Ambleside Newsletter - November 2023

AMBLESIDE CAMPUS

NEWSLETTER

Issue 002

November 2023

cumbria.ac.uk/Ambleside

this ISSUE A Welcome from the Campus Manager

3

Student Network Coordinator Update

4

Extra, Extra...Read All About It!

5

Coming up soon—Christmas Fair

6

Students for Biodiversity

7

Student Services—Student Enquiry Point

8

Feedback on Catering: Cumbria Social

10

Campus Blackboard Site Information

11

How Will You Use Your Campus Bar?

12

Upcoming Bar Events

13

Welcome to Tim Clarke

14

Are You Missing Out: Bus Travel Scheme

16

Congratulations to Our Soon to be Graduates

17

Get to Know The Gateway Managers

18 - 19

A welcome from The Campus Manager It’s been great welcoming both our new first year and returning students to the start of this academic year. It’s always good to see the campus bustling with life from September onwards. A big thank you to all our staff at Ambleside who helped to make welcome week a successful, welcoming event, enabling everything to go as smoothly as possible.

Autumn seemed a long time coming, but there is no doubt that the season has changed now, and as the nights roll-in much earlier, we are planning a variety of events and promotion of support services to see us through those longer, darker days. In this newsletter, there is a wealth of information on events and support, articles about new colleagues, and you’ll get to know our Gateway Managers who lead the teams you are likely to have regular interactions with you to support your learning journey with us.

However, let’s not forget that university is also about a life experience, so why not make the most of your time while you are here with us – join a society or start one if the one you want doesn’t exist, the Students’ Union will help you. Consider the volunteering opportunity to get out in the fresh air and help us deliver our Students for Biodiversity management plan and our attempt to get a Green Flag Award!

Plans are well underway for this year’s Christmas decorations on campus in addition to our Christmas Fair and free Lunch on the 6th December (more details on page 6). The Ambleside Community Christmas Light Switch-on is Saturday 18th November. This is a great festive event and I recommend it to anyone who hasn’t attended before—be sure to go along and enjoy the free fireworks in Rothay Park too! However, if you are resident in Ambleside, please be aware that the roads get extremely busy and they are closed between 4.30pm – 5pm for a procession from town to Rothay Park. Further details available on their website: www.amblesidechristmaslights.com.

We’re also entering bad weather season and we will be sure to keep you up to date on any weather or flood warnings. These will be sent across all our campus communication platforms (Instagram, Blackboard, Email and WhatsApp for staff) and are solely to alert you, not to cause panic or alarm. If there is any severe impact to the campus due to bad weather, then know that our experienced teams of staff on campus will support and guide you through any action that may need to be taken.

By the time you are reading this, we will have just celebrated Halloween—I hope you had a happy and fun packed one. For our Pagan community on campus Blessed Samhain to you and to our Christian community, a blessed All Souls Day. To our Hindu community a very Happy Diwali. May this season of Autumn flow gently into Winter; allow yourself to find time to rest and marvel at the dark, clear, starry skies. Embrace the longer nights as time to share good quality time with friends and family, keeping snug and warm. Plan and dream for the Spring that is to come.

Rob Wilson Ambleside Campus Manager

Student Network Coordinators Update Did anyone see those six weeks that have just flown past?

We think we must have blinked and they went!

The six week mark into the new academic year is a substantial one – we move towards the darker nights, assignments begin to gather, you’ve given the vast majority of your student loan to the Tavern and the reality that you are going to have to eat something other than a sandwich or pot noodle comes to light. It is, however, important to remember that this is completely normal – we’ve

students together in one place! On the note of events, we’ve got something else for you to look forward to! We are currently in the process of planning our Ambleside Campus Christmas Fair.

For those of you in years 2 and 3, you will remember this event from the last academic year and sincerely hope you are able to join us for a few hours of fun on 6th December 2023 from 12:00 until 14:00 in the Barn.

both been through it very recently and we’re here to support you.

So, we hope you are able to have some cosy and

As a timely reminder, we have a team of people to help support you during your life at University.

