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Onstream home (/onstream/) / Onstream highlights 18 January 2018
The National Student Survey (NSS) 2018 – it’s coming!
The National Student Survey (NSS) 2018 will launch at Brookes during the week commencing Monday 5 February and we need your help to raiseawareness and encourage students to participate.
As many colleagues will know, the NSS is a survey mainly aimed at final year undergraduates and students in their final year of a course leading toundergraduate qualifications or credits.
We need to achieve a response rate of at least 50% at an institution level and in our subjects of study (combined with at least 10 respondents percohort) in order for publication. Last year we achieved an overall response rate of 66% and we are aiming to beat that this year. The NSS results aremade available to participating institutions annually in August and are published nationally on the Unistats website (http://unistats.direct.gov.uk/).
Promotion of the NSS to our students is a key factor in achieving the required response rate for results to be made publicly available. Good responserates ensure that NSS data can be made available to prospective students, institutions and students’ unions to support student choice and qualityenhancement.
This year, we are pleased to announce that for every Brookes student who completes the NSS, the University will make a £3 donation to charity (tobe selected in due course).
Encouraging student participation
Although Ipsos MORI, which runs the survey on behalf of HEFCE, communicates with students directly to promote participation, we as a Universityare in the prime position to raise awareness, convey its importance and encourage participation.
A dedicated communications toolkit will shortly be made available on our Staff webpages. This will provide colleagues with materials to help promotestudent participation, including:
A set of PowerPoint slides to encourage students to fill out the survey - to be used at the start or end of lectures
Poster and leaflet templates to promote participation in the NSS
Ipsos MORI’s Staff Briefing which includes important guidelines on what may constitute inappropriate influence on students completing the NSS.Colleagues in the Strategic and Business Planning Office have also produced a localised version with (http://) Brookes specific information,available here (/uploadedFiles/intranet/Onstream/2018/Jan/NSS 2018 Staff Guidance Document.docx .pdf). All communications activity shouldhave the aim to raise awareness of the NSS amongst mostly final year undergraduate students and encourage students to give honest andanonymous feedback on their course experience.
Note, Associate Deans for Student Experience (ADSEs) are coordinating promotional activity at Faculty level and will be providing further guidancearound activities and timings. Academic staff are asked to ensure that ADSEs are kept fully abreast of any NSS promotional activities they intend toundertake.
On Monday 5 February, eligible students will receive an email from Professor Julie McLeod, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Student Experience) making themaware of the survey; on Thursday 8 February, Ipsos MORI will then send them a formal invitation email to complete the NSS.
Early online completion is desirable so please help to ensure students are aware of the NSS from 5 February and encourage them to complete thesurvey online at www.thestudentsurvey.com before 30 April 2018.
Brookes People Awards 2018 – now open for nominations
Do you know a colleague who particularly deserves to be recognised for their work? Now is your chance to nominate them for a Brookes PeopleAward 2018 (https://www.brookes.ac.uk/staff/staff-recognition/)! Watch our video to find out more. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ePaIk-p-UQ)
Anne-Marie Kilday, Chair of the Brookes People Awards Steering Group, says:
“Once again, the Awards provide an opportunity to celebrate our outstanding colleagues and I hope, like me, you will start the year by nominatingsomeone. I think it is important to remember that our successes at Oxford Brookes can only be achieved due to the hard work, talent andcommitment of our colleagues. As well as the many large and more visible achievements and projects, sometimes it’s also the way we do things thatcan make a real difference to our working lives. As Chair of the Brookes People Awards Steering Group, I am keen that all of this is captured and thatwe have a chance to say thank you to each other and to celebrate all of the good things that happen at Brookes.” How does the scheme work?
Nominating someone for the Brookes People Awards is easy. The scheme is open for any member of staff to nominate any Brookes employee orteam for work carried out since April 2016 (when nominations for the previous scheme closed). You can also submit the same colleague for morethan one award as long as it matches the criteria.
1) Take a look at the scheme webpages (https://www.brookes.ac.uk/staff/staff-recognition/) which has details of the different award categories,example nominations, judging panel and nomination and judging process.
2) Remind yourself of the guiding principles on which the award categories are based.
3) Write a brief summary (up to 450 words) with examples of what your nominee has done to merit an award. You can go to the online form(https://service.brookes.ac.uk/brookesawards/)to use the nominations system or download a hardcopy nomination form(file:///C:/Users/p0077256/Downloads/BPA18%20Nomination%20Form%20(3).pdf)and send the completed form by post to: The Brookes PeopleAwards Team, 5.31 Tonge Building, Headington Campus, Oxford, OX3 0BP or email it to: [email protected].
