connection issue 5

Issue 5 Sum

mer 2007

The magazine of Buckinghamshire Chilterns University College

ProfileDerek Godfrey

Update on campus redevelopment

ViewpointMissenden Abbey

FeatureSupport for sustainable business

News and views for summer!

BCUC in the news

Connection Page 3 Connection

Contents Message from the DirectorSeven BCUC alumni exhibited their work at Slough Trading Estate in an innovative mixed media exhibition designed to showcase the work of local emerging artists.

Gallery 435, Slough’s only public art gallery, returned to Slough Trading Estate with Random!, a group project by seven local artists, commissioned especially for Slough’s very own answer to the Tate Modern.

The participating artists studied together at BCUC. The Gallery uses temporary locations for each exhibition it presents, and the Random! exhibition took place in a warehouse at the trading estate, a space that inspired the group to create some stunning pieces on a grand scale.

“There was no limit to the size of the work we could produce,” said artist Richard Vidler. “We all tackled massive pieces of work including installations, sculpture and painting, that invited the viewer to walk amongst the art and get involved with it.”

Work ranged from a mural-sized painting to a large sculpture which juxtaposed a living room and a battle scene, commenting on the impact of TV on our perception of war. There was a fairground skittle alley which confronted us with the false idols of the 21st century, and a moving exhibition examining the preoccupation with size zero clothing.

“Random! was fun whilst at the same time tackling some pertinent 21st century questions around the way we live today,” said Zoe Hatch, Gallery 435 curator. “It challenged our perceptions and made us reconsider things we take for granted”. Visit the Gallery435 website atwww.gallery435.com

Fine Art student Daniel Iles exhibited his latest work at Norden Farm Centre for the Arts, Maidenhead, during May and early June. The exhibition, Dark Light, dealt with light and space, inviting the viewer to pause and reflect, to examine the world from unusual angles. It examined the boundaries between order and chaos, reason and unreason.

Daniel trained as an architect at the Bartlett School of Architecture in the 1960s, and has worked as an architect and a university lecturer. For the past 25 years, he has created a successful business, where he still has a demanding job for three days each week, in addition to studying part-time for a degree in Fine Art at BCUC. View Daniel’s work at

www.artshole.co.uk/danieliles.htm

Connection magazine was produced by the Marketing & Student Recruitment Department of Buckinghamshire Chilterns University College (BCUC). Every effort is made to ensure that the information provided is accurate at the time of going to press.

If you have any questions or stories, please contact the editor, Anne Whitehouse, on 01494 605249, email [email protected]. Contributions may be edited for length or style.

BCUC, Queen Alexander Road,High Wycombe HP11 2JZ.Telephone: 01494 522141Fax: 01404 605023Website: www.bcuc.ac.uk

Designed and produced by Greens Ltd, www.greensdigital.com

Front cover image: Furniture Design Summer School

© Buckinghamshire Chilterns University College

Printed on a chlorine-free paper from a managed forest.

This publication can be made available in alternative formatscall 01494 60 52 49

Graduates present warehouse art show

Art student exhibits at Norden Farm

Issue 5 Sum

mer 2007

BCUC staff, students and alumni have continued to appear in a variety of media over the last few months. The University College continued to have a regular presence in regional media with regular articles in the Bucks Free Press and mentions on local radio.

Furniture design graduate Abi Boura was an Elle Decoration contributor, having styled the ‘Pleasure Garden’ feature in the June issue. After graduating from BCUC, Abi worked as an intern at Elle Decoration until she won her first freelance commission.

Dr Nadia Wager offered expert comment on a study into the relationship between unfair treatment and heart attacks, which was mentioned in nine newspapers including the Los Angeles Times and Chinese business newspaper, The Standard.

Our presence in trade publications included an article in Professional Security on the Health and Safety at Events conference organised by BCUC’s Centre for Crowd Management & Security Studies. Website, agreenerfestival.com, developed by alumna Claire O’Neill and part-time lecturer Ben Challis to encourage more environmentally-friendly festivals, featured in online magazine, RoomThirteen.

Since the last issue of Connection, we have undertaken a survey, designed to find out whether the magazine meets the needs of its current readership. Many thanks to everyone who took the time to complete the questionnaire. It produced some interesting findings.

Overall, the magazine was valued as an important means of communication, with 83% of respondents enjoying the mix of longer and shorter articles. Staff particularly enjoyed articles on campus developments, student success stories and the profile piece, articles that we have continued to focus on this time.

Concerns were raised about the method of distribution and the design, and these concerns have been addressed with this issue. We found that the majority of

respondents keep their issue of Connection for over a month, and I hope that the new design will encourage you to keep back issues, not only for reference, butto showcase BCUC to anyone who maybe interested.

We welcome comments, suggestions and contributions, at any time, so please do get in touch. We will be reviewing Connection again as we prepare for the introduction of new branding, but I hope you will like the changes we have made in the meantime.

Anne Whitehouse, Editor

Congratulations to Louise Groom from the Careers Team who was the lucky winner of a bottle of champagne, having completed the Connection readership survey.

Connection readership survey

Message from the Director 2 2Editor’s note 3Recent exhibitions 3BCUC in the news 3Profile: Derek Godfrey 4Digital pioneer 4Business round-up 5News from the Careers Service 6Funding for e-learning and research repository 6CIPD prize 6Feature: Centre provides support for sustainable business 7Campus redevelopment update 8-9Pilot training 10South Korea links 10Comedy and curry help raise the roof 11Sporting successes 11Furniture Design summer school 12News from the School of Music, Entertainment & Moving Image 13Video Production studentsshowcase work 14European Drama award 14New designers head for Milan 14Graduate competes intalent contest 15Viewpoint: Missenden Abbey 16Students have a safe night out 16Legal advice session 16News in brief 17AUA and Arts & Media conferences 18Summer Ball 18Staff Association information 19Student Volunteering 19

What’s on? Back cover

When I hosted the open meetings for staff in late April, one of the things we discussed was that the vision for our institution is not a radical departure from what a lot of us already believe in: putting students first; working with employers; and altogether being responsive. We were confident that this was entirely appropriate as the mission for the new generation university that we hope to become.

Retaining our current name, even without College at the end, does not seem to communicate this vision, or the transformation within the organisation. So, even if we don’t achieve university status in the near future, a new name is fundamental – a new name to match our new image.

University College Secretary and Clerk to the Council, Jill Grinstead, had a very helpful meeting with the Privy Council and the Department for Education and Skills. On the basis of their advice, we are consulting other higher education institutions and other stakeholders, not just in the area but nationally, with three possibilities:• Buckinghamshire New University• Bucks New University• Bucks UniversityWe intend to get views by the end of June so that by July, when we know the outcome of our university title application, we can seek approval of our new name.

We are not including Buckinghamshire University because the advice we received tells us that it is potentially confusing with the University of Buckingham. Actually, by the time we got that advice, the Senior Management Team’s thinking had moved on from our original preference for Buckinghamshire University.

The more we thought about the image we want to portray, as a forward-thinking and externally-facing institution, not too bound up with tradition, the more we favoured Bucks University. We felt that this name would work well with a dynamic, modern logo which we hope to commission.

This sort of name and visual identity would set us apart from the University of Buckingham which has a variation on a heraldic shield as its logo. And, we can always use our coat of arms for more formal occasions, and feel confident that the Bucks moniker also has a long tradition – it is the name used for us by those that commission nurse education and those in the creative and cultural industries.

We hope to be the new university in Buckinghamshire soon, but that position is only transitory. So, why choose to add ‘New’ to the title? It conveys our belief that we will be a new generation institution, a state of mind and the values we stand for, rather than having been established recently. A freshness and newness of thinking, being open to ideas and change, are characteristics that I hope will always be with us. Presumably that was the thinking behind the foundation of New College, Oxford all those centuries ago.

I recently heard a term describing those universities which are not research intensive. Rather than describing what they don’t do, the term ‘business-facing university’ is being used. Features of a business-facing university are responsiveness and applied research linked back to business. If we use ‘business’ in the broadest sense, then this describes us well. There is definitely a place on the business-facing continuum for us, as providers of CPD, consultancy and problem-solving, to raise the productivity of businesses, and prepare our graduates for their careers.

I rather like the term business-facing and I think it sits well with our vision and being called Bucks University. What do you think? If you have any views on this or our proposed names, then contact me at [email protected]

BCUC in the news

Page 2 Connection Connection

Contents Message from the DirectorSeven BCUC alumni exhibited their work at Slough Trading Estate in an innovative mixed media exhibition designed to showcase the work of local emerging artists.

Gallery 435, Slough’s only public art gallery, returned to Slough Trading Estate with Random!, a group project by seven local artists, commissioned especially for Slough’s very own answer to the Tate Modern.

The participating artists studied together at BCUC. The Gallery uses temporary locations for each exhibition it presents, and the Random! exhibition took place in a warehouse at the trading estate, a space that inspired the group to create some stunning pieces on a grand scale.

“There was no limit to the size of the work we could produce,” said artist Richard Vidler. “We all tackled massive pieces of work including installations, sculpture and painting, that invited the viewer to walk amongst the art and get involved with it.”

Work ranged from a mural-sized painting to a large sculpture which juxtaposed a living room and a battle scene, commenting on the impact of TV on our perception of war. There was a fairground skittle alley which confronted us with the false idols of the 21st century, and a moving exhibition examining the preoccupation with size zero clothing.

