Autumn 2019 Edition
Contents
ONTENT
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Contents
4 Welcome 6
Graduation 2019
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Get involved, stay connected
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Our amazing alumni
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Postgraduate study
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Opportunities and events
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Welcome
Hello graduates, and a warm welcome to the Class of 2019, to our Alumni Newsletter. As the Alumni Relations and Development Manager at University of Suffolk I have the privilege of being your first point of call for staying connected to our growing community. Over the past year or so we have been working on growing our alumni community, our main aim being to increase alumni engagement with the University. Why you ask? Our alumni are our best ambassadors. We want to create a community that fosters a spirit of loyalty and promotes the University, raising our profile and strengthening the ties between alumni, the community and the University.
WELCOME
As our ambassadors you can have a significant impact on the vision and success of the University of Suffolk, impacting directly on student recruitment, student experiences, university life and investment in the future of the organisation. The skills, talents and expertise you have developed since graduating can enhance the quality of teaching and learning by sharing your experiences, providing case study material or giving guest lectures to bring real life experiences into the lecture theatre. As employers you can provide placements and opportunities to our current students, perhaps offering research opportunities or guidance through mentoring. In turn we want to offer you a package of benefits which will help you achieve your ambitions. We offer a large number of events which you can attend free of charge; perhaps to network, learn something new or simply reconnect with old friends. We have numerous business networking opportunities, an open lecture series, access to short courses and Continuing Professional Development, career advice and guidance and the opportunity to continue to access our library and other facilities. We can provide you with access to internships, academic expertise and research opportunities. The benefits and services we can offer to you can help you maintain connections both with the University and fellow graduates, and form new friendships and business relationships with people from a similar background. We know the power an engaged alumni audience can have. In the Spring of next year we will be holding our first Alumni Reunion. We want to provide an opportunity for you to reconnect with the University, come back to see the campus, meet up with old friends, create a bit of nostalgia and see some of your old lecturers, so watch this space for more details on this and consider how you would like to be involved or what events you would like to see in the future. Keep in touch, we value any feedback you have on what we can offer and look forward to continuing to make contact with many of you in the future. Kate Burgess Alumni Relations and Development Manager
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GRADUAT 2019 Graduation 2019
Graduation is one of our favourite events of the year. It is a time to celebrate your hard work and achievements and a time to relax and reflect with the lifelong friends you have made at university. As we welcome the Class of 2019 to our Alumni Community you may want to think back to your graduation ceremonies and how special they were to you. Our 2019 graduation ceremonies took place in October across Ipswich, Bury St Edmunds and Great Yarmouth. Over 1,300 graduates attended the celebrations, all looking fabulous, filled with excitement and ready to accept their awards with pride. We are proud of all of our graduates and we wish you the best of luck for the future.
Our professional photographers snapped hundreds of great photos at all of the ceremonies and all the photos can be viewed following these links: Main campus: University of Suffolk graduation photos Partner colleges: West Suffolk College East Coast College You can watch our graduation film here If you have any comments, or feedback about the graduation ceremonies you can email us on alumni@uos.ac.uk or call 01473 338067
Graduation 2019
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Our Alumni Community is growing, we want you to stay in touch and stay engaged with the University. There is so much we can continue to offer you now that you have graduated and we are continually adapting our offer to you based on your feedback and requirements.
GET INVOLVED STAY CONNECTED
Get involved, stay connected
What we can do for you The Alumni Postgradute Loyalty Scheme — you can receive up to 25% reduction in fees on postgradute study including PhD’s Dicounted membership to the IWIC and further support with all of your business and entrepreneurial needs Networking opportunities, reunions and events Continued access to the library and our Careers and Employability service Access to jobs and volunteering opportunities As an employer we can provide you with access to graduates, internships, academic expertise and research opportunities
What you can do for us Giving career talks, guest lecturing or providing workshops Mentoring our current students Providing placements and opportunities for students Fundraising, donating or leaving a gift in your will You are our best ambassadors Keep in touch, tell us your news and help us celebrate your achievements. 01473 338067 alumni@uos.ac.uk uos.ac.uk/alumni
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OUR AMAZING ALUMNI
Our amazing alumni
It’s true, our Alumni are amazing and we regularly catch up with graduates to find out what they have been up to since completing their studies with us. Your stories are inspiring, whether you have only just started your career or you have made it to where you want to be; even if you have gone in a completely new and exciting direction, we want to hear from you. If you would like to share your story contact us by emailing alumni@uos.ac.uk
Founder of Village Green Pictures BA (Hons) Digital Film Production, Class of 2018 I’ve always learnt that to achieve greatness you must put yourself into a situation that challenges you, only then will you see your true qualities and determination and come out of the other end with a smile on your face and your head held high. Even one year on from graduating my outlook on life has not changed.
