Campus News
Malaysia Campus 15th Anniversary – this week’s highlights
July 17th, 2015
To celebrate our 15-year anniversary as the first UK university to establish an overseas campus in Malaysia, we’ve asked staff and students who’ve spent time there for their memories.
This week’s selection:
- “Emerging from jungle to a carbon copy of University Park felt quite surreal”, read the experiences of one of the first six UoN students to attend the new Semenyih campus in 2005.
- Buddhist temples, F1, cake and KL: a School of Pharmacy graduate picks his Malaysia highlights
- Dr Hung Woan Ting shares a memorable moment in celebration of#UNMC15
If you have a story to tell on your experiences at UNMC, please contact emma.lowry@nottingham.ac.uk, and you will be put into a prize draw for travel vouchers worth £200.
Follow the celebration campaign on Twitter #UNMC15
Tags: Dr Hung Woan Ting, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Malaysia 15th anniversary, Semenyih, UNMC, UNMC15
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250,000 University of Nottingham graduates
July 16th, 2015
The 250,000th graduate of The University of Nottingham will receive her degree on Friday 17 July, at a ceremony presided over by Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sir David Greenaway.
Victoria Rowley, 23 from Wickford in Essex, will be awarded a first class LLB Hons Law on the final day of this year’s summer graduation at the East Midlands Conference Centre, University Park. The total of 250,000 graduates dates back to the days of University College Nottingham, which was founded in 1881. It includes graduates from the University’s campuses in China & Malaysia as well as the UK.
#MeantToBe
Victoria chose to study at Nottingham because of its reputation, location and beautiful University Park campus. She said: “It was the perfect place for me and I’ve never looked back since the day I arrived”
“I loved the challenge of doing a Law degree and the course at Nottingham is fantastic. The teaching here is first-rate and the option of studying abroad made Nottingham a big draw for me.”
Victoria has been awarded a Distinction in American law in recognition of her performance whilst studying at the University of Connecticutand also participated in a Summer School at The University of Nottingham’s campus in Malaysia. Victoria is the first member of her family to go to University and was a recipient of the J C Smith Scholarship; an award that Victoria says was invaluable during her studies:
“It was particularly useful for my year abroad as it helped fund flights, travel and insurance. It also made a huge difference to me personally. In my second year I was undecided as to what direction I wanted to take, so I used some of the funds to travel to career events in London to help me explore my options and find the right route for me.”
After completing the Legal Practice Course, Victoria will start a trainee position at Freshfields International Law in February 2016.
Head of Alumni Relations, Malvika Johal, said: “Having studied on three continents, Victoria exemplifies the experience of students at Britain’s Global University. We are delighted to welcome her a as the 250,000th graduate of the University to our alumni community. With alumni representing the University of Nottingham in over 200 countries, our students are able to tap into a wealth of expertise and knowledge wherever they are in the world. Our alumni are an asset to the University and we are proud to have such a broad reaching and connected community.”
Our alumni in numbers
1950
University College Nottingham was granted a university charter in 1948. Two years later The University of Nottingham held its first graduation ceremony in the Albert Hall. This year graduation was hosted at the East Midlands Conference Centre although a number of similarities remain:
19 to 96
The oldest University of Nottingham alumnus is 96 years old and was born before the invention of household radio. Our youngest is 19 and was born after the invention of the DVD.
5
Top 5 alumni job titles:
1. Teacher
2. Director
3. Managing Director
4. Lecturer
5. Partner
150
More than 150 of our alumni studied at The University of Nottingham on more than three occasions
11
Nottingham alumni have won 11 Olympic medals between 1992 and 2012
260
If you were to lay each of our 250,000 graduates head to toe, they would stretch for 260 miles – enough to get you from Nottingham to Amsterdam, Antwerp or Jersey.
Tags: 250000, alumni, alumni community, alumni network, campaigns and alumni relations, CARO, graduates, graduation, students, University College Nottingham
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Introducing the Organisation Design Steering Group
July 15th, 2015
Project Transform will significantly change the way that student administration is structured and organised.
The new technology platform will affect a number of colleagues’ job roles. The Organisation Design Working Group will present a proposed structure and plan to support this change at the Project Transform Programme Board on Tuesday 21 July, outlining a new, institution-wide model for student administration.
