University Updates
1 May 2009
Congratulations!
Bath is the best in the South-West in new Complete University Guide
The University has been ranked 9th in the UK in this year’s Complete University Guide league table, produced by The Independent. Vice-Chancellor Glynis Breakwell has congratulated staff: “This is excellent news for the University and reflects our commitment to providing a high quality education for our students. Colleagues across the University can feel rightly proud of our position in the top ten, particularly our excellent performance in the ‘graduate prospects’ and ’student completion’ aspects of the table. This result reflects on the work of the whole University community to create a supportive learning environment which is so crucial in enabling our students to flourish academically.”
Science festival scoops national award
The organisers of the Bath Taps into Science festival are celebrating the award of Best Science Event held during this year’s National Science & Engineering Week. Dozens of volunteers (many from the University) worked to bring together 26 attention-grabbing exhibits for the festival and coordinate visits by 20 different primary and secondary schools. Well done to everyone who was involved.
School games boost local economy by £2.4m
A survey conducted at the UK School Games, held at the University last summer, has found that the event helped to inject £2.4 million into the local economy. Thank you to people in different departments who helped the event to run successfully.
Updates
Swine FluA message from Mark Humphriss, Chair of the University’s Emergency Management Team, giving the latest information and advice about Swine Flu.
Financial sustainability
The Vice-Chancellor outlines how savings of £2.5 million can be achieved.
Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Kevin Edge clarifies that proposed changes to areas currently used by UBSA and SCR will not prevent the two staff associations from continuing to operate.
Students help charities
Bath Rag annual presentation eveningBath Rag held its annual Presentation Evening last night, celebrating the success of student fundraising at the University of Bath this year. The evening was attended by Mayor of Bath Councillor Tim Ball, as well as representatives of the University, the Students’ Union and the local council. Alongside this, representatives from 20 of the charities Rag members have chosen to support this year were present to receive cheques.
Bath goes quackers for charity
More than 1,000 rubber ducks will race down the River Avon in Bath on Bank Holiday Monday to raise money for WaterAid. It’s being organised by Bath Rag, the University of Bath’s Student Union fund-raising wing, in conjunction with Wessex Water and WaterAid. The race starts at 2.30pm.
Student prizes
Chancellor's Prize
Psychology student Susan Sadek is winner of the 2009 Chancellor's Prize.
The annual Arts & Media Awards evening was introduced by Vice-Chancellor Professor Glynis Breakwell and fourteen talented students received prizes ranging up to £500. This year’s awards included eight new prizes generously supported by Abbey-Santander. These new awards, celebrating ‘outstanding achievement in the field of arts and media’ were announced alongside six existing prizes funded by friends of the University. The evening also featured performances by several Students’ Union arts societies.
Information
Latest news about the 20A/C bus
Bath & North East Somerset Council has come to an agreement with First on the acceptance of existing season tickets on the new 20A/C services to be operated by Wessex Connect from 11 May. Season ticket holders will be able to use valid First season tickets on the new 20A/C up to the 27 June 2009.
News of Bath alumni The latest edition of BA2, the University’s magazine for alumni, is now available to view in PDF format online. If you would like a hard copy, please email alumni@bath.ac.uk
Improving catering services on campus
Hospitality is currently looking at ways to improve the service they provide on campus. Please take part in the Level 1 Café, Blues Café or Food Direct delivery service survey. Other catering outlets will be covered next week.
University Pocket Diary 2009/10
The University Pocket Diary for 2009/10 is now available to order from the Office of the University Secretary.
RICE Memory Challenge
Take the RICE Memory Challenge in May 2009 and help support research into Alzheimer's disease and other dementias.
Visit Monet's Garden, Versailles & Paris 26-29 June
This UBSA trip is open to all staff and students and at £196 represents great value for a four-day tour.
Jobs
Vacant posts: www.bath.ac.uk/job
Forthcoming lectures & conferences
Managing during the global recession - 6 May
A panel of entrepreneurs and academics will discuss how companies can strategically manage their way through the recession, at an event open to all on Wednesday 6 May from 5-7pm in 8W Room 2.1.
The Victorian Seaside - 6 May
A public lecture about the Victorian seaside will be held in Lecture Theatre 8 West 1.1 on Wednesday 6 May at 5.15pm.
Sustaining future ecosystem services – From understanding to action - 26 June
This is the fifth and final conference in the series of interdisciplinary conferences organised by the Institute for Sustainable Energy and the Environment (I-SEE), held at the National Liberal Club, Whitehall Place, London. Speakers will review our understanding from the four seminars to date, and explore action in terms of policy and practical implications. The conference is being sponsored by a grant from ESRC/NERC and is free to all participants.
