Connect - Winter 2013

CONNECT WINTER 2013

Ralph’s mammoth bike ride Also:

MP visits university’s Institute for Leadership and Sustainability Race for Jim – “running our Rocks off” Student sets up sports camps to inspire the next generation

STUDENTS

STAFF

CONTENTS/WINTER 2013 ISSUE 04 Round-up 05 New skills and dedication 06 MP visits university’s Institute for Leadership and Sustainability 07 Coaching conference 08 University hosts visiting research fellow 09 Ralph Lowerson’s mammoth bike ride 09 Congratulations!

10 Calling all colleagues with academic and academic related roles ……

12 Staff profile/Neil Harris 13 Race for Life 2 14 Race for Jim – “running our Rocks off”

16 17 18 20 21

12

Manny’s delight at bursary award Kati’s Cougars Student sets up sports camps to inspire the next generation Paramedic Debz celebrates degree and new baby OT Students celebrate Occupational Therapy Week

17

UNIVERSITY

18 22 A piece of Cumbria in London 23 University hosts academics from Asia to support EU project 24 Chancellor opens Carlisle Business Interaction Centre 26 Energy Savings measures/investment summer 2013 to summer 2014 28 University volunteering event gives everyone the opportunity to get involved 29 Honorary fellows 30 NSS Tips 31 Noticeboard

24

If you would like to con tribute to the next issue of Connect , please contact a member of the commu nications team: lynn.clark@ cumbria.a c.uk julie.ratcliffe@ cumbri a.ac.uk fiona.hughes@ cumbri a.ac.uk elizabeth.henzell @cum bria.ac.uk The copy deadline for the next issue of Connect is 14 Feb 2014 .

3

FOREWORD As I write this, the autumn graduation ceremonies have just ended, and although I always enjoy them immensely, the past few days have been particularly celebratory. Not only were we able to congratulate around 1000 students on their commendable academic achievements, our new venture with the Carlisle Business Interaction Centre was also launched, generating considerable and gratifying interest from the business community and the media.

We welcomed nearly 100 external guests to the new centre on

There is a tangible sense of happiness and goodwill at our

Paternoster Row, and our Chancellor, The Archbishop of York, Dr

ceremonies, not least for the pride we all feel in contributing to

John Sentamu performed the opening ceremony.

the success of our students. If you haven’t attended the cathedral, make sure you get along to one of the ceremonies as it’s a heart-

As well as offering incubation space and advice for fledgling

warming and, at the same time, humbling experience.

enterprises to help them get off the ground, the centre also has conventional offices, learning spaces and meeting rooms. CBIC will

I must acknowledge the tremendous amount of work that goes

act as a hub for local businesses and offer networking opportunities

into making the days run so smoothly. It’s no easy task organising

and the chance to share best practice, and we predict it will become

students, their families and our attending staff into an ordered

an important link between students, academics and industry. Several

programme that on the surface appears seamless. And this to me

local businesses have already moved in, and local charity Prism Arts,

reflects how we all work—much of what we do is unseen and

which delivers a range of innovative new arts programmes for people

unsung, but every piece of the journey, every interaction, is crucial

with disabilities in Carlisle, will take up residence in December.

to our students’ success and ultimately to the exhilaration of their achievement. And critically, we’re good at it.

Public events such as the CBIC launch and our graduation ceremonies are the outwardly visible face of the university. They act as a showcase

Which is why, in spite of challenges in the sector and unknown

for the results of everyone’s hard work, students and staff alike, and

quantities in terms of future government policy, I believe we have the

emphasise our essential role in the community and the county. I never

team in place to do the job well and continue to make the university a

fail to find myself moved by the palpable sense of pride that emanates

success. Thank you for your commitment and loyalty, and may I extend

from the families of our students on graduation day.

season’s greetings and best wishes for the New Year to you all.

Educating and developing our students to achieve the very best that they can is, of course, our bread and butter, our day job. Graduation days serve to remind us of the individual at the heart of the process; the dreams, hopes and goals that culminate in the activity of publicly receiving the award for which they have worked so hard for years, in front of family and friends who are justly proud and thoroughly enjoying the sense of occasion that marks this rite of passage.

Professor Peter Strike Vice Chancellor

4

ROUND-UP Professor of Fine Art, Robert Williams has recently produced three major research outcomes.

Theo Bampouras (senior lecturer in sport mechanics and performance analysis) co-authored a paper with J I Esformes, entitled ‘Effect of back squat depth on lower body post-activation potentiation’. It was published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 27 (11): 2997-3000

Robert Williams & Hilmar Schäfer (eds.) Dis Manibus: A Taxonomy of Ghosts from Popular Forms. Information As Material. 2013. An artwork and essay emerging from the Mildred’s Lane Project, Alchemist’s Shack II session of 2012 at Pennsylvania, USA.

Associate Dean Quality, Learning and Student Experience (Faculty of Education, Arts and Business), Dr Fiona Powley has been appointed to the National NSS Institutional Working Group. This offers the university an excellent insight into NSS developments and the opportunity to share in the good practice of a wide range of other institutions.

Karen Lockney received the Terry Furlong Award for Research from the National Association for the Teaching of English (NATE) in recognition of her paper ‘Writing the Unseen Poem: can the writing of poetry help to support pupils’ engagement in the reading of poetry?’, presented at their conference.

Robert Williams. Ch. Wilder Talents (Even): Uncanny Talking Animals. In I, Sparkie. Andrew Dodds. Nick Thurston (ed.). Information as Material. 2013.

Robert Williams & Bryan McGovern Wilson (eds.). Cumbrian Alchemy.

Unipress Cumbria. 2013 The latter is a major work produced during the project of the same name supported by Arts Council England. This includes the residency by American artist Bryan McGovern Wilson, hosted at Caldewgate in 2011 and 2012.

Ruth Harrison-Palmer (principal lecturer) published a book in October, with David Waugh from Durham University, for Learning Matters.

Teaching systematic synthetic phonics poses the question “Can you demonstrate a clear understanding of systematic synthetic phonics?”

Trainee primary school teachers need to have, and demonstrate, a clear understanding to meet the Teachers’ Standards. This book helps the trainee to self-audit, discover the areas that need more work and ultimately build confidence and develop knowledge of phonics to become an effective teacher of reading.

OUR STAFF G E T I N VOLVED Tell us about your achievements ...

NEW SKILLS AND DEDICATION Five members of staff, who normally spend their days ensuring our working environment is spotless, have been learning some additional skills to help them in their roles.

Elaine Wells, Craig Ashcroft, Lynn Lee, Gemma Lord and Val Cleminson have all achieved NVQs in either housekeeping or customer service, plus keyskills in maths and English.

