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Wrexham Glyndŵr University Newspaper

Autumn 2016

HIGHER GROUND Wrexham Glyndŵr University is on an “upward trajectory” and forming new partnerships across the country.

Reflecting on her first six months as Vice-Chancellor, Professor Maria Hinfelaar told a staff conference the institution is making swift progress as part of its five-year strategy.

Her presentation was part of a two-day series of workshops and presentations led by Deputy ViceChancellor, Dr Claire Taylor, focused on enhancing the student experience.

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The Wrexham Glyndŵr University Newspaper

Inside this Issue

News in Brief

campus round-up

04-05

06

Strengthening partnerships

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Insider Knowledge

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Autumn 2016

Dates for your diary Comedians Jimmy Carr, Al Murray, Rob Beckett and Rich Hall are among the top names performing at the William Aston Hall over the coming months.

Due to high demand Jimmy Carr is also hosting a late performance of his The Best of, Ultimate, Gold, Greatest Hits Tour show on October 22.

Lynda Powell, Director of Operations, said the University venue will continue to bring the cream of UK and international talent to North Wales, a major selling-point in attracting visitors and prospective students to Wrexham.

“Over the years our reputation for putting on top-quality events, for the community as well as students, has continued to grow and grow, which is why the best names in comedy, music and theatre regularly return to the William Aston Hall and our other venues,” said Lynda.

“We have welcomed tens of thousands of visitors to the university over the last 12 months because we are providing them with top-class entertainment - that will be no different years to come as we welcome current and new students back in September.”

Multi-award winning comedian and rising star Rob Beckett, best known as host of I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here Now, presents his debut stand-up show, Mouth of the South, on

Stereophonics rocked Wrexham Glyndŵr University Racecourse Stadium’s first show in 34 years.

The Welsh band played to almost 20,000 fans in July - the day after Wales made history and got into the Euro 2016 semi-finals creating an electric atmosphere in the stadium.

The event was kicked off by Pretty Vicious, The Ramona Flowers and Llandudno’s Catfish and the Bottlemen (pictured right), creating a great buzz ahead of the main show.

Before Stereophonics came on stage they played Wales’ winning goal getting them into their first ever major championship semi-final - causing a huge roar from the crowd ahead of their first song and instantly creating a feelgood factor.

Lynda Powell, Director of Operations for Wrexham Glyndŵr University, said: “It was an incredible day.

“Bringing this landmark concert to Wrexham took a lot of time and effort from VMS Live and ourselves.

CALON FM: The station picked-up two bronze accolades at the Community Radio Awards in Birmingham on September 10, following the Community Media Association’s conference.

Station editors Katherine Wade and Amy Hughes said: “We won them for Community Development Project of the Year and Live Event of the Year.

“Community Development is for shows that we’ve broadcast over the last 12 months highlighting homelessness and recovery in Wrexham, including interviews with Hoffi Koffi, Eternal Community Media, CAIS and AVOW, all presented by Charlie Jones.

“The Live Event prize is for our takeover shows covering the Focus Wales festival, which we worked on with the Creative Media Technology team at Wrexham Glyndŵr, including the Glyndŵr TV channel”.

They added: “We’re thrilled, it’s great to have awards that recognise the work of smaller stations.”

Ruffell, with tickets starting at just £10.

The big line-up of comedians follows a successful year of great acts at the William Aston Hall which included Adam Hills, David O’Doherty and Frankie Boyle.

Rockers Hawkwind, opera singer Russell Watson, Madness frontman Suggs and pop legend Lulu also appeared onstage.

And in the comings weeks the top live music looks set to continue when Magic of Motown comes under the spotlight for its 10th anniversary.

The audience will be treated to hit after hit as the huge cast continues the legend of solid-gold artistes such as The Supremes, The Temptations, The Jackson Five, Isley Brothers, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross, Lionel Richie and more.

And no tribute line-up is complete without paying respect to the man in black, Johnny Cash.

Ben Welburn is to effortlessly recreate the sound, vibe and appeal of the master himself on Friday, November 11.

Rob Beckkett

December 9.

The institution is also hosting comedy shows at the Catrin Finch Centre including Terry Christian, TapeFace, Sofie Hagen and Tom Allen and Suzi

For more information and a full list of events at WAH, call the box office on 01978 293293 or visit www.glyndwr.ac.uk/events.

Follow the team on Twitter @GlyndwrWAH

“It’s more than 30 years since the stadium held a gig so getting a top name like Stereophonics, and rising stars Catfish and the Bottlemen, was a major coup for the region and had a positive economic impact on the town.”

Thousands took to social media during and after the event to thank Stereophonics, VMS Live and Wrexham Glyndŵr University for organising such a successful event in Wrexham, the first of its kind.

DIGITAL FUTURES: The event returns to Wrexham Glyndŵr on October 11, bringing experts from all over the world to North Wales. Focus will be on key trending topics as well as updates on the basics to provide information, tactics, debate and best practice examples of content marketing, e-mail, mobile, social media, SEO, and much more.

Organiser Judith Alexander said: “It’s very exciting to deliver a collaborative conference with partners FSB, NatWest and Businessline around the importance and impact of online opportunities.

“The response has been so positive and shows there is a real desire to explore the digital world further in our region.”

Visit http://digitalfutures.click for more.

WARD PERFECT: Dr Edna Astbury-Ward, a senior lecturer and researcher in the School of Social and Life Sciences at Wrexham Glyndŵr University, was appointed to the advisory board for Public Health Wales. She

Photos courtesy of Ceridwen Hughes Photography

will specialise in sexual and reproductive health, an area in which she has worked for more than 30 years.

Dr Asbury-Ward, who joined the institution earlier this year, said: “This is a wonderful opportunity to showcase the strong links that Wrexham Glyndŵr University has in health-related policy and the wellbeing of the Welsh population.”

GROW FOR IT: The University is aiming to boost business growth and management skills in North Wales as part of a £4.4 million scheme.

