Celebrating Staff Success 2015

FEATURED AWARDS Associate Professorial Appointments Teaching Excellence Fellowships HEA Fellowships Excellence in Innovation and Enterprise Award Excellence in Research Award Excellence in Employability Award Excellence in Learning and Teaching Award Excellence in University Community Commitment Award Excellence in Partnership Award Inspirational Leader Award Rising Star Award 25 Years Contribution to the University Awards Qualification Successes The Excellence Award Cross University Excellence Award The Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Outstanding Contribution

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A warm welcome from Vice-Chancellor, Professor Michael Gunn

I welcome you all to this, the University’s eighth Celebrating Staff Success – an event dedicated to recognising and celebrating the achievements and contributions made by our exceptional staff.

Last year, we celebrated our centenary year and the role of staff in the successful evolution of the University. That evolution is continuing apace with the ambitious campus transformation programme which effectively makes Stoke-on-Trent our main city campus, supported by Centres of Excellence at Stafford, Shrewsbury and Lichfield – work to be completed by 2016.

Providing the best possible student experience remains our top priority but it is our staff that are driving us to succeed. It is crucially important that the University recognises the excellent work of individuals and teams as we enter a new phase in the University’s development. Taking into account the changing HE landscape, it is also necessary to understand the role that research and business have to play in the success of universities and it is noteworthy that the University has returned improved results in the Research Excellence Framework and has recently worked on defining its business offer which are all moves towards a positive future. We recognise that our staff are the key to making positive change happen.

Having recently announced my retirement, I take this as an opportunity to offer my heartfelt thanks all for your hard work and dedication and for having made Staffordshire University such an inspirational environment in which to work. Long may it continue and I wish you all happiness, challenge and fulfilment in all that you do.

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Programme Wednesday 7 October 2015 3.00pm

Arrival, Registration and Afternoon Tea Reception

The Kings Hall, Stoke Town Hall, Stoke-on-Trent

4.00pm Introduction

Nina Nannar, University Honorary Doctor

4.05pm Welcome

Professor Michael Gunn, Vice-Chancellor

4.10pm

Presentation of Awards – Part One

Presented by Professor Michael Gunn, Vice-Chancellor

Associate Professorial Conferments Teaching Excellence Fellowships

Presented by Rosy Crehan, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic)

Presented by Rosy Crehan, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic)

Presented by Sara Williams, University Governor, Chief Executive of Staffordshire Chambers

Presented by Professor Allan Howells, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research, Enterprise and External)

HEA Fellowships Excellence in Innovation and Enterprise Award

Excellence in Research Award

Excellence in Employability Award Presented by Mike Herbert, Vice-Chair of University Board of Governors and Regional Director, St Modwen

Excellence in Learning and Teaching Award Presented by Bal Deol, President of the Student’s Union and Keith Hollins University Honorary Doctor and Chief Executive Officer of Staffordshire University Academy

Excellence in University Community Commitment Award Presented by Margaret Monckton, Director of Finance and Infrastructure

Excellence in Partnership Award

Presented by Simon Clarke DL, University Honorary Doctor

Presented by The Lord Stafford DL FRAgS, Chancellor

Inspirational Leader Award

5.15pm Interval

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5.35pm

Presentation of Awards – Part Two

Presented by Gary Crowe, University Governor and Financial Services Industry Senior Director

Rising Star Award

25 Years Contribution to the University Awards

Presented by David Gage DL, University Chair of Board of Governors

Qualification Successes

Introduced by Ian Blachford, Executive Director of Corporate Services.

Presented by The Lord Stafford DL FRAgS, Chancellor.

The Excellence Award Presented by Professor Michael Gunn, Vice-Chancellor

Cross University Excellence Award

Presented by Professor Michael Gunn, Vice-Chancellor

The Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Outstanding Contribution

6.30pm

Closing Remarks

Nina Nannar

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Professorial Conferments Associate Professors Associate Professor are defined by their growing distinction, standing and leadership in their subject, discipline and/or practice. Through their research and scholarship, external engagement and teaching, associate professors contribute to the advancement of the University’s reputation.

The criteria for the appointment of associate professor is the same as the criteria followed for full professors, but the applicants for an associate professor will need to demonstrate significant achievement in either scholarship, research, knowledge transfer and professorial practice or teaching, curriculum development and pedagogic practice. In all cases, the University expects to see evidence of high-level competence in, and commitment to, teaching and student learning.

Dr Alke Gröppel-Wegener Associate Professor of Creative Academic Practice Faculty of Arts and Creative Technologies The award of Associate Professor acknowledges Dr Alke’s contribution to learning and teaching, particularly in developing a graduate-level proficiency in academic practice for students. Exploring the links between academic and creative practice she has developed highly visual and engaged sessions to teach students in creative studiobased disciplines how to research and write. Alke built up a network of likeminded colleagues through organising and facilitating the Writing in Creative Practice workshops for the Higher Education Academy in conjunction with the Writing PAD network. She was able to take these as starting points for research and dissemination outside of art and design, where they have been appreciated by many students with a visual learning preference and she was awarded a National Teaching Fellowship for this work. Working across all three schools of the Faculty of Arts and Creative technologies, Alke facilitates and champions learning opportunities that are studentcentred and experiential, visual and accessible. Alke is keen to take this work further and extend it university wide.

Dr Abdel-Hamid Soliman Associate Professor of Signal Processing and Communications Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Sciences The award of Associate Professor recognises Abdel-Hamid’s contribution to research, teaching, enterprise, partnership and consultancy.

Dr Abdel-Hamid’s research focuses on Signal Processing and Communications for Smart Cities applications aiming to improve the quality of life for current and future generations. Abdel-Hamid’s work has been nationally recognised through awards and prizes. Abdel-Hamid has also published papers in high impact journals and conferences where he represented the University in a number of occasions. AbdelHamid’s international links extend across four continents and over 30 countries, and it is through partnerships and collaborations with organisations in these countries that he has established successful joint-research programs, joint awards and externally funded projects.

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Professorial Conferments

Dr Katy Vigurs Associate Professor of Higher and Professional Education Faculty of Business, Education and Law The award of Associate Professor recognises Katy’s significant contribution to research, teaching, enterprise and academic citizenship in the field of higher and professional education.

Katy has developed an international reputation for high quality research and innovation in relation to researcher development and the enhancement of the doctoral student experience. She is a key member of a national working group that focuses on developing the postgraduate student experience. This work for the UK Council of Graduate Education (UKCGE) has seen Katy conduct a study to investigate how UK doctoral students prepare for the viva (oral examination).

She has also won national awards for her role in developing supportive doctoral learning communities, particularly through the use of digital technologies.

Katy’s research on doctoral pedagogies has led to her being invited to give keynote lectures at other universities and has seen her present her research at many international conferences. She is also a senior representative of the British Educational Research Association (BERA), through her leadership of the BERA Social Justice special interest group. She is currently leading a study funded by the Society for Research in Higher Education (SRHE), which is investigating graduates’ expectations in a climate of higher tuition fees.

Professorial Conferments

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University Visiting Professorships The award of a visiting professorship enables the University to recognise and celebrate the contribution made by our partners and collaborators. Candidates for a visiting professorship must demonstrate specific expertise in their subject areas and show how the award of a title will enhance the work and reputation of the University. The University is delighted to announce that between September 2014 and August 2015, the following new visiting professorships were conferred:

Professor Neil Coulson

Professor Annette Jinks

Professor Sud Ramachandran

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University Visiting Professorships

Professor Neil Coulson is a health psychologist with over twenty years’ experience in the subject area, notably behaviour change and chronic illness.

Neil pioneered the scientific study of on-line self-help and peer support within the UK. During the past decade, Neil has published extensively on the support the internet and other online facilities can offer individuals with long-term conditions. Professor Coulson has held academic posts at Plymouth and Derby Universities and is currently a member of the Medicine School, Nottingham University. He has presented at dozens of national and international conferences and regularly reviews for over thirty-five scientific journals. In 2013, Neil was awarded funding by the Economic and Social Research Council to head a national dissemination event entitled “Connected Communities and Chronic Conditions”. As a visiting professor, Neil Coulson will co-author scientific peer reviewed papers, contribute to the MSc Health Psychology programme, advise on the design and development of CPD courses and offer mentoring and other support to early career researchers and other members of staff.

Professor Annette Jinks has held senior academic posts with the University of Wales and Staffordshire, Liverpool John Moores (a joint clinical appointment with the Royal Liverpool Hospital), and Liverpool Edge Hill Universities.

Annette is the author of some sixty refereed research publications and has presented forty papers at international conferences. Annette enjoys an international academic reputation. She has led over thirty funded research projects and has extensive PhD examination and supervisory experience. As a visiting professor, Annette will work with the Health Sciences Faculty on a research study that explores the attitudes of student nurses to gender and nursing stereotypes. Annette will also contribute to the Masters in Public Health award.

