ALUMNI NEWS Autumn 2020 Edition
Contents
ONTENT
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Contents
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Congratuations class of 2020
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Stay connected, get involved
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Our amazing alumni
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Postgraduate opportunities
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Covid-19 update
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BE BOLD, BE BRAVE, BE COURAGEOUS AND ABOVE ALL, BE THE BEST VERSION OF YOURSELF YOU CAN BE􀌢 Angela Cobbold Senoir Lecturer/Course Leader, Operating Department Practice
CLASS OF 2020
Congratultions class of 2020
CONGRATULATIONS
Welcome to the Class of 2020. Congratulations on completing your studies and receiving your awards. You are now officially part of the Alumni Community and we could not be prouder of you. As a graduate you now have access to a number of benefits and services which are provided so that you can stay connected to the University and continue to receive support for many years to come. There are lots of new ways you can stay involved included in this edition of Alumni News. Check out all that is on offer here, our offer remains flexible and we value your input and feedback. You can keep in contact with us in a variety of ways inlcuding emailing us on alumni@uos.ac.uk or visiting our webiste uos.ac.uk/alumni
Update your details @UniofSuffolkAlumni @UOS_Alumni @UOS_Alumni
Don’t forget to let us know if your contact details change so we can keep you up-to-date with what’s going on at the university and new benefits and services as they launch. You can updated your details here
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STAY CONNECTED, GET INVOLVED
Stay connected, get involved
There is no doubt this has been a challenging year for everybody, but it has also provided us with rare opportunities to look at how we do things, how we communicate with others and alternative ways we can work together. In response to this the Alumni Relations team have been working in collaboration with both our academics and professional services to ensure that the alumni voice is heard and the skills and expertise you have developed since graduating are shared with our students and staff in the most effective ways. You may remember we began an Alumni Mentoring Scheme at the beginning of the year, a pilot scheme which would enable alumni to share their experiences with current students, offer guidance and support and allow further networking. We are pleased that this pilot was a success and want to build on what the programme could offer. Therefore, we are now working on several opportunities which are linked to mentoring as a whole. UniBuddy The University of Suffolk is now using UniBuddy, an interactive platform through which prospective students can reach out to Student Ambassadors and members of staff, before and throughout their application process to ask them their personal questions.
We would like to invite some Alumni who would be happy to answer questions from prospective students on their courses and experiences to create personalised UniBuddy profiles, so that prospective students can hear all about your time at the University of Suffolk and also about what is out there after graduation. You would communicate through a chat function either on a browser or the UniBuddy app all of which we would explain to you in a training session. Once someone reaches out to you, we would ask you to reply to the message within 24 to 48 hours. We don’t anticipate that you will be spending more than one or two hours per months on UniBuddy. If you’re interested, please get in touch and we’ll share further information with you. Mentoring Mentoring is a unique relationship between a mentor and a mentee. It is a great way for current students to link with alumni who have volunteered to act as mentors in order to gain valuable insight, experience and skills over a specific period of time. At University of Suffolk we want to give as much support as possible to our students to enhance their employability skills and ensure they are ready for the world of work. As a University of Suffolk graduate you are in a phenomenal position to share your knowledge and expertise with existing students. Mentoring is a valuable opportunity to make a difference and
Events and opportunities
continue to engage with your University in a productive and mutually beneficial way, both nurturing future talent and enhancing your professional development. We are looking to restart our mentoring scheme, if you are interested in registering your interest with any of the above please contact alumni@uos.ac.uk. Alumni stories We have gathered more Alumni stories this year than any other. Your stories can be used to inspire current and prospective students and help celebrate your success. We are so very proud of everything our graduates go on to do and by sharing these stories we can shout about your achievements. If you would like to share your story, please contact alumni@uos.ac.uk. We have included some of our Alumni Stories in this edition, you can see more of our amazing alumni here. Social media campaigns Many of you have recently been involved in social media campaigns we have been running. We have several exciting opportunities for you to continue being involved coming up.
#UniSuffolkMadeMe Similar to our previous #FacesofSuffolk campaign, this organic social media campaign will feature alumni talking about your success following your university journey. This is not necessarily about the job you have gone into, it could also be about an amazing achievement, a challenge or overcoming adversity. This campaign will not only celebrate our alumni achievements and what you go on to do, but also highlight the diversity of our courses and how being at UoS may have improved your lives in some way. We will include a mixture of content such as:
Your favourite memories The pastoral support you received Extra-curricular activities you loved What you have gone on to do Perspective of mature students Students who overcome some adversity such as lockdown
The campaign will be featured on both the alumni and university social media accounts, as well as on the website. We will be asking for quotes, stories, photographs, video footage, perhaps even using tik tok! If you are interested in being involved please contact Kate on alumni@uos.ac.uk.