Above: From left to right - Stephen Bloye, Elaine Wells (NVQ Customer Service level 2) Craig ashcroft (NVQ Housekeeping Level 2) Vicky Dixon (Kendal College Assessor) Lynn Lee (NVQ Customer Service level 2) Gemma Lord (NVQ Customer Service level 3) Gail Lenton (Kendal College Assessor) Val Cleminson (NVQ Customer Service level 2) Glenys Lord (Domestic Services Manager)

Lynn’s quarter century of commitment Lynn Lee has witnessed many changes during her 25 years working with us as a domestic assistant, first with St Martin’s and latterly with the university. “Around 60 domestics were employed when I started, while now we have only 24.

“Every Christmas we’d have a meal, where the supervisors used to serve the support staff, followed by a disco. There was always a children’s Christmas party too. I also remember there were definitely plans to build a swimming pool!”

Above: Lynn Lee recieves gifts from Stephen Bloye to mark 25 years of service

In spite of all the changes, Lynn declares: “I still love working here!”

6

MP VISITS INSTITUTE FOR LEADERSHIP AND SUSTAINABILITY Local MP and president of the Liberal Democrats, Tim Farron, visited the Ambleside campus in September to meet staff and students at the new Institute for Leadership and Sustainability (IFLAS).

Above: Jem Bendell, director of IFLAS (right) with local MP Tim Farron

A passionate advocate of action on climate change, Mr Farron was keen to meet the executive students on the institute’s MBA in Leadership and Sustainability. Through a partnership with the Robert Kennedy College, this new degree is already the world’s largest MBA focusing on ‘sustainability’ —the social and environmental dimensions of business.

After presenting to the students, the MP said: “The first step for learning is to be humble enough to realise we can learn from someone else. With the climate crisis we will need senior managers to learn new approaches. So it’s really encouraging that hundreds of senior executives from around the world are coming to the University of Cumbria’s Ambleside campus to study at their new Institute for Leadership and Sustainability.”

The visit was organised by the founder director of the institute, Professor Jem Bendell. He explained that the institute seeks to connect Cumbria’s business leaders with national and world leaders around the theme of leadership to address difficult social, environmental and economic problems.

“We are hosting remarkable leaders from around the country and globe, for open lectures on themes of sustainable enterprise.

“For instance, on 15 October we welcomed Kresse Wesling, one of the most exciting entrepreneurs in the UK today; the following week, we hosted a senior United Nations official to tell us about ethical investment.

“Local business leaders can take advantage of the hub we are creating, via www.iflas.info, where more details about the open lectures can also be found.”

“We are hosting remarkable leaders from around the country and globe, for open lectures on themes of sustainable enterprise.”

7

Above: Left to right Theo Bampouras, Stuart Lancaster, Louise Rowe and Colum Cronin

The inaugural Cumbria Coaching Conference took place at Penrith Rugby Union Club on Friday 20 September and was developed by Active Cumbria, the sport and physical activity partnership.

COACHING CONFERENCE

Stuart, England Rugby Union national head coach, and current Cumbria coach of the year, opened the conference and gave a key note speech on ‘Developing Talent—The Cumbrian Way’.

World-renowned rugby coach Stuart Lancaster was the guest of honour at a sporting conference which featured specialist presentations from university lecturers.

University lecturers Colum Cronin, Theo Bampouras and Louise Rowe, who teach BA (Hons) Coaching and Sport Development and BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise Science, presented at the event which was themed ‘developing talent and performance’.

Theo, who has numerous academic publications and is the former Scottish water polo coach, presented on ‘strength and conditioning’, while basketball coach Colum and Louise, who has provided sport psychology to several athletes, presented on ‘mental toughness’ with a focus on pre-competition routines.

Colum, who has recently coached the North West under-13 basketball team, said: “It is great that coaches and students of our sports programmes can benefit from the knowledge of a world renowned coach such as Stuart Lancaster, and also the expertise of the university’s sport staff.

“Through conferences such as this, and the work of the university students and graduates, coaching education in Cumbria is going from strength to strength.

“Ultimately this will help participants in local schools and clubs throughout Cumbria who will enjoy sessions informed by expert knowledge.”

8

UNIVERSITY HOSTS VISITING RESEARCH FELLOW Jan Zouhar (31) is an assistant professor at the University of Economics in Prague. He travelled to Carlisle to spend a month in the university’s Centre for Regional Economic Development (CRED) as a visiting research fellow.

Why did you want to come to the University of Cumbria and what is the focus of your research?

I am currently working on a research project focusing on supply chains as a specific production and market environment. So far, my research has largely been addressing the microeconomic foundations of the supply chain theory. A bit tired of all the theories, I felt I needed to change the environment and spend some time with scholars that (unlike me) have a lot of hands-on experience with real-life businesses. That is where I came across the CRED at University of Cumbria—a place that serves as a link between the university and local businesses; partly a research centre, communicating with scholars and policymakers, and partly an information centre providing valuable advice to local businesses.

Right: Jan Zouhar

Will the research have any relevance to local businesses, and, if so, what impact might it have?

We are discussing collaboration in research that compares experiences of starting and managing businesses in different parts of the UK. I hope it will help identify the main opportunities and obstacles that are specific to Cumbria.

Although you’ve only been here a couple of weeks, what are your impressions of Carlisle and the area so far?

Briefly put, simply beautiful. Coming from the Czech Republic’s capital, I was really looking forward to spending some time in a less hectic, quieter place; and I have to admit that my experience so far has exceeded my expectations.

Research director Frank Peck explains: “We are always very keen to host young researchers from other countries. This builds on our established network of academics in the Regional Studies Association and provides opportunities for us to share ideas for future research collaboration.”

While he was with the university, we asked Jan some questions: Where did you study and what is your main area of interest?

I’m a full-time member of the department of econometrics at UEP. I love teaching, and do teach a lot; in fact this is the thing that made me stay in academia. Besides teaching, I’m mostly a hired gun for those who need some statistical data analysis; this sounds dreadful, but… many people like solving Sudoku puzzles, and this is somewhat similar.

Moreover, you get to work with scholars from diverse backgrounds, which is inspiring.

Carlisle itself is a lovely little city with a nice historic centre—and as the CRED offices have just recently moved to the university’s Business Interaction Centre at Paternoster Row, I really enjoy my way to work.

Moreover, my office has a picturesque view of the cathedral, which is only one of the features that make it a wonderful place to work.

What are your plans for the future?

I’m only here for the month of September, so my plans related to Carlisle are somewhat limited.

Nevertheless, I hope my rather short fellowship at CRED will eventually turn into a lasting academic cooperation.

9

RALPH’S MAMMOTH BIKE RIDE On 1 June 2014 Ralph Lowerson, learning technologist in AQD, will set off from Brussels with around 1000 other riders on a 335-mile cycle ride to London, via Paris.

