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Lecturers Swapping Lecterns for Laughs
Stand-up comedians often make jokes about politics, their childhood or everyday observations – but a new breed of comic is getting laughs out of academic research. Bright Club is a nationwide project to turn academics into comedians, and Bishop Grosseteste University is the latest institution to join in the fun. BGU will host its first Bright Club event at its Curiositea café on Thursday 12th May. Compered by professional comedian Simon Bligh, the evening will feature comic turns by education experts, drama tutors and even the university’s chaplain! “Academics are notoriously solitary creatures, and while they’re used to presenting their research at conferences this is a chance for them to put across the research they’re doing in a much more fun and inspired way,” said Elinor Vettraino, a business and enterprise academic at BGU who is organising the event. “Bright Club began life at University College London and it occurred to me that it’s an interesting way of engaging people within the BGU community to share practice and learning while having a fun evening.” At the BGU event next week former Perrier Award nominee and Time out Comedian of the Year Simon Bligh will introduce participants including: Dr Julia Lindley-Baker Academic Co-ordinator, Special Educational Needs, Disability & Inclusion The Reverend Dr Peter Green University Chaplain Graham Meeson Head of School of Humanities Dr Dennis Eluyefa Senior Lecturer in Drama Elinor Vettraino Academic Co-ordinator, Business & Enterprise “To prepare our budding stand-ups who are treading the boards for this first pilot experience Simon has held two training sessions,” said Elinor. “But the idea is that it’s a risk, and at the same time it’s great fun. It’s helps lecturers, whose job it is to engage with students and get their message across, to make their repertoire more versatile.” Tickets for the event cost £5 on the door (£2 for students) at Curiositea and are open to members of the public as well as to BGU staff and students. Doors open at 7pm and the event starts at 7.30pm on Thursday 12th May. Universities involved in Bright Club include Cambridge, Oxford, Leicester, Loughborough, Manchester, St Andrews, Belfast and Bristol. To find out more about Bright Club visit https://brightclub.org/ -
BGU Barista is Full of Beans
Making an excellent espresso or a classy cappuccino is all in a day’s work for Dominic Desforges, who will be pitting his barista skills against the best next week. Dominic (23), who works as a barista at the Curiositea café at Bishop Grosseteste University, has been selected to compete in the Barista Skills Challenge at this year’s TUCO Competitions at Warwick University on Monday 21st and Tuesday 22nd March. The 15-minute live competition will test the candidates’ skills in producing espresso, cappuccino and their own signature drinks which they have to discuss and present as they prepare them. Dominic recently attended an advanced barista development course in Bologna, Italy, and will be up against 27 other top baristas from universities across the UK. “I’ve been a barista for four years but I wasn’t very good at it when I first started,” he said. “My boss at The Showroom in Lincoln could do a pattern on top of the coffee, which intrigued me, so I started practising and went to different cafés to see how it was done. “To be a good barista you need interest and dedication as there’s a lot of science and hard work behind it.” Next week’s event will be the first barista competition Dominic has taken part in. “I’m feeling fairly confident but also a bit nervous about it,” he said. “For my speciality drink I’ll be making a chilled cocktail stretched with a simple syrup with hints of lemon and orange, so I hope it goes well!” John Hodson, Operations Manager at BG (Lincoln) Ltd, added: “We are really thrilled that Dom will be representing us at this years’ TUCO competitions – good luck Dom, give it your best!” Curiositea is Bishop Grosseteste University’s Alice in Wonderland themed café on campus which is open to the public. TUCO is the leading professional membership body for in-house caterers operating in the higher and further education sector. -
Eye-opening trip to India for BGU’s Theology Students
Fourteen Theology students from Bishop Grosseteste University and three members of staff have just returned from the university’s latest visit to India. The aim of the 2016 Theology Trip was to experience Indian religion and culture at first hand, supporting modules on the degree course which reference Asian beliefs and culture. Because many of the students plan to be teachers the group also visited schools and universities, including those linked to BGU in a formal partnership. The students also spent some time working with students from three colleges in the Tirunelveli area with which BGU has formal links: St John’s College, St John’s College of Education and Sarah Tucker College. “ These visits to India provide our students with a direct experience of Indian religion and culture, which they have studied in lectures and texts at BGU but which they need to actually experience in order to fully understand,” said Mark Plater, Lecturer and Subject Co-ordinator for PGCE Secondary Religious Education at BGU. “ Our visits include first-hand experiences of religion in the community and culture and visits to a range of educational contexts, including local and international schools, centres for special needs and higher education institutions. “ Apart from the more obvious educational benefits, these experiences also confront students with the challenges of developing countries, encouraging them to consider bigger questions about what is most significant in life and the limits of our own habits and assumptions.” The annual visit took place from 23rd February until 3rd March 2016. Highlights included being blessed by an elephant at Meenakshi Temple in Madurai, visiting the children at SDETland, and spending time with Indian students in Tirunelveli. -