“Random! was fun whilst at the same time tackling some pertinent 21st century questions around the way we live today,” said Zoe Hatch, Gallery 435 curator. “It challenged our perceptions and made us reconsider things we take for granted”. Visit the Gallery435 website atwww.gallery435.com

Fine Art student Daniel Iles exhibited his latest work at Norden Farm Centre for the Arts, Maidenhead, during May and early June. The exhibition, Dark Light, dealt with light and space, inviting the viewer to pause and reflect, to examine the world from unusual angles. It examined the boundaries between order and chaos, reason and unreason.

Daniel trained as an architect at the Bartlett School of Architecture in the 1960s, and has worked as an architect and a university lecturer. For the past 25 years, he has created a successful business, where he still has a demanding job for three days each week, in addition to studying part-time for a degree in Fine Art at BCUC. View Daniel’s work at

www.artshole.co.uk/danieliles.htm

Connection magazine was produced by the Marketing & Student Recruitment Department of Buckinghamshire Chilterns University College (BCUC). Every effort is made to ensure that the information provided is accurate at the time of going to press.

If you have any questions or stories, please contact the editor, Anne Whitehouse, on 01494 605249, email [email protected]. Contributions may be edited for length or style.

BCUC, Queen Alexander Road,High Wycombe HP11 2JZ.Telephone: 01494 522141Fax: 01404 605023Website: www.bcuc.ac.uk

Designed and produced by Greens Ltd, www.greensdigital.com

Front cover image: Furniture Design Summer School

© Buckinghamshire Chilterns University College

Printed on a chlorine-free paper from a managed forest.

This publication can be made available in alternative formatscall 01494 60 52 49

Graduates present warehouse art show

Art student exhibits at Norden Farm

Issue 5 Sum

mer 2007

BCUC staff, students and alumni have continued to appear in a variety of media over the last few months. The University College continued to have a regular presence in regional media with regular articles in the Bucks Free Press and mentions on local radio.

Furniture design graduate Abi Boura was an Elle Decoration contributor, having styled the ‘Pleasure Garden’ feature in the June issue. After graduating from BCUC, Abi worked as an intern at Elle Decoration until she won her first freelance commission.

Dr Nadia Wager offered expert comment on a study into the relationship between unfair treatment and heart attacks, which was mentioned in nine newspapers including the Los Angeles Times and Chinese business newspaper, The Standard.

Our presence in trade publications included an article in Professional Security on the Health and Safety at Events conference organised by BCUC’s Centre for Crowd Management & Security Studies. Website, agreenerfestival.com, developed by alumna Claire O’Neill and part-time lecturer Ben Challis to encourage more environmentally-friendly festivals, featured in online magazine, RoomThirteen.

Since the last issue of Connection, we have undertaken a survey, designed to find out whether the magazine meets the needs of its current readership. Many thanks to everyone who took the time to complete the questionnaire. It produced some interesting findings.

Overall, the magazine was valued as an important means of communication, with 83% of respondents enjoying the mix of longer and shorter articles. Staff particularly enjoyed articles on campus developments, student success stories and the profile piece, articles that we have continued to focus on this time.

Concerns were raised about the method of distribution and the design, and these concerns have been addressed with this issue. We found that the majority of

respondents keep their issue of Connection for over a month, and I hope that the new design will encourage you to keep back issues, not only for reference, butto showcase BCUC to anyone who maybe interested.

We welcome comments, suggestions and contributions, at any time, so please do get in touch. We will be reviewing Connection again as we prepare for the introduction of new branding, but I hope you will like the changes we have made in the meantime.

Anne Whitehouse, Editor

Congratulations to Louise Groom from the Careers Team who was the lucky winner of a bottle of champagne, having completed the Connection readership survey.

Connection readership survey

Message from the Director 2 2Editor’s note 3Recent exhibitions 3BCUC in the news 3Profile: Derek Godfrey 4Digital pioneer 4Business round-up 5News from the Careers Service 6Funding for e-learning and research repository 6CIPD prize 6Feature: Centre provides support for sustainable business 7Campus redevelopment update 8-9Pilot training 10South Korea links 10Comedy and curry help raise the roof 11Sporting successes 11Furniture Design summer school 12News from the School of Music, Entertainment & Moving Image 13Video Production studentsshowcase work 14European Drama award 14New designers head for Milan 14Graduate competes intalent contest 15Viewpoint: Missenden Abbey 16Students have a safe night out 16Legal advice session 16News in brief 17AUA and Arts & Media conferences 18Summer Ball 18Staff Association information 19Student Volunteering 19

What’s on? Back cover

When I hosted the open meetings for staff in late April, one of the things we discussed was that the vision for our institution is not a radical departure from what a lot of us already believe in: putting students first; working with employers; and altogether being responsive. We were confident that this was entirely appropriate as the mission for the new generation university that we hope to become.

Retaining our current name, even without College at the end, does not seem to communicate this vision, or the transformation within the organisation. So, even if we don’t achieve university status in the near future, a new name is fundamental – a new name to match our new image.

University College Secretary and Clerk to the Council, Jill Grinstead, had a very helpful meeting with the Privy Council and the Department for Education and Skills. On the basis of their advice, we are consulting other higher education institutions and other stakeholders, not just in the area but nationally, with three possibilities:• Buckinghamshire New University• Bucks New University• Bucks UniversityWe intend to get views by the end of June so that by July, when we know the outcome of our university title application, we can seek approval of our new name.

We are not including Buckinghamshire University because the advice we received tells us that it is potentially confusing with the University of Buckingham. Actually, by the time we got that advice, the Senior Management Team’s thinking had moved on from our original preference for Buckinghamshire University.

The more we thought about the image we want to portray, as a forward-thinking and externally-facing institution, not too bound up with tradition, the more we favoured Bucks University. We felt that this name would work well with a dynamic, modern logo which we hope to commission.

This sort of name and visual identity would set us apart from the University of Buckingham which has a variation on a heraldic shield as its logo. And, we can always use our coat of arms for more formal occasions, and feel confident that the Bucks moniker also has a long tradition – it is the name used for us by those that commission nurse education and those in the creative and cultural industries.

We hope to be the new university in Buckinghamshire soon, but that position is only transitory. So, why choose to add ‘New’ to the title? It conveys our belief that we will be a new generation institution, a state of mind and the values we stand for, rather than having been established recently. A freshness and newness of thinking, being open to ideas and change, are characteristics that I hope will always be with us. Presumably that was the thinking behind the foundation of New College, Oxford all those centuries ago.

I recently heard a term describing those universities which are not research intensive. Rather than describing what they don’t do, the term ‘business-facing university’ is being used. Features of a business-facing university are responsiveness and applied research linked back to business. If we use ‘business’ in the broadest sense, then this describes us well. There is definitely a place on the business-facing continuum for us, as providers of CPD, consultancy and problem-solving, to raise the productivity of businesses, and prepare our graduates for their careers.

I rather like the term business-facing and I think it sits well with our vision and being called Bucks University. What do you think? If you have any views on this or our proposed names, then contact me at [email protected]


Former BCUC student, Stafford Sumner, gained a unique insight into how business is done in Asia after being selected by the British Council to be an ambassador for the UK digital media industry.

Stafford, who runs email marketing company, Jarrang, was selected as a Digital Pioneer after impressing judges with his business vision, and having been identified as a future leader in the international creative economy. As a result he travelled to Hong Kong as one of only three representatives from the UK, to learn about Asian commerce and how to develop business in the former colony.

Stafford formed Jarrang after graduating in 2001 with a BA in Business Studies with

Marketing. He said: “My time at BCUC gave me a sound understanding of business, and the specialist subjects such as international marketing have been important in the development of my career. These skills will become particularly useful in this next phase of business growth where we are actively pursuing global contracts.”

By maximising their use of the internet, developing innovative solutions and constantly updating IT infrastructure, Mr Sumner and his team of five, plan to target new markets in Australia, Asia and the United States. He said: “The great thing about email marketing is that we can be anywhere in the world and still offer a high quality service to our clients.”

Stafford was assigned a mentor to help develop contacts in the region, attended an awards ceremony, and took part in a Digital Entertainment Leadership Forum.

Three Dimensional Design student Amie McKell has won the second stage of BCUC’s My Great Business Idea Competition. Organised by the Regional Development Unit, the competition encourages students to develop an idea which has commercial potential.

With a prize pool of £10,000 and twelve short-listed finalists, the team of judges had a tough job on their hands, at the final that took place at Missenden Abbey in May. Initial presentations enabled them to whittle the contenders down to six, who were invited to ‘sell’ their ideas in a three-minute pitch.

Four ideas were highly commended, and three were awarded prizes. Mark van Rensburg came third for his garden tools designed for disabled people, Kristina Allison

was second with her exercise cycle that generates power, and Amie McKell won the first prize for her hydration system for sports people.

Amie has been a keen surfer since the age of 13, but found it difficult to find a hydration system that didn’t interfere with the sport. Amie’s sports hydration clothing incorporates a carrier that holds 800ml of water, the recommended amount for an hour’s exercise.

Amie said: “The t-shirt has been tested by a former European Ironman champion, and we found that it doesn’t restrict movement, and is comfortable to wear. It could be used for a range of sports, including kayaking, cycling and walking.”

Amie presented her ideas in precisely three minutes and was commended by the chairman of the judging panel, Fred Edwards, Managing Director of financial support company, myFD, who said: “We made our judgement on the person, the idea, and the presentation of the business plan. Amie was confident about the idea and presented well. The design of the clothing will be as important as the water carrier.”