Over the next eight days he will pass through Mons, Arras, Amiens, Compiegne and finally Paris, cycling up to 80 miles a day, before a transfer to London where, with the other riders, he will take part in the ten-mile Hero Ride Finale, stopping at the Cenotaph in London to mark 100 years since the outbreak of the first world war. Ralph is riding in support of the Help for Heroes charity, which delivers help and support for wounded servicemen and women and their families.

He explains: “The reason I have taken up the challenge is twofold. Firstly, as an ex-serviceman, and with generations of my family having served in the Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force, I feel compelled to help those who have been injured or wounded while serving our country. Secondly, I wanted to take part in a challenge on the scale of something I have never done before, something to feel proud of, to give back and to say I helped. If I had to have a quote, I’d say “Give, as they gave.”

Above: Ralph Lowerson

This is going to be a mammoth challenge for Ralph in a number of ways: •

HE HAS TO RAISE AT LEAST

£2600 £1200 OF WHICH MUST BE RAISED BY MARCH 2014

• •

As a working father of two, he now has to commit to a 20-week fitness training programme. Some long rides will have to start at 5 or 6 am on Sunday mornings so he can balance his family life as well.

He has to raise at least £2600, £1200 of which must be raised by March 2014.

It’s his first ever “Big Charity Challenge” so he has no experience of fundraising and is never comfortable asking for money. He will be relying on everyone’s generosity.

Ralph continues: “All the money raised goes to help people such as Nick Gibbons, among many others, some of whom you can see on the H4H Heroes Stories. All I ask is that anyone who would like to donate, please give what you can, and if you want some inspiration click here to have a look at last year’s ride and dig deep.”

If colleagues would like to sponsor Ralph, click here for his charity page. For more information on Help for Heroes, go to www.helpforheroes.org.uk.

CONGRATULATIONS! Steven and Natalie Bell with baby Emelia In the Summer edition of Connect, Steve Bell, market analyst in External Relations and wife Natalie announced that they were awaiting the patter of tiny feet. On 31 October at 4.07am, baby Emelia Hope Bell was born weighing 6 pound 12oz. Both Natalie and Steve are delighted with the safe arrival of Emelia.

10

CALLING ALL COLLEAGUES WITH ACADEMIC AND ACADEMIC RELATED ROLES ……

Have you discovered the Cumbria Academy yet? It’s a great place to get to know about your academic colleagues’ practice, share what you are doing with peers, and to keep up to date with professional news and views both within the university and the wider HE sector.

The concept of the Cumbria Academy began in 2012 as a ‘Change Project’ hosted by the Higher Education Academy. Our working group recognised the need for the university to have a space where staff could share ideas and feel part of a creative community with common interests.

The title ‘academy’ originates in ancient Greece for an institution of higher learning, research, or honorary membership, named after Plato’s original school of philosophy at Akademia.

Based on this premise, our ‘Cumbria Academy’ is designed to be a community of learning and practice for all the staff of the university and its partner institutions.

“Our working group recognised the need for the university to have a space where staff could share ideas and feel part of a creative community with common interests.”

The community is still in a relatively early stage of development, but already we are able to showcase some of the high quality practice of our members and have evidence of colleagues from across the institution using this to inform their practice.

ACADEMY SHARE • Academy Features on contemporary topics • Useful resources

ACADEMY RESEARCH • Research-related news, events and actvities • Research developer

• Practice networks

ACADEMY EVENTS • Forthcoming internal and external events • Notes from past events • ACADEMY NEWS • News from the HE sector • Award Winners

framework

ACADEMY EVENTS • Forthcoming internal and external events • Summary notes from past events

ACADEMY LEADERSHIP • UoC Senior Fellows Leadership resources • LMDF actvities

11

In our Academy Blackboard site, we have five main areas: Academy News This is an area for sharing professional news and views with other academy members—what's on, what's up and coming, what individuals and groups are doing, and what members would like others to know about.

We have a Twitter feed to follow for those of you who like to tweet—and please retweet any messages. @UOCAcademy #UOCAcademy

We collect a range of sector newsletters that provide a contemporary archive, and there is also a section on award winners, both internal and external, where you can read about your colleagues’ successes. You can let us have your news related to academic practice to share across the institution at any point.

Academy Share This is the main area for sharing good practice in the main academic activities of teaching and the support of learning, research and enterprise. We have a combination of individual profiles, stories of good practice, specific features on areas of practice and a range of resources available.

This section builds on action research initiated by Simon Allan and Mark Magas on raising the profile of effective practice used by individuals in order to share this more widely within the community.

The key to Academy Share working well is willing participation by our members—it is based on principles of building academic capital through social learning, and builds on valued practices within the university such as peer review. Academy Share is a space for linking with colleagues across the community and widens the opportunities for peer review and peer mentorship, and for posing questions to the community to find new solutions and innovative ideas.

Academy Events This area publicises professional events that are taking place both within the university and in the wider community. We also have a folder of academic-related events that have taken place with an archive of their content and other useful information.

If you want to find out what is coming up, or publicise your own events, this is the place. Also, we are keen to include a summary of events you have attended to share with other colleagues.

Academy Leadership This section is for people who are interested and involved in leadership within academic contexts. It contains information and resources for leaders in relation to mentorship; peer review; and the university’s leadership and management development framework. We also have profiles on our HEA senior fellows.

Academy Research This area contains information relating to research skills and forthcoming workshops and seminars that you may be interested in. It also has information on current funding opportunities and links to the Insight repository and Practitioner Research in Higher Education Journal.

Although Caroline Marcangalo and Emma Wilson in AQD are the key co-ordinators for the Cumbria Academy, the underlying philosophy is that it belongs to and is shaped by its members. We seek to encourage active discussion and contributions, both through the Blackboard site and also through sponsored events, seminars and peer review.

The Cumbria Academy is for you and about you—its purpose is to recognise and celebrate the vast range of activities and innovations that our members are involved in. So if you haven’t already joined, just go into Blackboard and click on the Cumbria Academy badge.

12

STAFF PROFILE/NEIL HARRIS What brightens your day at work?

I really enjoy working with colleagues who show such commitment, energy and a sense of shared endeavour, and also celebrating the success of colleagues or student achievement. For example, the recent NSS result—you could see/feel the lift it gave to us, taking pride in what had been achieved. Also, seeing lots of students on campus brings the university to life and is a constant reminder about what we are here for.

Your job title, how did you end up at the University of Cumbria and when did you start?

Registrar and Secretary. Appointed in August 2007, I had previously worked at a number of HEIs, most recently St Martin’s College.

Describe your job.

As part of UEG, I have strategic leadership responsibility for External Relations, Student and Management Information Services, strategic communications, governance, compliance and legal and regulatory matters. I also act as lead contact with the Students’ Union and as secretary to the University Board.

