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Bishop Grosseteste to Celebrate University Title at Cathedral
The newly named Bishop Grosseteste University will hold a service of thanksgiving in Lincoln Cathedral later this month to celebrate its new title. The ceremony will be held at 10.30am on Wednesday 30th January and will also mark the installation of the Chancellor, Dame Judith Mayhew Jonas DBE, and the Vice Chancellor, Professor Muriel Robinson OBE. Privy Council confirmed BGU’s new title in December 2012 after the Government changed the threshold number of students required for an institution to be called a university. Until recently only higher education institutions with 4,000 or more students could use the title university. Smaller institutions were called university colleges, but now all HE institutions with more than 1,000 students have the right to apply to call themselves a university. The ceremony at Lincoln Cathedral will be attended by BGU staff, governors and students, and it is also open to members of the public. After the ceremony invited guests will be invited back to the university for a private celebratory lunch in the form of a ‘posh pack-up’ using locally sourced produce. During the afternoon the University Court – a grouping of the university’s most senior stakeholders who come together twice a year to offer their insights and support – will have its inaugural meeting on campus. At 4.30pm the Rt Rev Christopher Lowson, Bishop of Lincoln, will give a lecture as part of BGU’s series of public lectures on what constitutes a good life and the implications for us all in trying to live one. The event is called ‘For all that has been – Thanks. For all that shall be – Yes’, a title which refers to the past and future success of the institution. Professor Muriel Robinson believes the new university title will benefit BGU greatly. “To be able to take our place alongside other UK universities is a symbolic moment for us which recognises the excellent teaching and research which goes on at Bishop Grosseteste University,” she said. “The new title dispels any confusion that the old one may have created. We have 150 years of history and have been awarding our own degrees since 2006, but the old name ‘university college’ put some people off. Now we will be better equipped to compete with other universities to secure the best staff and students.” The event is free of charge and open to the public. If you would like to book a seat, please contact Conferencing and Events Administrator Jessica Lyons on 01522 583681 or email jessica.lyons@bishopg.ac.uk before 16th January. Notes to editors: 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. “For all that has been – Thanks. For all that shall be – Yes” is a quotation from Dag Hammarskjöld (29th July 1905 – 18th September 1961), Swedish diplomat, the second United Nations Secretary-General, and Nobel Peace Prize recipient. The quotation used for the title and leitmotif of the service comes from his book Vägmärken (Markings), a collection of journal entries published in 1964. For media information please contact:Jez AshberryShooting Star PR01522 52854007780 735071jez@shootingstar-pr.co.uk -
New Vice Chancellor for Bishop Grosseteste University
The Rev Professor Peter Neil will become Bishop Grosseteste University’s next Vice-Chancellor. Professor Neil will succeed Professor Muriel Robinson OBE who retires in April 2013 after 10 years at BG. -
Vice Chancellor honoured in New Year Honours list
07/01/2013 The Vice Chancellor of Bishop Grosseteste University, Professor Muriel Robinson, has been appointed OBE for services to Higher Education, after featuring in the New Year Honours list 2013. She said, "I feel overwhelmed by this honour and it is very humbling to be singled out in this way. I see this as an honour not just for me but for all the amazing teams of staff I have had the privilege to work with during my career." Professor Robinson joined BG as Principal in 2003, and became the first Vice Chancellor of Bishop Grosseteste University last year after the institution achieved official university status. -
Help is at Hand on A-level Results Day
Thursday 16th August is A-level results day, and Bishop Grosseteste University College Lincoln is ready to help guide students still looking for places on a degree course through the Clearing process. If you’ve failed to get the grades you need for your first-choice university, if you’ve changed your mind about what course you want to study or if you’ve done better than expected and have decided to apply late, the Clearing process will help you to find the right course. Bishop Grosseteste University College has a dedicated Clearing call centre and has installed more telephones this year to cope with the anticipated demand. Although BG has bucked the national trend this year with an increase in applications, some programmes do have a few places still available. Around 25 members of staff will be answering calls which come in on the dedicated Clearing hotline, including Deputy Principal Hâf Merrifield and a number of existing BG student ambassadors. The call centre will be open from 7.30am until 6pm on Thursday 16th and Friday 17th August and from 9am until 4pm on Saturday 18th August. The number to call is 01522 583698. “It’s going to be a busy few days for us but we always work exceptionally hard to ensure that students are not left worried or uncertain about their place at university,” said Karen Richardson, Head of Student Recruitment and Admissions at BG. “If students and their families want to look round the university college we will be offering campus tours on the hour on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and colleagues from all departments will be helping out to ensure we give the best possible experience to anxious applicants.” Karen offers the following tips for students who will be entering the Clearing system next week: 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. -
