Search results
-
Pioneering Women of Lincolnshire’s Suffrage Movement Brought to Life in New Article by BGU Graduate
Elaine Johnson, recent graduate on the MA in Social & Cultural History course and now Visiting Tutor at Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU), has had her research published in the latest issue of East Midlands History & Heritage magazine. Elaine’s article, 'Perspectives from the provincial press: A Lincolnshire view of women’s suffrage', explores the role of Lincolnshire women in the suffrage movement of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries: “I originally started my research when involved in the Vote100 activities organised at BGU last year. I was fascinated by the stories and histories that I uncovered and was keen to share them. The positive response I’ve received to the article has been very rewarding and it was especially flattering to be contacted by the Lincoln Mayor’s Officer who asked to have several copies for council members, as the article explores some of the history of the City’s first female mayor”. Elaine, currently a visiting tutor delivering an undergraduate module on local history at BGU, graduated from the MA in Social & Cultural History course last year and feels that her time on the course was key in preparing her for producing independent research of a publishable quality: “The high standard of teaching and training on the MA in Social and Cultural History prepared me well for subsequent part-time employment as an historical researcher and speaker. During the course, the flexibility of the assignment briefs within each of the modules enabled me to develop personal research interests, supported by experienced, professional guidance from the tutors.” Speaking following the article’s publication Dr Claire Hubbard-Hall, Programme Leader for Military History and History Postgraduate Study at BGU, praised Elaine’s achievements along with the skills she crafted as a BGU student: “This publication is a fantastic achievement as Elaine has managed to successfully carve her research path, exploring the lives of Lincolnshire women, from the female trainee teachers of Lincoln Diocesan Training College for School Mistresses to the Lincolnshire lassies who fought for female suffrage. Undertaking a master’s degree builds on essential skills such as time management, self-discipline and those all-important independent research skills. Students are challenged by the postgraduate learning environment, and Elaine is an excellent example of how our students train for independent research.” You can read Elaine’s full article here (www.eastmidlandshistory.org.uk/magazine-issue-9/) or by picking up a copy of East Midlands History & Heritage from the BGU Library or History department. The MA in Social & Cultural History at BGU offers postgraduates the opportunity to acquire a specialism, deepening their knowledge of social and cultural history. BGU students are trained to mine the historical records in new and novel ways so that they can appreciate, for example, what it was like to walk in the shoes of those who lived during the Victorian period or contributed to the war effort during both world wars. If you are interested in studying history at BGU, visit our website or contact our Enquiries Team for more information on both the MA in Social & Cultural History and our further range of history courses including BA (Hons) in History a selection of joint honours BA History degrees and our new BA (Hons) in Military History. -
Trailblazing Foundation Year Students Complete Their First Term
It’s been a busy but rewarding first term for students on the new Foundation Year programme at Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) with all three of the new cohorts well on their way to completing the first year of their university journeys. Already students have completed two of the required eight modules needed to complete the year, ‘Self as Learner’ and ‘Resourcing Learning’ with a further two modules due to be finished in February 2020. The completed modules have focused on underpinning key academic skills that the students may need to hone if they continue with their studies such as: - using library resources effectively, referencing, reading for a purpose and understanding how individuals learn. Foundation Year courses offer the chance to study almost any undergraduate degree at BGU over four years, rather than the traditional three, providing an extended and intensive induction to Higher Education (HE) that can open the doors to those that may have previously thought university wasn’t an option. The first year is focused on equipping learners with the necessary tools to excel in Higher Education such as critical thinking and digital skills along with boosting confidence and employability. As the year progresses learners are able to engage with their chosen subject through special sessions and projects and once the first year has been completed they will then move straight onto the rest of the course without having to reapply. The Foundation Year programme really gives people a taste of university life, raising aspirations in addition to offering different study choices and career opportunities that may not otherwise be considered. The beauty of the course is how adaptable