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OUR AMAZING ALUMNI Jack Shaw Senior Policy Researcher, House of Commons, Westminster BA (Hons) History, Class of 2014
I had never been to Ipswich prior to earning a place at Suffolk. I graduated with a FirstClass degree in History in 2014, and I haven’t looked back. As an 18-year-old, I spent my formative years in Ipswich and the experiences I was exposed to over the next three years have — as cliché as it sounds — made me the person I am today. Tracing back my journey, all roads lead from Ipswich: I would not have been a Political Advisor at the heart of our political system, or a postgraduate student studying Early Modern History only a few years ago, without having studied at Suffolk. When I chose Suffolk as my first choice back in 2011, I remember with crisp clarity that the proximity to lectures, the first-rate
in local government. As I began to climb the career ladder, I moved into press. I wrote articles and press releases for journalists which have secured national coverage. You’ve probably read, heard and seen news stories which I helped create, and having written my fair share of history essays at Suffolk gave me what felt like a three-year head start in how to write well.
Our amazing alumni
student accommodation, the picturesque waterfront, football pitches and the convenience of Tesco extra (where else would I buy beers?) made the prospect of being a student at Suffolk exciting. I loved the camaraderie of the football team as we ventured across the country for our away matches. Left-back was where I plied my trade. More importantly, as I would come to learn, the History Department itself is brilliant. It has long been recognised as one of the best in the country and continues to outperform its counterparts. Don’t just take my word for it – History at Suffolk is ranked second on the Guardian’s 2020 league table, one above Oxford.
As a current political advisor to a Shadow Minister in Parliament, history has prepared me no end. Countering misinformation in the digital age, knowing how to research and fact check sources, and more broadly having an understanding of and an appreciation for history, are all important to the integrity of our political institutions and trust in our democracy. Again, these are skills I picked up first during my time at Suffolk.
Becky Baker
It’s not hard to see why Suffolk is a popular destination. The campus and the quaint university-town-like charm trumps the less personal experience I would go on to experience at one of the biggest universities in the country. At Suffolk I knew my lecturers well, I got the right support, and I felt every member of staff invested in me. I’m not a special case either: I wasn’t the most studious student during the first year, having only just scraped through.
Lecturer in Midwifery
As a history student I was taught the importance of rigorous research and analysis, how to write well and how to articulate myself. These are skills that are indispensable for a career in politics as it is in the media, as I would later go on to learn. Unsurprisingly, all the above has well prepared me for life outside of university in ways I could have never foreseen. But my career hasn’t been far from seamless: I worked in retailers and a bookmaker before I began working summer jobs on construction sites during my time in Suffolk to get extra cash. After my degree, I was lucky enough to get my first shot in politics. I was the junior staffer of a Member of Parliament’s team in Westminster, but I tried hard and learned what I could. From there I took a postgraduate degree in — you guessed it — History, before working
Interestingly, Members of Parliament study history more than any other subject bar politics. The same is often heard about new entrants to the legal sector. Above all, for those of you like me who was the first in my family to go to university, when I first considered the prospect of further education I wanted to study a subject that was sufficiently broad. I didn’t know what career I wanted to pursue at that age, and I felt that the flexibility of a wellregarded subject would stand me in good stead. I am convinced that History — and History at the University of Suffolk — was the right choice. My lasting memory of Suffolk was, perhaps surprisingly, handing in my dissertation. It was a bitter-sweet moment, but that physical dissertation in my hand as I wandered the corridors to the submission room was unforgettable because it was the product of months of hard work. Was it worth it? Absolutely, it bagged me the grades I needed to secure a firstclass, alongside the History Department’s Dissertation of the Year Award.
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Kate McCoid VFX Editor, Netflix BA (Hons) Film, Class of 2013
I convinced myself that I needed to try something new at University. I studied Film in college but had been put off by poor experiences. I moved to Coventry University to study Events Management, only to realise I had made a huge mistake. A friend of mine had recently joined University of Suffolk and mentioned to me that they were sympathetic to students who wanted to change course so I got in touch with them and sent them some of my work. They accepted me, handled everything smoothly and within a week I was enrolled on the BA Film degree.