New Head Transforms Failing School in Just Two Terms
An inspiring head teacher has transformed his school just six months after taking up his first headship. Buckminster Primary School between Grantham and Melton Mowbray was placed in special measures by Ofsted in April last year, and Bishop Grosseteste University graduate Jon Brown (36) was appointed as its new head over the summer. Today staff, children and parents at the school are celebrating after Ofsted took the school out of special measures and rated it as good with outstanding features. "For a school to come out of special measures so quickly is incredible - almost unprecedented," said Mr Brown, who trained as a teacher and studied for his MA at Bishop Grosseteste University in Lincoln. "Together we've turned the school round in just two terms, which is very rare. The biggest issue I faced when I arrived was that there were key areas that needed radical change. The school had limited leadership in place and the progress of children had eroded.I put firm plans in place and made new appointments, and in September we hit the ground running. The staff have had constant training about all elements of good to outstanding teaching and learning, and they've all pulled together. "We now have very robust systems in place to identify and track children's progress to make sure they achieve their full potential." Buckminster Primary School had its first monitoring visit by inspectors on 12th September 2013 and inspectors converted a further visit earlier this month into a full inspection. The school was taken out of special measures on Wednesday 5th February."The staff and I have worked really hard to refocus the children's attitude to learning, and the teamwork and community feel of the school is now very strong," said Mr Brown. He paid tribute to other local schools, CfBT Education Trust, Leicestershire County Council and staff at Bishop Grosseteste University, whom he described as "absolutely instrumental in providing continuous professional development. It's fantastic to have an institution at the cutting edge of education innovation and research right on our doorstep," he said. "So many of the skills I've had to employ at Buckminster were certainly born at BGU." "One of my very first lectures on outstanding teaching was about taking risk - I took a risk here and through hard work and dedication we have achieved our goals." Mr Brown is a member of the University Court at BGU and was made a fellow of Bishop Grosseteste University in 2007. He completed his MA in 2011 and graduated with his identical twin brother Nick, who is now Assistant Head of The Priory Academy LSST in Lincoln. "The children, staff and governors have all played an integral part in the transformational changes that have now taken place," he added. "The goal now is to get this school to outstanding across the board, where it deserves to be. I want the school to build its own vision and its own future involving children, parents and all the staff, and that's something that will set it on its journey to being outstanding." Bishop Grosseteste University was established in uphill Lincoln in January 1862 and celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2012. It is an independent higher education institution 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. Buckminster Primary School is a small, rural school for children aged four to 11. The school is housed in a Victorian building on the private Buckminster Estate between the villages of Buckminster and Sewstern on the Lincolnshire / Leicestershire border. The Ofsted report published today rates Buckminster Primary School as good with outstanding features. The quality of teaching is rated as good, the achievement of pupils is good, the behaviour and safety of children is outstanding and leadership and management of the school is outstanding. To view the report visit the school's website at https://www.buckminster.leics.s... or download the PDF from the Cision newsroom, at https://mb.cision.com/Public/235/9541734/85939b1d4da1533a.pdf. News release 24th February 2014 -
Demand is High for BGU's Work-Based Foundation Degree
A two-year course for people who want to study while continuing to work has proved so popular that Bishop Grosseteste University is to start a January intake of students to cope with demand. The Foundation Degree in Applied Studies is a work-based course for people who are working and want to study for a degree. All the students are working or volunteering with children or young people and most are older than the typical A-level school leaver. “The foundation degree offers students the chance to reflect on their work with children, to improve their practice and to develop their thinking,” said Sacha Mason, Academic Co-ordinator for the Foundation Degree in Applied Studies at BGU. “The course is very popular, and this year we’ve recruited more students for our foundation degree than ever before, so we’ve decided to introduce a second intake of students who will start the course in January.” Foundation degrees are broadly equivalent to the first two years of a bachelors degree (BA). They focus on a particular job or profession and are designed with employers’ needs in mind.