There is a wealth of information on the MyCumbria webpages in addition to the support available through the Student Enquiry Point. We thought it was important at this point to remind you about the money advice service in our Student Support Department. They are a dedicated team to help you with all things money and they can be contacted via the Student Enquiry Point (both in person and online). On the week beginning 6th November 2023, our Money Advice and Student Support Managers will be supporting our campus roaming campaign with a chance to win two shopping baskets full of groceries! Come to the Barn on Monday 6th November or Tuesday 7th November to guess the price of the branded and non-branded shopping basket. The Student who gets closest to the price different will win ALL THE SHOPPING! We sincerely hope that those of you who came to the Halloween Party in the Rugby Club enjoyed your evening, it was so lovely to see so many

Abby Clarke and Max Young 4 Student Network Coordinators

fun evenings as we enter the winter months and please don’t forget about the services that are always here to support you. Having said that, you may just need an additional event on campus in the evening. Should this be the case, please do reach out via email (ambstudentconnect@cumbria.ac.uk), via Student Connect Instagram Message or stop us on campus for a chat! If you have any generic questions, please either ask us on campus or visit the Student Enquiry Point in person (or online if you prefer).

Extra, Extra….

Read all about it!

Job opportunity with excellent benefits Are you looking to join a friendly professional cleaning team with excellent benefits? Scan the QR code or email susan.graham@cumbria.ac.uk for more information.

Join Ambleside Student Connect This is how we communicate events and activity in the local community and on campus.

Instagram search: @amblesidestudentconnect

A reminder from the Students’ Union We offer a free, confidential and independent advice service on all academic regulations to registered University of Cumbria students, irrespective of where or what they study. Search ucsu.me/support

Join Our Student Panel Applications to the Student Panel have been extended and we are still open for student applications. Please follow the link below to sign up. forms.office.com/e/39ESyipAie

Coming up soon Christmas Fair From 12:00 noon until 14:00 on Wednesday 6 of December, we would like to invite all students to the Ambleside Campus Christmas Fair.

Come along for a free festive lunch with mulled wine, mince pies, live festive music and a variety of student-led stalls.

Vouchers will be available from Wednesday 29th November in The Barn when we will switch on the campus christmas lights

Students for Biodiversity We are now looking for some more students to volunteer in helping the practical development of the Biodiversity Plan across our campus.

From planting a seed to writing an interpretation board – there’s something for everyone to get in to!

If you are interested, register your interest by emailing ambstudentconnect@cumbria.ac.uk.

SfB Background In 2022, a group of students, wanting to make a difference to wildlife on campus, came together to create a plan.

This involved a management plan being assembled to show to campus management for approval of activities on campus that would benefit wildlife. These activities involved creating awareness of wildlife on campus through practical conservation work - helping to improve our green spaces for the benefit of nature.

As well as working on improvements now, this project aims to set a president for the future management of the university campus and inspire others to take action! So far, we have undertaken much of the practical work listed in this plan with help from the Environmental Protection & Appreciation Society (EPA).

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Student Services Student Enquiry Point All Student Support Services for Students can be access through the Online Student Enquiry Point. Student Support Services available are outlined below:

Chaplaincy for Faith & Spiritual Wellbeing Available to all, irrespective of faith or none.

Careers & Employability Career plans; finding and applying for jobs and courses; developing career skills.

Counseling & Wellbeing

Counselling appointments, self-help materials.

Digital Skills

Blackboard, Collaborate, Turnitin, Office 365, LinkedIn Learning, Cybersecurity and more.

Disability & Specific Learning Difficulties

Support for students with SpLDs, autism, physical, sensory or mental health etc.

International Student Support Non UK students, visa queries, academic English support.

Library

Including Cumbria card, study space, opening hours, printing

Money Matters Student funding, support funds, budgeting, bursaries and scholarships.

Safeguarding Reporting any person at risk, or potential risk, of harm; student death or serious accident.

Skills@Cumbria

Searching, Referencing, Assignments, Study Skills, Head Start.

Sports and fitness Facilities Sports centres, sports pitches and classes.

Taking a break / Withdrawing / Changing your course Let us know if you are thinking of leaving, taking a break or changing your course.

University Student Accommodation Halls of Residence.

