University Updates
20 December 2007
Season's greetings
We hope you find this weekly e-news round-up a useful resource, especially when the News homepage is busy and items come and go quickly. We welcome feedback on the e-newsletter, be it content or design, so please send us your comments. The next edition will be sent out on Friday 11 January. Wishing you a merry Christmas and a happy, healthy and successful New Year.
Christmas opening times on campus
The last working day before Christmas will be Friday 21 December and the University will resume normal working on Wednesday 2 January 2008. During the Christmas and New Year period many facilities and services on campus and in Bath have limited opening hours, although the Security Office will be open 24 hours a day as normal during the closure period.
Conserve energy: Christmas energy checklist
Please turn down radiators and turn off all electric appliances before leaving campus for the holiday.
Christmas cleaning arrangements
The cleaners will be on campus on both Friday and Saturday to undertake basic cleaning, together with the emptying of bins. Please ensure that any discarded foodstuffs are in the bins, in a prominent place, and the cleaners will remove them. The cleaners resume work early on 2 January 2008.
News
Help for special needs children 'matter of class, race and gender'
A child's chances of receiving extra help for a special educational need is dictated by geography, class, race and gender, rather than the nature of the learning difficulty, according to research by Harry Daniels and Jill Porter.
University student wins national volunteering award
Alex Nicholson-Evans, a third-year Social Sciences student, has won a national volunteering award, in recognition of a project she set up at Bath’s Julian House to help homeless people in the city.
Bath wins international award for its podcast series
The University has been awarded the European Excellence Award for the best podcasts at a ceremony in Berlin. The podcasts of lectures, which have been available since November 2006, have proved popular world-wide.
Video gives potential students an idea of life at Bath
The University has created an introductory video for students considering coming to Bath to study. The video was shot in high definition and can be saved to DVD or used as a background video at events. Please contact AV Services for a copy of the DVD. The website also has a download version at http://www.bath.ac.uk/multimedia/univideo
New part-time courses for spring
The chance to go to a Hogwarts for adults’ magic school or crack a crime scene investigation are just two of the unusual leisure and learning opportunities on offer in next spring’s new programme of part-time courses run by the University in Bath.
New part-time courses for spring in Swindon
Courses in art & design, archaeology, creative writing and IT are all on offer as part of the spring programme of part-time courses run by the University of Bath in Swindon.
New short courses in Swindon for business people
Local people can resolve to develop their business skills in the new year, through a range of short, practical courses at the Oakfield campus.
Information
Wessex House, Level 3 South foyer & lift lobby closes for refurbishment
Refurbishment of the foyer at the end of the HR corridor and the lift lobby adjacent to the VC's Office will be carried out 22 December 2007 - 4 January 2008. The south staircase can be accessed from all other areas as normal.
The SCR and Claverton Rooms will be closed from 5-20 January
The SCR and Claverton Rooms will be closed Saturday 5 January - Sunday 20 January 2008 to allow the floor to be refurbished. The Wessex Restaurant will be open for tea and coffee from 8am-12noon and 3pm-5pm during January, and the UBSA Committee extended an open invitation to all SCR members to use the UBSA facilities throughout January.
PensionPlus implementation to go ahead from 1 January 2008
The University recently contacted all USS members to advise them of the proposal to implement PensionPlus. The consultation process has indicated that the participation rate in PensionPlus will be 93%. The Project Board reviewed this together with the system changes required to implement the scheme, and concluded that PensionPlus should start from 1 January 2008, which will be reflected in January's payroll. The next opportunity USS members will have to opt in/out will be during March 2008 (effective from April 2008). If you have any questions regarding PensionPlus, please contact the Pensions Office for more information, ext 3768.
Looking for a grant or funding?
The Funding Opportunities webpage will be updated tomorrow (Friday 21 December) so, if you are looking for a grant, fellowship, travel bursary or studentship, have a browse. Following this, the webpage will next be updated on 25 January when we will include a notice in the enewsletter and on the News homepage.
UK Future TV approaches
A number of scientists at the University have been approached by UK Future TV requesting interviews on their research in January. Those contacted are free to give interviews but should be aware that the University is not associated with the project in any way, and does not believe it fits in with our strategy for communicating our excellence in research. To discuss the issue further, please contact the press office at: press@lists.bath.ac.uk or call ext 4220.
Who should get an honorary degree next year?
The Honorary Degrees Committee is pleased to receive nominations from any member of the University or person associated with it. In particular, it welcomes proposals that reflect the cultural diversity and international character of the University and promotes its commitment to gender equality. The deadline for nominations is 14 January 2008.
Jobs
Vacant posts: www.bath.ac.uk/jobs
Training & development opportunities
- IT training courses
- Teaching Development Programme - introductory event - 9 January
- Writing persuasive reports - 16 January
- Examination Boards - training for chairs & secretaries - 17 January
Exhibitions
Margareta Kern - Clothes for Death | ICIA Art Space 2, until 4 January
This interdisciplinary artist presents powerful and intimate photographs as a personal response to a tradition in Croatia and Bosnia & Herzegovina of women preparing clothes for their own burial.
Photography Exhibition | ICIA Art Space 1, until 16 February, 10am-5pm
A showcase of selected works from this year’s
University of Bath Photography Competition.
Arts
www.bath.ac.uk/icia
New season
Booking opens from Monday 7 January
Sign up for classes and workshops in dance, music and visual arts.
Next season's highlights include Joanna MacGregor, Alexander Balanescu and Carol Brown Dances.
Email ICIAinfo@bath.ac.uk to receive your brochure through internal post.
Sport
Tennis pair are runners-up at BUSA champs
University of Bath players Kat Baker and Amelia Frendo had to settle for runners-up spot in the women’s doubles contest at the Barclays BUSA individual championships, held at the Sports Training Village.
GB sliders in world top-10 at Christmas break
Four of Britain’s bob skeleton sliders are ranked in the top 10 in the world as the 2007/8 World Cup season approaches the halfway mark.
University of Bath student Janne Schaefer won her second gold medal of the European Short Course Championships – helping Germany to a world record in the process.