Please submit as many nominations as you like; nominations are now open and must be received by the Brookes People Awards Team by 30 March2018.
What’s new in 2018?
This year we’ve introduced two new awards – 'Team of the year' to recognise a team alongside ‘Colleague of the year’; and the 'Brookes Award'that recognises an individual or team who have made a significant difference to others in the University or within the wider community specificallythrough volunteering or external engagement. See the webpages for example nominations. (https://www.brookes.ac.uk/staff/staff-recognition/nominations/) When the Awards be announced?
The winners will be announced at the Awards Ceremony taking place on 3 September 2018, 2.00-4.00pm, in the Sir Kenneth Wheare Hall, Clerici,Headington Campus. All staff will be invited to register for a place at the awards ceremony – so save the date!
Please check the scheme FAQs (https://www.brookes.ac.uk/staff/staff-recognition/frequently-asked-questions/)for any further questions and youcan also email the Brookes People Awards Team on: [email protected].
Banish the January blues with this year’s Feel Good Festival
From Monday 29 January, kick-start your new year’s resolutions by taking part in this year’s Feel Good Festival.
Whether you want to learn something new, get active or find some calm at the start of the new semester, the Feel Good Festival(https://www.brookes.ac.uk/feel-good-festival/) is back to support your wellbeing aspirations.
Places are filling up fast so make sure you secure your space. A reminder of what this year’s programme has to offer:
Lectures
Come along to the lecture by Claire Burgess to learn about positive psychology for wellbeing and success, or find out why throwing some shapescan put a smile on your face in the fascinating lecture by Dr Peter Lovatt aka ‘Dr Dance’ in this years’ open lectures (https://www.brookes.ac.uk/feel-good-festival/).
Workshops
From learning to master the art of Indian head massage and developing your creativity to foraging food on campus and looking after yourself andothers; discover the wide range of workshops on offer and book your free tickets (https://www.brookes.ac.uk/feel-good-festival/) to secure yourspace.
Health and lifestyle MOTs
Back by popular demand! These 20 minute private consultations offer an opportunity to assess how the choices you make with your lifestyle affectyour health and body composition. Book your slot on the Feel Good Festival webpage (https://www.brookes.ac.uk/feel-good-festival/).
Brookes Sport highlights
Improve your moves by joining the lunchtime Jive(https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdD4RSLAYOxWKbik3GunRYaLhwJLDHq3StTP33kCSxDWkcsuQ/viewform), Latin -and ballroomdancing; stretch your worries away through yoga and Pilates or embark on your next CrossFit challenge.
Courses and training
Explore this year’s courses and training (https://www.brookes.ac.uk/feel-good-festival/), including a 6-week mindfulness course, a 12-week ‘couchto 5k’ running course and a great offer on the 6-week OurPath course.
Chaplaincy wellbeing events
The Festival is great time to try out some of the sessions run by the Chaplaincy (https://www.brookes.ac.uk/students/wellbeing/chaplaincy/whats-on/); including meditation for relaxation, craft classes and time for prayer and reflection.
Clerici: come and see inside!
Clerici is now open and staff are encouraged to visit the building, which can now be accessed via the Central Courtyard, as well as through Sinclairand Abercrombie. Access to/from Gipsy Lane can be found to the rear of the Sir Kenneth Wheare Hall, near the entrance to Fuller building andBrookes Restaurant.
The new Clerici Café will open its doors on Monday 22 January, in time for the new semester. As well as serving hot and cold drinks and food, it willspecialise in juices and smoothies. It will also be cup-free – so bring your own mug to secure savings on your cuppa!
Getting to know the spaces We’ll be on hand to answer questions and help direct colleagues around the new spaces on Monday 22 and Tuesday 23 January, 12 noon to1.00pm, so pop in then if you want to find out more.
AV training Over the next few weeks, the IT Services training team are running AV (Audio Visual) equipment drop-in sessions, so staff can learn more about thekit available in teaching rooms. Read more in this recent (http://https://intranet.brookes.ac.uk/onstream/2017/dec/all-you-need-to-know-about-audio-visual-kit--drop-in-sessions-for-staff)Onstream (http://) article. (http://)
If you’re not able to make it in straightaway, see a Flickr gallery (https://flic.kr/s/aHsmcbyNxG)of the latest images of the brand new spaces.
