Annual Review 2014/15

annual review 2014/15

Contents Foreword from the Vice-Chancellor

01

Strategic developments

02

Achievements

04

Creativity

06

Culture

14

Enterprise

20

Internationalisation

26

Development and Alumni Relations

30

Research expertise

36

Working in the region

46

Environment

52

HR update

54

Facts and Figures

55

Governors and senior staff

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Cover image: ‘Plastic Triangles’

by Rebecca Johnson-Hill, BA (Hons) Fine Art

Foreword FROM THE VICE CHANCELLOR Welcome to the Annual Review of Bath Spa University for 2014/15. This year has been a significant one in terms of our development and growth and I am proud to share highlights of the remarkable achievements of our students and staff.

This has been a wonderful year of achievement, with numerous examples given in this Annual Review, but I would like to highlight just a few.

When I joined the University in 2012 I set about working with colleagues to develop a new vision and strategy that would take us forward in the changing and challenging climate of UK higher education. Our vision to be a leading university for creativity, culture and enterprise is being realised, as the numerous stories in this Annual Review demonstrate.

The start of the year saw our outstanding new student residential accommodation open at the Newton Park campus. An investment of ÂŁ30 million, it allows us to house an additional 560 students on ampus and combined with Commons, has significantly improved the Newton Park campus.

Our strategy to 2015 saw us develop academically through new course development, professorial appointments and research excellence; and internationally through a new international student recruitment programme and partnerships with higher education providers across the globe.

Towards the end of 2014 we celebrated the University’s best ever result in the Research Excellence Framework (REF) which saw us move up the national rankings by 13 places.

More than half of our research is now classed as 4* (world leading) and 3* (internationally excellent) meaning we received an 86 per cent increase in our HEQR allocation for the coming academic year.

An important element of our strategy was to provide a rich and varied experience that allows our students to become socially engaged global citizens. The increasing numbers of international students we welcomed to Bath this year, combined with new opportunities to study abroad, have created a vibrant, connected community of creative enterprise and opportunity.

We have invested significantly in the student experience both in terms of outstanding new facilities and continued excellent teaching. I believe our record high 90 per cent for overall satisfaction in the National Student Survey is testament to this commitment to our students.

The first year of the Global Academy of Liberal Arts (GALA) has seen many new collaborative partnerships forged between colleagues at various liberal arts institutions around the world as well as providing unique opportunities for student exchanges and development. When I launched GALA in June 2014, I had a vision of bringing together staff and students from around the world to explore the relationship between creativity and social engagement through teaching and research collaborations. To date, activities taking place in the network have included joint programme development, comparative research, student exchange, remote teaching, joint student projects and visiting lectures.

As always, we ended the year with a celebration of success at our annual graduation ceremonies and this year I was delighted to confer honorary degrees to a number of very worthy recipients who were each acknowledged for their outstanding achievements in their respective fields. This year we welcomed Takeshi Yasuda, David Malouf, Professor Xiao Xiao Cao (Sha), Iwan and Manuela Wirth, Don McCullin and Juli Beattie into the fellowship of Bath Spa University.

As we move into the new academic year, we do so with an evolution of our strategy to guide us. Our strategy 2020, with its focus on growth and innovation, will build upon our achievements of the last three years, enabling us to thrive in an ever more challenging higher education context.

Professor Christina Slade Vice-Chancellor

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Strategic developments THE UNIVERSITY’S VISION IS TO BE A LEADING EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION IN CREATIVITY, CULTURE AND ENTERPRISE. THROUGH INNOVATIVE TEACHING AND RESEARCH, THE UNIVERSITY WILL PROVIDE A HIGH QUALITY STUDENT EXPERIENCE. BASED IN A WORLD HERITAGE CITY AND CONNECTED TO A NETWORK OF INTERNATIONAL PARTNERS, BATH SPA UNIVERSITY WILL ENSURE THAT ITS GRADUATES ARE SOCIALLY ENGAGED GLOBAL CITIZENS. The first strategy to deliver this vision came to an end in 2015 and has evolved into a new strategy for 2020. The strategy to 2015 successfully achieved a number of key objectives which are outlined as follows.

A world university The University is now more diverse with international students making up 11 per cent of the student population from 83 countries around the world. To aid our international student recruitment the University now has regional offices in Shanghai, Bangkok and Columbia, with new offices opening in Dubai, India, Nepal and Kenya.

Partnership arrangements with various international institutions have facilitated student exchange, study and research opportunities and in the case of Hong Kong, a new transnational education partnership which allows students to study a Bath Spa Business and Management programme in their home country.

The Global Academy of Liberal Arts (GALA) network was established in 2014 and now has 17 member institutions from 12 countries around the world. GALA brings together staff and students from member organisations to explore the relationship between creativity and social engagement.

Activities span international, interdisciplinary and inter-generational perspectives to broaden the experience of students and staff.

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Engaged research with impact The results of the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2014 are testament to our research expertise and increasing reputation for excellence. The University submitted the research of 74 staff in six areas: education, English language and literature (including creative writing), history, art and design, music, drama, dance and performing arts, and communication, cultural and media studies.

The University moved up the overall ranking based on quality of research submitted by 13 places, from 102 in 2008 RAE to 89 in REF2014. This shows that we have improved

our position, against our key performance indicator benchmarked institutions, and within the million+ group.

As a result of REF2014, the University substantially improved its quality profile of 4* (world leading) and 3* (internationally excellent) research from 19 per cent in the RAE2008 exercise to 51 per cent in REF2014, meaning that we have received an 86 per cent increase in our HEQR allocation for 2015/16, increasing our grant to just over £1 million. This is an excellent result, placing us at the top of our comparator institutions in terms of an increase in funding and marking us as one of the best performers in the South West.

A distinctive student experience The student experience is at the heart of everything we do at Bath Spa and this was demonstrated with a best ever performance in the National Student Survey. The University scored a record high of 90 per cent, placing it in the top 20 universities in the country and equal first in the South West with the universities of Bath and Exeter.

This is the third year running the University has received an increased score which is perhaps evidence of the significant investment in new facilities and excellent teaching over the last three years.

Strategy for 2020 The 2020 strategy has been developed following extensive consultation with staff and sets out the vision for the University, building on the achievements of the previous three years to create a framework within which the University can innovate and grow.

The main features of the new strategy are: Graduate attributes – we will clearly define the attributes we want our students to acquire during their studies.

Curriculum/teaching – we will review our curriculum to offer flexible inter- and multi-disciplinary study.

Research and enterprise – we will enhance our reputation for research and create University-wide research themes that are cross-disciplinary. We will also establish a Graduate College to support postgraduate and research students.

Enabling strategies – our strategy will be implemented through people, finance, facilities and infrastructure. It is through our staff, how we deploy our resources and our all-round commitment to making things happen that we ensure Bath Spa’s strategic success.

Internationalisation – we will pursue our internationalisation ambitions and grow the student body with students from around the world studying with us in the UK or overseas at partnership institutions.

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Achievements

SEPTEMBER 14 New student residential accommodation opened

MARCH 15 Shaun in the City trail

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OCTOBER 14 Prestigious Sickert mannequin goes on display

APRIL 15 Dr Samantha Walton awarded British Academy Rising Star Award

NOVEMBER 14 Nathan Filer wins Popular Fiction Book of the Year at Specsavers National Book Awards 2014

MAY 15 First wedding at Newton Park

DECEMBER 14 Bath Spa voted one of the best creative universities in Which?

University Survey

JANUARY 15 Illuminate Bath event

JUNE 15 GALA conference in China

JULY 15 Graduation

FEBRUARY 15 International award wins for Sixteen

AUGUST 15 National Student Survey result

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Creativity

Graduate writes music for television advert Commercial music graduate Rob Ballingall wrote the music and lyrics for a new Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes commercial that was broadcast nationwide across the USA. Rob worked on the commercial in Nylon Studios in Manhattan, New York where he has been Studio Manager since the end of 2012. The commercial has been viewed by millions of Americans and was shown during the Little League World Series and the baseball on ESPN. Commenting on the composition, Rob said: “It was an exciting, yet highly competitive, project to be a part of. My track faced a tough fight between thirty to forty other tracks, from US music production houses, freelancers over the world, and even high profile pop artists.

“During my writing and production process I had an inkling the track would be a strong contender, but the advertisement industry is fickle and you never really know. The process only really began after they had picked my track; I subsequently made fifteen musical changes to fit the agency’s requirements for the commercial.”

National Book Awards winner Creative Writing Lecturer Nathan Filer won the Popular Fiction Book of the Year award at the Specsavers National Book Awards 2014 for his debut novel The Shock of the Fall. This recognition follows Nathan’s previous success when he won both the 2013 Costa First Novel Book Award and overall 2013 Costa Book of the Year Award.

The Shock of the Fall is an extraordinary portrait of one man’s descent into mental illness after witnessing his brother's death in a holiday park in Dorset. It is a brave and ground-breaking novel and Nathan has been acclaimed as one of the most exciting new voices in fiction.

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The Specsavers National Book Awards are judged by industry professionals and showcase the best of British writing and publishing, whilst celebrating books with wide popular appeal, critical acclaim and commercial success.

Bath Spa University Alumni Association President Mary Berry CBE was also honoured with the Outstanding Achievement award having been recognised for her 60-year career, in which she has published more than 80 best-selling cookery books.

After graduating in 2010, Rob worked as a freelance engineer and mixer before moving to New York. In 2012 he worked beside Grammy winning engineers Warren Russell-Smith, Steve Rosenthal, Brian Thorn and Ted Young and assisted during the recording of David Bowie’s 2013 album The Next Day.

Illuminate 2015 The highly popular Illuminate Bath contemporary art event returned to Bath in January having received over £80,000 in funding from a number of significant investors.

The eight day event featured light installations and large scale projections on some of Bath’s most iconic buildings including The Holburne Museum, Abbey Church Yard, Pulteney Bridge and the Roman Baths.

The artwork was created by international and local artists alongside some work by Bath Spa students.

Illuminate 2015 attracted over 20,000 people and was led by Anthony Head, Creative Director of Illuminate 2015 and Senior Lecturer in Interactive Art. Speaking about the event he said: “Illuminate 2015 is intended to demonstrate participatory and engaging public art, suitable for people of all ages.

By including the work of international artists as well as graduates and students of Bath Spa University we were able to turn the streets of the centre of Bath, from the Holburne Museum to the Roman Baths, into a contemporary art venue, raising aspirations for our students and providing a free cultural event for the public.”

Phil Gibby, Area Director, South West, Arts Council England, added: “This project is an outstanding example of how public art can capture the imagination and engage a whole community. Our ambition is to support great art and culture for everyone and Illuminate 2015 gives regional and international artists a truly unique platform to intrigue and enthrall huge audiences, especially young people and their families. We are delighted to have been able to support it through our National Lottery funded Grants for the arts scheme.”

Illuminate 2015 was presented in partnership with Bath and North East Somerset Council, and was supported by Arts Council England, The Osborne Group, Enlightened and Nicholas Pearson Associates.

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Creativity

International award wins for Sixteen Sixteen, a film created by staff and students won Best Debut Feature at the prestigious Luxor Egyptian and European Film Festival, and the Audience and Jury prizes at the Regards sur le Cinéma du Monde (Glances on the Cinema of the World) festival in France.

The film is an urban thriller about Jumah, an African former child soldier now living in London. Jumah’s life looks to be taking a turn for the better when a tentative romance blossoms with a girl called Chloe. Nearing his sixteenth birthday, he witnesses a stabbing which forces him to confront his violent past.