City Universities to Clash in Historic Football Match
Lincoln’s two universities will do battle on the football pitch in a new challenge cup competition this month. The inaugural Cathedral Cup match between BGU and the University of Lincoln will take place on Wednesday 10th February under lights at Sincil Bank, home of Lincoln City FC. Organisers hope the game will become an annual fixture. “The footballing gap between the two universities has significantly reduced over recent years, and the University of Lincoln's first team were impressed by our standard this year, so we decided to stage the first competitive fixture between the two universities,” said Callum Ward, President of the BGU Football Society and a former youth team player at Lincoln City. “This game will hopefully develop into an annual fixture and be the students' sporting spectacle that the city craves so much! We aspire to get as many people in attendance as possible because it will be an unforgettable event for all involved,” Callum added. Dr Graham Basten, Head of the School of Social Sciences at BGU, commented: “We’re looking forward to the match next month, which will be a coming of age for our rapidly improving football team. “The fixture will also be an opportunity to showcase our partnership with Lincoln City, which goes far beyond shirt sponsorship and provides opportunities for engagement between the club and our students at many different levels. We work closely with Lincoln City on a number of initiatives, including Football in the Community work, placement opportunities for BGU students and partnerships between the football club and BGU's sports courses. We also work with the Lincoln City Sport and Education Trust to support its work with children and young people in the local area.” University of Lincoln’s Men’s Football President Will Fry added: “It’s taken a lot of hard work by me, Callum Ward and Lincoln City. We are looking forward to a huge event that will hopefully become an annual fixture and draw the students and the city closer together. “It’s huge for the football club to run what has the potential to be the biggest student event in the city.” The match will kick off at 7.45pm on Wednesday 10th February at Sincil Bank. Tickets cost £3 and are available at the Students’ Union at both universities. Bishop Grosseteste University Bishop Grosseteste University was established in January 1862 and celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2012 It is an independent higher education institution based in Lincoln which awards its own degrees at foundation, undergraduate and postgraduate level It changed its name from Bishop Grosseteste University College to Bishop Grosseteste University in November 2012 BGU has over 2,300 students, including undergraduate, postgraduate and research, with over 280 students at collaborative partners across Lincolnshire In 2015 BGU was the second highest ranked university in the UK for employability with almost 99% of our leavers in work or study six months after graduating (2013/14 DLHE) BGU is a main club sponsor and the home shirt sponsor of Lincoln City FC and has has its own sports and leisure facilities as well as a cinema (The Venue) on campus, all open to the public University of Lincoln The University of Lincoln was named among the UK's best modern universities in the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2016. It has some of the most satisfied students in the UK, rating in the top 25% nationally in a number of subject areas of the National Student Survey 2015 with Psychology ranked number one It is recognised for its pioneering approach to working with employers, winning a Lord Stafford Award and a Times Higher Education Award. Graduate prospects are strong with nine out of ten of Lincoln’s most recent graduates in work or further study six months after finishing their course In the Research Excellence Framework 2014, more than half of our submitted research was judged to be internationally excellent or world leading, with Lincoln ranked in the UK’s top 10 for quality of research outputs in two major subject areas -
BGU’s Teacher Training Praised by Ofsted
