you will be aware that it was decided at a recent SMT (Senior Management Team) meeting to send our newsletter out to a wider audience to spread the good news of what we do in Student Services. To give a little background for our colleagues in faculties and other support services, Link-Up was launched in the spring of 2009 as an inter departmental newsletter. With a diverse work force working on different campuses and often for different student groups we established Link-Up as a useful tool for improving communication and publicising initiatives and events as well as introducing new staff and sometimes saying a fond farewell to others. LinkUp has undergone a number of changes since its inception and we hope this latest edition will be a positive step to a wider readership.
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This issue I decided that our lead stories should be on Freshers’. Hopefully the memories of what has been seen as a very successful Freshers’ this year have not dimmed too much over the last few teaching weeks. The remodelled Cambridge campus with the opening of the new LAIBS building and the Chelmsford campus with the completion of the PMI building earlier in the year meant that students on both our core campuses were welcomed into an exceptionally good environment and even the sun shone for us – we have the pictures to prove it! The articles on the next couple of pages include Lorraine Silk’s personal feedback on Freshers’, many of you will know Lorraine as our coordinator for all Freshers’ planning. Information from Clare Gregory, my sub-editor, on our increased front-line contacts and new
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promotions. Debbie Barker’s report on their Cheap-as-Chips events. New information tools ‘getting our message to students’ as outlined in the article from Donna Franklin and Facebook and Twitter contacts, data supplied by Kay Fix. Please do take the time to read through all the articles in LinkUp. Items have always been contributed on a voluntary basis – apart from some serious armtwisting from me! We hope at least to raise awareness of the range of support we can offer and who might be at the other end of the telephone when you contact us. Any feedback or suggestions for future editions are always welcome, either positive or negative ones – nothing ventured, nothing gained! Kind regards, Jean Ryan Link-Up Editor
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Freshers’ Week 2011 – A Personal Perspective As I write this on 18 October, Freshers’ Week is starting to become a distant memory. A bit like Christmas, it takes months of planning and before you know it, it’s been and gone for another year. As with most Christmases (in my house anyway), you sit back after the Christmas dinner and realise you forgot something – the cranberry sauce, the stuffing or something else that nobody seems to have mentioned, but has been forgotten at the back of the fridge! As I sit back and reflect on how it all went I realise that in the weeks preceding Freshers’ Week I had forgotten how enjoyable it can be. The hassles and stresses
caused by technological failures, increased student numbers, re-jigging of induction timetables at the last minute to accommodate such increases etc all fade into the background as I am gradually reminded throughout the week that I actually love being out of the office and meeting all our new students. Everyone arrives keen and ready to start their new course, some are excited, some are nervous but all are cheerful (at least the ones I came across were!). Some are away from home for the first time, others have made the decision to do the degree they have wanted to do for the last ten years, but hadn’t got round to doing – all were in the same boat, they didn’t know anyone else! As the week progressed, I started to
Students enjoying the Freshers’ BBQ in the new courtyard in Cambridge
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November 2011
Freshers’ Freshers’ Week 2011 – A Personal Perspective Continued recognise
Freshers’ survey and the results will form part of the report that goes to the Student Experience and Student Matters Committees. Of course, Freshers’ Week is the culmination of lots of work by lots of people from all around our university. The only way it can work at all, is because we are working more and more as a team to provide the best possible student experience from the word go. There is always scope to improve things further, make minor tweaks to processes etc and I’m sure I will continue to work with academic staff and colleagues in other support services to make sure everything is as good as it can be for ‘our’ students.
The Freshers’ BBQ in Chelmsford also attracted a large crowd outside Tindal
some of the students and noticed they were now appearing in the same little group – indicating the start of new friendships – and isn’t that the whole point of Freshers’ Week – a chance to bring in our students, provide them with opportunities to find out about their course, enable them to have some fun and to meet their fellow students before their first lecture in Teaching Week 1. Our students were offered breakfasts, barbecues, cookies, ice skating and punting to name but a few of the things on offer. We shall find out soon whether they felt we had the right mix of activities as they are currently being asked to fill out a
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Feedback from staff so far has been very positive – some even saying that we have delivered the best Freshers’ Week yet, but as usual, the Freshers’ team are already looking at what we could do better next time – your suggestions are always welcome so do please let us know if you have any ideas we could use for next year. I am assuming of course that we will have enough students next year willing to pay the increased fees to warrant a bigger and better Freshers’ experience – fingers crossed – because without students, why would any of us be here? Lorraine Silk Senior Administrator/ Student Communications Coordinator
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Freshers’ 2011 Busier than ever Our new look Information Team This year we, the Information Team have made great efforts to make our service more identifiable and to boost student awareness of Student Services cross-campus, especially with our new Freshers’. As I’m sure many of you have noticed, as from September all staff on the Information Desk at Student Services and the iCentres are now wearing purple polo shirts with an i on the left breast. This allows students to easily identify the Information Assistants if they are requiring help. I have to say I have had quite a few students asking me for help while I have been out and about on Campus. This year we also made a bigger and better impression at the Freshers’ Fair. Our stall was resplendent in purple and so were we! At Cambridge Freshers’ Fair we had small purple bowed teddy bears to give out to which we had attached little labels with Student Services location and generic email address on, further promoting our services. The teddies made an appearance at Chelmsford in 2010 Freshers’ Fair, at both Fairs the teddies were very well received and were a useful tool for striking up conversations with our students. The Information Team will also be present at all the Open Days cross campus from this year, so we can support prospective students and Student Services Advisers. I attended the Open Day on the 8th October and it was very busy with potential students and parents, many of which came specifically to visit our advisers.
The Information Team and iCentres have recently taken responsibility for the “Info Screens” crosscampus. Andrina Watson from our team has been busy keeping our students informed by updating and maintaining the ‘Info Screens’ on a daily basis. Andrina has also been creating the posters for the “Interactive” Kiosks which are up and running in Chelmsford and soon to be installed at Cambridge (see our article from Donna Franklin for further information). This is the second year of our “Long thin induction” Information Boards which are situated in two prominent locations in Cambridge and two in Chelmsford. This way we can drip feed information to the students in those formative weeks, aiming to avoid information overload, while at the same time promoting ourselves! So how do we know students are more aware of our service and more informed of what we offer? Well the stats from Cambridge and Chelmsford Information Desks prove it! In September 2011 we had record numbers of students coming to see Student Services. During September Cambridge and Chelmsford Student Services combined noted 3661 visitors which is the highest total we have ever recorded! Finally we are pleased to announce that our team in Chelmsford are now fully staffed with the recent addition of Will Wreathall and Kathryn Price (find out more about Will and Kate in our Staff section). Clare Gregory Information Assistant/Link-Up Sub-Editor
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Cheap as Chips does “Fresher’s”! Being based in the new LAB area in Cambridge was a fantastic location during Fresher’s Week as it was incredibly busy and we had lots of interest in what we were doing, this was a great area to catch the attention of passers by and more than makes up for some of the slightly dodgy locations we have been forced to work in whilst the building works were taking place!
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Chelmsford’s event was held in the MAB reception area and proved to be just as busy and rewarding with many students passing by. We even had students who had seen us listed in the guide and made a special effort to visit us! Cheap as Chips is a Student Services initiative about saving money but still eating well, cooking for yourself and not living on ready meals and take aways and generally questioning some of the more common
excuses as to why students just can’t afford to eat well – FYI a banana costs about 12p much less then a packet of crisps! One thing we do is we try and get people to think of the overall yearly savings rather than a weekly saving of a couple of pounds. If you can reduce your food shopping bill by £2 per week this equates to £104 per year so: Save £5 per week and that is £260 – £10 per week is £520 a year!
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You don’t have to scrimp to make these savings, buy wisely – look out for the budget range fruit and veg in supermarkets or shop at markets, try different items – if you normally buy Supermarkets own range bread, try their value range, if you can only eat Heinz baked Beans – look out for offers and stock up but then save money else where. Other money saving tips include: ■■ Cook your own meals. A value shepard’s pie may seem a bargain at 75p but you can make the same portion size from scratch for about the same price if not cheaper and it will not be full of preservatives, sugar and fat – you will know exactly what went into it! ■■ Go shopping with a friend and look out for BOGOFs (buy one get one free) or other deals – this way you don’t end up with a room full of the same product but still save money. ■■ Look out for coupons in magazines and internet. Collect those reward points too – save them for a treat – another way to save money but not miss out!
We don’t recommend all budget foods – spend as much as you can on meat, fish, poultry and eggs not just for animal welfare but for taste and quality. Many people think that they have to eat a lot more meat than they actually do – try going veggie for one day a week – healthier and saves money… Don’t fall for the myth that all budget foods are bad for you – THEY ARE NOT – whatever level you buy from you must still read the labels. Many branded items have higher sugar and salt levels for ‘flavour’ than budget items, baked beans being just one
example. Some budget items are exactly the same as the more expensive items as they may have been made in the same factory. So if you have not yet visited a Cheap as Chips event, where have you been?! We look forward to seeing you in the future for lots more money saving ideas!!! Debbie Barker Student Money Advice Service
Editor’s Note – you may be interested to see the data that Kay Fix has sent through showing that we had an incredible 18,410 hits on the Freshers’ website, 2,637 people (students?) who liked us on Facebook and 171 followers on Twitter – we must be doing something right!