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2015 marked the third Luxor Egyptian and European Film Festival, with more than 60 films from 17 countries being screened over the four-day event. The jury panel was headed up by French film director Yves Boisset and included directors, producers and actors from across Europe.

The Regards sur le Cinéma du Monde has been held annually in Rouen in Northern France since 1993. There are four awards given at the end of the eight day festival.

Sixteen won the public vote and the jury award which was shared jointly with Kertu from Estonia.

Sixteen was directed by Rob Brown, Media Practice Lecturer who was in Luxor to collect the award. The film was produced by Nic Jeune, Senior Lecturer in Creative Media Practice and was supported by a crew of film professionals and students from the University. The film highlights the quality of the students and staff on the MA Feature Filmmaking. It is helping those students understand feature film production before they create their own films as part of their degree.

Creative Thinking Award In December 2014 Bath Spa was named

by Which? as one of the top six creative universities in the UK alongside Falmouth University, Goldsmiths University of London, University of the Arts London, University for the Creative Arts and Southampton Solent University.

Based on the views of more than 12,500 undergraduate students the annual Which?

University student survey outlines the toprated universities for sports, local nightlife, creative and political scenes, and a variety of student union activities.

Students who took part in the survey were asked if activities such as music, theatre, dance, choirs and visual arts are a large part of university life, with lots of arts societies, events and facilities open to all students.

Bath Spa students commended the University’s performance venues such as Burdall’s Yard which is based in the centre of Bath where a range of drama, comedy, music shows and gigs are performed.

Vice-Chancellor Professor Christina Slade said: “I am delighted that we have been recognised as a top creative university. Our students – whether studying arts, humanities, science or social sciences - learn in an environment where creativity in its broadest sense is valued and nurtured.”

A new Creative Thinking Award, sponsored

by Ark Data Centres was introduced this year and aimed to challenge students to develop new concepts and ideas that demonstrate 21st century creative thinking with ideas involving some form of imaginary technological solution.

The award was open to any student undertaking an undergraduate or postgraduate course at Bath Spa. The judging panel was looking for lateral thinking, originality and innovation in any area or field.

The winning student was Alex Fermor, a third year Religions, Philosophies and Ethics students who was awarded a £1,500 prize for his imagined idea ‘The Authentic Mind Machine’. The machine would identify triggers in a person’s mind when a decision they have made, or a thought occurs, is connected to their deeper self.

Commenting on his win, Alex said: “It feels fantastic to win. I was a little overwhelmed at first and couldn’t quite believe it, but it is encouraging to know my creativity has been recognised.”

Ted Hughes Award for New Work Dr Carrie Etter, Senior Lecturer in Creative Studies was shortlisted for the prestigious ‘Ted Hughes Award for New Work’ for her poem Imagined Sons. Dr Etter was shortlisted alongside just four other finalists, including previous Poet Laureate Andrew Motion.

The award acknowledges poetry that is considered to go beyond the page, and make an exciting and outstanding contribution to our cultural life. Imagined Sons evokes a birthmother's life after the loss of a child through adoption.

The award was established in 2009 by Poet Laureate and Vice President of the Poetry Society, Carol Ann Duffy, and the £5,000 prize is funded by the annual honorarium the Poet Laureate received from HM The Queen. The diverse range of poetry submissions is received from members of the Poetry Society and the Poetry Book Society.

The judges for this year’s competition included the artist Grayson Perry and poets Julia Copus and Kei Miller. Previous winners include Maggie Sawkins for her poem entitled Zones of Avoidance in 2013 and Kate Tempest for Brand New Ancients in 2012.

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Creativity Future of Teaching debate As part of the opening night debate of The Telegraph Bath Children’s Literature Festival in September, Bath Spa’s Institute for Education (IfE) hosted an engaging and thought provoking debate about the future of teaching.

This debate coincided with the launch of the IfE, a place where Bath Spa Teacher Researchers, classroom teachers, education practitioners, academics, and anyone interested in education can join together in a community of research and practice.

Winning designs for Whittards Second year BA Textile Design for Fashion and Interiors student Rhian Beynon was one of the winners of Whittard of Chelsea’s ‘Design a Caddy’ competition. Rhian’s Tropical Afternoon Tea Caddy was available as part of Whittard’s Limited Edition Designer Caddy range.

She said: “I entered the Tea Caddy competition because their design theme, 'the exotic provenance of tea' fitted well to my tropical style of floral painting, and I thought it could be a good opportunity for other people to see my designs.”

Focussing on the word ‘exotic’ Rhian used a bright, refreshing and contemporary colour palette to illustrate the origin of tea from China and the Far East. She created a flat colour design from observational drawings of flowers and plants of the spring season, and

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also exotic plants from the Swansea Botanical gardens. She used acrylic paint to create the design and mirror repeated it using Photoshop. By doing this Rhian created a design to fit the dimensions for a tea caddy.

The panel members for the debate reflected the wide range of routes into becoming a teacher and included writer and journalist Fiona Millar; Sam Freedman, former advisor to Michael Gove; Darren Northcott from teachers’ union NASUWT, and Sir David Carter, Regional Schools Commissioner for the South West, who discussed the merits of academic training versus professional experience in the field.

Commenting on the finished article, she said: “Seeing the tea caddy in production was really great as I am studying a textiles surface pattern course, and to then see one of my own prints manufactured and available to purchase was amazing! I thought the other tea caddies looked great too, they worked well together and all had an oriental feel.

“Our course leader, Amanda Goode, encourages us to enter competitions because we will be working in a competitive industry and competitions like this create a platform for other people to see your work. The course has also helped me develop my style within textiles design.”

Dr Kate Reynolds, Dean of the Institute for Education said: “It is clear there is a need for wider and continued debate surrounding teaching and education. The IfE has been created to bring together the education community and practitioners to reflect on research and to inform education debate.”

BPS South West Undergraduate Conference The British Psychology Society (BPS) held its South West Undergraduate Conference (SWUC) in Commons at Newton Park in March. The event attracted the largest number of final year psychology students to date from Bath Spa, University of the West of England and the universities of Bristol, Bath, Exeter and Plymouth. 75 students presented their research projects and dissertations.

During the day, six Bath Spa students gave oral presentations of their dissertations, including Sam Lawton, Jay Rossiter, Katherine Dudley, Hollie Gage, Rachel Jones, Holly Crossley. A further three Bath Spa students, Emma Anderson; Lauren Baker; and Emilylouise Broom, presented posters. Holly Crossley and Emilylouise Broom both received special BPS commendations for their presentations and are the first ever Bath Spa students to win awards at a SWUC. This event was led by Alison Wadeley, Senior Lecturer: Psychology and Dr Pete Etchells, Senior Lecturer in Biological Psychology gave the keynote address. Professor Peter Kinderman, President of the BPS also attended the conference.

Graduate wins New Designers award Chloe Gregory, Textile Design for Fashion and Interiors graduate won the New Designers Sanderson Award Prize of £1,000 and a four week paid placement in the Sanderson studio.

The title of her winning work was Large scale florals and featured screen printed textiles inspired by florals and 17th century still life paintings. The initial sketches were developed into large scale prints designed for interiors.

The judges commented that Chloe’s magnificent designs have evolved from her beautiful drawing and carefully observed colour studies to create a very distinctive work.

Commenting on her win Chloe said: “I can’t believe it! I’m so grateful to New Designers for the opportunity to have my work seen.”

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Culture

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Prestigious Sickert mannequin featured in major exhibition A lay figure (or artist’s mannequin) which belonged to the artist Walter Richard Sickert (1860-1942) was displayed at the University of Cambridge’s Fitzwilliam Museum as part of a major exhibition.

One of the best known artists of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Sickert taught drawing, etching and painting for almost 50 years. Towards the end of his life he taught at Bath School of Art and Design, now part of Bath Spa University.

The figure which dates from the eighteenth century is approximately five feet six inches tall and is made of stained wood with articulated joints. Sickert reportedly used the figure for the inspiration of his painting The Raising of Lazarus. He instructed a local undertaker to wrap the figure in a shroud and had it photographed, with the artist himself portraying Christ, and his model Cicely Hay in the role of Lazarus’ sister.

Ashley Patterson, finalist FAD 2015 Third year BA Fashion Design student, Ashley Patterson was a finalist at this year’s Fashion Awareness Direct (FAD). The competition sees students from universities across the UK come together to showcase their fashion creations and kick start their career within the design industry. The brief for this year’s challenge was to design a mini-collection of two outfits, menswear or womenswear, exploring the theme of ‘physics meets fashion’.

Considered as the ‘must enter’ competition for all universities, FAD works in collaboration with Fashion Scout to provide a unique opportunity for undergraduate design students to showcase their work. The competition has the support of retailers, designers, cultural industries, museums and the press. The FAD competition is now in its 14th year and previous winners include acclaimed womenswear designer, David Koma and 2010 Graduate Fashion Week winner Rebecca Thomson.

Ashely’s nomination builds on the success of previous Bath Spa Fashion Design students at this competition. In 2014 Benjamin Callery took second place, with fellow student Petulia Galvin also nominated in the final. In 2013 Stephanie Kitchen won the competition and she is now a Designer at Penfield in London.

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Culture Royal Television Awards West of England winners BA Creative Media Practice (CMP) graduates Luke Taylor, Gabby Hawes and Geoffrey Clinch along with BA Film and Screen Studies graduate, Rosie Jones all won awards at the Royal Television Awards West of England. The ceremony was also attended by presenter and wildlife filmmaker, Patrick Aryee who gave a keynote speech advising students on how to make a successful impact on the TV industry.

Luke Taylor and Rosie Jones won the combined award in the Open category for their film, Nan. The film was directed, written and edited by Luke and produced by Rosie.

Featuring Luke’s real life grandmother,

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the plot focusses around the idea that grandparents teach you the things you know and help you as you grow up. You then repay the favour for them as they grow older and require help themselves.

Gabby Hawes completed her undergraduate degree in 2014 and is currently studying for an MA in Feature Filmmaking. Gabby won the Drama award with her film, Unseen.

Written and directed by Gabby, Unseen looks into the severity behind human trafficking and domestic servitude and follows the emotions and struggles that go with it.

Geoffrey Clinch also won an award in the Comedy and Entertainment category for his film Square Eyes. This film was written, directed and edited by Geoffrey who created it as part of his third year personal project on the CMP course. Square Eyes looks into the effects of video games where one young man plays them so often that he starts to experience them in real life.

Professor Joe Duddell teams up with Clean Bandit Joe Duddell, Professor of Music teamed up with internationally renowned British electronic group Clean Bandit and the BBC Philharmonic in a special live performance for The Zane Lowe show on BBC Radio One. The concert launched the 2014 ‘BBC Philharmonic Presents…’ series, a celebration of orchestral music in its many different guises. The four-piece instrumental collective teamed together with guest singers, a choir and the orchestra to perform a brand-new arrangement, orchestrated by Professor Duddell, of their debut album New Eyes which features the hit tracks Rather Be and Extraordinary.

Commenting on the concert, Professor Duddell said: “It was great to be part of the ‘BBC Philharmonic Presents…’ series again.

It's all about the orchestra trying to reach out to different audiences through broadcasting on each of the major BBC networks and this one with Clean Bandit for Radio One was fascinating to work on.”

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Culture The University and EHCAP (Effective Health Care Alliance Programme) launched a new project of ‘Emotion Coaching’, which was commissioned by the Somerset County Council Public Health team. The aim of the project is to train and develop a network of skilled professionals (such as teachers, GPs, youth workers and Early Years intervention workers). These ‘champions’ will not only implement Emotion Coaching within their own organisations, but will also take on a leadership role to cascade the work of the project to their peers.

