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BGSU are on a Mission to Help the Humble Hedgehog
Members of Bishop Grosseteste University’s Students’ Union are on a mission to make the University’s campus a safe space for the Hedgehogs of Lincoln. Working alongside Hedgehog Friendly Campus, the British Hedgehog Preservation Society and BGU’s Estates Team they are planning a number of initiatives and activities to gain official accreditation as a ‘hedgehog-friendly’ campus. These include reducing the amount of litter and upgrading the green spaces on campus, as well as installing hedgehog houses, running fund-raising events and offering educational sessions on hedgehog welfare. Kaylee Hempenstall, Activities Officer at BGSU, is leading the project and explained why she felt it was important to get involved: “Now, more than ever, we need to be taking care of our planet, and this initiative will really help us to do our bit for the environment, all whilst protecting some of nature’s most vulnerable creatures. I put a motion to Student Council that BGU should work towards becoming hedgehog friendly after hearing about what the initiative does and how we can help – hedgehog population has fallen drastically in recent years, with a decline of up to 50% since the year 2000. The British Hedgehog Preservation Society developed the hedgehog-friendly campus campaign in a bid to bring hedgehog population numbers up, and keep them safe – and I think it’s a fantastic idea. BGU is already quite a green campus, with the potential to become the perfect habitat for hedgehogs! As well as helping hedgehogs, working towards hedgehog-friendly accreditation has so many other positive outcomes for the university and its students.” There are three levels to the hedgehog-friendly campus accreditation – Bronze, Silver, and Gold. If all goes well BGSU are hoping to have achieved Bronze status by December with a further goal reaching the additional levels in the future. To kickstart their work BGSU will including a collection of hedgehog themed questions in their weekly quiz (this Sunday on their Facebook page) and they plan to begin running webinars in the near future. You can keep up to date on their activities, and find out how you can get involved on their website. -
BGU Community Supporting Coronavirus PPE Efforts
Members of the Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) community have been working hard to support the County’s drive to get vital PPE to essential front line workers. Luke Pennington, Analyst Programmer at BGU, has been using the University’s 3D printer to create headbands to produce face shields for Health care workers. Although he wasn’t always the biggest fan of the process he was keen to support others when the opportunity arose: “I’m not really a fan of home 3D printing under normal circumstances as I think it raises a number of questions around the environment and the spread of plastics. However, I read in the press about home enthusiasts printing PPE kit for healthcare workers and realised the University’s 3D printer could be an excellent tool for supporting this. As an individual printer I wouldn’t be able to produce enough shields fast enough on my own my but I found a Lincoln group of volunteers coordinating supply and demand and got approval to join in. I have been printing for about 5 weeks now and have produced over 80 shields. The completed shields are sent onto the group which distributes them so I’m not involved directly in sending them out but my first batch went towards the East Midlands Ambulance Service, Lincoln County hospital, local care homes and A & E departments.” Lynne, from Flower Park Care Home, was one of the health care professionals to receive a face shield made by the volunteers and she was full of praise for the impact of their efforts: “It’s fantastic that the group have made these face shields and all of us at Flower Park care home are really grateful as we feel so much safer at work wearing them.” In addition BGU was approached by 3DCrowdUK which is a Non-Profit Voluntary Organisation set up to help provide PPE to NHS and Key Workers during this pandemic. The University’s Hardy Building has now been transformed into a logistics hub for Lincolnshire, collecting and redistributing PPE being manufactured to volunteers all over the county. Alongside BGU’s offer of facilities a number of its furloughed staff, particularly from the Estates team, are volunteering in various capacities from Hub Coordinator to logistics coordinators and drivers. -
A Message of Thanks to the BGU Community
Bishop Grosseteste University is aware of the ongoing press coverage regarding university students within the UK and is constantly monitoring the situation for our students. A small number of staff and students have reported symptoms and the University has ensured that each person has observed the required period of isolation in addition to arranging for a COVID-19 test. So far, we have not had any students or staff attending campus with a positive test result. We would like to thank our community of staff, students, and their families for their combined efforts to limit the spread of the virus, especially now that teaching has resumed. The Students’ Union has been pivotal in liaising with the student body to ensure that we collect and act upon feedback, and this will continue throughout this year. The University has put in place extensive measures to limit the spread of COVID-19, including enhanced cleaning regimes, increased handwashing and sanitising facilities, the wearing of face coverings and extensive signage to promote safe space and social distancing. We have provided clear guidance (see Working Together) on how we can all help each other to stay safe, socialising in groups of up to six and how to tell us if you need to self-isolate and / or get a test. Once you tell us then we will provide advice and support on learning and teaching, living in accommodation and well-being whilst you are self-isolating. We provide 24/7 mental health support to all students, and we encourage everyone who needs to, to use that facility and seek the support of staff including- Student Advice, Chaplaincy, the Students’ Union and tutors. BGU is proud of our community and we are aware that the current limited impact of the virus on campus is down to the responsible behaviour of everybody. Thank you for your help and support. The Reverend Canon Professor Peter Neil - Vice-Chancellor Erin Bell - President: Union Development -
