Spring 2014 - University of Cumbria

CONNECT
Spring 2014
Performing arts
students stage a
production in the gym!
Also:
University researchers win grant to help
protect snow leopard population
Journalism student launches new Campus
magazine
University’s Enterprise Week wins accolade
STAFF
04 Homecoming for university’s new chaplaincy coordinator
05 University lecturer brings in The Trolls
06Top award for Diane
07
Help for Headway
07
A cake sale with a difference
08University public lecture addresses the language of religion
09Invitation to attend Harvard leadership programme
10
Staff profile—Kath Leigh
12The cost of child poverty discussed at university public lecture
13
Staff appointments
14Congratulations!
STUDENTS
15
Amy-Elise’s delight at prize
16Journalism student launches new Campus magazine
17
You’ll never guess what!
18
Students work with music stars at major regional event
20The tale of the war nurse, an australian soldier, a
Carlisle school—and the university students
21
Kindle readers get the drift
22
Student is a winner in RSPB Scotland photo competition
24Nursing students fundraise to travel to the Philippines
UNIVERSITY
25
Calva bar charity party
26
University consults on new student accommodation at Ambleside
27
Specialist community public health nursing
28
Dean of Westminster gives university chaplaincy lecture
28University pledges support for the armed forces, veterans and
their families
29Local economic summit in Lancaster focuses on community issues
30 University’s enterprise week wins accolade
31
University helps shape learning in India
32
University programme supports company growth
33
New dementia education curriculum launched
34Reflecting on the achievement of the Change Delivery Board
over the past year
research
CONTENTS/SPRING 2014 ISSUE
35
Nevada Museum of Art names research fellows
36 Contemporary art project showcased in exhibition at Rheged
37Faculty of Health and Science joins the Lancashire and
Cumbria clinical research hub
38University researchers win grant to help protect snow
leopard population
40 Academic’s drawings acquired by the Henry Moore Institute
41
The health benefits of Scottish country dancing
42Graduate School research support and staff development
programme 2013-14
43
Research round-up
44Noticeboard
7
18
26
36
If you would like to contribute to the
next issue of Connect, please contact a
member of the communications team:
lynn.clark@cumbria.ac.uk julie.ratcliffe@cumbria.ac.uk
fiona.hughes@cumbria.ac.uk elizabeth.henzell@cumbria.ac.uk
The copy deadline for the next
issue of Connect is 16 May 2014.
3
FOREWORD
In this term’s staff forum content, I referred to the university’s
long term goal of achieving research degree awarding
powers or RDAP. This four-letter acronym is one we’ll be
hearing a lot of in the next months and years and it’s
important we all understand and engage with the process
required to allow us to award our own research degrees.
The University of Cumbria already has taught degree awarding
powers or TDAP, and of course, the full university title and
accompanying status. However, we still rely on the University of
Lancaster to award our doctorates and other research degrees,
and this is the final area of provision that we need to address
in order to become fully independent. Achieving RDAP would
give us greater academic freedom in deciding the types of
research degrees we can award such as the ‘Cumbria PhD’—
and consequently in establishing ourselves definitively as a
fully-fledged contender within the higher education sector.
In no way is the route to achieving RDAP a straightforward
one. For example, we need to build academic staff
capacity and capability for research, improve the research
environment, and greatly increase research student
numbers in order to successfully apply for the status.
All members of academic staff were invited to complete the
annual RDAP survey in February, covering their work in 2013.
An important distinction to note here is that the RDAP survey is a
much broader exploration of our research activity than the more
familiar research exercise framework (REF which we undertook last year.
The REF gave us a clear idea of current research strengths and
weaknesses, and a good understanding on which to base planning
for RDAP by identifying six disciplines and 29 research active members
of staff that met its very specific and selective requirements.
The RDAP survey, however, values all types of research and
advanced scholarship, and even though staff do not have
measurable outcomes to report in all sections, their input is
still crucial to give a definitive picture of the scope and extent
of programmes of research undertaken at the university.
Not only will it provide proof of the excellent research being
undertaken at the University of Cumbria, such data collection will
drive our strategy in collaboration with departments, research
centres, institutes and research hubs, leading to additional
support, guidance and resources which long term will help
academic staff to develop their research and scholarship.
Writing this at the beginning of March, 82 per cent* of
possible completed surveys had been returned by researchactive staff. I cannot emphasise strongly enough the
importance of this exercise as the first stage of the process of
achieving RDAP – we must aim for a 100 per cent response
to this and to all future requests for engagement if we are
to have a chance at attaining this vital strategic goal.
On the subject of strategic goals it has been pleasing to witness
the numerous successes overseen by the Change Delivery Board
over the past few months. The data centre project has been a
huge achievement— on time and under budget, and one that
has really made a difference to both staff and students.
We are now occupying refurbished buildings on the
Ambleside campus and the site is recovering a vibrancy
generated by an increasing cohort of students.
Phase 1 of the Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
system has helped increase student applications, with the
resulting statistics available through CORE on StaffNet. The
Agresso system upgrade has been successfully implemented
while the procurement project is delivering substantial savings.
Good progress is also being made on ongoing developments such
as academic scheduling, video-enhanced teaching, and project
working and reporting, while the Lancaster estates consolidation
programme is heading towards project implementation
stage, and the academic transformation and student journey
programmes are both close to business case completion.
Change is never easy, but with a positive attitude and the
right people in place it can be secured. It goes without
saying that these achievements could only have come
about as a result of the hard work and commitment of
everyone involved – my thanks go to you all for tackling
this complex and crucial work with such effectiveness.
*update
Professor Peter Strike
Vice Chancellor
as of 19
March 94%
returned
4
Our
Staff
get
invo lved
Tell us about your
achievements ...
Reverend Alexandra Logan
Homecoming for
university’s new
chaplaincy coordinator
The university has welcomed a new chaplaincy coordinator
who describes her appointment as a ‘real homecoming’.
Preston, and for the past seven years she
was a parish priest at St James the Less
Bethnal Green, in the Diocese of London.
The Reverend Alexandra (Alex) Logan
originally trained as a youth and community
worker at St Martin’s College in Lancaster,
now the Lancaster campus, which is where
she is based.
She said: “I am delighted to be returning
to the university where I was a student for
a year, and to the Diocese of Blackburn
where I was a curate. For me this is a real
homecoming.”
Alex, who took up her role on 6 January,
will oversee chaplaincy work across all
university sites, but she will have particular
responsibility for the Lancaster campus.
She will work closely with the Reverend
Matthew Firth, chaplain to the Carlisle
campuses, as well as the university’s
honorary chaplains and lay workers.
A licensing ceremony, conducted by the
Bishop of Blackburn, the Right Reverend
Julian Henderson, was held on Friday 17
January at St Martin’s Chapel.
Alex has been in ordained ministry for 11
years and undertook her ministry training at
Ridley Hall in Cambridge.
She has previously worked as a curate at
St Mary’s Church in Penwortham, near
Alex added: “I look forward to working
with the staff and students and supporting
them in their work and studies.”
Neil Harris, the university’s Registrar
and Secretary, said: “We are delighted
to welcome Alex to the university and
look forward to working with her and
her colleagues in the chaplaincy team. “The chaplaincy is an important part of
the life of the university and I am sure
Alex will develop and strengthen further
its support for students and staff.”
5
University lecturer
brings in the trolls
Jim Eldridge
Lecturer Jim Eldridge has launched
the first in his latest series of
children’s books. Big Rock and
the Masked Avenger is the first
in his new Wrestling Trolls series
and follows on the heels of his
highly successful Disgusting Dave
children’s books.
The main character, Big Rock, is a wrestling troll,
a massive lump of mobile rock on legs with a
gentle sweet soul inside his rough exterior. It
also features his trainer and manager, streetwise,
cheerful 13-year old Milo, and 10-year old
fragile orphan Jack … a boy with a Big Troll
Secret. The fourth member of this ‘family’ is
Robin, the laconic talking horse that pulls their
caravan from wrestling bout to wrestling bout.
Jim has already had 90 books published
which have sold over three million copies,
as well as over 250 TV and 250 radio scripts
broadcast in the UK and across the world.
Jim says: “I hope kids of all ages will love
Wrestling Trolls. I also hope it helps my
creative students, both present and past, to
believe that they—as well as me — CAN get
their ideas and creations out there for the
public. If Jim can do it, they can do it!”
He left school at 16 and did a variety of jobs,
before training as a teacher. He taught during
the 1970s in disadvantaged areas of Luton,
before becoming a full time writer in 1978. He is
now also an associate lecturer with the film and
TV production department at the university.
The second book in the series, Wrestling
Trolls Match 2: Hunk and Thud, will
be published later this year.
For further information, visit his website
www.jimeldridge.com
6
Top award for Diane
Professor Diane Cox
Professor Diane Cox has been awarded a
Fellowship of the College of Occupational
Therapists (FCOT) – the highest honour that the
college can bestow on its professional members.
Diane, who took up her new role as
Director of Research and Head of the
Graduate School at the beginning of
the year, said she was ‘delighted’
to receive this honour.
“This has added
to an already
exciting year
following my new
appointment within
the university.”
She commented: “I am shocked,
delighted and overwhelmed
to be made a FCOT; as the
application and nomination
process is confidential I had no
idea I had been nominated. My initial
reaction was “Wow!” This has added
to an already exciting year following
my new appointment within the university.”