Changes to the Contribution-related Salary Points (CRSP) Scheme
In the light of feedback from colleagues across the University in the last staff survey, and following consultation with UNISON and UCU, the Vice-Chancellor’s Group (VCG) has agreed to revise the Contribution-related Salary Points (CRSP) Scheme.
Background
Under the current scheme, staff (academic and professional services) who have been at the top of the scale for two years are eligible to apply. Ifsuccessful, the applicant moves on a permanent basis by one increment into the contribution range. They can apply for a further award after twoyears. It is acknowledged that the CRSP scheme is not well understood, the success rate is low and consequently some staff and their managersfeel discouraged from applying. The VCG agreed there was a need to refresh, rename and relaunch the scheme to recognise and reward staff whohave made an outstanding contribution.
A new scheme: Achievement, Contribution and Excellence Awards (ACE)
The main features of the ACE Awards are:
Staff can apply for either: Permanent increment in the contribution range plus option for further ACE award after two years (as now); or One-off increment where staff have made an excellent contribution but do not meet the criterion for sustained excellence (NEW); or Accelerated increment within normal scale.
Staff may (as now) make an application. In addition, all line managers will be expected to review all their eligible staff and be able to nominate astaff member for an ACE.
The scheme will be renamed: Achievement, Contribution and Excellence (ACE) Awards.
The closing date for ACE awards will be Friday 2 March 2018 (a month later than usual). Where applicants are successful, ACE awards will takeeffect from 1 April 2018.
More details about the scheme and the application forms can be found on the HR website(https://www.brookes.ac.uk/services/hr/reward/achievement_contribution_excellence_scheme/index.html).
New Recognition Awards In addition, many colleagues said that they would like to be able say a special ‘thank you’ with a small financial award to recognise colleagues whohad made special contribution but which would not meet the criteria for an ACE point. They said that they wanted to be able to do this at the timethe colleague had made a special contribution – not months later.
The new Recognition Awards will be £200 (before tax and NI) and can be made at the department’s discretion at any point in the year to recognise aspecial contribution. This is separate from the annual ACE exercise. More detail about the scheme can be found on the HR website(https://www.brookes.ac.uk/services/hr/reward/achievement_contribution_excellence_scheme/index.html). Faculties and directorates wishing tomake Recognition Awards will be required to complete a short application form.
At the request of UNISON and UCU, HR will continue to monitor the pattern of applications and awards for ACE points, and the use of the newRecognition Awards, and provide a report to the Joint Staff Committee.
Access to Headington and parking update
As the new year gets underway, staff are reminded of a number of factors that may affect how they travel to work.
Staff parking
Permit renewals: some staff will have received notification that their annual parking permit is due for renewal. Your permit will need to be renewed inorder to continue your eligibility to park at an Oxford Brookes site. The renewed permit will automatically start working from the day after the expiryof your current permit. To renew, log into your online account, go to ‘My Permits’ and select the green button with two arrows (it looks like a webbrowser ‘refresh’ button).
Please note that online payment tokens on your existing permit will NOT get carried across to your new permit. Contact the transport team who willbe happy to refund any unspent tokens.
Online payment: Colleagues are reminded that the online parking payment token system is available through the parking portal. Online tokens can bepurchased on a daily basis or a number of tokens can be purchased in one go and then used as and when you use the car park through a simpleonline process.
Access to Headington traffic disruptions
The next stage of the County Council’s Access to Headington roadworks was set to commence in January; these works are subject to a delay with apossible start date in mid-February. The new road designs should improve access into the area but during the period of works it is likely that therewill be disruption to road users, especially at peak times.
This six-month phase, on Headley Way and Cherwell Drive, will see the mini roundabouts outside the entrance to the John Radcliffe Hospital, and atthe junctions with Marston Road and Marsh Lane, removed and replaced with traffic lights. The new road layout should improve traffic flow and befriendlier for cyclists.
The initial stage, which will last for about six weeks, is expected to cause the most disruption to road users as the works commence and currentroad infrastructure and signage is removed.
In order to provide the best service to both Clive Booth and Marston Road site, the BROOKESbus U5 and U4 routes may be amended during theworks. Any such changes will be advertised on the buses and at www.oxfordbus.co.uk (www.oxfordbus.co.uk) .
To keep up to date with progress of the works, visit the Oxfordshire County Council’s dedicated webpages
(http://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/cms/content/access-headington).
Wheatley and Harcourt Park & Ride initiative
The Park & Ride service from Wheatley and Harcourt Hill (https://www2.brookes.ac.uk/onstream/articles/2017/july/20/park-and-ride17) continues tobe available to staff who are eligible for a parking permit. During the upcoming period of road works in Headington, the BROOKESbus with use ofprioritised bus lanes may prove to be a quicker solution in comparison to a private vehicle journey into Headington.