“Many foundation degree students progress to do a third year at BGU to gain a full BA (Hons) degree,” said Sacha. The Foundation Degree in Applied Studies at BGU offers three pathways: Early Childhood, Children and Youth Work and Learning Support. BGU will be hosting a foundation degree open evening for anyone interested in enrolling on Wednesday 30th October 2013 between 5.45pm and 8pm. Those attending will have the opportunity to talk to academic staff as well as foundation degree students past and present. To find out how to apply for a place, visit www.bgu.ac.uk/prospectus or www.bgu.ac.uk/courses or call 01522 527347. Case study: The Childcare Entrepreneur Boston student Vicky Wilson set up successful childcare business The Home Nursery while studying for a foundation degree at BGU. Vicky, who has two sons aged 10 and 12, was working at her local pre-school as Deputy Manager when she enrolled on the Foundation Degree (Early Childhood) at BGU in 2010. “I worked at the pre-school for the first year of my foundation degree but felt that I could progress further than my current position would allow me to do,” said Vicky. “I had an extension built onto the back of my home and registered as a childminder.” After completing her foundation degree and graduating with a first, Vicky continued her studies by topping up to a BA (Hons) degree in Applied Studies (Early Childhood), from which she graduated with another first in July 2013. Vicky now employs three members of staff and has just expanded by restoring a grade-two listed property for use as a nursery. “If anyone is at a crossroads in their life, I would strongly recommend academic learning to find yourself,” said Vicky. “Studying while working full-time and having a family and home to look after is really hard work but it’s worthwhile in the end. “If I had not attended Bishop Grosseteste University, and achieved well beyond my own expectations, I would never have been in the position to own and manage my own nursery. It has been life-changing for me.” Case study: The Teaching Practitioner A Newark mum who works with children who speak English as a second language has broadened her horizons after starting on the FdA at Bishop Grosseteste University. Lisa Edwards (36), a peripatetic practitioner with the Nottinghamshire Achievement and Equality Team, follows the learning support pathway on the course. “Since beginning the foundation degree my skills and knowledge have greatly improved my levels of confidence and have created new opportunities within my role,” said Lisa. “While I used to be mainly involved with one-to-one pupil work, recently I have been involved in the developing of training for teachers in equality issues, and I have delivered racial harmony lessons to year 5 and 6 pupils. “I give advice visits to teachers on teaching strategies for EAL (English as an Additional Language) pupils and I have also delivered training for PGCE students in strategies to use with pupils learning EAL. “The course has really given me the self-belief that I can progress my career further.” News release28th October 2013 -
Doors Open at BGU
Students thinking about going to university can look round brand new facilities and hear about new courses at a Bishop Grosseteste University open day this Sunday (6th October). The university has spent £4.3 million on a new accommodation building this summer as part of a £6.5m investment programme. Visitors to the open day between 11am and 4pm on Sunday can see the new student residences at first hand and find out more about the courses on offer. These include new single honours degrees in History and SENI (Special Educational Needs and Inclusion) and a new Psychology degree course which enrolled its first students this year. Visitors to the open day will be able to speak to staff and students, go on a guided tour of the campus and even enjoy a minibus tour of Lincoln city centre.There will be a rolling programme of presentations, DVDs and one-to-one meetings and visitors are encouraged to drop in at any time throughout the day. The university’s student advice team will be available to talk to students and their families about issues such as student finance and the accommodation team will advise on places to live. Lunch is available between 11.30am and 2pm and snacks and meals are available throughout the day from the Dining Room in Constance Stewart Hall and from Curiositea, the university’s Alice in Wonderland themed coffee shop, which has been extended and refurbished over the summer. “It doesn’t matter how many prospectuses you read and how many websites you browse, there’s no substitute for actually visiting a university,” said Louise Stow, Student Recruitment Manager at BGU. “Our campus in uphill Lincoln is a unique and beautiful place and we would encourage anyone thinking about studying at university to pay us a visit this weekend.” A further open day will be held at Bishop Grosseteste University on Wednesday 6th November 2013. Please click here to register your interest in this and any other upcoming Open Days. -
Children travel back in time at summer school
Children from across the region have been time travelling, from ancient Pompeii to medieval Lincoln and back again, thanks to a unique summer camp experience. The Archaeology Summer School, run by Bishop Grosseteste University, gave 24 budding historians, aged between seven and 12, the chance to get hands-on with both traditional and cutting-edge archaeology techniques, in a fun and creative environment. “The week was open to all children on a first-come-first-serve basis and has proven very popular; we had a really long waiting list,” explained Zoe Tomlinson, Community Archaeologist at BGU and organiser of the camp. “The children really enjoy it and a lot have come back for a second year with their friends and siblings.” Hosted at the Old School House on the university’s campus, and staffed by BGU heritage students, the week-long programme included the reconstruction of a Pompeian room, complete with life-size Pompeians made out of chicken wire and papier-mâché. The activities all had a creative theme and included large-scale paintings, pottery and even facial reconstruction using plastic skulls and clay – similar to the recent techniques used to recreate the face of King Richard III. The children also went on two field trips, one to a real dig in Navenby and another to Lincoln Cathedral, to record medieval graffiti. Iona Goodman, aged nine, said “We’ve been doing facial reconstruction using plastic Halloween skulls and making mosaics. I really liked the Pompeii room – I think that was a really nice idea because it involved everybody. We also went to the Cathedral to look at ancient graffiti which was really good.” The annual Archaeology Summer School has been set up as part of the university’s ongoing commitment to education and heritage. The atmosphere is that of a fun summer holiday break, and the children are constantly discovering new facts and information. “We do a lot of art based on the theme of archaeology, to really fire the children’s imaginations,” said Zoe. “We don’t want this to feel like another school environment during the holidays as it’s important they have fun, but we do want it to be as educational as possible. The kids don’t know each other but they form really strong friendships as they all share an interest in history.” Press release: 20 August 2013 -