Diane was awarded the fellowship as a
result of her outstanding contribution to
occupational therapy since gaining her
professional qualification in 1983.
She has a strong and growing personal research
profile, and has contributed extensively to research
within her specialist field of chronic fatigue and
long-term conditions through collaborations
with universities, the NHS and the social sector.
As chair of the editorial board of the British
Journal of Occupational Therapy, and member
of the Health Technology Agency (HTA) Mental,
Psychological and Occupational Health Panel,
Diane is very active in a number of external
organisations and is one of only a handful of
professors of occupational therapy in the UK.
Diane will be presented with her fellowship
award in June at the college’s annual
conference in Brighton and, in addition, she will
be added to the list on the Fellowship board
at the college’s headquarters in London.
As Director of Research and Head of the
Graduate School within the university, Diane
is responsible for coordinating the strategic
development of research and scholarship, and
managing the administration and quality of the
postgraduate research student experience.
7
Help for Headway
Staff at Fusehill Street campus are accustomed to seeing the
members of the Headway North Cumbria group arriving for
their meeting, held each week in the Blencathra building.
The group offers help and support
to people affected by brain injury
and around 25 members and six
volunteers meet at the university
every Monday afternoon to enjoy
various activities including baking,
crafts and games – all designed
to help brain injury survivors
learn new skills, regain lost ones
and reintegrate into society.
Headway group
members ‘Gazza’
Reardon (left) and
Simon Murray brush
up their cooking skills
Headway supports people
with all forms of acquired
brain injuries (brain
injury which has
“We really appreciate
occurred since
this kind donation from
birth) including
staff at the university.
those resulting
The money will be
from tumours,
used to support a
stroke and brain
range of activities, from
haemorrhage
as well as
memory improvement
those
caused by
to practical life skills”
a trauma to the
a cake
sale with a
difference
Proving how generous
our colleagues are, Kate
Bowskill, APL officer
with External Relations,
organised an unusual
cake sale at the Lancaster
campus in December.
Kate invited people to make
a donation, or alternatively
they could exchange a toy for
some cake, with the stipulation
that the toy, which could be
suitable for babies, children or
teenagers up to the age of 16,
had to be new and boxed or
tagged. As a result, toys worth
£160 were delivered to the Big
Storage (Lancaster) Toy Appeal.
The toys were distributed to
disadvantaged children in the
local area, via the Children and
Parent Service, to bring some
smiles for Christmas Day.
head such as road traffic accidents,
assaults, falls and accidents.
For the second year running, staff
at Fusehill Street were encouraged
to give a donation to this charity
instead of exchanging Christmas
cards. This year, staff at Brampton
Road also joined in to achieve a
grand total of £62.10 for this very
worthy cause. The money has now
been handed over to the charity to
help continue its excellent work.
Jean Wight, vice chair of
the North Cumbria group,
expressed her thanks, saying:
“We really appreciate this kind
donation from staff at the university.
The money will be used to support
a range of activities, from memory
improvement to practical life
skills, based on the needs of the
individuals attending the group.”
Kate’s three year old had great fun helping her
choose this marvellous collection of toys!
8
University public lecture addresses
the language of religion
Religious belief has always been a matter for debate,
but perhaps never more so than now. Diversity of beliefs
has never been more apparent, repudiation of all
religion never more widely publicised.
This topical issue was addressed in the second of a series of public lectures,
all presented by academic staff renowned in their specialist areas.
The lecture was held at the Lancaster campus on 9 December and relayed
live to the Fusehill Street campus.
In his presentation, Emeritus Professor Brian Gates posed the question:
What’s the difference between Father Christmas and God? Religious
language in the thinking of children and adults—a challenge for any
university.
Professor Brian Gates
“No religious institution
is exempt from critical,
even sceptical scrutiny.
They’re too important to
be ignored as irrelevances
from yesteryear; we should
take time to check what
they’ve been talking about”
Professor Gates explained:
“No religious institution is exempt from critical, even sceptical scrutiny.
They’re too important to be ignored as irrelevances from yesteryear; we
should take time to check what they’ve been talking about.
“Such beliefs and sentiments are at the heart of society, in the oaths that
are sworn in courts of law and in the celebration rituals of birthing, mating
and dying. From these, as from stories of Guy Fawkes and Father Christmas,
children pick up religious language whether taught it directly or not.”
Drawing on his research with 6–16 year olds and their adult selves, from
a range of very different backgrounds of religious belief and unbelief,
Professor Gates gave examples—both amusing and serious—of the depth
and superficiality of understanding.
He asked whether universities, like schools, academies and colleges, have
any responsibility to their students and staff to be deliberately and explicitly
attentive to the grounds for beliefs and for the making of moral judgements.
9
invitation to
attend Harvard
leadership
programme
Jem Bendell
The director of the Institute for Leadership and
Sustainability (IFLAS) has been selected to join a
group of world leaders in business and politics
to study the latest leadership approaches at
Harvard University.
Professor Jem Bendell, named a ‘Young
Global Leader’ by the World Economic
Forum, will attend the Global Leadership
and Public Policy for the 21st Century
programme in Cambridge, USA in March.
Young Global Leaders are chosen by the forum
for having demonstrated leadership for the
common good on a global stage, and include
people such as Kumi Naidoo (Greenpeace
CEO), Hannah Jones (Head of Sustainability
at Nike), and Chuka Umunna MP. The Forum
of Young Global Leaders met in Davos,
Switzerland, ahead of the Davos Summit.
Professor Bendell is the first academic from the
UK to be accepted onto the programme and says:
“Harvard provides elite
education to some of the
world’s most influential people,
in a class-based setting.”
“I am delighted to be accepted on to this
Harvard programme, which gives me the
chance to experience the latest approaches
to leadership education, and also to share
our own approaches in the Lake District.
“Harvard provides elite education to some
of the world’s most influential people, in
a class-based setting. In Cumbria we have
a tradition of experiential learning, and a
liking for taking our executive students into
nature and to local heritage sites, to stimulate
their reflection. I think in future we will see
more combinations of such approaches.”
Through a partnership between the Harvard
Kennedy School, the Center for Public
Leadership and the World Economic Forum,
the programme has been developed to expand
and enhance the leadership skills of Young
Global Leaders, necessary to address the
world’s most serious problems. The curriculum
considers critical global policy areas such
as education, environment, global health,
international development, and security, and is
provided free of charge due to sponsorship.
As the world’s first professor of sustainability
leadership, Dr Bendell recognises the need to
blend insights from leadership development
and the challenge of sustainable development.
“Ultimately we need to better understand how
to lead across borders, for the greater good,
not only for our organisation,” he explains.
10
STAFF PROFILE/Kath Leigh
What do you like to do
in your spare time?
A lot of my spare time is taken up
with church activities—in particular
I am involved in a recovery group,
‘Celebrate Recovery’, working with
people who are struggling with hurts,
habits and hang-ups. Seeing people’s
lives transformed is very inspiring.
I also like to watch football (Manchester
United in particular), read, go walking
and meet up with family and friends,
usually with food involved.
Your job title, how did you end
up at the University of Cumbria
and when did you start?
I started at St Martin’s College in
1998 as PA to the Head of Education
and then moved on to be Faculty
Senior Administrator before becoming
Committee Services Officer in 2004.
When the University of Cumbria was
formed I was made Head of Secretariat
and then following the major restructure
in 2010 became Strategic Governance
and Compliance Manager in the VCO.
Describe your job.
In my role I oversee a number of
very dedicated staff in the VCO
who support the following areas—
legal services, committee services,
records management and the
executive assistants to the senior
management team. One of the
other main functions of my role is
to look after the University Board.
What brightens your day at work?
My
colleagues—
especially
when they
bring cake!
Over the last three years I have also
been on a variety of voluntary trips
abroad working in organisations that
my church sponsors. This has taken me
to Mamallapuram in India to help out
in an orphanage and take food to an
‘untouchable’ village tribe; to Lisbon to
work at a food/clothes bank and most
recently to Kibogora in Rwanda to help out
in a hospital community and palliative care
initiative. I have seen some very harrowing
sights on these trips but also some very
enriching community spirit – people who
have very little being willing to share what
little they have with others who are in
worse need. I have found these to be very
humbling but rewarding experiences.
Name your ideal dinner
party guest and why
Nelson Mandela to discover the
process that led to his life-changing
transformation from terrorist to
peacemaker, how he learned to exercise
forgiveness and go on to live life with
intention higher than his own needs.
Name your
favourite
book and
why
Jane Eyre – I
first read this
at primary
school and
every time
I read it I
discover
something
new, so it’s an old favourite!
Name your favourite film and why
I don‘t really have one favourite – I tend
to go for anything that is either feel-good
or a parody on life. However, I do like
Dirty Dancing – for the music obviously!
And finally, your favourite or dream
holiday destination and why!
I have recently been to Austria and was
very impressed with its beauty, the range
of things to do and the fast changing
perspectives to the surrounding scenery.
11
As Kath mentioned, during
her free time she has worked
as a volunteer in Lisbon, India,
and Africa. Photographs
reflecting some of her
experiences are shown right
(Mamallapuram, India) and
below (Kibogoro, Rwanda).
