25 February 2011
Information
Fees & Access Working Group – update on progress
As reported in the last update from the Fees & Access Working Group (FAWG) a number of principles for fee setting and access have been drafted. These have already been considered by Executive Committee and Senate, and will be considered by the University Council on 3 March 2011.
Support for those affected by global events
We would like to remind our international staff & students that support is available during difficult times such as the current political protests in the Middle East and the recent earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand.
Watch your speed on Claverton Hill
If you use Claverton Hill to drive to and from the A36 (past the American Museum), please watch your speed on this narrow stretch of road, taking extra care in icy conditions. Local residents have expressed their concern about the safety of other car drivers and pedestrians.
Vouchers wanted
Please collect Sainsbury's Active Kids and Tesco for Schools and Clubs vouchers, and send them to the Westwood Nursery. Thank you very much.
Recycle & save with Swap Shop wiki
Purchasing Services' Swap Shop wiki aims to make use of University assets more productively, saving on your departmental budget.
Jobs
Vacant posts: www.bath.ac.uk/jobs/
News
New intro film highlights University’s strengths
A new introduction film highlighting the main strengths of the University has been launched this week. The short film has been created by staff from the Corporate Communications Department and the Audio Visual Unit.
PhD student returns from epic South Pole adventure
Joe Kinrade (Electronic & Electrical Engineering) has just returned to campus after spending six weeks in the Antarctic. Whilst most students were at home enjoying time with their families and friends during the festive season, Joe was embarking on an epic research trip to the South Pole with the British Antarctic Survey.
Mechanical engineering attempt to build wind turbine on campus
The Mechanical Engineering Department in conjunction with Engineers without Borders have assembled a team of 30 students who are currently attempting to build a 1kW wind turbine, with the hope of installing it on the University grounds in a permanent capacity in the future.
Your opinion’s required
Staff survey 2011: ‘Your survey – Your say’
The University will be carrying out a staff survey from 14 March 2011 for four weeks to provide an opportunity for members of staff in all areas of the University to have their say on the issues that affect them in the workplace.
Give your opinion on Widcombe traffic scheme
Staff who live near or travel past Widcombe Parade will be interested to hear a public exhibition is being organised by Bath & North East Somerset Council to allow residents, businesses, and road users to have their say about a proposed major traffic scheme that will make the local environment more pleasant for pedestrians, shoppers, and cyclists in this area.
What do you think of food on campus?
Once a year Bars & Eateries conduct a survey of the services they offer on Campus. All customers are invited to take part in the online survey which asks them to comment on various aspects of the service provided and to make suggestions on how we can improve.
Research & Knowledge Transfer
Runners asked to log on to help prevent injuries
PhD student Jenny Perkins (Health) is looking for keen runners to keep an online diary of their training habits and injuries, to help find out ways of reducing common running injuries.
Eight Bath Professors invited to help develop criteria for REF assessment
HEFCE have announced the members of the expert panels for the Research Excellence Framework (REF) and eight Professors from the University of Bath have been invited to serve as panel members across a range of disciplines. The panels have already started to meet to develop the criteria for the REF assessment.
KTA: Continuous flow solutions for pharmaceutical manufacture
Stan Kolaczkowski (Chemical Engineering) and Jonathan Williams (Chemistry) have been awarded Proof of Concept funding from the EPSRC Knowledge Transfer Account. The aim of this KTA project is to investigate if the expertise at Bath on using continuous processing in combination with smarter and greener methods of chemical synthesis, can be transferred to the pharmaceutical industry.
Collaborative research into sport and technology
Academic staff from across the University came together for three days to participate in the first in a series of research sandpits. These events are aimed at stimulating research proposals and encouraging cross-faculty collaboration.
Engaging with policy: strategies, successes and traps
Ian Butler (Social & Policy Sciences) and Brenda Taggart from the Institute of Education, London, lead an interesting and informative seminar on how to engage with policy on the 15 February 2011. The event was hosted by Jane Millar (PVC Research ) and funded by the University of Bath's EPSRC Knowledge Transfer Account.
In the media
www.bath.ac.uk/news/bathinpapers/
- The return of PhD student Joe Kinerade (Electronic & Electrical Engineering) from the South Pole was featured by several local and national media outlets including BBC Online; ITV West Country tonight; BBC Radio Bristol [listen again at 02:14:30]; BBC Radio Somerset [listen again at 00:56:40]and Manx Radio based in Joe's home the Isle of Man.
- A year on from winning Olympic gold Amy Williams (Sports Performance graduate) was featured in a piece by BBC Sport
- Anna Gilmore (Health) wrote a comment piece for The Guardian with a colleague from Edinburgh University about how Drinks companies are responsible for the spread of liver disease.