Our amazing alumni
Luke Penning
Suffolk 2018. Film Feast Suffolk is an event which mixes the signature dishes featured with films in a whole film-festival format, where films are watched, and you eat the signature dishes afterwards. If I hadn’t of founded a business, then none of this would have been possible. I also had the amazing opportunity to pitch my business to the IWIC and be one of 3 winners of the Student Entrepreneur Development Programme,
Becky Baker
Around five years ago, I made the decision to found a film making production company called Village Green Pictures (VGP). I was 16 at the time, but I wanted to do something different, I guess you could call it the best preparation for what was to come. There is something so gratifying about executing an idea and watching it flourish, don’t get me wrong there were tonnes of gambles; am I good enough? I’ve got no business experience? Will people pay for videos from a student? But for that little moment in my life I felt proud and excited about the journey that was to come.
where we were given a year’s support and access to the facilities. Due to how busy my last year was, I never really managed to use the hot desk, but the support that I received through this helped me a lot. I was also featured in the University’s Faces of Suffolk campaign as well.
Lecturer in Midwifery
Fast forward to now. Before and since graduating I’ve had the pleasure to work on a wide variety of projects from helping to promoting the Felixstowe Community Nature Reserve in a documentary that was created to bring awareness to the original idea posed by Adrian Cooper. People ended up seeing the video that was created over the other side of the pond. I recruited Sebastian Balisson and Callum Simmons to VGP in 2016 and we’ve been making a wide variety of projects since then and will continuing to do so for many years, and hopefully win an award or two. One of my highlights was being able to film a Q&A with Sir Michael Palin at Film Feast
I was nominated for the Heart of the University (Student) and have had the University and the Students Union, recognise the work I’ve done with Village Green Pictures with notable mentions such as Summer Ball film in 2017 and the work I’ve done with the amazing University of Suffolk Women’s Futsal team. Since graduating I’ve been working for Ipswich Borough Council, creating corporate videos to show what other service areas do, bringing attention to the 22 individual service areas which included interviewing 65 people from a variety of positions and seeing a wide scope of what they do. I finished this position recently, but the experience I gained through mentioning about my business helped me secure this position and help people promote and show what they do through the work that I do.
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I’m in that phase where I’m more excited than ever to create and produce video content. Recently, it’s been hard to get clients and people to make videos for VGP. But considering how busy it’s been for the last five years, it gives me valuable time to reflect and refine what I’ve been doing well for the last couple of years.
If someone says to you that you can’t do something, do everything you can to prove them that they are wrong. I’ve had doubters all my life from early school bullies to people telling me that I’m not good enough, but have I ever let them stand in my way…no. I used it as a catalyst; something to drive me on to achieve the best that I can for myself and for my business.
Village Green Pictures Village Green Pictures was founded in 2014. Assistant Director Callum Simmons and Editor Sebastian Balisson joined the company in 2016. We make anything from music videos to short films and cover everything from musical performances to sports events.
Our amazing alumni
We have been featured on numerous occasions in local press publications such as the EADT, Ipswich Star and Felixstowe Magazine and appeared on local radio stations including Felixstowe Radio and Ipswich Community Radio (ICR FM). We’ve most recently worked on covering events such as Woodbridge based food and drink
festival Film Feast Suffolk which involved filming a Q&A with British comedy and film great Sir Michael Palin. We have also photographed the matches of the UOS Women’s Futsal and Football team. If you want us to make a video for your business, event, band or simply want to talk to us about film-making or if you know anyone who would benefit from our services, feel free to contact us at villagegreenpictures@gmail.com Visit our website
IF SOMEONE SAYS TO YOU THAT YOU CAN’T DO SOMETHING, DO EVERYTHING YOU CAN TO PROVE TO THEM THAT THEY ARE WRONG Luke Penning
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Remi Morrison
Founder of Red Cactus Media
Our amazing alumni
BA (Hons) Film, Class of 2015
After working for nearly ten years in Entertainment PR in London and moving to Manningtree, I decided to return to my first love of film and video and finish my degree. I’m a Londoner but it just wasn’t feasible to live and work in the city after the Olympics as everything had gone up in price after I returned from travelling. One of the reasons I picked the University of Suffolk over all the other regional universities was the mix of practical and theory. I had already started my film degree so I just needed to finish
and wanted hands-on use of cameras and production techniques rather than learning about the history of film etc. I was able to learn about sound design, production management and screenwriting which has been useful to me since graduating. I also found my voice as a filmmaker and use of colour in a video that guides me today. Since leaving the University of Suffolk, I have set up my own business, Red Cactus Media, a vibrant and dynamic company
I am a firm believer in development since completing a film degree at the University of Suffolk, I undertook a creative entrepreneur course with Eastern Enterprise Hub and have worked on my mindset as I realise the ups and downs of running a business. It’s so important to have a positive attitude to keep motivated in the business world. Since graduating in 2015, I got married and have gone on one of the biggest developments and adventures ever in becoming a mother of a beautiful daughter as well as running my business. Professionally I have worked as a freelancer on bigger productions in roles such as Unit Production Manager and 1st Assistant Director. These have all helped to hone my skills as a Creative Producer/Director giving my clients filmmaker expertise.
