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281.
BGU scores high in National Student Survey
Students have voted Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) as a leader in three categories* of the National Student Survey (NSS). The University took first place in learning opportunities, assessment and feedback, and learning resources. BGU also performed well in other areas, ranking top ten for student voice and teaching – for which the University received a nearly 91% positive response. For academic subjects, the university achieved multiple top ten spots in all categories. The history department celebrated a 100% positive score for both academic support and course organisation. Sports was awarded first for assessment and feedback and came second for learning opportunities. The English department was voted second for teaching, with a positive score of 98.2%. Nearly half a million students from more than 150 Higher Education Institutions across the UK are invited to take part in the NSS every year. The survey provides final-year students an opportunity to give feedback about their student experience at colleges and universities. It is an influential source of information and serves as a key component of the quality assurance and wider regulatory landscape in UK higher education. Rob Boast, Pro-Vice Chancellor (Students) at BGU, said: “Student voices are incredibly important to the University, and we’re pleased that so many of our final year undergraduates took part in the NSS and shared such positive feedback about their time with us. “We pride ourselves on our personal and friendly approach to higher education, ensuring that every student's voice is not only heard, but valued. The outstanding feedback we’ve received is a testament to the collaborative spirit of the BGU community – an environment where students and staff work together to achieve excellence. “Looking ahead, we will continue striving to exceed expectations. The feedback we've collected will drive further improvements, allow us to expand on our outstanding record and help us deliver an educational experience that stands apart.” BGU’s recent news comes after it secured additional award victories earlier this year. The University achieved first place for Halls and Accommodation and Student Support, and third place for Career Prospects at the 2023 Whatuni Student Choice Awards. *The NSS data presented above excludes FECs & alternative providers. Results are measured by per cent positive responses. 323 BGU students responded to the 2023 NSS (a response rate of 81%). As a small institution BGU is not typically included in the Guardian Good University Guide league table, although several subjects do have sufficient numbers to be included in the subject league tables. -
282.
BGU awarded silver for Teaching Excellence Framework
Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) has achieved a Silver Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) rating from the Office for Students (OfS). The University received silver in the two underpinning ratings – student experience and student outcomes – with ‘typically very high quality’ achieved in both areas. These ratings were awarded in 2023, for four years. In its submission, the University highlighted its commitment to widening participation, high-quality teaching, and academic and pastoral support. According to the OfS panel statement, all BGU’s student experience features are considered to be typically very high-quality. These include teaching, learning and assessment, learning resources, and staff support and training. Student outcomes features include retention, completion, and further study / graduate jobs. The Teaching Excellence Framework is a national scheme run by the OfS that aims to encourage higher education providers to improve and deliver excellence in the areas that students care about the most: teaching, learning and achieving positive outcomes from their studies. The TEF does this by assessing and rating universities and colleges for excellence above a set of minimum requirements for quality and standards. The ratings reflect the extent to which a provider delivers an excellent experience and outcomes for its mix of undergraduate students and across the range of its undergraduate courses and subjects. Bishop Grosseteste University’s Vice-Chancellor Professor Karen Stanton said: “We are thrilled to achieve Silver in the Teaching Excellence Framework, recognising a typically 'very high quality' provision of education and student experience at Bishop Grosseteste University. “This achievement is a testament to every member of our BGU community, who are dedicated to offering students an educational experience with exceptional support, innovative teaching, rigorous assessment, outstanding outcomes, and preparing our students for their journey beyond university. We are truly proud of this accomplishment, which underscores our ongoing commitment to excellence in higher education.” -
283.
Lincoln Film Society returns to The Venue
We were excited to recently welcome Lincoln Film Society (LFS) back to The Venue for its first showing since the pandemic. Three and a half years after global lockdowns interrupted 67 consecutive seasons of bringing the best of world and independent cinema to Lincoln, LFS has returned to its home at The Venue cinema at Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU). The Venue - BGU's 230-seat on-site cinema and performance space - recently hosted the launch of the society's 70th season with a showing of The Blue Caftan, with 200 members in attendance. On 29th September, 174 members enjoyed a screening of Chilean-Argentine drama film 1976. The society was started in 1953 by a group of film enthusiasts who wanted to show films that never appeared in cinemas. Each film season runs from autumn to the following spring each year, with 275 active members welcome to attend any screening. Lincoln Film Society's Chair, Richard Hall said: "After so long away, we feared we might never return, but thanks to the excellent relationship we have with Bishop Grosseteste University, we are back in the place we call home." The re-opening of The Venue was made possible thanks to a collaborative effort of BGU staff members. Over the last year, BGU Enterprise Development Manager Sarah Moseley took on the challenge of reinvigorating The Venue as part of a Chartered Manager Degree Apprenticeship. The plans became a reality after vital contributions from the University's IT department, Conferencing and Events team and Students' Union. Looking to the future, the group will visit The Venue for fortnightly screenings. Click here to explore more of BGU's upcoming events. Stay up to date with The Venue here. -
284.