Bishop Grosseteste University’s teacher training partnership has been praised by Ofsted for making “an important contribution to the recruitment, selection and supply of teachers to local schools and the wider region”. The inspectors found that high-quality training, provided through effective partnership between the university and schools, “ensures that teachers trained by the university present as confident and effective practitioners, who are valued by their employing schools”. Trainee outcomes, the quality of training and the overall effectiveness of the partnership in securing consistently high-quality outcomes were all graded as good in primary, early years and secondary programmes. The two-stage Ofsted inspection took place in June and December 2015 and the report was published today (26th January 2016). The report praises BGU’s “vision for continuous improvement” and “involvement in current educational research”, keeping the historic institution at forefront of teacher education and recruitment. As a member of the prestigious Cathedrals Group of universities, BGU has a warm, caring ethos. The inspectors recognised this, commenting that across all phases “the partnership provides trainees with very high-quality levels of pastoral care and support”. Inspectors found that the institution, which has been training teachers for over 150 years, continues to lead developments through cutting-edge educational research: “University tutors’ involvement in current educational research provides a sharp edge to the training programme,” they said. Trainee teachers are also involved in research, and experience “good levels of coherence between the courses taught at the university and the school-based experiences”. These connections between theory and practice led inspectors to comment on “trainees’ useful research projects”, arguing that “the consistently good quality of this training is evidenced in extremely thorough audits, varied and interesting assignments”. “We are very pleased with the inspection judgements, which all mirror our own self-evaluation,” said Dr Nick Gee, Head of the School of Teacher Development at BGU. “We are particularly delighted by the recognition given to our excellent pastoral support, the full involvement of our partnership, the embedding of research within our training and the strength of leadership and management throughout all levels of provision.” Key findings in the report are: Leaders in all phases share a common vision for continuous improvement. Team-working within each phase leadership team and across the entire partnership leadership team is a strength. Together, all leaders demonstrate the capacity for further improvement. The partnership makes an important contribution to the recruitment, selection and supply of teachers to local schools and the wider region. The partnership provides trainees with very high-quality levels of pastoral care and support. Visit the Ofsted website. -
BGU Backs Campaign to Attract New RE Teachers
There’s a national shortage of specialist RE teachers in the UK, but Bishop Grosseteste University in Lincoln is bucking the trend. So far this year offers made for places on the secondary PGCE in RE at BGU are up by a quarter compared to the same time last year. Nevertheless, the university is still backing a campaign to encourage graduates and career changers to train as RE teachers. The ‘Beyond the Ordinary’ campaign is being led by the Religious Education Council of England and Wales (REC). Supported by universities and colleges that offer specialist RE PGCE courses, it highlights the benefits of a career in RE teaching and raises awareness of the availability of bursaries to cover training costs. RE specialists do not need to have a theology degree – the PGCE course is open to graduates from a variety of academic disciplines and from diverse backgrounds. Becky Geeson, Admissions Tutor for RE teaching courses at BGU, said: “We have increased the number of RE places available on our secondary PCCE programme this year, and this continues to be a very popular course. “So far we have offered RE places to over 25% more people than at the end of last year, and we still have places available and welcome further applications. “RE covers issues that dominate the news agenda every day, making it very exciting to teach. It takes teachers and students beyond the ordinary as together they unpick the facts from the fiction. “RE lessons always spark a reaction, and debates will go on among the students well beyond the timetabled lesson, into the school corridors and playground.” Roxanne Fearns, Head of Religious Studies at Lincoln Christ’s Hospital School, qualified as a teacher at BGU – as did her entire RE department of four teachers! ““I love my job – what other subject allows you to enable young people to think and reflect about the world around them and develop their appreciation of different beliefs, religions and practices and the part they play in the today’s diverse world?” she said. “At a time when religion is often misunderstood it’s important for young people to be able to study RE in order to increase awareness of different beliefs. Because the media sometimes portrays negative images of religion we need teachers who can present a different view. “The PGCE at BGU equips you to be able to engage and enthuse young people into the study of religion and philosophy and to develop their critical thinking skills. “The university has really good links with schools, so trainee teachers can spend more time in school. Some training establishments just ask schools if they will take a student, but BGU specifically picks schools based on how highly they rate the department.” School statistics show that demand for Religious Education continues to rise: RE A-level entries have more than doubled since 2003, while at GCSE stage full course entries increased by 19% between 2012 and 2014. -
BGU Seeks Future Research Leaders