Professor Sud Ramachandran is a consultant chemical pathologist working with both the Heart of England Trust in Birmingham and the University Hospital of North Staffordshire. He is a respected clinician who has recognised expertise in several research areas. These include: coronary vascular disease, the role of vitamin D in a number of medical conditions, blood flow in the healthy and diseased vasculature and the health benefits of playing golf. Sud is the author of fifty-eight peer reviewed publications, twenty-four of which have been published since 2009. He has designed a distance learning MSC module in Clinical Biochemistry run by Birmingham University and oversaw substantial changes in the recruitment and training of trainees in Clinical Pathology/Metabolic Medicine. As a visiting professor, Sud Ramachandran will support the University through the preparation of research grant applications and strengthen the University’s research profile.

Professor Chris Shambrook

Professor Tom Shannon

Professor Vanessa Webb

Professor Chris Shambrook has worked for over twenty years as a psychologist in elite sport. He has been the psychology consultant for the GB Rowing Team since 1997 and finished his fourth Olympic cycle in London 2012. Chris has worked as a performance consultant with business since 2000, when he formed K2 Performance Systems Ltd. Before establishing his company, Chris held academic posts at Brighton and Gloucestershire Universities. As a consultant, Chris has worked with over twenty blue chip companies. He has written extensively on the psychology of sport and also on performance management in business. As a visiting professor, Chris Shambrook will contribute to MSc and postgraduate research programmes, continue to be involved in performance coaching awards and work on psychological testing of responses to stress to help athletes prepare for the Rio Games in 2016.

Professor Tom Shannon is a co-founder of the Oxford Metrics Group (OMG), a company that has grown from just five staff members thirty years ago to an enterprise that now employs some 250 people located in the UK, USA and the Far East with an annual turnover of ÂŁ31m. Tom is a Chartered Professional Engineer, a Fellow of both the College of Biomedical Engineering and the Royal Society of Medicine and holds a PhD from Oxford Brookes University. He has international experience as a practicing engineer, a medical physicist and a computer vision scientist. Prior to the conferment of his visiting professorship, Tom Shannon held a visiting fellowship with Staffordshire University. The award of a visiting professorship to Tom will assist the University to focus on industry-based/translational research and entrepreneurship.

Professor Vanessa Webb is Medical Director of Mountain Healthcare with particular responsibility for the delivery of forensics services. Vanessa has a first degree from Leeds University, an MSc from Essex University, is a founder Committee member of the British Association of Urological Nurses, and holds both GMC and NMC registration. Professor Webb was among the first nurse practitioners, and pioneered nurse-led services in urology, sexual dysfunction, out of hours and primary care. She has influenced national standards and local delivery models for police and NHS services. As a visiting professor, Vanessa will support postgraduate programmes, contribute to research into the role of service users in services designed to counter sexual violence and her links with government departments and NHS England will significantly strengthen the University’s profile.

University Visiting Professorships

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Teaching Excellence Fellowship The Teaching and Excellence Fellowship scheme recognises and celebrates excellence in the process of teaching and learning support. It is an annual award for which competition is high. To achieve this award, staff are expected to demonstrate a consistently high level of teaching and learning support, thereby having a positive impact on student success. On receipt of this award, staff are expected to disseminate their effective practice with colleagues through a number of different teaching focused activities and projects.

Dr Elhadj Benkhelifa

Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Sciences Elhadj is an Associate Professor, and the Director for the Mobile Fusion Applied Research Centre, with a role spanning across teaching, research and enterprise. He is the founding head of the Cloud Computing and Applications Research Group.

Publishing extensively in his areas of expertise, he has also co-founded a number of international workshops/conferences with international collaborations. He has been very active in strengthening the University-business partnerships, and has been successful in securing significant funding. Elhadj is a Fellow of the UK Higher Education Academy and, to further his CPD, he is currently pursuing an MA in Education.

Awarded a Teaching Excellence Fellowship in 2015, this will focus on introducing best practices in capturing and acting upon the student voice within research-based learning and teaching activities, including Final Year projects, MSc dissertations and PhD projects. In addition, Elhadj’s Fellowship will review some existing processes and policies affecting students during these teaching and learning activities and attempt to initiate dialogue to improve them.

James Capper

Faculty of Health Sciences James is an Academic Group Leader for Sport and Exercise within the Faculty of Health Sciences. In addition to managing the undergraduate provision, James has a passion for teaching and has particular expertise in education collaborations, physical education and pedagogy.

James was awarded a Teaching Excellence Fellowship in 2015 and aims to develop his work exploring relationships between higher education, external organisations and education providers of different phases linked to employability and professional development. The work focuses on the successful characteristics of collaboration and how this can move from transactional to transformational relationships and will culminate in the development of a learning resource. Future work will build on James’s previous experience, which includes the formation of a multi-academy trust, student placements within the education sector, research and conference presentations on whole school improvement through PE and a professional doctorate study that focusses on the characteristics of successful educational collaboration.

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Teaching Excellence Fellowship

Eleanor Johnston

Information Services Eleanor is an Academic Skills Tutor Librarian and supports library provision for the Faculty of Arts and Creative Technologies. She also supports staff and students in finding information, critical evaluation and referencing, as well as utilising technology in learning.

Eleanor was awarded a Teaching Excellence Fellowship in 2015 and aims to share skills such as digital and information literacy with Faculties. These are Staffordshire Graduate attributes that are lifelong, transferable skills enhancing employability. She will also study uses of technology and student behaviour in transition to and beyond HE. Eleanor will also disseminate her knowledge and experience of the Reading Lists project to the Faculty and complete adding all modules onto Rebus via staff training and support. She will be making submissions to the wider community of practice (e.g.

Art Libraries Society) and organising, funding and running Teachmeets for internal and external colleagues.

Dr Lisa Mansell

Faculty of Arts and Creative Technologies Dr. Lisa Mansell is a senior lecturer and award leader for Creative Writing in the Faculty of Arts and Creative Technologies. Alongside her teaching role, Lisa writes and publishes poetry that crosses interdisciplinary boundaries and recently published some poems, ‘Wedgwood’s Glazes’ in dialogue with glaze chemistry in a special issue of Interdisciplinary Science Reviews. She also publishes academic papers on other interdisciplinary figures in literature, music and the arts.

Lisa was awarded a Teaching Excellence Fellowship in 2015, and her project will develop her research on creative writing as a collaborative and integrative methodology for research in other disciplines. The central theme of the practice is adaptation, and follows on from her previous research on the adaptation of traditional academic work into creative forms as a way of crystallising critical incidents in student research.

Graham Mansfield

Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Sciences Graham Mansfield is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Computing. He is the award manager for Software Engineering as well as being an academic misconduct adjudicator and a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. During his 26 years of lecturing, Graham has had many roles that focus on delivering the best student experience possible.

Graham’s desire to continually improve the student learning experience has led to his experimentation with different teaching and learning strategies in line with the university’s push for innovative teaching. Although the culture of innovation in teaching is gaining momentum in the University, there seems not to be much discussion about the effect that these innovations have on students’ learning. Graham’s Teaching Excellence Fellowship was awarded in 2015, and his project, which includes establishing a cross-faculty working group, will explore ways for lecturers to determine the impact of their teaching on student learning.

Teaching Excellence Fellowship

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Dr Clare Stanier

Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Sciences Clare is a Senior Lecturer in Information Systems within the Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Sciences. Her role involves teaching and research with newer data management technologies and Big Data. She is the scheme leader for the taught MSc programme in the School of Computing and supervises a number of PhD students working in the Information Systems and Big Data field.

Clare was awarded a Teaching Excellence Fellowship in 2015 and will be developing a school Commons for the School of Computing. A Commons brings together staff who work in the same discipline but have different interests and expertise and enables them to share ideas and develop a synergy. The aim of the Commons is to support reflection and experiment and to improve teaching and learning by identifying and sharing good practice. One of the outcomes of the Commons will be a repository of teaching and learning materials.

Laura Walton-Williams

Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Sciences Laura is the Award Leader for the Forensic Investigation degrees, which link forensic techniques to investigative strategies. In addition to her Award Leader responsibilities, Laura teaches both undergraduate and postgraduate students in the fields of forensic biology, data handling, personal development planning and the planning and undertaking of research projects. She also undertakes research, predominantly in the field of biological evidence interpretation, including DNA analysis, the identification and interpretation of body fluids and sexual offence examinations.

Laura’s Teaching Excellence Fellowship will research the benefits of implementing an ‘Escape Room’ initiative to support traditional teaching methods within the Forensic and Crime Science Academic Group. This project will examine the feasibility of students designing, planning and working together to create an ‘Escape Room’ experience for other students to complete. The ‘Escape Room’ will be an immersive, problem-solving exercise that requires students to work together as a team, answering course related questions to escape from the room.

Dr Janet Wright

Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Sciences Janet is a Principal Lecturer within the Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Science, and the Academic Group Leader for Geography and the Environment. In this role she has oversight of the development and delivery of all the undergraduate and postgraduate awards delivered by the academic group, as well as leading on curriculum design and development. In addition to this Janet is currently the Staffordshire University lead on the development of a dual on-line Masters in Sustainable Smart Cities with the University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA. Awarded in 2015, Janet’s Teaching Excellence Fellowship will focus on enhancing technology supported learning within Geography and the Environment. There will be two strands to her Fellowship work. She will work with her colleagues within the academic group to further embed mobile technologies into the delivery of undergraduate Geography awards. Key elements of this strand include: exploring current use, and barriers to the use, of mobile technologies by both staff and students to support learning; and a cross-platform comparison of the use of mobile technologies for educational purposes. The second strand will focus on the development of more stimulating learning environments for students studying on-line postgraduate awards in sustainability.

