University Updates
26 September 2008
Research news
Great Bustards released on Salisbury Plain
Researchers led by Tamas Szekely (Biology & Biochemistry) and conservationists from the Great Bustard Group released 19 birds on Salisbury Plain on Thursday as part of an ongoing reintroduction project in the UK. The release of the new birds was filmed by the BBC’s Autumn Watch programme, due to be aired later this year.
Researcher receives prestigious award for tobacco research
Anna Gilmore was presented with a prestigious award on behalf of the World Health Organisation at last week's School for Health conference. The award recognises her outstanding efforts in conducting research on tobacco control and the tobacco industry in Europe.
Do you want to promote your research and institution to a wide audience? Can you turn your research into a fun, interactive exhibit? The Royal Society's Summer Science Exhibition attracts a great deal of media interest and is an opportunity for researchers to showcase their research to the public, post-16 and potential university students, scientists, policy makers, MPs, captains of industry, representatives from funding bodies and research councils, teachers and the wider scientific community.
Other news
Former Bath Rugby physio joins premiership teaching team at the University
Keith Graham, former physiotherapist with Bath Rugby has joined the teaching team on the innovative MSc in Sports Physiotherapy.
UKOLN provides resources for heritage sector
UKOLN has developed a new area of its website, aimed at people working with digital resources in the cultural heritage sector. It provides access to a variety of resources on a range of issues and brings together information previously distributed across the UKOLN website. Topics covered include social networking services, digital preservation, metadata and supporting the user experience.
University's Carpenter House affected by explosion in Bath city centre
A fire in the SouthGate development site on Tuesday necessitated a number of buildings in the centre of Bath to be evacuated, including Carpenter House. Thank you to all those staff who stepped up to put contingency measures in place to support 'displaced' students.
Information
Message to staff from STA Travel shop
If you are a member of staff wishing to purchase a rail ticket, please skip the queue of people buying bus passes and a member of the STA team will deal with your request promptly.
Staff performance
New procedures have been introduced to deal with cases of sickness, or where performance falls below expected levels or there is misconduct:
- Sickness Absence Policy
- Poor performance resulting from a lack of skills, abilities or knowledge - Capability Procedure
- Behaviour breaching the rules of conduct expected by the University - Disciplinary Procedure
Enrol on a foreign language course - generous discounts for staff & students
The Foreign Languages Centre has started enrolling for its autumn term language courses on both the community and lunchtime programmes. Courses cater for complete beginners to proficient polyglots!
Blackwell opens temporary bookshop on campus
Blackwell has opened a temporary bookshop on campus until 7 November in 3West 2.8(a). It also offers a full online book ordering service with delivery to campus or a home address.
Jobs
Vacant posts: www.bath.ac.uk/jobs
In the media
- ICIA-sponsored choreographer Ben Wright was featured in one of a series of Channel 4 three minute documentaries about this year's The Place Prize for Dance commissioned choreographers. Ben Wright's new company bgroup will perform on campus as part of their first tour on 18 October.
Training opportunities
In-house:
- Mediation training - Info session 15 October
- Presentation skills - 24 October
External:
- Free training at Science Media Centre: Monday 29 September, 1-5pm, Royal Institution in London
A beginner’s guide to the way the UK news media works. Much of the tension between scientists and journalists is caused by a lack of mutual understanding and this event will give you an insight into a day in the life of a journalist. You will get a whistle-stop tour of news media, hearing from journalists, scientists and press officers. - Leadership Foundation course: Intro to project management 21 October
Conferences
University hosts conference on carbon footprinting
The Institute for Sustainable Energy & the Environment (I-SEE) and the School of Management’s Centre for Action Research in Professional Practice (CARPP) hosted a conference on carbon and environmental footprinting, on Tuesday, as part of the 'Sustaining Future Ecosystem Services – From Understanding to Action' lecture series. The seminar described the fundamentals of carbon footprinting, and featured the University’s Inventory of Carbon and Energy, a database used to determine the embodied energy and carbon of a large number of building materials.
University to host international meeting on ‘superbugs’
The Department of Biology & Biochemistry has been selected to host a large international symposium on the ‘superbug’ MRSA in 2010. This is the first time the meeting will be held in the UK.