Welsh Government Finance Secretary Mark Drakeford announced over the summer that the North Wales Business Academy - a collaboration between Wrexham Glyndŵr University, Bangor, Grŵp Llandrillo Menai and Coleg Cambria - will lead an EU-funded project to support competitiveness by delivering universityaccredited management qualifications to more than 1,000 employees over the next

three years.

Professor Chris Jones, Head of North Wales Business School, said: “All four partners recognise the paramount importance of qualifications. However, we all agree that to create a positive legacy for the region, knowledge and skills must be utilised rather than summarised in a certificate on the wall. This project will deliver leadership and management training the right way.”

Iwan Thomas, regional skills and employment coordinator for the North Wales Economic Ambition Board, added: “Having a collaborative approach amongst providers further demonstrates how working as part of a ‘Team North Wales’ approach; our collective vision for a confident, cohesive region with sustainable economic growth, capitalising on the success of high value economic sectors and its connection to the economies of the Northern Powerhouse and Ireland; can move closer towards becoming a reality.”

Autumn 2016

The Wrexham Glyndŵr University Newspaper

Wrexham Glyndŵr University attended the launch of a new bilingual shared library system which is being rolled out across universities in Wales to revolutionise students’ access to learning materials.

The University launched the Ex Libris Alma and Primo cloud-host process in September and is already reaping the benefits.

The new system - along with a single sign-on facility - will improve and broaden access to a vast range of books and electronic resources essential for staff and students in a 21st century university.

Paul Jeorrett, University Librarian, was at the Senedd in Cardiff for the unveiling.

He said: “The staff are really happy with these latest developments and say the system is much clearer and easier to use.”

The nine universities of Wales, together with the NHS libraries in Wales and the National Library of Wales, now share the same library management system and discovery interface.

Paul added: “We have always worked strongly in partnership with other universities and organisations, but this is the biggest project we have ever done. This innovative system will make a huge difference to our students.

“This is just the start of many collaborative opportunities with other universities in Wales.

This is a moment in history for Wrexham Glyndŵr.”

Vice-Chancellor, Professor Maria Hinfelaar, added: “It is a very important step in making our systems and services for our students, smooth, seamless and connected.

“I like to see this is a collaboration between all the Welsh universities and so must congratulate all the team behind this and look forward to seeing it in action.”

Student Union President Emily Karim, who is also studying at the University, has used the system already and gave a glowing review.

She said: “It’s very sleek and smooth, it’s extremely useful and it will be a great advantage to the students.”

Sue Hodges, Chairwoman of the Wales Higher Education Libraries Forum (WHELF), said years of hard work led to this “remarkable achievement”.

“This is a remarkable achievement which demonstrates the trust, commitment, vision and strength of collaboration within WHELF,” she said.

“I would like to thank all of the WHELF institutions and Ex-Libris for their fantastic efforts in delivering the implementation and roll-out of the system on time and to extremely challenging deadlines.”

From page 1

Professor Maria Hinfelaar reflecting on her first six months as Vice-Chancellor

Wrexham Glyndŵr University is on an “upward trajectory” and forming new partnerships across the country.

Reflecting on her first six months as ViceChancellor, Professor Maria Hinfelaar told a staff conference the institution is making progress as part of its five-year strategy.

She added that both Wrexham Glyndŵr and Bangor universities had met with the head of every North Wales council to discuss economic impact, education, regeneration and collaboration as part of a “landmark” forum.

Her presentation was part of a two-day series of workshops and presentations led by Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Dr Claire Taylor, focused on enhancing the student experience.

Since the beginning of her tenure, Professor Hinfelaar has met with all departments and numerous stakeholders across industry, the education sector and politics.

“I’ve found there is huge commitment to the Wrexham Glyndŵr University ethos and our strategic framework to 2020,” said Professor Hinfelaar.

“We are a small, growing university, but there is tremendous goodwill towards us and we are building new relationships, as well as renewing and reaffirming existing ones.

“There is huge talent and potential amongst

our students and staff, and the challenge now is to harness this and showcase the incredible diversity of programmes for such a small university.”

Professor Hinfelaar said that while the University is moving in the right direction and has a bright future, reaching the target of 5,400 students by 2020 will involve a degree of change and plenty of hard work.

“We are looking at our portfolio, student support, student retention… lots of areas where we can improve. We can always improve, and keep on striving for better,” she said.

“Other factors such as work placements for all students, more graduate opportunities, research centres and a look at non-traditional routes to HE are also being explored.

“We are also aiming to increase postgraduate student numbers, staff PhDs and research income, to be led by the new Pro ViceChancellor in conjunction with the schools.

“There is so much on the horizon - it’s an exciting time to be part of Wrexham Glyndŵr University.”

Over the two days, sessions included: Improved online access to students;

Deputy Vice-Chancellor Dr Claire Taylor

responsibilities of committee members; QAA; developments in careers, funding and welfare and disability support; the Consumer Marketing Authority (CMA) legislation; lean management processes, and academic regulations.

“I would like to thank everyone for their feedback and engagement,” said Dr Taylor.

For more on the event, take a look at the Twitter hashtag #heartofglyndŵr

Fiona Lintern and Julia Russell

Psychology lecturers have added another study book to their collection of publications.

Fiona Lintern and Julia Russell have both contributed to the new Cambridge International AS and A-level Psychology course book for the 2018 syllabus.

Julia said: “A course book for students is also a resource for teachers and as I’m now in my 30th year of teaching in schools and colleges, I know what a lifesaver a good textbook can be.

“I hope that this text helps to support students and teachers worldwide. My own interest in psychology sprang from looking through a copy of text my sister was using on her teacher training course when I was just 11 years old and I haven’t looked back.

“Perhaps this book will inspire some young people in the same way.”

Julia has also written a collection of resources to support the study of Psychology, including an Introduction to Psychology for Health Carers.

The lecturers are both principal examiners for A-level Psychology both within the UK and international examination boards and Fiona is also a principal examiner for pre-U, an alternative to A-levels in psychology and WJEC, which all A-level students in Wales must follow.