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Teaching Excellence Fellowship

HEA Fellowships

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Higher Education Academy Fellowships As part of our 5-year strategic plan, the University has made a commitment that all teaching staff will achieve a Fellowship of the HEA. This will ensure that these staff are being developed in line with national standards and will impact positively on the student experience. To this end, the University has introduced a ‘Routes to Fellowship’ scheme. Working in partnership with the HE Academy, this allows teaching staff to build a portfolio of evidence of their ongoing practice and development, culminating in the achievement of either a Fellow, Senior Fellow or Principal Fellow award.

HEA Principal Fellow

John Holden Arts and Creative Technologies

Jason Brindley Arts and Creative Technologies

Janet Lawton Computing, Engineering and Sciences

Dean Burt Health Sciences

Kris Lines Business, Education and Law

Dr Amy Burton Health Sciences

Mark Lovatt Health Sciences

Thomas Chimiak Arts and Creative Technologies

Helen Ashwood Health Sciences

Samantha Lovell Arts and Creative Technologies

Paul Christie Arts and Creative Technologies

Tara Ball Business, Education and Law

Rob McKay Business, Education and Law

Paul Comerford Computing, Engineering and Sciences

Fern Basnett Health Sciences

Paul Ottey Arts and Creative Technologies

Maxine Cromer-Hayes Arts and Creative Technologies

Dr Emily Buckley Health Sciences

Vicky Roberts Business, Education and Law

Jo Dawson Arts and Creative Technologies

Jo Carruthers Health Sciences

Prof Karen Rodham Health Sciences

Michael Day Arts and Creative Technologies

Carl Cattell Business, Education and Law

Dr Clare Stanier Computing, Engineering and Sciences

Dr Robert Dempsey Health Sciences

Tracy Clewlow Business, Education and Law

Brendon Skinner Health Sciences

Kiera Flet Health Sciences

Dr Mani Das Gupta Health Sciences

Prof Tony Stewart Health Sciences

Jayne Francis Computing, Engineering and Sciences

Dr Jan Fiserova Business, Education and Law

Prof Fiona Tweed Computing, Engineering and Sciences

Juliette Frangos Health Sciences

Janet Francis Computing, Engineering and Sciences

Dr Janet Wright Computing, Engineering and Sciences

Jill Freeman Research, Business & Employability Services

Prof Nachi Chockalingham Health Sciences Prof Wilf McSherry Health Sciences

HEA Senior Fellow

Ruth Gill Business, Education and Law Fiona Hall Business, Education and Law Tim Harris Computing, Engineering and Sciences Chris Harrison Academic Development Unit Louise Harrison Business, Education and Law Ruby Hammer Business, Education and Law Lesley Hayes Health Sciences

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HEA Fellowships

Karen Goodchild Business, Education and Law

HEA Fellow

Mark Abbotts Computing, Engineering and Science Dr Mohammad Asaduzzaman Computing, Engineering and Sciences Dr Paul Barratt Computing, Engineering and Sciences Michael Beardwood Arts and Creative Technologies Helen Branthwaite Computing, Engineering and Sciences

Dr Aoife Healy Health Sciences Sharon Inglis Business, Education and Law Dr John Israilidis Business, Education and Law Hannah Jones Business, Education and Law Stephanie Jones Health Sciences Dr Blerina Kellezi Health Sciences

Angela Lawrence Business, Education and Law

Louise Rutherford Arts and Creative Technologies

Nia Wearn Arts and Creative Technologies

Dan Lewis Arts and Creative Technologies

Jenny Sanders Health Sciences

Daniel Webster Arts and Creative Technologies

Dr Joanne Lloyd Health Sciences

Benjamin Shelley Arts and Creative Technologies

Thomas Whittemore Arts and Creative Technologies

Clare Martin-Jones Health Sciences

Kayleigh Sheppard Computing, Engineering and Sciences

Dr Sarah Williams Computing, Engineering and Sciences

Sheila McCormick Arts and Creative Technologies

Amanda Sherratt Student Office

Fiona Wilson Arts and Creative Technologies

Beverley Meakin Health Sciences

Sankaralingam Shunmugasundaram Computing, Engineering and Sciences

Angela Woolliscroft Health Sciences

Dr Alexios Mylonas Computing, Engineering and Sciences

Karen Sirdefield Health Sciences

Anne Wright Health Sciences

Dr Roozbeh Naemi Health Sciences

Kirsty Squires Computing, Engineering and Sciences

Dominic Nash Arts and Creative Technologies

Fran Stubbs Computing, Engineering and Sciences

HEA Associate Fellow

Vanessa Oakes Business, Education and Law

Daniel Tonge Computing, Engineering and Sciences

Dr Martin Partridge Health Sciences

Dr Barra Touray Computing, Engineering and Sciences

Paul Biggs Information Services

Belinda Priestley Health Sciences

David Trigg Computing, Engineering and Sciences

Stuart Richardson Health Sciences

Tracey Turner Health Sciences

Paul Roberts Computing, Engineering and Sciences

Jessica Wagner Health Sciences

HEA Fellowships

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Excellence in Innovation and Enterprise Award This award takes some elements from the former Business Engagement Award, and has been adapted to recognise colleagues that are innovative, enterprising and entrepreneurial, encouraging creativity in the workplace and taking balanced risks.

INDIVIDUAL AWARD NOMINEES Prof Jon Fairburn

Faculty of Business, Education and Law Jon is a pioneer in knowledge transfer between students and businesses. The innovation and enterprise projects he has led have been hugely beneficial to the students and the businesses involved.

In Totally Locally Burslem, Jon integrated the learning of marketing students to the needs of local businesses with great success. Other projects have supported students in running rural enterprise workshops, engaged senior citizens with energy issues, linked local authorities with experts in Europe and promoted good practices in regional innovation. Jon continues to develop and nurture these relationships for the benefit of the students, the university and the region.

Nicola Gratton

Faculty of Arts and Creative Technologies Nicola Gratton has demonstrated outstanding achievement in the development of Innovation and Enterprise. Three years since Stoke was awarded a £3 million Arts Council grant, her Appetite project is now nationally recognised for its pioneering approach to involving community voices in the commissioning of arts projects.

Nicola designed and delivered the ‘Get Talking’ programme which trained a team of appetite builders to consult with their communities and bring back their findings. The projects have earned £100,000 with further funding in the pipeline, and along with enhancing our reputation in the national programme have led to recent consultation and evaluation commissions from Creative Black Country and the East Midlands CPP project ‘First Art’.

TEAM AWARD NOMINEES FdA Visitor Attraction and Resort Management Team

Faculty of Business, Education and Law Isabel Clarke, Tracy Clewlow, Sue Clews, Stephen Kelly, Angela Lawrence, Linda Phillips, Carol Southall, Paul Williams Following initial Executive-led scoping meetings, the University team led by Linda Phillips worked with colleagues at Alton Towers to create a unique, innovative and dynamic educational offering.

The qualification combines two years study with 20 weeks’ paid work experience, to develop essential skills and enhance employability. The structure of the curriculum needed to ensure an appropriate level of academic rigour so students could apply their learning in a range of settings before undertaking team leader roles in the second year.

The ‘academic calendar’ was reconfigured around the employer’s peak season, and the team had to put in place appropriate contractual arrangements and a Memorandum of Understanding.

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Excellence in Innovation and Enterprise Award

Global Entrepreneurship ‘All Nighter’ Team

Faculty of Business, Education and Law Paul Dobson, Prof Jon Fairburn, Dr Jana Fiserova, Clair Hameed, Dr John Israilidis, Stephen Kelly, Cath McCabe, Dot Wiernikowska Building on previous successes with Global Entrepreneurship Week, the Business School hosted an ‘apprentice-style’ enterprise challenge for Staffordshire schools, and the ‘Enterprise All-Nighter’ – an innovative business competition built into a level 5 core module that invites students to ‘unleash ideas and do what it takes to bring them to life’.

120 students worked through the night in the LRV to conceive and establish a business initiative. Professional advice, support and inspirational talks were provided by experts from within and outside the University, with judges announcing the shortlists and winners at dawn.

Post Compulsory Education Teaching Team

Faculty of Business, Education and Law Dr Cheryl Bolton, Sharon Inglis, Lynn Machin, Tina Richardson The School of Education PGCE (PCET) team are constantly reviewing the Initial Teacher Training offering to create awards that meet professional criteria, are robust and challenging but which are flexible enough for different work contexts. This can be seen in the PGCE created for trainers working in the armed forces, where unique teaching contexts had to be reconciled with complex external regulation. The team have worked professionally and diligently with the Defence Academy to design electronic resources, session content and support mechanisms, developing a comprehensive knowledge of the military’s unique requirements and teaching environments that earned them highly positive feedback from the trainees.

Rebus Wider Implementation Project

Information Services Alex Buckley, Sarah Hall, Eleanor Johnston, Andrew Little, David Sayer, Louise Yarwood, John West This project has taken Rebus from an early adoption phase, where academics were trained to create and maintain their own reading lists, to an integrated supported phase. To ensure parity of access all 2,000 current modules will soon have an online reading list. The project illustrates how multiple teams can work collaboratively to develop an innovative process that supports the academic community. The result is a series of reading lists that give students easier access to books and articles. It has also facilitated the development of library collections by triggering purchases and ensuring material currency, as well as generating significant interest from partner colleges.