Name your ideal dinner party guest and why John Peel, the legendary Radio1 DJ is the man behind my (and many others’) introduction to obscure alternative music and bands. He died about eight years ago, but was a great influence on me since my other main interest is music, largely alternative/indie—it is hard to label, but if you know who John Peel was and the type of music/musicians he championed, you’ll know what I mean. So an evening with him talking about and listening to music, and in particular our favourite band, The Fall, would be great, though it might not be for any other guests!

What do you like to do in your spare time?

I have very simple pleasures—when not at work I spend as much time as I can outdoors, preferably walking in the hills, especially the Pennines, where the wilder and more desolate the better!

Brendan, my eldest son, introduced me to bird-watching about 14 years ago, and after much time spent with him and his younger brother Ronan, having them patiently explain what I was looking at, all the while in denial that I was becoming a birdwatcher, I have come out in the last couple of years to admit to being one, albeit a very bad one. I also spend time catching up with my partner Julia, since we don’t get to spend much ‘quality’ time together in the week.

Name your favourite book and why A bit like Desert Island Discs, it is OK choosing a shortlist, but having to choose one as a favourite is so much more difficult.

If pushed though, I would probably choose Yorkshire Gritstone Climbs. For many years I was an obsessive climber and I lived in Yorkshire during the late 80s/early 90s and climbed three to four times a week, largely in Yorkshire and on gritstone, and so the Yorkshire Gritstone guide was my ‘bible’ and constant companion. I still have it, albeit it is very battered, and I no longer climb!

Name your favourite film and why Again a difficult one, but I am a great fan of the Toy Story Trilogy. All three films were really funny and can be enjoyed by adults and children alike, and so made great family trips to the cinema with Julia and my four children.

And finally, your favourite or dream holiday destination and why!

As I said earlier I have simple tastes and pleasures – I like the hills, I like the relative remoteness and wilderness you can find in parts of the UK, and Julia and I love escaping for some family downtime. We have always gone to Scotland a lot, but we finally made it to the Isle of Harris about eight years ago and we liked it so much we have been back every year since then. It has everything we want—great hills, beaches, wildlife, few people and constantly changing light and shade, albeit caused by the constantly changing weather—great for us, but if you want heat and sunshine and nightlife etc, then it is probably not the place to go.

13

RACE FOR LIFE 2 In the autumn issue of Connect we reported on Michelle Aldridge’s participation in the Race for Life event at Lancaster University on 14 July.

It turns out she wasn’t the only member of university staff to take part that day—the HR Service entered a whole team of runners, joined by family members.

£850.29 RAISED FOR CANCER RESEARCH UK

Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life is a series of 5k or 10k women-only events, which aims to raise money for research to help beat all 200 types of cancer sooner rather than later. The university team successfully completed the 5K run and, as a result of sponsorship and donations, the members were able to deliver a total of £850.29 to the cause.

The HR team members were Gail Best, Louise Blake, Liz Callan, Heather Churchman, Sam Fryers and Janet Whitworth.

Heather says: “We’d just like to say thank you very much to everyone, family, colleagues and friends who made a donation to Cancer Research to help us raise this fantastic amount.”

It’s quite a result - many congratulations to the team!

Above, left to right: Gail Best, Janet Whitworth, Louise Blake, Sam Fryers with daughter Erin, Heather Churchman, Liz Callan with daughters Beth and Niamh, sister in law, Julie and niece

14

RACE FOR JIM – “RUNNING OUR ROCKS OFF” Colleagues will remember the concern they felt at the news of Jim Rocks’ sudden illness, earlier this year, while playing football. If you read on, you’ll discover he has made a good recovery, and also how it has brought him even closer to friends and family who have shown their relief in a most heart-warming way.

A TOTAL OF

£1478 RAI S E D Above: Jim (centre) with his son David (left) and brother Eddie (right)

Jim’s story: “On 25 March I collapsed whilst playing indoor football. I am told that my heart stopped and that my fellow footballers called the emergency services and commenced cardio pulmonary resuscitation.

I imagine a degree of panic and chaos followed but teamwork kicked in and they successfully managed to take telephone coaching from the paramedics, chase down a ‘lost’ ambulance and pass me to the paramedics. Apparently I needed defibrillation in the back of an ambulance and was delivered to intensive care.

“I was sedated for 72 hours and my body was chilled. Eventually, I came around safely. Tests suggested that if I wanted to avoid this happening again I should have coronary artery bypass surgery.

So after a further few weeks of care and a surgical interlude in Newcastle I am alive to tell the tale.

“I consider myself to be very fortunate to have survived, particularly the first few hours of the encounter, and I am thankful for the courage and knowledge of my fellow footballers and the skills and dedication of the emergency response team.

“I also am very grateful for the support that family, friends and work colleagues have extended to me. My faith in humanity has been completely recharged and there have been some very special and cherished messages sent my way.

“One particularly noteworthy event was the ‘pact’ that members of my family and of Janet Major’s family made, during that period, to do something to recognise the life-saving efforts made by all concerned. They decided to sign up for the Cumbrian Run (an event that, at that time, was over six months away) and raise money for an appropriate charity.”

15

Above: Janet’s son Jonathan and his wife Claire

Janet’s story: “The Cumbrian Run took place on 7 October 2013 and to celebrate Jims life, his son David, brother Eddie and my son and daughter-in-law, Jonathan and Claire Major all took part. It had all seemed like a good idea months before but as the day arrived there were some nerves around.

“Family and friends were all there to cheer them on, so with lots of cheering and an array of musical instruments to raise their spirits, they set off on the 13-mile challenge around the roads of Cumbria. The weather did not prove to be kind to them and so as the rain started to arrive, the first of our brave band of runners arrived back.

“First to emerge from the team was David, with Eddie following, both doing good times to the shouts and cheers of us all. Jonathan and Claire ran together and unfortunately cramp made the last few miles for Claire slow and painful, but as we saw them, wet and tired, nearing the end, Jim ran with them for the last few yards to spur them on and it made us all realise why they had all taken on this special challenge.”

And a final word from them both: We would like to say a big thank you to our special runners of whom we are so proud and to everyone for their generous donations; it has all been very much appreciated.

Friends, family, workmates in Carlisle and Lancaster and fellow footballers all contributed to the final total of £1478 We have decided to split the total between two charities and the following will benefit: • •

British Heart Foundation St Johns Ambulance

“Thank you again for all of your support, generosity and particularly kindness of spirit.

Jim and Janet

16

OUR STUDENTS G E T I N VOLVED Tell us about your students’ achievements ...

MANNY’S DELIGHT AT BURSARY AWARD PGCE student Mansoor Rifai has been awarded a British Computer Society bursary.