Meanwhile, Fiona has been a teacher and lecturer for more than 20 years and has produced a number of study books for AS and A-level students.

She said: “My involvement with A-level examining and the development of resources such as this one gives me a greater understanding of the learning and assessment that students have experienced before they start university.

“We are hoping to developing stronger links with local schools and colleges and are planning a conference for A-level Psychology students and teachers for next year.”

The new Cambridge International AS and A Level Psychology is a skillsfocused resource containing rigorous, comprehensive coverage with an extra focus on the key concepts of research methods and ethics as well as crucial debates such as nature versus nurture.

The content encourages the development of necessary skills of analysis, interpretation, application and evaluation and promotes understanding of ethical and moral issues and their implications for psychological research.

The two lecturers have also cowritten other works including OCR A-level Psychology AS and Year 1 and another edition for Year 2.

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The Wrexham Glyndŵr University Newspaper

NEWS IN BRIEF...

The resilience and emotional strength needed to succeed as a nurse or health visitor was the subject of a new study by Janet Gargiulo.

Janet, Programme Leader for the Postgraduate Diploma, Graduate Diploma and BSc (Hons) Specialist Community Public Health Nursing (SCPHN) at Wrexham Glyndŵr University, wanted students and those already working in the sector to take part in the survey to explore how their emotional wellbeing impacts on the role.

“Public health nurses have to be able to cope with so many difficult situations that cause stress and strains on them, but it’s difficult to know how much stress they are experiencing or the strain they are under,” said Janet.

“They will be dealing with the reality of everyday life promoting health and wellbeing but in so doing dealing with issues of abuse child abuse, domestic violence, obesity and many other issues, and of course the world is a more stressful place these days so it’s important any health visitors or students wanting to get into the sector complete this study and give their feedback.

“My hope is that it will help improve work performance and also have a positive effect on their wellbeing, which is ultimately the most important aspect of this study to aid them to give their best to their patients.”

Computer scientists at Wrexham Glyndŵr University will play a key role in developing a new eHealth curriculum for European students.

Together with partners in France, Spain, Germany and Cyprus, Professor Rich Picking and the team in north east Wales were awarded an EU Erasmus+ grant of over 440,000 Euros.

Over the next three years they will study the impact of information and communications technology (ICT) on health in a bid to improve the job prospects and entrepreneurial skills of future graduates.

“The general objectives of the project will see us look to improve the relevance of higher education in the field of ICT for health, and enhance the quality of eHealth education,” said Professor Picking.

“We also want to foster employability via the academic curriculum, providing entrepreneurship skills to health students.

He added: “The project is complementary to many activities that are engaged by the partners at national or European levels.

“The transnational dimension will bring added value to the end product; participating organisations will be able to achieve results that could not be achieved by those from a single country.”

Among the modules to be explored are: Innovation and entrepreneurship in eHealth; IT for a longer independent life; applications and tools in eHealth.

The University has been awarded a £230,000 research grant to study social enterprise practices across Europe.

The project will explore practice in successful social enterprises in Spain, Italy, Ireland, Poland, Lithuania and Romania, with the aim of identifying factors that are significant in the development of social enterprises.

Professor Chris Fortune, lecturer of project management in Wrexham Glyndŵr University’s North Wales Business School, won the bid to carry out the research and hopes the findings will help internationalise the curriculum for a new BSc Social Enterprise degree the University is launching next year.

Professor Fortune said: “The results of this two year research project will not only help internationalise the new programme’s curriculum but will also develop European links with social entrepreneurs which can only help develop real skills in the students graduating from the new programme.

“The programme will provide education and training for would be social entrepreneurs and potential managers and leaders of existing social enterprises.”

The study, Social Enterprise Development Education and Training Tools (SEDETT), is funded by ERASMUS plus and an EU research grant.

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Giants of international aerospace engineering landed at Wrexham Glyndŵr University for a summit on the future of the industry in Wales.

The University hosted the Aerospace Wales Forum, where more than 60 top companies, Welsh government officials and organisations came together to discuss how best to capitalise on growth in the sector, job opportunities, skills and training, and impact on the economy.

Held at the Catrin Finch Centre, attendees included Airbus, Raytheon, Marshall Group, Tritech, DECA Sealand and Babcock International.

Dickie Davis OBE, Deputy Director for the Welsh Government’s Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Sector, praised the University for hosting the ‘inspiring’ programme.

“This was an excellent event organised by the Aerospace Wales Forum - the speakers all enforced the huge potential of the engineering industry in terms of job potential and variety in Wales, and on the world stage,” he said.

“Academia has a significant role to play in underpinning the sector and getting graduates job ready, so I would like to thank Wrexham Glyndŵr University for hosting such an inspiring event.”

Apprentices from Airbus spoke of the importance of intertwining education and industry, followed by presentations by Bob Ditton, Head of Engineering at Raytheon, and Richard Day, Professor of Composites Engineering at Wrexham Glyndŵr, amongst others.

Autumn 2016

An Applied Art student won first prize for Best Craftsmanship for her cosplay design in Wales Comic Con. Sophie Johnson designed her whole outfit based on a character called Vi from the computer game League of Legends.

The 18 year-old is in her third year at Wrexham Glyndŵr and is already making a new costume for Wales Comic Con’s next event at the University in November.

Sophie said: “Last year was the first time I entered the competition and I came runner-up, so this year I thought I’ll pull out all the stops and aimed to win.

Most of the costume I handmade and customised.

“There were people from all over the world at the event, so I was against about 24 adults in my category. It was so much fun being part of the event and meet other eager people who love cosplay.

“It’s great seeing all the children excited and coming up to me and people asking for my advice for their own cosplay.”

Wales Comic Con announced they are returning to Wrexham Glyndŵr University for another fun-packed weekend on November 5-6.

Acts already lined up include Dean-Charles Chapman, from Game of Thrones, Allison Mack from Smallville and James Marsters and Nicholas Brendon from Buffy.