Staff who sign up (https://docs.google.com/a/brookes.ac.uk/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScWmr3t1481pHfKc-DZRvKptZMqmtNXLUZ3OrJYSlwYiM3sEQ/viewform) to the Park & Ride option receive free travel on their BROOKESkey, but are not permitted topark in Headington during peak parking hours in semester time.
If you are unsure whether this initiative is for you, why not try it before applying or use it on an ad hoc basis if you are aware that traffic is particularlybad in Headington. All staff can park on all sites (parking charges apply) and are eligible for a BROOKESkey (https://brookes.oxfordkey.co.uk/smart-card/register/); and if you show your ‘key’ on the bus, singles on all BROOKESbus buses cost £1 (£2 for both journeys).
Alternative means of transport
Colleagues are reminded that the University provides a range of initiatives that support the use of alternative means of transport for staff. The StaffTravel Offers webpage (http://www.brookes.ac.uk/travel/staff-travel-offers/) includes information BROOKESkeys, easitCARDS (which provides trainand cycle store discounts) and a range of other schemes that encourage alternative methods of travelling to work.
Gipsy Lane visitor parking
The opening of Clerici and the Sir Kenneth Wheare Hall is nearing, with teaching and enrolment commencing in Semester 2.
The external landscaping works are continuing to the Gipsy Lane side of the building, meaning the restriction on visitor parking currently in place willremain until the completion of this area, expected around March.
Guests visiting the University should be encouraged to travel to campus by public transport where possible, including using the city’s Park & Rides.If this is not possible, visitor parking is available and can continue to be booked online (https://bookit.brookes.ac.uk/visitorparking/)by members ofstaff.
For transport-related questions contact [email protected] ([email protected]) or x4647.
How to help your students Get Published!
The Get Published! student experience project has now become an embedded feature of the Oxford Brookes co-curriculum. Research carried out inthe curriculum, i.e. by undergraduates and taught postgraduates, can now be published through the dedicated Get Published! student researchcollection on RADAR (https://radar.brookes.ac.uk/radar/hierarchy.do?topic=ee78537a-18bc-467f-ac6a-539ffbaf395e).
There are two ways to do this: either directly with a module leader or supervisor’s recommendation, or via the annual Get Published! StudentResearch Conference, held in week 9 of Semester 2. This article explains the two routes and how you can encourage your students to get involved.
Route 1: Direct publication in the Get Published! Student Research Collection on RADAR
For a student to get their work into the prestigious online collection they will be expected to follow the procedure below, and that’s where you canhelp to promote this route, and support them in presenting their work in ‘publication friendly’ formats. There is no deadline - a rolling publicationsystem is in place.
Step 1 – The student submits work to their supervisor / module leader for email confirmation that the work is ‘first class’ or ‘publishable’. The studentis asked to keep a record of this.
Step 2 – If necessary, the student reformats the work so it meets the requirements of being suitable for publication beyond the University.
We only accept formats suited to a public audience, for example:
• a research poster • a short video (less than 2 minutes) talking to camera • a briefing paper • a journal article format • an executive summary of the work • a podcast • an image of the student’s own art work or design with accompanying text.
We do not accept full dissertations or essays.
Step 3 – Students are expected to check the copyright status of their work in order to confirm that there is no copyright infringement, e.g. sound orborrowed images, and that everything is correctly referenced. We’ve produced a copyright course in Moodle(https://moodle.brookes.ac.uk/enrol/index.php?id=30069) open to all students to help with this.
Step 4 – Students can then contact the Get Published! project via [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) to confirm theyare ready to submit their work, attach or forward the supervisor / module leader’s email (step 1) and verify that it has no copyright issues.
Step 5 – The Get Published! team will send a link for the student to upload their work to the online collection.
Step 6 – Once the research is published, students will be given a permanent link to their work in the Get Published!(https://radar.brookes.ac.uk/radar/hierarchy.do?topic=9233b9bf-080e-418c-852f-04189c96753b&page=1) research collection (http:).
Route 2: Publication via the Get Published! Student Research Conference
The Get Published! Student Research Poster Conference at Oxford Brookes University is happening on Friday 13 April (week 9 of Semester 2) in theForum, JHB Building. It is an exciting opportunity for students to present their research to the Brookes community on campus. It’s not too late toapply - we have extended the deadline for submission of abstracts, so your students still have a chance.