Student teachers share good practice on reading
Three trainee teachers at Bishop Grosseteste University have had research projects on promoting reading to children shared on a national good practice website for educators. The Reading Rich Pedagogies website is designed to support teachers who are developing Reading for Pleasure in the classroom and now features projects from students Chloe Golland, Isobel Holmes and Amber Whiley who are all currently in their third year of the BA Primary Education with QTS course. All three began their projects as a result of attending the OU/UKLA's Teachers' Reading group run by Emma Rogers (BGU Senior lecturer in Education). Through attending these meetings they were able to audit their own practice, meet with teachers and discuss effective classroom strategies and develop their knowledge of children's books; experience would feed directly into their projects. Isabel’s project explored ‘Sharing Reading’ and speaking after its acceptance to the website she highlighted the impact the Reading Group had had on her: ““It was a really good opportunity to speak to other teachers and learn from their reading for pleasure practice. It was also a great way to develop my own practice and explore reading for pleasure in more depth. “ Chloe’s project, pictured above, provided an interactive display to encourage discussion around a number of subjects related to reading. She shared her thoughts on how the group and the project would benefit her future teaching: “It was an enjoyable and influential experience which encouraged me to develop my own reading for pleasure and develop strategies which I could utilize to promote it within my future placements and when I become a fully qualified NQT” ‘Raising the Profile of Reading for Pleasure’ was the focus of Amber’s project and she shared how the group encouraged her to further her research: “This was an interesting, beneficial and inspiring group which has encouraged me to increase my own subject knowledge on reading and inspired me to research more into this area of education” Having led the group Emma Rogers was delighted to see the students’ efforts gaining national recognition: “This has been a great opportunity to showcase and celebrate the students' hard work and commitment to developing reading for Pleasure and great preparation for their careers in Primary education.” To find out how you can create your own successes in our collaborative learning community, visit our website, speak to a member of our Enquiries Team or join us on one of our Open Days. -
How Research is Driving Innovation in Health Care at BGU
At Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) we’re proud to offer a diverse range of health care related courses designed to train and upskill at all levels, be they budding professionals or seasoned practitioners. Innovation is the driving force of these courses, particularly the MA Health and Social Care Leadership along with the MSc Primary and Community Care, which look to explore opportunities to take the health care profession to a new level. -
Guest speakers share valuable international and cross-cultural experience with Business students
Students on the BA Business course at Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) have welcomed a number of exciting guest speakers for virtual sessions that provided invaluable experience and helped bring theory to life. Over the past few weeks the students and their lecturers have embraced the unusual challenges presented by the ongoing pandemic by meeting virtually with a range of speakers including Susan Marot, whose work for ChargePoint has given her a strong background in managing teams across countries and cultures along with an understanding of employer expectations at an international level, Paula Short, who, having created her own product to bring customers to her Lincolnshire based salon, now sells across the world and Lisa Fleming who shared her experiences of launching a business during the pandemic. Karen Locking, Visiting Tutor for Business at BGU, has led on organising the speakers and she explained what made their time with the students so important: “All of the speakers we’ve welcomed recently have offered fantastic opportunities for both our students and our teaching. Their experiences give life to the theory we present to the students and show what we’re teaching is genuinely possible to achieve. For our students it not only increases their experiences but helps them to build confidence talking to, and sharing their ideas with, business professionals” Karen’s feedback was shared by Chelsea, one of the students taking part in the sessions, who discussed how they would help her in her future plans: “I really enjoyed having relevant guest speakers within this module, it really has made me feel confident with graduating with my business idea next year! Hearing and learning from real-life experts within the business industry made it a valuable experience for understanding how a business can evolve, especially during the current time.” Lauren was another student who took part, she was particularly impressed by the quality and diversity of the speakers: "I thought the guest speakers you got were very informative and equipped us with knowledge of business in the real world. I liked that you had found people not only from the UK but other countries which gave us a deeper insight into the international business environment." To find out how you can create your own successes in our collaborative learning community, visit our website, speak to a member of our Enquiries Team or join us on one of our Open Days. Alternatively, if you’re a business or entrepreneur interested in sharing your experiences with our students, please email becky.goodman@bishopg.ac.uk -
Remembering 2020 at BGU - March: BGU Student Projects Gain National Recognition
While 2020 has been a far from normal year at BGU, we’ve still been able to celebrate a wide range of successes and achievements from across our learning community. To mark the end of the year we’re picking out our favourite stories from each month to share with you. -
Remembering 2020 at BGU - August: Happy, Employable Graduates