Sophie’s next costume is based on the character Princess Mononoke from the Japanese anime film.

For more information about Wales Comic Con’s next event visit www.walescomiccon.com

Wrexham Glyndŵr University is number one in North Wales for getting its students jobs.

The institution achieved an employability figure of 92.1% and is also above the sector average for graduate level employment, according to the latest Destination of Leavers Survey (DLHE).

Karen Lennox, Head of Careers and Student Services, said: “Time and time again we see Wrexham Glyndŵr graduates performing exceptionally well against their counterparts when it comes to finding graduate level employment.

“This is the result of our focus on employability and cutting-edge courses designed in conjunction with leading employers, with emphasis on having them job-ready when they graduate.

“Our students also have the opportunity to develop soft skills, which employers have told us are equally as important as technical skills.”

Vice-Chancellor, Professor Maria Hinfelaar, was delighted with the results and believes having the students at the heart of all decisions is critical to the University as it moves forward.

“Here at Wrexham Glyndŵr there is a huge commitment to that ethos and a tremendous sense of pride amongst staff and students,” she said.

“It is, of course, vital that we are there for them while they are here with us in north east Wales, but also that we are there as they make their way in the world - student support is something we do exceptionally well and I’m very proud of that.

“It is so rewarding to see how far students of all abilities can go to meet their potential.”

Sophie Johnson as Vi from League of Legends

Autumn 2016

The Football Association of Wales and Wrexham Glyndŵr University united to launch a groundbreaking new sports coaching degree.

Fresh from the national team’s success at this summer’s Euro 2016 championships, the FAW Trust and the north east Wales institution rolled-out the innovative BSc (Hons) Football Coaching and the Performance Specialist qualification in September.

Students will be based at the University’s Colliers Park training facility in Wrexham and the degree will integrate professional soccer coaching awards into an academic course.

This will enable them to obtain professional coaching qualifications whilst studying at the same time.

Wrexham Glyndŵr is also recruiting to a BSc in Sports Coaching for Participation and Performance Development under the stewardship of programme leader Pamela Richards, Associate Head of the School of Social and Life Sciences.

She said: “The Football Coaching degree is designed in partnership with the FAW to prepare students who want to work as a coach or performance specialist.

“Students on the programme will work towards the Football Association of Wales (FAW) Level 2 (UEFA C) and Level 3 (UEFA B) coaching Licenses.

“Those completing the programme will develop the skills to work with youth and senior football teams at grassroots and a high performance level, as well as having a better understanding of the social context of the sport.”

Pam added: “We are honoured to be working alongside the FAWT, especially at such a positive and successful time for the Wales team.

“The footballers in the Welsh national side are inspiring future generations of footballers and coaches.”

The UK’s leading civil engineer paid a visit to the University for the launch of an innovative new qualification.

Sir John Armitt, President of the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE), was in the region to discuss investment in infrastructure and to see for himself some of the key schemes underway.

As well as taking time out to view the refurbishment work to the historic Chainbridge at Llantysilio, near Llangollen, and taking a tour of the North Wales Prison site, Sir John met with the University’s ViceChancellor, Professor Maria Hinfelaar, to unveil the Further Learning Programme with the School for Applied Sciences, Computing and Engineering.

The Programme will be based and managed by the University with some of the delivery provided by local companies and ICE Members.

This is the first partnership of its kind in North Wales and overcomes the need for engineers to travel outside of Wales to gain incorporated engineer or chartered engineer accredited further learning.

“Investment in the skills needed to deliver new and improved infrastructure in North Wales - through new courses like the innovative Further Learning Programme at Wrexham Glyndŵr University - is extremely positive,” said Sir John.

“I was particularly pleased to launch the course, which offers students the opportunity to gain a professional qualification with ICE on graduation.

“This is a major advantage in a competitive jobs market and should hopefully help in attracting more young people into the civil engineering profession.”

Wrexham Glyndŵr University is celebrating 100% student satisfaction in a wide variety of subjects.

The University obtained the top figure for Applied Arts; Education and Childhood Studies; Health, Wellbeing and Community; Occupational Therapy, and Youth and Community Work.

The results were taken from the National Student Survey and refer to the 2015/16 academic year.

Computer Game Development (MComp) and Housing and Sustainable Communities Studies also achieved 100% over the combined years 2014/15 and 2015/16.

Across the board, up to 40 subject areas attained a score of 85% and above.

Overall, the institution increased student satisfaction by 5% points to 85%, and was ranked top in Wales for assessment and feedback,

The Wrexham Glyndŵr University Newspaper

When the smash-hit BBC show Robot Wars returned to our screens over the summer there was an unlikely captain among the metal carnage.

April Prince was more used to ballet than bashing steel machines, but the nine year-old from Wrexham helmed Team Glitterbomb for the programme’s first series in 12 years. Built at Wrexham Glyndŵr, Glitterbomb stood out from the crowd with its bright pink exterior, three-foot axe and rapid movement.

“It was so brilliant to go there with our robot, everyone was clapping and cheering for us,” said April, a pupil at St Giles’ primary school.

“When we walked into the arena for the first time they were shocked to see Glitterbomb because of the colour and because she glowed in the dark!

“I was a little bit nervous but it was so much fun.”

Dad James, who has been on the show before, added: “When the announcement came out that Robot Wars was coming back I wasn’t sure whether we should do it because I remember how stressful the whole experience was.

“To do this show you need finances, time and facilities; we had the facilities thanks to the Engineering team at Wrexham Glyndŵr University, and eventually sponsors came forward to help us by supplying or paying for parts - we owe them a huge debt of gratitude.”

April Prince of Team Glitterbomb

Wrexham Glyndŵr University celebrated Wales’ Youth Work Week in style with workshops and guest speakers.

The Youth and Community Work team offered free development opportunities to mark the event.

The workshops were delivered by partner agencies to provide thought provoking discussion and ideas for practice that affect young people, their families and their communities.

Jess Achilleos, a lecturer on the programme, said: “We were so pleased that the events attracted so many services from across Wales and England and this demonstrates the strength and commitment of a field that is facing difficult times.