Scan:

Search: Step.cumbria.ac.uk

Visit: The desk in the barn

Feedback on catering: From Cumbria Social Do you want to have a say on what food and drink is offered on your campus? We are listening, and we really want to hear what you have to say.

We would love to invite you to complete a quick survey, which will help us understand what our staff and students are looking for, when it comes to catering.

This is your chance to have your voice heard and have a real impact on what we do in the future.

You can complete the survey by scanning the QR Code Below.

We will also be looking for volunteers for our focus groups, to be held next month. To let us know you are interested, drop us an email. If you are selected, you will be rewarded with £20 credit to spend on food and drink on campus! * *£20 credit will be applied to your eWallet on our Uni Food Hub app.

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Information available: the campus blackboard There are several tabs that are available to students in Ambleside with a variety of information. At this stage, we are still populating the tabs content however, an oversight of content and purpose

ANNOUNCEMENTS

The announcements tab on the Campus Site allows us to send an email message to all students, with that message being stored on the site for you until we delete it. We generally use this for weather and flooding warnings.

CAMPUS & STUDENT INFORMATION HUB

There is an ever-increasing wealth of information available to Ambleside Students on this tab. This includes links that are available on the central hub (for example timetables, You Report, We Support, StEP, TogetherAll, Estates and IT information and UCSU Information.

CAMPUS TEAM

Use this tab to get to know your Ambleside Campus Team. With colleagues form across the Campus Leaders Team, Estates, Professional Services and Student Services. We are forever ensuring this page stays up to date to ensure you know the best people to contact in different scenarios.

CAMPUS EVENTS

There is a wealth of information for you on our Campus Events Page.

There is a Student Event Calendar, Information about our upcoming big ticket events (Christmas, Spring and GNAR), in addition to information and links to the Ambleside Campus Event Toolkit.

STUDENT FEEDBACK MECHANISM

We have provided you with as much information as we can about Student Feedback Mechanisms available to you on the Ambleside Campus. These include, but are not limited to, the Student Panel, Campus Forums, National Student Survey, Staff/Student Forums and Module Evaluation Forms.

CAREER AND JOB OPPORTUNITIES

We are in the process of developing a page with colleagues in our careers office that provides you with information about jobs in the local community as well as opportunities for you after your degree.

how will you use your campus bar?

Did you know that the purpose of the Student Bar goes bar beyond the conventional student nights?

We encourage students to use this as a student social space through the day.

The opening hours are: Monday to Sunday 9:00—22:00 Bare in mind events may be taking place during these hours however, if the space is free, use at your leisure!

For any questions or queries surrounding this space, please contact ambstudentconnect@cumbria.ac.uk.

Upcoming Bar Events 8th November - 70s/80s night.

Come along for some 70s/80s music and dress accordingly!

15th November - Drum and Bass Night 22nd November - 2000s Pop Bingo!

6th December

Christmas Theme to continue from Christmas Fair

13th December - End of Semester Theme TBC

*For the latest updates, please see @UOC_Bar_Committee on Instagram*

welcome to tim clarke I have recently been appointed a Professor of Practice in the Institute of Science and Environment. I live in Patterdale (Grisedale Valley) and am a bit old – 71, but young in spirit.

I studied Zoology at Oxford University. At this time, my heroes were Rachel Carsen (Silent Spring), Errnst Schumacher (Small is beautiful –a study of economics as if people mattered) and Nelson Mandela. Like many young people, I wanted to be an explorer like David Livingstone and Thor Heyerdahl.

My Zoology tutor, still healthy at 92, has been a key inspirational figure in keeping this dream alive.

At the end of my first year as an undergraduate in July 1972, I organised and led the Oxford Expedition to Mount Kenya. Here, I and three other students lived for 10 weeks in a forest hut on the mountain, studying the ecology of small mammals. It was a life-changing experience – one of the students later became my wife and we fell in love with Africa. 50 years on in July 2022, we re-traced our steps in a trip down memory lane. I have been privileged to visit 45 African countries and climb Mount Kilimanjaro three times.

My three key interests at University were the Environment, Europe and Africa. Somehow, I had to choose a career path that ticked all three boxes. I succeeded.