Emotion Coaching is a practical strategy that helps children and young people to become more aware of their emotions and to manage these feelings more effectively. The project was inspired by Professor John Gottman’s research in the USA which showed that a

child’s emotional awareness and ability to handle their feelings aided their success and happiness in life.

The Emotion Coaching project was rolled out in March to professionals in South Somerset, Mendip, Sedgemoor, Taunton Deane and West Somerset district councils. The project includes promoting the use of emotion coaching by community groups, building on and strengthening current practices and promoting the Somerset Mental Health tool kit.

The launch of the project involved an initial one-day workshop with an introduction to Emotion Coaching and the neuroscience of attachment. Further half-day workshops included how mindfulness can be integrated into this work, how the mental health tool kit can be used, and the best ways for cascading the training within the champions’ own organisations.

Carl Honoré

Emotion Coaching

Slow Media symposium The University hosted a ‘Slow Media’ symposium in March 2015 which brought together international scholars, journalists, filmmakers, creative writers and arts practitioners to explore ‘slow’ in relation to a range of media forms.

Slow Media is as aspect of the Slow Movement, which began in 1986 with the Slow Food movement, and works against the idea that faster is always better. The Slow Movement has applications across society including fashion, education, food, travel, science and technology. Slow Media is aimed at sustainable media production and media consumption – it was formed in the context of real-time news distribution such as Twitter.

The symposium was opened by awardwinning writer and speaker Carl Honoré, whose books, In Praise of Slow, Under Pressure and The Slow Fix have been translated into more than 30 languages and are international bestsellers. Carl, who coined the term ‘Slow Movement’ comments: “When every moment is a race against the clock, everything suffers our diet, health and relationships, our communities and the environment, even our ability to think, feel and savour the moment.

“The Slow Movement offers an alternative to this roadrunner culture by encouraging us to put on the brakes. “Slow” can also be a powerful lens for rethinking and reshaping all forms of media."

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Other speakers at the symposium included Sabria David and Dr Benedikt Koehler, cofounders of the Slow Media Institute in Bonn, Germany; Lisa Marr and Paolo Davanzo, Echo Park Film Center, Los Angeles; and academics from the University of Glasgow, Cardiff University, University of Salford, Dublin Institute of Technology and University of Bath.

Forced Walks: Honouring Esther To mark the remembrance of 70 years since the liberation of Belsen death camp, a group of artists took part in a walking project which was the subject of an exhibition held at the 44AD Gallery in Bath in July.

The walk itself took place in Somerset in April and was led by artists Richard White and Lorna Brunstein who were joined by descendants of survivors and liberators to make up a 20 strong group. The group was honouring Lorna’s mother, Esther, who survived the death march to Belsen and was liberated from the camp in 1945. It is the testimony of Esther and the route of the death march she survived that formed the thread of the project.

The walk followed as closely as possible the transposed line of a Nazi death march with the artists conducting ten ‘interventions’, moments of reflection exploring local and contemporary resonances, along the way.

These interventions took place at points where the route of the walk intersected the line on the map of the death march to Belsen death camp. In the exhibition these form ten ‘stations’ of documentation assembled by the artists.

Walkers generated social media throughout the two days and contributed to a live link up to the Anne Frank Center in New York on arrival at the Jewish Burial Ground in Combe Down, Bath. Esther Brunstein, a contemporary of Anne Frank, recorded a special statement which was networked world wide from Combe Down.

The exhibition of the walk included photographs, notebooks and memorabilia gathered by the walkers and curated by the artists. The artists also produced a series of new works including an installation and short films exploring the experience of the walk and the resonances from it.

Belsen was liberated by the British army, some of whom came from Somerset.

Descendants of those veterans joined the walk.

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Culture

Georgian Pleasures In association with Bath International Music Festival, Bath Spa was pleased to present the Vauxhall Players in an outdoor gala concert of English music from the 18th century. The programme was performed in and around Newton Park and included songs and pieces by composers with Bath connections – Rauzzini, Herschel, Brooks and Milgrove – as well as popular pieces by established composers such as

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Arne and Haydn. There was also a performance of Lampe’s The Dragon of Wantley, an opera popular throughout the 18th century.

The Georgian Pleasures event was a recreation of a typical afternoon’s entertainment of the period, performed in costume, complete with strolling players and vignettes. It follows a very successful similar concert and accompanying conference held at The Holburne Museum in 2013.

MediaWall Situated in Commons at Newton Park, MediaWall is a stunning space for curated artwork, student and staff development, and teaching. It has hosted a wonderful array of installations and artwork starting with Lily by renowned British artist, Julian Opie which was a highlight of the official opening of Commons in June 2014.

MediaWall is an architectural scale portrait format gallery display, consisting of ten 55” panels. At just under four metres wide and rising 7.5 metres from floor level it is uniquely positioned at the heart of Commons. It sits on the inside wall of the three storey high atrium space, with views east and west to the surrounding Somerset countryside. It is a stunning addition to the building and the only media wall of its kind in the South West.

Another installation to have graced the space this year was OAK which was produced by Anthony Head, Neil Glen, Tim Vyner, Kate Pullinger and Neil Bartlett in association with ‘Letter for the Unknown Soldier’, part of the 14-18 NOW commemorations of the start of the First World War. In November MediaWall hosted Between Worlds 2 by British artist Bruce Munro who produced the work specifically for MediaWall and is best known for his immersive, largescale light-based installations such as Field of Light which was displayed at The Holburne Museum in 2011 and first installed at the V&A in 2004.

Seattle-based British artist James Coupe was commissioned by the School of Humanities and Cultural Industries to produce a piece for MediaWall following an open call for submissions. His work Mehrwert was installed to coincide with the MIX Digital 3 conference that took place in July.

Mehrwert uses Amazon’s Mechanical Turk (mTurk), an on-demand, human workforce to complete jobs that humans can do better than computers, to produce a personal, subjective and unruly installation displaying human qualities such as nuance, emotion and memory. The work was driven by mTurk workers, who were hired to generate video and text which was processed and displayed on MediaWall.

It referenced themes of surveillance, identity and autonomy asking important questions about the relationship between technology and narrative in the late information age.

Along with these artistic installations, MediaWall has hosted a number of staff and student works and will continue to do so over the next academic year. It is an exciting resource that has infinite possibilities for creativity!

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Enterprise

Green Apple Award

Partnership with Santander Universities UK

The ongoing collaboration between Bath Spa University and Kier Services has been recognised at the International Green Apple awards for Environmental Best Practice and Sustainable Development 2014 with a silver award. The awards were presented at the Houses of Parliament and aim to recognise, reward and promote environmental best practice.

The University signed a partnership with Santander University UK in September 2014.

The new agreement provides funding for scholarships, international research and study trips, enterprise and entrepreneurial projects; and 12 part-funded internships with local businesses.

In addition, Santander opened a new branch at the Newton Park campus which provides full banking service to the University community. This was the 51st Santander branch at a UK university and in conjunction with the branch opening, Head of UK Banking at Santander, Steve Pateman, gave the inaugural Santander Universities lecture on 'Our progress to economic recovery, the role of enterprise and the banks, and the challenges that still lie ahead.' The lecture was very well attended with over 200 students present.

Professor Christina Slade, Vice-Chancellor said: “I am delighted to welcome Santander to Bath Spa University, and to be part of a global network, providing international opportunities for students and staff.

I am looking forward to developing our relationship with Santander Universities.”

Over the last two years, Environmental Managers from Kier Services, Jamie Edmonds and Chris Grimes, have been working with Bath Spa students as part of the BSc in Environmental Science. Jamie and Chris are both alumni having completed their undergraduate and postgraduate studies at the University.

Head of Department for Science, Dr Dave Watson, said: “We are extremely pleased that this award recognises the long-term collaboration between Environmental Science at Bath Spa and staff at Kier. We regard the opportunities for students to work on projects with Kier and placement and mentoring opportunities as vital in enhancing the employability of our graduates. We are delighted too that this collaboration with Kier continues to develop; the specialist input from their environmental professionals, who are also our alumni, has helped shape our new MSc in Environmental Management.”

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UK and International Quarry Life awards A team of staff and students in Biology and Environmental Science won a prestigious international award for biodiversity research.

A project which examined biodiversity enhancement in woodlands at Whatley Quarry near Frome in Somerset was joint winner with a project from the Czech Republic in the 'Biodiversity Enhancement' category of the biennial HeidelbergCement Quarry Life Awards.

Head of Department: Science, Dr David Watson represented the research team and was presented with a trophy and the €10,000 prize money at the award ceremony in Prague.

Dr Watson said: “I'm delighted that we have won this award, it's been a brilliant opportunity to research biodiversity

restoration. It was great to represent the research team at the awards ceremony and I'm sure the whole team will be really thrilled at the outcome.

This has a considerable relevance to quarry restoration activities in the UK and elsewhere in Northern Europe, and for woodland management more generally.”

“We plan to use the prize money to support student research. This may involve continuing student research placements at Whatley Quarry or we may seek further funding to secure a fully funded PhD award.”

Over 200 delegates from 22 countries attended the ceremony including other prize winners from Russia, Ghana, Germany, Australia, and Poland, who won the overall award for the 2014 competition. The competition and research projects allow HeidelbergCement to improve its biodiversity management practices as well as share best practice examples with the public.

Dr Michael Rademacher, one of the international jury members and Biodiversity and Natural Resources Director at HeidelbergCement added: “This project is very practical and identified woodland management practices that might be applied, and species that might be transplanted to increase plant and butterfly diversity.

This international recognition followed on from the University’s success at the UK finals of the Quarry Life Award where the project was awarded second place and received £2,400 prize money.

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Enterprise Sponsor of Shaun in the City Led by the team that created the multi award-winning Gromit Unleashed campaign in 2013, Shaun in the City saw 120 giant sheep sculptures individually designed by celebrities and artists herded on the streets of London and Bristol. The trails culminated in a public exhibition and charity auction to raise money for sick children in Bristol and across the UK in autumn 2015.

In March the University sponsored the London Shaun in the City sculpture trail displaying a Shaun in Piccadilly Circus designed by award-winning illustrator artist and Bath Spa alumnus Axel Scheffler.

Best known for his collaboration with author Julia Donaldson on The Gruffalo, he was pleased to be involved with the project, commenting: “In memory of my three years in the Wiltshire countryside at the Bath Academy of Art, where I was surrounded by sheep, I thought a pastoral theme would be just the right thing for my Shaun. I originally thought about painting a wolf among the sheep, but changed it to the Gruffalo, and added some nosy crows! Once again, I'm very happy take part in supporting this great cause."

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Almost 80 per cent of visitors to the trail came from outside London with some coming from as far afield as Asia, Africa, Australia, Europe and USA. The website for the trail was viewed over one million times and had a social media reach of over 2.5 million.

Professor Christina Slade, Vice-Chancellor said: “As a leading creative university, Bath Spa was proud to work with one of our esteemed alumni on this exciting project, which not only celebrated creativity, but also supported a worthy charitable cause.”

Shaun the Sheep is one of Aardman’s best loved characters with over five million fans on social media and TV series which are broadcast in 170 territories world-wide and was recently voted the nation’s all-time favourite BBC children’s TV character.

Top 20 academics to follow on social media The University’s new Chair of Education, Gráinne Conole has appeared on the list of the top 20 educational academics recommended to follow on social media.

An informal research survey carried out by the Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE), highlighted the top 20 academics in Educational Technology to follow. The list includes previous AACE conference keynote speakers, EdITLib contributors and conference committee members. Gráinne covers topics such as online learning, higher education and learning theories.