“Here at Wrexham Glyndŵr University, the Youth and Community Work team are dedicated and passionate and it was an absolute joy to share this with so many people.”

A series of talks were also held on supporting LGBT young people, working with youths to prevent radicalisation and working creatively.

Independent charity Evolve also gave a guest lecture on tackling former legal highs and volatile substances.

timetabling, building confidence and personal development.

Wrexham Glyndŵr was also second in the country for advice on choices and study support, and saw a rise in satisfaction in communication and personal development.

Vice Chancellor, Professor Maria Hinfelaar, said the positive news came at a busy time, as students prepared to begin and continue their studies in north east Wales.

“The 5% points increase in overall satisfaction is very welcome news and shows how hard staff are working to further improve the student experience,” said Professor Hinfelaar.

“I would like to thank everyone for their hard work and focus on ensuring the student is at the heart of everything we do here at Wrexham Glyndŵr University.”

Welsh sporting legend Colin Jackson is among the honorary fellows to be celebrated by Wrexham Glyndŵr University this autumn.

The former 110 metres hurdles world record holder was nominated for Services to Sport and will appear at the University on Wednesday, October 26.

An Olympic silver medallist in 1988, Mr Jackson went on to become a two-time world and Commonwealth champion and four-time European champion, having remained unbeaten in 44 races during 1993-1995.

The other Fellows to pick up prestigious awards at the institution’s Graduation ceremonies are: Services to Engineering: Jon Earp, a former Army and Wales Air Ambulance pilot, and principal of Team Twp/ Glyndŵr Racing. Services to Education and the Welsh Language: Former teacher and education inspector Dr Prydwen Elfed-Owen, who was the first student in Wales to gain a Bachelor of Education

Wrexham Glyndŵr University is making its mark at “the centre of today’s world” and will play a major role in developing the industrial and academic potential of north east Wales.

Speaking at her official installation as ViceChancellor, Professor Maria Hinfelaar revealed her “pen is poised” ready for the next chapter in her successful career, having guided Limerick Institute of Technology (LIT) to become one of the top technological institutions in Ireland.

Professor Hinfelaar had previously made an impact as head of Business English at Zadkine College, Rotterdam, and later at Leeuwarden’s Stenden University, before travelling to the Emerald Isle to take on the role.

At each location she not only helped to improve the academic surroundings but was critical in supporting wider social and financial prosperity in regions that had previously been struck down by poverty and lack of investment, or “unfashionable” and fragmented in the shadows of larger cities, as was the case in Rotterdam.

Using the ‘triple helix’ methodology - academia, industry and government working in unison - these areas are now booming, and Professor Hinfelaar says while Wrexham is already a county rich and diverse in talent and skill, bringing these three drivers closer together will ultimately power north east Wales on to new heights, with the University at the centre.

She said: “It is by no means an abstract concept - it takes sheer hard leg work. As we showed in Limerick, education and R&D can truly transform lives in the community.

“If my experience is anything to go by, much can be achieved here in Wrexham through consciously working along the principles of the model: synchronise the agendas of educators, civic and political leaders and industry and actually make them come together for the benefit of all.”

The message was reinforced by strong showings in the Social Mobility Index - where the University is number one in Wales and seventh in the UK for supporting people from non-traditional backgrounds into a higher education.

Professor Hinfelaar welcomed the news, and following her formal investiture at the University’s Catrin Finch Centre, is ready for the challenge ahead.

“At Wrexham Glyndŵr University we see ourselves very much not on the periphery at the end of an imaginary world, but at the centre of today’s world,” she said.

“My chapter in Wrexham has not been written yet, and my pen is poised.” in Welsh and through the medium of Welsh.

Services to the Promotion of Women in the Welsh Economy: Chwarae Teg chief executive, Joy Kent. The organisation works with policy-makers and educators to produce and commission cutting edge research and manage and deliver projects that serve women, employers and educators throughout Wales.

Services to Wrexham Glyndŵr University: Professor Graham Upton, former interim Vice-Chancellor who enjoyed a distinguished academic career in special education.

Services to Business: A former graphic design student at the North East Wales Institute, Andrew Cheetham founded Manchester creative ‘hot shop’ Cheetham Bell in the 1990s and went on to win national and global awards for advertising and design.

The Fellowships will be conferred at the University’s Awards Ceremonies in October.

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The Wrexham Glyndŵr University Newspaper

Campus round-up NORTHOP The first annual Northop Nature Educational Open Day was held in September and was a big success.

Lecturers were joined by organisations such as the Wildlife Trust, Plas Derw Trust and the Woodland Trust, offering a range of activities for visitors including pond dipping, apple pressing, den building, willow weaving, archery and much more.

One of the organisers, Pip Francis, said; “It was a brilliant day with lots of great activities for everyone.

“We had a lot of help from our students and ex-students who gave the place a great atmosphere and they as well as our academics were able to spend time talking to the public about what courses we teach at Northop and what student life is like.

“It was a great opportunity to get the community involved with the University, and to show them how beautiful the Northop campus is - we certainly succeeded in that.”

Third year animal studies student Sam Noon added: “I thought it was wonderful how all the students clubbed together, we all enjoyed ourselves and it was clear our visitors were having a great time.”

The event came after Coed Llys, 15 hectares of woodland on the Northop campus, was restored to recover its ecological value.

This followed a visit from Coed Cadw Woodland Trust, with the site now classified as a Restored Ancient Woodland.

Wrexham Glyndŵr University owns the woodland, which features a range of archaeological and historical ancient monuments including Wat’s Dyke, Bronze Age Coed Llys Stones and the medieval fortified house of Llys Edwin.

Professor David Skydmore, Principal Lecturer in Biology and Environment, helped secure grant funding from Better Woodland for Wales with help from Flintshire County Council’s woodland officer.