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November 2011
Freshers’ Information Screens and the new ‘interactive’ Kiosks New for 2011/12 was a re-vamp of the Information Screens. The screens aim to provide up to date information relating to students studies, and to raise awareness of forthcoming events. In addition they enable us to flag anything that is designated as important information to students. Over the summer we introduced some eye catching visuals to promote services, and information to students.
The new ‘interactive’ Information Kiosks provide additional functions to the Information screens. A touch screen selection criteria allows the user to choose between:
In addition to the well established Information Screens, the new ‘interactive’ Information Kiosks have been installed on the Chelmsford campus. Network connection issues have delayed the installation on the Cambridge campus, but this is being resolved.
■■ Posters to promote University events and promotions, plus sports and social activities.
■■ Diary events ■■ Information screen messages ■■ University Map with zoom facility
The visual messages are providing students with multi media information, and raising awareness of the importance of e:Vision tasks. The screens were also used to promote Freshers’ 2011/12 events and welcome new students onto Campus. Andrina Watson, from the Student Services Information Team, has played a key role in designing and displaying superb visuals. Do take time to digest the information. It is critical that staff show an awareness of the important campaigns. A few examples are shown here:
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positive effect of this campaign will be to ensure that all students are aware of and have ease of access to the Student Charter.
So how do you get a message displayed? Student Services department is responsible for the displaying of Information screen messages onto both the Information screens and the information kiosks. Messages should be requested by Anglia Ruskin staff by emailing: Information Screens: infoscreens@anglia.ac.uk Information Kiosks: infokiosk@anglia.ac.uk
iCentres have issued the Student Charter to all new students and these have also been made available to returning students. This reminds students of our commitment to them, how we will communicate with them and what we expect from them. This message has also been extensively promoted on the Information Screens and the Information Kiosks. It is anticipated that the
Full guidelines as to the format of the posters and the type of message that can be requested are available on the iCentre website www.anglia.ac.uk/icentres, under the tab ‘Services for Staff’. If you wish to speak to someone, please contact either me or Andrina Watson, who will be more than happy to advice. Donna Franklin iCentre Manager, Chelmsford
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November 2011
Improving Student Satisfaction
SSIG – what is it? All Student Services staff I am sure are aware of our promotion strap-line ‘supporting student success’; hopefully this is now being recognised by others across our University. However not everybody may be aware of ‘SSIG’, the ‘Student Satisfaction Improvement Group’ which was convened in May 2010 with the remit of making concrete improvements to student satisfaction as measured by the NSS and other surveys inline with targets outlined in our Corporate Plan. Lesley Dobree has chaired SSIG over the past year but has recently passed the baton to Helen Valentine (Joint Chair) for this academic year. Julie Walkling acts as Deputy Chair and has put a considerable amount of work into supporting initiatives over this time. Members of SSIG include Deputy Deans (or senior nominees) from Faculties, Heads or Directors of all student support services and representatives from the Students’ Union. I have acted as Secretary for SSIG – hence Julie’s suggestion that I spread the good news of what progress has been made in what seems like a short time – or a long time depending on what projects you have been asked to commit your time to! 9
The monthly meetings started with the directive from Julie that they should be ‘businesslike and snappy’ and trying to discuss the wide range of agenda items in the allocated hour is often a struggle – when planning the NSS 2011 campaign last autumn the meetings had to be extended by half-an-hour and that will be the same for this year. The first objective of this group was to review the findings from the NSS 2010 results and look at how we could target institutional processes to identify some ‘quick-wins’ and some longerterm strategies to support the directive that 90% of students would recommend us to a friend – Question 22 in the NSS. Many faculty and student-facing services know that we have been fortunate in Ruth Bourne (Assistant Director, Academic Office) being able to drill down from these results and produce qualitative data to support action plans to identify areas that need improvement as well as highlighting positive results. The improved NSS results for 2011 has shown the results of the hard work undertaken by staff – of course this is just the first step in the right direction towards our target.
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A low response to our Student Module Evaluation Questionnaire (SMEQ), even with the launch of an online version, was also something that SSIG prioritised. A recent SSIG Workshop saw members shut in the SGH boardroom for the day – nobody was allowed out until SMEQ had been completely revised! The new version will focus purely on teaching elements; being easier for students to complete even if they have to respond for several modules. The questionnaire will be available in hard copy or online, a decision that will be made locally. Also agreed at this meeting was our new in-house Student Experience Survey for all students that will run at the same time as the NSS. This will cover all elements of university life. Thankfully I did not have to attend this Workshop but only arrange for quantities of refreshments to arrive at regular intervals to sustain the troops who I gather emerged weary but satisfied at the end of the day! I should also mention our Student Charter that was completely revised this year. This review started with several lengthy discussions in SSIG meetings to gain an oversight into how this might better inform students – what to include and what to remove. Following this
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Improving Student Satisfaction Leaning and Student Experience Related Improvements initial process the task was handed to Belinda Lennon here in Student Services – I don’t think I will mention how many drafts were passed up the line and sent back with revisions. I hope you will agree that the end result is a much clearer and concise version that outlines both what we expect from students and what they can expect from us. A positive outcome and something we have asked staff to promote as widely as possible during Freshers and throughout the academic year. I am beginning to realise that there are too many SSIG initiatives to be able to give a complete picture of them all here. Some projects from SSIG were instrumental in the ‘Leaning’ processes and improvements that are outlined in the following article from Donna Franklin, iCentre Manager in Student Services – please do read it. We hope that these endeavours to support our students will have a positive outcome in student feedback supporting our success in the NSS results. So it really is about ‘What we can do for them and what they can do for us’.
Background A three day ProcessFix ‘Rapid Improvement’ workshop ran from 5th – 7th April 2011, and was attended by front-line Anglia Ruskin staff who are involved in the ‘on-boarding’* process. The workshop started with an important message from the VC which gave staff the backing and support to explore barriers for students and develop a proactive streamlined approach, driven purely by the Student Experience. Following this workshop, an Improvement Team was formed, lead by Donna Franklin as the Improvement Champion, and from this and related ‘student
focussed’ drivers, the following improvements have been made. *On-boarding, is the term used to explain the process between when an applicant has been through the Admissions system, right through to when the student is ‘ready to learn’ and are issued with a student ID card.
1) Admissions: ‘Welcome letter’ to all via email A ‘Welcome letter’ email was sent to all UK applicants for the 2011/12 September intake for the first time (this is already standard practice for the International Admissions team). Previously welcome
Jean Ryan SSIG Secretary Staff participating in the workshop
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Improving Student Satisfaction
letters were posted. The benefits are: ■■ reduced printing & postage costs; ■■ students knowing sooner when and where to arrive ■■ more students registering successfully before arrival. Quality of the Registration Data A filter has been set up by Admissions to prevent applications being transferred to active registration if their highest qualification has not been completed. Students cannot register until they have completed all the required fields of information. This means our data is more accurate and enables students to register easily.
2) One website (Joining and Freshers’ 2011/12) There is now one source of information for joining information and the Freshers’ welcome information. Previously students were directed to a ‘joining’ website and a Freshers’ website.
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3) Anglia Ruskin Network Username The emailed, ‘Welcome letter’ for students has been updated so that students no longer log in using their Student Identification number (SID) and the generic ‘3333’ password. From September 2011, core Anglia students logged into e:Vision using their Anglia Ruskin Network Username, and their date of birth as the given password. For example – Username: DCF1 (= Donna Claire Franklin 1) Password: 061076 (= DDMMYY of date of birth). Once the student has completed the ‘register on-line’ task, they are taken back to the
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‘My Registration’ page which has a link to ‘Password Manager’. It is more intuitive, as students know their username from the outset which then remains constant as their log in username for all the systems within Anglia Ruskin. Benefits: ■■ Increase in the number of students who were successfully registered by the end of teaching week 1, compared with 2010/11. Statistics taken from last year show that on the first day of Freshers’ 2011, 5340 student ID cards were able to be printed, compared to 4006 on the first day of Freshers’ 2010 (student registered and submitted a photograph).
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4) Photograph for Student Identification Card The decision was made to remove the option to post in a passport photograph, as this caused issues with photographs lost in transit, or photographs not getting to the iCentre in good time. This created a difficulty in pre-printing cards ready for students to collect on their Faculty Day, therefore reducing student satisfaction. Students were asked to electronically forward their photograph to a designated email account (StudentID@ anglia.ac.uk). A prompt to do this, was also added to their e:Vision ‘My Registration’ landing page. In addition for 2011/12 iCentres were equipped with webcams to allow ‘on the spot’ photographs to be taken as required. ■■ By more students providing an electronic photo prior to arrival, it eases some of the ‘queue burden’ during a peak period, when resource is better spent assisting with registration related queries and providing 1-2-1 assistance.