Degree for woman who combined study with start-up
A Boston student who set up a successful nursery business from her own home while studying for a degree graduates from Bishop Grosseteste University, at Lincoln Cathedral on Wednesday (17th July). Vicky Wilson, who is mum to two boys aged 10 & 12, was working at her local preschool as Deputy Manager when she enrolled on the Foundation Degree in Children’s Services (Early Childhood) course at BGU in 2010. “I worked at the preschool for the first year of my foundation degree but felt that I could progress further than my current position would allow me to do,” said Vicky. “I had an extension built onto the back of my home and registered as a childminder.” After completing her foundation degree and graduating with a first, Vicky then continued her studies by topping up her foundation degree into a BA (Hons) degree in Applied Studies (Early Childhood), from which she will graduate with another first this summer. Vicky now employs three members of staff at her thriving childcare business, The Home Nursery, and is now planning an expansion. “We are currently awaiting planning permission before we begin working on the beautiful, grade-two listed property that we have found and plan to restore. The new business will be established and ready to provide care for children by October this year,” she said. On completing her degree while looking after a family and building a business, Vicky gave some advice to anyone looking to do the same: “If anyone is at a crossroads in their life, I would strongly recommend academic learning to find yourself. Carrying out studies while working full-time and having a family and home to look after is really hard work but worthwhile in the end. “If I had not attended Bishop Grosseteste University, and achieved well beyond my own expectations, I would never have been in the position to own and manage my own nursery. It has been life changing for me. “I owe so much to my tutors for the support and encouragement that they have given me, they really helped me to find myself and realise my own potential. The support that I have had from fellow students has also been amazing. I have made friends that I will keep for life. Being at BGU has given me the support of an extended family.” The Bishop Grosseteste University graduation ceremonies will run in three separate sessions at 10.15am, 2.30pm and 7.15pm on 17th July at Lincoln Cathedral. Ceremonies will include professional photography, a celebration lunch and tea and a special graduation service in the university’s chapel. Vicky Wilson will graduate at 7.15pm. More information about Bishop Grosseteste University’s foundation degree routes is available on the University’s course pages. 15 July 2013 -
BGU's New Deputy Vice Chancellor Looks to Future
Building the university's research profile and enhancing international links are two of the goals identified by the new Deputy Vice Chancellor of Bishop Grosseteste University. Professor Jayne Mitchell last week took up the new role of Deputy Vice Chancellor with responsibility for academic affairs. She was formerly Director of Research, Development and Partnerships at the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education and before that Associate Dean at Staffordshire University. "My role at BGU is a completely new one and my remit is to focus on three areas: teaching and learning, research and international activity," she said. "One of our long-term aims is to grow the university's research capacity and capability and to raise the profile of the research work being undertaken by staff. We also want to enhance the internationalisation of the BGU experience both for UK students and students coming to BGU from overseas." Professor Mitchell is no stranger to Lincolnshire, having grown up near Cleethorpes, but it was the heritage and growing reputation of Bishop Grosseteste University that appealed to her. "I was attracted by the job and the institution - where it is now and where it's going in the future," Professor Mitchell explained. "This is a really exciting time for BGU. The university has a strong heritage and firm foundations, but there are also plans for development and expansion in a controlled way and scope to move to even bigger and better things. That was really attractive and something I wanted to contribute to." The Vice Chancellor of BGU, the Reverend Professor Peter Neil, welcomed Professor Mitchell to the university. "We are sure that Jayne will make a valuable contribution to the strategic direction of BGU and we are extremely pleased to welcome her as part of the senior leadership team," he said. Professor Mitchell completed her PhD in Physical Activity Epidemiology at the University of Exeter and holds a Master's in Public Health from the University of Birmingham. She has previously held a number of posts in higher education institutions that reflect her commitment to quality assurance and academic and research interests in physical activity and health. She will work at BGU alongside Hâf Merrifield, Deputy Vice Chancellor for strategy and performance. News release 11th March 2014
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