He said: “Coed Llys was open woodland and in the 1960s it was cleared out and deteriorated

Autumn 2016

ST ASAPH It’s been a busy year at the OpTIC Technology Centre, as Glyndŵr Innovations unveiled a series of new partnerships and scientific advances that put the facility at the cutting edge of R&D and technology in Wales.

One of the most significant achievements was receiving a £50,000 grant from the UK Space Agency to attract businesses from the sector to the Denbighshire complex.

That led to more than 70 representatives from local government, the space industry and related companies attending the first UK Space Agency Supporting Regional Growth conference, held at OpTIC over the summer.

Glyndŵr Innovations, UKSA, Welsh Government, Kent Periscopes, Innovate UK, the Centre for Solar Energy Research (CSER), Aerospace Wales Forum, Northern Space Consortium and Denbighshire County Council were among those in attendance.

OpTIC director Caroline Gray said it was an “exciting day” for Wales - coinciding with the nation’s Euro 2016 semi-final clash with

london

considerably through conifer planting and felling of oak trees, but now the advantages of a deciduous woodland are more recognised, so it’s been put back into its natural ecosystem.

“We had to be very careful, with the planning and actual restoration of the wood, to ensure we didn’t affect the ancient monument.

“The restoration has also helped our students on various courses from Ecology and Geography to History - this can enhance our students’ experience. This is fantastic news for the campus and for the future potential for tree and woodland science. There is more work to do but this is a very important step forward.”

Wrexham Glyndŵr University is hoping to restore further areas of the woodland in the future.

Computing at GUL has successfully completed its first summer school batch of CCNA year 1.

The school was launched in July at the capital campus and completed the following month.

Seven students were enrolled, of which six successfully completed the qualification.

Programme Leaders from Computing in Wrexham and London jointly organised and delivered lectures, and before concluding, Dr John Davies, Programme Leader for Postgraduate Computing, Sadeque Shaikh, Programme Leader for Computing at GUL and Fiona Jeelani, Assistant Registrar at GUL, distributed certificates to the cohort.

Sadeque was thrilled to see the London team receive a special commendation for Best Team at the recent Above and Beyond Staff Awards, adding that this would be “another milestone of successful collaboration” between the two sites and programmes.

Our new-look Students’ Union What’s in a name?

By Codie Louise Austin Digital and Communications Coordinator

The eagle-eyed among you may have noticed our recent change from Glyndŵr Students’ Guild to Wrexham Glyndŵr Students’ Union.

We’ve updated our logo, and signs have been going up all over campus to reflect the new change, but what does it actually mean?

For the past few years, we have been a Student Guild, which means we were part of the University.

This was great for helping us get established and stable but to best support our students, we needed to become autonomous and so began a quite complicated process to become independent. This was completed on August 1st 2016 and since then, we have not stopped.

We have hired two new full-time members of staff, Marc Caldecott - Representation and Democracy Coordinator who oversees our elections, student council and course reps (the latter two being new to the Union for 06

this year too!), and Codie Austin - Digital and Communication Coordinator (who is writing this right now and finding it very weird to talk about herself in the third person!). As we grow, there is so much more to shout about, and that is exactly what we will be doing on our new website, Twitter account and Facebook.

We also have new systems in place that will make setting up and/or joining a society or sports team even easier. We want as many people as possible to get involved in our societies and newly branded Team Glyndŵr, so we have a few ideas up our sleeves.

The staff will be supporting the Sabbatical officers, Emily and Travis with their various campaigns this year which range from mental health support to learning resources and many things in between. They will be looking to make changes during their year in office, to better improve the student experience and act as a voice for their members.

We’re really excited about what this new adventure will bring for us in the next 12 months and beyond - so watch this space!

For more information on becoming a course rep, and the training sessions taking place up to Christmas, email Marc Caldecott: Marc.Caldecott@Glyndŵr.ac.uk

Portugal - and for the British space trade.

“We are working with UKSA to show the capabilities and benefits of businesses joining us here at OpTIC,” said Caroline.

“There are many benefits to being based here with us and we now have the funding to help launch the spark of an idea and support it through technology, design, metrology and incubation, tailoring these services to deliver what these companies need.

“We are at the heart of this new UKSA project and proud to be a part of it. There is a strong northern presence which is nice to see, and we are in a great position now to deliver.”

The UKSA proposal highlighted the need to grow space industries in UK regions by providing a supportive commercial environment to assist entrepreneurs to grow and develop small companies.

The Alumni Association

by Nia Williams - Alumni and Fundraising Executive

Our alumni community are living and working all over the world and we are very proud of them all. Here our MARA alumni tell us about studying at Wrexham Glyndŵr University for their MSc in Aeronautical Engineering.

Pictured from left to right are Nurul, Adi, Azim, Muhammad, who were all studying MSc Aeronautical Engineering here in Wrexham. They told us their story, and how much they had enjoyed their time at the University: “We all work for Strand Aerospace Malaysia. As part of studying for our MSc in Aeronautical Engineering, we have been studying here at Wrexham Glyndŵr for a year. When we return we will be working together there again.

One of the most important parts of the course has been the industry connections and strong industry links that Wrexham Glyndŵr University has. We have had some amazing opportunities such as being involved with the production of prototypes and looking at the composite materials of jetfighters.

We have had the opportunity to work at the Advanced Materials Composite Centre, part of Airbus, and also visited BAE Systems in Preston and Salisbury.

We have all become very close friends.

We didn’t really know each other before we came to Wrexham Glyndŵr, but we have now become an unbreakable team.

Although we all have different backgrounds and expertise, we will be working as a team when we get home. The foundation of that team has been made here.”

You can read more alumni case studies and find out about the alumni association at www. Glyndŵr. ac.uk/en/Studentsupport/Alumni

Autumn 2016

The Wrexham Glyndŵr University Newspaper

Wrexham Glyndŵr University has strengthened partnerships with giants of the aeronautics industry Representatives from the University recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Aerospace Wales Forum - cementing its relationship with the Malaysian government agency Majlis Amanh Rakyat (MARA) at Farnborough International Airshow.