TEDx hosts BGU lecturer
‘Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) Lecturer Steph Blanco will be discussing neuropsychology at an upcoming TEDx Talk. TEDxBrayford Pool’s sixth flagship event is back to explore spectrums of ideas in our communities and runs for the whole weekend of 14 and 15 October. The event will host 20 speakers and offer attendees the opportunity to engage in 18 different workshops across the weekend. Professional thinkers and speakers will be presenting on a range of topics at this flagship event including activism, the arts and social change. Vice-Chair and lead of the medical advisory board for the national charity FND Dimensions and BGU Lecturer in Psychology Steph Blanco will be presenting her talk on Functional Neurological Disorder (FND). This talk explores the role of neuropsychology in an area which is under-researched and has long been misunderstood. As the first TEDx talk on this topic, this event will bring discussions of FND to a global stage. Steph is a neuropsychologist, an established researcher, and an emerging leading expert in FND; translating the lessons she learns though research to practical applications and practice in the third sector. Steph’s talk titled “The Flat Brain: Functional Neurological Disorder” will be hosted at Session Two: Showing Up on Saturday 14 October at 5:45pm in the Engine Shed (Lincoln city centre). She will also be hosting two fireside chats one on Saturday which explores the impacts of hidden conditions and ableism and one on Sunday titled “We need more data” exploring data constraints in health and illness related research. Bishop Grosseteste University's relationship with TEDx is long established, with many academic staff having previously participated in this community focused and innovative event. Two of the TEDx curators have connections to BGU – graduate Owen Tonks-Lewis and former lecturer Andy Farenden. Owen Tonks-Lewis said: “We’re really excited to build on last year’s programme and activities that showcases what a remarkable place we live in with our fantastic speaker programme. If you’re not sure what to expect; think part festival, part conference and part exhibition with hands-on workshops and activities mixed together with live speakers and performers to create a community event like no other!” ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Full weekend tickets are on sale at £35, concessions £12, and individual session tickets £15. BGU students can get a discount on the weekend concession tickets using the code BGUS2023 to get in for £5 (valid with student ID when collecting tickets). For more ticketing information and the full programme visit www.tedxbrayfordpool.com/flagship Click here to book tickets directly. -
285.
Announcing: BGU Tennyson Poetry Award 2024
The winner of the Tennyson Poetry Award 2023 at Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) on National Poetry Day. Andrew Pearce whose poem ‘The Statue’ impressed the judges, received high praises for its dialogue with the original Tennyson’s poem. With a high calibre of entries this year, the panel found it difficult to choose a winning poem. Read Andrew's poem here. At the same event, The Tennyson Poetry Award 2024 was officially launched. Staff and students are invited to part and send their entries. Inspired by Lincolnshire-born Victorian Poet Laureate, Alfred Lord Tennyson (1809-1892), the Tennyson Poetry Award asks you to submit an original poem in response to a poem by Tennyson. This year, the poem should be in answer to ‘The Kraken’ (read below). The poems doesn’t need to imitate Tennyson’s ‘The Kraken’ but may respond to it in varied ways, without limits in terms of form, style, and lyrical language. The winner/s will be announced on National Poetry 2024 (Thursday 3rd October 2024), when we will celebrate ten years of BGU’s Tennyson Poetry Award. To submit your poem, send it as an attachment via email, including your name and contact detail, to Dr Claudia Capancioni, Programme Leader for English, by 3 June 2024: claudia.capancioni@lincolnbishop.ac.uk The Kraken Below the thunders of the upper deep, Far, far beneath in the abysmal sea, His ancient, dreamless, uninvaded sleep The Kraken sleepeth: faintest sunlights flee About his shadowy sides; above him swell; And far away into the sickly light, From many a wondrous grot and secret cell Unnumbered and enormous polypi Winnow with giant arms the slumbering green. There hath he lain for ages, and will lie Battening upon huge sea worms in his sleep, Until the latter fire shall heat the deep; Then once by man and angels to be seen, In roaring he shall rise and on the surface die. -
286.
