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“Amazing” Carers’ Initiatives Earn “Well Deserved” Awards for BGU
Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) is delighted to announce that its Health and Social Care team and wider community have successfully been accredited with the Lincolnshire Carers Quality Awards for providing outstanding support for Carers at the University. -
Explore Death, Grief and Medieval Beliefs on the Second 2020 Death and Dying Conference Weekend
Split over two weekends, the annual Death and Dying Conference at Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) aims to provide a forum where emotionally draining or difficult to discuss topics can be shared and explored with both respect and understanding. -
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 -
Enabling Gender Equality in Leadership: an exploration of leadership and self-awareness at Bishop Grosseteste University
Thomasin Nicholds, Lecturer in Psychology at Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU), has been successful in leading a cross University application to the Church University Fund, which will provide funding for a two year project to develop further understanding of leadership and gender. Through this research project the University will be better placed to promote inclusion, enable shared learning and knowledge transfer. Thomasin’s successful bid utilizes a cross-university approach to develop dialogue, and develop an understanding of the experiences of leaders in our campus community. Speaking after the successful application Thomasin discussed some of the project's aims: "The project will provide a programme of activities to raise awareness, share learning and promote progress, using Community Participatory Action Research. The University Chaplaincy is central to Bishop Grosseteste University’s ethos and identity and the project presents an opportunity to place our Church University status at the heart of our development, by working with the wider University community in our understanding of diversity and leadership" The research team lead by Thomasin Nicholds comprises Dr Sue Becker, Dr Jonathan Wainwright and a new student researcher role (applications for which can be made here). A Steering Group is being established and will have representation from within the University and externally. The funder has encouraged that the project is shared nationally across the Cathedral Universities group and wider Higher Education and non-academic contexts. 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. -
New Toolkit Aims to Help Students Build Resilience
by Linette Wallace - CELT Coordinator Student mental health and wellbeing have been of national focus for some time especially due to the growing rise in student mental ill-health in Higher Education (HE). With the recognition of this growing area of concern, positive interest in student resilience by the sector is on the rise. As a result, resilience and its associated characteristics are starting to inform several crucial HE interventions alongside the student experience; from peer learning to graduate attributes and curriculum design. At Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU), the health, wellbeing and employability of our students are key considerations and our aim is to nurture strong, independent learners that develop into rounded individuals that can contribute positively to society. Whilst we do not dispute the need for additional counselling and specialist support where required, the BGU community have felt a more proactive, preventative approach must be a better way forward for students rather than waiting for any crisis point to be reached. Hence, we are delighted to announce that through the work of the Wellbeing Framework Steering Group and CELT, BGU students will now have access to an online Resilience Toolkit from mid-September 2020. This dovetails with a raft of other wellbeing support mechanisms we have in place for our students across campus, such as Student Advice and the Chaplaincy for example. The toolkit advocates a positive, proactive approach to resilience by providing students with key information, activities, mindfulness techniques, resources, and links to further areas of support. It has been designed so that students can use it as frequently as they wish and access it with ease, as it sits on the Virtual Learning Environment (BlackBoard) and is linked to/from many course and generalist areas. As is widely known, student retention, success and graduate outcomes are intrinsically linked to learners successfully overcoming any barriers that they face to achievement in HE, such as stress and anxiety. By utilising some of the tools on the toolkit, it is hoped, that students can improve upon their growth mindset which is crucial to the development and maintenance of their resilience. This, in turn, can help them optimise any conditions they face and any environment in which they are situated. Central to having this growth mindset, is the student’s ability to embrace and learn from failure and it can be argued that the concept of them acquiring grit, resilience and delayed gratification are all pivotal in them being able to set goals and develop a sense of comfort in waiting for longer-term results to be achieved. The toolkit is being added to on an ongoing basis and houses some free e-books, embedded video content, and will promote events/talks/online courses in the subject area. If you would like further information, or would like to share any resources that you feel will enhance the toolkit, please send information into CELT@bishopg.ac.uk. -