Excellence in Innovation and Enterprise Award

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Excellence in Research Award Recognises the outstanding contribution made by an individual in developing the University’s research environment, which has enhanced the University’s overall research and enterprise profile and reputation.

NOMINEES Dr Elhadj Benkhelifa

Dr Abdel-Hamid Soliman

Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Sciences

Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Sciences

Prof John Cassella

Dr Anna Tsaroucha

Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Sciences

Faculty of Health Sciences

Prof Nachi Chockalingham Faculty of Health Sciences

Prof Karen Rodham Faculty of Health Sciences

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Excellence in Research Award

Allan Watson Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Sciences

SHORT-LISTED NOMINEES Prof Karen Rodham

Dr Abdel-Hamid Soliman

Dr Anna Tsaroucha

Karen has had a major impact on the research activity of the School of Psychology, Sport and Exercise. A mentor to a number of junior academic staff, she organised the successful ‘Images of Research’ competition, engaged the public with ‘Psychology in the Pub’ and continues to have impact internationally with frequent publications and in her role as Chair of the BPS Division of Health Psychology.

Karen’s enthusiasm, support and honesty has had a massive effect on research activity, promoting a shift towards knowledge creation and transfer, and enhancing the University’s external reputation. As Chair of the Faculty of Health Sciences Ethics Committee Karen is leading the way to REF 2020, improving resources and making the process less bureaucratic.

Abdel-Hamid has made an outstanding contribution to the research environment in the School of Engineering. He initiated and led 4 European funded projects - three Erasmus Mundus projects (£1M), and a tempus project (£115k). Involving as many staff as possible, he offers excellent welfare support to PhD students and has gained impressive external recognition through his international networks. These international links have helped to secure funding, and raised the reputation of the University abroad. His tendency to put the interests of the University, the Faculty and the School before his own have gained him respect and admiration from all his colleagues.

Anna has made a positive, supportive and energising contribution to the research culture in the Faculty of Health Sciences, specifically the School of Social Work, Allied and Public Health. She led the development and launch of the Journal of New Writing in Health and Social Care - an outlet for the scholarship of staff and students within the Faculty - and has helped many staff, new to scholarship, apply for research money such as VC and Faculty grants.

Anna launched and co-ordinates the Lunchtime Research Seminar Series and alongside supervising a number of PhD students continues to publish her own research and mentor, support and co-author research papers with developing researchers within the Faculty.

Excellence in Research Award

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Excellence in Employability Award This new award celebrates the individuals and teams who have made strides in increasing the employability of our graduates, in turn raising the reputation of the University in terms of student outcomes.

INDIVIDUAL AWARD NOMINEES Karl McCormack

Faculty of Business, Education and Law Karl is module leader for the Employability and Study Skills L4 and Professional Skills module L5 on the BA (Hons) Accounting and Finance 2 and 3 year routes and the BA (Hons) Accounting and Business. He works tirelessly to improve students’ employability prospects, ensuring that they engage with the Career Services, careers fairs and other networking opportunities, as well as advocating the new Careers Portal eCoach. As a result he was recently awarded the Students’ Employability Award.

In enhancing the content, Karl has been able to ensure that students engage more effectively with the modules. His hard work sharing best practice, mentoring colleagues, and developing innovative class-room activities have also helped to improve the faculty courses’ rankings and student confidence.

Laura Walton-Williams

Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Sciences Laura engages whole-heartedly with the employability agenda. She leads by example and has made many notable contributions in the School of Sciences.

She developed the Professional Development Portfolio programme, where students meet with their personal tutors on a three-weekly basis, commencing with a personal skills audit and action plan then building their portfolio of employability skills. The first cohort graduated with a marked increase in good degrees.

Laura also designed a placement / research assistantship option into the integrated undergraduate masters MSci awards. Both have been highly successful, seeing students engaging with a large range of employers and presenting their findings at open events.

Susan Wigglesworth

Faculty of Business, Education and Law Susan leads the Law School employability initiatives and has achieved significant success. She organises two practice-informed Graduate Law Fairs which draw in employers from various sectors, as well as high student attendance.

Susan also plays a key role in the Student-Led Careers Conference and establishes best practice for work placements by visiting and working with local firms and practices.

She has embraced the Staffordshire Graduate and targeted many of her efforts towards aligning them specifically to achieving employment. Staffordshire law graduates are now often selected before those of other universities, because our students are ready to hit the ground running.

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Excellence in Employability Award

TEAM AWARD NOMINEES Childcare Service Stoke Student Office Karen Belfield, Victoria Cartwright, Abbigail Daly, Kim Duncalf, Fiona Greatbatch, Susan Hambleton, Tracey Humphries, Michelle Jennings, Simone Newton, Tracy O’Neill, Tracey Plummer-Knight, Elizabeth Robinson, Gemma Scott, Tania Wood, Farkhana Yasa

PGCE - Initial Teacher Training Team Faculty of Arts and Creative Technologies Kate Dale, Guy Durden, Cath Hickling, Viv Lloyd, Paul Maddock, Sarah Misra, Clyde Redfern

Product and Transport Design Team Faculty of Arts and Creative Technologies George Bowen, Dave Heap, Dan Lewis, Tim Potts, Nigel Turner, Hugh Williamson

SGEP Pilot Film and Television Team Faculty of Arts and Creative Technologies Fiona Graham, Paul Ottey, Peter Rudge

Technical Games Production Team Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Sciences Chris McCreadie, Paul Roberts

SHORT-LISTED TEAM AWARD NOMINEES Childcare Service Stoke

The Childcare Service has actively supported over 25 students this academic year by providing work-based learning opportunities and supporting student-led research, such as conducting formal interviews, developing academic writing skills, knowledge and expertise within the field and assuming a mentoring role.

Currently employing 9 Staffordshire University graduates, the Childcare Service works in partnership with the local FE colleges and the School of Education to support student’s undertaking the Early Years Teaching Status. The Head of Service and Nursery Manager delivered modules within the BA Honours Early Childhood Studies, which students say has helped put theory into practice and inspired them within their studies, current job roles and future prospects.

Excellence in Employability Award

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SHORT-LISTED TEAM AWARD NOMINEES SGEP Pilot Film and Television Team

During the pilot over 200 students have been given work experience and employability credits by working on film projects with staff outside teaching hours, working on TV series and pilot shows, and set up as freelancers and limited media companies.

Technical Games Production Team

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In piloting SGEP (Staffordshire Graduate Employability Programme), this team has dedicated time and effort over and above their academic duties to give students greater access to the film and television industry across the UK. Using professional practice and their unique contacts with BAFTA and the Royal Television Society, they’ve helped facilitate the highest levels of learning, and created job openings for students with a gold standard application of the Staffordshire Graduate attributes.

Paul designed the new module Technical Games Production to give BSc(Hons) Computer Games Programming students real-world experience of the industry.

With technical support from Chris, student teams developed their games from an initial concept to finished product for the PlayStation Vita handheld console.

They sent their initial elevator pitches to Team17 and Matmi studios, who gave feedback and suggestions for improvement. At the end of the module, the teams visited the studios to pitch their finished games.

Student feedback was overwhelmingly positive about the experience, which will enhance their employability and the reputation of the course.

Excellence in Employability Award

Excellence in Learning and Teaching Award This new award celebrates the exceptional delivery of learning and teaching at Staffordshire University, and the individuals responsible for raising the University’s reputation by providing an excellent student experience.

INDIVIDUAL AWARD NOMINEES Natalie Dodge

Rachel Povey

Faculty of Heath Sciences

Faculty of Heath Sciences

Prof Jon Fairburn

Debi Roberts

Faculty of Business, Education and Law

Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Sciences

Dr Alke Groppel-Wegener Faculty of Arts and Creative Technologies

Rob Shaw

Sharon Inglis

Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Sciences

Faculty of Business, Education and Law

Angela Lawrence Faculty of Business, Education and Law

Excellence in Learning and Teaching

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SHORT-LISTED INDIVIDUAL AWARD NOMINEES Natalie Dodge

Natalie recognised that many students struggled with confidence, and investigated the models of support which would have the best clinical relevance.

Now students can access the online SafeMEDICATE system 24 hours a day.

She has also been invaluable to academic staff wishing to utilise the system within their modules. Results of the continual student numeracy assessments are significantly improved since the program has been in place.

Professor Jon Fairburn

Jon works to integrate student enterprise and entrepreneurship into the learning process. In Totally Locally Burslem he combined marketing student’s learning with the needs of local businesses to create a very successful business venture.

Jon has also advanced knowledge transfer through EU funding, such as the EU Transversal Study Tour that developed student entrepreneurship and employability, a project that engaged senior citizens with energy issues, and a series of rural enterprise workshops with Simply Staffordshire. The student films created for this particular project were recognised nationally by the Secretary of State for Agriculture.