it is and the amount of support students receive with their learning. There are no set exams and assessments are all project/assignment based and students have both a personal tutor as well as a subject liaison tutor, ensuring they have the best preparation possible to succeed in their chosen path. While some people might find the idea of an extra year at university daunting, many of the students taking part in the new programme have found it beneficial to their success as current student Pollie Simpson explains: “I’m really pleased that I decided to enrol on the Foundation Year for my degree course. It has helped me feel confident in returning to education after a gap of more than thirty years. The tutors are so supportive and have helped me to develop my academic skills.” And Brendan Brown, one of Pollie’s fellow Foundation Year students, shared his views: “Being a mature student, I was nervous about coming to university but I was well supported by the application office at BGU to go through clearing. After being given a place, I have thrown myself into university life, every single person I have meet so far on my journey has been helpful.” If you’d like to find out more about the new Foundation Year course options, visit our Foundation Year web page, speak to a member of our Enquiries Team or join us on one of Open Days. -
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. -
Students and Staff Explore Non-Fiction for Children
Each year a group of Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) students and staff take part in the children’s book award for the United Kingdom Literacy Association (UKLA). They select a category of books and, from a shortlist of titles within that category, they vote for a winner. They then send our choice forward to the UKLA to join the votes from other shadowing groups at schools and universities around the country. The overall winner from each category is announced at the UKLA’s Conference which takes place in the summer. This year a new category, non-fiction books for children, was added to the awards and the BGU shadowing group have chosen to explore its titles. Dr Mary-Louise Maynes, Senior Lecturer in Early Childhood Studies, and Janice Morris, Teaching Resources Librarian, explained what makes the shadowing exercise worthwhile and why the new category appealed to the group: “The process is an enjoyable and interesting one: we have the chance to read a range of new and exciting children’s books and to debate and discuss our choices over tea, coffee and biscuits! We explore books we might not have chosen to pick up and share some often very different reactions to them. Seeing a book from a different perspective can help to develop our critical thinking around texts and broaden our understanding of children’s literature. This year we chose to focus on non-fiction books for children. This was a new category introduced just this year to the book award. The introduction of the category reflects the rich and diverse range of non-fiction books being published for children at the moment and an increased interest in this category of texts. Unlike the other categories, books in the shortlist are suitable for children aged from 3 to 14+ years. They cover a wide range of topics and styles and a preference for artistic illustrations rather than photographs and beautifully presented texts is a feature of these new books. The shortlist is given below and all of the books can be found in the Teaching Resources Collection: we look forward to sharing them with you when the library re-opens and will let you know who the winner is when this is announced in the summer!” Unfortunately, the restrictions imposed due to COVID-19 has meant that the group have been unable to carry on with their usual shadowing group meet ups this year, but they fully intend to get involved again for next year’s book award. All students and staff are very welcome to join, look out for information about the group if you are interested early in 2021. Full Shortlist of Information Books 3 -14+ Mary and Frankenstein written by Linda Bailey and illustrated by Jũlia Sardὰ, (Andersen Press) (Print version only) A Book of Bears written and illustrated by Katie Viggers (Laurence King) (Print version only) A Child of St. Kilda written and illustrated by Beth Waters (Child’s Play) (Print version only) Counting on Katherine written by Helaine Becker and illustrated by Dow Phumiruck (Macmillan) (Print and Kindle version available) Questions I am asked about the Holocaust written by Heidi Fried (Scribe) (Print and Kindle version available) Once Upon a Raindrop written by James Carter and illustrated by Nomoco (Caterpillar Books) (Print version only) -
BGU Vice-Chancellor: Social-Distancing is tough but we all need to work together to protect the vulnerable