Gráinne joined Bath Spa in March. She has considerable experience within the educational profession and was a Professor of Education Innovation in Post-Compulsory Education at the University of Southampton.

Prior to that she was Chair of e-learning at the Open University in IET and later became Director of the Institute of Learning Innovation at the University of Leicester.

Mother and daughter launch children’s book MA Writing For Young People student Zoe Cookson launched her debut children’s book titled Odd Job Frog in June.

Zoe Cookson, 41, wrote the story and her mother, Colleen Cookson, 69, illustrated the book which features a frog who wants to visit the exciting sights of London.

Their book is now widely stocked in independent bookshops across the country, and is available in all major online book stores.

Zoe had always wanted to write for children and was inspired by characters that her

mother had drawn when she was little, and so enrolled on the prestigious MA Writing For Young People course at Bath Spa which has seen a host of acclaimed authors pass through its doors.

Zoe said: “I am delighted that after so many years of dreaming we are finally in a position to launch our first children’s book – Odd Job Frog.

“It’s been such a pleasure to work with my mum on this story and we are both thrilled to see the first copies appearing on bookshelves, and even in the window display of several independent bookshops in central London.

“Entering the competitive world of children’s publishing was a daunting experience but my MA at Bath Spa gave me the confidence I needed to take the leap.”

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Enterprise

OFFA funded summer placements For the first time the University was awarded additional funding as part of our Widening Participation agreement with OFFA to support students in securing work placements. To ensure as many students as possible benefitted from this opportunity, the University match-funded 42 placements with regional businesses during the summer. This meant students were paid at least the national minimum wage and many employers opted to pay more. Combined with the internships funded by the Santander Fund it meant a total of 54 students were successful in securing work placements this summer.

Student innovator scoops two prizes Jana Wisekowski, BA Business Management and Media Communications student, won two of the University’s innovation competitions this year.

Jana won the Global Civic Innovation Challenge with an idea for an app which provides advice and role model-led guidance to help young people avoid substance abuse.

The prize was a place on a six week social entrepreneurship programme in Kenya.

Jana also won the Build a Better Bath Spa competition with an idea for a quiet common room for students to use to relax and reflect individually or socially. She won a cash prize for herself and also £1,800 to help take the idea from concept to reality with the University’s help.

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Both competitions were sponsored by Santander. Campus Branch Manager Ivan Pritchard commented: “It’s really impressive to win not one competition but two – we’re really pleased to support innovative student ideas like these.”

Dave Jarman, Head of Enterprise and Employability, said: “Both competitions were new this year and Jana really seized the chance to get her ideas championed.

We’re going to build on this in the future with more competitions for more students to launch all kinds of bright ideas and get the support they need to make them successful.”

Jana said: “To win both is amazing! I’m so excited about both going to Kenya this summer and getting the chance to make my common room idea happen this autumn.”

VentureFest

What’s the point in creativity?

Staff and students were part of the annual Bristol VentureFest for the first time this year.

Held at The Passenger Shed in Bristol, Bath Spa had an exhibition stand in the Innovation Showcase which demonstrated a variety of creative technologies to an audience of local businesses and entrepreneurs. Bath Spa was part of the Innovation Hub section of the exhibition which also featured other local universities and enterprise businesses.

Dave Jarman, Head of Enterprise and Employability was part of a roundtable event discussing ‘What’s the point of creativity at university?’ organised by the RSA (Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufacturers and Commerce) and Universities UK (UUK) and held in June.

Dave was one of a selected group of higher education professionals and RSA Fellows invited to give their opinion and advise UUK on the state of creativity in UK higher education today. He was joined at the event by Sir Ken Robinson, a leader in the development of creativity and innovation in education, among others.

Kate Pullinger, Professor of Creative Writing and Digital Media also presented as part of the Creative and Digital Showcase on the topic of ‘Writing letters to the dead: creating a digital war memorial’. As a result of her presentation, Professor Pullinger was invited to develop an installation for the Bristol TEDx Conference in November 2015.

VentureFest is a one-day event showcasing Bristol and Bath’s most innovative and enterprising companies and start-ups. The Innovation Showcase celebrated the exciting creative and technological developments in the region and was an excellent opportunity to network and develop links with potential partners.

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Internationalisation

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International recruitment In 2014/15, international student recruitment to the University was healthy both in terms of number of students and the geographical breadth of their home countries.

International students now represent 11 per cent of the total student body, a significant increase from 6.6 per cent in the previous academic year. The number of international students (full fee paying, non-EU) increased by 103 per cent up from 239 to 484 and the number of European students increased by 36 per cent up from 135 to 184.

The diverse mix of countries our international students come from is an important part of ensuring all Bath Spa students have a truly global experience while studying here. The current cohort of international students are from 83 different countries including just over a third from China, a third from Europe, and a third from other markets.

These results have been achieved in an increasingly challenging environment for international student recruitment, including the tightening of UK visa regulations, a growing economy, falling exchange rates against the British pound, and changes of English language requirements. The UK higher education sector has had to work hard to sustain recruitment with many UK universities reporting a continual fall in numbers from key regions. Bath Spa has met the challenges through a consolidation strategy in key markets, outreach into new markets and a diversification of our offer.

In the last year the International Relations team conducted over 130 visits to 36 countries attending recruitment fairs, events at partner institutions, conferences, and

giving presentations at schools and universities. This expanded geographical reach has been helped by a number of regional offices, a supported agent network, and working more closely with international alumni and current students. The Team also attended a number of events in the UK to recruit international students who are already based here, particularly focusing on incountry agent events and independent schools within the London area, and conducted over 12 targeted webinars reaching out to Latin America, the United States and Europe.

The completion and launch of a Study Abroad programme predominately aimed at the US market, has opened up opportunities for students to study alongside local students for a single semester or year study. Although aimed at the US market, the programme has received interest from Latin America and China, with 30 study abroad students enrolled in 2014/15. As one of only a small number of UK members of Generation Study Abroad, a five year US Government initiative to double the number of US students studying overseas, Bath Spa is well placed to increase these numbers in future intakes.

Building on the success of Bath Spa’s office in Shanghai that serves China and Hong Kong, the University has expanded the number of countries where there is a dedicated office base and now has four. BSU Regional Office South Asia, based in Bangkok, actively serves Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and the Philippines, and BSU Colombia, based in Bogota, serves Colombia and Ecuador. An office in Dubai, through the Future College partnership, will aid transnational education (TNE) and direct recruitment from the Middle East and Pakistan, and newer offices in India, Nepal and Kenya will help future growth.

This summer the University welcomed over 400 students per week on English language summer schools throughout June, July and August which has introduced a new set of future prospective students to Bath Spa.

Recruitment agents are still a highly influential factor in international students’ decision making, and the University now has a network of agents across the world and throughout Europe.

New for 2014/15 was the option of a February start date for certain postgraduate taught courses and a third year BA (Hons) Business and Management top-up. This saw an increase in applications and resulted in an additional 90 students enrolling.

Transnational Education Partnerships For students who would prefer to study for a Bath Spa University degree in their home country, new partnerships have been developed in the UAE, Singapore and Hong Kong which offer this opportunity. In 2014, the University saw its first intake of 35 students into its Business and Management programme in Hong Kong. In future years developments in Singapore with the state broadcaster MEDIACORP in the Creative Industries and the Bath School of Art and Design will produce new and exciting opportunities.

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Internationalisation

Global Citizenship awards The University presented 13 students with certificates in Global Citizenship at a special event held on the Vice-Chancellor’s Terrace at Commons in June.

Global Academy of Liberal Arts The Global Academy of Liberal Arts (GALA) enjoyed a very successful conference, ‘Communication Without Borders’ hosted

by Communications University China in Beijing on 6 and 7 July. This two day conference brought together partners from countries including Russia, USA, Australia, UK, Italy, China and Mexico to investigate the ways in which international collaboration can transform our activities as scholars, teachers and students.

GALA is a global network of creativity spanning national and cultural boundaries to broaden the experience of students and staff. The first network of its kind, GALA was created by Vice-Chancellor, Professor Christina Slade, to bring together Liberal Arts providers from around the world.

GALA explores the relationship between creativity and social engagement through teaching and research collaborations and an annual meeting. Activities include joint programme development, comparative research, student exchange, remote teaching, joint student projects and visiting lectures.

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Igraduate survey In the Igraduate survey, which measures internationalisation in universities, Bath Spa achieved exceptionally high rankings across many areas of international student experience, when benchmarked against a total sample of 183 international universities and 54 UK universities. These results point to the positive experiences of international students across a range of indicators.

Bath Spa was ranked first out of all participating UK universities for personal tutor support, international office support, careers advice, host culture, safety, campus environment, and eco-friendly attitude. In addition, the University was ranked in second place for social facilities, host friends and ‘a good place to be’.

The certificate is designed to recognise the global perspective of undergraduate studies and to open opportunities for students in the global employment market. It was given to students who completed studies relating to global issues over the course of their undergraduate degree.

Students worked with a group to develop thinking and skills around global citizenship and attended a series of Global Citizenship events including lectures and seminars given by internationally renowned speakers.

They also took at least two international modules in their degree module choices, and undertook an international placement.

Students took part in placements at a variety of different institutions including in the Netherlands, Malaysia, and China.

Links with India

International conferences Vice-Chancellor, Professor Christina Slade has spoken at a number of international focused conferences over the last year. In December she spoke at the Observatory on Borderless Higher Education Conference in London about the Future of Public-Private Partnerships in higher education.

In March she was a member of a panel discussion at the International Higher Education Forum talking about developing an internationalisation strategy. The Forum was organised by Universities UK and held in London. It was attended by representatives from both UK and various international universities.

Also in March, she was a moderator for a session at a British Council event in Canberra, Australia in response to British Council commissioned research ‘How do national policies, as a subset of national conditions, affect commercialisation outputs’.

In May the Vice-Chancellor again addressed an international audience at the British Council’s Going Global conference in London where she spoke about how universities are the enablers of the creative economy, not just in the UK, but on the international stage.

She was joined on the programme by former Universities and Science Minister David Willetts who was arguing that students should be able to use their student loans at institutions abroad, something Professor Slade agrees with, being a strong advocate of the benefits of a global education.

The Geography Department has continued to develop its partnerships with institutions in India. In September Dr Richard Johnson, Senior Lecturer in Physical Geography and Dr Esther Edwards, Senior Lecturer in Geographical Information Systems (GIS) embarked on a research, teaching and international recruitment visit to Northern India. Dr Johnson explained: “We visited Dr. J. C Kuniyal at the GB Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development. The trip was in support of both research and teaching, adding a new dimension to our existing research links with Himachal Pradesh University, Shimla and the University of Manitoba, Canada.”

In November Professor Sharma and Dr Thakur of Himachal Pradesh University visited Bath Spa and were involved in a ceremonial meeting with the ViceChancellor, Professor Christina Slade; Professor Rob Mears, Dean of the School of Society, Enterprise and Environment; Dr Mark McGuinness, Associate Dean of the School of Society, Enterprise and Environment; Dr Esther Edwards, Senior Lecturer in Geographical Information Systems (GIS); and Dr Richard Johnson, Senior Lecturer in Physical Geography.

A memorandum of understanding (in principle) has been exchanged between institutions, to facilitate student and staff exchange and research collaborations involving social and environmental change/hazards in remote Himalayan village communities.

Prof Sharma and Dr Thakur are the first visitors to Bath Spa in the SEE Global Scholars exchange programme whereby the University invites two Indian scholars to Newton Park to contribute their local expertise and research interests to enrich Bath Spa’s global undergraduate curriculum through specialist lectures, meeting students, offering research seminars to the University community and work with relevant staff to build international research links and funding applications.