■■ In 2010/11 students had been required to submit a photo to University Accommodation Services and the iCentre. This created confusion for students and additional cost and time implications, and resulted in delayed ID card issue. In 2011/12 one photo was required removing this duplication of effort, and presenting students with a positive perception of ‘joined up administrative processing’.
5) Registration task – payment option Payment functions have been made more user-friendly for 2011/12. An ‘I have already paid my fees’ option has been added as there was previously no option to indicate this which left pre-paying students unsure how to proceed.
6) Text Tools (brand name TXTTOOLS) The function to text in requests for standard letters was made available on the ‘My Registration’ page of e:Vision. Benefits are that the following can be requested prior to arrival or post arrival without the need to visit the iCentre:
a. UK Bank Account letter b. Confirmation of Registration c. Council Tax Exemption
7) Support for students A hard copy ‘step-by-step support guide to registration’ for students was placed beside the ‘Register here’ PCs at the iCentre and in the University Libraries. This helped to direct students easily through: a. Registering, b. Password Manager, to set a more secure password c. Submitting a photograph d. Requesting standard letters Welcome Helpers and iCentre staff were also available to offer one-to-one guidance and support.
8) Moving manual registration to on-line Rachel Wright (ISMS Business Relationship Manager) has been key in resolving issues which have prevented FHSCE students from being offered the on-line registration option. This was implemented in time for the October 2011 cohort.
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Benefits: ■■ Reduction in the manual registration forms required, and hence the time delay caused by the manual data entry system. ■■ Improved management information.
9) Student Finance England - Maintenance Loan/Grant ‘Attendance Task’ A determined effort has been made to raise awareness of the Student Finance England (SFE) ‘Attendance Task’ and the need for students to complete it after completing the ‘Registration Task’. iCentre staff and Welcome Helpers promoted the Attendance Task. In addition to this, it was also highlighted/underlined on e:Vision, which worked well in drawing the users attention to this important area. An awareness campaign ran on the Information screens and kiosks.
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10) Support for students (SFE tasks/Timetabling queries)
Jacque Ireland, Scholarship, Bursary and Student Loan Officer from our Finance team, has been in the iCentre to offer advice/help to students between 10am and 2pm during Freshers’ week and the first week of teaching. This has proven to enrich the student experience and students feel reassured that their finances are in order prior to teaching. This has been a pilot in the Chelmsford office, and a request has been made for this to happen on both campuses next year. Timetabling staff offered the same service, which has been a beneficial service for those students needing assistance, as it increases student satisfaction, as queries are dealt with promptly at the one location.
11) Promotions – via Information Screens and New ‘interactive’ Information Kiosks New for 2011/12 was a re-vamp of the Information Screens, as well as the installation of the new ‘interactive’ kiosks on the Chelmsford campus. These
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are soon to be installed in Cambridge. The screens are more visually pleasing, and provide a fantastic method of getting essential information about University wide campaigns and promotions to the students.
12) Email usage As students are being encouraged to go back into e:Vision almost instantly to access their Student Finance England ‘Attendance Task’, and also to look at their timetable, it encourages usage of e:Vision and hopefully greater engagement with and understanding of the importance of checking email messages from our university. The Anglia Ruskin Network Username being the same for email access, should help remove the access issues experienced during 2010/11.
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Improving Student Satisfaction Future Improvements – phase two! What the LEAN Agenda endeavours to deliver: 1) Registration Task – streamline
3) Photograph for student ID card
Project Team: Registration Improvements (LEAN) IS Project Code: IS-0232
ISMS to deliver on an ‘upload photograph’ option on the My Registration page of e:Vision.
Project managed by ISMS Mark Rowland.
This will enable students to upload a photograph directly to e:Vision rather than electronic submission by email. An auto-cropping function is being explored which would reduce the need for iCentre staff to manually crop and import photographs into the Safecard system, which is used to produce the Student ID card
The registration task process within e:Vision has been reviewed by the ProcessFix Anglia Ruskin Improvement team, and proposed changes have been requested. ISMS are now working on a visually more pleasing registration task, and removing unnecessary fields. Overall, the number of screens to be filled in potentially reduced from 12 down to 8, due to a combination of improved wording, removing unnecessary sections and information, and applying improved logic around the process flow. This project is required to explore how this can be achieved, with the aim of having it in place prior to 1st December 2011, ready for the 2012 intake.
2) Re-Registration Task – streamline In addition, the re-registration task will also need to be updated in line with the above, and the trigger for re-registration should be reviewed to ensure that it is automated as appropriate. It is expected that this part of the project will be delivered during early 2012.
It is hoped that this will be delivered along with the new registration task during early 2012.
4) Intuitively Direct Students to Reset Their Password The intention is to deliver this seamlessly via Password Manager, and integrate the function as part of the e-Registration Task. Expected delivery 2012: ISMS agree that we need to trigger ‘Password Manager’ but at present this requires greater control and ISMS requires an Identify Management System, to enable this to happen. It is hoped that this will be in place during 2012. If you require a full copy of this report, or would like to speak to me about any areas you feel require LEANING, please do get in touch. Donna Franklin iCentre Manager, Chelmsford
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Departmental News
iCentre Here is a quick run down of some of the areas we assist with:
Student/Staff ID card production We produce all student and staff ID cards. ■■ Student Card collection points We offer ‘card collection points’ during the Faculty induction days, either from the iCentre, or delegated points on Campus. Students are also given: • Student Diary (limited stocks available for 2nd/3rd year students to buy from the iCentre for £3.00) • Student Charter • Assessment Regulations
A day in the iCentre! The aim of the iCentre is to put our students at the heart of everything we do. Students therefore come to us for any ‘study related’ query, and we endeavour to find the answer as quickly as possible, leaving the student to concentrate on the important thing… their learning! One day at the iCentre is never the same as another... we deal with a huge number of queries, some in-depth, and some that can be dealt with very quickly. On a typical week in Chelmsford we have 2000+ visitors. In Cambridge this can at times be almost double! 15
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■■ International students on a Tier-4 Visa – UKBA Compliance For a student on a Tier-4 Visa, ID cards are held at the iCentres and students advised to collect upon producing their Passport, Visa/ Biometric card. These are then checked to ensure the end dates and sponsor codes are correct, and then they are scanned onto SITS by the iCentre team, and issued ID cards once the student has a UK term time address.
Registration Support We offer students 1-2-1 help and support with their registration and re-registration process. We can help and advise students with all aspects of e:Vision.
Timetabling Support We offer help with timetabling queries and the iCentre is where students can collect and return their module planning and module change forms.
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Departmental News
Information Screens and Kiosks We monitor and display all University wide messages and information for our students.
Assignment submission help and guidance We are the main point of student submission for A4 sized paper submissions.
Assignment processing We log all submissions on SITS and inform the Academic when work is ready to collect. This includes all paper-based standard submissions, extensions and re-submissions. We aim to complete this process in 24 hours! Between the 1st April and 24th May 2011 the iCentres processed 31,190 submissions!!!!
Transport Authorisation ■■ We authorise Oyster card student applications (on-line authorisation) ■■ We authorise 16–25 rail card application forms
Standard letters and certificates via Txttools The function to text in requests for standard letters was made available on the ‘My Registration’ page of e:Vision – and worked superbly as an alternative to emailing the iCentre or requesting letters at the iCentre counter. This has proved to be an extremely popular service with new students, as they have been able to collect their Student ID Card and letters on arrival. It also enables more efficient processing by staff and contributes to the ‘leaning agenda’ by replacing paper-based systems.
■■ UK student Bank Account letter (International students) ■■ Confirmation of Registration letter
Follow us on Facebook ‘Anglia Ruskin University iCentre’! Early in 2011, the iCentre created its own Facebook page with the intention to use it as a quicker method to communicate important information to students. It has proved to be an invaluable tool – we find that messages posted by us are cascaded swiftly between students. Far speedier than emails, notices or Infoscreen messages… for example, we are able to notify students immediately that their results are ready for collection, and know that most of them are able to pick this up on their ‘Smart Phones’, thereby reducing the need for students to access their University emails. By using Facebook we can go to the student which results in a much faster response. Facebook has also proved useful in providing Campus updates such as weather closures or cancelled lectures, whilst also allowing us to share University events such as Kylie Minogue receiving her recent Honorary Doctorate. We endeavour to post an update or news of a University event on our Facebook page every couple of days to keep it fresh, vibrant and informative! More information about our service is available on the website www.anglia.ac.uk/icentre Chris Pool iCentre Manager, Cambridge
We produce: ■■ Council Tax Exemption certificates ■■ UK student Bank Account letter (home/EU students)
Donna Franklin iCentre Manager, Chelmsford
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Departmental News
iCentre Congratulations – Thomas Linthe, prize winner for early submission Student Services ran a promotion to encourage students to submit prior to the Bank Holiday in May 2011. Thomas Linthe submitted his dissertation in April and was therefore entered into this draw.
Congratulations to Thomas.