Originally from Blackburn in Lancashire, he gained his BSc (Hons) Computer Network Technology from UCLAN, but then chose to come to us for his PGCE. He says: “I chose the University of Cumbria because of its reputation for providing excellent teaching courses. Both of my sisters studied teaching qualifications here and they recommended it to me.”

Above: Manny Rifai

Manny is delighted with the bursary for a number of reasons: “Winning the bursary will make a big difference as it will allow me to excel in being the best teacher I can be. It will help me in studying throughout university and whilst being on placement.

“As the tuition fees have increased, it is also a big help with travel costs. It has also granted me the confidence in recognising my own abilities, as the interview process was rigorous. It included online assessments and a school-based interview, as well as teaching a lesson for the first time to a class of year 8s on sorting algorithms.

“I also had a one-on-one interview at the school and finally an IT industrial interview all the way down south in Winchester at IBM. And lastly, as an associate member of the BCS I get letters after my name - Mansoor Rifai AMBCS - which is cool!

“Looking to the future, I hope to gain a job teaching computing and to continue to develop teaching excellence within this field.

I will also continue to represent the BCS in becoming a ‘Computing Master Teacher’. Their role is to lead innovation both within their own school and in collaboration with other schools.”

17

KATI’S COUGARS Kati Brown is better known to colleagues as the hard-working volunteer coordinator who organises our students into valued and respected work teams in their local communities, but in her spare time she pursues a passion which, for women, is still considered to be a bit out of the ordinary.

Right: Kati (in black scrum cap) makes a tackle

Every Wednesday evening you’ll find Kati at Carlisle Rugby Club on Warwick Road. Between 7.00 and 8.30pm she’ll be training hard, practising tackles and drop kicks, as a member of Carlisle Cougars, a ladies’ rugby team.

The Cougars play matches most Sundays between September and December and, because they are in the Championship North league, they have to travel around the country to places such as Northumberland, Liverpool, Nottingham and Eccles.

She explains: “Everyone is welcome at the Carlisle Cougars and although we already Kati is happy have some students playing with us, who were recruited during the for people to contact Welcome Week fair, it would be her with any questions great to get some staff down to have a go as well. We have a real about Carlisle Cougars mixture of players, from those who and ladies’ rugby, or for have never played before to those who have years of experience. more information

07794406014

“We also have a mixture of ages from 18 to around 45, and even a mother/ daughter combo amongst our backs.

“It’s really good fun and brilliant for fitness, and we have a great social life as well!”

Above: Kati with ball

18

STUDENT SETS UP SPORTS CAMPS TO INSPIRE THE NEXT GENERATION One of our students is encouraging Carlisle youngsters to get active during the school holidays by organising a series of sports camps.

Edd Snoxell, aged 21, has launched ‘Multi-Sports Camps’ in the hope of inspiring the city’s youngest generation to take up extra-curricular exercise.

These two-day camps are designed to be fun while educating children on the importance of taking part in sports and exercise outside school.

A range of activities will be on offer to youngsters such as football, basketball, dodgeball, rounders, zumba and even festivals such as mini summer and winter Olympics tournaments.

Edd is in his third year of BA (Hons) Physical Education at the Fusehill Street campus.

He said: “This is really exciting for me as I have been involved in coaching children for six years, and I have always wanted to set up my own camps and put my own stamp on them.

“All children are involved in sports at school but there is a big drop-out rate in participation of sports outside of school. Hopefully the kids who come along to the camps will gain new experiences; they may participate in a sport they haven’t done before and will want to take it up in their own time.

The main aim is for the children to have fun, and, by opening their eyes to different types of sports, they will be educated in exercise and fitness.”

Edd, who is originally from Peterborough, has enlisted the help of other experienced coaches, who are studying at the university, to take part in the camps.

“Edd has used all of the opportunities available to him whilst at university, to gain qualifications in coaching and teaching, and has used those qualifications, along with his studies, to progress his experience and expertise in this area.”

19

FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO BOOK A PLACE, VISIT www.multi-sports.co.uk

Above: Edd Snoxell with pupils from Brook Street School

Lindsay Sander, BA (Hons) Physical Education programme leader, describes Edd as a ‘model student’ and asked him to give a talk to his fellow students about his new venture and how it came about.

She said: “Edd has used all of the opportunities available to him whilst at university, to gain qualifications in coaching and teaching, and has used those qualifications, along with his studies, to progress his experience and expertise in this area.

“This is something that I would encourage all students to do. We strongly encourage our students to get involved in the local community, and we have lots of links and partnerships with both primary and secondary schools as well as established employers in the sports sector.”

“In today’s climate we have to do all we can to help children to see the importance of physical education, and we place a great emphasis on our students encouraging the next generation to get involved in physical activity.”

Above, left to right: Coaches Sam Parkinson, Laura Mason and Emily Summersgill with Multi-Sports Camps organiser Edd Snoxell.

20

PARAMEDIC DEBZ CELEBRATES A DEGREE AND A NEW BABY Debz Alford may have her hands completely full at the moment as the brand new mum of baby Eliazah, born in the second week of November, but that didn’t stop her graduating with a BSc (Hons) Developing Paramedic Practice, in Carlisle Cathedral less than two weeks later.

Working as a paramedic, Debz (25), who lives just outside Workington, wanted to top up her Foundation Degree in Paramedic Science to an honours degree and chose the university’s distance learning programme. Debz explains: “When I completed my foundation degree, I knew I wanted to top it up to a BSc at some time in the future, but at that point I hadn’t looked at options of universities offering suitable courses.

“When I found out that the University of Cumbria offered this course, I chose to do it as it was close to home for me. As well as being a personal challenge and ambition, it would allow me to provide a higher standard of care to my patients.”

Initially, Debz found the online distance learning a challenge as she had never done it before, finding it hard to motivate herself, but eventually she developed the habit of tackling it regularly in small amounts, and found that worked well.

She says: “It takes commitment to do online distance learning as there is no one there to encourage you; it makes it really easy to ignore!”

Above: Debz Alford and baby Eliazah

Debz has been employed as a paramedic since 2008, and found her work colleagues were supportive of her studies, with senior clinical staff offering their help with clinical examination skills, as well as useful reference sources and current best evidence guidelines. Her colleagues even offered to become ‘patients’ for her to practise her clinical examination skills.

“It takes commitment to do online distance learning as there is no one there to encourage you; it makes it really easy to ignore!”

As she is now mum to Eliazah Charlotte, born on 9 November, and understandably filling all of her time at the moment, Debz is currently on maternity leave.

She is planning to return to work next year at which point gaining her BSc will mean Debz has the option of applying for more senior paramedic jobs in the future if she chooses.

21

OT STUDENTS CELEBRATE OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY WEEK Second-year occupational therapy students have recently started a branch of the student Occupational Therapy Society at the Lancaster campus.

As part of this new venture they wanted to celebrate Occupational Therapy Week (3-9 November) by promoting how proud they are of their profession.