In addition Geography and Global Development Studies students have visited Northern India on a field trip, primarily to the states of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh as part of a Level 5 fieldwork module. During the fieldtrip, students develop their research skills and knowledge in the challenging environments of the Punjab plains and the Himalayas; working in collaboration with local communities, and alongside the students and staff at HPU.

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Development and Alumni This year the generous donations we received benefited 44 students who received scholarships, bursaries or awards that aided their studies, funded international travel, and gave them space to think outside of their curriculum. A further 30 students received opportunities through the Santander Universities partnership (see page 24).

A huge thank you goes to everyone who made this possible by collectively giving £243,688 to support students and academic excellence. Here is a highlight of the stories featured in the new Philanthropy Impact Report, where you will also find our Donor Roll of Honour, available at www.bathspa.ac.uk/impact

The Ambassadors’ Circle We launched the Ambassadors’ Circle in November 2014, with the support of alumnus and award-winning author Nathan Filer, at an event in the Commons building at Newton Park. Chaired by former governor, Julian Amey, the Ambassadors’ Circle aims to encourage more people to support the University and its students through two key funds: • The Enterprise Showcase Fund which helps students produce their end of course exhibitions, performances and events, whether here at the University or at industry showcases. To encourage students to be entrepreneurial, and give them insight into funding their work, grants are offered on a £1 for £1 matched basis.

• The Greatest Need Fund allows the University to give direct support wherever the need is greatest. It enables us to respond immediately to challenges as and when they arise, enhance students’ experience and safeguard the University’s academic and research excellence.

We understand that one of the most satisfying elements for our donors is the relationship with the University and seeing the students they have supported thrive and flourish. We show our gratitude by inviting members to attend University lectures, graduate performances, exhibitions; offering access to the University’s Libraries; hosting an annual event for members with the ViceChancellor; and we keep members up to date with University news. To find out more visit www.bathspa.ac.uk/aboutus/support-us “…the funding allowed me to work in the area of production, which I wish to move into... As the production manager for the show [Dennis!] I have had to work in all types of roles, which gave me opportunities to find out for myself the solutions required to deal with the problems… I have learned so many new skills …. On behalf of the production team, the creative team and the cast, I thank you.” Theodore Frazer, BA (Hons) Music and Performing Arts, 2015

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Scholarships, Bursaries and Awards The Jennifer Skellett Postgraduate Bursary • Sophie Batchelor, MMus Performance • Catherine Chapman, MMus Performance The Jennifer Skellett Junior Fellowship • Tom Davies, MMus Performance, 2014 The Cullum Family Award • Silas Chandler Blackburn, BA Commercial Music On receiving his award to take up a placement at Nylon Studios, New York, in summer 2015 Silas commented: “It gave me confidence but also it made me appreciate the opportunities available at Bath Spa. I felt like it was worth me showing people my ambitions. That they were worth something and worth backing.”

Elisabeth Patuck, BA Commercial Music, also received funding towards an internship at MusicAlly in London, where she has now secured a paid part-time post while she completes her studies.

“My life has literally turned on its head in the best way since I started my job in London - you [The Cullum Family] have helped me land the beginning of what I hope will be a successful career in the music industry. I couldn't have done it without your support, and I am ecstatic for all the others I'm sure you will help in the future.”

The Porthleven Prize 2014 • Sae Murai, BA (Hons) Dance and Textile Design Studies, 2015 • Lucinda Burgess, MA Fine Art, 2014 • Fiona Haines, MA Fine Art, 2014 • Jenny Newbury, MA Creative Writing, 2014 • Emily Furnell, BA (Hons) Fine Art, 2015 International Travel Awards • Ed Low, BA (Hons) Photography, 2015 • Emily Furnell, BA (Hons) Fine Art, 2015 – The Gane Travel Award

Memorial Fund and the Wardle Fund. It aims to enable students to take up travel opportunities that directly impact on their studies and improve their employability.

Ed travelled to the Za’atari Refugee Camp in Jordan, a few kilometres south of the Syrian border, to document daily life and produce a book of portraits for his final undergraduate assessment. He found the experience exhilarating, but challenging: “Working within Za’atari was certainly a challenge, not only the searing heat of the desert, but also the stress of having to be constantly vigilant due to security.”

The International Travel Fund was established in 2014 by merging several historic funds given to aid international travel placements and study trips. They include the Mollie Humphreys Memorial Award (1963) in memory of one of the founding members of Newton Park College, the Jill Radford

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Development and Alumni

The Bill Martin History Prize • Nathan Levy, BA (Hons) Heritage with History, 2015 New awards that will support students in 2015/16 • MA Writing Award, sponsored by Jack and Audrey Ladevèze • The Royal Commonwealth Society Bath District Scholarship • Ede & Ravenscroft Scholarship Creative Thinking Award and Hothouse Incubator

that demonstrated a 21st century creative thinking mind-set.

Creative Thinking Award Sponsored by Ark Data Centre: Alex Fermor, BA (Hons) Religions, Philosophy and Ethics, 2015

The results were astonishing, so much so, that Ark Data Centres and the Corsham Institute offered further funding to give five students the opportunity to collaborate over six months to bring together their different ideas to form one project that might lead to a concept design of a marketable product.

Hothouse Incubator Sponsored by Ark Data Centres and the Corsham Institute: • Alex Fermor • Katarzyna Wagner, BA (Hons) Fine Art • Christopher Lewis, PhD English Studies • Isabella Culver, BA (Hons) Creative Arts and Drama Studies • Devanka Pathak, PhD Computing Sciences Creative Thinking is the ability to come up with new and unconventional ideas. In a world of digital technology this skill is allimportant, but all too often social conventions or educational pressures prevent us from thinking creatively. Bath Spa, in partnership with Ark Data Centres, challenged students to develop new concepts and ideas

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“It has helped me approach my research in a more structured way, with closer personal attention to the quality of my working time.

When someone is investing money in your ideas then you have to make sure that your work develops well, in a reliable way and at a continuous pace, to make it worthwhile for the investors. …It has been a remarkable experience which has invigorated me with more self-belief and which has certainly pushed me to develop certain skills that have perhaps lain dormant for a long time. I am now more inclined than ever before to believe that anything is possible if you are willing to work hard for it.” Christopher Lewis, PhD English Studies

• The Newton St. Loe Fund

Successful funding bids The team has also worked on a number of successful bids including: • An Arts Council award that funded the pilot Mbira cross-cultural music programme (see page 50).

• A grant from the Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation towards a new publication by photographer Stephen Vaughan for Seismic Histories and Rupture Probabilities: A Photographic Response to the Japanese Earthquakes.

• The Richard Benjamin Trust has agreed a grant for Jermaine Ravalier’s research into the impact of zero hours contracts on health and work-family interface.

• The Coles-Medlock Charitable Trust gave a pilot grant to support music students working with community groups, and a grant towards a QuadCopter for Film, Media and TV students.

Academic Projects and Research We work closely with academic colleagues to secure funding from grant funders and businesses to support public engagement and research projects that enhance the University’s reputation.

These projects also offer students opportunities to work on public facing activities.

University students and staff. The artworks featured a mix of interactivity for the audiences to experience or public participation in their creation or performance and were all new commissions.

Sponsored by: • Arts Council England

Illuminate 2015

• Bath and North East Somerset Council

Illuminate 2015 (see page 7) presented a programme of eight large scale projected installations, artworks and performances over eight nights in central Bath with a theme of interactivity, participation and light. The artworks were located around Bath Abbey, in and around the Roman Baths, on Pulteney Bridge and the Holburne Museum. The artworks were created by a mix of local and international artists, and Bath Spa

• Nicholas Pearson Associates • The Trevor Osborne Charitable Trust • Enlightened Lighting “Our staff who came on different evenings, all had a unique experience. The ones that visited on several nights, loved the way the event evolved over the week.

They commented that it was an excellent event, and they saw real value in the approach taken.” Nicholas Pearson Associates.

Forced Walks: Honouring Esther A walk about time and the land, exile and belonging, the drift of memory and forgetting: memorialising in an era dense with anniversaries [see page 17].

Supported by: • The Stephen Clark 1957 Charitable Trust • Julia and Mathew Simmons • Mr Bruce Haines • Mr Peter Jackson • Susan and Ian Hull • Mrs Rachel Joseph • Contributions by visitors to the forced walks exhibition

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Development and Alumni

Telethon This year 20 students took to the phones to call Bath Spa Alumni. During the three week campaign they contacted over 900 alumni to find out what they have been doing since graduation and asking them to consider making a donation. Although not everyone was in the position to offer a donation, many of the alumni generously offered to give their time as mentors or help students to secure internships within their organisations.

It was a genuinely positive experience for everyone, demonstrated by the laughter heard in the calling room.

Alumni Reunion Weekend 2015

SPARTAN Magazine

From 21 to 23 August over 170 alumni returned to Bath Spa University to celebrate and reminisce. This is the first large scale reunion held at the University. We were thrilled to welcome alumni from all our predecessor colleges with graduates from the 1950s all the way through to 2014 coming together to share their memories of studying at Bath Spa. Guests enjoyed live entertainment at Burdall’s Yard (Friday) and the Students’ Union (Saturday), campus tours at Corsham Court, Sion Hill and Newton Park, and an ‘in conversation’ event between our Alumni Association President Mary Berry, CBE and alumna Jenni Mills. The event was also supported by the Bath Spa Archive Team and amazing Student Ambassadors.

The University’s alumni magazine is now reaching more people than ever before, with over 15,000 copies of the fifth issue mailed to alumni and 2,000 copies handed out over graduation. The two issues in 2014/15 celebrated the success of our fashion undergraduates at Graduate Fashion Week, reflected on the challenges of balancing study with a high performance sport career with alumnus Jason Gardener, discovered alumnus Mark Gardner the designer of the iconic Mad Men title sequence, and returned to the Bath Academy of Art in the 1960s with alumnae Salima Hashmi.

“I loved meeting all the team, hearing about current student aims, changes for the future and developing changes at Newton Park… a hugely enjoyable weekend! A wonderful atmosphere and welcome throughout.”

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During the telethon we raised over £5,000, which will provide a student scholarship of £1,000 for five years. This is a fantastic result for our first telethon. To build on this success, next year’s telethon will run for four weeks, and we will employ 10 more student callers.

“If I’m honest the original reasons that I applied to do the telethon were for extra money and extra experience to add to my CV. However, I found that actually doing it gave me so much more than that. The telethon was hard work, but so rewarding.”

Charlotte Claydon, BA Acting

Graduation The newest members of the Alumni Association graduated in July.

We joined them at graduation, held in the Bath Abbey, to capture the moment in the Bath Spa Alumni Photo Booth and to remind graduates that through the Alumni Association they can continue to access the Careers’ Service, Library, Students’ Union and be part of Bath Spa University for the rest of their lives.

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Research expertise Research Excellence Framework 2014 The Research Excellence Framework (REF) is the new system for assessing the quality of research in UK higher education institutions.

The research of 154 UK universities was assessed, across a broad range of subject based units of assessments (UoAs). Each UoA was awarded a quality profile, based

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upon the quality of its research as reviewed by independent panels of experts, drawn from academic, government, industry and third sector organisations, representing the user groups and stakeholders of UK HEI research.

As a result of REF2014, the University substantially improved its quality profile of 4* (world leading) and 3* (internationally excellent) research from 19 per cent in the RAE2008 exercise to 51 per cent in REF2014, meaning that we have received an 86 per cent increase in our HEQR allocation for 2015/16, increasing our grant to just over ÂŁ1 million. This is an excellent result, placing us at the top of our KPI comparator institutions in terms of an increase in funding and marking us as one of the best winners in the South West.