In addition to her prize money of £5,000, Amie won a year’s free place at the business hatchery at Wellesbourne Campus, thanks to Martin Brassell of Aylesbury Vale Enterprise Hub.

BCUC students joined students from across the South East for the Make a Difference (MAD) ideas competition, held in Portsmouth in May. Sponsored by the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA), the competition encourages entrepreneurial ideas that make a real difference to people’s lives. The BCUC entries were amongst 16 to be chosen from over 200 applications.

Design student wins business idea competition

Profile:Derek GodfreyProfessor Derek Godfrey started working closely with BCUC in January before he formally took up the role of Deputy Director (Operations) at the beginning of March; for example, he took a leading role in the development of the new website. In the last few months he has continued to instigate change, setting up monthly briefing sessions for everyone in Operations, and beginning to work on a project to look at the culture and values at BCUC.

His role is a new one on the Senior Management Team, and involves enhancing the customer service ethos in Operations, developing a leadership team approach, setting up visibility and feedback mechanisms, and identifying areasfor improvement.

Derek studied Physics and Education at Aston University, before going on to complete a PhD in Surface Physics at Warwick University and a year’s teacher training at Nottingham. He was Associate Dean for Research and External Affairs at Coventry University, where he developed business support activities and a research strategy. So, how did his academic background lead to his current operational position?

Derek joined BCUC from Cable & Wireless, where he undertook a wide range of technical and commercial roles. Prior appointments included stints at BT’s Research Laboratories and at GEC/Marconi. He says: “My private sector roles have involved working closely with universities, so I have always had a foot in both camps. I am currently working on increasing the number of partnerships between BCUC and companies, and I hope I can bring together the best of both sectors.”

Professor Godfrey was attracted to BCUC because of the opportunities offered by the campus redevelopment project and the application for university title, because of BCUC’s reputation as a caring and supportive institution, and because of its vocational emphasis: “I want to keep the many positive things about BCUC, whilst bringing greater efficiency and a more customer-focussed approach, so that we are better able to deliver our strategic objectives.”

Derek is married with three grown-up children, one a researcher at the University of Chicago, one a teacher, and the other a student at Sheffield University. He still lives in Coventry, and is a Visiting Professor at the University, a role that involves teaching an MSc module in telecommunications in

Rwanda. “The module attracts students from all over Africa,” says Derek. “It’s a very different environment to work in; there are a large number of unemployed people, and very few older people because of the genocide that took place in 1994.”

Professor Godfrey is keen to develop two-way communications and cross-team working, not only within Operations, but across the University College. He aims to meet with everyone in Operations quarterly, and has recently undertaken roadshows for all staff, with the Director. He has also developed feedback mechanisms for staff and students, looking at the core services offered by Operations, what people think of them, and what new services might be required. He says: “By the end of June, we should have a clear understanding of what the portfolio needs to be, from the customer’s perspective. We will then put in place the structure to deliver this from September.”

It’s an ambitious target, but looking at the implementation of the new website, one that he is certain to deliver. Professor Godfrey says: “We talked to students about what it should be like, agreed the specifications at Christmas and then got on with it, so that the main changes could be implemented at Easter. The website redevelopment was a great example of what BCUC can achieve with team-working across the University College.”

Operations comprises:Buildings & EstatesCampus ServicesFinanceHuman ResourcesLearning & Information ServicesManagement Information Services

BCUC graduate becomes digital pioneer

Partnerships between business and academia were celebrated at Kempton Park Racecourse in May, at the official launch of the CommercialiSE project, which provides funds for university staff, students and alumni to develop their business ideas. The event was introduced by the Science and Innovation Minister, Malcolm Wickes, and included a panel discussion on commercialising and supporting new enterprises.

The CommercialiSE scheme provides successful applicants with up to £250,000 to

get their product or service to market within 18 months. The scheme builds stronger links between universities and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and encourages entrepreneurship and innovation through proof of concept and seed funding, supported by business training, mentoring and an executives register.

CommercialiSE is a two-year programme (1 August 2006 – 31 July 2008), aimed at supporting the Government’s drive to build closer ties between business and higher education institutions. It is primarily funded

by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) and is a collaborative partnership between 11 higher education institutions in the South East: Brighton, BCUC, Chichester, Cranfield, Greenwich, Kent, Kingston, Oxford Brookes, Portsmouth, Reading and Sussex. The proof of concept and seed funds are administered and managed by Finance South East.

For more information visit www.commercialise.org.uk

Joint venture provides funding for business ideas

A series of seminars to bring businesses and BCUC together took place at Missenden Abbey in April and May. Organised by the Business Enterprise Unit, the seminars were designed to raise awareness of Knowledge

Transfer Partnerships (KTPs), three-way collaborations between businesses, academic institutions and graduates, known as associates.

KTP Manager Gordon Hooker said: “We ran seminars for each faculty, targeting industries according to the faculties’ expertise. Speakers included the regional KTP Area Advisor from Momenta, and the Heads of Research from each faculty, and

the evenings were supported by current KTP company, Soundsorba, whose manager and associate both attended. The seminars were a great success with over 80 delegates from a range of companies attending. All three evenings produced opportunities that are being followed up at present.”

For further information visit www.beproductive.co.uk

KTP seminars bring business to BCUC

Issue 5 Sum

mer 2007

Business round up

Connection Connection

Former BCUC student, Stafford Sumner, gained a unique insight into how business is done in Asia after being selected by the British Council to be an ambassador for the UK digital media industry.

Stafford, who runs email marketing company, Jarrang, was selected as a Digital Pioneer after impressing judges with his business vision, and having been identified as a future leader in the international creative economy. As a result he travelled to Hong Kong as one of only three representatives from the UK, to learn about Asian commerce and how to develop business in the former colony.

Stafford formed Jarrang after graduating in 2001 with a BA in Business Studies with

Marketing. He said: “My time at BCUC gave me a sound understanding of business, and the specialist subjects such as international marketing have been important in the development of my career. These skills will become particularly useful in this next phase of business growth where we are actively pursuing global contracts.”

By maximising their use of the internet, developing innovative solutions and constantly updating IT infrastructure, Mr Sumner and his team of five, plan to target new markets in Australia, Asia and the United States. He said: “The great thing about email marketing is that we can be anywhere in the world and still offer a high quality service to our clients.”

Stafford was assigned a mentor to help develop contacts in the region, attended an awards ceremony, and took part in a Digital Entertainment Leadership Forum.

Three Dimensional Design student Amie McKell has won the second stage of BCUC’s My Great Business Idea Competition. Organised by the Regional Development Unit, the competition encourages students to develop an idea which has commercial potential.

With a prize pool of £10,000 and twelve short-listed finalists, the team of judges had a tough job on their hands, at the final that took place at Missenden Abbey in May. Initial presentations enabled them to whittle the contenders down to six, who were invited to ‘sell’ their ideas in a three-minute pitch.

Four ideas were highly commended, and three were awarded prizes. Mark van Rensburg came third for his garden tools designed for disabled people, Kristina Allison

was second with her exercise cycle that generates power, and Amie McKell won the first prize for her hydration system for sports people.

Amie has been a keen surfer since the age of 13, but found it difficult to find a hydration system that didn’t interfere with the sport. Amie’s sports hydration clothing incorporates a carrier that holds 800ml of water, the recommended amount for an hour’s exercise.

Amie said: “The t-shirt has been tested by a former European Ironman champion, and we found that it doesn’t restrict movement, and is comfortable to wear. It could be used for a range of sports, including kayaking, cycling and walking.”

Amie presented her ideas in precisely three minutes and was commended by the chairman of the judging panel, Fred Edwards, Managing Director of financial support company, myFD, who said: “We made our judgement on the person, the idea, and the presentation of the business plan. Amie was confident about the idea and presented well. The design of the clothing will be as important as the water carrier.”

In addition to her prize money of £5,000, Amie won a year’s free place at the business hatchery at Wellesbourne Campus, thanks to Martin Brassell of Aylesbury Vale Enterprise Hub.

BCUC students joined students from across the South East for the Make a Difference (MAD) ideas competition, held in Portsmouth in May. Sponsored by the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA), the competition encourages entrepreneurial ideas that make a real difference to people’s lives. The BCUC entries were amongst 16 to be chosen from over 200 applications.

Design student wins business idea competition

Profile:Derek GodfreyProfessor Derek Godfrey started working closely with BCUC in January before he formally took up the role of Deputy Director (Operations) at the beginning of March; for example, he took a leading role in the development of the new website. In the last few months he has continued to instigate change, setting up monthly briefing sessions for everyone in Operations, and beginning to work on a project to look at the culture and values at BCUC.

His role is a new one on the Senior Management Team, and involves enhancing the customer service ethos in Operations, developing a leadership team approach, setting up visibility and feedback mechanisms, and identifying areasfor improvement.

Derek studied Physics and Education at Aston University, before going on to complete a PhD in Surface Physics at Warwick University and a year’s teacher training at Nottingham. He was Associate Dean for Research and External Affairs at Coventry University, where he developed business support activities and a research strategy. So, how did his academic background lead to his current operational position?

Derek joined BCUC from Cable & Wireless, where he undertook a wide range of technical and commercial roles. Prior appointments included stints at BT’s Research Laboratories and at GEC/Marconi. He says: “My private sector roles have involved working closely with universities, so I have always had a foot in both camps. I am currently working on increasing the number of partnerships between BCUC and companies, and I hope I can bring together the best of both sectors.”