The University-wide conference has run for the past two years and has been a hugely successful event, with over 400 attendees at the inauguralevent in 2016. Through poster presentations, undergraduate and postgraduate taught students have the chance to discuss their research with fellowstudents, academics, staff, the public and employers. 100% of participants over the last two years said they would recommend the event to otherstudents.
All the posters displayed at the conference, including the winners of the conference undergraduate and postgraduate awards can be immediatelypublished in the Get Published! (https://radar.brookes.ac.uk/radar/hierarchy.do?topic=9233b9bf-080e-418c-852f-04189c96753b&page=1) StudentResearch collection on RADAR (http:), providing students with a permanent link to their research.
Please do encourage your students to submit an abstract, by the extended deadline of 1.00pm on 9 February, using the Get Published!(https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdNGZQ9WLPCUKXKZ87GmlVTE-5Jo75HBOJanGfmMGhPn-Irow/viewform) Student ResearchConference Google form (http:).
See the Get Published! (https://www.brookes.ac.uk/get-published/) website (http://) for more information on other ways your students can publishresearch and how you can support them.
Welcome to Brookes… Nicola Mitchell, Assistant Registrar
At the end of last year, Nicola Mitchell joined Oxford Brookes and in this Onstream article we welcome the University’s new Assistant Registrar.
Nicola commented: “I am delighted to have joined Brookes at a time when the sector is facing a number of significant changes that will bring bothchallenges and opportunities. I am looking forward to working with colleagues from across the University to realise ambitions and to develop a newstrategy for Brookes beyond 2020”.
After gaining her PhD at the London School of Economics Nicola spent a number of years working in the Civil Service, where she worked as aneconomist and Senior Policy Advisor, followed by six years as an independent consultant.
At the Department for Business Innovation and Skills (now BEIS) Nicola worked on science and research policy. She led work on science budgetspending reviews, successfully making the case to Treasury for continued public investment in science and research. She worked closely with all ofthe UK Research Councils, the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) and Innovate UK on innovation, knowledge exchange andimpact policy.
After leaving the Civil Service in 2011 and setting up her own consultancy business Nicola has worked with a number of UK universities to developtheir innovation and research impact strategies; provided advice and guidance on REF Impact Case Studies; supported strategic reviews andbusiness planning; and has recently worked with a range of universities on large grant applications including developing full business cases.
Nicola has also worked on projects for the N8 Research Partnership, Enterprise Ireland and the National Centre for Universities and Business.
Nicola began working at Oxford Brookes in November 2017 and Onstream welcomes her in this new role.
February is LGBT+ History month 2018: events at Oxford Brookes
An invitation from the organisers of LGBT+ History Month events at Oxford Brookes:
Come one come all to LGBT+ History Month 2018. This year we are “Mapping our World” so come and join us in some amazing events.
Professor Anne-Marie Kilday, Pro Vice-Chancellor, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences commented: “I am pleased and excited toannounce Oxford Brookes LGBT+ History Month 2018. Colleagues and students have put together a varied programme of events to celebrateOxford Brookes’ mapping the LGBT+ world. Come to an event, wear a lanyard, join a network or become an ally to lend your support this February.”
Events
Raising the Pride Flag Monday 5 February at 12.30pm at Headington Hill Hall, Headington Campus We will be raising the Pride Flag at Headington Hill Hall and the flag will then also be flying through February at all campus sites.
Quiz night for Oxford City Amnesty International Friday 9 February, 7.00pm in Brookes Sport, Headington Campus Get those thinking caps on and help raise money for the work of Amnesty International.
What does it mean to be asexual? Wednesday 14 February (details to be confirmed on the LGBTsoc Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/brookeslgbtsoc)) A talk on the issues faced by asexual people, with George Norman
Documentary Club: Two Soft Things, Two Hard Things Thursday 15 February 7.00pm, John Henry Brookes lecture theatre, JHBB, Headington Campus Focused on Nunavut, Canada, the film explores how colonization and religion have erased traditional Inuit beliefs about sexuality and family and howa new generation are ‘unshaming’ their past.
Open Lecture Series: Asylum in the UK: LGBT+ experience of the asylum system Wednesday 21 February 6.00pm John Henry Brookes lecture theatre, JHBB, Headington Campus Antonia Bright and Aisha Shumazzi from Movement for Justice present their experiences of the UK asylum system and detention centres for LGBT+asylum seekers. They will discuss why the fight for immigrant rights and against the use of detention centres is important, and what role LGBTQ+people are playing in the movement.