Thomas won £50 of High Street vouchers, which he collected on the day of his graduation, Wednesday 12th October from the iCentre, Lord Ashcroft Building, Cambridge. Thomas graduated with a first class degree; he studied BSc (Hons) Computer Gaming and Animation Technology. Thomas emailed saying that he had a great time at Anglia Ruskin. He was part of the Volleyball men’s team and he was President for the club in his second year. He contacted Student Services and the Student Money Advice Service helped with his student finance application and to finance his time at university.
Student Services Anglia Treasure Hunt The winner of our Student Services Anglia Treasure Hunt for Semester two 2010/11 was Jade Sugars who won a £30 Amazon voucher. Jade is a 3rd year Dip HE Registered Nurse (Children’s Nursing) student in Chelmsford due to qualify in March 2012. Jade is looking forward to Graduation in October 2012. Congratulations to Jade.
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Departmental News
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Departmental News
Employability and Careers Service Employment Bureau team organise LAIBS Fieldtrip
The Student Services Employment Bureau team in Chelmsford recently arranged for a group of students from the Lord Ashcroft International Business School to attend a site visit to Britvic PLC’s bottling and distribution plant in Becton. The trip was organised to offer students the opportunity to see first-hand the ‘behind the scenes’ operations of a major international organisation. Britvic’s Learning Zone Manager, Tania Hall, co-ordinated the tour which, after a welcome talk, started with a quiz about the history, structure and operations of Britvic. The tour around the site demonstrated the complete bottling and labelling process, from the point of a small test tube size bottle being blown to 2 litre capacity and filled with branded soft drink to the distribution and transportation operations which ensures the product reaches supermarket shelves when required by the retailer. The students were also fortunate to gain an insight into the creative marketing and branding projects Britvic are famous for; such as their Robinsons drinks at the Wimbledon tennis tournament.
Herman Rapp, Senior Lecturer, commented, “There were a range of interesting perspectives for our students to consider e.g. Marketing, Operations Management and Organisational Behaviour, and the question and answer session was especially well moderated. As my own interest is Operations Management, I could see lots of “anchors” for concepts and theories which are relevant for both practice and academic teaching.” The students enjoyed the experience too. Cedric Deur, studying with AIBS for the MSc Marketing Management Practice, commented, “This event was a fantastic opportunity to see how an international company who specialise in soft drinks operates. The tour was very interesting and made us realise the organisation that is needed to operate a global business. Also, the questioning time at the end linked directly to our studies. I’m very happy that my University gave us the opportunity to learn directly what happens in the workplace.” Sarah White Business Development Manager, Employment Bureau
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November 2011
Departmental News
Employability and Careers Service Essex Chambers of Commerce and Employment Bureau Supporting Student Success On 15th June Essex Chambers of Commerce hosted their AGM and monthly business networking lunch in the new PMI building at our Chelmsford Campus. The Student Services Employment Bureau organised the event with support from Trevor Bolton, Acting Dean, LAIBS with a view to creating opportunities for students and recent graduates from the Business School to network directly with business leaders from the County. The event gave students and graduates the opportunity to observe an AGM in action and also hear words of wisdom from the speaker at this event, Nick Barton, MD of BAA Stansted. Nick shared his own career journey with the audience and delivered a fascinating talk about the many exciting developments at BAA Stansted. After Nick’s talk the formal networking session began and it was great to see so many students taking advantage of the opportunity to start building a personal ‘career contacts network’ with the many business professionals present. It is worth noting that most vacancies in the UK are not advertised, so building personal employer networks is crucial for securing life-long career opportunities. The networking continued on an informal basis during the delicious buffet lunch which was kindly sponsored by the Business School. It was inspiring to see so many students and graduates being proactive about their career planning, and taking the initiative to introduce themselves to potential
Nick Barton, MD, BAA Stansted, taking time out to speak to students on the BA Tourism Management course.
employers. A further exciting development arising from the networking is the potential for the Student Services Employment Bureau and LAIBS to establish a ‘Graduate Chamber’ in conjunction with Essex Chambers of Commerce and Business School students. Trevor Bolton and Sarah White have held an initial meeting with Denise Rossiter, CEO of Essex Chambers, with a view to moving this initiative forward in the coming months. Sarah White Business Development Manager, Employment Bureau
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November 2011
Departmental News
Employability and Careers Service News from our Employment Bureau staff The Employment Bureau teams in Chelmsford and Cambridge have been very successfully keeping students busy in their first few weeks back at university. Figures for the first three weeks of October show that 396 students have completed a work assignment so far this month: this has clocked-up 4248 hours worked and resulted in £28,709.00 in earnings. Both teams have worked tirelessly in the first weeks of this new academic year to register new students, process all the administration and support our students as they complete their job bookings. Mandie and Alex have managed the weekly payrolls with great efficiency ensuring that the all important wages are credited on time. A fantastic start to the year!!
A big thank you to both teams from the interim EB Managers, Sarah and Nic, and, of course, from Jane and Julie.
The Chelmsford team: Mandie, Verity, Rachel, Sarah and Sarah
Editor’s note – a photo of the Cambridge team was not available at the time of going to press.
Bumper numbers at International Orientation Over 550 new international and EU students attended the two day programme held on 8–9 September – the biggest ever! Plans are well underway for the International Orientation Programme for the January 2012 intake. 18 January – Heathrow airport pick up, 19 January – International Orientation programme (Cambridge & Chelmsford). Copies of the Welcome Guide, arrival information and online reservation form can be found at www.anglia.ac.uk/internationalarrivals. 21
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International Buddy@Anglia Following on from a successful pilot in January a University wide scheme was rolled out in September. Thirty buddies across all four faculties were recruited and 140 new international students opted to participate in the scheme. We will be recruiting again in November with a view to ‘buddying’ new international students starting in January. For further details please contact me. Caroline Shanahan Head of International Student Advice Service
November 2011
Departmental News
Student Money Advice Service The Student Money Advice Service is in the middle of one of the busiest times of the year with demands from both new and returning students, not helped by the fact that, out of a six person team, we are missing two staff members. In the third week of October we dealt with over 150 students in person and fielded more than 200 emails. We offer professional advice about a range of student moneyrelated issues, for example, availability of funding and entitlement to welfare benefits. The main issue that students present with at this time of the year is delayed student funding. Both Student Finance England and NHS Bursaries have very slow processing times resulting in many students not receiving their money on time. We are able to assist such students financially to ensure they have a roof over their heads and food in their cupboards but there is a limit to the level of support we can provide. We also check to make sure they have applied for maximum support, that their funding is correct and discuss
other ways to maximise their income. Budgeting is crucial to their survival, especially at the start of the year, and it’s important that students learn to manage their money: not only to keep their finances healthy during their time at Anglia Ruskin, but as an essential skill that will last beyond university. Applications to the Access to Learning Fund have been flooding in; more than 100 have been assessed already and we expect to receive many more, especially in this first semester. In case you are not already familiar with this, the Access to Learning Fund (aka ALF) is Government grant money that is allocated to all universities each academic year to help eligible students who have a shortfall between income and expenditure but it is not intended to help those who have mismanaged their finances. Please feel free to spread the word of this fund to students, and for more information and the application forms please go to www.anglia.ac.uk/alf We have already attended one Open Day on 8th October which
was busier than expected, with the money advisers on each campus both seeing more than 50 prospective students each, and we have two more coming up this semester. Pre-entry guidance is vital, especially for non-traditional students such as lone parents who need to know that they will be able to afford to study. There is a very high demand for our services, and students’ expectations can be unrealistic, but we hope that, in the main, students who contact our service are satisfied with the assistance they received and are better equipped to manage their finances both during their time with us and after they graduate. This is what one satisfied customer had to say recently: “I just wanted to sincerely thank you for your help and support you have given me recently it has been invaluable, and you are providing a wonderful service to students in situations like mine”. Julia Manley Student Money Advice Service Manager
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November 2011
Departmental News
Study Support Service An exciting research project mapping the full range of study skills support available across our university is about to launch. Jointly led by the University Library and the Study Support Team within Student Services, the project is the result of a successful bid for a Learning and Teaching Project Award. Analysing staff and student views, the project will make recommendations for developing our study skills support provision. Faculty and support staff can help kick off the project’s first phase by completing a short online questionnaire. We hope that staff will take a few minutes
to complete the questionnaire, recognising the real benefits that the project can bring to their own students and courses. Later phases of the project will gather and analyse students’ views on what support they use, what they like – and what they would really like us to provide. Contact Karen Burton or Margaret March for more details. karen.burton@anglia.ac.uk margaret.march@anglia.ac.uk A recent online survey of students supported by the Study Support Team showed 100% of respondents across all campuses are satisfied with the professionalism and helpfulness
of our staff. And between 94% and 100% would recommend us to a student who needed support. Response rates to the end of year Survey Monkey exercise ranged from 7% to 17% across the campuses. The Study Support Team is offering a range of study skills workshops and drop-in sessions across all campuses this semester. The sessions are open to all students, on a first-come, first-served basis. For details, go to: www.anglia.ac.uk/ studyskillsworkshops Karen Burton Study Support Service Manager
Social Networking launched by our Study Support Service The Study Support team have launched a Twitter @studysupportARU) and Facebook account to help promote their study skills workshops, as well as sharing other general study support news and tips. They went ‘live’ in early September and now have over 10 followers on each account. Fran Pocock from the Study Support team said “We have a long way to go to fully utilise these social
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networking tools, but we have made a start on enhancing our methods of communicating with students”. The Study Support team are actively promoting these accounts via their email signature and via a Twitter Feed placed on the Study Support homepage on MyAnglia.