Professor Godfrey was attracted to BCUC because of the opportunities offered by the campus redevelopment project and the application for university title, because of BCUC’s reputation as a caring and supportive institution, and because of its vocational emphasis: “I want to keep the many positive things about BCUC, whilst bringing greater efficiency and a more customer-focussed approach, so that we are better able to deliver our strategic objectives.”

Derek is married with three grown-up children, one a researcher at the University of Chicago, one a teacher, and the other a student at Sheffield University. He still lives in Coventry, and is a Visiting Professor at the University, a role that involves teaching an MSc module in telecommunications in

Rwanda. “The module attracts students from all over Africa,” says Derek. “It’s a very different environment to work in; there are a large number of unemployed people, and very few older people because of the genocide that took place in 1994.”

Professor Godfrey is keen to develop two-way communications and cross-team working, not only within Operations, but across the University College. He aims to meet with everyone in Operations quarterly, and has recently undertaken roadshows for all staff, with the Director. He has also developed feedback mechanisms for staff and students, looking at the core services offered by Operations, what people think of them, and what new services might be required. He says: “By the end of June, we should have a clear understanding of what the portfolio needs to be, from the customer’s perspective. We will then put in place the structure to deliver this from September.”

It’s an ambitious target, but looking at the implementation of the new website, one that he is certain to deliver. Professor Godfrey says: “We talked to students about what it should be like, agreed the specifications at Christmas and then got on with it, so that the main changes could be implemented at Easter. The website redevelopment was a great example of what BCUC can achieve with team-working across the University College.”

Operations comprises:Buildings & EstatesCampus ServicesFinanceHuman ResourcesLearning & Information ServicesManagement Information Services

BCUC graduate becomes digital pioneer

Partnerships between business and academia were celebrated at Kempton Park Racecourse in May, at the official launch of the CommercialiSE project, which provides funds for university staff, students and alumni to develop their business ideas. The event was introduced by the Science and Innovation Minister, Malcolm Wickes, and included a panel discussion on commercialising and supporting new enterprises.

The CommercialiSE scheme provides successful applicants with up to £250,000 to

get their product or service to market within 18 months. The scheme builds stronger links between universities and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and encourages entrepreneurship and innovation through proof of concept and seed funding, supported by business training, mentoring and an executives register.

CommercialiSE is a two-year programme (1 August 2006 – 31 July 2008), aimed at supporting the Government’s drive to build closer ties between business and higher education institutions. It is primarily funded

by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) and is a collaborative partnership between 11 higher education institutions in the South East: Brighton, BCUC, Chichester, Cranfield, Greenwich, Kent, Kingston, Oxford Brookes, Portsmouth, Reading and Sussex. The proof of concept and seed funds are administered and managed by Finance South East.

For more information visit www.commercialise.org.uk

Joint venture provides funding for business ideas

A series of seminars to bring businesses and BCUC together took place at Missenden Abbey in April and May. Organised by the Business Enterprise Unit, the seminars were designed to raise awareness of Knowledge

Transfer Partnerships (KTPs), three-way collaborations between businesses, academic institutions and graduates, known as associates.

KTP Manager Gordon Hooker said: “We ran seminars for each faculty, targeting industries according to the faculties’ expertise. Speakers included the regional KTP Area Advisor from Momenta, and the Heads of Research from each faculty, and

the evenings were supported by current KTP company, Soundsorba, whose manager and associate both attended. The seminars were a great success with over 80 delegates from a range of companies attending. All three evenings produced opportunities that are being followed up at present.”

For further information visit www.beproductive.co.uk

KTP seminars bring business to BCUC

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Business round up


An employment and careers fair was held at the High Wycombe Campus in March. Organised by the Careers & Employment Service, it brought together 30 local employers and 350 students.

Head of Careers, David Shacklady said: “We are grateful to those academics who visited stands relevant to their disciplines. There have already been a number of positive outcomes. Two students have interviews with Softcat, a top IT solutions company, and four students have interviews with software solutions provider, Solcara. The police

have had five applications for staff jobs and five applications to become police officers – and these are just the ones that we know about!”

The fair also provided opportunities for first and second year students to gain valuable work experience over the summer, and for students to find volunteering opportunities. Embassy CES Summer Schools have been inundated with applications for their teaching and airport-based roles.

Liz Bartlett from Choice Support, a national charity for adults with learning

disabilities, said: “We are very pleased with the outcome and we made some useful contacts from other businesses who were exhibiting. We were surprised that we had students volunteering from a variety of courses not just people doing courses in a similar field; this was great.”

The Careers & Employment Team hope to organise more specialised fairs and an employer forum. To discuss future events for your school or faculty, email Louise Groom at [email protected]

Centre provides support for sustainable business

A new careers e-guidance service will be formally launched by the Careers &Employment Team this summer.

The service will meet the needs of students who want to submit their queries outside office hours, or who are studying at sites which do not have a permanent careers service presence, including BCUC’s partner colleges.

Following a soft launch in March the e-guidance service has already taken over 50 enquiries, and has had a 95% satisfaction rating in terms of convenience, and 100% in terms of the quality of advice received.

The Prospect Net e-guidance service has been designed by Graduate Prospects, a subsidiary of the Higher Education Careers Services Unit, and has been configured for BCUC by the careers service web editor, Nicola Lappage. The system is used by a number of university careers services, including Manchester, Strathclyde and Bradford.

If you would like to check out the guidance for yourself visit www.bcuc.ac.uk/careers_and_employment/e-guidance

New careersservice launches

Students find work at Spring Careers Fair

Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) Professional Programme student Lesley-Anne Alexander was awarded the best student prize for her exceptional exam results. The prize was presented by Rosemary Harrison, academic, author and CIPD chief examiner, at an open meeting between CIPD students and the CIPD’s Chiltern Branch.

Prize presented to CIPD student

Design for Digital Media student, Kuba Kudanowski has accepted the offer of a place at the University of Cambridge. Kuba was supported in his application by the Careers Service who helped with the written application and the interview process. Kuba will be studying for a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE). He hopes to teach art and design and do his own design work in the holidays.

Kuba goes to Cambridge

New funding for e-learning and the dissemination of researchLearning & Information Services have gained funding of £125,000 for two innovative projects, designed to enhance e-learning provision and to develop a repository for research and scholarly work.

The Higher Education Academy (HEA) grant of £90,000 is for a one-year, cross-faculty, project which will

identify support issues for students and academic staff in their use of e-learning. Known as Pathfinder, the project will cover academic, personal, general and technical support.

Head of Learning & Information Services, Dr Helen Fletcher said: “We will be capturing the experiences of work-based learning students and staff, and gathering good practice from across the sector to make this experience better for all concerned. We are hoping to improve our support for all students, but believe that students abroad could benefit from a wholly online mode of delivery for some of our key courses.”

The Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) grant is for a two year project to implement an appropriate system, policy and procedures for an institutional repository of research and scholarly outputs. The £25,000 grant will provide hardware and software, and will be matched by funding for staff costs. The repository will bring together a wide range of material, theses, digital images, exhibition catalogues, and video, for instance, and will facilitate the dissemination of this information to a wider audience.

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In March 2007, the Carbon Trust announced the introduction of a ‘Carbon Reduction Label’ that demonstrates a commitment from companies to reduce the carbon footprint of their products. The label and methodology are to be trialled by a number of major brands including Walkers, Boots and innocent.

At the same time, sustainability is becoming a hotly-debated topic in the run-up to the 2012 Olympics, and estate agents and property vendors are facing the introduction of Home Information Packs that will provide details of energy performance.

In July 2007, the European Commission will set out a list of product groups which will be considered as priorities for the implementation of a directive obliging manufacturers of energy-using products to reduce the energy consumption and other negative environmental impacts occurring throughout the product lifecycle.

With current legislation encouraging greater concern for the environment, and consumers increasingly demanding an ethical approach to production, where would a business wanting to become more environmentally friendly look for advice?

Since 1997 BCUC has hosted the Corporate Environmental Advisory Centre (CEAC). The Centre was established by two of BCUC’s academic staff, Dr Trevor Dixon and Nigel Griffiths, together with several external partners, to provide environmental management support to businesses in the Thames Valley region. Since then, it has provided support to a range of businesses through short courses, site visits, a helpline, and the dissemination of information.

CEAC is currently managed by a full-time manager, Mrs Marylene Mansfield-Williams, with two part-time project managers who assist local businesses in implementing sound environmental practices. The network of partners ranges from local authorities to national government programmes such as Business Link and Envirowise.

Past projects undertaken by Nigel and Trevor include work with coastal operators to develop a quality management system for amenity beaches, and the development of beer-can holders with enhanced degradability. But, the Centre’s work is not purely externally-facing; its involvements are brought back into the curriculum through case studies and scenarios based on this real industry experience.

Trevor and Nigel believe that the Centre benefits students, staff, businesses and the institution as a whole. Trevor says: “There are implications for the students’ own lifestyles and their employability. One student was headhunted by one of the largest supermarket chains, because he had knowledge of product development and corporate environmental management systems; there weren’t many candidates that had both”.

Trevor believes that external engagement is also a valuable form of staff development enabling staff to keep abreast of current issues facing industry. Nigel adds: “Engaging with the community outside BCUC results in a greater understanding of the relevance and applicability of our academic work, and the way in which it can be applied in any sector.