I have partnered with marketing agencies and gained new clients in health and wellness and tech working with TIGA Gaming awards in London, pitching my business to Vice and Addidas as selected by TheDots.Com. This year the work is paying off as I won Female Entrepreneur of the Year 2019 at the BME Business Awards and Red Cactus Media was shortlisted for Business of the Year.
Our amazing alumni
with specialism in video production. This was set up after working as a contractor in Suffolk. My work has been seen in regional campaigns for Public Health such as Stop Smoking campaigns, Better Broadband for Suffolk, as well as working with the gaming industry TIGA awards and various corporate clients in Health, Wellness and Tech.
With a passion to get more women into video production, I work with the Future Female Society where I run workshops for young ladies to get them into the creative industries. I have also become an Enterprise Advisor for the New Anglia Careers Network. Currently, I’m developing a Youtube series, Breaking out of the Box, highlighting inspirational females and their stories, working on grant applications for the series, as well as with my commercial clients to grow my business. In the future, I want to continue to be more established in the region and beyond. When people think of video production, I would like them to think of me and Red Cactus Media. Visit our website
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POSTGRA STUDY Graduation 2019
All Alumni are entitled to a loyalty reduction on selected postgraduate course fees. The Alumni Postgraduate Loyalty Scheme has been developed to support and encourage University of Suffolk graduates to progress to full or part-time postgraduate taught or research programmes at the University. The following postgraduate programmes are eligible for the Alumni Postgraduate Loyalty Scheme: MSc Applications of Psychology MBA Master of Business Administration MSc Business and Management MA Childhood Studies MSc Cognitive Behaviour Therapy and Counselling MSc Crime and Community Safety: Evidence Based Practice MA Criminology: Crime & Victimisation MA Education Studies MSc Games Development MSc Human Resource Management MA Professional Practice in Heritage Management
MSc Public Health Nursing MSc Regenerative Medicine Postgraduate research degrees For those who successfully secure a place on an eligible postgraduate course the following reductions will be applied to course fees: 20% reduction for University of Suffolk (formerly UCS) graduates who completed an undergraduate or postgraduate degree after 2007 10% reduction for members of the Alumni Association who completed an undergraduate or postgraduate degree prior to 2007 at one of our legacy institutions in Suffolk A further 5% reduction will be applied for those alumni who apply for a place on a postgraduate programme before specified dates as published in the terms and conditions for the scheme
To be eligible for the University of Suffolk Alumni Postgraduate Loyalty Scheme you must meet all of the following criteria: Be a University of Suffolk (formerly UCS) alumni Be paying full postgraduate tuition fees Have been offered and accepted a place on an eligible masters degree or postgraduate research degree
Graduation 2019
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Have cleared any previous outstanding debt with the University Be in continued attendance for the duration of the masters degree or postgraduate research degree Further details on the Terms and Conditions can be accessed on the website
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OPPORTUNITIES AND EVENTS
Opportunities ad events
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The Engage Programme The University is delighted to be working in partnership with Enterprise Nation to extend its business support to our entrepreneurial students and alumni. Funded through donations to the University we are offering 40 free memberships to Enterprise Nation on a first come, first served basis. Find out more on our website
Ipswich Waterfront Innovation Centre Also for the entrepreneur in you we are offering a discounted membership rate at the Ipswich Waterfront Innovation Centre (IWIC). Situated within The Atrium on the Waterfront at the Ipswich campus, the IWIC provides hot desk space, networking, training and collaborative opportunities. The IWIC also houses projects such as the award winning Suffolk Centre for Female Entrepreneurship (SCFE) and runs regular events such as the Quay to Growth Business Breakfasts. You can also become part of the Ipswich Waterfront Innovation Network (IWIN) which is a free to join networking group with monthly events to help you network with peers and mentors. The IWIC is a collaborative workspace with stylish office accommodation. To find out more, visit our website or email iwic@uos.ac.uk to arrange a visit and a chat through your options.
Alumni Reunion 2020 We are planning our first Alumni reunion in the Spring of 2020. This event will be open to all Alumni and we would love to hear your thoughts on what you would like included at the event. Send us an email with your thoughts and opinions to alumni@uos.ac.uk
MA Education Studies — Information Events Come and join Dr Clare Gartland for an informal chat about the MA Education Studies, held in Cult on the following dates: Thursday 5 December 2019 | 4.30pm–6.30pm Thursday 4 June 2020 | 4.30pm–6.30pm Wednesday 24 June 2020 | 5.00pm–7.00pm
Open Lecture Series Open Lecture: Leading the Dance by Jeanette Siddall CBE Tuesday 3 December | 5.30pm–8.00pm Find out more
How you can donate
POSTGRADUATE INFORMATION EVENING Monday 9 December 2019 | 5.00pm–7.00pm This postgraduate information evening will give you the opportunity to speak to postgraduate tutors about enhancing your learning and starting your postgraduate journey with us. Academics representing postgraduate degrees offered at our Ipswich campus will be available for informal discussion. Register here
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uos.ac.uk/alumni