World Religions and Education Research Unit Launch Announced
Leading researchers in religion and education are set to convene for the official launch of the World Religions and Education Research Unit (WRERU) at an event hosted by Bishop Grosseteste University in Lincoln. The launch, scheduled for Thursday 23rd November, introduces WRERU as a significant collaborative platform for scholars and researchers to explore the intricate interplay between education and religion. With a burgeoning membership comprising 49 individuals, including visiting or honorary staff, established staff, and doctoral researchers, WRERU stands as one of the largest research groups of its kind, boasting worldwide membership encompassing the UK, Australia, Turkey, Israel, and Hong Kong in China, while its research activities transcend borders. The launch will include the delivery of inaugural professorial lectures by WRERU Co-Directors, Professors Leslie J Francis and Julian Stern, as well as the unveiling of John Holdsworth's latest book, ‘Hidden in Plain Sight’. Professor Julian Stern said: “WRERU is one of the largest research groups of its kind in the country – in fact, in the world – and we are delighted to have it here at Bishop Grosseteste University. “Researchers with a common interest in how education and religions can work together will meet and exchange ideas, advancing research in the field. Lincoln has an ‘anchor’ institution, reaching out to schools and religious communities locally, nationally, and internationally. We are happy to be part of it." "My inaugural professorial lecture, entitled 'Education and Religion in a Somewhat Lonely World' will explore how big issues in education can be understood through key religious themes, and how both education and religion can help us to understand a world that seems increasingly troubled and lonely." Professor Francis said: “WRERU has been deliberately established at BGU as a Research and Knowledge Exchange Unit, focusing on international research that can impact both faith communities and wider society. “My inaugural professorial lecture is entitled 'Faith in Religions and Education: Growing stronger faith communities and nurturing a better society'. In this lecture, I will illustrate some of the ways in which the WRERU research community is already engaged in knowledge transfer to support faith communities and to nurture better understanding within religiously diverse societies.” The launch event welcomes attendees from all backgrounds, including those in schools, universities, religious organisations, and any individual interested in the intersection of education and religion. The event will be conducted both in-person at Bishop Grosseteste University’s campus and virtually via Zoom. Attendance is free, and registration should be confirmed via the Eventbrite page. -
287.
A year of being a KTP Associate
From the perspective of Iwona Fodrowska -
288.
BG Green visit Stokes Tea & Coffee
On a sunny December morning five members of BG Green set off from campus to visit family-run business Stokes Tea & Coffee. Stokes supply the coffee served in Curiositea and BG Green were interested to find out more about this famous local company, which began selling tea and coffee in Lincoln back in 1902 (the same year that BGU celebrated its 50th birthday). It was not far to walk, strolling down Newport and along Westgate to The Lawn where Stokes’ headquarters, roastery, and training centre have been located since 2017. Entering through their cosy café, BGU’s Account Manager Ben led the team to the roastery and into a large training room containing coffee machines, as well as chairs upholstered in coffee bean sacks. They were also introduced to Stokes’ Training Manager, Mike. Ben and Mike provided a tour where the team learned that coffee is made from the seeds of the bright red coffee berry and that various conditions can influence the taste of the drink, e.g., the altitude at which the berries are grown, how they are dried and the green seeds extracted, and the length of time the seeds are roasted to create the dark brown beans. They experienced the sampling of four coffees, discovering subtle differences between each one. The team watched (and smelled) seeds being roasted in an eco-roaster and were interested to hear more about Stokes’ approach to sustainability. Ben and Mike explained that Stokes deal not only with trusted brokers but also directly with farmers, ensuring traceability throughout the supply chain. In addition: Coffee is delivered to the campus in small buckets which, once emptied, are re-used.Coffee seed sacks are given away to be re-used for gardening, upholstery, and pet bedding.Left over coffee grounds from their cafés are used as plant fertiliser.The company is working towards ‘B Corp’ certification.They use local and independent suppliers at every opportunity, and aim to recruit staff from within a 50-mile radius.They approach sustainability in the spirit of ‘reduce, reuse, recycle.’ BG Green enjoyed the morning at Stokes, with Ben and Mike clearly showing their love of what they do. The team were impressed by the company’s commitment not only to the quality of their products, but to sustainability, corporate responsibility, and consideration of local economy. It is also great to know that the beans purchased for BGU travel only a mile up the road to get here. Students, staff, and visitors can try Stokes coffee at the Curiositea café here on campus. -
289.