However, this only covers activities and roles considered ‘in scope’ for Project Transform. There will be a significant amount of administrative work which remains in School, Faculties and Professional Services departments which will need to be reviewed, and potentially, re-organised as Project Transform is implemented.
UEB has tasked a steering group chaired by Prof Karen Cox to oversee the development of a set of principles for reviewing and potentially reorganising ‘out-of-scope’ work and roles. These principles will then guide the implementation of any changes to ensure:
a) Alignment with the new Project Transform organisation to enable the benefits from the change to be realised across the University
b) Alignment of systems and processes with Project Transform to ensure these are operationally effective
c) Clarity of structures, roles, responsibilities and accountabilities across Faculties, Schools and Departments
d) Enhanced career development and staff development opportunities
e) Opportunities for delivering efficiencies.
The steering group is developing a set of principles and proposals to be taken to UEB for final approval by the end of September 2015. Identified sub groups will then oversee the approved work and consult with colleagues as appropriate according to the recommendations being proposed.
Members are:
Professor Karen Cox Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Chair)
Professor Sarah O’Hara Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Academic Planning & Chair, Project Transform Organisation Design Working Group
Dr Paul Greatrix, Registrar
Andrew Unitt, Chief Financial Officer
Professor John Atherton, Faculty Pro-Vice-Chancellor Elect – Medicine & Health Sciences
Professor Andy Long, Faculty Pro-Vice-Chancellor – Engineering
Professor Kevin Shakesheff, Faculty Pro-Vice-Chancellor – Science
Jaspal Kaur, Director of Human Resources
Jonathan Lamley, School Manager – Health Sciences
Debra Booler, Faculty Manager – Arts
Adrian Simpson, Organisation Design Lead, Project Transform
Tags: Karen Cox, Organisation Design Working Group, Organistation Design Steering Group, Project Transform, structure, student experience, UEB, University Executive Board
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Tram passes – 15% discount for staff
July 15th, 2015
University staff can now purchase annual tram passes at a 15% discount.
The University has teamed up with NET – the tram operator – to offer University staff annual passes at the cost of £400, a saving of £75 off the full price, through salary deductions. By signing up, a monthly payment will be taken directly from your net salary for twelve months, giving you unlimited travel on the entire tram network – including the new lines to Toton and Clifton when they open this summer. The pass also allows you to park at the seven park and ride sites situated along the tram routes.
To take advantage of these prices, just complete the application form and return it to Pension & Benefits Services at King’s Meadow Campus. Sign up by 14 August in order to start your pass on 1 September. Applications will be accepted on a monthly basis; forms must be received by the 14th of the month for the travel pass to take effect from the start of the following month.
Yearly passes are also available to students for the cost of £225 – visit the NET website for a table of fares.
Is an annual tram pass suitable for my journeys?
- If you’d prefer to give the tram a try before you commit to the annual pass, then you may wish to use NET’s voucher for a discounted one month trial over the summer.
- If you travel by tram less frequently, a MANGO card may be more suitable as credit is pre-loaded onto the card to be used on a ‘pay as you go’ basis. Read more about using MANGO cards on the tram.
- If you travel by bus as well as by tram, then the Kangaroo pass may be more suitable. Read more about the multi-operator Kangaroo pass.
For further information on the NET scheme, plus details of similar schemes for purchasing train and bus passes (including the Kangaroo pass and Trent Barton’s MANGO card), visit our Discounted staff travel webpage.
Further information
The new tram line, serving Queen’s Medical Centre and University Park, is expected to launch in summer 2015. For more information, visit the NET website.
For information on how the tram will affect the University, visit our tram development webpage.
Tags: discount, NET, offer, QMC, staff, tram, transport, travel, University Park
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Professor Mike Slade joins the Institute of Mental Health as Chair in Recovery
July 10th, 2015
The School of Health Sciences at The University of Nottingham and The Institute of Mental Health are delighted to announce that Professor Mike Slade has been appointed as Professor of Mental Health Recovery and Social Inclusion.
The joint appointment between Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and The University of Nottingham will consolidate recovery as a leading aspect of mental health services and research activity in Nottingham.
Recovery is where people are supported in recognising their potential and developing the self-management skills needed to deal with the mental health challenges they experience, so they can achieve the things they want to in life.
Mental health systems are being transformed locally, nationally and internationally in order to focus on recovery. Nottingham has been at the forefront of this transformation, by leading new approaches such as Recovery Colleges within the Trust and playing a lead role in the national Implementing Recovery through Organisational Change (ImROC) Programme.