Dr Alke Groppel-Wegener

Alke is passionate about developing her L&T practice. Her enthusiasm has been recognised by the Higher Education Academy, who recently awarded her a prestigious National Teaching Fellowship. She actively participates in L&T initiatives, both as a delegate and speaker at National and International Conferences, and by running her own workshops where she trials and discusses new L&T activities with peers and colleagues.

She has developed the lecture session ‘The Fishscale of Academicness’ and published work that allows students to engage with the determination of primary and secondary sources of literature in a visual way.

Debi Roberts

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Natalie has initiated and managed an online learning system to help undergraduate student nurses and midwives with numeracy and Medicine Management, a fundamental aspect of preparing for safe, autonomous professional practice.

Debi’s role has had to adapt due to departmental circumstances and she has taken over several award leaderships, over 30 module boxes for the IMechE and IET accreditation, managing the final year projects for the School, guiding the hourly-paid lecturers, and teaching in both semesters and through the summer.

Debi has gone and above and beyond in this role and runs several of the School’s Facebook and Twitter accounts, playing a major role at open days. She is always welcoming and friendly when students or colleagues need assistance.

Excellence in Learning and Teaching

TEAM AWARD NOMINEES Education, Human Development and Society AG

Faculty of Business, Education and Law Tara Ball, Jayne Daly, Mandy Duncan, Ruth Gill, Fiona Hall, Steve Hall, Duncan Hindmarch, Jim Pugh This team have worked hard to grow undergraduate numbers in the past two years, and the result is 300 full time students on campus and a further 100 part-time. They have had to adapt and tailor their approaches to provide these new students with quality first teaching interactions, small group support and individual tutorials.

They have also developed practice-based teaching, engaging with co-operative learning strategies and creating placement opportunities which can be drawn on in lectures.

Two bespoke teaching rooms have been developed, and stocked with appropriate early childhood and primary education resources, so students can be hands on with equipment they will use in their careers.

Law LLB Foundation Year Team

Faculty of Business, Education and Law Louis Martin, Dave Tapp The Foundation Year programme has been designed especially for students who want a qualifying law degree but who do not have the right entry criteria for a three year degree. Dave and Louis are meticulous in identifying the areas in which students need support, from writing, presentation and research skills to building their confidence.

As a result they have a very high success rate, as shown by their Student Led Teaching Awards and the thank you cards they receive on graduation.

Even with a cohort of 60 students each year, they find time to give everyone individual support, using a variety of learning styles to help students to achieve the best results.

LPC Blended Learning Team

Faculty of Business, Education and Law Nicola Cole, Marjorie Collaco, Susan Cunningham-Hill, Julie Gingell, Elizabeth Gillow, Martin Hannibal, Mike Jarrett, Lisa Mountford, Frances Seabridge, Sue Wigglesworth The Legal Practice Course is hugely popular, and a significant contributor to the University’s course profile. Attractive to those in practice and to overseas students, it is not always accessible on a full-time or even regular part-time basis. Using feedback from students the team developed a blended learning approach which combines the academic rigour needed to pass the course with flexible distance learning.

Highly interactive, the course uses online group sessions to encourage synchronous participation, and the mix of face-to-face and remote work has proved hugely effective.

The team worked tirelessly over the spring and summer of 2014 to develop this approach, supported by their e-learning technologist – Marjorie Collaço.

Excellence in Learning and Teaching

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TEAM AWARD NOMINEES The Maths Group

Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Sciences Dr Mohammad Asaduzzaman, Professor Brian Burrows, Dr Sarah Easton, Joy Harding, Dr Pat Lewis, Chris Mann, Dr Martin Paisley, Emily Raeburn, Helen Shaw-Croft

The Maths Group is a great example of a well-led, flexible and capable team who always work together to deliver an exemplary classroom experience to students within their own award, in the School of Engineering and across the University.

Their response to providing innovative VL solutions with Armed Forces modules, giving extra support in the ‘Maths Café’ and their participation in outreach work and taster sessions for schools and colleges, demonstrates a deep commitment to maths education. Combined with their ‘can-do’ attitude and warm personable culture, it’s easy to see why they consistently achieve 100% in NSS and SVS satisfaction scores.

Media/Film Production Staff Team

Faculty of Arts and Creative Technologies Helen Axon, Tom Chimiak, John Holden, Dan Hopkins, Mike Knowles, Ash Morris, Colin Mottram, John Rosie, David Wheeler

The innovative teaching and learning methods adopted by this team are clear from their recent stats. With 90% for teaching and 91% for overall satisfaction in the NSS statistics, they also excelled in the SVS stats with 96% and 100% respectively, producing one of the highest retention and progression rates of any faculty.

Through their extensive use of social media and self-promotion at Film Festivals and events, they’ve boosted their national and international reputation, increasing intake from 185 to 265 this year. And their review of assessment criteria alongside accreditation bodies has led to an increase of 12% higher degrees being awarded.

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Excellence in Learning and Teaching

Excellence in University Community Commitment Award By combining elements from the former Customer Service, Equality and Diversity, Sustainability and Health and Safety awards, this new award recognises colleagues who are central to the University’s success in providing a welcoming, safe and inclusive environment for all.

INDIVIDUAL AWARD NOMINEES Nicky Adams

Information Services Nicky works tirelessly to provide a welcoming, safe, inclusive environment for all students and staff. She supports colleagues and students, always going the extra mile when required. When a student recently hit another student, Nicky went immediately to offer assistance and stayed supporting both parties until the situation was resolved.

Nicky was instrumental in recruiting student rovers to work in the Thompson library during 24/7 opening to enhance our welcoming, safe environment. As a member of the IS Health and Safety group she constantly researches and highlights important issues, and takes the support we provide colleagues and customers very seriously.

Jackie Campbell

Faculty of Health Sciences Jackie shows fantastic enthusiasm and commitment and is always a pleasure to work with. She stays focussed on achieving the best outcome for everyone, and no task ever seems too small or too large. Jackie just gets on with them.

Much of the work that Jackie does is about improving the quality of the learning experience of our students and she works hard to ensure that our students’ experience continues to get better and better. One of Jackie’s key strengths is her ability to work with others by providing the advice and guidance they need in a supportive and encouraging way.

David Homer

Estates and Commercial Services David is an enthusiastic, conscientious and dedicated part of Estates & Commercial Services. A great asset to the team, his work as their Health and Safety Representative has been invaluable in supporting colleagues as they take on new challenges like the Campus Transformation Project.

He competently takes on the new challenges within his stride and is therefore able to proficiently represent Estates and Commercial Services at the quarterly University Health and Safety meetings chaired by Nigel Price.

His ‘can-do’ attitude instils great confidence within the team that he is providing a great service to the department as well as the University.

Excellence in University Community Commitment Award

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TEAM AWARD NOMINEES Business Villages Administration Team

Research, Business and Employability Services Lucie Allen, Suzanne Cartmale, Kay Williams, Julia Wilkes Despite recent changes affecting the University’s Business and Creative Village on the Stoke campus, the team have remained highly customer-focussed and committed to maintaining the good name of the University.

The whole team have supported each other in managing the process. They’ve helped customers find and seamlessly relocate to alternative accommodation, never allowing concerns for their own employment stop them from going the extra mile. Consequently customers have gone away feeling looked after by the whole team.

IT and Learning Technical Services

Information Services Gary Baker, Wasim Bashir, Alan Buckingham, Ed Matthews, Chris Smialowski, Harvey Sohal, Nick Turton The customers of Stafford and Lichfield Business Villages are a diverse community who rely on excellent technical support and good customer service. The Learning, Technology and IT team that supports Stafford and Lichfield Business Villages regularly go above and beyond the call of duty to explain complex policy and procedures to customers and importantly to find acceptable and timely solutions to problems they raise. The team have succeeded in building strong relationships, enhancing our reputation as a place where businesses survive and grow.

Student Rover Team

Information Services Chelsea Colclough, Stefan Cowley, Lyle Kirkham, Jake Lyons, Ashley Patel, Mark Spence, Kieran Statham, Bonita Tsang This team fully embraces the values of the University, ensuring that all students feel confident and safe using the Thompson Library as learning and study environment at night.

With an impressive skill level and ability to deal with a variety of problems, they truly understand the needs of their peer group and have helped IS to deliver an excellent service and experience, answering questions about the University as well as the Library itself.

While patrolling the Library they have picked up on health and safety issues, and improved litter collection and recycling.

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Excellence in University Community Commitment Award

Excellence in Partnership Award This award takes some elements from the former Business Engagement Award, and has been adapted to recognise those colleagues who work in collaboration with others to raise the reputation of the University, expand its provision nationally and globally, or significantly.

INDIVIDUAL AWARD NOMINEES Liz Binns

Faculty of Business, Education and Law Liz leads the Faculty’s international partnership admin team and has made an outstanding contribution to the development of new working approaches. It is the largest partner portfolio in the University, and Liz is dedicated, hard-working and thorough in taking on its complex challenges.

Tenacious and innovative when required, Liz has developed a new framework for internal verification of assessments, and helped to minimise our international travel through greater use of video conferencing and Skype. She has established an excellent rapport with managers and administrators at our partner colleges and enhanced her reputation as a skilled and valued administrator.