The team from the School of Applied Sciences and Engineering also met with top businesses from the aerospace arena, notably MBDA defence group, Airbus and BAE Systems.

And just weeks ago, at the start of September, Head of School Phil Storrow was joined by Professor Richard Day and Suzanne Riley out in Malaysia to sign another MOU, with Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL).

The signing is a significant stage in over two year’s work with MARA, which will result in the delivery of Masters’ and Bachelors’ programmes, plus collaboration on international events.

Reflecting on the School’s signings at Farnborough, Phil said: “From an academic and commercial perspective we place huge importance on the connections we make and the partnerships secured.

“I’m delighted that we have strengthened our close ties with both MARA and Aerospace Wales Forum and explored new partnerships with organisations we have worked closely with over the years.”

Fifteen Malaysian engineers, from MARA, also completed an MSc Aeronautical Engineering postgraduate degree at Wrexham Glyndŵr.

This is the second year employees from Strand Aerospace, based in Malaysia, have studied at the university and gained industry experience by working closely with Airbus, BAE Systems and MBDA.

SPOTLIGHT ON:

Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol

Do your students have a creative drive? A desire to produce entertaining and informative content? If that’s a ‘yes’ then Egwyl. com wants to hear from them.

Egwyl.com is the new Wrexham Glyndŵr University website, set up by and run by students as a venue for the creative content they produce, whether this be written articles, videos, photography or podcasts, we aim to support and produce as wide a range of content as possible.

This site needs a team and in this our first major recruitment drive, we are looking for passionate and reliable people, eager to get in on the ground floor of what we intend to build into a major Wrexham Glyndŵr asset in the future.

Of course, although we are looking for an administrative and management team, those who only want to produce are just as valued and welcome. Passionate about sport, then become a sports writer for the site, or even produce your only monthly sports podcast. Don’t fancy writing? Then why not look into video production or photography?

This is first and foremost a site for the students of Wrexham Glyndŵr and all are welcome to play a part in its’ growth and running, all we need is for those students to be reliable, able to work to deadlines and eager to produce the best they can. If this is you then why not pop in to one of our regular meetings or drop us a message.

See you there!

Kyle Sutherland, Student Manager egwyl.com

Hello, my name is Sioned Roberts and I’ve recently joined the University as the Wrexham Glyndŵr University Branch Officer for the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol, which is the national body that works with all the universities in Wales to develop Welsh medium higher education.

The role of the Branch, which will be officially launched on November 16, is to develop Welsh medium provision at the University.

Initially, this will be through supporting students to explore existing opportunities to use the Welsh language in their studies for example by making use of the additional resources and opportunities that are available to them (free of charge) from the Coleg Cymraeg or by using the language in their work placements. The Branch will also support academic staff who wish to develop formal Welsh medium provision.

One of the first opportunities available to students this year through the Coleg is the ‘Tystysgrif Sgiliau Iaith’ or The Welsh Language Skills Certificate which is free to all students. The certificate is a great

opportunity for Welsh speaking students to gain an additional qualification that proves their Welsh language writing and verbal skills are of a high standard and the University will be providing support for students wishing to take the Certificate.

In the future, we hope to introduce more Welsh medium aspects and opportunities for students including additional online resources, Welsh language tutorials and further Welsh medium based work placements. All this will hopefully lead to the University being able to introduce some Welsh language modules in the near future.

Social media

with Antonia Jones, Digital Communications Manager

The University has launched a blog platform on the main website to support students as they begin their journey with us.

The first series, which were launched in September, have been centred around Freshers’ activities, with hints and tips to help new students settle in to university life.

From best freebies and discounts for students, to how to cope with feeling homesick, the blogs posts are written by current staff and students and aim to give an insight to what it’s really like to study here. You can read our blogs by visiting www.Glyndŵr.ac.uk/blog Our posts range from information about your course and campus life to news and events happening in the local area. We’ll also cover some of the more national issues affecting the education sector.

Got any suggestions for the blog or just want to join in the conversation?

Then tweet us at @Glyndŵruni using the hashtag #wgublog or email webeditor@Glyndŵr.ac.uk If you are a member of staff or one of your students wants to get involved in writing for the blog, get in touch!

If you’ve got any questions regarding the branch here at the University or wish to learn more please don’t hesitate to contact me: Glyndŵr@colegcymraeg.ac.uk For more up to date information follow us on Twitter @Cangen_Glyndŵr 07

The Wrexham Glyndŵr University Newspaper

GET ENGAGED All staff at the University are invited to partake in the Staff Engagement Survey, which will be live from October 3 to October 31.

At the time of going to print, staff were set to be sent an online link to complete the questionnaire.

Ali Bloomfield, HR Business Partner for Development and Diversity, said: “A paper version of the survey will also be available for staff who would prefer to not to complete the survey online.

“The comments and feedback of staff are important to the University, as their views will help to formulate plans to continually improve its services and facilities.

“The purpose of the survey is to gather thoughts on a variety of topics and themes; including working conditions, line management impact, culture and employee engagement to inform strategy and develop action plans to steer suggested improvements.”

The survey responses will be collated by QDP Services, and all responses will remain completely confidential.

The survey was created by the University’s Continuous Improvement Group, whose purpose was to initially design the questionnaire. The group’s role will evolve once all responses are formulated into an action plan and they will help to steer improvements.

In June and July a selection of staff piloted the survey and refinements were made following their feedback and comments.

“The information gathered will identify areas of best practice, helping us to celebrate and share best practice; whilst helping us to identify areas where improvements are required,” said Ali. “It will also allow staff to share their suggestions, ensuring that they are involved in decision-making and that their valuable voice is

A warm Wrexham Glyndŵr welcome to the following Eirian Thomas Human Resources Administrator Sarah Collopy Payroll Manager Joanne Freebody Go Wales Administration Assistant Mark Houlding Accommodation Assistant Claire Taylor Deputy Vice Chancellor Yee Mun Lee Lecturer In Experimental Psychology Sioned Roberts Swyddog Cangen/Branch Officer Coleg Cymraeg

heard; with all suggestions being considered.”