Christmas at BGU – Bringing Cheer and Raising Funds
By Linette Wallace, CELT Coordinator Support and activities for Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) students over the festive period looked slightly different this year due to the second national lockdown and the staggering of students leaving the campus earlier than normal and focusing on remote learning. However, to ensure the safety and welfare of our students, (some of whom still remained on campus during the holiday period) a suite of activities and support were put in place to help people not feel isolated and so that they could access key advice and assistance should they have needed it. Prior to the Christmas break, the University started on-campus Lateral Flow Testing for both students and staff. This helped to ensure that students could be tested for COVID-19 and protect themselves and their families as much as possible by having the required amount of self-isolation time if applicable before returning home for the holiday period. Whilst the campus was closed, the security team were present on-site 24/7 and accommodation and Chaplaincy staff also provided support. The Students’ Union continued to add wellbeing advice to their social media pages throughout the season and students could continue to access a range of resources and advice through the Student Advice Centre and via the Health Assured service BGU have put in place so that students can access wellbeing advice 24 hours a day. All BGU students have access to the Resilience Toolkit which is situated on their virtual learning environment and provides a raft of information on stress/resilience and mindfulness. In addition, goodie bags containing a range of treats were delivered to International and Erasmus students living on campus and small, potted Christmas trees were also delivered to some of these students living off-campus so that they could make their environments as homely as possible. To help engage with and safeguard students who were away from family and friends during the holiday period, staff at BGU organised online chit-chats, door step meets, organised walks and a remote virtual ‘Escape Room’ game. Students, some of whom were resident on campus and some who still participated after securing a flight home, worked together to answer a range of challenges and puzzles to advance through the game and solve the conundrum. The Escape Room was hosted by Macmillan Cancer Support and donations were made to the charity of £160.56 including Gift Aid to support the event. 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. -
Perceptions of Death in Collective Memory: Numbers | Spaces | Texts
Perceptions of Death in Collective Memory: Numbers | Spaces | Texts Project & Collaboration Dr Sibylle Erle, FRSA, FHEA (Reader in English Literature), Bishop Grosseteste University, Lincoln Dr Makrina Agaoglou (Postdoctoral Researcher), Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Institute of Mathematical Sciences (ICMAT), Madrid Sophie Ungerer, FHEA, ARB (Senior Lecturer & Architect), University of Brighton Phase 1: Completed. We have submitted a proposal to present our work at Academic and Creative Responses to Death and Dying, organised by the Chaplaincy at BGU. Phase 2: Collaboration This collaborative project has been an inspiring journey into new territory for all three if us, bringing together a mathematician, an architect and myself, a Reader in English Literature. I am still scared of numbers, but I am getting better at reading graphs and listening to my colleagues. This collaboration has brought us together. We started breaking down complex ideas for each other and in return learned to look at our disciplines from a new angle. We are not afraid to push back and insist on what we feel passionate above. We are now playing to our strengths, and we are having fun! Why collaborate? I work on William Blake and my chosen field of research is well established. I enjoy trying to break new ground and make new connections between ideas and different fields of research. I am good at making connections between ideas that might seem unexpected but often flourish. I am also good at underestimating myself. When things go wrong, sometimes it is difficult to draw a line (let go) and move on. To make it work there needs to be openness and respect between colleagues, trust in cooperation, determination, focus, persistence, and excellence. As we are moving into the second phase of our project, I am excited to explore where our collaboration will take us as a team and me personally. At BGU Blake and Death are taught as part of the Romanticism, Young Adult and Children’s Literature modules (Undergraduate English Programmes – joined and single honours) and the MA Children’s Literature and Literacies strand of the MA English Literature. -
Carers Week at BGU
In celebration of Carers Week (6-12 June), BGU is sharing the ways we support our staff and student caring community. -
Teaching Internationally student reflects on time at BGU