Above: The children
from Sinai Orphanage in
Mamallapuram
Inset: Two orphaned
boys from Mamallapuram
Above: Giving out bags of rice to the untouchable village tribe. Below:
Occupational therapy session with children and parents on the paediatric ward
Above: Rosie the goat—that we bought for the
orphan girl, Agnes, pictured here with the social
worker. Below: Marcelene—a burns patient who we
visited during her recovery as she had no family
12
The cost of child poverty
discussed at University
public lecture
Child poverty levels in the UK accelerated in the
period 1979-1997 from one in every ten children
to one in three. Despite the Child Poverty Act,
2010, which enshrined in law a commitment to
end child poverty by 2020, the harsh reality is
that, as inequalities rise, child poverty levels in
the UK are expected to increase, not decrease. Emeritus Professor
Margaret Ledwith
Professor Ledwith explains:
“Community development, my area of work,
is a practice committed to social justice and
environmental sustainability, yet we find ourselves
in political times that face us with crises of both.
Most people think the distribution of
wealth in the UK is far more equal
than it actually is. In fact, for over 30
years the gap between rich and poor
has widened alarmingly, and shows
no sign of easing. Within these unacceptable levels
of inequality, children are the
highest group at risk of poverty. Community development,
action research and human
flourishing: The cost of
poor children was the
third in a series of public
lectures at the university.
Tuesday 26 February saw
Emeritus Professor Margaret
Ledwith discuss why little
has been effective in reducing
this high risk to children, as well as
the high cost to society as a whole.
“My talk focuses
on child poverty
as a serious social
justice concern
within the context of
our political times.”
“My talk focused on child poverty as a
serious social justice concern within the
context of our political times. I drew critical
connections suggesting that child poverty
is a choice rather than a necessity.
“These ideas are relevant to those with a general
interest in child poverty or anyone involved in a
practice that claims a social justice commitment,
from teaching to health promotion to social work. “My intention was to offer a critical focus that
cuts through the pathological blaming of victims
of structural disadvantage, so prevalent in
today’s society, to present altered perceptions
and, therefore, alternative choices.”
Professor Ledwith’s ideas on this subject are
contained in her latest book, Community
Development Theory in Action, to be
published by Policy Press in 2014
The next public lecture takes place on Friday
9 May. Professor of Sustainable Engineering,
Xiongwei Liu will discuss ‘Building and Community
Microgrid Development’.
More information and booking details can be
found at www.cumbria.ac.uk/publiclectures
STAFF APPOINTMENTS
13
(between 14 November 2013
and 14 February 2014)
A warm welcome to all
new members of staff,
whether transferring
from other areas of the
university or brand new
to the organisation.
External RelationssTARTED
Lucy Gager, international officer
Emma Barritt, strategic marketing manager
Claire Hayman, CRM data administrator
Gillian Haigh, director of marketing and recruitment
1/20/2014
11/18/2013
1/6/2014
1/6/2014
Estates and Facilities Management
Dawne Clark, general assistant (domestic services)
Andrew Senejko, maintenance assistant
Stephen Walshaw, electrician
11/27/2013
1/6/2014
1/20/2014
Faculty of Education, Arts and Business
Barbara Manning, senior lecturer
Sandy Ryder, senior lecturer
Caroline Adams, senior project officer
Pinaki Chakrabarti, senior lecturer in education
Peter Davies, senior project officer business adviser
Chelle Davison, head of department—undergraduate programmes
Vanessa Gloginja, senior lecturer in education
Elizabeth Heyworth, lecturer in marketing
Emma Kerr, retail consortium web developer (KTP)
Barry Lees, lecturer in policing
Dr Jackie Moses, director of the Institute of Education
John Pearson, lecturer in technical theatre
Dr Katie Willocks, lecturer in HR and OB
1/6/2014
1/1/2014
2/3/2014
1/1/2014
1/1/2014
1/13/2014
1/1/2014
1/1/2014
1/13/2014
1/6/2014
2/1/2014
1/1/2014
1/1/2014
Faculty of Health & science
Craig Betton, senior lecturer emergency and urgent care
Stephen Walker, lecturer in social work
Dr Diane Fotheringham, head of department—
nursing and midwifery
Anthony Murray, senior lecturer in medical physics
Dr Rhona O’Brien, lecturer working with children and families
Dr Sheila Pankhurst, deputy dean
Rosalind Sanders, senior lecturer
12/2/2013
1/1/2014
1/20/2014
11/18/2013
1/6/2014
1/27/2014
1/6/2014
Finance and Planning
Alice Davies, payroll manager
1/16/2014
Human Resources Service
Zoe Hinchliffe, HR assistant
Emma Smith, assistant HR business partner
12/9/2013
1/2/2014
Library and Student Services
Amy Maslivec, LISS steward (Sunday steward)
Matthew Budd, campus assistant
Claire Dempsey, campus assistant
Alison Fishwick, campus assistant
Cecilia Hart, EDI manager
Hannah Hillen, LiSS steward
Andrew Medder, campus assistant
Jennifer O’Keefe, learning enhancement adviser
Daniel Prescott, student money advice manager
Vicky Simpson, LiSS steward
Becca Weir, general assistant
Kate Wenham, support assistant (infrastructure and policy)
1/12/2014
1/31/2014
12/4/2013
12/16/2013
12/18/2013
1/6/2014
12/30/2013
1/13/2014
1/6/2014
11/25/2013
12/2/2013
1/6/2014
SAMIS
Antony Bajgar, SITS manager
Joshua Bancroft, administration assistant CIP
Phil Hughes, administrative assistant (CIP)
12/3/2013
1/13/2014
1/13/2014
14
CONGRATULATIONS!
Fergus Tristan Colbear
6 December 2013
Olivia Colbear (External Relations)
and husband Trevor welcomed Fergus
Tristan who was born on 6 December
2013, weighing 7lbs 12oz.
Nathaniel Fischer
10 December 2013
Amy Fischer (External Relations) and
husband Karl’s baby boy Nathaniel
arrived on 10 December 2013.
15
Our
Students
get
invo lved
Tell us about
your students’
achievements ...
Amy-Elise’s Delight at prize
Third-year BA (Hons) Photography
student Amy-Elise Trantum was
awarded the Ede & Ravenscroft
prize for ‘Highest Achieving Student
in the Faculty of Education, Arts &
Business’. The cheque for £500
was presented at Brampton Road
by Executive Dean Professor Robert
Hannaford in February.
Highest
Achieving Student
in the Faculty
of Education,
Arts &
Business
Photography programme leader Mike England
said: “The whole photography team would
like to congratulate Amy on her success. At
the presentation she spoke to the dean very
positively about the course, and how it had
opened up many opportunities. Amy is a shining
example of what we expect from our students,
demonstrating a high academic standard in both
her photography and in her research. Before
coming to us Amy received offers from other top
art schools, but chose us after a very positive
interview experience. We are delighted to have
such a dedicated student on the course.”
16
Journalism student launches
new Campus magazine
A journalism student who started a magazine and website showcasing student
talent has been awarded an UnLtd social enterprise grant to further his idea.
Jack Stride
“Campus
is a way of
celebrating
the talent at
University of
Cumbria.”
Social entrepreneur Jack Stride,
from Sutton Coldfield, was awarded
just under £3000 after successfully
applying for a ‘Do It’ Award to
fund Campus, a project he came up
with in his final year of studies.
“Campus is a way of celebrating the
talent at the University of Cumbria,”
says Jack, 20. “It gives exposure to
the exciting and inspirational work
done by past and present students and
promotes them to future employers.”
Stories for the magazine and website
are sourced and written by a team of
journalism students and will form an
impressive portfolio for those involved.
“Tony Randall, programme leader for
journalism, was really keen on the
idea from the start,” Jack says. “We
all use skills and techniques we have
learnt from our time at university
and the magazine is the perfect
place to see our work in practice.”
Campus is a social enterprise which
will support graduates who develop
enterprising and entrepreneurial skills
by showcasing their achievements
and will assist in raising their profile to
help with future graduate employment
prospects. Income generated will be
reinvested back into the business to
support the long term sustainability.
The award money will cover the printing
costs of three editions of Campus and
after that Jack hopes the magazine
will sustain itself as he’s keen to create
a Campus legacy and pass it down
to future journalism students.
Jack first heard about social enterprise
support from lecturer Michael Mitchell.
He then contacted student enterprise
coordinator Sylvia Grainger. “Without
the help of Sylvia I never would have
won the funding for Campus. She
really believed in the project and
helped me every step of the way.”
The funding and support is a partnership
between the university and UnLtd
and provides real help and support to
students, staff and graduates who are
looking to set up social enterprises.
17
You’ll never guess what!
What’s this… the gym at Fusehill Street closed on a Friday
lunchtime? Regular gym-goers and fitness-freaks all standing round
watching three students behaving very strangely? Don’t worry, it
was all pre-arranged and the gym was soon back to normal.
Third-year performing arts
students were at the heart
of the short closure,
staging a production
in the gym as part of
a module assessment.
The short drama, You’ll
never guess what, was
written, produced and
performed by three students
Amy Ibberson, Charlotte
Malley and Emily Southall.
“We thought it would
be good to stage
our performance at
Fusehill Street, to join
up the two campuses
in Carlisle.”