Katie Watts, second-year occupational therapy student explains: “Occupational therapists (OTs) help people of all ages to achieve their daily goals and aspirations. They also offer support and advice on preventing injuries, illnesses or disabilities and on how to cope with the associated daily living difficulties that people experience.

“Our OT Week promotion involved us setting up a stall over lunch time within the Gateway Building. Here we met fellow students and provided them with information on how the work of occupational therapists could help within their chosen career paths. We spoke to student teachers, who were interested in the work of occupational therapists with children within a school setting, and drama students about how drama can be used as therapy.

“It has been really inspiring demonstrating how we are able to help people lead more independent and rewarding lives.”

Katie comments: “It has been fantastic telling fellow students about my profession. It has been really inspiring demonstrating how we are able to help people lead more independent and rewarding lives.”

Above, left to right: Katie Watts, Olakunle Oladele, Nick Smith, Dave Bradley

22

OUR UNIVERSITY G E T I N VOLVED Tell us about news and developments in your area …

A PIECE OF CUMBRIA IN LONDON The university’s presence in the capital has been confirmed by LTA! Once the university had moved into its new London premises in East India Dock Road in July, Ian Rodham, our travel plan manager, contacted the London Transport Authority (LTA) to point out that the name on the bus-stop outside was that of the previous incumbents. At the end of August the LTA changed the name to ‘University of Cumbria, London’, in time for the start of the new term.

Situated on a busy, major route, having the university’s name on the bus-stop, on the digital sign and the audio description inside the bus, is really putting us on the map in the capital.

Gill Butt, the admin manager at the campus, uses the bus to get to work every day. She explains: “As I stand waiting for the bus to arrive, I hear lots of people commenting on the university, and I’m able to explain what it is we’re doing in London. As free advertising, it’s working very well!”

The university’s provision in London has always focused on teacher education.

It has provided undergraduate and postgraduate teaching courses in the Tower Hamlets area since 1999, and is now the largest single provider of qualified teachers in the borough. Nearly 70 per cent of Tower Hamlets schools are in the fortunate position of employing a University of Cumbria trained teacher!

Above: Gill Butt at the bus stop

23

University of Cumbria staff Dr Robin Talbot (front far right), Dr Carol Marrow (front centre) and Dianne Mardell (middle centre) with the visitors from the Tempus

UNIVERSITY HOSTS ACADEMICS FROM ASIA TO SUPPORT EU PROJECT

Educa project

The university has hosted a group of academics from Central Asia as part of a project which supports higher education in the areas surrounding the European Union.

Staff from seven universities in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan visited the university’s Lancaster campus in October to gain an insight into current teaching practice across UK and European institutions.

The visit was arranged through Tempus Educa, a European Union programme, which supports the modernisation of higher education in the partner countries of Eastern Europe, Central Asia, the Western Balkans and the Mediterranean region. For part of the visit the group was also joined by a representative of Vilinius Pedagogical University in Lithuania, which is a partner of the project.

During their time with us, the group took part in a range of educational workshops and also enjoyed cultural visits to Lancaster Castle and a boat ride on Windermere.

Group member Sulaymon Aliev, from Sadriddin Ainy Tajik State Pedagogical University in Tajikistan, said: “I am very grateful for the hospitality and responsiveness of our colleagues from the University of Cumbria. The tour to the lake was very impressive and unforgettable, and the rest of the trip has been organised perfectly.”

Dodarbek Saydaliev, from Kulob State University in Tajikistan, added: “From the experience of our Cumbrian colleagues we found it very useful to have the opportunity to be able to evaluate programmes, not just from the teaching side, but from the student side.

“In our countries, unfortunately, it is not possible to do independent accreditation in HE and this experience is very helpful to us so we can create it in our own countries in the future. It will be nice to organise experts from the University of Cumbria to go to our universities.”

The aim of this specific project was to advance the educational management curriculum of these three Asian countries by taking into account national priorities, as well as supporting their current educational system and introducing new curricula at masters and PhD level.

Emeritus Reader Dr Carol Marrow, who ran some of the workshops, said: “Working with the Tempus Educa partners from these middle Asian countries has been immensely rewarding. The one-week workshop helped to take the programme development forward by enhancing the partners’ knowledge and understanding of key areas of the project and, importantly, further developing relationships.”

Dianne Mardell, business development and enterprise manager, said: “The week was very productive and informative. We look forward to continuing to work with our overseas partners to support them in developing new courses and embedding new ways of teaching and learning into their own universities.”

24

CHANCELLOR OPENS CARLISLE BUSINESS INTERACTION CENTRE The Chancellor, the Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu officially opened the university’s new Business Interaction Centre on Thursday 21 November.

Centre manager Ewan Pullan comments: “We hope that this new interaction centre, created with the help of a capital grant from Carlisle City Council, will play its part in the city’s economic future by attracting businesses into the city centre, retaining graduates, stimulating enterprise, and offering skills development, research, education and business support.”

The opening event coincided with Global Entrepreneurship Week, the international campaign to help develop the next generation of business leaders, which gave the university another opportunity to engage with the local business community.

Paternoster Row is well placed to become an important link between students, academics and industry.

Right: Dr John Sentamu officially opening the Business Interaction Centre

Overlooking the cathedral, the Carlisle Business Interaction Centre (CBIC) on Paternoster Row is well placed to become an important link between students, academics and industry and has already attracted a number of business tenants into its flexible workspaces.

Guests at the launch event, including the Mayor of Carlisle, Councillor Ray Bloxham, Ann Farrar, CEO of North Cumbria University Hospitals Trust and John Stevenson, MP for Carlisle, were invited to view the hot-desking and business incubation spaces created to encourage start-up and growing businesses, as well as its more conventional offices, learning spaces and meeting rooms which are available for rent.

The university’s provision under the Cumbria Business Growth Hub and UNITE with Business programmes, both funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), are also run from the centre, offering graduate placements, academic support and training for small to medium-sized businesses.

Several local businesses are already operating from the centre, whilst Prism Arts, an Arts Council funded local charity working predominately with disabled and older people, will move into the CBIC in December 2013, delivering a range of innovative new arts programmes for people with disabilities in Carlisle. Catherine Coulthard, director at Prism Arts, explains: “This move will really boost the charity’s profile and enable us to provide excellent accessible workspaces for our participants and artists.

“CBIC will also become the new home for Prism Arts Studio Theatre—a theatre and arts programme for adults and young people with learning disability and autism, as well as the hub for a new programme of creative workshops funded by Northern Rock Foundation, designed to meet the needs of people with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.”

For more information about Prism Arts visit: www.prismarts.org.uk

25

“We hope that this new interaction centre, created with the help of a capital grant from Carlisle City Council, will play its part in the city’s economic future by attracting businesses into the city centre, retaining graduates, stimulating enterprise, and offering skills development, research, education and business support.”