In her last week of study in the UK, Marie Janke looked back at her term at Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) and reflected on what she's learnt from the experience. Marie came to Lincoln in January 2023 from Germany, ready to study at BGU. The University welcomed Marie as the institution's first participant in Teaching Internationally, a project aiming to promote and expand the international mobility of student teachers. Marie started her studies in Teaching English and Fine Art at University of Greifswald in the north of her home country. Currently in her third year, Marie will study for a total of six and a half years before qualifying as a teacher. Marie said: "As part of my training, I have to spend time training in a country with English as its first language. I'd already completed a gap year in Australia so I was used to being away from home. "I want as much experience as possible before starting my teaching career, and it was really interesting to train at BGU and understand how different countries approach teaching differently, both in terms of what I was being taught and how I was being taught. "Moving to a university with an established infrastructure made the transition pretty easy. The accommodation is on campus and there's lots of support and help if you need it. The course structure and daily routine at BGU was completely different to what I was used to, but I adjusted to the new system with the support of my tutors. I made use of CELT and Student Advice, which were great resources available to students, and also enjoyed some trips away from Lincoln with the Chaplaincy team." BGU Programme Leader Initial Teacher Education- Further Education Stefan Fusenich said: "It was great to have Marie within the group to share her experiences of a different educational system with the other students." With BGU's support, Marie also completed a placement at Lincoln College. "We don't have colleges like that in Germany, so it was a brand new and enlightening experience for me," Marie said. "I got to observe arts classes as well as TESOL (teaching English to speakers of other languages) sessions, which were relevant to my future career and informative." "BGU's campus is compact and simple to navigate - everything already feels familiar, even only being here a short while. Lincoln is a lot bigger than I thought but easy to travel around, and it's been nice to explore the city." Marie has enjoyed getting to know the quirks of British culture. She said: "I've enjoyed my fair share of afternoon teas. I was also amazed to find how much people love meal deals here!" For those who are considering studying in the UK during their degree, Marie offers this advice: "I didn't know what to expect from this experience, but I've taken so much away from it. "It's always worth it to make the leap."To explore pathways into teaching, click here. Click here to learn more about international study at BGU. Stefan Fusenich and Marie Janke on campus -
BGU Carnival 2023
Promotion To promote the event materials were displayed around campus in areas such as main reception, Curiositea, the Refectory, the Chaplaincy, and Student Advice. A-boards were also placed in key high-traffic areas to capture the attention of as many students as possible. CELT arranged online promotions through the team’s digital display boards and Blackboard, and in collaboration with Marketing and the SU on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and the student portal. Carnival On the day of the carnival, members of CELT and the SU set up Room 3DY with an array of games, wellbeing activities, and music. The strategic placement of both the candy floss and chocolate fondue stalls aimed to encourage students to explore the entire carnival area before heading to their food stall of choice. BGU welcomed therapy ponies courtesy of ‘Rainbow Dreaming CIC’ whose aim is to enrich the lives of as many people as possible through their visits. ‘Jo’ and ‘Buggles’ were very responsive and calm when interacting with the students. The event officially opened at noon, with students initially gathering by the pony enclosure to learn about pony care and their role in helping wellbeing in institutions, such as education and the care sectors. After spending time in this area, students were directed to the carnival in 3DY. Upon arriving at the SU building, students were guided to where carnival bunting and a vibrant atmosphere awaited. A brief introduction by a CELT member set the stage for students to explore the carnival's various activities at their own pace. At the entrance, students were also presented with several support resources. One of these being the Wellbeing Toolkit, which has now seen the fantastic addition of The Recipe Booklet. Carnival activities included ball toss, tin can alley, hook-a-duck, and ‘mindful’ colouring. Games offered the chance to win prizes like a bag of sweets which came in gluten-free and vegan options. While enjoying the activities on offer, students also had the opportunity to indulge in candy floss and a chocolate fountain into which students could dip either marshmallows or fruit. SU mascot Lenny also made an appearance, partaking in a little ‘Pin the tail on the lion’ and offering free hugs and selfies. Most notably this year the infamous hook-a-duck went incident-free, enabling the mop and bucket to remain in the cupboard for another year. In summary, the carnival was a resounding success, generating a vibrant and positive atmosphere. The impressive turnout of over 125 students in 3DY and more than 150 at the pony enclosure underscored the event's popularity. Given the popularity of the event and the positive impact it continues to have on students’ wellbeing, we hope to see the return of the BGU Carnival in 2024.
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