Lectures
New programme of University Public Lectures
The initial programme for 2008/9 is now online. Members of the general public, staff and students are all very welcome to attend. More lectures will be added as details become available.
Free GULP lectures for autumn
The Large Hadron Collider, the decline in bee populations and Shakespeare’s sonnets are just some of the subjects that will be discussed in the latest series of free lectures run by the Division for Lifelong Learning.
The Division for Lifelong Learning is launching its latest series of lunchtime lectures to be held at Carpenter House. The theme for this term's lectures is 'Head, hand and heart – the Arts & Crafts Movement in Great Britain".
What's on next week
Tuesday 30
12:15 PM Eucharist
12:45 PM Oxfam Lunch
16:30 PM Political paradigms, innovation & sustainability
Wednesday 1 October
13:00 PM The future of books & bookselling
17:15 PM The rise of the Grid & the Large Hadron Collider
19:30 PM Postgraduate Welcome Party
Thursday 2
19:15 PM The last glaciers of the Brecon Beacons
Friday 3
12:15 PM William Morris: Protagonist of the Arts & Crafts Movement
Arts
Workshops and Classes
- ICIA and SU Arts Afternoon Arts Quad (by Arts Theatre) | Saturday 27 September | 12pm-7pm
Students and staff are welcome to come along and try out an arts activity this Saturday. Try out an ICIA class before you book or join a society. Activities include Belly Dancing, Flamenco, DJ Skills, Orchestra, Concert Band, Pop Choir, Ceramics, Painting and Photography. - Ceramics Taster Sessions Studio 2, ICIA Arts Complex | Saturday 4 October, 11am-1pm or 1.30pm-3.30pm
Learn some basic techniques, such as hand building and how to throw clay on the wheel to make pots. - Classes and workshops in music, dance and visual arts for all levels, start week of 6 October:
Music: DJ Skills, Bath University Big Band, Pop Choir
Dance: Contemporary, Street Dance, Jazz Dance, Ballet, Flamenco, Tap
Visual Arts: Ceramics, Drawing, Painting, Life Drawing, Stained Glass, Creative Sculpture, Botanical Illustration, Creative Digital Art, Photography, Portrait Studies, Pastel, Watercolour, Gouache & Oils.
Concerts and Performances
- Choral and Orchestral Society Freshers’ Concert ICIA Arts Theatre | Sunday 28 September 7.30pm
The University of Bath’s Philharmonic Orchestra, Concert Band and Choir join forces to welcome freshers to campus life. - Bath University Student Theatre My Mother Said I Never Should ICIA Arts Theatre | Thursday 2nd - Saturday 4th October, 7.30pm
One of the most popular plays of the 80s, this is an insightful look at four generations of women from the same family, as they try to cope with different problems of their own times.
Exhibitions
- Alison Marchant Charged Atmospheres | ICIA Art Space 1 | Till Friday 31 October
Alison Marchant’s fading photographs of once grand interiors, now abandoned and decaying, emphasise the passing of time.
Sport
First AASE students graduateThe first University of Bath-based students to successfully complete the pioneering Advanced Apprenticeships in Sporting Excellence (AASE) programme will graduate next week. The programme is designed to enable talented young athletes aged 16 to 18 to develop their sporting potential while continuing in education.
University of Bath players selected for Australian Youth Festival
Two University of Bath hockey players have been included in the men’s and women’s youth training squads in preparation for the 2009 Australian Youth Olympic Festival (AYOF):
Harriet Pearce, who is studying for a Foundation degree Sports Performance, has been named in the women’s squad,
and
Lewis Prosser, who will start the same course this year, is a member of the men’s squad.
Team Bath netballers thrash Welsh team
Team Bath’s netballers cruised to a resounding 90-19 victory against Wales at the Sports Training Village.
The game was the final opportunity for the entire squad to play together before the start of the 2008/09 Superleague season, which gets underway at the end of October.
Team Bath FC lie just a point off the top of the Blue Square South table after a comfortable 3-1 win away at Basingstoke last weekend.