Janet Hetherington

Faculty of Arts and Creative Technologies Janet Hetherington has developed and sustained European partnerships for the Amores, Mindset and Residency projects. All three are funded through the European Union and are responsible for bringing in 180,000 income over three years. As lead partner for two of them, Janet has taken on a range of roles to ensure the partnerships work and are delivered on time. Together they span 16 institutions across 10 European countries.

Miscommunication, difficult deadlines and impossible targets are all normal challenges for European projects and Janet has gone beyond the call of duty to ensure not just delivery but strong collaborative working, and overseeing delivery to the highest specification possible.

Excellence in Partnership Award

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TEAM AWARD NOMINEES Corporate Programmes Team

Faculty of Business, Education and Law Carl Cattell, Chloe Griffiths, Louise Harrison, Pat Holdcroft, Stephen Longdon, Robert McKay, Samantha Neal, Hazel Squire The Corporate Programmes team have developed and sustained long-term partnerships with key university clients, including the RAF and the newly developed Davies Group partnership. They are also the provider of a masters-level accreditation framework for the HR officer development programme at the Defence School of Personnel Administration, and partner with Professional Bodies such as the Institute of Leadership and Management, the Chartered Management Institute, and the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

The team manage courses tailored to corporate and professional partners’ specific needs, with the highest possible levels of service, which has seen them not just operate but expand in an incredibly competitive market place.

Partnership Team

Faculty of Business, Education and Law Liz Binns, Laura Burgess, Nicky Hayes, Lindey Johnson, Jonathan Miles, Beverly Owusu-Asamoah This team consistently bring energy and enthusiasm to their work. They remain cheerful, supportive and positive at all times. Hardworking and thoroughly committed, a job is never done until it is ‘done right’, which always means hitting deadlines and working as needed to ensure that partners are never disappointed.

Their ‘can do’ approach carries over into every aspect of their working relationships.

Everyone is prepared to go above and beyond expectations to get things done, helping them build positive and supportive networks with partners across the world through email and video conferencing, and limited personal contact.

PGCiE Team – International PGCE

Faculty of Business, Education and Law Lynn Machin, Tina Richardson Lynn and Tina are responsible for managing much of the partnership work undertaken in the Academic Group for Lifelong and International Learning. Working with local college partners they develop and deliver teacher training awards with the ministry of defence, and recently with an international partner CDUT. Developing the PGCiE has required close contact with the partner, working to understand and accommodate the different needs. The team have been highly committed to developing an approach that has a positive impact on the university partnership provision, and improves the student experience. The team are working towards additional cohorts with CDUT and launching the award with other international partners.

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Excellence in Partnership Award

Volunteers in Special Collections

Information Services Cristiana Cappeletti, Romy Cheeseman, David Parkes, Keith Plant, Virginia Seddon, Michael Turner, Norman Webb, Gerald Worland Led by Hon Archivist Romy Cheeseman (writer, actor and spouse of Peter Cheeseman), the Special Collections Volunteers archive, preserve, promote and create access to Staffordshire University collections. All the volunteers are connected with the New Victoria Theatre and are ex-students or staff. Over the last year they have provided support for productions at ‘the Vic’, for exhibitions across the City, a book, the Stoke-on-Trent literary festival, the Arnold Bennett Society, Miners groups and researchers. They catalogue, digitise, archive and promote the collections and the University through their given time in what is a very special partnership between Staffordshire University and the community.

Excellence in Partnership Award

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Inspirational Leader Award Combining elements of the Outstanding Manager and Outstanding Leader Awards, the Inspirational Leader Award is for any colleague to nominate their manager or other figures of (senior) management level or above from around the University who inspire them with their exceptional leadership.

AWARD NOMINEES Dr Cheryl Bolton

Stephen Griffiths

Faculty of Business, Education and Law

Faculty of Arts and Creative Technologies

Sally Brown

Linda Phillips

Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Sciences

Faculty of Business, Education and Law

Dr Emily Buckley

Prof Karen Rodham Faculty of Health Sciences

Faculty of Health Sciences

Amanda Sherratt

Emma Cowdell

Student Office

Faculty of Health Sciences

Dr John Wheeler

Linda Degg

Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Sciences

Estates and Commercial Services

SHORT-LISTED AWARD NOMINEES Dr Emily Buckley

Emily metamorphosed from a student at the University to a senior manager within just a few years. Innovative and enterprising at both a macro and micro level, she has an inspirational ability to get things done without fuss, to an exceptionally high standard.

As well as her leadership of postgraduate awards and partnerships for Psychology, Emily develops relationships with other important external stakeholders such as the BPS, enhancing the reputation of Psychology to other Universities and potential students.

She has been a dependable and strong leader during turbulent times, and through Emily her team have moved forwards, developing new partnerships, new postgraduate courses, and new and more efficient ways of working.

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Inspirational Leader Award

Linda Degg

Linda Phillips

Amanda Sherratt

Professor Karen Rodham

Linda is an outstanding leader who is helping to carry the Estates and Commercial Services team through a very challenging period. Her sunny disposition is a strong positive influence, and she embraces the University ethos, ethics and aims in engaging the whole team. She’s a hugely supportive manager who always makes time to listen and help where she can.

Linda also fosters good relationships with the 6th Form College and Stoke-onTrent College, finding ways to enhance the partnership wherever she can. In her short time as leader, she’s proactively encouraged collaborative working and a good team spirit, and has helped to raise the profile of the whole team.

Linda Phillips was appointed to an Academic Group Leader role in November 2011 where her quiet, effective and inspirational approach to managing her team was very quickly evident. She continually demonstrates excellent interpersonal, communication and networking attributes, and now leads a large, merged academic group whilst continuing to support the Faculty through her partnership and cross-University roles.

Linda’s team has contributed to a full range of learning and teaching, research and enterprise and partnership activities, as well as raising its profile with external bodies. She has raised expectations, established a more cohesive group and developed a platform on which they can build future success.

Amanda has a high level of business and organisational acumen and has been a driving force for recent diversification and enhancements, making timely, effective decisions with close attention to our customers’ needs and the strategic direction of the business.

In managing budgets she innovatively considers ways to generate more revenue.

Her leadership is participatory, open, flexible and inclusive, and her work embodies the values of excellence and innovation. Approachable and accessible, she has used her excellent interpersonal skills to support and inspire her team, and to forge strong networks within the wider University and the early years sector, growing her reputation as an expert in her field.

Karen has inspired the health psychology team with new ways to engage with other departments, students and the general public. She set up ‘Psychology in the Pub’, and the ‘Images of Research’ photography competition, as well as taking on Chair of the Faculty of Health Sciences Ethics Committee, and Chair of the British Psychological Society’s Division of Health Psychology.

In her first year she has published 5 peer reviewed articles, one book, and presented work at 4 conferences. Of her 11 grant applications she has had funding for 4. Karen clearly delivers the University vision and objectives, and her leadership has been integral to maintaining our leading reputation.

Inspirational Leader Award

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Following on from the success of last year’s Centenary Cricket Match, the second legacy sports day took place on Wednesday 10 June 2015, on the Leek Road campus playing fields.

All staff were encouraged to attend – to celebrate, spend time together, reflect on the year’s activity and most importantly, enjoy the company of their colleagues in an informal setting.

A relaxed afternoon of fun centred around an informal mixed rounders tournament helped to commemorate the centenary celebrations and celebrate the hard work of all our University communities.

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Te am ,F in an ce W el ls re Cl a

The overall winners of the tournament were the Stumped (for a name!) team, made up of colleagues from Sport and Exercise and Education.

The Player of the Tournament was named as Claire Wells from Finance team, Money’s Too Tight To Mention.

CONGRATULATIONS AND WELL DONE TO EVERYONE WHO TOOK PART! 35

This summer, Staffordshire University hosted the Super Centre on campus for the UK Corporate Games. As part of the University’s involvement with this international Corporate Games programme, we were invited to submit athletes and teams to compete, to celebrate our athletic prowess and Team Staffs Spirit! It was also an opportunity to develop new contacts and network with major corporations from across the UK.

Colleagues’ results from the weekend of sporting activity:

Cycling

Douglas Rouxel Came 3rd in the Time Trial on Saturday and 3rd in the endurance on the Sunday.

Susan Semple

Came 1st in the Female Time Trial.

Soccer 6s

Nathan Cobb, Joseph Dixon, Martin Dixon, Chris Lee, Matthew Slater, Andrew Wood The lads from the School of Psychology, Sport and Exercise came 2nd overall out of 48 teams.

Dragon Boat

Steve Bateman, Rob Brunsdon, Chris Cubbs, Arron Dunn, Ash Holland, Mike Lowe, Jonathan Pace, Catherine Ralph, Matthew Screen, Lindsay Tate, Adam Van Winsum, Mick Williams Out of 31 teams we made it into the finals, which consisted of the last 6 teams.

We were also the only team to go faster on each of the 3 runs and we beat last year’s finalists.

Karting

Carl Barton, Adrian Gurney The guys were ace superb and finished 1st in the team endurance and 1st and 2nd in the solo (Grand Prix) event.

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UK Corporate Games

UK Corporate Games

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Rising Star Award This award has evolved from the former Best Newcomer Award and has been expanded to include colleagues within their first three years of employment at Staffordshire University. Anyone can nominate a colleague who has stood out as ‘one to watch’, with the potential to be influential in the future of Staffordshire University.