Services based at CBIC include: •

•

• •

•

• •

•

•

Short courses in IT, marketing, exporting, finance, accounting, and human resources; Accredited courses including MBA, MA in Business Management, Postgraduate Certificate in Computing and IT; BSc (Hons) in Applied Computing and BA (Hons) in Retail Marketing Management; Support for students who want to start their own business; A business incubation unit with desk space, office space, reception facilities and advice; A work placement service to match graduates and undergraduates with employers; The university’s base for its part of the Cumbria Business Growth Hub; The Unite with Business project which provides free business support for up to 20 days to eligible SME businesses; Consultancy and research via the university’s Centre for Regional Economic Development; Flexible meeting and event spaces.

For more information visit: www.cumbria.ac.uk/CBIC

Aove: Applied computing students working in the CBIC.

26

ENERGY SAVINGS MEASURES/INVESTMENT SUMMER 2013 TO SUMMER 2014 Background In spring 2013 the university submitted an application to the third strand of HEFCE’s revolving green fund (RGF 3). The bid included a programme of 27 energy efficiency projects totalling £285,000 in value, with these predicted to generate utility savings of £70,000 per year.

16 projects have been completed at a cost of

£217,000 with further projects being progressed through to next summer.

The bid was successful and the university estates department has been busy working with selected contractors over the last few months to progress the programme of efficiency measures.

This good news came at a time when the university had actively progressed and supported a number of other environment and sustainability measures, including achieving a Green Gown award for Carbon Reduction, obtaining the EcoCampus ‘Bronze’ level award and moving up over 40 places in the national university Green League table.

What follows is a summary of the projects that have been completed and what’s still to come:

Lancaster campus •

•

•

•

•

•

Installation of a low loss transformer on the main incoming electric supply near to Waddell student halls. This project reduces the incoming voltage to our site therefore reducing the power consumed by electrical equipment. This single project is predicted to help save over £15,000 per year in electricity costs.

Installation of movement - activated LED lights throughout the corridors in Waddell halls and William Thompson Tower, plus automatic light controls in the student kitchens.

Additional loft insulation in College Main, College North and South, Fieldhead, Waddell North and South.

Pump and flange thermal insulation covers added to College North/South plant room.

Motor inverters installed on the motor controls serving the air handling units in Alexandra Building and the sports hall (this stops the motors running at 100% all the time).

Replacement LED external lighting around the campus (floodlights and streetlights) changing the once ‘orange glow’ to a much crisper, whiter light.

Top left: External LED Lights, Top right: Plant room insulation, Bottom: Low loss transformer

27

Carlisle Brampton Road and Fusehill Street campuses •

• •

•

•

Installation of movement-activated LED lights throughout the corridors and kitchens in Brampton Road student halls.

Additional loft insulation for Blencathra, Bowscale and Homeacres.

Motor inverters installed on the motor controls serving the air handling units in the Learning Gateway at Fusehill Street.

Replacement LED lights in the corridors and throughout the top floor library in Skiddaw building.

Installation of LED lights in the sports complex corridors and gym at Fusehill Street.

Above: LED Lights in the sports complex

Ambleside campus •

•

As most people will be aware, our utility bills are increasing year on year (11% for electricity and 6% for gas)

leading to a total current expenditure of

£1.2 million

•

Pump and flange thermal insulation added to Helvellyn and Wansfell plant rooms.

Further loft insulation placed in Fairfield, Wansfell and Helvellyn halls.

New boilers installed in Fairfield and Beechfield.

What’s next?

There is a further £70,000 to spend on the remaining 11 projects, with these programmed for completion by next summer. Projects include a number of LED lighting upgrades in building such as Dalton, Humanities and Alexandra at Lancaster, and external floodlights and streetlights at Ambleside, Brampton Road and Fusehill Street.

Why did we bid for RGF 3?

As most people will be aware, our utility bills are increasing year on year (11% for electricity and 6% for gas with a total current expenditure of £1.2 million) so anything we can do to reduce consumption makes good business sense.

Reducing our consumption also reduces our wider environmental impact through lesser emissions of carbon dioxide. However, it is often the behaviours of staff and students that can have the biggest impact through simple actions such as remembering to switch lights off or turning the heating down before opening windows. Please, please, please remember to do your bit!

Final thoughts……

For those wishing to contribute towards our environmental/sustainability efforts, please become involved in Green Impact – more information here: http://staff.cumbria.ac.uk/ Services/FM/EnvironmentSustainability/ GreenImpactscheme.aspx Also, if anyone has any energy saving ideas please contact Andrew Boyd, sustainability manager on extension 2721, or by email: andrew.boyd@cumbria.ac.uk We look forward to hearing from you and thank you for your continued support!

28

UNIVERSITY VOLUNTEERING EVENT GIVES EVERYONE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET INVOLVED Organisations and public services from across North Cumbria were on hand at an event held at the university on 19 November to provide information and explain the different volunteering opportunities available.

Above: Students enquire about volunteering opportunities

Cumbria CVS and Volunteer Centres Cumbria joined forces with the university to organise the Volunteer Fair held at the Fusehill Street campus, which was open to the general public as well as staff and students.

Organiser Ashley Tiffen, senior lecturer in policing, explains: “All of our guest organisations provide valuable services to our communities and the university was pleased to be able to bring everyone together.

“Volunteering provides everyone with an opportunity to not only give to the community but to develop and embed new skills, network into potential employment areas and to provide evidence of achievement and interests for prospective employers.”

The Volunteering Fair saw presentations from Cumbria Police, Victim Support, Independent Custody Visitors, Community Neighbours, Carlisle Mencap, Barnardos and People First as well as Cumbria CVS and the university’s Students’ Union.

During the afternoon, voluntary organisations manned stands around the university’s Learning Gateway to offer information and advice about various volunteering opportunities.

In addition to the groups represented in the morning session, these included Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service, Lawrie Brewie Trust, Cumbria Reducing Offending Partnership Trust, Community Law Centre, Carlisle Cares, British Red Cross and Guide Dogs for the Blind.

29

HONORARY FELLOWS Over three days of graduation ceremonies in November, the university created six new honorary fellows.

Former Director of Leisure for Carlisle City Council, Euan Cartwright, was honoured for his outstanding contribution to the development of arts and culture and for service to higher education in Cumbria, and Cedric Robinson MBE, Queen’s Guide to the Sands, for his outstanding service to the community and significant contribution to supporting charitable causes, both locally and globally.

Former High Sheriff Juliet Westoll MBE DL, received her honorary fellowship for her outstanding contribution to service in Cumbria and her charitable work in supporting Cumbrian initiatives, while Chris Tomlinson OBE, former CEO of Cumbria Tourism, was honoured in recognition of her outstanding service to tourism and business in Cumbria and for her charitable work in support of Cumbrian initiatives.