“We can also use our skills to the benefit of BCUC. We bring in knowledge gained through interacting with industry; as a result, for example, we were able to design and undertake a waste management review for the University College. All higher education institutions will be expected to have a full environmental management system in the next few years, and I hope that our knowledge will be invaluable in meeting this requirement.”

Although Trevor and Nigel teach on product design, engineering and tourism courses, they have developed generic modules and use case studies which are equally relevant to other disciplines, business management and public relations, for instance. These case studies highlight events of national significance and projects they have worked on.

Their external engagement also enables Trevor and Nigel to take on other roles, with Trevor working as an external examiner for Imperial College in London, and Nigel acting as chair of the environment sub-group of the Wycombe Partnership, which brings together the local public, private, voluntary and community sectors to help Wycombe district progress economically, socially and environmentally.

Trevor and Nigel encourage businesses to see that ignoring environmental concerns is a major risk and that addressing them brings many benefits. Dr Dixon says: “Considering environmental issues can result in savings through greater efficiency; it can also stimulate innovation, which in turn results in greater profitability.

“Developing skills in this area enables businesses to compete more effectively in the marketplace. For example, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are often the suppliers of larger companies, whose customers are demanding sound environmental credentials and looking for accountability throughout the supply chain. The Government is very keen to promote innovation and entrepreneurship at present, so it’s a win-win situation.”

The next CEAC environmental awareness course will take place on 4 July at the High Wycombe Campus. For further information visit www.ceac.co.uk

Did you know?

BCUC is a member of The Environmental Association for Universities and Colleges (EAUC), which was launched in September 1996 to raise the profile of environmental management and facilitate improved environmental performance in member institutions. See www.eauc.org.uk for further details.


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Executive Dean (Change Management) Trevor Nicholls updates us on current developments at High Wycombe

What has been happening in the Main Block?We have now completed the refurbishment of floors C and E in the Main Block. The refurbishments include new reception areas for the faculties of Enterprise & Innovation and Creativity & Culture, which will provide students with easy access to the faculties’ administrative staff.

Floor E now accommodates Creativity & Culture’s administrative staff and some academic staff from the Schools of Design & Craft, Music, Entertainment & Moving Image, and Arts & Media. Floor C now accommodates staff from Computing & Advanced Technologies, as well as administrative staff. It will also temporarily accommodate some of the staff from Society & Health, until the refurbishment of D floor is complete. The aim is for staff from Human Sciences & Law, and Community Health, Education & Social Care to move to floor D in August, as well as establishing a new office for some of the faculty’s administrative staff.

Ultimately, these areas will bring staff from the three faculties closer together and make it easier for staff and students in these areas to operate.

What will be happening over the summer?Floors D and E in North Block were handed to the contractors, ITC Contracts, at the end of May. The refurbishment of these areas will result in 25 new teaching and seminar rooms,

and two new 82-seat lecture theatres. The counselling and psychology laboratories will also be housed here. The contractor will complete refurbishment by early September, so that the area is ready for the beginning of the new academic year.

What is the next stage of development?The Owen Harris building will be vacated over the summer, so that it can be fully refurbished during October and November. It will then accommodate some of the administrative services currently based in the North Block, i.e. Marketing & Student Recruitment, the Regional Development Unit, Human Resources, Finance, and MIS who will move in early next year.

The remainder of North Block will then be refurbished to provide more seminar rooms, and to provide space for Student Services and the Students’ Union.

When will work start on the new Learning Resources Centre?The final planning application for the new centre, currently referred to as LRC+, is still under consideration. We should have the final determination in July. Demolition of the front of the High Wycombe Campus is scheduled to begin in July and will take place in two stages: firstly, the separation of the link from the old refectory and hall to the main building; and secondly, the remaining demolition work and

re-building that will begin in the early autumn. The foyer will be refurbished for use as the main reception area during this period.

Will there be changes to parking provision?Car parking arrangements for staff will change in the summer. We are making sure that only staff, and disabled students, are parking at High Wycombe. The full details are subject to a current travel survey and revision of our Travel Plan, and will be posted on BCUC’s extranet, and a separate note will be circulated shortly.

Is there any news about Wellesbourne and Chalfont?BCUC and Wimpey have decided to appeal against the disappointing outcome of the planning application for Wellsbourne. We still believe that it is important to develop the site and all the funding received will be invested in the redevelopment of the University.

Negotiations have commenced with the London Strategic Health Authority regarding the future contract for nurse education and the associated location. The initial discussions have been very positive, and we look forward to agreeing the contract over the coming months.

Campus redevelopment

Building for the futureSustainability is a topic of increasing concern and one that is rarely out of the news at present, but balancing environmental concerns with the need to modernise can sometimes be a challenge.

The Building Research Establishment’s Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) encourages developers to consider a range of environmental concerns, such as climate change, resource use, and the impact on wildlife, balancing these against the need for high quality, safe buildings.

BREEAM assesses projects according to a range of criteria, including: consultation with stakeholders; management of the construction site; the level and quality of daylight; proximity to public transport; water usage; and the prevention of pollution.

Projected marks are assigned at the beginning of a project, and these are confirmed by an assessor on completion, at which stage an overall banding of pass, good, very good or excellent is awarded.

The new Learning Resources Centre is being designed to meet the BREEAM standard ‘very good’. Ian Hunter, Head of Buildings & Estates explains: “We are committed to making the new building as sustainable as possible. It will include many of the systems that we have already begun to introduce in the refurbished areas – low energy lighting and a control system which dims the lights when daylight increases, an improved heating system, and more efficient hand driers, for instance.

“A rating of excellent would be very difficult for us to attain due to the proximity of the building to busy roads, which means that we have to use mechanical ventilation, rather than open windows.

“However, the new seminar rooms in North Block will be double-glazed to increase insulation, reduce external noise and reduce solar heat gain.”

Other initiatives include the provision of a greater number of accessible toilets, and a review of recycling provision

For further information on sustainable buildings, visit www.breeam.org

Did you know?85% of BCUC’s electricity comes from green energy

New café officially openedThe new staff and student café at the High Wycombe Campus was officially opened in April by Dr Ruth Farwell, BCUC’s Director and Chief Executive, and Matthew Kitching, President of the Students’ Union. The café, Beats, is managed by the Students’ Union, and is the first part of the redeveloped campus to be officially opened.

The café has hosted a number of events, including a Fairtrade stall, run by the Chaplaincy during Fairtrade Fortnight in March. Chaplaincy Administrator, Carrie Franklin, said: “We took over £200 and found that the students and staff were really interested in Fairtrade issues.”

Level 3 Rugby students, Tim Myett and Craig Burgess, have both gained full-time posts with London Wasps’ Rugby in the Community programme. One of last year’s graduates, Stephen Davis, now trains rugby referees for Rugby League.

Sports Management and Golf Studies student Chloe Rogers recently won the British Universities Sports Association Women’s South-Eastern Strokeplay qualifying competition at Prince’s Golf Club in Kent. She won by six shots and proceeds to the finals to be held later this year.

Success for sports students

A delighted group of Level 2 students on the BA (Hons) Air Transport with Commercial Pilot Training have recently completed their Air Transport Pilot’s Licence (ATPL) theory examinations with industry partner Cabair College of Air Training, based at Cranfield Airport.

They are now about to embark on the hours-building phase of their pilot training, which is undertaken with one of our pilot training affiliates, Orlando Flight Training in Florida, or Moncton Flight College in Canada.

Course tutor John Furley says: “This is a very important part of the training, as the students will need to demonstrate to airline recruiters that the hours-building was completed in a structured, purposeful fashion, rather than just flying randomly! At the end of this phase, the group will return to Cabair in the UK to complete their Commercial Pilot Licence Skills Test, before coming back to BCUC to complete the final year of the Honours Degree.”

Since its inception in September 2004, the course has enrolled more than 90 students. It is the first course in the UK to undertake this scale of pilot training in a single programme, and is designed for people who wish to obtain a recognised degree in air transport with a view to pursuing a career in the airline and airport business. For this particular group, their dream of becoming commercial airline pilots is gradually becoming a reality!

Connection

Up, up, up and away!

Lecturer develops South Korea linksSenior lecturer, Francisco Baeza, recently visited South Korea to promote the Faculty of Enterprise & Innovation, particularly the football courses.

As part of his visit, Francisco attended an educational fair in Seoul, alongside representatives from educational institutions in the USA, Australia, Canada, China, and the UK. BCUC

was able to exhibit due to its partnership with ‘UNIMASTER Education’, an organization which helps Korean and Asian students to find educational opportunities in the UK.

Francisco also made a presentation about the BCUC Football programmes to the South Korean Football Association and to Honam University.

The link with the South Korean football industry started in September 2006, with a meeting attended by Matt Simmonite, a representative of international football agent, Ivan Sports. Collaborative work has included linking one of the top Korean coaches with the Reading Football Club Football Academy.

An orphanage in Pakistan is one step nearer to completion thanks to twelve second year Public Relations students.

The students have presented a cheque for £765 to Arif Hussain from the Buckinghamshire-based charity Five Pillars. The money will go towards the building of an orphanage in the earthquake region of Pakistan, and a room in the orphanage will be named The Newlands Room, since the Chalfont Campus where the students are based is situated in Newlands Park.

As part of their events management module, the PR students were asked to organise a charity event, with profits going to a locally-based charity. They came up with a ‘Comedy and curry’

night and persuaded four professional comedians, Nik Copin, John Newton, Tony Cowards, and Shazia Mirza, and table magician, Julie Carpenter, to perform, for free, at the Chalfont Campus in March.