Professor Slade has pioneered research in recovery. He is currently Professor of Health Services Research at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience at King’s College London, and is a Consultant Clinical Psychologist in South London. His research includes recovery and outcome focused mental health services and service user involvement, which has been highly influential. He has also made a key contribution to research on needs assessments and residential alternatives to inpatient services, and developing measures. He has written over 250 academic articles and nine books and his free booklets include Making Recovery a Reality (2008), 100 Ways to Support Recovery (2013) and REFOCUS: Promoting recovery in community mental health services (2014) and are all downloadable at researchintorecovery.com
Professor Slade commented on his appointment: “I am delighted to have been appointed to a position that I am so passionate about and can’t wait to get started. I value inter-disciplinary scientific research, so I look forward to connecting with academic colleagues from across the University and I hope to develop positive and mutually-beneficial working relationships with clinicians and managers, service users, carers, and the broader community beyond the traditional limits of the mental health system. I believe that drawing on the expertise of people spanning a range of perspectives is the foundation of innovation – ‘If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together’.
“I have happy memories of living in the Midlands in my first decade after leaving home so I hope to settle in to Nottingham life with my wife and daughters very soon!”
Important questions are emerging, such as ‘How can people be supported to live a life ‘beyond’ illness?’ and ‘How can the mental health system promote hopefulness and resilience in people using services, and in their carers?’ These are questions which innovative and methodologically robust scientific research can address and will be a priority for Professor Slade once he starts in October 2015.
Professor Patrick Callaghan, Head of the School of Health Sciences said: “The school is delighted that Mike is coming to Nottingham. He will add to a burgeoning portfolio of research and service development and will make Nottingham the prime European centre for recovery and social inclusion research”. Professor Martin Orrell, Director of the Institute of Mental Health added: “We are very lucky to have Mike joining us and I’m confident that with his clinical and academic knowledge and expertise, he will drive forward the recovery agenda within Nottingham and beyond. He will harness our existing strengths to develop a centre of excellence in recovery research and will develop and guide an evidence base that can be embedded into clinical practice. We very much look forward to welcoming him to the Institute.”
The Institute works closely with the Centre for Mental Health in London, a national mental health charity that acts as a bridge between the worlds of research, policy and service provision.
Professor Sean Duggan, Chief Executive of the Centre for Mental Health said: “Our work to support mental health services to become more recovery-oriented has been informed by Mike Slade’s ground-breaking research. The Implementing Recovery through Organisational Change programme has helped services across the UK and beyond to change the way they work and focus on supporting each person on their own recovery journey. We look forward to working with the Institute in the future to keep pushing the boundaries of what is thought possible and what can be achieved in practice.”
The Institute also supports the work of mental health charity, MQ: Transforming Mental Health and Cynthia Joyce, Chief Executive commented: “’Congratulations to Professor Slade and the Institute of Mental Health on this exciting development. The Institute is a leading light in the development of interdisciplinary, outcomes-focused research, and this appointment further enhances their innovative approach.’
The academic priority of the post will be to lead a programme of research with a demonstrable impact on individual wellbeing and quality of care of people accessing mental health services. The clinical priority will be to develop the evidence base for a recovery agenda which is integrated across physical and mental health services within the Trust.
The Institute of Mental Health and The University of Nottingham are dedicated to applied mental health research that makes a difference to people’s lives.
Tags: Centre for Mental Health, Institute of Mental Health, mental health, Mike Slade, MQ: Transforming Mental Health, Patrick Callaghan, recovery, School of Health Sciences, staff
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Stonewall Leadership Programme 2015
July 10th, 2015
Stonewall (the professional lobbying group for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people) have announced that they are accepting applications to their flagship leadership programme 2015.
This is an intensive and inspirational two-day residential for highly motivated and talented lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans professionals, taking place Wednesday 25 to Friday 27 November at Fanhams Hall, Hertfordshire. Application for places is a highly competitive, and as a Stonewall Diversity Champion, the University will support any individual making an application.
Professional Development will pay the programme fee (£1,255 +VAT), and travel costs of successful individuals. Stonewall need to receive applications by Friday 18 September. For help with writing your application, or more information please contact Katharine Carter in Professional Development or visit the Stonewall website.