Six Professorial Titles Awarded to BGU Academics
Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) has announced six new professorial titles to be conferred upon members of its academic staff. Among these titles are two Associate Professors and four Professors spanning various disciplines. Professorial titles are awarded to recognise individuals who have demonstrated outstanding expertise, acknowledging the recipient's impact on research, teaching, and the broader academic community. The recipients and their respective titles are as follows: Dr Clare Lawrence – Formerly holding the position of Senior Lecturer - Secondary, Dr Lawrence's title is now Associate Professor of Participatory Autism Research/Senior Lecturer - Secondary. Dr Derwin Gregory – Previously Programme Leader - Archaeology and Heritage, Dr Gregory now assumes the role of Associate Professor of Conflict Archaeology/Programme Leader - Archaeology and Heritage. Dr Andrew Jackson – Formerly recognised as Head of Research/Associate Professor in Local, Regional and Public History, Dr Jackson now holds the title of Professor - Local, Regional, and Landscape History/Head of Research. Dr Claudia Capancioni– Previously Reader - English Literature/Programme Leader - English, Dr Capancioni is now Professor of English Literature/ Programme Leader - English. Dr Caroline Horton – Formerly Reader - Psychology, Dr Horton's title is now Professor of Sleep and Cognition. Dr Jack Cunningham – Previously titled Associate Professor in Ecclesiastical History/Programme Leader Theology, Dr Cunningham now assumes the role of Professor of Ecclesiastical History/Programme Leader Theology. Reflecting, Professor Jack Cunningham said: "This Professorship in Ecclesiastical History is a great honour and the pinnacle of my academic career that has stretched over twenty years. It was earned through days of study in cold cathedral libraries in the winter, suffocating Vatican archives in the summer, and long nights in book collections all over the world. "BGU's fantastic support and encouragement along the way has made that journey not only possible but highly enjoyable." This milestone signifies the establishment of a professoriate at BGU for the first time, aimed at enhancing the research culture and environment, fostering academic leadership, and providing a supportive structure for career development within the university community. The creation of the professoriate aligns with BGU's overarching goals of promoting interdisciplinary research, and elevating research priorities within the institution. Vice-Chancellor Professor Karen Stanton said: "We are thrilled to announce these well-deserved professorial titles, which mark a significant achievement for our university and the academic community. This recognition not only highlights the exceptional expertise and dedication of our staff but also underscores our commitment to fostering a vibrant research culture at BGU. "These appointments will undoubtedly enhance our research environment and contribute to the advancement of knowledge in their respective fields." -
290.
Recent Graduate Nominated for British Education Award
Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) is delighted to announce that recent graduate Katie Downes, who graduated with first class honours in BSc (Hons) Health and Social Care, has been shortlisted as a Finalist at the esteemed British Education Awards (BEA 2024). Katie and her family have been extended a special invitation to attend the Ceremony on Friday, 9th February to be held in Manchester. The BEA is renowned for bringing together a diverse array of individuals, including young achievers, their families, educators, policymakers, and notable figures from across the UK, to celebrate outstanding educational achievements. The British Education Awards feature categories for each of the four nations, recognising achievements in various educational levels. Additionally, BEA presents special recognition awards, further highlighting outstanding contributions within the educational landscape. In recognition of her exceptional academic performance and extracurricular accomplishments within the Health and Social Care programme, Programme Leader Dr Nicki Walsh said: "We are all very proud of Katie. Recognition of hard work and dedication to health and social care is the core philosophy within our program. "Katie's achievement reflects our mantra of 'making a difference to many lives through action' in every session, placement, and assessment." Katie Downes acknowledged the support she received from BGU, particularly highlighting the encouragement from Nicki Walsh and Dissertation Supervisor Leanne Leverton. Katie also expressed her appreciation for Jamie from CELT, acknowledging the valuable academic guidance received during her studies. Katie said: "Throughout my degree, quotes I heard quite a lot were 'She Believed She Could, So She Did' and 'Never Give Up On Your Dreams.' Such words of encouragement from my family and BGU staff are what kept me going strong." As one of the three finalists selected for the UK degree category, Katie recognised the significance of the nomination among the millions of graduates across the UK. "With regards to the nomination for a British Education Award, I am in awe and disbelief. I feel so honoured to be a finalist, and I am looking forward to the awards ceremony; it is a unique opportunity for me. "I thrive on supporting other students, and people in everyday life and at work, so this has been a dream come true, and I am now excited to see what the future holds for me."BGU extends its heartfelt congratulations to Katie Downes on this remarkable achievement and wishes her the best of luck at the upcoming British Education Awards Ceremony.
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