120 students, lecturers, friends and family came along for an evening of hilarity, combined with delicious curry provided by Campus Services. Master of Ceremonies, Nik Copin, said afterwards: “The evening was a joy from start to finish. As a comedian that has been on the circuit for a number of years, I can assure you that the whole event ran better than many comedy clubs up and down the country. All the comics involved were singing the praises of not just the gig, but how well we were looked after.”

The PR students chose the charity after reading an article in the Bucks Free Press. Combining entertainment and food in one event was something that hadn’t been attempted at the Chalfont Campus for many years.

The night was a complete success, with many satisfied customers, and comments including “quality night”, “fab” and “amazing”. A very relieved PR team breathed a sigh of relief and gave themselves a pat on the back, after exceeding their fundraising target by £265.

They were delighted that one of the rooms in the orphanage will be named The Newlands Room, recognising their achievement, and the new beginning heralded by the building of the orphanage.

Five Pillars is a UK-based charity, set up in 2002 to help build an orphanage in Pakistan. The charity has acquired around three acres of land in Manda, about half an hour from Islamabad, where it has begun the construction of an orphanage.

The aim is to offer accommodation and education to orphaned and abandoned children, providing a safe and secure environment, so that the children can live something like a normal life, and are equipped for an independent future.

For more information, visit www.fivepillars.org

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Comedy and curry helps raise the roof

Oxford City Football Club’s contribution to the local community and achievement of their National Governing Body Accreditation has been recognised by the Oxfordshire Sports Partnership.

The Oxford City FC has seen significant growth over recent years with the Club now fielding 21 teams and being renowned locally for its high standards of coaching and business prowess.

The Oxfordshire Sports Partnership are working with Oxford City FC as a ‘Pioneer Club’, by documenting their development and planned progress, and using it as a model of good practice for other local sports clubs.

The Club has a formal educational partnership with BCUC, alongside links with Oxfordshire schools and businesses.

Oxford City FC named as Pioneer Club for Oxfordshire Sports Partnership

Level 3 Rugby students, Tim Myett and Craig Burgess, have both gained full-time posts with London Wasps’ Rugby in the Community programme. One of last year’s graduates, Stephen Davis, now trains rugby referees for Rugby League.

Sports Management and Golf Studies student Chloe Rogers recently won the British Universities Sports Association Women’s South-Eastern Strokeplay qualifying competition at Prince’s Golf Club in Kent. She won by six shots and proceeds to the finals to be held later this year.

Success for sports students

A delighted group of Level 2 students on the BA (Hons) Air Transport with Commercial Pilot Training have recently completed their Air Transport Pilot’s Licence (ATPL) theory examinations with industry partner Cabair College of Air Training, based at Cranfield Airport.

They are now about to embark on the hours-building phase of their pilot training, which is undertaken with one of our pilot training affiliates, Orlando Flight Training in Florida, or Moncton Flight College in Canada.

Course tutor John Furley says: “This is a very important part of the training, as the students will need to demonstrate to airline recruiters that the hours-building was completed in a structured, purposeful fashion, rather than just flying randomly! At the end of this phase, the group will return to Cabair in the UK to complete their Commercial Pilot Licence Skills Test, before coming back to BCUC to complete the final year of the Honours Degree.”

Since its inception in September 2004, the course has enrolled more than 90 students. It is the first course in the UK to undertake this scale of pilot training in a single programme, and is designed for people who wish to obtain a recognised degree in air transport with a view to pursuing a career in the airline and airport business. For this particular group, their dream of becoming commercial airline pilots is gradually becoming a reality!

Page 10 Connection

Up, up, up and away!

Lecturer develops South Korea linksSenior lecturer, Francisco Baeza, recently visited South Korea to promote the Faculty of Enterprise & Innovation, particularly the football courses.

As part of his visit, Francisco attended an educational fair in Seoul, alongside representatives from educational institutions in the USA, Australia, Canada, China, and the UK. BCUC

was able to exhibit due to its partnership with ‘UNIMASTER Education’, an organization which helps Korean and Asian students to find educational opportunities in the UK.

Francisco also made a presentation about the BCUC Football programmes to the South Korean Football Association and to Honam University.

The link with the South Korean football industry started in September 2006, with a meeting attended by Matt Simmonite, a representative of international football agent, Ivan Sports. Collaborative work has included linking one of the top Korean coaches with the Reading Football Club Football Academy.

An orphanage in Pakistan is one step nearer to completion thanks to twelve second year Public Relations students.

The students have presented a cheque for £765 to Arif Hussain from the Buckinghamshire-based charity Five Pillars. The money will go towards the building of an orphanage in the earthquake region of Pakistan, and a room in the orphanage will be named The Newlands Room, since the Chalfont Campus where the students are based is situated in Newlands Park.

As part of their events management module, the PR students were asked to organise a charity event, with profits going to a locally-based charity. They came up with a ‘Comedy and curry’

night and persuaded four professional comedians, Nik Copin, John Newton, Tony Cowards, and Shazia Mirza, and table magician, Julie Carpenter, to perform, for free, at the Chalfont Campus in March.

120 students, lecturers, friends and family came along for an evening of hilarity, combined with delicious curry provided by Campus Services. Master of Ceremonies, Nik Copin, said afterwards: “The evening was a joy from start to finish. As a comedian that has been on the circuit for a number of years, I can assure you that the whole event ran better than many comedy clubs up and down the country. All the comics involved were singing the praises of not just the gig, but how well we were looked after.”

The PR students chose the charity after reading an article in the Bucks Free Press. Combining entertainment and food in one event was something that hadn’t been attempted at the Chalfont Campus for many years.

The night was a complete success, with many satisfied customers, and comments including “quality night”, “fab” and “amazing”. A very relieved PR team breathed a sigh of relief and gave themselves a pat on the back, after exceeding their fundraising target by £265.

They were delighted that one of the rooms in the orphanage will be named The Newlands Room, recognising their achievement, and the new beginning heralded by the building of the orphanage.

Five Pillars is a UK-based charity, set up in 2002 to help build an orphanage in Pakistan. The charity has acquired around three acres of land in Manda, about half an hour from Islamabad, where it has begun the construction of an orphanage.

The aim is to offer accommodation and education to orphaned and abandoned children, providing a safe and secure environment, so that the children can live something like a normal life, and are equipped for an independent future.

For more information, visit www.fivepillars.org

Connection

Issue 5 Sum

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Comedy and curry helps raise the roof

Oxford City Football Club’s contribution to the local community and achievement of their National Governing Body Accreditation has been recognised by the Oxfordshire Sports Partnership.

The Oxford City FC has seen significant growth over recent years with the Club now fielding 21 teams and being renowned locally for its high standards of coaching and business prowess.

The Oxfordshire Sports Partnership are working with Oxford City FC as a ‘Pioneer Club’, by documenting their development and planned progress, and using it as a model of good practice for other local sports clubs.

The Club has a formal educational partnership with BCUC, alongside links with Oxfordshire schools and businesses.

Oxford City FC named as Pioneer Club for Oxfordshire Sports Partnership


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MA Furniture Design students from BCUC will be visiting Chichester in July for the ‘sMArt office 3’ Summer School. The Summer School will include visits to companies in the region, seminars, talks by designers, and the opportunity to design an innovative work chair.

The Summer School has been sponsored, for the third year running, by The Worshipful Company of Furniture Makers (WCFM) and KI Office Furniture. The results of the workshop will be exhibited at the prestigious KI showrooms in Holborn from 18–21 September, as part of The London Design Festival.

Last year’s Summer School resulted in student Alys Walton securing a position with Morgan Furniture, following a tour of the company, and the work of student Tomohiko Sato being put into production by KI.

Course leader Dr Lynn Jones says: “When industry meet the students with whom we work, they quickly realise the value of the talent we house, not only as an economic commodity, but much more importantly as human beings who bring skill, creativity and much needed sensitivity to the ever-changing furniture design industry.”

Undergraduates on the Music and Entertainment Management programmes are to be included in a new Song BMG annual internship scheme, starting in summer 2007.

“Sony BMG have always offered our students a range of informal placements, but this is the first time they have considered the value of formalising an annual internship scheme tailored to fit in with students’ timetable commitments and holiday periods,” says Head of the School of Music, Entertainment & Moving Image, Frazer Mackenzie.

“They were increasingly conscious of the significant added value that our students were bringing to the label’s business activities, and the real opportunities for the company to identify potential future employees. The School already runs a similar scheme with EMI Music, and a number of the students have gone on to work for the company.

“The growing range of opportunities for undergraduates to combine their studies with this kind of high calibre work experience continues to give our students the best possible start in what is an extremely competitive and exciting employment sector.”

Summer school students to design an alternative office chair

New internship scheme for Music & EntertainmentManagement students

Education/industry partnership lights up the White Room

Lecturer helps source virtual thirst machineSenior Lecturer Chris Hambly has been commissioned by the Coca-Cola Company to help develop a prototype for a vending machine that will exist in the virtual world of Second Life. Coca-Cola is calling on the public to design a futuristic appliance that “…dispenses entertainment, adventure or happiness… satisfies curiosities and fulfils virtual wishes.” Chris is acting as a judge for the ‘Virtual Thirst’ competition which will see the overall winner travel to San Francisco to help turn the design into Second Life reality.