Bishop Grosseteste University in Lincoln is seeking six future research leaders to take up six full-time PhD studentships starting in spring 2016. As part of its ongoing strategy to increase its research activity, BGU will award the studentships to six candidates who can demonstrate their academic achievement and future research potential. The successful students will have the opportunity to work alongside BGU’s world-leading academics for up to four years. Studentships are being offered in two areas: Education and Related Studies, and Health, Social Care, Psychology and Wellbeing. The former will look at topics such as children’s spirituality, global issues in early childhood education and care, and enterprise education, while the latter will consider such subjects as human nutrition, psychosocial cancer care, and sleep, memory and dreaming. “We are looking to attract candidates with the ambition and ability to launch their research careers at Bishop Grosseteste University,” said Professor David Rae, Executive Dean for Research & Knowledge Exchange at BGU. “This is the first major investment by the university in developing its PhD programme by funding four-year studentships across areas of research excellence, and we plan to grow our involvement in research and innovation with further commitments in the future.” BGU will provide each successful student with a bursary and payment of their tuition fees for PhD study at the university. The PhD will be awarded by the University of Leicester under its validation partnership with BGU. The minimum entry requirement for a research degree programme is an upper second-class honours degree, or an equivalent overseas qualification, in a relevant subject. These studentships are restricted to applicants with citizenship in the United Kingdom and European Union. For more information and how to apply, please click here. -
BGU Commits to Greater Public Engagement
To demonstrate its commitment to engaging with the wider community, Bishop Grosseteste University in Lincoln has joined the National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement (NCPPE) and signed up to its manifesto. The move is part of BGU’s wider stakeholder engagement work which forms an important part of the university’s five-year strategy. The term ‘public engagement’ describes the many ways in which higher education, learning experiences and research can be shared with the general public. The NCPPE says public engagement “is by definition a two-way process, involving interaction and listening, with the goal of generating mutual benefit.” The Reverend Canon Prof Peter Neil, Vice Chancellor of BGU, commented: “I am very pleased that Bishop Grosseteste University has now signed up to the NCCPE’s Manifesto for Public Engagement. “This is a reflection of our long-term public engagement strategy and of our continuing dedication to our various communities. I am looking forward to encouraging further public engagement efforts by the university and all its members.” BGU has been increasing its investment in staff volunteering, which builds on the successes of its existing student volunteering scheme. High levels of student volunteering have helped BGU to establish itself amongst the top three universities for employability in the whole of UK, as seen from the latest Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education (DLHE) survey published by HESA, the Higher Education Statistics Agency. BGU also offers public lectures on campus and innovative skills development courses ranging from journalism to paediatric first aid and from writing skills courses to Makaton. The university’s enterprise incubation centre, BG Futures, plays an important role in engaging with the business community and the campus hosts regular national and international conferences. -
Big Issue Founder to Speak at Lincoln Conference
Lord John Bird, founder of The Big Issue, will be the keynote speaker at a conference in Lincoln next month which will help school leaders to improve the emotional wellbeing of young people. Think2Speak LIVE at Bishop Grosseteste University on Thursday 13th October is the first conference of its kind to be organised by Think2Speak, a community interest company based at BG Futures at BGU. The company and the conference aim to show those who work with young people how they can support their emotional wellbeing and understand the impact and value of doing so. Think2Speak, set up by Lizzie Jordan and Naomi Watkins, provides workshops, advice and consultancy to support schools where young people are affected by issues surrounding matters such as self-harm, suicide, HIV, domestic abuse, puberty, LGBT and mental health. John Bird, who was brought up in an orphanage, served time in a young offenders’ institution and often slept rough in London as a young man, will share his story and describe how his childhood and those he met influenced his life. “Staff in many schools have difficult conversations with young people that could be handled much better,” said Lizzie. “When schools ask for help we go in to support the senior management team, the teachers and the pupils with a range of services, including training, workshops, counselling and advocacy. “Our inaugural one-day conference is all about discussing the difficulties schools are facing, the benefits to the whole school for investing in emotional wellbeing, and signposting staff to the support that’s available.” In the morning there will be a series of short, focused TED-style talks covering the personal impact, the academic perspective and the school experience of the value of investing in emotional wellbeing of students, young people and the wider community. In the afternoon delegates will go back to the classroom to participate in a series of bookable workshops on topics including domestic abuse, puberty, HIV, suicide and self-harm. The sessions will make use of combinations of teacher training and demonstrations of the student workshops available to both primary and secondary schools. Simon Blake, Chief Executive of the National Union of Students, will also give a presentation on the day. Think2Speak LIVE is free of charge for senior leaders working in education. This includes head teachers, assistant heads, principals, deputies, business managers, heads of department of schools, colleges and universities, and heads of local authority education departments, national curriculum and government-funded education organisations. Limited paid for tickets are available – details are available at https://www.think2speak.com/think2speak-live/ -