Over the last week we have been repeatedly encouraged by the Government and our emergency services to practise social distancing in an effort to reduce the transmission of Coronavirus (COVID-19). Unfortunately, over the weekend we saw many examples of people ignoring this advice in favour of visiting the country’s seaside towns and country villages. To a point this is understandable, humans are by nature social creatures, and the idea of being locked down and not seeing friends and loved ones for the foreseeable future may seem upsetting. However, the potential dangers of ignoring this advice far outweigh the social implications. Even if you are not showing symptoms, or are unlikely to suffer due to the virus, you may still pose a risk to those who are more vulnerable. This is one of the main reasons that we decided to move learning and teaching at BGU online for the foreseeable future. It was not an easy decision but I am confident it was the best one to make for the health and wellbeing of our students and staff. I implore every member of our community to follow the Government and Public Health England’s advice on social distancing. I am hopeful that we may soon start to see the end of current circumstances but this is only possible if we all make hard choices and work together. Remember that following the advice does not mean you have to completely isolate yourself, we are lucky to live in a technological age with an amazing array of digital communication options available to us. As an institution we are also working hard to craft innovative systems, such as our new Library Live Chat, to ensure that members of community are able to stay in regular contact with us and can continue to access support and guidance at any time. As I said when we made the difficult decision to transition to online learning, I look forward to welcoming everyone back onto campus as soon as possible, until then please stay safe and continue to protect the health of yourselves and those around you. You can find more information on the work being done BGU to support or community on our Remote Learning web page. Yours sincerely, Rev’d Canon Professor Peter Neil THE REVEREND CANON PROFESSOR PETER NEIL Vice-Chancellor Bishop Grosseteste University Full Government guidance on social distancing can be found by clicking here. -
BGU History MA student nominated for national dissertation prize
Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) History student, Abigail White, has been nominated for a nationally recognised competition for outstanding MA thesis in History. Abigail’s work entitled: ‘To what extent did the School Boards contribute to changes in teacher training colleges, 1890-1912? The case of Lincoln Diocesan Training College.’ explored the educational history of Lincoln Diocesan Training College (as BGU was once known) and made exceptional use of the University’s own library and archives. Focusing on the Training College it evaluates why teacher training colleges experienced change in the 1890s and into the twentieth century. Following its publication, Abigail’s dissertation has been nominated for the Rees Davies Prize for an outstanding Master’s Thesis, an award which commemorates former Royal Historical Society President and distinguished medieval scholar, Professor Sir Rees Davies (1938-2005). The prize is awarded for the best Master’s dissertation submitted by a UK institution of Higher Education. The winner is awarded a prize of £250 and invited to submit an article based on the dissertation to be considered for publication in the RHS Transactions. Speaking following the announcement, Abigail described her pride at receiving the nomination and explained why that particular area of history proved so captivating: “To find out that my piece of work had also been nominated for such a prestigious award was astonishing and a real privilege. Choosing my topic was the easiest part of the whole dissertation process. I was, and still am, amazed that most of the buildings at BGU are original meaning that the Victorian students would have been as familiar with them as I am. For instance, on both the Chapel and Skinner building exterior walls you can see evidence of the college expansion that happened at the turn of the century in 1900. This, coupled with the fact that the students were young women whose opportunities for a career and independence was limited during this period, made BGU’s history unique and fascinating topic to write about. Furthermore, using Lincoln Diocesan Training College as a topic also gave me the opportunity to see original documents detailing the student experience at Lincoln Diocesan Training College at the end of nineteenth century. So much so, that I was able to track a good majority of the students on the census which brought up some previously unknown insights including the fact that William Gladstone’s granddaughter, Margaret Wickham, completed a year of study here!” If you’d like to follow in Abigail’s footsteps and uncover new adventures on a History course at BGU, visit our website, book onto one of our Open Days or speak to a member of our Enquiries Team. -
BGU Graduate’s Exploration of Spatial Orientation Published in Psychology Journal