The School of Music, Entertainment & Moving Image’s recent purchase of a new digitally-controlled lighting system from local company, AC Lighting, comes with a difference. The school have also agreed a unique education/industry partnership with the High Wycombe-based theatre and concert lighting supplier.

The partnership will give Music Industry Management & Live Production students the opportunity to benefit from master-classes in lighting design, site visits, and access to state of the art digital and LCD-based lighting and

projection systems currently used in the largest venues.

The lighting system, which has been installed in the Students’ Union venue, the White Room, will be used for teaching on music management and production courses, and will also allow students to see a system operating in a working venue, with the Union and the School working collaboratively on a range of live projects and promotions throughout the year.

The first master-class was delivered in April by AC Lighting’s Neil Vann. It

was followed by a live set, in the White Room, from top solo artist, Sandi Thom, who recently hit the number one spot with her debut single. The event was organised and promoted by a group of Level 2 undergraduates.

It is anticipated that the partnership with AC Lighting will also lead to work experience and employment opportunities, especially in the light of the imminent validation of the BA (Hons) Music Production & Lighting Design, which is due to begin in September 2008.

Neil Vann, Frazer Mackenzie, Andy Smith from the Students’ Union, and lecturer Iain Hill Students Nicola Irving and Pete Lea

Course leader Lynn Jones and the chair of the WCFM Design Awards Committee, Tony Smart MBE, with students from the 2006 Summer School


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BCUC graduate Alex Toye made it to the regional final of the biggest music talent contest for bands and solo artists outside TV’s X-Factor.

Selected from over 10,000 singers and bands across the country, Alex competed in the regional final of Live and Unsigned, South Coast Idol, which took place at Pure Nightclub in High Wycombe in April. The competition is designed not only to find talent, but to give opportunities and exposure to unsigned bands, groups and singers.

Alex studied for a Diploma in Music Industry Management at BCUC. He said: “The course gave me a great insight into the inner workings of the music industry. Knowing how a record company is set up, how a publishing deal works, and how to promote an event can be very useful to an aspiring artist looking to self-promote with the aim of getting a record deal.

“The tutors have a lot of industry experience and were always willing to give advice and even listen to and give feedback on demo tapes! The studio facilities at BCUC are also very useful to a musician and you have the opportunity to learn about production techniques which really helps when it comes to recording your own music.”

Alex is on the look out for local musicians (lead guitar, bass guitar, drums and possibly keyboards) to start a new band playing and writing original material. Contact Alex at [email protected] or visit www.myspace.com/alextoye

BCUC graduatecompetes in UK talent contest

Video Production students showcase work

The work of third year Video Production students was shown at two special screenings in May. The work included three short films that had already been successful in various competitions.

Sad Bear by Paul Sorrenti, Callum de Caestecker, Tuomas Koskimies and Alex Valentine made it through the first stage of the Cobravision competition, designed to find the best videos to be used by Cobra Beer as narrative trailers before films on Channel 4.

Blood on the Bath Tiles by Alex Harrison, Andy Laas, Mark Thomas and Shelley Salmon has been accepted for the New York International Independent Film & Video Festival which takes place in July.

Andy Marsh won the ‘Technical Achievement’ award at the Screentest Student Film Festival which took place in Bristol in March for his experimental film In Memory.

Course leader, Laura Sims said: “The students were asked to produce either a fictional work or a documentary, on their own, or to work in small groups to produce a portfolio of videos, such as music videos or adverts. The quality of the work is shown by the fact that so many of the students have been nominated for awards.”

Dates for your diary:Lecturer Fil Ieropoulos’ short film, 8x8 Light Instants, will be screened at Cow Lane Studios, Manchester, on 23 June.

Final year degree showsFinal year students from the Faculty of Creativity & Culture will be showing their work from Saturday 9 June at the High Wycombe Campus, and in London from 25 June. Visit the Newsroom at www.bcuc.ac.uk for details.

Drama and Creative Writing student Rachel Price won the Best Actress Award at the Festival d’Hiver, a European student drama festival held in France in March.

The week-long festival is designed to bring together drama students from across Europe. The entrants live with the other competitors and the jury at the campus of the HEC School of Management, near Paris, and so have the opportunity to share experiences with students from other countries.

Teams are selected from Higher Education Institutions across Europe. The BCUC team was one of only seven finalists, and the only British group selected. They were pitted against students from universities in France, Italy, Serbia, and Spain.

The students performed their play Ten for the Superego, written by Nicola Radin and Elizabeth Amisu, which examines the lives of five people with dual personalities. They received four award nominations, for Best Play, Best Actor (Anthony Newman) and two for Best Actress (Elizabeth Amisu and Rachel Price).

The work of 35 BCUC students was shown at this year’s international design show in Milan in April. The show, the Salone Internazionale del Mobile, is one of the design world’s biggest trade fairs, showcasing new and innovative work.

BCUC students showed work based on the theme of ten, since it is the 10th year that they have exhibited at the fair. Three BCUC alumni worked with renowned designer Tom Dixon to choose the work that was exhibited

by the British Council in Milan, in recognition of the fact that BCUC were the first organisation to exhibit there 10 years ago.

Furniture course leader Neil Austin said: “The work that was shown was selected from eight courses run by the newly-formed Faculty of Creativity & Culture, and included furniture, jewellery, poetry and the play script, Ten for the Superego. It was a fantastic opportunity for students to showcase their work and for visitors to the fair to see the work of the top designers of the future.”

New designers head for Milan

Drama student wins European award

BASES student conferenceTwo students from the School of Sport, Leisure & Travel, Victoria Faversham and Katie Hunt successfully applied to the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES) to present their final year project work at a student

conference that took place at the University of Chichester in May. Victoria and Katie gave a poster presentation at the conference and competed with 80 other students for various prizes. The students were supported by their supervisors, Dr Maria Konstantaki and Lisa Daroux.

New edition of magazine for mentorsZoe Scullard, course leader for Practice Learning in the Faculty of Society & Health, has recently produced the third edition of Mentor Matters, a magazine dealing with issues in nurse mentoring, and keeping mentors in touch with life at BCUC.

Zoe explains: “The pre-registration nursing course involves students being out in practice for 50% of their time. With approximately 1,300 pre-registration students we need the continued support of mentors in practice to teach and assess students who work in trusts across north-west London.” Mentors are also supported through BCUC’s Virtual Learning Environment, Blackboard.

BCUC students Yazdan Karbhari and Tendai Mutauri and the Faculty of Society & Health participated in a series of events designed to make the Wycombe district a safer place for everyone during the late night hours.

The Community Safety Partnership, Wycombe Watch and the High Wycombe Town Centre Partnership

worked together to raise awareness of how to enjoy a safe night out, with a demonstration by the Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service of the potential consequences of drink and drug driving.

A series of campaigns are taking place across the district, targeting issues such as alcohol sales, personal safety, criminal damage, vandalism and anti-social behaviour.

Councillor David Carroll, Wycombe District Council’s Cabinet Member

for Community, commented: “This campaign aims to help people enjoy a night out but with the advice and information necessary to ensure they can do so safely.”

Students at the High Wycombe campus were offered the opportunity to meet their local beat officer, PC Beccie Tysom, when she visited the campus to offer freebies and advice on crime reduction, property marking and personal safety. PC Tysom encouraged students to mark their mobile phones, MP3 players, digital cameras and laptops, as well as home electrical equipment such as TVs and radios, and bicycles. She said: “Property marking is a simple and effective way to deter thieves and increase the chances of having items returned if they are stolen and recovered.”

Level 1 students on the Legal Skills and Personal Development module ran a legal advice session in March. The aim was to allow the students to work in groups to experience giving advice and being asked questions. Each group was assigned a topic – equal employment

opportunities, setting up a business, squatters’ rights, or rights to maternity and paternity leave, for instance. Course tutor Teresa Somes said: “The event is held annually and has proven popular with students and the staff members that have attended.”

Scenofest exhibitionSpatial Design graduate Olivia Gaston will be exhibiting her work in Prague in June. She will be one of 40 exhibitors showing work based on Aristophanes’ The Birds at Scenofest, an international exhibition of design for stage and performance. Olivia is one of only four UK exhibitors and was selected from 150 applicants. For further information visit www.scenofest.org


Recruitment campaign nominated for awardBCUC was nominated for a Heist Award for the Best National Recruitment Campaign, alongside Aston Business School, De Montfort University, the University of Birmingham, and the University of Leicester who were the final winners.

Heist (an acronym of Higher Education Information Services Trust) was formed in 1986 to support the promotion of polytechnics and colleges of higher education. The Heist Awards programme celebrates excellence in further and higher education marketing. Over 200 entries from over 100 institutions are received each year.

By Margaret Walker, Chief Verifier, City & Guilds Creative Arts and Media

Law students offer legal advice

Students are encouraged to have a safe night out!

ViewpointCity & Guilds has numerous centres which deliver the design and craft qualifications but rarely do we find one like Missenden Abbey.

Missenden Abbey is one of the few City & Guilds approved centres which offer courses at the weekend or as a week of the Summer School. Weekend students attend from Friday evening until Sunday afternoon, usually twice a term, for one to three years depending on the level at which they are working.

Although an historic building, the Abbey has modern facilities and is an ideal location for design and craft courses, with the grounds and Chiltern Hills to inspire.

A determination to offer the very best craft excellence is demonstrated in

the tutors attracted to teach there. Because of the method of delivery, they are able to come from all over the country and represent absolute specialism in their subjects.