Amy explained: “The module explores staging
performances in different venues. Because
we spend most of our time at the Brampton
Road campus, we thought it would be good
to stage our performance at Fusehill Street, to
join up the two campuses in Carlisle.” Their
play focused on stereotypical characters from
everyday life, and how they might behave in
a gym situation. In the picture Charlotte (left)
and Amy are portraying two elderly gentlemen
working out on rowing machines while Emily
is a bored teenager on the exercise bike.
18
Students work
with music
stars at major
regional event
A group of our students worked
alongside experts in the music festival
industry at a major regional event which
featured a host of famous stars.
Students rubbed shoulders with acts such as
Disclosure and The 1975, while gaining valuable work
experience at Blackpool Rocks—the North West’s
biggest winter indoor music festival.
The group was made up of students based at the
Brampton Road campus, who are studying BA (Hons)
Events Management, BA (Hons) Film and Television
Production and BA (Hons) Photography.
The high-profile event, held at Blackpool’s Winter
Gardens in December, attracted 8,000 festival-goers
and was hailed a huge success by organisers.
Other acts at the festival included Swim Deep, Little
Comets and Wretch 32, as well as Radio 1 DJs Danny
Howard, Pete Tong and Trevor Nelson.
Students shadowed festival staff and were assigned
a range of roles, both front and backstage, including
customer service, artist liaison, events assistant and
events runner, which gave them the chance to learn
new skills and to find out more about working in
these fields.
Ben Swift, is in his third year of BA (Hons) Event
Management, and described his experience as
‘incredible’.
The 22-year-old student, who is originally from
Southampton, worked alongside the special events
manager and box office manager, and was also
tasked with managing the artists’ entrance.
Above: Images from Blackpool Rocks.
He said: “The experience itself was non-stop and fast
paced, but I wouldn’t change it for the world—it was
incredible. It made the career I wanted more visible.
19
“The experience
itself was non-stop
and fast paced, but
I wouldn’t change
it for the world
– it was incredible.”
Above: University of
Cumbria student Ben
Swift with Disclosure.
“There were so many highlights, I just couldn’t
keep up with them. I was introduced to all the
bands in the live arena including The 1975 and
Swim Deep, and actually had a full ten-minute
conversation with Matthew Hall from Little
Comets. I had a dance with Wretch 32 and his
friends, and also Trevor Nelson in the Urban Arena
side stage. I was standing next to Vernon Kay
for ages, and watched Disclosure from five yards
away.”
A group of BA (Hons) Film and Television students
were appointed as the event’s media team and
were given the opportunity to capture a variety
of footage at the festival, which they will use to
create promotional videos.
Max Evans-Kirkman, 27, a third-year student, led
the team. He said: “It was a good experience to
be in charge of a crew. With the combination of
age and experience on my side, I enjoyed offering
advice and feedback to the other students in the
group.
All photographs
taken by BA (Hons)
Photography student
Adam Bradbury at
Blackpool Rocks.
“I hope we made a good impression and that the
Blackpool Rocks organisers will call on University
of Cumbria students again next year.”
Team member Sam Boyd, 21, from California
and in his second year, said: “Filming at Blackpool
Rocks was a wonderful experience that allowed
me to enjoy two of my favourite things at once:
filming and music.
“Our small team worked very well together, and
I think we ultimately figured out how to get the
best coverage of everything that was going on at
the festival. I definitely think this work will help
me in my future career. This was my first time
filming at a music festival, and hopefully not the
last time.”
Daniel Cuffe, of event organisers Cuffe and
Taylor, said: “It was great to have the University
of Cumbria students involved in Blackpool
Rocks. Students were from a variety of different
courses and year groups but all contributed to
making Blackpool Rocks a great success. Students
were often liaising directly with the artists and
their management teams during which they
demonstrated great event management skills with
a professional attitude.
“Students were enthusiastic, eager to showcase
their talents and most importantly gained
great live music event experience. We look
forward to working with students from the
University of Cumbria again in the future.”
20
The tale of the war nurse, an
Australian soldier, a Carlisle
school—and the university students
There will no doubt be many
commemorations this year
to mark the centenary of
the start of World War 1, but
some of our BA (Hons) Film
and TV Production students
have already been involved
in filming an event designed
to bring it to life for children at
one Carlisle primary school.
Former Border TV chairman and
university honorary fellow Jim Graham
serves on the board of governors at
Newtown Community School and had
the idea to name their new library
after a nurse who worked there during
the Great War. At that time, the main
hospital in Carlisle was at Fusehill Street
—now our university campus—but the
school premises in Newtown were also
used to nurse wounded servicemen.
Nurse Josephine Cherry was sent
there in September 1918 to care for a
seriously injured 23-year-old Australian
soldier – Corporal Leonard Chase.
Their story was unearthed and
researched by another governor at
the school, Julie Bowman, who is also
a nurse at the nearby Cumberland
Infirmary. The connecting threads
of this fascinating story came
together on Friday 10 January with
a dedication and naming ceremony
at the school, attended by all the
children and filmed by our students.
The story of Nurse Cherry and the
Australian soldier was written by Jim
Above: left to right: Students Sam Boyd and Charley Stamp
with Eric Scott-Parker (former Border TV location cameraman)
Graham and told with the help of
Julie Bowman and former Newtown
school pupil Matt Hilton, who is now
a well-known author. The atmospheric
tale told of Nurse Cherry’s devotion
to duty and to her patients.
The ceremony also included WW1
songs from the school choir and the
whole event was filmed by our students
in order to produce a DVD to record
for future generations the story of
the school’s ‘Nurse Cherry Library’.
Corporal Chase was very ill with trench
fever when he learned he was to be
moved from the Fusehill Street hospital
to Newtown. He asked if Nurse Cherry
could come with him and special
permission had to be obtained from
the matron to allow her to do so.
She stayed with him, watching over
him day and night, until he died. She
wrote to his family in Australia: “… he
gently and peacefully fell asleep. His
end was without struggle or moan.
His memory will forever remain sweet
in the heart of his Night Sister, or Irish
Mother, as he loved to call me.”
Students involved in the project were
Beth Smith (year one), Charley Stamp
(year two), Adam Leach (year three),
Max Evans-Kirkman (year three) and
Sam Boyd, an exchange student from
USA. The students worked alongside
award-winning former Border TV
producer Ian Fisher and cameraman
Eric Scott-Parker. Beth commented: “It
was really nice to go and make a film
within the Carlisle community with
experienced TV professionals. It was
a good experience and I feel I learnt a
lot. They were really approachable and
listened to our ideas, which was great.”
21
Kindle readers get the drift
Students on the English and creative writing degree course have
launched a new anthology of their writing called drift – now
available to download as an ebook. For the first time, writing by
the university’s students can be downloaded to be read on Kindle
e-readers, as well as tablets and smartphones.
drift brings together a great selection of
short stories and poems by our students
and is the brainchild of graduate student
James Riddick, who felt there should
be a platform for the group’s talented
writers to showcase their work.
Course leader Alizon Brunning also has
a poem included in the anthology. She
says: “Students here are encouraged
to experiment across a range of genres
and styles and drift reflects the creativity
of both our current students and
recent graduates. An important part
of the degree programme in English
and creative writing is understanding
the publication process; a final-year
module on ‘publishing and performance’
gives students an insight into this
and preparing work for submission
provides valuable real experience.”
There are plans to produce a print edition
of drift later in 2014, and the students
aim to publish the anthology twice a year.
Students Anna Bowman, Emily Butt, Beth
Fraser, Kirsten Glen, Matt Poynton, Amy
Shaw, Roz Stimpson, Jake Turner, Hannah
Tosh, and Laura Wenzlaw formed the
editorial team for the first edition of the
magazine. The cover was designed by
graphic design student Matt Swales.
To download a copy of drift, visit
www.cumbria.ac.uk/drift
Above: (left to right) Editorial team
members: Matthew Poynton, Roz
Stimpson, Hannah Tosh, Anna
Bowman and Jake Turner.
22
Student is a winner in RSPB
Scotland photo competition
Dominic Boulding, a third-year wildlife and media student, has scooped the top
prize in the ‘Wildscapes’ category of the RSPB Scotland photo competition.
Dom (22), from Carlisle, came out top with
his image of a fiery sunrise over Cairngorm
Mountain, taken on a week-long expedition
in Scotland as part of his degree course.
He explains: “We were there mainly to look
for Scottish wildlife as part of the expedition
module of our course. It was a fantastic
trip. We went up Cairngorm and several
surrounding valleys to look for mountain hares
and that’s when I took the winning shot.
“I decided to enter the RSPB Scotland competition
because I wanted to showcase as many of my
expedition photographs as possible. We had
visited many RSPB reserves while in Scotland,
so it was one way to show my appreciation.
“It is so difficult
to get pictures
into magazines,
so to win as well
as feature in two
publications—
it’s the best of
both worlds.”
“I entered wildlife photos
in the other categories
as well. Luckily we
did find some
accommodating
mountain hares
and got some very
intimate shots.
“A highlight for me was the ptarmigans
that we saw on the mountain - it was
something I will never forget.”