- Dr Rod Thomas spoke to BBC Radio Bristol [listen again at 01:54:04] about the discovery of an Iron age settlement on Bathampton Down, which formed the basis of a lecture run by the Division for Lifelong Learning
Learning & teaching
Innovations Day Thursday 12 May 2011
This event featuring the Annual Learning & Teaching Seminar &we are delighted to be welcoming Dai Hounsell, Vice Principal for Academic Enhancement at the University of Edinburgh, as this year’s keynote speaker.
Consultation: Revision of QA53 Examination & Assessment Offences Closing Date Thursday 7 April 2011
Comments are now invited on the draft revision of QA53 Examination and Assessment Offences intended to apply from 1 October 2011.
Effective student involvement at the University has been highlighted by the National Union of Students' as part of their EngageMonth activities.
CPD Support Office represented at HR Directors' Business Summit
Staff from the CPD Support and Development Office (CPDSDO) spent two days at the International Conference Centre in Birmingham to promote the University’s provision. Now in its ninth year, the HR Directors’ Business Summit brings together senior HR Directors to evaluate current and future trends and their impact on the HR function and corporate strategies.
Nominations & bids
Bids for CPD Development Fund Deadline - 28 February
The fund seeks to encourage University staff to work with external employers to investigate and develop Continuing Professional Development opportunities which meet the needs of their workforce.
Pilot Sabbatical Leave Scheme Deadline - 4 March
Individuals wishing to apply for sabbatical leave commencing 1 February 2012 should submit an application for sabbatical leave via their Head of Department/School.
Learning & Teaching Awards Deadline - 11 March
Nominations are now open for the University of Bath Teaching Awards, which encourage and recognise significant contributions by staff to the academic lives of students.
Chancellor's Prize Deadline - 21 April
If you think you might be teaching the best final year undergraduate student currently studying at Bath, you may want to nominate them for the Chancellor's Prize.
Work perks
- There's still time to sign up for the trip to France visiting important sites of the First World War.
- All the fun of the Fair! Don't forget to check out the exciting Omnibus Thorpe Park outing on Saturday 25 June.
- The University of Bath Gardening Society's next talk is from Dan Hinkley, American gardener and plant explorer. Thursday 17 March 2011 at 7.30pm in 8W 2.1.
Learn Spanish in Alicante – free of charge Deadline 1 April 2011
Under the Cooperation Agreement between the Universities of Bath and the University of Alicante, members of staff can attend intensive Spanish language courses free of charge, with free bed & breakfast accommodation.
Organic fruit & veg box scheme on campus
Small (£7.50) and large (£10) boxes of organic produce can be ordered from the SU shop. Order by Monday night and your box will be delivered to the Chaplaincy on Thursday for you to collect.
Staff discounts
The University has negotiated a number of discounts for staff. If you have family or friends who run a business and they would like to participate in the Staff Discount Scheme, please ask them to contact Alison Flindall, HR Manager.
Designated Car Share parking spaces
Six reserved Car Share spaces have been created in East and West car parks to encourage car sharing.
Dates for your diary
Fairtrade Fortnight - starts next week!
Mentoring Workshop - 10 March
Equality Forum 2011The Inclusive University -
30 March 2011
Training & development
- Training for the occasional trainer - Thursday 10 March
- Mentoring workshop for women in SET Thursday 10 March
- Mental health first aid - Two-day course - Friday 11 & Friday 18 March | Friday 13 & 20 May
- Visit of EPSRC - 23rd March 2011
- Advanced video conferencing (AGN) demo - Saturday 26 March
- KTA seminar: Practical networking Tuesday 29 March
- The enterprising academic
- IT skills
- Staff development
- e-Learning courses
- Training opportunities for researchers
- Researchers: Find out what it's like to be a science journalist Deadline 1 March
Lectures & seminars
Public lecture: Mysterious cases of misbehaving molecules | Thursday 24 February
A public lecture about molecules, and how they don’t always behave properly, is to be held at the University on Thursday 24 February.
The Birds and the Bees – in cutting edge science | Friday 25 February
This lecture is part of the Bath Lit Fest and will present two stories of how cutting-edge science at the University is helping to protect the natural world. Tamas Szekely (Biology & Biochemistry) will talk about the conservation project aiming to re-introduce the great bustard to Salisbury Plain and Edward Feil (Biology & Biochemistry) will describe a major threat to the UK's bee population.
Robots with emotions: do we need them? | Wednesday 2 March
Robots with emotions are no longer just the stuff of science fiction, but do we want them in our homes? A free public lecture at the University of Bath will explore the issues on Wednesday 2 March.
The Paralympic Legacy - Research in Disability Sport & Exercise | Thursday 3 March
Making the University of Bath the base for Great Britain’s Paralympic team and a research centre of excellence in disability sport & exercise ahead of and beyond London 2012 is the subject of a public lecture to being held on campus.
Jade Goody & the internet: a new way of looking at death | Friday 4 March
Jade Goody’s public death in the tabloids & magazines, and how the internet can make death a less isolating experience, are two of the topics that will be discussed at a seminar which looks at changing perceptions of dying at a seminar on campus next month.