November 2011
Departmental News
Sports and Active Lifestyles News from Mildmay Since our last eulogy on things various, time has moved forward, but we are still very much involved in our local community, and evolving new ideas and activities to encourage members of our university community to be involved in physical activity, active lifestyles, and various sporting endeavours. Let us start with our supposedly inglorious performance in the staff rounder’s match in Cambridge. We were there, certainly Claire and myself made the journey up to Cambridge and we were ably supported by friends from our Students’ Union. Support we did have, we dragged the head honcho out onto the pitch! The weather sadly was against us all! In June on one of the hottest days of the year to date, we threw our Essex campus doors open to the Little Havens Countryside bike ride, the move from May to June proved to be a winner. Over 1500 visitors arrived on Campus, about 550 more than expected! The place was bursting and it was a real privilege to be involved in such a fantastic event, both in terms
of the funds it raised - money for the Little Havens Children’s Hospice, and of course for the event itself, which showed off our Campus. Thanks to all the staff that helped deliver the actual event. Add in the fact that the event promotes an extremely healthy way of travel and activity in our ever increasing green times, and gives us the opportunity to promote the fact that Essex hosts a major Olympic venue less than 25 minutes away from our campus at Hadleigh Farm!
intrepid participants from our very own purple ranks – Messrs Fix, Barker and Watson embarked upon and completed a rather daunting sixty mile ride, notice it was all smiles before the set off :-), but a hell of an achievement by the end. I hasten to say that they were not the only group from within the ranks of ARU, our estates team also embarked upon the 25 route, well done to all, and that includes the lovely Beverly and Rose in our catering department and our security team who were all just brilliant on the day! Make no mistake this is a major event and one that I hope will grow and grow for the future!
(l-r) Andrina Watson. Debbie Barker and Kay Fix
Not only were we at the centre of organising and hosting the event on behalf of Anglia Ruskin, we also had some
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November 2011
Departmental News Sports and Active Lifestyles Continued Whilst on the subject of cycling, I am lucky enough to chair the Chelmsford cycling forum, which is hosted by Essex County Council, and along with our environmental team here at Anglia Ruskin, we are trying to improve all aspects of what we do to support cycling. Later over the summer I was privileged enough to act as host for our Women’s GB Volleyball squad, frankly they were amazing, but perhaps more importantly, as a squad they were mightily impressed with Anglia Ruskin. As always, it was a collective effort, with Accommodation Services, Security and our Students’ Union coming to the party from in-house, and with Corporate Communications working with all our external partners. Quite some feat I can assure you. We even managed to deliver with the drive and enthusiasm of the Lord Ashcroft International Business School, a conference into the cognitive element of high performance sport. The squad are aiming for a quarter final spot in the Olympics – we wish them all the best knowing that we helped them in their quest.
up to the 2012 Olympics, just no room at the inn! We are fully booked, just in case anybody wondered! Trim trail – we all possibly look with amazement at the various bits of equipment that have sprung up around our Rivermead Campus, implements of torture to some, but we hope to set up some fun and active challenges revolving around the eight stations, and encourage more of our University community to look at the option to walk, jog or run around the various loops that we show on our Trim Trail Map. We will be introducing some lead walks and jog run sessions, plus experimenting with some instructor lead Trim Trail sessions – watch for further info!
Sadly we have had to give up the opportunity to work with the USA fencing team in the build 25
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New to us as well has been the table tennis table that has appeared in the amphitheatre area outside of Marconi. This has been used remarkably well, and for those of you that fancy a fun game, just pop into our iCentre or the Chaplaincy where there should be a supply of bats and balls for everybody to borrow. Yes we will be introducing some fun ‘ping’ – possibly when the weather gets warmer again. Talking of things new we are delighted that we now host Chelmsford Boccia club, they meet here on Thursday afternoons, between 1pm and 3pm. Boccia is in the Paralympics and Simon BrownLamont the head coach has set the bar at getting at least one of his squad in the world championships in 2014, then two to be considered for the Paralympics for 2016! One of our students comes regularly to the club, Claire Dangolitis (Capt.), and we persuaded her and two others, David Dow and Rachael Farrant, as representatives in the Massive Games. The first round was recently held at Chelmsford College, and involved us in trampolining and boccia. The Massive Games is our way of celebrating the Olympic Games.
November 2011
Departmental News
By the time you read this, we will have have taken part in sitting volleyball, basketball and fencing. This will be followed by futsal, mountain biking (not at the Olympic venue at Hadleigh), clay pigeon shooting and then a form of fun Mini Olympic Games celebration, which we hope will coincide with the Olympic Torch coming to Chelmsford in July.
Night Hike (Courtesy of Northcliffe Media)
As always we are very active in supporting our community, which is why the various elements of the community regularly come together to support us. Because of our experience with the Marathong, Claire Markwell was persuaded, and ever being the enthusiast, ended up supporting the first ever Chelmsford Night Hike, which took place on Friday 23rd September. This was lead by Chelmsford Borough
Council, but not only did we end up supplying Marshall Vests, spoons and advice, but Claire walked the route as the tail end Charlie Marshall! Of course this has natural links with the walks she leads once a week as part of our Heart & Soul agenda! New sporting initiatives that are starting up as a result of our widening community partnerships, include, futsal, rush hockey, badminton and our ‘No Strings’ arrangement with Badminton England, cricket and basketball. These are all coming about because of the networks and partnerships that we are building with the national governing bodies of sport, and local sports clubs. Indeed such has been our success in this area, we were recently very successful with five Sport England SPORTIVATE funding bids for badminton, netball, fencing, cheerleading and tag rugby, that we have persuaded others to come forward and test the water in basketball, futsal and boxing! What we offer has been expanded with our new drive with Riverside Ice &
Leisure so for all our staff and students who might like to take advantage of their Leisure Card Plus do come and ask at Mildmay reception or visit our website for further details: www.anglia.ac.uk/active The discount card will give you access to swimming, ice skating, and a wider range of classes to supplement our active lifestyles programme that anyone has ever had before! We also have partnerships with the Great Baddow Lawn Tennis club, Notley Golf Club and Essex County Cricket Board and Club, all of whom are offering opportunities for our staff and students to just ‘pitch up and play’. Coming up, is the annual Staff v Students Football matches; these will happen on both campuses and as in past years will highlight Fairtrade issues. These normally take place at the end of February/beginning of March, so either 27th February or 5th March for Chelmsford. Steve Dupree Head, Sports and Active Lifestyles
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November 2011
Departmental News
Study Support Service The Counselling and Wellbeing Team So far this academic year the Counselling and Wellbeing Service has launched new initiatives, extended our provision to students and has had an extremely busy time on both the Chelmsford and Cambridge campuses supporting student success through our interventions, having double the number of students through our doors since this time last year. During Freshers’ Week we consolidated our Settling-In programme of three workshops: Changes and Transitions, Anxiety and Stress Management and Away from Home – Strategies for Living Independently. They proved extremely popular on both campuses. In addition, we have worked very closely for the first time, with Welcome Week for International Students, and will be running support groups and Drop-in sessions for them throughout the year to increase their sense of belonging and help them with the challenges of a new cultural, as well as educational, experience. Our Group Work has begun with two, eight week Anxiety and Stress Management psychoeducational Programmes, running parallel, due to student demand, and open to all students who come for support. A number of other groups are getting off the ground also, including one of the first Aspergers Groups of its kind, which has the support of Simon Baron-Cohen, a leading expert in the field
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who has just set up the first NHS diagnostic clinic in Cambridge for people who think they may have the condition. Post-Grad, mature student group and a number of others are also being launched this semester. The Oral Presentation Anxiety Group is also running and making an impact on the lives of students who feel rising panic when it is their turn to give academic presentations. It is called ‘Finding Your Voice’. A co-ordinated, team approach across both campuses enhances our provision. Finally, ‘Kitchen Counselling’ is already up and running, where I have been along to students in a house in Cambridge to deliver crisis support to a group of students traumatised and shocked, following an incident. Our crisis work is ever-increasing, in line with counselling and wellbeing services across the sector and, as the latest Report by The Royal College of Psychiatrists suggests, in its study of the mental health of students in higher education, students can be more vulnerable than other young people, with the difficulties of being away from home, rising debt, etc. We are certainly seeing this reflected in our work and continue to adapt our service to meet the demands of the student population. Bev Gold Counselling and Wellbeing Manager
November 2011
Events
Mission Croatia 2011 Lots of people have been asking how it went this year, and loads have been showing interest in coming along next year too! Well, we had a fantastic time of giving and receiving in all manner of ways: giving of ourselves, time and talents; and receiving humble life-lessons, love and friendship, new skills and experiences. There really is something in the old maxim that ‘the more you give, the more you receive’. We had a team of 36 this year, plus Steve Bennett, our University Secretary and Clerk, who was able to come for four days at the beginning of the trip. He absolutely loved it, and was deeply impressed by what he saw of the calibre of our students, staff, and alumni. So much so, that he came back changed by the experience and subsequently arranged for me (Tony) to give a presentation to CMT, who were very supportive of Mission Croatia and are keen to back further development of it. The lead-up to the trip was a very important and formative time of monthly briefing meetings, fundraising events, fun fair at the Chelmsford Open Day in May, and team pre-trip BBQ. We worked in three sites this year: Kraljevica – our home base; Stancic – the largest institution in the country; and Selce – a childrens’ home. The usual things of plastering and painting were done in all sites, along with a fabulous mural at Stancic, six bedrooms completely redecorated in Selce, and the railings in Kraljevica continue to live! There were also two fabulous fun days in Kraljevica and Selce, and the bonds of friendship and relationships between the clients and our Team that have been formed over the very
Students playing with clients at the fun day
important previous years continues to grow. Our staff gave more nursing training for some of the Croatian staff, and it was so well received that they have asked for more! It really is the quality of the team members that makes the trip so valuable, as its not an easy two weeks away. They show tremendous discipline, determination, care, compassion, patience, fun and good humour. The friendships they make are often life-long. Their pride in the purpose of the trip as part of their Anglia Ruskin experience is real and loud. And they’ll readily tell you that it changed their lives. Applications for next year’s trip are now open. Please keep your eyes on the Info Screens, look out for other info spots, and please visit the Chaplaincy website for more info and to download an application form http://web.anglia.ac.uk/ chaplaincy/chelmsford/missioncroatia2.phtml Rev’d Tony Cant Chaplain
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November 2011
Events Mission Croatia 2011 Continued Here, three of our team members give a reflection of their experience of Mission Croatia (MC) 2011.