With over 200 entries in the competition, the
judges had their work cut out to choose the
winners. A judge commented on Dom’s photo:
“The wildness of a place is hard to sum up. It’s
not just about the landscape and the animals,
or even the minimal impact of people; it’s
also about the mood of a place, the light,
the weather—and those things change in an
instant. I love this picture for the atmosphere
it conjures of an ancient place with its ancient
trees at the day’s start or end. It’s a moment the
earliest people to settle Scotland would have
recognised. It sends a shiver up my spine.”
Dom’s win secured him an impressive array
of prizes ranging from ‘Endurance’ binoculars
to a £250 voucher from a photographic
retailer. However, he is most excited about the
opportunity to have his image featured in the
RSPB Scotland photography competition calendar
2015 as well as in Scotland News magazine.
He says: “It is so difficult to get pictures into
magazines, so to win as well as feature in two
publications—it’s the best of both worlds.”
Although Dom comes from Kent originally,
he intends to stay in Cumbria when he
completes his degree – at least until he
saves up enough money to go travelling
to take more amazing photographs!
23
“The wildness of a place is
hard to sum up. It’s not just
about the landscape and the
animals, or even the minimal
impact of people; it’s also
about the mood of a place, the
light, the weather—and those
things change in an instant.” 24
Nursing Students fundraise
to travel to the Philippines
Two adult nursing
students will travel to
the Philippines during
the summer to work in
a hospital after raising
hundreds of pounds to
fund their trip.
Bethany Brockbank* and
Katie Chapman, both 19, have
organised a variety of fundraising activities including cake
sales and bag packing events to
help pay for their travel costs.
They have also received donations
from the Rotary Club of Carlisle,
and three of the Freemasons’
Carlisle Lodges, and were awarded
funding from UCSU through
the Eleanor Peel Trust and from
Carlisle Overseas Aid Trust.
The students, who are based at
the Fusehill Street campus and
are both in their second year of
study, will stay in Iloilo in the
Philippines for three weeks in
June and July where they will gain
valuable work experience on a
variety of wards in a city hospital.
As part of their course, the
students were given the
opportunity to complete an
elective placement and they
decided on the Philippines due to
its advanced health care system.
*Bethany was shortlisted for the 2014
Cavell Nurses’ Trust Outstanding
Student Nurse award.
Shortly after making their
decision, Typhoon Haiyan struck
the Southeast Asian country
killing thousands of people
and displacing millions.
Bethany Brockbank (right) and Katie Chapman.
Bethany, who is from Kirkbyin-Furness, said: “I’m glad
I’m going to the Philippines
because after what has
happened out there I think they
will be crying out for help.
“I’m not sure if I will be going
anywhere that was hit by the
typhoon, but even if people
haven’t been physically affected
there will be many who have
been affected emotionally and
mentally and I would be happy
to provide support to them.”
Katie, who is from Newcastle,
said: “I cannot wait to go to
the Philippines. I think that the
experience will change my life in
a positive way, allowing me to
appreciate the NHS healthcare
system that we have in the UK. We
are likely to come across conditions
in the Philippines that we do not
see within the UK and therefore
it will allow me to be exposed to
a different experience of care.”
Bethany and Katie, who both work
shifts at the Cumberland Infirmary
in Carlisle, have raised more than
£1,000 but they are working hard
to raise even more cash to cover
their travel and accommodation
costs which total £2,300.
Anybody who
would like to donate
to the students’ trip
can call Bethany on
07766 197017.
They also want to take extra
money with them which they will
use to buy medical equipment.
Bethany added: “I would love to
be able to buy them something
like a bladder scanner or a couple
of BM machines and some
blood pressure monitors.”
The students will be holding
another bag-packing fund-raiser
in Asda superstore in Kingstown,
Carlisle on Saturday 19 April.
25
Our
University
get
invo lved
Tell us about news
and developments
in your area …
Below: Carlisle’s Ukulele Orchestra
Calva Bar
Charity Party
The Calva Bar held a Charity Christmas
Party on Friday 6 December, in aid of the
Eden Valley Hospice.
One of our students, Ed Clark, is a member of a band and
offered their services free of charge. The 70 staff members,
students and friends were in for a treat with Carlisle’s
Ukulele Orchestra “The Ukulele All Stars” playing two
45-minute sets, getting everyone up dancing and singing
along. During the interval, hot turkey rolls and chips were
served to keep the revellers going, and a raffle was drawn
with 20 prizes donated by local businesses and staff.
A DJ rounded off the evening and everyone was delighted
when it was announced that £385 had been raised.
Due to demand a staff summer party is being held on Friday
16 May. There will be a barbecue at 6pm followed by live
music from The Blue Feeling, a local band playing blues, soul
and rock ’n’ roll! Tickets are on sale at Calva Bar for only £5.
Above: Left to right; Loren Ttakoushis, Heather Robertshaw, Jack
Davies, Ellie Slack, Katie Johnston.
26
University
consults on
new student
accommodation
at Ambleside
A public exhibition has been held to look
at possible options for the provision of
new student accommodation within our
existing estate at Ambleside.
The university was keen to gather feedback and
understand the thoughts of its staff, students and
the local community. The event, held in the Barn at
the Ambleside campus in February, allowed people to
view different options for the creation of the student
accommodation, make comments and share ideas
towards this first stage of the project. Representatives of
the university were also present to answer questions.
Chief Operating Officer Janet Whitworth said:
“This event was part of an ongoing consultation
process for the redevelopment of our Ambleside
campus and we are grateful to hear the views of all our
stakeholders. We have continued to listen to our staff
and stakeholders throughout the redevelopment
process, and adjusted plans to incorporate feedback
received from all other consultation exercises.
Understanding ongoing views, particularly of those
living in the local area, is extremely important to
us to ensure any future development has positive
outcomes for both community and our students.” After the workshop event, the exhibition boards
were moved to the local Ambleside library
where people can continue to provide feedback. The material can also be view online at
www.cumbria.ac.uk/ambleside.
Above: Images of the redeveloped Barn.
27
Specialist Community
Public Health Nursing
The university has helped two nurses from Bermuda to become the
first in their country to qualify as health visitors through studying on a
UK Nursing & Midwifery Council approved programme.
Jennifer Robinson, 44, and Isabell Jervis, 49,
undertook the Postgraduate Diploma in Specialist
Community Public Health Nursing – Health Visiting.
This course, led by Sam Whittle, is based on the
UK Nursing & Midwifery Council standards of
proficiency and focuses on contemporary policy
and practice guidelines for health visiting.
The distance learning course was divided into two
parts—the students spent half their time learning the
practical nature of health visiting, supported by their
practice teacher Carmel Baxter-Wilkes, and spent
the other half dedicated to their academic studies
using the virtual learning environment Blackboard.
They studied modules including health
visiting, public health practice, leadership,
evidence-based practice and research.
In addition, Jennifer and Isabell opted to spend
two weeks at the university’s Lancaster campus,
where they had dedicated tutorial time and
also worked with UK health visitor teams to
observe, discuss and compare practice.
Head of Department of Lifelong and Interprofessional
Learning, Jo Blake said: “Jennifer and Isabell have
been exemplary students—very enthusiastic and
dedicated to their learning and development
of specialist health visiting practice.
“The model of combining a professionally approved
UK online university course with a programme of
professional development for public health nursing
in Bermuda has worked well, as Jennifer and Isabell
have been able to explore and implement changes
in practice, as they have progressed through their
course, working in close collaboration with colleagues.
“Key individuals in Bermuda, including Gaylia
Llandry, Gaynell Hayward-Caesar, Lynn Jackson
and Carmel Baxter-Wilkes had the initial vision
and have been inspirational leaders in making
this project work in Bermuda. It has been a
pleasure to work with individuals so committed
to improving public health and health outcomes
for children, young people and families.”
Jo and her team are now exploring the
possibility of offering a model that combines
an education programme with a service
improvement plan, within an area of practice
such as health visiting, to other countries.
Above: Nurses Jennifer
Robinson and Isabell Jervis.
Photo courtesy of Nicola
Muirhead/Bermuda Sun.
28
Dean of
Westminster
gives University
Chaplaincy
Lecture
University
pledges support
for the armed
forces, veterans
and their families
The Dean of Westminster delivered
this year’s University of Cumbria
Chaplaincy Annual Lecture.
Lancaster City Council brought together a broad
range of organisations from across the public
sector and community in February to sign up to
the Armed Forces Community Covenant.
Each year the lecture is given by a
prominent Christian from the worlds
of church, politics or culture.
This year’s lecture was given by The Very
Reverend Dr John Hall, the Dean of Westminster.
University chaplain, the Reverend Matthew Firth,
said he was thrilled that the dean had accepted
the invitation. He commented: “It’s wonderful
to have such a notable Christian speaker
agree to travel to Carlisle for our lecture.”
In this year’s lecture the dean explored ‘The
Christian Faith at the Heart of the Nation’.
Above: Geoffrey Etule with Lancaster Mayor June Ashworth
The University of Cumbria Chaplaincy
Annual Lecture is an opportunity for the
university, local church and local community
to engage with ideas about the place of
the Christian faith in today’s society.
Director of HR, Geoffrey Etule signed the covenant on behalf of
the university at a special event at Lancaster City Museum.
The Community Covenant is a voluntary statement of mutual support
between civilian communities and their local armed forces community.
It aims to reinforce the principles of the national Armed Forces
Covenant made by central government, which recognises the sacrifices
made by those who serve in the armed forces and seeks to ensure
that there are no disadvantages as a result of service in the armed
forces, and that special consideration is given where justified.