Framing climate change in science and literature. A conversation between Mike Hulme and Adeline Johns-Putra | Sunday February 27th
The Arts and Humanities Research Council and BRLSI are co-sponsoring a free event on in which two figures involved in the climate change debate will discuss the ways in which it is represented in fact and fiction. Framing climate change in science and literature. A conversation between Mike Hulme and Adeline Johns-Putra will begin with short presentations by the speakers on climate change and the ways it is debated in science and literature, followed by a discussion of similarities and differences.
Listen to David Nutt's lecture 'Science in drug politics' online
Good news for those who were unable to attend or would just like to listen again to David Nutt's incredibly popular lecture Science in Drug Politics, it is now freely available to hear online.
What's on
www.bath.ac.uk/whats-on
Monday 28 February
18:00 PM Conducting workshop
Tuesday 1 March
12:15 PM Eucharist/Holy communion
12:30 PM Lunchtime workshop - Preparing students for assessment to enhance learning
12:45 PM Oxfam lunch
Wednesday 2 March
13:15 PM Politics undergraduate placement conference 2011
19:30 PM The spirit of '76 and the letter of '87
Thursday 3 March
13:00 PM Classic quilts from the American museum in Britain
16:15 PM Council
19:30 PM Evolutionary generalities lie in the details
Saturday 4 March
10:00 AM Workshop: The life of a digital image
Arts
www.bath.ac.uk/icia
Concerts & performances:
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Bath University Student Theatre Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw | The Mission Theatre, Corn St, Bath | Until Saturday 26 February, 7.30pm
This Shaw classic witnesses Professor Henry Higgins' attempt to create an ‘ideal woman’ out of the cockney flower girl Eliza Doolittle. Is the notion of an ‘ideal woman’ even possible? -
Practice | ICIA Arts Theatre and Arts Barn | Saturday 26 February, 7.30pm
A unique opportunity to see new professional theatre, live art and dance, followed by an opportunity to help shape ideas through a dialogue with the artists and performers. -
Class Wargames re-play HG Wells’Little Wars: | Claverton Down Community Hall, Bath | Saturday 26 February, 1.30-5pm,
Multi-disciplinary group Class Wargames stage a participatory re-performance of H.G. Wells’ Little Wars. Wells’ wargame simulates the inter-imperialist conflicts of the British Empire.
Exhibitions:
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Class Wargames present Guy Debord’s The Game of War | ICIA Art Space 2 | Until Saturday 26 February, Monday -Saturday 10am-5pm
Class Wargames is a collective of artists, academics and activists. Their multimedia exhibition is inspired by The Game of War, the life’s work of French anti-capitalist intellectual, Guy Debord, begun after the riots of May 1968. - Swindon College Lines of Enquiry 7 | ICIA Art Space 1 | Until Friday 18 March , Monday -Saturday 10am-5pm
The seventh in a series showing work by graduates of the BA Fine Art Drawing at Swindon College’s School of Art & Design.
Workshop's:
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Introduction to writing for performance | ICIA Arts Theatre | Sunday 27 February, 10.30am-4.30pm
Suitable for aspiring playwrights, this one-day workshop offers an introduction to the fundamentals of creating stories for the theatre and performance. -
Conducting workshop with Richard Gonski | University Hall Music Room | Monday 28 February, 6-9pm
This is a chance for aspiring conductors to learn the about the craft, and for those with experience to hone their technique.
Sport
Amy Williams’ Olympic gold – one year on
Bath’s golden girl Amy Williams (Sports Performance graduate) carved out a slice of history on the 19 February 2010 by striking skeleton gold at the Vancouver Winter Olympic Games. Her stunning performances produced not only Team GB’s only medal of the Games but also made Amy Britain’s first individual Olympic Winter Games gold medallist for 30 years and the first individual woman gold medallist for 58 years.
Kim collects gold and silver to help University women to fourth
Student Kim Murray (Sport & Exercise Science) collected gold and silver medals to help the University of Bath women’s team to fourth place overall at the British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) Indoor Athletics Championships.
Seven-strong British team prepare for first pentathlon World Cup of 2011
A seven-strong British team including student Samantha Murray (French & Politics) will contest the first Modern Pentathlon World Cup of the year, which got underway at Palm Springs yesterday (Thursday 24 February).
TeamBath netball record emphatic 69-33 victory over Leeds
A devastating 13-goal salvo without reply at the start of the third quarter laid the foundations for TeamBath netball to record an emphatic 69-33 victory over Leeds Carnegie in the Fiat Netball Superleague on Monday (21 February) night.
Bath Half Marathon
Are you running the Bath Half for charity this year?
Let us know your name, department and the charity you are raising money for (with www.justgiving link) and we'll add you to our Bath Half webpage . Email comms@bath.ac.uk with 'Bath Half' in the subject line. Good luck with your preparations!