AWARD NOMINEES Tara Ball

Laura Knight

Faculty of Business, Education and Law

Marketing and Public Relations

Cedric Belloc

Carol Meacham

Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Sciences

Faculty of Arts and Creative Technologies

Dr Amy Burton

Phil O’Neill

Faculty of Health Sciences

Marketing and Public Relations

Jonathan Cain

Nigel Peake

Estates and Commercial Services

Finance

Kathryn Clark

Russell Spink

Marketing and Public Relations

Faculty of Business, Education and Law

Fiona Hall Faculty of Business, Education and Law

Sarah Higgins Faculty of Health Sciences

Cathryn Higginson Marketing and Public Relations

Alex Hough Faculty of Arts and Creative Technologies

Dr John Israilidis Faculty of Business, Education and Law

Hannah Jones Faculty of Business, Education and Law

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Rising Star Award

SHORT-LISTED AWARD NOMINEES Jonathan Cain

Cedric Belloc

Alex Hough

Phil O’Neill

Jonathan has made a massive impact on the Estates and Commercial Services team in his role as Assistant Director of Capital Development. The speed and quality of his work is phenomenal, and he provides exactly the kind of expertise the team has needed to progress the Campus Transformational Programme.

Even working under a tremendous amount of pressure, he remains professional and positive throughout, making him a valuable and valued colleague.

A true asset to the entire Team, Jonathan has been key to Estates and Commercial Services’ recent successes and has a great deal of potential for the future.

In the past two years Cedric has led an extensive list of academic initiatives with professionalism, enthusiasm and a cheerful attitude. Initiatives include validating MEng awards in all Engineering disciplines (including the ones outside his academic area), developing International Year One award for the overseas market and contributing to a new award in renewable energy with the University of Alabama. He also led the accreditation of all Engineering awards in the School, requiring him to work across multiple academic areas with almost all the staff in the School of Engineering.

Cedric has collaborated with the Industrial Advisory Board and the Royal Academy of Engineering to expand the curriculum and develop new employment opportunities for graduates.

From day one, Alex has made a huge impact, setting up meetings to discuss better working, before developing his own skills and knowledge. Generating as well as listening to new ideas, he works tirelessly to improve resources and has been instrumental in promoting the department, running recruitment activities and constantly developing the online presence.

Alex was a cornerstone of the recent move, rising to the difficult technical and managerial challenges, whilst also innovating systems to provide better student support. His positive and friendly influence has transformed the way academics and technical skills specialists work together, and his skill levels, knowledge and willingness to help mean Alex sets the bar very high.

Phil first joined the UK Recruitment Team in September 2013, returning as a Student Advisor after finishing his Marketing degree here. Phil excelled in customer relations, instantly building networks with customers and looking for creative ways to make a difference.

Phil’s enthusiasm saw him promoted to Officer and he threw himself into understanding the key contacts, in particular Newcastle College. Phil has smashed his UCAS recruitment targets, led a team of Student Ambassadors effectively, and created a huge conversation about Staffordshire University in our community of schools and colleges.

Rising Star Award

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25 years Contribution to University Award Staffordshire University is a great place to work – and part of the evidence for this is the number of colleagues who have contribute to the development of the University throughout their careers, spanning over 25 years of loyal service.

We are very proud of our long serving staff and are honoured that they have contributed so much of their lives to the work of the University.

AWARD NOMINEES Professor Muwafak Al-Tai

Dr Martin Jesinghausen

Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Sciences

Faculty of Arts and Creative Technologies

Linda Breese Information Services

Professor David Clark-Carter Faculty of Health Sciences

Sheila Dexter Student and Academic Services

Julie Evans Finance

Richard Gorton Research, Business and Employability Services

Janice Halpin Faculty of Business, Education and Law

Liz Hathaway Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Sciences

Helen L Holt Finance

Professor Andrew Jackson Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Sciences

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25 years Contribution to University Award

Ann Lloyd Estates and Commercial Services

Karen Owens Student Recruitment and Admissions

Carol Pike Estates and Commercial Services

Elizabeth Robinson Student Office

Richard Rogers Information Services

Dave Rowley Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Sciences

Martin Slade Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Sciences

Linda Stonehouse Information Services

Richard Yates Information Services

Qualification Successes AUA Association of University Administrator’s Fellowship Jenny Bossons Nick Turton Information Services

BA (Hons) Early Childhood Education Dorothy Wilson Student Office

Advanced University Diploma in Mental Health – Diploma with Merit Andrea Alker Student Office

AUA ‘Association of University Administrators’ Fellowship Jocey Bracegirdle Claire Rowney Information Services

BA (Hons) Business Management Chloe Griffiths Faculty of Business, Education and Law

BA (Hons) Facilities Management Vicky Gouldbourn Estates and Commercial Services

BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies Tania Wood Student Office

BA Professional Support for Education Elaine Knox Faculty of Business, Education and Law

Cisco Certified Network Professional in Security Dr Barra Touray Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Sciences

Cisco Certified Network Professional Re-Certification Dr Carolin Bauer Dr Justin Champion Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Sciences

Facilitating Learning Award Sue Clews Faculty of Business, Education and Law

Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts Dr Joanne Beswick ILM Coaching for Success Level 3 Samantha Neal

Marketing and PR

Jo Mould Partnerships

Certificate in Basic Counselling Lisa Mountford Faculty of Business, Education and Law

Partnerships

MA Cognitive Behaviour Therapy Heather Brown Student Office

MA Education Verity Wilcox Student Office

Helen Combes Faculty of Health Sciences

MA in Higher and Professional Education in Health and Social Care by Negotiated Learning Kairen Roche Faculty of Health Sciences

MA Higher Professional Education

Faculty of Business, Education and Law

Jackie Gregory Faculty of Arts and Creative Technologies

ILM Level 3 Coaching and Mentoring in Management Helen Miller Mark Birchall

MA Leadership and Management in Higher Education by Negotiated Study Janet Graham

Information Services

Faculty of Business, Education and Law

ILM Level 5 Coaching and Mentoring Ashley Bailey

MA Transnational Organised Crime Phil Lee

Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Sciences

ILM Level 5 Coaching and Mentoring in Management David James Student Office

Certificate in Accounting Sharon Dawson

Individual Module ‘Contract Law’ Tracey Burrows

Paulette Morgan Academic Development Unit

ILM Managing Projects Jenny Bossons Hannah Trolley Nick Turton Information Services

Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Sciences

MA Marketing Vicky Roberts Master of Business Administration Tracy Clewlow Faculty of Business, Education and Law

Masters International Higher Education Chris Slade Partnerships

MSc Computer Science Paul Wheeler Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Sciences

Qualification Successes

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MSc Psychology Wellbeing and Mental Health Elsa Heffernan Student Office

MSc Psychotherapeutic Counselling Louise Brown Student Office

NEBOSH National General Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety – With Credit Jenny Holdsworth Human Resources

NVQ3 Diploma in Customer Services Mark Birchall Berny Gill Information Services

NVQ4 Advice and Guidance Julia Crooks Sally Smith Research, Business and Employability Services

PgC Higher and Professional Education Michael Beardwood Jason Brindley Thomas Chimiak Paul Christie Maxine Cromer-Hayes Jo Dawson Dan Lewis Dominic Nash Louise Rutherford Benjamin Shelley Daniel Webster Thomas Whittemore Fiona Wilson Faculty of Arts and Creative Technologies

Karen Goodchild Dr John Israilidis Angela Lawrence Vanessa Oakes Faculty of Business, Education and Law

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Qualification Successes

Mark Abbotts Dr Paul Barratt Paul Comerford Jayne Francis Dr Alexios Mylonas Paul Roberts Kayleigh Sheppard Sankaralingam Shunmugasundaram Kirsty Squires Fran Stubbs Daniel Tonge Dr Barra Touray David Trigg Dr Sarah Williams

Dr Mohammad Asaduzzaman Alison Davidson Dr Rachel Bolton-King Dr Caroline Sturdy-Colls Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Sciences

Dr Jade Elliott Dr Edward Tolhurst Faculty of Health Sciences

PhD Doctor in Education Dr Malcolm Ash Faculty of Business, Education and Law

Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Sciences

PhD Doctor of Philosphy Dr Tomasz Bosakowski

Dean Burt Dr Amy Burton Dr Robert Dempsey Juliette Frangos Stephanie Jones Dr Blerina Kellezi Dr Joanne Lloyd Clare Martin-Jones Beverley Meakin Dr Martin Partridge Belinda Priestley Stuart Richardson Jenny Sanders Karen Sirdefield Tracey Turner Jessica Wagner Angela Woolliscroft Anne Wright

Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Sciences

Faculty of Health Sciences

Amanda Sherratt Student Office

PgC Research Supervision Dr Peter Lamb Faculty of Arts and Creative Technologies

Dr Malcolm Ash Dr Jana Fiserova Louise Harrison Lynn Machin Jessey Pswarayi Faculty of Business, Education and Law

Dr Helen Branthwaite Faculty of Health Sciences

PhD on the basis of published work Dr Aoife Healy Faculty of Health Sciences

University Certificate in Cognitive Behavioural Interventions Andrea Alker Student Office

University Diploma in Professional Selling Deborah Sanderson Marketing and PR

VMWare Foundation Certificate Ashley Bailey Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Sciences

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The Excellence Award This award recognises an individual or team that has provided an outstanding contribution to raising the reputation and profile of Staffordshire University during the past year. This could be anything from a piece of research, industry collaboration project, or a contribution to public debate, through to the generation of a good news story or creation of impact through social media.