Areas that have a community covenant in place are eligible
to access the Community Covenant Grant Scheme.
Above: Dr John Hall in discussion with the
vice chancellor
This is open to local groups, organisations and individuals, and its aim
is to provide financial support for local projects which provide benefits
to both the armed forces community and the wider community.
The government has made £3m available for the period from 2011-15.
29
Local economic summit
in Lancaster focuses
on community issues
Above: Jem Bendell,
Below: Michael Hallam
Ethical entrepreneurs and
community organisations
from the Lancaster region
gathered at the university
in early February for a local
economic summit, hosted by
the Institute for Leadership and
Sustainability (IFLAS).
Professor Jem Bendell hopes the partnership
with ESTA will help to bring the innovative
work being done at IFLAS – including use
of local currencies - to a wider audience.
Lancaster Ethical Small Traders Association
(ESTA) has formed a new partnership with
IFLAS aimed at helping the city’s enterprise
community to network, develop new ideas
and collaborate on sustainability projects.
Delegates were enthusiastic about the
aims of the summit. Tony Haslam runs
Banking on Carbon Ltd, a Lancaster firm
working to create a local currency for
Lancaster with the added benefit of helping
users offset their carbon footprint.
ESTA chairman Michael Hallam told the 50
delegates that the objective for the summit
was to find ways to spread the ‘think
globally, act locally’ philosophy. He said:
“We live on a finite planet and we’re
starting to see things folding in on
themselves. Politicians and governments
can’t do everything. It’s up to everyone to
create a sustainable world and we need
to empower communities to come up
with their own sustainable initiatives.”
Delegates discussed ideas around
the themes of encouraging lifelong
learning, developing a strong community
fabric, protecting the environment and
creating a thriving local economy.
He said: “Small business is the heartbeat
of the community. The University of
Cumbria has to engage in ways that
make sense to the community. We hope
our partnership with ESTA grows.”
He commented: “I came to the summit
to raise the profile of the REALM local
currency. It’s really useful to connect
with people who don’t know what
we’re doing. There’s a lot going on in
Lancaster, but we need to find ways
of getting through to people.”
Delegate Ian Aspin owns a TV
company and is currently a PhD
student writing a book about creating
shared values within communities.
He said: “What people here are doing,
is looking at ways to create shared
value and look at ways that we can
work together. It starts at local level like
this, but it’s completely scaleable.”
The next ESTA summit will take place at
our Lancaster campus during the summer.
30
University’s Enterprise
Week wins accolade
A range of people attended the events
including students from the university, sixth
form pupils from William Howard School,
and Year 10 and 11 pupils from Caldew
School, as well as business owners and those
interested in setting up their own businesses.
Sylvia Grainger
In recognition of the support given to
entrepreneurs in the region, GEW has
handed the university a High Impact award
– an accolade given to ‘highlight the very
best events’ held during the week.
The university’s student enterprise coordinator
Sylvia Grainger said: “We are thrilled to be
presented with a High Impact award, and
for GEW to commend the events we held
during Enterprise Week in this way.
The university has been presented with
an award highlighting the support it
gave to businesses and entrepreneurs
during Global Entrepreneurship Week.
Trade experts gave free workshops
and advice sessions to budding
entrepreneurs and fledgling
businesses during the university’s
Enterprise Week in November.
“We are proud to have
The successful programme,
strong links with a range
which was held at the
of organisations in
new Carlisle Business
the region and we will
Interaction Centre, was
continue to work together
organised to celebrate
to help our business
Global Entrepreneurship
community flourish.”
Week (GEW) —the
international campaign
set up to develop the next
generation of business leaders.
“The university has an ongoing commitment
to support businesses and entrepreneurs,
and our dedicated enterprise team is always
on hand to offer advice and guidance.”
Enterprise Week was run by the university in
partnership with Carlisle College, Cumbria
Chamber of Commerce, Carlisle City
Council and Cumbria County Council.
Sylvia added: “We are proud to have strong
links with a range of organisations in the
region and we will continue to work together
to help our business community flourish.
“We are looking forward to organising another
Enterprise Week in 2014 which will build on
the success of this year’s programme.”
To find out more about the work the university
does around business support and enterprise,
visit www.cumbria.ac.uk/Enterprise.
31
University helps
shape learning in India
A group of Indian government officials visited the university to find out more about
higher education in the UK in a bid to improve teaching in their home country.
Above: The Indian delegates with Professor Sandra Jowett (fifth from left), Christine Marcangelo
and Jeremy Benson (both far right.)
Six members of the Government of Gujarat and
Knowledge Consortium of Gujarat, along with
a representative of British Council India, visited
the Fusehill Street campus in early December.
The event was organised by the Higher
Education Academy (HEA) and formed part
of a week-long programme for the Indian
delegates, who also visited Leeds University
and Sheffield Hallam University.
The purpose of the visit was to explain to the
visitors how the university uses the UK Professional
Standards Framework (UKPSF)—a set of
guidelines which reflect best practice in the higher
education environment—to support teaching
and learning across its campuses, and how it
supports staff to ensure standards are kept high.
The government officials will be sharing
this knowledge with their colleagues when
they return to Gujarat, with the aim of
introducing certain aspects of the framework
to their own higher education policy.
As part of the visit, the government officials
met with a range of university staff, including
Deputy Vice Chancellor Professor Sandra
Jowett, members of the Academic Quality and
Development (AQD) service and lecturers.
Senior lecturer in AQD, Caroline Marcangelo,
hosted the visit and was supported by
principal lecturer Jeremy Benson and
administrative assistant Emma Wilson.
Caroline said: “It was a great privilege to
be chosen by the HEA to host this event,
and shows the high regard in which we
are held with respect to the UKPSF.
“Our visitors were really interested in how the
standards influence strategic decisions, underpin
teaching and assessment methods, and ultimately
impact on student learning and success.
32
University programme
supports company growth
The programme provided Georgie and her
colleagues with both evidence and reassurance
that businesses face similar challenges and that
many of her employer Johnston and Wright’s
activities are already very successful. By using
these creative thinking solutions she has become
a much more valuable member of the team.
Georgie Clay outside
Carlisle Old Town Hall.
Georgie explains: “In addition to the group
sessions, the coaching has been a fantastic
resource and is something I would like to
continue; it provides a real opportunity for selfevaluation—where you are, where you want to
be and where you want to be in the future. It’s
also been great to establish goals and realise
that without them we really would just coast.
A university business support
programme is already making
a real difference. The scheme,
‘Knowledge Action Network’,
brings together business owners
and managers to share knowledge
and experience whilst supporting
them with business coaching,
workshops and technical support.
The programme is new to the North West
and the university is already working with
over 40 local businesses to improve the
economic impact they have in the region.
Newly qualified architect Georgie Cray, from
Carlisle, feels she packed 10 years of learning
into just six months on the programme.
“The last few months are only a very short
period of time in the context of the business,
and many of the things I’ve learned I won’t
have the chance to put into action for some
time, however, there is no question that they
have been, and will come to be, invaluable.”
John Berry, programme manager for the Knowledge
Action Network, based at Energus in Workington,
says: “The programme brings business owners and
managers together to learn from one another. As
we have a wide range of people involved, everyone
learns things that are unique and individual to them.
In Georgie’s case she was able to bring more upto-date practices to the group whilst fast-tracking
her own knowledge of business management.”
For further information about the Knowledge
Action Network, visit www.cumbria.ac.uk/
KAN or www.knowledge-action.co.uk
33
New dementia
education curriculum
launched
The university is one of a group of UK universities in the Higher
Education for Dementia Network (HEDN) that has developed a
new curriculum to improve dementia education in the UK.
The curriculum has been designed as a guide to
universities for developing the content of higher
education programmes for health and social
care professionals such as nursing, occupational
therapy, physiotherapy and social work.
This will help universities to ensure their courses
address the knowledge and skills health and social
care staff need to care for people with dementia.
She said: “We are excited to be involved in
the launch of this curriculum. As the first
university in the UK to deliver a foundation
degree with a named pathway in dementia
care, the curriculum for dementia education
(CfDE) will also be embedded in all our
health and social care programmes.
HEDN, which is coordinated by charity Dementia
UK, has developed the curriculum over a number
of years through consultation with people
living with dementia, their families, dementia
care practitioners and network members.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for those
who provide services to people with dementia,
as education specialising in dementia care is
now gaining the recognition that it deserves.
These standards will ensure that the university
will provide a high quality curriculum that
is meaningful and contemporary.”
This followed from research conducted by HEDN
which identified that coverage of dementia
in most UK university health and social care
courses was inadequate
and inconsistent.
HEDN hopes the curriculum will eventually
be adopted by all UK universities, resulting in
coverage of dementia in all health and social
care courses, as well as consistency in the
depth and content of what students learn.
“Dementia needs to be
integral to education
for all health and social
care professionals
but also needs to be
delivered in a consistent
and systematic way.”
Linda Morrison is
programme lead
for the Foundation
Degree in Health
and Social Care.
Rachel Thompson, chair of HEDN, said: “Dementia
needs to be integral to education for all health
and social care professionals but also needs to
be delivered in a consistent and systematic way.
“We hope that the CfDE will provide a
framework to ensure that this happens
effectively and across all education providers.”