Bath Spa University submitted the research of 74 of its staff in six UoAs: Education, English Language and Literature (including creative writing); History; Art and Design; Music, Drama, Dance and Performing Arts; and Communication, Cultural and Media Studies. The results of the REF2014 were published on 18 December 2014, and the University moved up the overall ranking based on quality of research submitted by 13 places, from 102 in RAE2008 to 89 in REF2014. This shows that we have improved our position, against our key performance indicator benchmarked institutions, and within the million+ group.

Overall University points of interest arising from the results of REF2014 • Our overall quality Grade Point Average now firmly reflects that research at Bath Spa is ‘recognised internationally in terms of originality, significance and rigour’.

• Our internationally excellent research has tripled since RAE2008.

• Our Times Higher Education ranking of 89 shows we have improved our position, against our key performance indicator benchmarked institutions, and within the million+ group.

Research Outputs • 51 per cent of our research outputs are internationally excellent, with 15 per cent world leading at 4*.

• In English Language and Literature 70 per cent of research outputs are internationally excellent, with 23 per cent world leading.

Research Environment • 85 per cent of our research environment is internationally recognised - this is a good result, and reflects our HR Excellent in Research award which is an EU badge of recognition awarded to the University in January 2012.

• In Communication, Culture and Media 70 per cent of research environment has been ranked as internationally excellent.

Research Impact • 95 per cent of our research impact is internationally recognised, with 10 per cent world leading.

• In Music and Performing Arts 100 per cent of research impact is internationally excellent, with 60 per cent world leading.

This unit of assessment was ranked joint 1st of all institutions in this category.

Details of the full University’s REF2014 submission can be found at www.results.ref.ac.uk/Results/ByHei/47

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Transcultural Musical Practice

Research expertise

Creative and cultural highlights Bristol & Bath by Design The University is part of an exciting new £750,000 research project that will examine the use of design in businesses and public sector organisations in Bath and Bristol.

The research project, Bristol & Bath by Design, brings together experts from Bath Spa, the University of the West of England (UWE) and the University of Bristol, drawing on expertise in design, creative arts, business and law, and mechanical engineering. They will work together to undertake the first comprehensive analysis of design in the region.

The project was initiated by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and Design Council. The Bath and Bristol area was selected for the study because it is a creative hotspot with strengths in the creative and digital economy. Together they offer a distinct regional focus with a population of 1.1 million people. Further, each city has particular specialisms in which design is a vital element, for example architecture, publishing and graphic design in Bath, aerospace and defence design, animation, gaming and media in Bristol.

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The research team at Bath Spa will comprise Dean of the School of Art and Design Professor Anita Taylor and Head of Design and Critical Studies Dr Graham McLaren, along with a Research Fellow who will specifically examine the history of design in the Bath and Bristol region.

Commenting on the research project, Professor Taylor said: “This collaborative research project provides an extraordinary opportunity to undertake a comprehensive analysis of the value and impact of design in the Bath and Bristol region.

“This will facilitate and promote a new understanding of the significant social and economic value of design in the region, which has a unique cultural and creative heritage.

The region is a recognised hotspot for the design industries today, with its rich network of micro, small and medium enterprises, public and private design organisations and major global companies.”

Professor of Music, Amanda Bayley is part of a consortium, led by researchers in the Department of Music at Bristol University who have been awarded an European Research Council Consolidator grant worth €2,000,000 entitled ‘Beyond East and West: Developing and Documenting and Evolving Transcultural Musical Practice’.

The five year project which commenced in September 2015 will systematise practical processes essential for the creation of a new, East-West strand of contemporary music and opera.

Professor Bayley will draw upon theories and methodologies from ethnomusicology, psychology and sociocultural studies, network analysis and music analysis (both score analysis and aural analysis) and develop models for analysing composer-performer interactions, rehearsal processes and crosscultural collaborations with Turkish musicians and report her findings in published journal articles, book chapters, and via commissioned workshops and live performances.

The research is widely expected to contribute to future research, offering a new model for transcultural praxis and offering a deeper understanding of Turkey’s music making and musical traditions.

Third MIX Digital conference

British Academy Rising Star Award

Writer and Professor of Creative Writing Naomi Alderman, theorist Florian Cramer, and performers Blast Theory appeared at this year’s successful Writing Digital: MIX DIGITAL conference.

Dr Samantha Walton, Lecturer in English Literature: Writing and the Environment, is one of ten people to be awarded the British Academy Rising Stars Award. The value of the support and training given to the winners and provided by the Academy is worth up to £15,000.

The School of Humanities and Creative Industries, which hosts the conference, continues to be at the forefront of both research and teaching of creative practice across many forms. The conference is organised by Kate Pullinger, Professor of Creative Writing and Digital Media.

The conference is an established innovative forum featuring a vibrant mix of academic papers, practitioner presentations, seminars, keynotes, discussions, workshops and an exhibition of the work by conference participants.

The conference featured discussion and exploration of writing and technology and attracted a cohort of attendees drawn locally, nationally, even internationally with contributors coming from the UK, Australia, Europe and North and South America.

Dr Walton was given the award for her idea entitled Landscaping Change: exploring environmental regeneration and conservation using arts and humanities research methods.

This project will see humanities scholars, writers, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), policy makers and arts and community groups consider how conservation and regeneration activities impact on nature-culture relations through arts and humanities conceptual frameworks.

Dr Walton commented: “It's an honour to have been selected for this new award, and I'm excited to begin organising the engagement events. They will showcase new creative writing, scholarship and third sector voices, and will be themed around the changing landscapes of Bristol, Europe's Green Capital for 2015.

“I anticipate that collaboration between scholars, writers and community groups will demonstrate the role and value of the humanities in public life by engaging researchers in pressing socio-environmental issues of local, national and international significance.”

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Research expertise AHRC Hydrocitizenship project Introduced in March 2014, the Hydrocitizenship project is investigating, and making contributions to, communities and their environment in relation to water, over a three-year period. The Hydrocitizenship team is made up of staff from eight universities across the UK including Owain Jones, Professor of Environmental Humanities at Bath Spa who is the Principal Investigator for the entire project.

The aim is to conquer social and environmental challenges using arts and heritage. This may take the form of performances and film making, history a nd heritage or interactive mapping. The environmental focus of the project looks at interconnected water issues such as flood risk, drought risk and supply and waste system security. The social focus considers how communities are formed and interconnected by both environmental assets and risks.

AHRC Collaboration with the Burton Art Gallery Dr Graham McClaren, Head of Department of Design and Critical Studies at Bath School of Art and Design was awarded ÂŁ57,597 funding for a Collaborative Doctoral Award between the University and the Burton Art Gallery and Museum.

During this three year studentship, aspects of the heritage of the North Devon pottery industry are being explored through contemporary artistic practice, by investigating the RJ Lloyd collection at the Burton Art Gallery and Museum and related archival materials.

The historical significance of the North Devon pottery industry has been acknowledged and the lack of understanding by the public today is being addressed through the project.

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Utopian Future symposium Sian Sullivan, Professor of Environment and Culture and Owain Jones, Professor of Environmental Humanities led a Roundtable for an Interdisciplinary AHRC Symposium on ‘Utopias, Futures and Temporalities: Critical Considerations for Social Change.’

AHRC Peer Review College memberships awarded Professor Anita Taylor, Dean of the Bath School of Art and Design was appointed Strategic Reviewer to the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) Peer Review College. Dr Samantha Walton, Lecturer in English Literature: Writing and the Environment, was appointed as a Peer Reviewer to the College. Both Anita and Samantha will serve on the College for four years. They will review applications for research funding submitted to the AHRC.

Museum performance

Museum Performance Alison Hems, Subject Leader for Humanities; Professor Andrew Hugill, Director of Creative Computing and Hongji Yang, Deputy Director of Creative Computing represent the University as the academic partner in a NESTA Digital Research and Development funded project with an overall budget of £125,000. This is a collaboration between Black Radley Ltd and the University’s Centre for Creative Computing to apply predictive analytics to museum data and determine the effect of changes in museum business models.

Held in May at Bristol Zoo, the Symposium marked the 500-year anniversary of publication of Thomas More’s Utopia, first published in 1516, and brought together researchers involved with the AHRC’s research themes on Care for the Future.

Wellcome Trust Arts Award Dr Laura Purcell-Gates, Head of Performance Research Centre, has received a £30,000 Wellcome Trust small arts award for the development of a chamber opera for puppets based on the true story of Tarrare the Freak, an 18th century French revolutionary spy with an insatiable appetite for cats, amputated limbs and the occasional toddler.

Tarrare’s grizzly story ends on the autopsy table - a defining moment in medical history.

The project is being developed in collaboration with a leading pathologist at University College London and the University of Bristol Medical Humanities programme.

The show was premiered at the Bristol Festival of Puppetry in September 2015.

Additional funding has been received from the Arts Council England to take the production on tour around the UK.

The Roundtable was called ‘Temporalities / Communities / Sustainabilities: Frictions and Frissons in the making of Utopian Futures’ and was designed to stimulate discussion regarding the productive use of key concepts in their AHRC research projects. Sian was also a member of the AHRC steering group who organised the Symposium, and acted as a ‘keynote listener’ to sum up key themes and directions in the final plenary session.

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Research expertise Education and public engagement activities Training and Assessment in Primary Science The Teacher Assessment in Primary Science (TAPS) project is a three year project funded by the Primary Science Teaching Trust (PSTT).

The focus for this work is the development of an approach to teacher assessment in science to meet the requirements of the revised national curriculum in England, and to define ‘best practice’ across the UK.

a collection of materials to support planning and moderation. The project teachers and research team are creating focused assessment plans which are being trialled in their classrooms for the new National Curriculum. The children’s outcomes from these tasks (drawing, writing, utterances, etc.) are being collected to provide exemplars which can be used to support moderation discussions.

The team is working with local project schools, the Primary Science Quality Mark and the PSTT College to consider how teachers can be supported to assess science in primary schools. The aim is to develop support for a valid, reliable and manageable system of science assessment which will have a positive impact on children’s learning.

The first year of the project considered current practice and created a school selfevaluation framework in the shape of a pyramid. During its second year, TAPS is developing an online version of the pyramid tool which links to examples, and creating

Professor James Newman was awarded an Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) grant via the Sustainable Society Network to undertake research at Stanford University’s Cabrinety Collection of video games, systems and ephemera. The resultant White Paper will detail the rationale and need for game preservation and offer guidelines on strategies for collaboration between the game development sector and heritage organisations, and strategies for drawing on the expertise and resources of private collectors. James’ work will also be presented at Game City an international videogame festival to reach a wide audience of game developers.

Vice-Chair of new ethics committee Buddhist engagement with ethnic and religious minorities in Sri Lanka Dr Mahinda Deegalles, Reader in Study of Religions, Philosophies and Ethics was awarded a British Academy small grant on Buddhist Engagement with Ethnic and Religious Minorities in Contemporary Sri Lanka.

The research project aims to investigate the role of Buddhist monastics as an important religious agency both in creating conflicts and making peace in contemporary Sri Lanka. The research aims to find efficient ways of communication between the Buddhist majorities and minorities.

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Video games as educational resources

Professor Allyson MacVean has been appointed Vice-Chair of a new ethics committee in Avon and Somerset Constabulary. Modelled on NHS ethics committees, the role in a police setting is to improve service delivery to the community and partner agencies as well as to support police officers and staff. Professor MacVean will lead on academic skills and ensure robustness of the process. Professor David Prince CBE, who works on ethical standards in public life is also involved in this work. Bath Spa University and Avon and Somerset Constabulary have jointly funded a full time PhD student to evaluate the project as well as to help to develop and advance academic theories and knowledge of police ethics.