In the media
- Andrew Watts (Pharmacy & Pharmacology) appeared on ITV West Country Tonight and BBC News Channel, as well as speaking on numerous radio shows, commenting on the swine flu outbreak and talking about his research on flu drugs
- David Wainwright (School for Health) questions the Government's policy about health promotion in an article in the Financial Times
- Glynis Breakwell, Vice-Chancellor, talked in the Times Higher Education about a task force made up of vice-chancellors and senior business figures, which is in the process of drawing up recommendations about how to fund higher education and ensure that graduates are employable.
Training & development
- Writing for publication 5 May
- The devil's picture book? - Graphical visualisation of numerical data 6 May
- Standing up for science - media workshop for engineers, chemists & physicists 8 May
- Introduction to the media for plant scientists 11 May
- Training for Postgrads and GTAs who teach 14 May
- Working with broadcast media 15 May
- Doctoral supervision - The process - 22 May
- IT courses
- Content Management System (CMS) courses
- Summer e-learning staff development programme
What's on next week
More details about events below
Monday 4
13:00 PM Concert at Wells Cathedral- University Chamber Choir
Tuesday 5
12:15 PM Franciscan Midday Office
13:15 PM CNM seminar
13:15 PM Power, norms & civilization: Process sociology & international relations
17:15 PM Muslims in the UK
Wednesday 6
10:30 AM Helping people in need
12:00 Noon Women's networking event: Want to become an online business success?
13:15 PM Pharmacy & Pharmacology lecture
14:15 PM Islamic Finance
17:00 PM Managing during the global recession- Expert panel discussion
17:15 PM The Victorian Seaside
19:30 PM Adelard of Bath - Our greatest Bathonian?
Thursday 7
13:00 PM Down House - The home of Charles Darwin
15:00 PM UCU General Secretary visit: HE dispute, defending jobs & points-based immigration
19:15 PM Bath & Bristol as a cradle for geology 1750-1850
Friday 8
12:00 Noon Research Postgraduate Careers Drop-in Day
Saturday 9
10:00 AM PG Conference - challenges of postgraduate research: round table discussion
Arts
Concerts and Performances
- University of Bath Chamber Choir St Mary the Virgin Church Bishops' Cannings, Devizes | Sunday 3 May, 6pm
Join this popular University choir for a concert to mark the end of another successful year of music-making. - Bath University Student Musicals Society Encore ICIA Arts Theatre | Monday 4 May, 7.30pm
Bath University Student Musicals Society is back with their ever-popular, one-night-only review show. - Shobana Jeyasingh Dance Company ICIA Arts Theatre | Saturday 9 May, 7.30pm
Highly respected for their imaginative and critically acclaimed work that gives cultural diversity a unique spin, award-winning choreographer Shobana Jeyasingh’s latest piece playfully explores cross-cultural eating.
Exhibitions
- Tea Brown Fields, Blue Skies ICIA Art Space 1 | Until Friday 12 June, 10am-5pm
Tea is a collaborative group of visual artists who search for the unfamiliar in familiar places. In this project they document their ‘occupation’ of a wasteland, Widnes Waterfront poised for regeneration. - Pam Skelton Dwelling in the Space of Conspiracy ICIA Art Space 2 | Wednesday 29 April - Friday 5 June, 10am-5pm
Using video, photography and mapping, Skelton plots out patterns of surveillance to retrace the stasi spy network in the last decade of the German Democratic Republic. She constructs an unsettling portrait of a city with 483 spy cells for monitoring citizens.
Classes - Booking now open
- Dance
Classes are available in Contemporary, Ballet, Flamenco, Jazz, Tap and Street Dance and commence week beginning 11 May. Courses are four weeks in duration. - Ceramics
Ceramics classes are available on Wednesday and Thursday evenings so if you've ever fancied trying your hand at clay, here's your chance. Courses start 6 May and last six weeks.
Sport
Young Team Bath rugby side lose out to Loughborough
In a thrilling end-to-end match described as a ‘tough learning curve’ by Team Bath captain, Loughborough beat Team Bath 51-17 in the fifth annual ‘Real Varsity’ rugby match. Bath Women's team made history with their 26-0 victory, however, by being the first Bath rugby side to beat Loughborough
An incredible journey says Roddy
Team Bath FC bowed out of football history last weekend with their last Blue Square Conference South match after a ten year period described by manager, Ged Roddy, as “an incredible journey”.
He added: “Literally hundreds of lads have pulled on the blue and gold shirt in those years and played with pride. I would like to thank each and every one of you”.
University pays tribute to its student athletes
The University will pay tribute to its student athletes at the annual Blues Awards ceremony at the Assembly Rooms tonight (Friday 1 May).
Team Bath’s netballers can complete an impressive and unique double when they play their last Premier League 1 game of the season tomorrow (Saturday 2 May). Team Bath have already been crowned Superleague champions, a feat they achieved with a 100 per cent record through the whole season.