Kraljevica, by Lisa Jolley Being a ‘newbee’ I wasn’t quite sure what to expect at Kraljevica. The first thing that struck me was the location by the sea and the peaceful hospital environment. Our rooms are basic and shared, but more than I expected, with each having a small bathroom, so no queuing to shower, so ‘all good’. Communal living is part of the experience which helps to forge a great ‘team’ spirit. There is opportunity for some quiet away time or socialising, and the local town centre is only a short walk. The hospital staff are very welcoming and clearly appreciate the work being done by MC. Work starts at 7am and is very physical. It can be tiring, especially in hot weather, but I did pick up new skills such as plastering!
The joy of preparing walls for sanding (l-r) Alex Toole, Georgina Marriott, Laura Stevenson and Danny Mayses
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I didn’t do ward work but got involved with the children and adults on the ‘fun day’. Over the two weeks seeing their needs and the nurses working with so few resources is humbling and it is their care that shines through. So MC is all about people. Working as a team showing we care, by using our skills to make things better for others makes for a very rewarding experience.
Stancic, by Chris Martin For me, going on MC and back to Stancic for a second time was one I eagerly looked forward to. I was excited to unite with old friends, both volunteers and natives from the previous year’s trip, and make new ones with MC apprentices. On arrival at the beautiful hospital setting, we were enthusiastically greeted by the staff and clients alike. One happy resident called Ronalto, an iconic individual who insisted on helping us whenever he could, was so enthused to see us he bear-hugged us so vigorously we thought we might end up in a pile with him on the floor! Yet enjoyment from being there was later sobered on hearing news of the passing of another familiar client a few weeks earlier due to health complications, bringing home to me the frailty of life for some of our friends at Stancic. The week flew by and the unrelenting hard work of all MC people on the site again inspired me. Following each meeting over breakfast, the teams, superbly guided by Graham, set about each task like well-oiled machines. After spending hours prepping the first room with Amanda in often dust-obscuring conditions, our excellent artist, Jo Bowman conjured up a wonderful ‘market
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Events
Selce, by Ross Kemble
The completed wall mural at Stancic (l-r) Stacey Humberstone, Amanda Nicholson and Jo Bowman
scene’ wall mural. Damien meanwhile, being the tallest, was tasked with the ceiling painting, with Louise and Claire wall painting to Claire’s beautiful singing voice and funny chitchat dotted with the occasional burst of Louise’s infectious laughing. Over on another part of the site, Jed supervised and worked with Stacey, Rachel and Chris rubbing-down and re-painting the perimeter fence surrounding the adolescent unit, in between participating in aerobics sessions with a resident called Domo, an extremely flexible instructor who put us all through our paces! Kirsty too, and her volunteers, performed the usual excellent work on the wards in the morning before craving Croatian sunshine and joining the outside decorators in the afternoon. In summary, Stancic was a week of hard work, much fun, lots of laughter and some sadness but again, an overall and unforgettable and very rewarding and worthwhile experience for me.
Selce is an enjoyable place where you work in a children’s home with clients of differing ages. Selce is also a very beautiful place on the coast. We were able to paint six of their bedrooms while there, with the children actually helping. It was a great experience, as when the painting was done for the day we would play sports with the children. Because of that, I felt there were positive bonds made. There were many days which were enjoyed but the best was when we organised a fun day for the children and I actually got my nails painted (Yiiiiippppiiii) hehe…. It was a wrench to leave the children but we all know what a positive affect we have had, and we had also made friends for the future. All in all, Selce was a great experience and one that I hope to do again.
Editor’s note We also have the following reports from our own Student Services staff Damien Murray and Rosemary Chaplin – as you will see they both had very positive experiences with Mission Croatia.
Damien Murray’s report I will begin by underlining just how much of a life changing experience MC was for me. I’d never really thought of myself as a humanitarian aid worker, and can’t even begin to describe what must have influenced my decision to apply. I am so glad I did, however, because it made me realise how many things in life I take for granted.
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November 2011
Events Mission Croatia 2011 Continued I was able to develop a number of personal skills and I learned so much about teamwork and shared responsibility, taking great pride in being an ambassador for Anglia Ruskin University, and in particular Student Services. It was a whirlwind journey from having an application accepted in November, to the first meeting in December all the way through to flying out from Stansted the following June. I raised funds for the trip by being sponsored to take part in the Sawston Fun Run, which did involve running but was not particularly fun! We all started out at the Kraljevica site, before splitting off into three groups for a week, teams for Kraljevica, Selce, and Stancic. I was based at the Stancic site, which is the largest institution in the country. From the moment we piled out of the minibus we were greeted by a delegation of staff and clients who gave us a very warm welcome indeed. Days consisted of hard work and manual labour – stripping railings, painting railings, hating railings and dreaming about railings. We also redecorated some of the rooms on the wards, and all contributed to a fantastic mural. Nights mainly consisted of card games, beer and pizza! Interaction with clients was an enriching experience and I felt that spending time with them really made a difference. Considering those less fortunate than ourselves doesn’t cost anything and can make a huge impact, not only on their lives but also our own. On our return to Kraljevica, I was able to visit the Selce site when we visited for a meal, and I was 31
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grateful to have experienced all aspects of the project. Croatia is a beautiful country and over the fortnight, we enjoyed trips to Zagreb, Krk and a boat cruise on the Adriatic with the clearest water I have ever seen! I felt honoured to have taken part in Mission Croatia 2011 and met some really great people. It is a fantastic enterprise and has been running since 1997, and under the guidance of Tony Cant, I’m sure that it will continue to evolve and will be a part of Anglia Ruskin University for a long time to come. I can highly recommend the experience and would encourage anyone who is even faintly interested in making it a part of their future endeavours. Damien Murray Faculty Student Adviser – ALSS & FHCS&E
Rosemary Chaplin’s report How to sum up my Mission Croatia experience in a few words? Not an easy task, but I do like a challenge! Perhaps challenges are part of what MC is about; when Tony presented me with my MC t-shirt at the airport to fit into my already bulging holdall this was but the first of many challenges! I don’t know quite what I expected from my trip to Croatia; certainly, my experience was different to my expectations. My bed was not a mattress on the floor, but a real one with legs (I was one of the privileged to have legs); the shower was not communal, but had a shower curtain (OK, so
November 2011
Events
it was a cold shower, but who needs hot water with temperatures in the 30’s) and the loo had a temperamental flush, but all these are things that we folk who like a challenge can cope with. What have I learned from MC? Well, I have acquired new skills of sanding, filling holes and plastering; I am deft at wielding a paint roller and can tell the difference between a furry gloss and a spongy emulsion one! My railings painting skills could be improved (we won’t mention the gust of wind that tipped the pot of gloss paint over the guttering) and I am now a dab hand at sweeping up with a dustpan and broom. I still face the challenge of removing stray splatters of gloss paint from my person, but see these as reminders of my happy MC days.