Attachment Awareness and Emotion Coaching Somerset Public Health awarded £75,000 to Dr Janet Rose and Richard Parker at the Bath Spa Institute for Education to provide emotion coaching training to teachers and other adult professionals in schools and other organisations. The training is based on the University’s Attachment Aware Schools initiative and is part of Somerset’s Children and Young People Emotional Wellbeing Programme. Training is offered in each of the five districts of Somerset and allows participants to take on leadership roles within their own organisations. Working with both professionals and young people, the training will increase understanding of emotional health and wellbeing and enable a better appreciation of when and how to refer on for help. The programme runs from January to December 2015 with a dissemination conference planned for January 2016.

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Research expertise Public engagement Two members of staff were awarded support from the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) for events as part of the ESRC Festival of the Social Sciences 2015.

Dr Louise Maythorne will co-host a forum at the Edinburgh Centre for Carbon Innovation to examine the UN Conference on Climate Change. This event, co-sponsored by the Political Studies Association will bring together academics, policy-makers, environmental NGOs and representatives of the media to debate the issues at stake and to produce press and policy briefs focussed on the negotiations in Paris.

Dr Catherine Morgan’s interactive seminar addresses knowledge exchange in University and prison partnerships. The seminar will ask how can universities and prisons forge productive partnerships for their mutual benefit – and further, what are the benefits from partnership? The event presents an opportunity for academics, professionals working in the penal system, policy-makers, ex-prisoners and third sector organisations to share their experience and expertise.

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Early Stage Researcher Conference 2015 Building on the success of last year's conference those at the early stage of their research careers came together in June to present their work, gain feedback and to be inspired. The theme of this year's conference was 'public engagement' and colleagues were delighted to hear the keynote speaker Professor Bruce Hood from Bristol University share his journey in public engagement with research from giving presentations in pubs to delivering the Royal Institution Christmas Lectures.

Research presentations, interactive workshops, an art exhibition and a crossSchool roundtable discussion on the rewards and challenges of public engagement rounded out the programme.

Training and collaboration with the NCCPE to develop public engagement skills and support Sophie Duncan, Deputy Director of the National Coordinating Centre for Public Engagement was welcomed to the University in July to deliver a day’s training and discussion in public engagement. The session helped colleagues to develop practical skills in public engagement such as identifying audiences and evaluating impact, while the discussion helped to define the Bath Spa approach to valuing and supporting public engagement.

Science and environment activities HEFCE funding to improve science facilities Funding was secured from HEFCE for Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) capital funding to enhance science facilities at Newton Park campus. The bid for £160,000, matched by the University, was led by Professor Paul Davies in conjunction with Neil Latham, Chief Operating Officer; the Department of Science and the Estates Department.

The funding will ensure state-of-the art equipment in the new low hazard lab in Stanton and enable reconfiguration of the laboratories in Wellow to improve the teaching environment. The improvements will help meet an increasing demand for high quality science courses.

This funding adds to substantial investment, already seen through the Commons development, in the learning environment provided by Bath Spa.

Science and music research collaboration – Set Ensemble A unique event was held in Bristol in May to showcase the outcome of two very distinctive, collaborative research projects which merged science with music. Set Ensemble included musical performances based on the scientific research, prefaced by a short talk explaining the science that inspired it.

The first of two collaborations involved Professor James Saunders, Head of the Centre for Musical Research at Bath Spa working with chemical engineers Mirella Di Lorenzo and Jon Chouler from the University of Bath to explore the processes found in microbial fuel cells.

In the second collaboration, Dominic Lash, writer and performer of composed music collaborated with biogeochemist Kate Hendry from the University of Bristol to make a piece that engages with palaeoclimate methodology, which uses indirect chemical records to understand the links between past oceans and climate.

Investigating VRT technology the project understands the manner in which people with autism are able to use this technology in a meaningful way and enable people who find communication already difficult, to communicate more effectively. Nigel has over 10-years’ experience working in higher education and in 2012 completed his PhD in Assistive Technology with a focus on autism.

The role of technology to support those with autism Dr Nigel Newbutt, Course Leader in Creative Digital Media was awarded an EPSRC grant for research into the role of technology to support those with autism. In particular the research is considering the role of Virtual Reality Technology (VRT) in supporting the development and acquisition of social skills for people with an autism spectrum disorder.

Racialised Medicine Andrew Smart, Reader in Sociology successfully bid for Wellcome Trust funding for a collaborative project with the NHS on Racialised Medicine. The project focusses on how health practitioners address recommendations to tailor drug prescriptions based on a patient's race/ethnicity. There is currently a lack of research on the interpretation and use of racially-differentiated prescribing guidance and this project aims to examine the origins and development of such guidance and to identify anticipated issues relating to its implementation.

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Working in the region

Three Dimensional Design student designs element for Carfax Hotel

Regional enterprise partnerships The University continues to work in partnership with a number of enterprises across the region.

CreativeBath is an organisation that brings together creative people and industries in and around Bath. The main aim is to raise the profile and help the growth of Bath’s creative sector by creating a forum for networking and knowledge exchange. The University’s involvement with the organisation gives creative professionals in Bath access to the creative talents of both staff and students. In return Bath Spa students have opportunities to work with CreativeBath members on group projects and through the CreativeBath intern scheme.

The Guild Co-working Hub in Bath offers a mixture of creative work space and meeting rooms specifically designed for those working in either the tech or creative industries. The University was one of the founding partners to invest in The Guild and has been making good use of this unique resource for a number of years holding various workshops, management meetings and networking events there on a regular basis.

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The Engine Shed in Bristol is an activity hub where entrepreneurs, business leaders, academics and students can collaborate.

It aims to showcase the strengths and innovations of both Bristol and Bath in an informative and collaborative way.

The University was one of the founding members of the Business Lounge at the Engine Shed and works closely with other partners to offer collaboration and networking opportunities for staff as well and mentoring by entrepreneurs and business leaders for students.

Students were given the opportunity to enter a competition to design a particular aspect of the former Carfax Hotel on Great Pulteney Street. Students on the Three Dimensional Design course (Idea Material Object) were shown the design plans for the hotel by Bath-based design agency, MoreySmith, and were challenged to design an element for the reception area of the hotel such as a desk, key fobs, reception bell, lighting, seating elements and umbrella stands.

Francesca Rossi was named the winner at a ceremony at Sion Hill campus in November and awarded a £500 grant to create her design, Magnetile, a magnetic key fob and installation. The students’ design proposals were judged by MoreySmith founder, Linda Morey Smith and design associate, Lesley Kelly, the hotel property developer, GECO Properties UK Ltd and Kate Authers, Editor of Bath Life.

MoreySmith, which celebrates its 21st anniversary this year, launched the award in 2013 in an effort to support the industry’s future talent. Last year, students were asked to design a clothing rail and display solution for major online fashion retailer, ASOS.

Sirona ‘Stop Smoking’ campaign

Winning student Francesca Rossi, said: “I have thoroughly enjoyed this live project and am elated to have won. We have all worked so hard, it’s inspiring that MoreySmith and IMO have combined to create this award - giving students unique opportunities and a better understanding of industry.”

Students from a number of courses at the University worked together on the advert, sharing their different expertise and utilising their specialist knowledge from their degree courses. The advert was project managed by a Business and Management student, Psychology students conducted research into the effectiveness of current smoking cessation campaigns whilst Creative Media Practice and Drama students produced and voiced the advert respectively.

Three Dimensional Design Course Leader, Shai Akram commented: “Working on external briefs gives our students an invaluable taste of professional experience.

We help them address the delicate balance of answering a client’s needs while maintaining their own voice as creative thinkers of the future.”

Bath Spa students teamed up with pantomime star Jon Monie to create a radio advert promoting the Sirona ‘Stop Smoking Service’ in and around the Bath area.

The advert tells the fictional story of a father who is a smoker. He is heard attending different milestones of his children’s lives, whilst coughing repeatedly. The advert then suggests his absence from his daughter’s wedding is due to his passing away from a smoking related illness.

Previous ITV Westcountry presenter and current Cinderella pantomime star Jon Monie provided a familiar voice to the advert taking the lead role, which was recorded in the University’s new recording studios inside the £35 million academic building ‘Commons’.

Richard Merrett, Health Development Manager for Sirona, added: “This has been an incredible partnership between Sirona care & health and Bath Spa University.

The project has brought together a number of departments within the University to produce a very professional piece of work which I am very proud to be associated with.

I look forward to future collaborations between our organisations in 2015.”

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Working in the region Gainsborough Hotel commission Three students were commissioned to produce a selection of artworks for the new five star Gainsborough Hotel in Bath.

Stefanie Clark (BA Fine Art), Agnese Matteini (MA Fine Art) and April George (BA Creative Arts) were selected to produce artwork for the hotel’s restaurant, private dining room and reception room respectively.

The hotel, which is owned by YTL Hotels, commissioned New York-based

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Champalimaud Designs as their interior designer. Following a meeting between the University and Anthony Champalimaud, a competition was agreed to give Bath Spa students the chance to create artwork for the hotel.

The initial proposal included only one commission for the wall of the hotel’s restaurant and five students were shortlisted to present their work to a ten person panel of the hotel’s stakeholders.

The panel was so impressed with the professionalism and quality of the

students’ work, they decided to commission three students to produce three works of art.

Daniel Allen, Head of Art and International Activities at the Bath School of Art and Design, said: “We are delighted and very proud of Stephanie, Agnese and April in their commissions. These competition winners are evidence of the standard of work being produced alongside the professional attitude of so many of our students at the Bath School of Art and Design.”

Bath Rugby artwork commission First year BA Fine Art student and avid rugby fan, Matthew Withey was commissioned by Bath Rugby to produce ten full-scale portraits of players to mark their 150th anniversary.

Matthew is a keen rugby player himself, so when the team approached the University to find an artist he jumped at the chance to tackle the commission. The impressive paintings are situated in SouthGate shopping centre’s carpark and were unveiled at an event attended by Bath Rugby player Leroy Houston.

Matthew created the ten portraits using bold colours in acrylic paints, and designed the paintings to look clean and simple up-close, and lifelike from a distance. Coming from a rugby background, Matthew’s father Steve Withey, and his uncle Kevin Withey, are wellknown for rugby in Bath, and being a devoted fan helped him when it came to painting the individual facial features of the players. He also used photographs of the team in action on the rugby pitch to help him complete the portraits. The artwork took him five months to create, with the largest portrait measuring two metres by two metres.

Matthew said: “As a boy I aspired to play for Bath Rugby following in my uncle and father’s footsteps, so I am very proud to be involved with the club through my artwork.

It’s an amazing feeling knowing that my paintings will be seen by so many people visiting SouthGate.

Professor Anita Taylor, Dean of Bath School of Art and Design commented: “We are thrilled to have been able to work with Bath Rugby Club on this major commission to mark their 150th anniversary.

“As two of Bath’s longstanding and prestigious institutions, founded in 1854 and 1865 respectively, this was a fitting partnership; and through this we have had the delight of connecting an emerging artist’s passion with a significant commissioner and to see that come to fruition in such a public and engaging way.”

“My ambition is to be an art teacher and the Fine Art course at Bath Spa has given me the confidence to make this a reality, and of course I’d love to do a bit of rugby coaching on the side!”

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Working in the region Mbira As part of the University’s 2014/15 Widening Participation Outreach Programme with local schools and colleges, Widening Participation Outreach Officer Stephanie Hoddinott worked with Professor of Music Amanda Bayley and the world-renowned Zimbabwean mbira player, Chartwell Dutiro, to engage young people in Bath with the arts through a unique cross-cultural music and dance project funded by Arts Council England.