Our amazing alumni
University of Suffolk was not only close to home, but the actual course specifications were exciting. I knew I wanted to study film and the course covered a variety of areas. The most appealing part to me was that it was a course that combined practical elements and theory. The one thing I have noticed from working in film and TV is that many people do not have experience in formatting a script to a professional standard nor do they know much about the history of film. My course covered this and I do feel my career is richer from learning about this at UoS. I took on any opportunities that came my way via the University. I was involved in shooting and editing an Ipswich Speaker’s Corner, a Reiki healing video, an awards ceremony and a funeral for a family member who could’t attend. The latter being a humbling experience to say the least. In the seven years since I’ve graduated, I have been working in Post Production,
specifically in the departments of Editorial & VFX on Feature Films and TV Shows including: Guy Ritchie’s Man From U.N.C.L.E, Edge of Tomorrow starring Tom Cruise, Tom Hardy’s Taboo, Detective Pikachu starring Ryan Reynolds, Wes Anderson’s upcoming The French Dispatch and I am currently working in my first Head of Department position (VFX Editor) on an upcoming Netflix series. I have worked for the following companies: Warner Bros, Fox Searchlight Pictures, Sky, Channel 4, Legendary Entertainment, Starz, Lionsgate & Netflix. While I have been working professionally in Editorial & VFX, I have also been personally working on building my portfolio as a Writer & Director. My award winning comedy short It’s Not Custard screened at SXSW in 2019 as part of the Midnight Shorts programme. SXSW is one of the top six Film Festivals in the world. It’s Not Custard is also now a part of Channel 4’s Random Acts programme and is widely available online. My favourite memory of University of Suffolk is meeting my now best friend Taz Fairbanks who was on the same course as me but the year below. She also works professionally in Film & TV in the Sound Department. Also the relationship I established with our tutor Alex Leaney, who’s screenwriting teaching is second to none, and who, to this day, still lends me an ear of advice when it comes to screenwriting
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POSTGRADUATE OPPORTUNITIES The University of Suffolk offers a range of postgraduate higher education opportunities including Masters, Postgraduate Diplomas and Certificates, and Professional and CPD courses. Master of Business Administration (MBA) The MBA is a highly regarded postgraduate qualifications. It represents significant value to both private and public sector organisations. The MBA offers sophisticated business knowledge at a senior level of management and significantly advances leadership skills. The course aims to develop analytical and strategic management skills using concepts derived from a wide range of academic disciplines. This enables students to respond creatively and effectively to the challenges presented by a global business environment, and to broaden the range of management responsibilities they undertake.
Postgraduate opportunities
Newly appointed (over lockdown) into the role of MBA Programme Leader Dr. Ross Kemble has moved from Anglia Ruskin University to join the University of Suffolk. The MBA offered at the University of Suffolk is one of the longest running MBA programmes in the UK. It is also formally accredited by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI).
“The MBA here at the University of Suffolk offers advanced business knowledge at a senior level of management and significantly advances leadership skills. Undertaking the qualification would demonstrate a determination to succeed in a chosen career area whilst also bolstering your confidence.� Dr Ross Kemble MBA Programme Leader
It incorporates intermediate awards including the Postgraduate Certificate in Management (three modules, 20 credits per module) and the Postgraduate Diploma in Management (six modules, 20 credits per module).
The full MBA is achieved upon completion of seven modules and a dissertation (a total of 180 credits). Alternatively, you can also opt to take just one module as part of a Continuing Professional Development programme. On passing, this will give you 20 Masters Level credits, which may be used to build up an alternative Masters qualification.
Postgraduate opportunities
With us, you can choose to study your MBA on either a full-time or part-time basis. The programme is modular and is completed at a pace dictated by the student. The flexible structure of the MBA programme provides an opportunity to build up credit over time towards a full MBA.
Ross is happy to discuss the MBA and can be contacted at r.kemble@uos.ac.uk.
“Studying for an MBA as a mature student at UOS gave me renewed confidence and focus. I enjoyed every minute of the course, which broadened my thought process and outlook for the future. Working with students of age 22-70, both UK and international, provided a vibrant, diverse and challenging environment in which to excel.� James Long MBA Graduate, Class of 2018
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COVID-19 UPDATE
Covid-19 update
The University has remained open in line with Government guidance, with a focus on prioritising education to limit the gaps in students’ academic journey and lives. To find all of the up-to-date information on how the University is supporting its students, staff and wider community during the pandemic, visit uos.ac.uk/coronavirus.
YOU’VE SHOWN AMAZING RESILIENCE AND DETERMINATION I’D LIKE TO OFFER YOU MY BEST WISHES AND SUPPORT WITH YOUR FUTURE CAREER Dr Will Thomas Associate Professor, Suffolk Business School
uos.ac.uk/alumni