Following the closing date a suite of reports will be produced which will provide outcomes.

Post survey focus groups will be arranged for staff who would like to attend to help provide qualitative data to build on that already received. A report with recommendations will then be produced.

Staff will also be able to access the survey via this link: https://myuni.

Glyndŵr.ac.uk/contents/?location=staff For more information, call Ali on 01978 293307 or email alison.bloomfield@ Glyndŵr.ac.uk

by Andrea Hilditch, Careers Adviser

08

NEW STARTERS: Stuart Cooper Head of Financial Planning

It’s Your Time Our marketing team have made a vibrant case for coming to the University, with their short but effective strapline: ‘It’s Your Time’.

It’s been on bags, glasses, we’ve seen the team working hard all over the country and with this little phrase in mind, I have given some thought to how this simple phrase links to the work we do here in Careers and Zone.

‘It’s Your Time’ is a call to action, a prompt to get you to stop and think about where you are at and what you are doing right now, to think about possibly making a change. Some of our students will have been doing this for a long time, thinking about what they want to get out of their lives; others may have made an impulsive, last-minute decision. We’re all different and make our choices based on a variety of factors - logic, emotion, necessity, finances, practicalities, values, confidence - and we certainly help students with the future decisions they have to make. But can we break this down even further to look at the meanings behind each word?

It’s - this is whatever you want it to be primarily, it’s the door to a new future. For most of our new students, ‘it’ is a new place, unfamiliar surroundings, making new friends, having a new support network, taking in a lot of information. ‘It’ is WGU - a whole lot of support, countless lectures and seminars, some late nights to finish assignments, learning, growing,

Autumn 2016

Careers Adviser Andrea Hilditch

getting good and not-so-good marks, a goal of a degree at the end and hopefully a good graduate-level job in an area that interests you.

‘Your’ - asks you to question your very identity, it asks you to focus on you, to selfreflect. It’s a suggestion that you are important (and we’d agree with that). We hear that in order to look after others, you also have to nurture yourself, so in our case here at university, it’s primarily going to be your brain/ your intellect, but along with that comes your wellbeing, your notion of ‘self’ and who you are within your course, your family and even your social circles. Your self-belief will be questioned many times whilst here - perhaps feeling guilty about being away from the family/ work, or wondering whether you are ‘good enough’ (yes, you are) to be here. It’s common, and many students get through it and find a very different version of themselves emerges at graduation.

‘Time’ - questions about how much time will the degree take per week are associated with your own time management, your ability to

Megan Wyatt Ador Project Support Worker Mandy Carr Payroll Assistant Chirag Desai IT Services Officer (GUL) Julian Pellatt Lecturer in Tourism Management Sandra Sharp Lecturer In Finance Sara Hilton Lecturer in Football and Coaching Science Amy Rattenbury Lecturer in Forensic Science

prioritise, to give a different emphasis perhaps to the time you would have previously given to other demands in your life. It links with your ability to say ‘yes’ to things that are right for you, and ‘no’ to the things that are taking up too much of your time (so many students say they find this difficult). If we are to do further word association, we may think about ‘running out of time’, not being able to achieve things in time, all of which we help students to break down into smaller steps to make life here seem less daunting. Or, it may be that you think you have ‘plenty of time’ - three years of a degree may seem like a lot, so it’s important to not let that thief ‘procrastination’ or his friend ‘underestimating’ into your shiny new pencil case.

When I think of ‘time’, I think of it as ‘time for change’, ‘me time’ and something that is ‘continuous/ ongoing’. Maybe that’s because here in Careers and Zone we look for the positives with our students, or maybe it’s because we know that, given time (along with the right support and motivation), our students can and do make some amazing changes to their lives. When the hard times come, and believe me, they will, life isn’t a breeze at university, just focus back on those three little words and understand that the support is here for you in Careers and Zone to refocus on why It’s Your Time.

Contact us on 01978 293240 or see www. Glyndŵr.ac.uk/careers for more information

Lecturers Alison Williams and Chris O’Grady

Leading health educators have been awarded one of the nursing industry’s most prestigious accolades.

Lecturers Alison Williams and Chris O’Grady will formally be honoured with the title of Queen’s Nurse at a ceremony in November.

The duo - who both joined the University in 2003 and represent the School of Social and Life Sciences - are to travel to London for the event, hosted by the Queen’s Nursing Institute (QNI).

Chris, Programme leader for MSc Health Sciences, has more than 35 years’ experience in nursing and says she is “incredibly proud” to receive the title.

“I’m still as passionate about nursing, training and quality as I was at the beginning of my career, and it makes me incredibly proud to be recognised in this way,” said Chris, from Oswestry.

“It is a privilege to go and visit people in their own homes and care and support them, which is what both Alison and I train students to do having done it ourselves, so it’s a real honour for us to be picking up this title together.”

Alison, Programme Leader for District Nursing, added: “For years we’ve shown our commitment to high standards of human care, and that’s what the title means to us, excellence in nursing.

“On reflection we want to encourage students to go for this title as well, and we could not realistically do that if we’ve never held it ourselves, so it’s a very proud moment for us to receive it.

“Personally, it’s a huge honour, especially for our families, and for Wales and Wrexham Glyndŵr.

“Ultimately, this drives up care standards, and that’s what we are all about.”

Dr Crystal Oldman, Chief Executive of the QNI, paid tribute to Chris and Alison.

She said: “Congratulations are due to Chris and Alison for their success.

“Community nurses are expert professionals who make a vital contribution to patient health and wellbeing every day.

“As a national charity the QNI can share innovation and best practice, supporting nurses to deliver excellent healthcare to patients in local communities.”

Their achievement follows that of colleague Eleri Mills, who was the first University representative to be honoured by the Queen’s Nursing Institute, in 2014.

The title of Queen’s Nurse is open to community nurses with more than three years’ experience. Managers and patients provide feedback about applicants, which is assessed along with their application.

For more information, visit www.qni.org.uk