Workshops led by Chartwell were run at St Mark’s School, Bath and Bath College for over 60 young people in March 2015. Through activities and performance by the Marenje Ensemble, comprising of Chartwell, Denise Rowe (dance/mbira) and the string quartet from Exeter Contemporary Sounds and Bath Spa University’s PGCE music students, the interactive workshops explored cross-cultural exchanges through music and dance by combining the ideas and sounds of mbira music from the Shona tradition of Zimbabwe with those of a classically-trained string quartet.

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Community Groups Engagement with local community groups is a feature of the University’s Widening Participation Outreach Programme. In 2014/15 Widening Participation Outreach Officer Claire Edwards and Outreach Assistant Kit Harrison delivered a number of aspiration-raising, careers, progression to higher education and CV-writing workshops for local community-based groups including young carers in Bath and throughout Wiltshire, young mothers in Hampshire and young people in the Bath Black Families Education Support Group Voice Minority Supplementary School.

The Widening Participation Office supports adult learners through working with a number of community-based organisations, for example Somerset Skills and Learning who provide the Access to Higher Education Diploma programmes that are run in community settings throughout Somerset.

In 2014/15 Dr Sally Griffin, the Widening Participation and Access Manager, was part of the panel that carried out the Somerset Skills and Learning Centre Review for AptEd, the QAA-licenced Access Validation Agency in the South West.

Through the Widening Participation Office, the University is also involved in a number of strategic networks that offer support for community-based groups such as the South West Young People in Care/Care-Leavers Practitioner Network and the national Service Children Support Network.

GCSE Tutoring The Widening Participation Offices from Bath Spa University and the University of Bath continued to work collaboratively with a number of schools, further education and sixth form colleges in the region to raise aspirations and levels of attainment among under-represented groups and support their progression to Higher Education. The GCSE Tutoring Scheme, which has been running since 2013, is a key initiative in this collaboration that provides targeted learner-centred support for up to 20 weeks in the academic year.

The Scheme is delivered by trained Student Tutors and the support sessions are aimed specifically at learners from groups who are currently under-represented in higher education in schools in Bath and North East Somerset. Student Tutors are carefully selected, trained and matched with young people in the schools based on their subject expertise and suitability as a positive role model. In 2014/15 Bath Spa University provided GCSE tutoring in English, history and geography in seven schools, while the University of Bath provided GCSE Tutoring in mathematics, science and modern foreign languages.

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Environment Award winning Commons In January Commons was named one of the winners for the Bath & North East Somerset Council, Building Control Awards for Building and Design Quality 2014. The awards are run annually to promote and reward builders and designers undertaking work within the Bath & North East Somerset area who excel in their achievements.

Council Executive Member, Cllr Tim Ball said: “This is the fifteenth year we have run the awards and the judges have once again been impressed with the high quality of the entries. It is excellent that the Council’s Building Control Section can use this scheme to promote high quality in building construction and design in our area when

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all too often we only hear about the poor quality side of the industry.

“The Building Control section received over 1,100 building regulation applications last year so the winners have done very well to succeed against all the potential competition.”

Professor Christina Slade said: “I am delighted that Commons has won this award. The Commons building is a significant part of a long-term investment in the student experience at Bath Spa. The high quality facilities provided by Commons help to ensure our graduates are well prepared to meet the needs of the growing creative industries as they go on to work across the creative economy, both in the UK and abroad.”

Commons was also short shortlisted for ‘Project of the Year (between £10m £50m)’ at the Construction News Awards 2015.

The Construction News Awards are run annually to promote and reward outstanding projects within the construction industry. They are considered the industry’s biggest award event and the ‘one to win’. The judging panel for this year’s entries consisted of 55 industry experts and the shortlisted entries faced a rigorous interview in front of a prestigious judging panel, consisting of senior figures from 20 major clients.

Gold at Fairtrade Business awards

First Class for sustainability and environmental stewardship The University was recognised as first class in the annual People and Plant University League Table 2015 and was ranked 28 out of 151 UK universities. Each institution is awarded a first class degree, 2:1, 2:2, third, or fail – according to 13 criteria including: environmental policy, audit and human resources, and their performance in areas such as carbon reduction, waste and water recycling, student engagement, curriculum for sustainable development, energy efficiency, sustainable food and workers’ rights.

Bath Spa achieved an overall score of 61.1 per cent and scored particularly well in a number of the criteria including; Environmental auditing (100 per cent), Key impacts (100 per cent), Carbon reduction (90 per cent) and Environmental staff (75 per cent).

The People and Planet University League is compiled annually by the UK’s largest student campaigning network, People and Planet.

At the South West Fairtrade Business Awards in March, Bath Spa won the Gold Award for Best Fairtrade University. Other winners of the Gold award included City College Plymouth, Falmouth and Exeter Plus and the University of the West of England. The University of Bristol was awarded the overall prize for the category.

Bath Spa was recognised for the range of Fairtrade products available to the staff and students within the University. This includes the food and drink on sale in the Students’ Union shop and café-bar, as well as the products served in the Refectory and other catering outlets. The award also pays close attention to the amount of Fairtrade products available in the vending machines and the amount of training given to catering staff on the benefits of Fairtrade.

Sustainability Coordinator Sara Cundy commented: “We are so pleased to win this Gold Award for our Fairtrade offering. This confirms our commitment to supporting and using Fairtrade products, and continues the excellent work done across the University which recently saw us receive the Silver Food for Life Catering Mark from the Soil Association.”

Sustainability Manager Dr Julian Greaves said: “We take sustainability and environmental stewardship seriously and are delighted to see that our efforts have been recognised once again in this year's People and Planet Green League, with another First-Class place. While much of the good work we have been doing over the last couple of years is not recognised in the Green League score card, it is nonetheless a welcome recognition of all our efforts.”

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HR update Developing our people We have continued with our work on developing the University ‘Leadership Community’. We held two events this year, one that concentrated on how we could learn from each other in implementing the University strategy and the other on how we could improve our focus on performance management.

Staff facts and figures The University continues to be a significant contributor to the local economy as a large local employer with just under a 1,000 staff including both academic and professional services staff.

We are popular as an employer of choice and received nearly 3,400 applications in 2014-15, for 226 job vacancies.

The results of the most recent staff survey showed high engagement levels for example: • 94 per cent of our staff say they are interested in the University and to them it is not just a job.

• 89 per cent say the University is a good place to work.

• 85 per cent are proud to work for the University.

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Our staff enjoy many opportunities to learn and develop including workshops on academic development, IT skills and personal and management skills, as well as support for job-related professional qualifications.

A new development this year was the creation of a ‘Developing Leaders Programme’. Following an application process 21 members of staff were selected to take part in this programme which brought together staff from across the University and developed their understanding of financial awareness, strategic planning and change management. We used Action Learning Sets to maximise the opportunity to learn from each other and feedback about the programme has been hugely positive.

predominately males within senior roles and has more females in lower graded roles.

This information was discussed within the University and published on our website.

Work continues to increase the proportion of females in senior roles.

Wellbeing We continued with our overall driver to improve staff wellbeing, events this year included a Mental Health Awareness week which offered staff an introduction to Mindfulness and Tai Chi. We also offer flu vaccinations, the opportunity to book massages or pilates and we also promoted ‘Dry January’ and ‘Movember’. This is in addition to the ongoing provision of free counselling and advice that is available through our Employee Assistance Programme.

We promoted all of the various benefits provided to staff through a staff benefits day which received excellent attendance and feedback.

Our reporting on wellbeing in addition to the range of activities includes analysis of both labour turnover and staff absence at the University. Both benchmarks remain fairly static and usually below most comparators.

Equality and diversity Staff Survey We also completed and published our third Equal Pay Review this year. As part of this review we worked with trade unions and equality representatives to review a large amount of data and look at the reasons for any variances. This showed a reduction in the percentage of males being paid more than females across the University and the overall pay gap has decreased from 16.08 per cent to 15.68 per cent which compares favourably against the HEI ASHE benchmark data of 19.4 per cent. The reason why overall men are paid more than females is the current gender distribution of the University, which is

We received the results of our Staff Survey in January 2015 and commenced a number of focus groups and meetings to cascade the results of the survey and seek the views of staff about possible actions. In the summer this information was also shared with our Board of Governors who were keen to see the views of our staff and how we were responding. We plan to continue with the actions identified reminding staff how the actions are related to the results of the survey.

Facts and Figures Turnover (Year ending July 2014) -

ÂŁ57,000,000

Undergraduate applications to Bath Spa University (to July 2015)

14,274

Undergraduate applications: Places ratio

5.7:1

Total student number

7368

Mode of attendance Full-time Part-time

6312 1056

85.7% 14.3%

Level of study Undergraduate students Postgraduate students

5313 2055

72.1% 27.9%

Age on entry Under 25 years 25 years or above

5513 1855

74.8% 25.2%

Gender Female Male

5045 2323

68.5% 31.5%

School breakdown Bath School of Art and Design Education Humanities and Cultural Industries Music and Performing Arts Society, Enterprise and Environment

983 1942 1547 1256 1604

13.3% 26.4% 21.0% 17.0% 21.8%

Location of study Newton Park/Corsham Court Sion Hill/Circus Partner Institutions

6034 810 524

81.9% 11.0% 7.1%

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Governors and senior staff Governors

Senior Staff

Jane Henderson (Chair)

Vice-Chancellor Professor Christina Slade BA PhD DipEd FRSA

Director of Computing (until May 2015) Dave Hassall BSc

Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Provost Professor Neil Sammells BA PhD

Director of International Relations Jeremy White BA MA

Director of Student Services and Registrar Christopher Ellicott BA MA (Oxon)

Director of Library Services Alison Baud MA DipLib MCLIP

Chief Operating Officer Neil Latham CBE MSc CEng FIMech E

Director of the Vice-Chancellor’s Office Rob Armstrong-Haworth BA MA

Professor Christina Slade (Vice-Chancellor) Professor Robin Alexander Will Archer Paul Bird Nina Campbell Professor Paul Davies Christopher Ellicott (Clerk) Teresa Fisk Martin Francis Bruce Galliver Rosemary Heald Lady Theresa Lloyd Professor Philip Martin

Director of Human Resources Arlene Stone FCIPD Vice-Provost Learning and Teaching Quality Professor Paul Davies BSc PhD Vice-Provost Research and Graduate Affairs Professor Tim Middleton BA MA PGCE PhD (until August 2015)

Revd Prebendary Edward Mason Shaun McGall

Professor John Strachan BA MPhil DPhil (from August 2015)

Trevor Osborne Philip Parker

Dean of Bath School of Art and Design Professor Anita Taylor BA MA

David Pester Dean of Institute for Education Kate Reynolds BA MA PhD Dean of School of Humanities and Cultural Industries Professor Steve May BA PhD PGCE Dean of School of Music and Performing Arts Professor Joe Bennett BA NFT FHEA (until June 2015) Dean of School of Society, Enterprise and Environment Professor Robert Mears BSc MSc PhD PGCE

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Head of Development and Campaigns Marnie Whiting BA ACIM Head of Enterprise and Employability David Jarman BA MA FRSA Head of Estates Richard Jordan MCIOB Head of Finance Kevin Wright FCA Head of Learning and Teaching Professor Paul Hyland BA PhD PGCE NTF Head of Marketing and Communications Tessa Griffiths BA DipM Head of Planning Support Jon Sebright BA Head of Strategy (until April 2015) Diana Newport-Peace BA DEA PhD University Solicitor Tristan Foot LLB

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