Editor’s note Tony has said they are planning to take another group of students, staff, and Alumni to Croatia again in 2012, and would very much appreciate any fundraising help if anyone might like to volunteer their support.
During my time on the ward I learned how to wash my hands properly and how to bath and feed the clients; this was such a different experience to bathing and feeding my lively one year old grandson. Perhaps, most importantly, I learned that not speaking Croatian was not the challenge I thought it might be, because smiles, laughter and hugs are universal ways of communicating. So, will I go next year? Yes, if I can. Would I recommend MC to other members of staff? Yes, definitely. You don’t need to be a DIY expert; you do need to be enthusiastic, flexible and a bit crazy, with a penchant for ice cream and pizza. Do contact Rev’d Tony if you are thinking of taking parting in MC in 2012; Mission Croatia has achieved so much over the last 14 years, but there is still so much more that needs to be done; next year you could be part of it! Rosemary Chaplin Dyslexia Assessor (Retired)
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November 2011
Events
VC’s Award for Lorraine Silk – 28 June 2011 Dear All, Our very own Lorraine Silk received a VC’s Award at the Learning and Teaching Conference. I was delighted to be there to cheer loudly although Lorraine did persuade me not to wave my purple pom poms and do the cheerleading dance I had rehearsed. Below is a copy of the text that the Vice Chancellor read before handing over the award. I am sure that everyone will join with me in congratulating Lorraine on her success! Best wishes Julie Walkling
Editor’s note: This is the recommendation submitted by Julie Walkling for the VC’s Award. We all congratulate Lorraine on this achievement and her dedication to her work.
“Lorraine is an outstanding colleague who is utterly committed to ensuring that our students have the best experience possible. Working from the Office of the Director of Student Services she coordinates a range of student communications in hard and electronic copy, is responsible for a great deal of the planning and administration for our Welcome programme, the National Student Survey and she deals with complaints received by phone and email under the Tell Us scheme. Nothing is too much trouble for Lorraine if it means she can improve things for our students and give them a positive experience. She regularly carries out tasks outside of her normal 33
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duties and often acts on her own initiative to resolve difficult and often complex situations in a way that is beyond what we could reasonably expect. She often works unsociable hours, without being asked, to ensure that our work with students is delivered effectively and to a very high standard. She is also very pragmatic, coming up with common sense solutions to support our students and she is quite willing to stand in a queue, walk the campus, staff a door, work a stall – whatever needs to be done to talk to students and ensure they get the best we can offer. She routinely plans her holidays around her peak work periods, rescheduling herself if she thinks she will not get her work done in time. During Welcome Week she supervises our student helpers, motivating and leading them to encourage new students to participate in the activities provided and she is happy to join in herself if that will encourage others! Lorraine assists with the planning of the NSS campaign, ensures that publicity is produced and is circulated and regularly talks to colleagues and students to see how the campaign is being received and whether changes need to be made. She deals good-naturedly with repetitive questions and concerns from staff relating to the NSS, organises prizes and incentives and doggedly pursues winning students who are not responding. She also organises the Cambridge all-staff Christmas party, again working extra hours on her own initiative to make sure everything goes as planned. Lorraine is a tremendous asset to our university and a great advocate for our students. She is extremely worthy of recognition in the form of a Vice Chancellor’s Award”.
November 2011
Events Our Graduates Raising the Oars for Charity! Interview by Clare Gregory Earlier this year I was at a local fair when I spotted a couple of our graduates standing by a rather impressive and futuristic looking Rowing boat! I recognised Chris and Tom from their visits to Student Services for support during their courses and went to investigate what this impressive set up was all about. After a brief chat Chris and Tom explained the challenge they had set themselves of rowing across the Atlantic in their specialised rowing boat to raise funds for Parkinson’s UK. Very kindly Chris and Tom have spared some of their time explaining how they got to where they are now!
Q: How, where and when did you guys meet? Was it at Anglia Ruskin University? A: Yes, we met at ARU when it was APU in 2003 in Peter Taylor Halls. Q: What gave you the idea of rowing across the Atlantic? A: The Atlantic rowing challenge is the world number one endurance event – we figured that if we could complete it we could achieve anything. Q: Why did you choose to donate the sponsorship money to Parkinson’s UK? A: My (Chris) grandfather had suffered with Parkinson’s throughout my childhood so that was the main reason for choosing this charity.
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Events Our Graduates Raising the Oars for Charity! Continued We both feel that attitudes need to be changed about this disease as well as raising awareness. It really is a terrible disease.
Q: Have you had any specialist training to prepare your body for the physical pressure of such a trip?
Q: When exactly are you planning to commence this challenge?
A: We have been on a course of training for about 15 months, this included marathon rows, endurance challenges – we walked 90 miles from Cambridge to Kent in one go, we cycled 300 miles from Paris to Cambridge in one go and we constantly test each other psychologically to make sure we are completely in tune with each other. We also had to undergo sea survival training and RYA exams, including Astro navigation, first aid and VHF radio.
A: We plan to leave Gran Canaria on the 25th November 2011 and set course for Barbados. Q: How long do you expect it to take to cross the Atlantic? A: It could take up to three months but we’d both like to do it in two if possible. Q: How will you survive for such a long time without touching terra firma! Do you have any specialist equipment on your boat? A: The whole boat is specialised really, we have solar panels for electricity, a small cabin for sleeping and a desalinator that turns sea water into drinking water. People take walking for granted but there’s nowhere on deck to take a stroll, it really is a confined space with nothing but each other for company and support.
Thank you Chris and Tom for chatting with me, I can see from this that you have really taken a lot of trouble to prepare yourselves. All of us at Student Services wish you good luck with this amazing and worthwhile conquest. We look forward to an article on your return on how the challenge went. Clare Gregory Information Assistant/Link-Up Sub Editor
Editors Note: If you want to contact Chris and Tom, or follow their progress the details are below:
www.oarraisers.co.uk http://www.facebook.com/profile. php?id=100001325042242 http://twitter.com/TheOarRaisers http://www.blogger.com/ profile/08642088085078757034
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November 2011
Events
Drama Studio opens it’s doors for Street Party On Saturday 11th June, Covent Garden (Cambridge, not London!!) held its second annual street party. This years event was bigger and better than last year, with more stalls, more live bands, more bunting, and more money raised for our three charities – Romsey Mill Aspire Team, Parkinson’s UK and Wintercomfort. ARU’s Covent Garden Drama Studio opened it’s doors for the day and Will, the superstar technician who works there, had organised music, a student art installation, a dance workshop by Natalie – a 3rd year student who had us all doing ‘the carwash’ (ironic in a street that is completely double yellow lined!!), and Lawrence, a member of the Cambridge Community Circus, who had us chucking balls all over the place in an attempt to teach us to juggle. We had stalls selling books, plants, bric-a-brac, homemade cakes, jams and chutneys, jewellery, hand knitted items, an ice cream van, a face painter, a children’s craft table, Urban Larder were selling their delicious hand made goods, Arjuna were giving away free samples, and Cambridge Wine Merchants organised a wine
All ready to start the party!
tasting competition (which I didn’t win as it was based on quality rather than quantity – I tried my best though). Local businesses and restaurants donated vouchers for the raffle. Cassells Cider donated a keg of Yarlington Mill and Moonshine Brewery brewed a barrel of beer specially for the day, and I can vouch for the fact that both were superb. The Six Bells held an exhibition by local artists Mick Abbott and Sam Motherwell, and there was live music all day long by local bands. All the residents mucked in and made enough food to feed an army for a month. We even had a prize for best decorated house, but sadly my hand knitted strawberries and bunting were
no competition to Annie’s organ which even had music to accompany it! It’s amazing to think how we fitted all of that into such a small street, but it fitted beautifully and a fantastic time was had by all – even the sun shone for us!! Watch this space and I will let you know the date for next year so you too can join in the fun and spend lots of money in aid of charity. Until next time! Alison Wilson Information Assistant/ Link-Up Sub-Editor
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November 2011
Events
Moonwalk Last year my cousin was diagnosed with breast cancer, she has now had all her treatment and is having regular check ups and all is good so far. Those who know me will know that I like a challenge and probably also think I’m a bit mad. A challenge is so much better if you can raise funds for a charity and if that charity has touched your life in some way, then that makes it so much more rewarding. So on 14 May 2011 I did the London Moonwalk, although I only managed to get a space on the ‘Half Moon’, which is a 13.1 mile midnight walk
secured places on both the London Moonwalk and the Edinburgh Moonwalk. The London one is on 12 May 2012 and the Edinburgh one on 9 June 2012. Both events mean walking the streets of these great capital cities at midnight wearing a bra, hopefully decorated to a theme… and the small point of 26.2 miles for each walk, so two marathons in four weeks. Midnight Cowgirl (14 May 2011)
around London which took me about 3¼ hours and I raised approximately £230. This year I need to at least double that amount as I have
All donations gratefully received so please dig deep and watch out for my fundraising page. Wish me luck! Claire Markwell Sports and Active Lifestyles
Chaplaincy Events Remembrance Day – 11th November
Please show your support by coming along.