My first real job was as the Wildlife Campaigner for Friends of the Earth, running their Save the Whale, Endangered Species and Habitat campaigns (1978-1980). I’m glad to say the campaigning DNA is still flowing strongly in my blood.

I joined the European Commission in 1980 and became their Fisheries adviser responsible for managing 80 fisheries and aquaculture projects globally. I initially intended to stay with the EC for 2 years; I loved the multi-cultural life, the significant daily responsibilities and fantastic job opportunities. I retired thirty-three years later in October 2013 having held 17 roles! In one of these roles, I produced Manuals on Environmental Impact Analysis, Good Governance, Conflict Resolution, and Election Observation. These guidelines were applied in all the EU Development Co-operation programmes worldwide (at that time worth € 22 Billion/year).

I rose through the managerial ranks dealing with the Environment, NGOs, Civil society, Good Governance, Decentralised co-operation and Human rights.

From 2004-2007 I was appointed EU Ambassador to the African Union and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) based in the Horn of Africa (Ethiopia and Djibouti). Then from 2007-2011 I was the EU Ambassador to Tanzania and the East African Community, when I was able to initiate a number of innovative programmes on cultural co-operation, eco-villages, and climate change.

After ‘retiring’ I moved into ‘give back’ mode and have undertaken pro bono work for NGOs and Universities, supporting work on a wide range of topics. Another of my pet ideas was the creation of the first African Aca-demic and Research Network for Regional Integration (EACANRI) which came to fruition in July 2023 in Kigali, Rwanda.

My current major priority is to develop, with a range of African universities and institutions, a free and pioneering MOOC on Climate Change and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We hope to roll it out in 8 African universities in mid 2024 with the long-term vision that it will be taught to every single African undergraduate in over 400 universities.

In addition, I am currently a Trustee and former Chair of ‘Friends of the Ullswater Way’ (www.ullswaterheritage.org) with responsibility of organising their Talks programme. Our focus is on raising awareness of our heritage in the Ullswater valley, our communities, nature, and the shaping of the landscape.

I’m also a Trustee of GAIA Education (https://www.gaiaeducation.org) that specialises on a holistic vision for education, and a Senior Adviser for KMG Ethiopia. I’m a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society (FRGS).

As professor of practice, my Dream is to help the University of Cumbria Vice Chancellor - Professor Julie Mennell, staff and students to mobilise their energies and talents to make the University, and notably the Ambleside Campus, a recognised pioneer and innovator on addressing Sustainability issues. It needs “Vision, Focus and Action”, to quote from Professor Oyewole, the Secretary General of the Association of African Universities who I recently spoke to at an International Forum on Higher Education and the Climate Crisis in London.

Tim Clarke Professor of Practice - Institute of Science and Environment

ARE YOU MISSING OUT? BUS TRAVEL SCHEME With return travel from as little as £1.73 per day for an annual pass, or up to £1.94 per day for a termly pass* Save on Student Travel with The University of Cumbria/Stagecoach Bus Scheme.

Go further, ride smarter and save more with our exclusive annual or termly bus pass. Unlimited travel anywhere across the North West and throughout the Lakes on a scheduled Stagecoach bus service* between 1st Sept to 17th Dec 23, and 7th Jan to 7th July 24. www.cumbria.ac.uk/support-package

*Ts & Cs and travel dates apply. Scan for details.

CONGRATuLATIONS TO OUR SOON TO BE GRADUATES We would like to put on record our congratulations from across our Ambleside Campus Community to those students who are graduating in the Winter Ceremonies in November 2023.

Students from two of the post-graduate courses we offer in Ambleside, both the MA Outdoor Experiential Learning and MA Literature, are set to graduate during the week beginning 20th November 2023. Members of our Campus Team will be there to cheer you down the Cathedral!

On behalf of the Ambleside Campus Community, we wish you the very best of luck beyond your life here at the University of Cumbria.

Do, however, be sure to stay in touch! You are now part of our Alumni Association, a community of over 70,000 graduates worldwide Search www.cumbria.ac.uk/alumni or scan the QR Code for more information.

GET TO KNOW THE GATEWAY MANAGERS

Marie Wright Gateway Manager Barn Office 2

Glenys Taylor Gateway Manager Barn Office 2

cumbria.ac.uk/Ambleside