While 2020 has been a far from normal year at BGU, we’ve still been able to celebrate a wide range of successes and achievements from across our learning community. To mark the end of the year we’re picking out our favourite stories from each month to share with you. -
New article highlights fathers' experiences of caring for a child with a life-limiting illness
Academics from Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) have worked with colleagues in the NHS to publish an article highlighting fathers' experiences of caring for a child with a life-limiting illness. The article, ‘A meta-ethnographic study of fathers’ experiences of caring for a child with a life-limiting illness’, systematically explores the literature on fathers’ experiences of caring for a child with a life-limiting condition. Using a meta-ethnographic approach, the study synthesised qualitative evidence to shed light on fathers’ experiences, as the often-forgotten parent in a field of research that has predominantly focussed on the mothers’ narrative. Findings revealed that fathers’ caregiving experiences are still shaped by assumptions about masculinity and fatherhood within medical care institutions, and they often feel disconnected from and side-lined by health professionals. Fathers’ responsibilities in caring for their ill children and supporting the family unit as a whole are often under-represented in paediatric palliative care research and clinical settings, and this study highlighted the multitude of difficult emotions and devastation that fathers experience at their child’s circumstances. Led by Gianina Postavaru, who is a Lecturer in Psychology and has a background in health psychology, the study highlighted a number of important findings that can inform the types and frequency of support that health professionals provide during the illness journey. These findings will be presented at two conferences this year: 2021 Qualitative Health Research Network Conference, University College London (17-19 March) and Chronic Living quality, vitality and health in the 21st century: an international conference, University of Copenhagen, Denmark, 23-25 April. Findings will also be disseminated to the Bereavement and Loss subgroup, as part of the NHS CHAIN on 28th January. Gianina has also been invited by Kasia Figiel, the Senior Commissioning Editor for SAGE Research Methods (SAGE Publishing) to contribute a filmed dissemination of the research on 12th January 2021. Co-authors of the article included Helen Swaby, Lecturer for the undergraduate Counselling Programmes and MSc Mental Health, Wellbeing and Resilience at BGU and Dr Rabbi Swaby, Paediatric Registrar, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust. The full article is available to access by clicking here. To find out how you can create your own successes in our collaborative learning community, visit our website, speak to a member of our Enquiries Team or join us on one of our Open Days. -
Online software offers an ‘Evolution’ in learning for Entrepreneurship students
Although for some the COVID lockdown has created feelings of isolation and disconnect, it has provided the Team Entrepreneurship (TE) students at Bishop Grosseteste University the opportunity to trial world-class simulation software that allows remotely and virtually 'run' an entire company. The software, called ‘Evolution’ allows participants to 'take over' a virtual company which has a trading history, product in development, staff and premises. As its new managers, they must use all of the information available to them in order to make decisions that affect staff, buildings, raw materials, sales and ultimately profitability, running the company over a number of virtual years. As in real life, all decisions impact on profitability and bad decision can have an adverse effect. Senior Lecturer Chris Jackson discusses how the software, created by a York based company called Simventure, became an invaluable tool on the course: "I had come across their product online while researching materials for both the TE course and the new MSc International Business and noticed that it's used globally by some big business schools. I wanted to know more, so I just picked up the phone and struck up a conversation with the company. It turns out that their CEO and I share similar backgrounds and are pretty passionate about entrepreneurship. The programme seems a perfect fit for the MSc, where we'll now be using it as the backbone of one module." "With the continuation of lockdown after Christmas, we realised that there was a possibility that Team Entrepreneurship students could struggle to create the learning experiences needed for them to be able to complete assignments - the Evolution programme seemed to be a perfect compromise, and we'll be introducing this to our learners in the next few weeks.". "We want to keep our students' learning as real as possible while encouraging them to try new strategies and tactics. Of course, things may go wrong, but then unlike real life, Evolution has 'pause' and 'rewind' features!" Alongside this, students are currently testing their business thinking and planning capabilities by using another online tool called Validate. Not only can this be accessed remotely, but it encourages learners to share their work with their peers and with supervisors. It doesn’t take students long to realise that the answers that they are looking for are neither in their heads of in text books - by gamifying their learning they are challenged to take their thinking outside of the classroom. Unlike many traditional models of venture creation, Validate also features sustainability in the initial stages and challenges the learner to map their thinking to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s). Now also introduced as an integral part of future business courses, this is another way in which BGU can combine ethical and sustainable thinking in our programmes. If you'd be interested in experiencing a 'virtual' business experience for your students or staff, you can contact Chris Jackson at chris.jackson@bishopg.ac.uk. To find out how you can create your own successes in our collaborative learning community, visit our website, speak to a member of our Enquiries Team or join us on one of our Open Days. Image credit (©Simventure)
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