Poetry Night Tuesday 6 March at 7.00pm, Glass Tank, Abercrombie building, Headington Campus Poetry Night in collaboration with Brookes Poetry Centre and Oxford Human Rights Festival on the theme of ‘Identity’. Join us for these and many more events from Brookes Union, across the University and University of Oxford networks. Please see our programmeon the EDI News and Events pages (https://www.brookes.ac.uk/staff/human-resources/equality-diversity-and-inclusion/lgbt-history-month/)
Are you an Ally? Students at Brookes have said they want to know who they can talk to when they wish to be open about their identities. The LGBT+ Staff Forum hasobtained Brookes rainbow lanyards to share with colleagues. If you are happy to be an LGBT+ ally for students and staff please come along to oneof our stalls and pick one up or email [email protected] ([email protected]) or [email protected] ([email protected])
A New Year, a new Minister and a new regulator – all change for HE in 2018
Higher education was rarely out of the headlines in 2017 with attention ranging from the implementation of the Higher Education and Research Act(HERA) to the ongoing debate on tuition fees.
New Year’s Day continued this tumultuous theme with the controversial announcement that Toby Young would be a board member of the newlycreated Office for Students (OfS).
He resigned from the role after less than a fortnight however following significant criticism of the appointment, a petition with more than 200,000signatures and a particularly unsavoury Twitter timeline.
The OfS itself was formed on 1 January 2018 as a result of the aforementioned HERA and is the new regulator of the English university system.
As part of the Government’s direction of travel, the OfS has been designed to encourage the growth of an increasingly competitive HE market andaims to be informed by student choice. Areas of regulation for the OfS, including the incorporation of much of that what is currently delivered by theHigher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), include:
• Management of the register of English higher education providers and universities will now be charged a fee to cover its administration • The granting of degree awarding powers and university titles • Access and participation as the Office for Fair Access is merged into the new body • Quality and standards which will include the continued involvement of the Quality Assurance Agency.
The OfS will become fully operational from 1 April 2018 – a handy overview was recently produced for the Wonkhe website(http://wonkhe.com/blogs/a-beginners-guide-to-the-office-for-students/) should colleagues wish to find out more.
The constant shifting of the political landscape also continued this month with Theresa May’s reshuffle.
Most importantly for the sector, this saw previous minister Jo Johnson replaced by Sam Gyimah (pictured) in the newly titled role of Minister forHigher Education. Sam Gyimah knows Oxford well having studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Somerville College.
His Ministerial role continues to sit both within the Department for Education, where Justine Greening was replaced by Damian Hinds and theDepartment for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy where Greg Clark remains as Secretary of State.
Therefore a large amount of change for higher education already in 2018 and we’re only into the third week of the year.
Further updates on changes to the sector and its impact on Oxford Brookes will be provided in future issues of Onstream.
Transformation: the Brookes Learning and Teaching Conference 2018
Andrea Macrae and George Roberts, co-chairs of the Brookes Learning and Teaching Conference 2018 outline the programme for this year’conference and invite you to submit an extract. The conference which will be held on 14 June 2018 will explore the theme of ‘transformation’.
Transformation is at the heart of education and will be the focus of the Brookes Learning and Teaching Conference 2018. The conference will bringus together as a multidisciplinary learning community to explore transformation in relation to students, staff, the learning environment and curriculum.
STUDENTS: What kinds of things are we doing to best support students in their transformation from school pupils into college learners and intoundergraduate scholars, researchers and professionals? How far and in what ways are students transformed by university teaching and learningexperiences? How do these transformations underscore, and/or go beyond, Brookes Graduate Attributes? And what kinds of transformations arecreated by our students for other students, for staff and for the University?
STAFF: What motivates, and what models, positive transformation in pedagogical practice? How have wider cultural transformations influenced staffidentities and approaches as teachers? What kinds of transformative experiences have staff had, as individuals or teams, as teachers and aslearners? Reflective accounts of the development of good practice are welcome, especially those illuminating learning journeys and learning theory.
ENVIRONMENTS: How does, and how could, the ways in which we occupy teaching and learning spaces at our campuses and colleges transformthose spaces? What new teaching and learning experiences are being enabled by innovations in digital technologies?
DISCIPLINE AND CURRICULUM: What transformations have individual subjects and programmes undergone in recent years - for example, in thenature of content covered; in the borders and boundaries of disciplines; in interdisciplinary relationships between subjects; in the prior learningexperiences of students; in the professionalisation of disciplines, etc.