Chelmsford – Meet at 10.50 in the Lord Ashcroft reception area to keep silence at 11.00am for the Remembrance Day observance. This year Mayor Sarah Hardy from Colchester will be helping to lead the event.
Christmas Carols
Cambridge – Nigel Cooper is holding a similar event on the Helmore steps. 37
Chelmsford – Tony Cant would like to invite everyone for ‘Carols around the Christmas Tree’ on 8th December, 11.45–12.15, in the Lord Ashcroft reception area. Led by the Anglia Singers, with help from our Students Union Gospel Choir Society, and loads of staff and students
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joining in, this year promises to be bigger and better than the 100 people who came along last year. Please come along and enjoy this University Community Gathering celebration of Christmas. Cambridge – Nigel Cooper would like to invite all staff to the Christmas Carols which will be on Tuesday 6th December at 5.00pm in the Zion Baptist church.
November 2011
Staff News
Student to Temporary Staff to Graduand! I started my university experience at Anglia Ruskin University in 2008 and have graduated recently with an honours degree in Tourism Management. My journey of three years at Anglia Ruskin has been very exciting and at times very challenging, there had been the good and the bad times but that was all part of my experience as a student and learning to overcome challenges. During my final year at university, I had managed to find a temporary job at the iCentre to help out during busy days; this was the main place where students handed in their assignments. I worked there for a few weeks but then as I finished my studying at Anglia Ruskin a couple of weeks later, I had finished working too. However the iCentre got back in touch with me about working with them in August, which I was very pleased about. Working at the iCentre made me realise how much work, effort, time and energy the team give to help students out to their best. During those six weeks, there were times
Here I am now as a Graduand going out to the real world and ready for all the challenges and risks that I will face in the future. From being a student at Anglia Ruskin through to being a temporary staff member, it has been the most amazing experience and three years of my life, as I met great people and worked with a brilliant team. I can’t thank the iCentre staff enough for all the help and reassurance they have given me throughout my time working there.
when it was nonstop from the start of the morning till finish. This was enjoyable as you get to meet new students who are also starting their experience at Anglia Ruskin and stressful as working in such a busy environment, I did not want to get anything wrong or give any sort of wrong information to students. Working with such an amazing team who always reassured me and always helped me if I was unsure, no matter how busy it was.
I would like to wish all new students (and continuing) all the best in their future and to experience their university life to the fullest. Dilem Topuzoglu
Editor’s note: Dilem was a Chelmsford student who worked in our iCentre earlier in the year and again in August and September. Dilem graduated with a BA (Hons) Tourism Management – congratulations and we wish her all the best for her future.
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November 2011
Staff News An interview with Kate Price and Will Wreathall Our new front-line Information Assistants in Tindal
Q: Kate, how long had you been working in the Contact Centre before you moved to this job in Students Services? A: I was employed within Corporate Marketing, Customer Relations Team for approximately five years. In addition to working in the Contact Centre, I also covered both the Tindal reception area (that was!) and Ashcroft main reception on a regular basis. This was obviously a front-line role which I feel has given me a good grounding for my current position within Student Services. Q: What attracted you to working in this frontline position in Student Services? A: I have always been a ‘people person’ and thoroughly enjoy the one-to-one contact with students. I get a lot of job satisfaction from 39
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trying to enhance the student experience and by helping customers as much as possible. Q: Now that you have been working here for a few weeks what qualities do you think you need to cope with the wide range of queries you might be asked? A: As in my previous position I think you need to be approachable, patient, diplomatic, flexible, non judgemental and a good listener and of course a sense of humour always helps too! We want our customers to go away happy, recommend our services to others and return to see us. I like to think and indeed hope, that my many life experiences over the past few years have given me an understanding and empathy towards others.
November 2011
Staff News
Q: Would you like to tell us a bit about yourself; your interests and hobbies outside work? A: I worked for British Telecom for a number of years managing a large team. I gave up full-time work when I had my daughter Chloe and subsequently worked part-time at both Chelmsford College and Essex County Council, which fitted in perfectly with being a mum. I gradually increased my work commitment as Chloe moved on firstly to secondary school and now her 2nd year of university. In my spare time I enjoy gardening, live music, reading, travel and baking cakes for Will. I also work with volunteers during the weekends at Age UK in Chelmsford, which I absolutely love and of course where donations are always gratefully received – directly at the shop, of course! Q: Will, can I also ask you some similar questions. Would you like to give us some background information about yourself before you joined Anglia Ruskin? A: I originally trained as a rural surveyor at Plymouth University but following my degree I decided to change course. My family are local farmers in the Chelmsford area. After five years in Rural Surveying I decided to apply for a job in Timetabling at Anglia Ruskin. I started working there in 2008 and worked there for two and a half years before moving to the iCentre in September last year. Q: You have now changed to working for both the iCentre and the Information Team in Student Services; how are you finding this new arrangement of splitting your day between the two roles?
A: I think there are advantages. I see a whole range of students and have a wider knowledge of how both services work. They can complement each other as well – I may see a student in the iCentre in the morning and again at the Student Services main reception in the afternoon. Q: What do you like best about working directly with students/clients? A: I really like it that there is never a dull moment; there is a lot of variety and I am in contact with people most of the time. This is the contrast with my previous role in Timetabling, which was rather remote from students – I much prefer the face-to-face interaction. The job satisfaction is seeing the job through from start to finish either by directing them to someone in our own services or to another colleague in our university. That is what our front-line position is all about. Q: Lastly, what do you like to do outside work? A: I like cycling and walking as well as playing badminton and tennis, usually locally to where I live in Springfield. I also like reading and cake making – but only one type of cake! (I gather this is a private joke – Will forgot to save a bit of Victoria sponge for Kate from his last batch of cake making. The Great British Bake Off has nothing on this!) Thank you both for sparing the time to tell me a little bit about yourselves. I hope many more people will know who they are talking to when they telephone or email Student Services for advice. Jean Ryan
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November 2011
Staff News Welcome to Amanda Crouch in our Employment Bureau employability support where necessary. This involved developing relationships with local and national employers to identify opportunities that would suit the needs and aspirations of our young people. It could be a delicate balancing act as the expectations of both groups could vary quite substantially and therefore we often acted as chief negotiator in order to accurately match the needs of the employer to the capabilities of the young people. We didn’t win every battle but I draw great satisfaction from the large numbers of young people we helped to achieve secure employment and become financially stable. With that background, the role within the Student Services Employment Bureau really caught my imagination as it gives me the opportunity to support students through their time at University and make a successful transition into work.
Hello, my name is Mandie Crouch and I joined Student Services on the 8 August as an Administrator in the Employment Bureau. Previously, I worked for Connexions, the Information, Advice and Guidance Service for 13–19 year olds or, if you are as old as me, the Careers Service. My role there was to find employment opportunities suitable for young people, help them through the application process and provide
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Prior to my eight years with Connexions, I spent 14 years in banking at Coutts & Co in London where my claim to fame was getting to meet the Queen Mother on one of her annual visits. My abiding memories are having to first prove that I could curtsey properly and that she appeared incredibly tiny; she did speak to me but I cannot remember a word of it! Outside of work, I am married with two children and therefore my time is taken up with being chief taxi and homework monitor. In what spare time I do get, I play netball and I love to shop and recently managed to spend 10 hours at the new Westfield in Stratford – heaven!
November 2011
Staff News
Editor’s Note
Baby News!
Congratulations to Claire Nicholls on the birth of her son Theo. Claire sent the following information in July. Things have been pretty hectic here but we’re getting to know Theo’s little ways and so I’m hopeful that I will feel more in control over the coming weeks! Theo was born on 18th July at home thankfully and very calm and most importantly quick water birth. Dilan and Josh love their little bro and we’re all so pleased he’s here – 9 days late but absolutely worth the wait.
Congratulations are also extended to Katie Porrer and her partner, James on the birth of their daughter Emily Florence Gilmore. After a rather long wait, I think the due date was 26th September, Emily arrived in the world on Thursday 13th October at 4.44pm, weighing 9lbs 13oz and 17 days late! All our best wishes to Katie especially after a rather difficult pregnancy and delivery, we hope she is now fully recovered and enjoying being a mum. Kate sends her thanks to all of you for your support during her pregnancy and messages since the birth.
Lastly, can I thank everybody who took the time in a busy schedule to write an article for Link-Up. The success of our newsletter depends on staff contributions, and in spite of an anxious wait I was overwhelmed by the number of articles that filled my inbox over the last couple of weeks – or days to be more precise! I hope everybody has enjoyed the mix of departmental news, finding them interesting and informative, and more personal features that hopefully have given you an insight in to how much staff contribute to the services we offer as well as to our University as a whole. Finding a good time to schedule Link-Up is difficult – there is little space in the academic calendar when staff can say things are quieter, but on past experience the next issue will be in May/ June 2012. Please keep this in mind and if you want to contact me anytime please do. Kind regards Jean Ryan Link-Up Editor
Email: jean.ryan@anglia.ac.uk Tel: ext. 4278
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