It’s Not Too Late to Apply to BGU
If you’re considering applying to university for this September, or if you didn’t get the A-level results you expected, it’s not too late to apply through Clearing. That’s the message from Bishop Grosseteste University which has recently been ranked second highest public university in England for student satisfaction in the National Student Survey. The results published on Wednesday (10th August) show that 92% of BGU students are satisfied with their university experience – that’s 7% higher than last year’s score and 6% higher than the sector average.The admissions team at BGU in Lincoln is on hand to deal with enquiries during Clearing, which begins on Thursday 18th August when students across the country will receive their A-level results. The call centre will be open from 8am until 6pm on both Thursday 18th August and Friday 19th August and the number to call is 01522 583698. Prospective students can also visit the university at an open day on Friday 19th August from 10am until 5pm. The day provides an opportunity to see what Bishop Grosseteste University has to offer, take a minibus tour of Lincoln and speak to staff and students about courses and life as a student. “A-level results week can be a stressful and worrying time for students and their families, but remember that we are here to help and advise whatever your situation,” said Karen Richardson, Head of Student Recruitment and Admissions at BGU. “It’s always a busy period for us but as always we will do our best to ensure that students are not left worried or uncertain about their place at university.” Case study: Glen Hughes An Education Studies and Psychology student who was looking for a new career challenge and applied to Bishop Grosseteste University in Lincoln through Clearing has graduated with an honours degree. Now he’s aiming to continue his education by studying for a master's degree in Forensic Psychology at the University of Lincoln. Glen Hughes (25) was disillusioned with his job as a carer and convinced Olivia Sagan, Academic Co-ordinator for Psychology at BGU, to offer him a place. He graduated with a BA (Hons) degree in Education Studies and Psychology on Wednesday 20th July. “I was pretty bored with my job and I rang up not expecting a place,” said Glen. “When I spoke to Olivia she gave me a place and I was like, what is going on here? I don’t think it really dawned on me that I was actually going to university! “My advice to anyone contemplating going to university through Clearing is: don’t hold back, just do it. When I contacted BGU I was bored out of my mind and they gave me what I needed.” Glen, from Bracebridge Heath near Lincoln, has been involved in a number of roles at BGU that help promote both the Education Studies and Psychology courses; he worked as a student ambassador and is now interning for Olivia and helping with her research projects. Before entering Clearing Glen studied for a BTEC in Health and Social Care at Andover College. He then moved to Lincoln and was a carer with Bupa for two years. Top Tips for Clearing If you’ve just got your A-level results and you’re not sure what to do next, consult Karen Richardson’s handy set of tips for students who will be entering the Clearing system: Don’t panic! If you stay calm you’re more likely to take in all the information you need to succeed. If your grades fall short, wait for that important acceptance/rejection indication on Track before you put yourself into Clearing. You never know – your first-choice university might still accept you. Don’t give up! You may well get a place on a similar course that’s just as good – but you’ll need to shop around. Don’t rush your decision. The UCAS system doesn’t even let you trigger the formal process of accepting a Clearing place until 5pm on results day, so you have the chance to shop around. Be realistic. If you’ve seriously blown it then think hard about re-sits or another course altogether – you can always re-apply next time around. UCAS is offering a free (for landlines) Exam Results Service on 0808 100 8000 where trained, professional careers advisers will be available to give help and advice. Be prepared to make lots of phone calls and to be persistent! Keep your nerve – you may need all your negotiating skills to persuade an academic that they should take you on. Enlist the support of friends and family – keep them informed, as they’ll be a great help to you when you have to make that difficult final decision. Be prepared to explain to universities why you didn’t do as well as you hoped in your exams – and be honest. If you don’t get the grades you need it’s not the end of the world – there are plenty of other opportunities to consider.
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