These strands overlap in many ways: each engages with ideas of progress, catalysts for change, connection, intention, innovation and evidence. Wewelcome contributions to these strands in a variety of forms, including a standard individual or team paper, panel discussion, Q&A session, group offlash presentations (i.e. a set of 1 to 5 minute mini-talks), workshop or demonstration (note all should fit into slots of 30 minutes or 1 hour).
For more information go to http://bltc18.ocsld.org/ (http://bltc18.ocsld.org/)
(http://bltc18.ocsld.org/)Submit an abstract (http://bltc18.ocsld.org/submit-an-abstract/) and join us in exploring, celebrating and sharingtransformations in teaching and learning at Brookes. Please submit extracts by 16 March 2018.
Win your share of £50,000 – and ensure your students do too!
The Oxford Brookes Enterprise Support Awards applications open on Wednesday 31 January and close at 12 noon on Wednesday 28 February. They are open to staff, students and recent graduates (who graduated after 31 January 2016).
The University’s Enterprise Support Programme is geared to supporting the entrepreneurs and the freelancers of tomorrow, as well as thoseinterested in social change and social innovation. The programme offers practical support, training and access to funding to help individuals andteams either take the first steps to research and develop an idea or to set up an enterprise or social enterprise.
Awards range from Try It awards of around £250, to Do It awards of up to £5,000 for more developed projects.
Enterprise Support Coordinator, Clelia Bevillard commented: “Employability and resilience are the two key qualities that today’s employers state theyare looking for from graduates. At Brookes we are creating an environment in which those skills can be gained and where enterprise thrives with anetwork of collaboration across all faculties. This programme allows individuals to gain live business skills and evidence of experience for their CVsor to pass on to others. Many of our participants go on to set up their own flourishing businesses.”
The programme offers a high level of active support to ensure individuals achieve their goals and in the majority of cases, those who engage with theprogramme win funding to take their project or business forward. The funding awards are determined at a friendly Dragons Den pitch, to be held thisyear on Wednesday 21 March.
The Brookes Enterprise Support team will be visiting lecture rooms in January and February to explain how to apply and how to best access thefunding.
The programme also offers credit within the BrookesID scheme.
Book a visit via email at [email protected] ([email protected]).
Find out more about Brookes Enterprise (www.brookes.ac.uk/enterprise-support)Support (http://)
Apply for an award (https://www.brookes.ac.uk/enterprise-support/apply-for-an-award/)
The first Brookes Public Engagement Network Event
The event will introduce attendees to the Brookes Public Engagement Network (PEN), created to support, promote and connect staff and studentsinvolved in, or interested in, public engagement (PE) with research.
PEN is a cross-University initiative and links to the Research and Knowledge Exchange Strategy (https://www.brookes.ac.uk/about-brookes/strategy/research-strategy/) which highlights PE as a key aspect of our University impact and research profile.
The networking event will take place from 2.00pm-4.00pm in the John Henry Brookes Building, room JHB201.
Dr Anne Osterrieder, who leads the PEN Steering Group said: “This event will be the first of many, hopefully rotating around sites, where you canhear more about PEN. It is a great opportunity to get to know other researchers interested in public engagement and maybe even plot futurecollaborations.
“We also would like to get your input into the new Brookes PEN website that is currently being worked on; Dan Croft from the Library will beavailable to chat about Open Scholarly Communications and there will be big, neon sticky notes to stick on posters, so prepare yourself forinteractivity!”
Would you be up for giving a one minute elevator pitch about your research? If yes, please email [email protected](mailto:[email protected]) to sign up.
Refreshments will be provided at the event. To help with catering numbers please let Anne know if you wish to attend byemailing [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]). You can also share with any colleagues or students who might beinterested in coming along.
To learn more about Brookes PEN and to join the mailing list, please visit the internal Google site(https://sites.google.com/brookes.ac.uk/publicengagement/pen).
Think Human Festival and photo competition: how would you picture what it isto be human?
In May 2018, Oxford Brookes will be hosting a Think Human Festival, a programme of events which will highlight how the humanities and socialsciences help us to understand ourselves. It will showcase the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences’ interdisciplinary approach to addressingcontemporary issues in an accessible and engaging way. The Festival will challenge assumptions, expand perspectives, explore identities, inspireand empower.
A full programme of events for the week of Monday 21 May to Saturday 26 May 2018 will provide opportunities for you to discuss and reflect on theimportance of understanding ourselves as human beings, our relationships with others and the challenges we face as part of a changing society in acomplex world.
As a forerunner event for the festival week, Think Human is holding a photography competition around four key themes:
Identity
Empowerment
Provocation
Empathy
The panel of judges will include the founder of Fisher Studios - David Fisher, Sarah Wiseman - owner/director of Sarah Wiseman Gallery andrenowned London artist - Jenny Cordy.