Many Missenden Abbey students have, over the years, been nominated for and achieved City & Guilds Medals for Excellence and Highly Commended Certificates for the quality of their work. The award of one of these is a rare achievement, as only one medal and a few certificates per subject cluster are awarded nationally each year.

As education provision changes and courses become more difficult to access, we need centres like Missenden Abbey to ensure that the wealth of talent present in our

designer craftsmen is passed on to future generations.

Did you know?

In addition to its principle role as an all-year round conference centrelooking after a wide range of blue chip companies, Missenden Abbey hosts a number of adult learning programmes organised by Buckinghamshire County Council.

Visit the Missenden Abbey website at www.missendenabbey.co.uk

The Abbey offers a 25% discount on BCUC bookings.

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A radio advertisement produced by the Faculty of Society & Health in conjunction with recruitment solutions company Tribal Resourcing, has won the first ever Recruitment Advertising Radio Excellence (RARE) award. The ad, designed to attract nursing students, was broadcast on Virgin Radio and XFM in January.

The award recognises outstanding copywriting and creativity in radio recruitment advertising, and is given by radio advertising specialist Radio Works. The judging criteria include innovation, use of voice, effects and music. Awards are given quarterly, and the BCUC ad will go forward to the first Annual RARE Awards competition to be held in December 2007.

Award for nursing ad

Missenden Abbey – a different kind of centre

Staff raise funds for Comic Relief

News in Brief

A stall at the High Wycombe Campus raised £425 for Comic Relief, on Red Nose Day, Friday 16 March. Organised by Paula Keane and the Comic Relief Team, the stall consisted of a tombola and cake sale. Many staff dressed in red or sported red noses, including Graham Beswick at the main gate who rattled his Red Nose Day bucket at anyone attempting to park.

The week before Easter saw a group of eight Association of University Administrators (AUA) members attending the annual conference, held this year at Nottingham University. In line with BCUC travel policy, we took the minibus (driver training completed shortly beforehand).

This year’s theme was Promoting Excellence in Higher Education Management. The plenary address by Frank Furedi, Where have all the intellectuals gone?, and Nicholas Barr’s Financing Higher Education: when efficiency and equity go together, werereally thought provoking.

Among the working sessions we really enjoyed, was one about Melbourne University, who have completely restructured to offer considerably fewer courses and specialisms. Two other sessions on faculty administration restructure were a must for three BCUC delegates! Outside the work-based sessions, delegates could also opt for some personal development, for example extending software skills, learning to speed read, or practising coaching.

Disappointingly we didn’t do well in the quiz (despite having half the Staff Association Quiz’s winning team), but

we all valued the chance to network with fellow administrators of all levels from other Higher Education Institutions.

AUA is open to all administrators. Find out more at www.aua.ac.uk, or talk to the Branch co-ordinator Rosemary Anderson [email protected]


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Set designer Jean-Guy Lecat, and author and broadcaster Alison Oddey were amongst the speakers at a one-day interdisciplinary conference organised by the School of Arts & Media, in April.

The conference, Sacred, Liminal and Secular Space(s), examined, through academic papers, workshops, exhibitions and performances, the ways in which scholars and practitioners have interpreted and appropriated space within their work and research, and how meanings are created through the experience and production of space.

It culminated with performances of: Sartre’s The Wall; Ten for the Superego, written by students Nicola Radin and Elizabeth Amisu; and a performance derived from workshops led by Lecat.

Set designer helps exploreSacred, Liminal and Secular Space(s)

The achievements of student volunteers were celebrated at a special awards ceremony held at the Chalfont Campus in March. Certificates were awarded to students who had given up their spare time to volunteer with a range of local organisations.

The ceremony was hosted by former Students’ Union Volunteer Co-ordinator Marie Geiger, and speeches were made by BCUC’s Director, Dr Ruth Farwell, and Richard Fox from Wycombe Youth

Action, a local charity which works with other voluntary and statutory groups to offer young people voluntary work within the local community.

Diploma of Higher Education in Nursing student Sarah Mathieson also made a speech, describing how much fun volunteering can be and the friends that she has made during around 700 hours of voluntary work.

Sarah said: “I was very happy to have achieved this during the first year of my course. I wanted to challenge the

stereotypical view of students, by proving that many students spend a lot of time doing really worthwhile work.”

Sarah volunteered for learning disability charity Mencap, taking a group of young people to Oxford. She also went to South Africa with St John Ambulance, helping to give first aid training to villagers in the Cape Town area. She had to raise a total of £3000 in sponsorship to be eligible to take part, half of which went to support the first aid project.

Student volunteering celebrated in style

200 staff and guests joined students for this year’s summer ball, held at the Chalfont Campus in May. Inspired by some of Lewis Carroll’s finest works, the ball featured rooms themed as ‘The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party’, ‘The House of Cards’ and ‘The Queen’s Garden’, which accommodated live performances, DJs, and circus performers.

This was the first time that the Students’ Union had joined forces with the University College to produce the institution’s most high profile event. Commercial Services Manager, Tristan Tipping said: “This year’s ball was anunprecedented success with over 500 more people in attendance than theprevious year. We have had some great responses from the BCUC staff whoattended, and with their presence and the University’s support it made for aspecial night for all concerned.”

Staff join students at BCUC’sSummer Ball

AUA Nottingham 2007 By Eleanor Stillwell

The BCUC Staff Association are organising a range of activities to keep you busy over the summer. ‘People and places at BCUC – past and present’ is the theme for a photo competition. The closing date is 8 June and rules can be found on BCUC Extra.

The competition will be judged at a general knowledge quiz on 22 June, the last chance to say farewell to the Main Hall at High Wycombe. Staff are

invited to submit a question for the miscellaneous round, in advance to [email protected] Questions will be checked, placed in a hat and ten will be drawn at random on the night.

The Staff Association also organise a variety of theatre trips, with recent expeditions including The Sound of Music, Othello, and Spamalot. The latter production involved some audience participation by Furniture Technician Martin Foley. Having found the Holy

Grail under his seat, Martin was transformed into the peasant that saved King Arthur. If you’ve been letting such opportunities pass you by, subscribe to the Staff Association mailing lists by sending an email to [email protected], with subscribe events or subscribe theatre in the subject line, leaving the message blank and remembering to remove any automatic signatures at the bottom.

Technician finds Holy Grail on Staff Association trip

The magazine of Buckinghamshire Chilterns University College

The BCUC Summer General Open DayBCUC’s Summer General Open Day will take place on Wednesday 20 June 2007, from 11:00am–4:00pm. Recruitment Officer Jayne Lester says: “Our General Open Days are a great opportunity for prospective students and their friends and families to sample the BCUC experience. Staff and students from across the University College will be involved. We are targeting 1,000 visitors to make this year’s Open Day the biggest and best yet. Visitors will be able to talk to staff and students, see degree show work, find out about our courses, and look round our facilities. Please spread the word to anyone who may be interested.” It’s not too late to volunteer to help; contact Jayne at [email protected]

Staff development coursesCourses in June and July include: Equal Opportunities: An Overview; Blackboard Training; Appraisal Skills for Appraisers; Disability Awareness; Collaborative Partnership – Review and Development Day; and a European Computer Driver’s Licence briefing. There are no courses currently planned in August and a full programme of staff development events will resume in September, when all staff will receive a personal copy of the Staff and Professional Development Handbook 2007–2008. Check BCUC Extra for details, or call Wendy Lennon on 01494 522141 x.3228

BCUC will host a one day conference examining the return of the cult 1970s science fiction series, Battlestar Galactica.

Conference organiser, Ewan Kirkland, says: “Since its return, the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica has emerged as the most politically, philosophically and artistically compelling television series of recent years. It opens with the near-obliteration of mankind by a race of cyborgs, evolved from human technologies.

“Battlestar Gallactica’s survivors struggle to reconcile the grief and guilt of survival, and the demands of fighting an enemy uncannily close to themselves. Conflicting characterisations, irresolvable

ethical scenarios, ambiguous storylines, and an uncomfortable resonance with contemporary international events, make this a text which demands serious academic attention.”

The conference is aimed at academics and fans, and will consider the social, political, philosophical and artistic significance of Battlestar Galactica.

Contributors will come from a wide range of disciplines, including film and television, fantasy, fandom, philosophy, psychoanalysis, drama, documentary and media production.

BSG 2007, The Politics, Poetics and Philosophy of Battlestar Galactica, takes place on 28 July 2007. For further information contact Ewan Kirkland at [email protected]

Battlestar Galactica conference

Courtesy of GrantGould.com

The Centre for Rapid Design and Manufacture at BCUC has joined forces with Lancaster University’s Product Development Unit to host the eighth national conference on rapid design, prototyping and manufacturing.

The conference will take place at BCUC’s High Wycombe Campus on

15 June, and will present the latest research into developments and uses of techniques designed to get products to market rapidly. The keynote address, Research Challenges in Rapid Manufacturing, will be given by Professor Phil Dickens of Loughborough University. For further information visit www.rpnationalconference.com

National conference on rapid designGraduations 2007Graduation ceremonies will take place from 3–6 September, for all academic schools except the School of Pre-Registration Nursing whose ceremonies will be on 7 November. Ceremonies will take place in the Wycombe Swan Theatre, with post-ceremony hospitality at the High Wycombe Campus. For further information visit www.bcuc.ac.uk/graduation

What’s on? this summer

connection issue 5

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