Richard D'Amelio, who graduated Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) in 2018, has had his Psychology dissertation published in PSYPAG Quarterly, a postgraduate peer-reviewed journal. Working alongside his dissertation supervisor Dr Thomas Dunn, Richard's research examined the validity of the Santa Barbara sense of direction scale as a measure of spatial orientation. Richard’s experiment involved having participants estimate (via pointing) the direction of various landmarks, with examples including the BGU Library, Lincoln Cathedral, London and France, whilst located in a windowless room on BGU's campus. His findings revealed an interesting systematic bias in pointing accuracy which was dependent on the participant's gender. Speaking following the publication Richard explained what drew him to the study: “It is incredibly rewarding to see the research featured in a peer-reviewed journal. I’ve always been fascinated by the concept of sense of direction and our ability to navigate the environment (or not), so I thoroughly enjoyed applying the knowledge gained during the course of my degree to this area of study. However, the successful completion of the project was only made possible by the experience, professionalism, and advice offered by my academic supervisor, Dr Thomas Dunn, in addition to the high quality tuition delivered by the Psychology team at BGU.” Dr Thomas Dunn, Senior Lecturer in Psychology at BGU, was equally full of praise for Richard’s efforts: "I am delighted that the quality of Richard's work has been recognised and resulted in a peer-reviewed publication. This was an interesting project to work on with Richard and is reflective of the high standard of research that can be achieved by students at BGU" Please click here, if you would like to read Richard's article. If you have a subject you’re passionate about exploring then BGU is perfect place for you to start. Find out about our supportive and collaborative learning environment, by visiting our website, booking onto one of our Open Events or by speaking to our Enquiries Team. -
Lecturer’s new article reveals the early history of book collecting by the Cavendish family
Dr W. Jack Rhoden, Programme Leader for History at Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU), has had an article published in the Midland History journal outlining the early history of book collecting by the Cavendish family. The article, the first such study of its kind, seeks to reveal the extensive book collecting activities of one of the most wealthy and powerful aristocratic families of early modern England. It analyses the early modern book collecting activities of the Devonshire branch of the Cavendish family as an example of elite cultural capital accumulation across multiple generations. Speaking following publication, Dr Rhoden discussed what readers and prospective students could expect from the article: “The article will be of interest for those who like book history along with anyone who has visited Chatsworth House and Hardwick Hall and has a general interest in the history of the Cavendish/Devonshire family. It is also linked to our level 4 module - HIS404: British Libraries, Museums and Archives: A History of Collection, 1600-2000 which provides a general history of British libraries, museums and archives from the collections of wealthy individuals in the early modern period to more middle and working-class collections and the ultimate establishment of state-supported national and public institutions from the mid-18th century to the present day beginning with the British Museum.” The article, which is now available here to online subscribers of the Midland History journal, is the product of work originally undertaken during Dr Rhoden’s time as a post-doctoral researcher at Chatsworth House, Derbyshire. You can read his full series of blogs, which delve into the intriguing history of a library that has evolved over 400 years, by clicking here. -
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. -
How Comfort Food Built Morale in the Second World War Explored in New Article
The role of ‘comfort’ food in building morale amongst members of the United States Army Air Force (USAAF) serving in East Anglia during the Second World War has been explored in a new article by Dr Derwin Gregory, Programme Leader for Archaeology and Heritage at BGU. Titled ‘I do feel good because my stomach is full of good hotcakes’: Comfort Food, Home and the USAAF in East Anglia during the Second World War’, the article discusses current theories on comfort food before examining letters, diaries, and memoirs held by the 2nd Air Division Memorial Library (2ADML), Norwich, UK. Speaking after publication, Dr Gregory discussed what drew him to that area of research: “As a conflict archaeologist, I am fascinated by military material culture. This article formed part of a wider body of research into the United States Army Air Force based in East Anglia during the Second World War. Based on the letters written by the American personnel, this research gave an insight into the importance of comfort food on morale It is clear that food played an important role in maintaining morale. Certain foods had the ability to evoke nostalgic thoughts of home. Not only did the food provide solace, it also reminded the troops of what they were fighting for. This article also demonstrates that USAAF personnel in East Anglia had a wide selection of foods from which they could gain comfort”. You can read the article in the Wiley Online Library 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. Image credit (©IWM FRE 293)
Explore BGU
Browse our wide range of degree courses and find the perfect one for you.
Open days are the best way to find out what BGU has to offer.
Download your copy of our prospectus to find out more about life at BGU.