34
Reflecting on the achievement
of Change Delivery Board
over the past year
Also, in a busy year, we have overseen the delivery
of Ambleside Phase 1, the Carlisle Business
Interaction Centre and the move of our campus
in Tower Hamlets to East India Dock Road.
Janet Whitworth
The first phase of the Customer Relationship
Management (CRM) system is up and
running and has made a positive contribution
to our increased student applications.
Finance has successfully delivered the
upgrade to the Agresso system, and our
management information reporting through
CORE is now available on StaffNet.
Chief Operating Officer Janet Whitworth
chairs the Change Delivery Board. Here,
she gives an update on progress made
in the past twelve months.
“Thanks to everyone
involved for their
hard work. It is really
having a positive
effect on our ability
to deliver projects.”
“Reflecting on the achievement
of Change Delivery Board over the
last year, the successful projects
delivered are foremost in
my mind. The data centre
project has been a huge
achievement—on time and
under budget. Although
we don’t see it on a dayto-day basis, it has made
a massive difference to
the resilience of our IT.
Progress towards a new timetable delivery
process is moving on and the video enhanced
teaching project is nearing completion.
The procurement project is delivering substantial
savings in areas such as non-essential subscriptions
and the renegotiation of our Blackberry contract. We have seen a massive improvement in
working with projects and reporting regularly
through highlight reports. Hopefully this
learning will be applied when we accept
the big transformation programmes from
planning and resources committee.
The Lancaster estates consolidation
programme is now being progressed to
project implementation stage, and academic
transformation and student journey programmes
are both close to business case completion.
Thanks to everyone involved for their hard
work. It is really having a positive effect
on our ability to deliver projects.“
35
Our
Research
get
invo lved
Tell us about
your research...
Nevada Museum of Art
names research fellows
Each year the Centre for Art + Environment
(CA+E), based at the Nevada Museum of
Art, names a limited number of research
fellows for two-year appointments.
The fellowships are not open to applications but are
awarded in recognition of existing or proposed projects
that will contribute to understanding how humans
interact with their natural, built and virtual environments.
Above: Mark Wilson and Bryndís Snæbjörnsdóttir.
The Centre awarded one of the 2013–2015 fellowships
to the art partnership of (University of Cumbria
lecturer) Mark Wilson and Bryndís Snæbjörnsdóttir.
Their art practice is research based and socially engaged,
exploring issues of history, culture and environment in
both humans and non-human animals. Through their
practice they challenge and deconstruct various notions
and degrees of ‘wilderness’. They conduct their practice
from bases in Iceland, the north of England and Sweden
and are currently engaged in tracing the waters of the
Colorado River from the Grand Canyon to Phoenix.
36
Contemporary art project
showcased in exhibition at Rheged
A new art exhibition has opened in a special
projects gallery space at the Rheged Centre,
Penrith. Cumbrian Alchemy is an ambitious
contemporary art project hosted by the university
and supported by Arts Council England.
The exhibition of drawings, photographs and artefacts is the
result of a research project by American artist Brian McGovern
Wilson and British artist and the university’s Professor of Fine
Art, Robert Williams. The project, which unfolded over a
number of years, looks at Cumbria and Lancashire’s Energy
Coast, a string of industrial facilities including nuclear power
plants, renewable energy facilities and mines. The artists explore
the connection between these industrial elements and the
archaeology, monuments and oral traditions of the region.
The Cumbrian Alchemy
exhibition at Rheged,
Penrith is open daily
10.30am – 4.30pm
until 13 April 2014 and
admission is free
To coincide with the opening of the exhibition, a lavishly
illustrated book has also been launched. Designed by
the artist James Brook, it brings together material from
the Cumbrian Alchemy project with essays by eminent
professionals in the field in an enquiry into the place, the
spaces, the people and the monuments of the region.
Essayists include the archaeologist David Barrowclough
from the University of Cambridge, an expert on the
prehistory of Lancashire and Cumbria, who considers the
concept of deep-time in Cumbria and the future archaeology
of long term storage of nuclear waste. Nuclear specialist
Paul Abraitis investigates the natural history of radiation in
the region, whilst Cumbrian journalist Alan Cleaver provides
insights into the folklore of ‘places of power’ in Cumbria.
The Cumbrian Alchemy exhibition at Rheged, Penrith is open
daily 10.30am–4.30pm until 13 April 2014 and admission is free.
For more information about this exhibition or the
book about the project then please visit:
www.cumbria.ac.uk/Courses/SubjectAreas/CreativeArts/
Research/FineArt/CumbrianAlchemyBookPublication
For more information about the Rheged Centre please visit:
www.rheged.com
37
Faculty of Health
and Science joins the
Lancashire and Cumbria
Clinical Research Hub
The faculty has become a partner in
the Clinical Research Hub/Lancaster
Health Hub hosted by Lancaster
University. The purpose of the hub is
to establish a cross-sectoral research
platform to drive forward world-leading
innovation in healthcare research and
stimulate regional economic growth.
www.lancaster.ac.uk/
shm/work/clinical_
research_hub/about
The other partners in the hub are:
• Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Highly research active and has more than doubled
its patient recruitment into clinical trials since 2007
allowing the residents of Blackpool and the Fylde coast
and beyond to have access to the latest treatments.
The objectives are to:
• Calderstones Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
Based in the Ribble valley and provides a specialist
service for people with learning disabilities.
• engage public and private
sector colleagues in collaborative
research initiatives
• Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust
A health and wellbeing trust specialising in inpatient
and community mental health services.
• translate innovative healthcare research
into genuine benefits for patients
• enable research capability and
skill acquisition through continuing
professional development and training.
• Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
A large acute teaching trust based in Preston
that supports a broad range of research across
a large number of healthcare conditions.
• North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust
An acute trust, based in Carlisle and Whitehaven,
committed to supporting research and
development as a means of maintaining and
enabling delivery of high quality healthcare.
• University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS
Foundation trust committed to providing opportunities
for clinical research and development.
38
University researchers win
grant to help protect snow
leopard population
During 2014-15, a team of five experienced
scientists and conservationists from the
University of Cumbria will be using ‘trailcams’
or camera traps to carry out a population
survey of snow leopard numbers in the nature
reserve. They will also model the potential
impacts of climate change in the reserve,
mainly in relation to changes in the treeline.
Dr Ian Convery
Principal investigator Dr Ian Convery, from the
university’s Centre for Wildlife Conservation explains:
The future of the snow leopard may
seem far removed from life in rainy
Britain, but university researchers
have secured a grant for research to
help preserve the species in southern
Kazakhstan.
“The snow leopard
is one of the most
charismatic species
on the planet.
Climate change
represents one of the
biggest challenges
to its survival.”
A Snow Leopard Conservation
Grant has been awarded by the
Snow Leopard Network for a
project to be undertaken in
partnership with Almaty State
Nature Reserve, Kazakhstan,
Kazakh National University
and Central Queensland
University, Australia.
“The snow leopard is one of the most charismatic
species on the planet. Climate change represents
one of the biggest challenges to its survival,
and this research will enable us to make some
predictions about the future for snow leopard
numbers in an important area of its range,
the Tian Shen mountains in Central Asia.
“This research builds on existing good working
relationships that the university has forged with
institutions in Kazakhstan. There are currently
no reliable estimates of snow leopard numbers
in the nature reserve, one of only two stable
populations of snow leopards in the country.
“We have already used these cameras for research
in a range of different environments, such as the
high Rocky Mountains in Alberta and temperate
rainforest in British Columbia, Canada. Trailcam
technology has improved dramatically over the
last few years. Cameras can function down to
extremely low temperatures and can be left in the
field for up to 12 months on one set of batteries.”
39
Dr. Charudutt Mishra, executive director of
the Snow Leopard Network comments:
“We are dealing with highly endangered,
yet the least studied, of all large cats. So
far, not a single study in Kazakhstan has
undertaken a robust population estimation
of the snow leopard, let alone population
monitoring. The work of Dr. Convery’s team
and their Kazakh collaborators is a very
important first step in population monitoring
and understanding the impacts of climate
change on the snow leopard in Kazakhstan.”
In the long term, the researchers plan to
establish a permanent network of trailcams in
Almaty State Nature Reserve to monitor both
snow leopard and prey species population
numbers. Reserve staff will be trained in
the management and maintenance of the
camera traps, allowing the project to continue
long after the grant funding has ceased,
strengthening the capacity to monitor and
protect snow leopard populations for the future.
Other researchers from the university involved
in the project include Billy Sinclair, Volker Deeke,
Naomi Van de Velden and Viktor Kouloumpis.
Above: Photos courtesy of Snow Leopard Trust/Nature Conservation Foundation
40
Academic’s drawings
acquired by the Henry
Moore Institute
The Henry Moore Institute at
Leeds has acquired a series of
drawings by the Professor of Fine
Art, Robert Williams as part of an
archive documenting American
artist Mark Dion’s Tasting Garden
project (1998) at the Storey
Gallery in Lancaster.
Part of a major collaborative project,
the drawings were made as designs for
21 oversized bronze representations of
various fruit types made by Robert for the
installation in the hidden gardens of The
Storey Institute that explored issues of
diversity, ecology and global agribusiness.