INDIVIDUAL AWARD NOMINEES Martin Fiddler

Eileen Phillips

Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Sciences

Estates and Commercial Services

Paul Johnson Information Services

Elaine Knox Faculty of Business, Education and Law

Judy O’Brien Estates and Commercial Services

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The Excellence Award

Prof Karen Rodham Faculty of Health Sciences

Dr Katy Vigurs Faculty of Business, Education and Law

SHORT-LISTED INDIVIDUAL AWARD NOMINEES Paul Johnson

Eileen Phillips

Professor Karen Rodham

During Staffordshire University’s REF 2014 submission Paul provided expertise, enthusiasm, and guidance to staff across the institution. REF 2014 improved our Grade Average Point and our position in the THES League Table, and members of the Research Committee and the Deputy Vice Chancellor expressed their appreciation for Paul’s contribution.

His understanding and agility of thought has helped provide a strong foundation for the next REF exercise, and contributed to a sustainable open access repository for all our intellectual property output. His outstanding effort is reflected in his day-to-day work, from backroom graft to crafting online access to library content, and engaging staff and students in innovative ways.

Eileen took on the interim role of heading up Accommodation and Residences in August 2014 and immediately had an impact.

Putting students at the centre of operations, Eileen instantly improved engagement and operating procedures, inspiring her team of student wardens with roles in open days and halls refurbishment. Her programme generated lots of positive social media coverage, with many attendees showing off their preferred university online at the recent open day.

Eileen puts a hug into everything she does for our campus residents, and ensures that her team always has a ‘can do’, ‘will do’ and ‘want to do’ attitude.

Karen has had a major impact on the research activity of the School of Psychology, Sport and Exercise. A mentor to a number of junior academic staff, she organised the successful ‘Images of Research’ competition, engaged the public with ‘Psychology in the Pub’ and continues to have impact internationally with frequent publications and in her role as Chair of the BPS Division of Health Psychology.

Karen’s enthusiasm, support and honesty has had a massive effect on research activity, promoting a shift towards knowledge creation and transfer, and enhancing the University’s external reputation. As Chair of the Faculty of Health Sciences Ethics Committee Karen is leading the way to REF 2020, improving resources and making the process less bureaucratic.

The Excellence Award

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TEAM AWARD NOMINEES Accounts Payable Team Finance

Faculty of Business, Education and Law

Lorraine Brown, Rhian Eskin, Sacha Morrall

Emma Berndt, Cath Hickling, Elaine Knox, Candice Shaw, Sharon Walker, Tom Ward

Accounts Receivable Team Finance Carol Bailey, Alex Boston, David Cooper, Sharon Johnson, Jacque Mottershead, Lesley Perry, Deborah Pownall, Sue Reynolds, Angela Ward

Campus Services Team - Stafford Estates and Commercial Services Pete Ashley, Pam Barlow, Gordon Champ, Max Dicks, Simon Duffy, Geoff Goode, George Gulley, Craig Holmes, Neil Johnson, Sid Kelly, Neil Preston

Campus Transformation Project Team Estates and Commercial Services Peter Allen, Nic Anderson, Jonathan Cain, Vicky Gouldbourn, John Hanna, Steve Marsh, Judy O’Brien, Phil Patrick

CaTSS Team – Clinical and Technical Skills Specialists

The Estates and Commercial Services Awards Ceremonies Team Estates and Commercial Services Ron Allcock, Scott Allcock, Pam Barlow, Jim Bentley, Rachel Burgess, Louise Chatfield, Dawn Clewlow, Philippa Cliffe, Allyson Connor, Joanne Connor, Hannah Davies, Max Dicks, Andy Griffiths, Dave Grosvenor, George Gulley, Jane Hancock, Chris Hankey, Natasha Hardy, Paul Hearson, Nicola Henson, Gill Hollins, Craig Holmes, Neil Johnstone, Sid Kelly, Hannah Lloyd, Adrian Lowe, Belinda Lowe, Nicki Morris, Kim Moody, Joe Muir, Alex Musso, George Spooner, Adam Van Winsum, Jamie Watton, Judith Wells, John Whittle, Alan Wynne

Knowledge Transfer Team Research, Business and Employability Services Naomi Arblaster, Alex Harvey, Susan Semple, Stuart Brown, Dominic Collins, Sian Dunning, Janet Daragheh, Adam Hope, Sean Farrell

Faculty of Health Sciences

Quality Enhancement Service

Clare Martin Jones, Clare McGroarty, Karen Sirdefield, Tracy Turner

Academic Development Unit

FCES Award Support Office Team, Mellor Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Sciences Richard Allies, Lucy Ball, Catherine Brough, Lynn Hawthorne, Marie Wright

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Education Awards Administrators

The Excellence Award

Jennifer Aincham, Julie Aldridge, Linda Eyre, Meg Goodwin, Christopher Gray, Chris Hanks, Andrea Jones

SHORT-LISTED TEAM AWARD NOMINEES Campus Transformation

CaTSS Team – Clinical and Technical Skills Specialists

Education Awards Administrators

The Estates and Commercial Services team has designed a programme of work that will transform the university. Making best use of funds and available space, they’ve proposed not only an incredible refurbishment but also a new building that our whole community will benefit from. They responded positively to a change of direction in January, pulling out all the stops to ensure business cases were signed off in June so work could begin. They have kept colleagues and students at the heart of all decisions and no matter what the challenge, they’ve remained professional and optimistic, demonstrating the university’s core values in all that they do.

The relatively new Clinical and Technical Skills Specialist team have evolved into a highly knowledgeable, effective and efficient team.

Our students continuously comment on how diligent and fun they are to work with, and sessions are always evaluated highly. The team has become an invaluable resource through their abilities in everything from co-ordinating timetables to acquiring new simulation equipment, and most recently planning for the forthcoming refurbishments.

Along with academic staff they have recently secured funding for high fidelity simulation equipment and resources to support clinical skills delivery, cleverly balancing cost-effectiveness with the needs of staff and students.

The Education Awards administrators manage the administrative support for around 2000 students in the School of Education, undertaking a large number of complex duties not normally associated with that kind of role.

They act as the first point of contact for all enquiries, displaying an unsurpassed level of sector knowledge and awareness. They advise potential students on the best ‘routes’ to qualification, and manage compliance processes, writing detailed reports to regulatory and government bodies. They also help manage an extensive placement portfolio and ensure that student data is always up to date and readily available for OFSTED. They do it all with diligence, professionalism and good humour, always looking for ways to improve their service.

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The Cross-University Excellence Award This award recognises a team of colleagues from across the University, which has provided an outstanding contribution to raising the reputation and profile of Staffordshire University during the past year. This could be anything from a piece of research, industry collaboration project, or a contribution to public debate, through to the generation of a good news story or creation of impact through social media.

AWARD NOMINEES Team Staffs Elite

Dr Jamie Barker, Steve Bateman, Phil Burgess Walker, Dr Lynne Duval, Dr Jacky Forsyth, Dr Peter Jones, Jonathan Pace, Deborah Sanderson, Brendon Skinner, Julie Smith

Team Staffs Elite is a Sport Scholarship programme established to support University Students that compete above County Level. With no initial budget, the team secured £60K of strength and conditioning gym equipment, donated by Matrix Fitness to equip a specialist lab and free sport facility access in the City. Sports clothing has been provided by the City Council and Bourne Sports, and University academics have supported the athletes with specialist workshops and training. Each Scholarship has a value of £6K, and alongside developing our high level competitors has raised the University profile, and supported recruitment and commercial partnership working.

iPad Teaching Team

Steve Bateman, Ed Matthews, Brendon Skinner, Mark Young Steve Bateman and Brendon Skinner have instigated and pioneered the use of iPads for teaching in Sports Therapy. They have worked across the University to make their approach operational, and SVS feedback shows their use of iPads has enhanced the student experience. Understanding has been increased and coursework return times have dropped from 20 days to two hours in some cases. It’s also predicted to improve attainment and good degree rates by around 10% this year. Their recent blog on iPad use has been positively received by internal colleagues and external organisations.

Innovative, engaged and inclusive, their team epitomise the 21st century approach to learning and teaching.

Staffordshire University Multi-Academy Trust Team

James Capper, Ruth Gill, Steve Hall, Clare Heywood, Allan Howells, Viv Lloyd, Lesley Rollason This team is comprised of people from across the University who work together to ensure that the operation of the MAT is mutually beneficial to the three schools we sponsor, and the wider university. Launched just 18 months ago, bringing these three schools together is a significant achievement, with more poised to join.

In representing the University in the community the team continually demonstrates professionalism, and a deep and abiding commitment to its values. The mission of the MAT is to raise standards of attainment and ensure achievement for all pupils in the schools we sponsor, many of whom could become Staffordshire University students one day.

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The Cross-University Excellence Award

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CELEBRATING STAFF SUCCESS

2014

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