Tags: leadership, LGBT, Professional Development, programme, Stonewall, training
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Malaysia Campus 15th anniversary weekly highlights
July 9th, 2015
This week’s highlights of The University of Nottingham in Malaysia 15th anniversary campaign are:
- A first-hand account of life in Malaysia by Emeritus Professor Brian Clayton, who was CEO and Vice President when the original campus was in Kuala Lumpur
- Provost Christine Ennew is hosting a Tweet Me Campaign from 6-12 July
- Alumnus Lee Wai shares a memorable moment in celebration of #UNMC15
If you have a story to tell on your experiences at UNMC, please contact emma.lowry@nottingham.ac.uk, and you will be put into a prize draw for travel vouchers worth £200.
Tags: anniversary, campus, celebration, event, global, international, Malaysia, Malaysia Campus, UNMC
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School of Health Sciences scoops Workplace Health Award
July 8th, 2015
The University of Nottingham’s School of Health Sciences has won the Bronze Award for Workplace Health, as part of the Nottinghamshire Wellbeing at Work: Workplace Health Award Scheme.
The scheme aims to recognise organisations that engage staff with wellbeing in the workplace. The School of Health Sciences was assessed by a team of senior public health specialists for the award, and is not only the first school at the University to win, but in fact the first organisation in the county to complete the assessment process and be recognised.
Valuing staff
Dr Holly Blake, Associate Professor of Behavioural Science in the School of Health Sciences, said: “The University of Nottingham recognises that staff are its most valuable asset; and in the School of Health Sciences we have ensured that promoting staff health and wellbeing is clearly in our strategy going forward.
“This assessment process demonstrates that we are acting in line with regional and national guidance for workplace health, and we are truly delighted to receive this Bronze Award in recognition of our efforts.”
Wellbeing at work
The School of Health Sciences was the first school at the University to have a dedicated work, health and wellbeing programme for staff, initiated in 2012. The school has introduced a number of measures for the wellbeing of staff, including structured sessions supporting physical and mental health and wellbeing, online educational packages, bespoke training sessions on change management, staff coaching, toolkits to help line managers identify and manage stress within teams and regular networking activities to bring colleagues together. The school have a dedicated website clearly laying out information and support concerning health and wellbeing for staff.
Staff have also benefited from optional general health checks undertaken by a nurse (including fitness testing, body mass index, resting heart rate, blood pressure and waist-to-hip-ratio), musculoskeletal advice sessions, relaxation and mindfulness sessions and smoking cessation advice. Physical activities ranging from Tai Chi and yoga to football, Nordic walking, and boxercise have been made available to help staff relax, socialise and stay healthy.
For more information about wellbeing in the School of Health Sciences, visit the Work, Health and Wellbeing website.
Tags: award, health, Holly Blake, Nottinghamshire Wellbeing at Work, School of Health Sciences, staff, support, wellbeing, workplace
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Recruiting Business Readiness Managers
July 6th, 2015
New roles designed to encourage and enhance collaboration between Project Transform and the broader University are now available to current staff as a secondment opportunity.
These fixed-term Business Readiness Manager (BRM) roles will support the successful implementation of the project within Schools, Departments and Professional Services. Project Transform is completely overhauling the student records system, touching on every system a student uses —from the point they apply to the University, to the relationship they have with us as alumni. This will have a huge impact on the way schools and departments interact with students at all points of their degree. The BRMs will be the cascade point between the project and the rest of the University during the transformation to ensure it runs as smoothly as possible.
We’re looking for people with excellent interpersonal and organisational skills, and experience of working in a changing environment. Do you think you have what it takes? Have a look at the job ad and role profile here. Informal enquiries should be directed to Sarah Hyde.
Tags: apply, job, position, Project Transform, role, secondment, student experience
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Car park closure on Derby Road
July 3rd, 2015
The two staff car park areas adjacent the former Mansell’s and Sherwood Trucks offices on Derby Road (by the Rose & Crown pub) will close on Sunday 12 July.
This is to allow for the demolition of the buildings, which will commence on Monday 13 July and be completed by the end of September. The demolition works form an initial phase in the development of the Advanced Manufacturing Building, which will connect Jubilee Campus and Derby Road.
Staff are advised to revert to existing parking at University Park, Jubilee Campus and the Medical School, QMC. Arrangements will be made to ensure that Scouts can still access their Hut.
For more information about works affecting the University, please visit our website.
Tags: car park, parking, transport, travel, works
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