The project was a major part of the
ArtransPennine98 event curated by the late
Robert Hopper of The Henry Moore Sculpture
Trust and Director of Tate Liverpool Lewis
Biggs. The archive, which has already been
exhibited in the UK, the Netherlands, and
New York, was collected by former Storey
Gallery Director Dr John Angus and is made
up of drawings by Dion and Williams with
documentary photographs by Don Burnett.
The archive will be permanently held
at the Henry Moore Institute at Leeds,
where Robert was a postgraduate Henry
Moore Scholar in the 1990s. Tragically
the Tasting Garden was destroyed by
vandals and metal thieves in 2008.
41
the health benefits of
Scottish country dancing
The university’s Active Ageing Research
Group (AARG) has featured widely in the
Scottish press after publishing findings about
the health benefits gained by older women
through Scottish country dancing in the
Journal of Aging and Physical Activity.
The researchers found that this type of
physical activity can delay the ageing process
on locomotion-related activities of older
women and benefit their functional ability.
AARG, in partnership with the University of
Strathclyde, analysed data from women aged
60-80, who had taken part in Scottish country
dancing for at least ten years, and their ability
to perform day-to-day tasks in comparison
to non-dancers of the same age group.
The 26 Scottish country dancers and 34 nondancers, who were all healthy and participated
in the same amount of physical activity each
week, were assessed on a variety of tasks, such
as how far they could walk in six minutes, how
fast they could cover six metres, or how far they
could reach towards their toes while seated.
While the results showed dancers and nondancers aged 60-70 had similar functional
abilities, the analysis revealed dancers aged
70-80 performed better than their nondancer counterparts in the various tasks.
Anyone who is
interested in AARG’s
work can email
activeageing@
cumbria.ac.uk
The researchers believe that the effect
of the ageing process on locomotorrelated activities in Scottish country
dancers can potentially be delayed
due to the routines which combine
forwards and sideways movements
with side-skipping, turning and hopping
elements – all of which combat the
deterioration of the nervous system.
“The present study shows that
Scottish country dancing can be
an appealing form of exercise to
achieve that, as it not only brings
the social and mental wellbeing
of group dancing but it also helps
to maintain functional ability.”
The study, which was published earlier this year,
states: “These findings advocate the participation
in Scottish country dance in combating the
inevitable degenerative effects of ageing in
the performance of functional ability tasks
when compared with age-matched individuals
participating in other forms of physical activity.”
Dr Susan Dewhurst, lead researcher and senior
lecturer in sport and exercise physiology,
said: “With the ageing population being a
major concern due to the impact on public
services and particularly the NHS, promoting
active ageing that will result in independent
and healthy living is crucial, both for the
NHS and the individuals concerned.”
“The present study shows that Scottish country
dancing can be an appealing form of exercise
to achieve that, as it not only brings the social
and mental wellbeing of group dancing but
it also helps to maintain functional ability.”
Age-related physical degeneration severely affects
people’s quality of life and puts a large amount
of strain on the NHS. With the number of people
aged 65 or over projected to rise to more than 16
million (nearly 50%) in the next 20 years, AARG is
committed to finding ways which can lessen the
effects of ageing, by identifying the most effective
interventions of age-related degeneration and
promoting them into future health schemes,
as well as developing scientific research which
can be translated into practical applications.
42
GRADUATE SCHOOL
RESEARCH SUPPORT and STAFF
DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME 2013-14
These sessions will be informal meetings for
mutual support, encouragement and development
of research degree candidates (registered
with University of Cumbria or elsewhere) and
supervisors. Each session will include guidance on
some aspect of the research degree process.
L
AXB
Please join us for all or part of any of these. It will be helpful
to know if you are coming. Please contact Sonia Mason on
01524 384221 or email sonia.mason@cumbria.ac.uk
Location
Lancaster
Alexandra Building
C
Fusehill Street, Carlisle
LG
Learning Gateway (LG) All sessions are 5.00pm–7.00pm
Date
Topic, Presenter, Room
C
Thursday 3 April
Thursday 10 April
Mixed method enquiries, Dr Chris Loynes
L
C
Thursday 8 May
Thursday 22 May
Data security: Being a safe researcher, Dr Ian Convery
L
C
Thursday 5 June
Thursday 19 June
Questioning and interviewing techniques, Dr Paul Cammack
L
Room:
Room:
Room:
L
L
L
AXB014
AXB014
AXB014
C
C
C
LG003
LG003
LG003
43
research
ROUND-UP
A selection of
some of our
staff research
outputs from the
past few months
Stephen Longstaffe was an invited speaker on
'Marlowe's Radio Play: Dido Queen of Carthage',
at the Arts and Humanities Research Council
(AHRC)/British Academy (BA) funded conference
‘Performing Dido’ at Oxford University.
Sally Elton-Chalcraft presented a paper at ECER
(European Council for Educational Research)
in Istanbul in September with colleagues from
Chester and Liverpool John Moores (Esme
Fairbairn funded Creativity project). They
reported on findings from their collaborative
three-year project in a paper entitled 'Creativity
in a Policy Vacuum: ‘An Investigation into the
Understanding and Implementation of State
Guidance and Policy on Creativity in Education
by Intending and Newly Qualified Teachers’.
Adrian Copping, Sally Elton-Chalcraft and
Kären Mills (PG primary QTS team) presented
a paper at UCET (Universities' Council for the
Education of Teachers) in November 2013
'Enabling student teachers to facilitate creative
teaching and learning in primary schools.’ This
University of Cumbria funded research reported
on findings from their three-phase collaborative
project (the research team also included Ian Todd
and Dennis Howlett, also PG primary QTS team).
Against the backdrop of School Direct
developments, Alison Jackson and James Burch
have been researching the concept of ‘Third Space’
activity and over the course of the last year have
produced a series of publications and presented
at conferences including The space between:
opportunities to explore new pathways in the
context of policy change, UCET; The teacher
as researcher: Driving improvement in schools,
Research Institute for Professional Learning in
Education (RIPLE); and Strengthening Teacher
Education, Teacher Education Advancement
Network (TEAN)/Higher Education Academy (HEA).
Colum Cronin is joint author of Sport,
Education and Society (2013):
Lived experience and community sport
coaching: A phenomenological
investigation, Sport, Education and Society,
DOI:10.1080/13573322.2013.858625
Paul Miller’s article Depression, sense
and sensitivity: On pre-diagnostic
questioning about self-harm and suicidal inclination
in the primary care consultation was published
in Communication and Medicine. 10(1), 39-51.
Interested in volunteering with
Lancashire Constabulary?
Special constables have the same powers, equipment, and receive similar
training to a regular officer. Candidates must be over 18 years old, have
no convictions within the last five years, not be involved with the sale or
supply of alcohol and must have resided in the UK for the last 36 months.
Specials are asked to perform at least 16 duty hours per month.
More details can be found on the Lancashire Constabulary website
www.lancashire.police.uk/recruitment/special-constable
Josh Bancroft (Lancaster CIP admin assistant) has
first-hand experience as a special constable.
Email him at Joshua.bancroft@cumbria.ac.uk for more
information, or the local contact for Northern Division,
Jen Seal on 01524 596659
Jen.Seal@lancashire.pnn.police.uk
AQD Learning
and Teaching
FEST 2014
3 July 2014 Lancaster
WILLIAMSON
FAMILY FUN RUN
is
Family Fun Run
Park 3km /5km
n
so
am
illi
e
W
th
,
th
The four
n is from 10am
2014 . Registratio
ril
Ap
.
13
on
ay
no
nd
12
on Su
e 5km event at
at 11am, and th
3km run starts
s in partnership
ar spor ts student
ye
al
fin
by
per
d
se
Organi
£3 per adult, £8
Council, entry is
ty
Ci
r
ly/
te
mi
as
fa
nc
0
La
£1
with
per runner and
advance, or £4
.
es
iti
tiv
ac
r
family/ team in
t and othe
y. Entertainmen
m
team on the da
; entry forms fro
ial
or
em
M
on
Asht
fé.
Ca
Registration at
rk
Pa
e
th
d
re Complex an
the Spor ts Cent
Send us
your
stories
If you would like to con
tribute
to the next issue of Co
nnect,
please contac t a memb
er of
the communications
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 16
May 2014.
If you would lik
e to submit
a paper detailin
g a prac tice
exchange session
, or a
poster, please co
mplete
this online form
.
Closing date : 22
April 2014 .
Theme of SUST
AINABILIT Y
All sessions will
be
CALL FOR PAPE
RS
35 minutes long
and
The corporate th
eme of
posters will be on
public
Sustainabilit y ha
s been
display for the fu
ll day.
chosen as the fo
cus of this
Please contac t Ca
roline
years’ award. Cl
ick
Marcangelo if yo
u have
for more inform
ation.
any queries x622
8.
SPORT RELIEF FUN RUN
Five students have org
anised a
fun run in aid of Spo
rt Relief, with
support from Carlisle
Leisure Limited,
in Bit ts Park on Sunday
23 March.
One, three or six mil
es routes.
Sponsorship form an
d
fundraising kit availab
le.
Register
Staff and students
are also being asked
to volunteer
on the day - email Ch
ris Banks
chrisbanks80 @aol.com
.
Copyright © 2014 University of Cumbria (UOC 168)
Fusehill Street
Carlisle
CA1 2HH
www.cumbria.ac.uk