Pam Eland received an honorary fellowship for her outstanding contribution to the campaigning and advocacy of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender rights and responsibilities, and Steve Holdup, former headteacher of Dallam School, for his outstanding contribution to education and the development of teachers.

Euan Cartwright

Cedric Robinson MBE

Juliet Westoll MBE DL

Chris Tomlinson OBE

Pam Eland

Steve Holdup

30

NSS TIPS In the last issue of Connect we reported on the excellent 2013 NSS result, with our overall score in student satisfaction increasing by six points over last year.

TEN OF THE UNIVERSITY’S SUBJECT AREAS RECEIVED SATISFACTION RATES OF MORE THAN

90%

Colleagues will also remember that ten of the university’s subject areas received satisfaction rates of more than 90%, with three achieving a 100% satisfaction rate from their students.

We approached three lecturers for their views on what they felt they did that delivered this improved level of satisfaction from their students in the 2013 NSS.

“It’s important to encourage completion early in the cycle. We got to work as soon as the survey started—if you leave it till later, students are stressed out with dissertation deadlines and it’s the last thing they are going to consider.

“We found it was effective to book rooms during curriculum time, to enable the students to complete the survey, something we did for the first time this year.

We kept a register of students who had completed, enabling us to chase up those who hadn’t.”

Tim Barry heads up medical and sports sciences, and the sport and exercise science programme saw a 30% increase in student satisfaction this year:

Above: Alison Hampson

Above: Tim Barry

“Every member of the team took ownership of the NSS this year, and that’s really significant. Crucially, we used the penultimate year survey (PYS) as a planning tool and made sure we addressed the issues raised.

“We spoke to our students and explained the importance of the NSS and what the questions mean, always aware of the need to avoid influencing their answers.

“We also highlighted the pluses of being a student at the University of Cumbria. It’s vital to recognise that every student is important—regardless of their gripe, they need our time, sound advice and an answer— and all of the sports staff acknowledged this.

Alison Hampson is a principal lecturer for rehabilitation and social work, including occupational therapy and physiotherapy which achieved 100% student satisfaction. She identified the following points in her programme’s NSS promotion activities: “Communication, communication and communication!

“Not everyone understands the significance of the PYS and NSS, but once staff and students understand that it can really impact on our reputation —the reputation of where we work and where we graduate from—then we can work together more effectively to “want” to improve the scores.

“Students are our biggest allies—if we ask them, they will tell us how we can improve our scores.

The secret is in giving them the opportunity to tell us, and the PYS is one key opportunity to facilitate this process. Regular programme reviews using questions from the NSS provide another.

31

THREE SUBJECT AREAS RECEIVED SATISFACTION RATES OF

100%

“By taking the results of the PYS back to the group, open and honest discussion can take place, reviewing the results together, making a plan for improvement together, gaining a better understanding of the meaning behind the questions and clarifying processes and procedures (any plans made must be followed through.)

“Using NSS language is an advantage—some questions are very open, so it is valuable to try to use more of the language found in the NSS in our day-to day working.

“For example, tell students when you value their views, when feed-back is prompt and when you are advising on career choices.”

“Not everyone understands the significance of the PYS and NSS, but once staff and students understand that it can really impact on our reputation—the reputation of where we work and where we graduate from then we can work together more effectively to “want” to improve the scores.”

Above: Steve Longstaffe

And, as the perfect aide memoire, senior lecturer in English, Steve Longstaffe, and the English and creative writing team have produced seven ‘NSS proverbs’ which reflect their methods for achieving 100% student satisfaction: • • • •

• • •

Share your enthusiasm for your subject.

Believe your feedback can make a difference.

Build students’ confidence in your expertise as educators and managers of their learning.

Keep your door (and your inbox) open for students. Do what you can as quickly as you can when a student contacts you.

Keep it real, i.e., face to face.

Keep it personal, from assessment feedback to advice for the future.

Make sure students know the point of what they are doing—how it all fits together as a degree and for life after graduating.

The NSS campaign for 2014 gets under way in January, and with good advice such as this from Tim, Alison and Steve, let’s hope our final score next year will be the best yet.

Fourth-year QTS student drawing exhibition The fourth-year QTS art specialists are exhibiting their work in the Alexandra Gallery from 9 December until 10 January 2014. The exhibition showcases a collection of work produced in response to their drawing module, completed this semester.

The work represents a period of intense study where students have experimented with a wide variety of media and themes. Please feel to come along and view this wonderful exhibition.

Pension roadsho ws The Local Govern ment Pension Sc heme (LGPS) ch from 1 April 2014 anges from a final salar y scheme to a Career Average Revalued Earning s (C ARE) scheme .

To find out how the changes affe ct you, come alo one of the oneng to hour Your Pension Service roadshow with a chance af s, terwards to spea k to one of the pensions team.

There is no need to book and the sessions are runn ing at various lo cations througho the county from ut January throug h to March 2014 out more by vis . Find iting http ://lgps 2014.org/

tions Call for contribu

rching Higher minar on ‘Resea for a one- day se d ite search inv e Re ar al s Contribution itish Education inequalities’, Br ing at ndon on tig Lo , es ion inv : at uc Education , Institute of Ed SiG ion at uc is link.

Ed er please follow th Association, High er information, rth fu r Fo .

14 20 Thursday 21 May 0-word please send a 20 fits the bill then ch ar se re llection and co ur yo ta If you think s on issues of da cu fo a th wi , 31 ch resear .uk by Tuesday summary of your ore@ cumbria.ac .sh da lin at e or Sh ors, analysis, to Linda email the conven ase feel free to Ple .

14 bria.ac.uk for 20 y um ar @c nu m Ja d susan.bloxha an .uk .ac ria mb pete.boyd@ cu osal. ion of your prop informal discuss E) in Education (RIPL sional Learning es of Pr r fo te tu Research Insti

If you would like to con tribute to the next issue of Connect , please contact a member of the commu nications team: lynn.clark@ cumbria.a c.uk julie.ratcliffe@ cumbri a.ac.uk fiona.hughes@ cumbri a.ac.uk elizabeth.henzell @cum bria.ac.uk The copy deadline for the next issue of Connect is 14 February 2014.

Do you want to develop your skills as a researcher?

HEPP7004 Discipline Research and Scholarship as Academ ic Practice will be running from Januar y — May 2014.

This M-level module is stand-alone or can be part of the PgD /MA Academic Practice. The module provides a solid grounding in research approaches for those relatively new to research within their discipline .

For more information contact jill.graham @cumbria.a c.uk

Copyright Š 2013 University of Cumbria (UOC 119)

Fusehill Street Carlisle CA1 2HH

www.cumbria.ac.uk