There are first prizes of £50 for each of the three categories, under 18, over 18 and Alumni. The overall competition winner will receive a prize of£100. The winner of the under 18 category will also receive a day’s work experience courtesy of Fisher Studios. In addition there will be one‘people’s choice’ award for the image receiving the most likes on the Think Human Instagram Account(https://www.instagram.com/thinkhumanfest/).
Shortlisted images will be displayed before and throughout the Festival week at Oxford Brookes and venues in Oxford. There will be an exhibition ofthe shortlisted entries in the Glass Tank after the Festival. It is planned that the exhibition will be taken out on tour to the local community andschools.
Festival Lead, Professor Gary Browning says: “The Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences is hosting a Think Human Festival in May this year.Exciting events will highlight how the Humanities and Social Sciences make us think about what it means to be human. The Festival will reach out tothe local community and the wider world and the Photography Competition will be an integral part of this process and we are looking forward toseeing how people interpret the themes with some great pictures.”
The competition is open to all, so please invite your friends and family to enter. To find out more information and how to enter the PhotographyCompetition click here (https://www.brookes.ac.uk/think-human/photography-competition/). Please read terms and conditions for full details on howto submit an entry.
The closing date for submissions is Saturday 31 March 2018.
Introducing the new Timetabling Governance Group
Recently the Vice-Chancellor’s Group discussed ways to improve a wide range of processes within the University. Many of these are intended toimprove our approach to timetabling. One outcome of this discussion is the creation of a new group - the Timetabling Governance Group (TGG),which will be chaired by Professor Linda King, Pro Vice-Chancellor Research and Global Partnerships.
The new group is set to meet monthly and oversee the changes needed to improve timetabling, as well as the possible impacts on timetabling fromother University changes such as the Academic Framework Review and Student Record System programme.
In setting up the TGG careful consideration has been given to its membership to ensure that each faculty as well as specialist knowledge, such asfrom Estates, IT Services and the Project to Utilise Teaching Spaces (PUTS), are represented.
John Kirk, Academic Registrar and Director of Academic and Student Affairs (ASA) commented: "The creation of the new Timetabling GovernanceGroup represents our acknowledgement of the importance of providing an accurate timetable to our students and staff in a more timely andaccessible manner. The group will include key staff from faculties and directorates, and chaired by Professor King, demonstrates the University’scommitment to achieving the goal of an improved timetabling experience for all."
The Timetabling Governance Group will:
lead on improving the timetable by responding to and recommending organisational change
seek, consider, act upon and work with stakeholder feedback to improve timetabling
ensure effective operation of the curriculum within the parameters of the University’s timetable
analyse and evolve central and faculty processes for managing quality and standards in timetabling
liaise with the Directorate of Estates and Facilities Management to ensure the best use of the existing and future estate
ensure that the University’s teaching, learning and research objectives are prioritised when producing the timetable.
If you have any questions about the TGG please contact Adrienne Frazer, PUTS Project Manager via [email protected] ([email protected])
Increase in funding for Knowledge Transfer Partnerships: lunchtime events
The Research and Business Development Office is hosting events in January aimed at supporting researchers who would like to take advantage ofthe government’s recent increase in funding for Knowledge Transfer Partnerships.
Each lunchtime event will last an hour with a buffet lunch provided. The first two events are schedule for January as follows:
Funding for innovation and research in Health and Life Sciences An invitation to learn more with John Corlett and Anna Verghese, Oxford Brookes KTP managers 17 January 2018 at 1.00pm in JHB407 (Buffet lunch provided)
Start a project. Get funding. Make an impact. A workshop to develop projects eligible for funding from Innovate UK with Gerry O’Hagan, Knowledge Transfer Adviser at the Knowledge Transfer Network 31 January 2018 at 1.00pm in B213, Wheatley Campus (Buffet lunch provided)
In a KTP the university recruits and employs a graduate who works within the partner’s business on a project that innovates or solves problems,leading ultimately to the growth of that business. A member of Brookes staff provides the supervision and academic leadership to see the projectthrough a typical duration of two years or more.
Applications for KTP funding have a success rate c90%. Oxford Brookes has a track record of delivery with KTPs, innovating in real products andprocesses while generating significant teaching and research outputs.
Discover how you can take advantage of this opportunity in these workshops on the practicalities of making a successful application. To attend orregister your interest, please email [email protected] ([email protected]) as soon as possible.
