campus connections ISSUE 68, JUNE ‘14 FOR UCOL STAFF, ABOUT UCOL STAFF
ISSUE 61, FEBRUARY ‘13
welcome Contents from the ce..........................................................................................3 who’s new.............................................................................................4 getting involved.............................................................................4 visionary language.......................................................................5 perfect posy........................................................................................6 new knowledge................................................................................7 web presence.......................................................................................8 staff success......................................................................................9 open day.............................................................................................. 10 student story................................................................................. 11 looking back.................................................................................... 12 easter awards................................................................................. 13 meet and greet............................................................................... 14 out there............................................................................................ 15
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from the ce Dear Staff The good level of enrolments for Semester one has got us off to a good start in terms of meeting our funded volume targets this year. Equally important are a number of other areas that will contribute to a good end of year result and our ability to retain funding levels. UCOL Council are very keen to ensure that our work this year sets us up for a good start heading into 2015. Part of this is successfully negotiating our Investment Plan for 2015-2018 with the TEC. It is our intention to demonstrate our improving performance so we can retain our current funding base as well as negotiate an increase that relate to government’s priority target areas. These are contained in the new Tertiary Education Strategy. Being able to demonstrate this improved performance includes keeping up the steady gains we are making in our course completion rates. Our final results for 2013 show that we moved from 73% to 76% in 2013, with the sector median being 80%. We need to reach the median for the sector this year. We also need to keep lifting our Māori completion rates so that all our student body achieves at the same level. This means continuing to improve our practices with the assistance of High Performing Teaching Teams, Te Atakura and Project Focus (previously Project Transform). In 2013 our Māori student course completions increased from 65% to 68%. Continuing to improve our EPIs will also position us well for our next External Evaluation Review. Our aim is to achieve Category 1 status based on our improved course completions and strengthening our Self Assessment processes. Being a Category 1 provider has many benefits including more independence for our academic operations and speed of approvals, easier immigration pathways for international students and less rigorous reporting to central government. Our achievements to date are based on everyone lifting their game and being open to change. I would like to acknowledge your contribution and that increased performance depends on our continued efforts. Kind Regards, Paul.
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getting involved learning and connecting
Nursing Lecturer Paul Hiscox (right) at a Sign Language taster session during NZSL Week
Awatapu and St Peter’s College representatives with ex-lease Macbooks gifted from UCOL recently 4
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visionary language MAPPING OUT THE FUTURE Design Lecturer Phill Andrews can see the future Palmerston North City Square encompassing culture, transport, business and infotainment. For his 2014 research project, Phill is looking at ‘Solar Powered Projection Pods’ as a way of displaying a whole range of visual material in the Square at night. Phill says the focus of the project is on visioning as a design tool. “In 2013 I was involved with designing a prototype for a standardised tablet docking phone system for REGUS in London. The interesting requirement of this assignment was revolved around creating a vision – not the final product. REGUS wanted to get the right look before they even considered the tooling process.” Phill now has a vision of how the Square might look in the future, as the starting point for his concept development project. The idea is that the solar powered projection
The projection pods vision pods, whatever the final form, will gather energy during the day and flower at dusk to form all sorts of shapes. “The design stages will investigate light and form through a range of conceptual designs moving into 3D prototype, physical materials, technology and automation. “It is early stages but the focus is on visioning as a design tool – inexpensive to produce yet a great way to map out the future.”
Phill Andrews’ Future City Blueprint ISSUE 68, JUNE ‘14
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perfect posy clear-cut win for glass artist Whaganui UCOL Lecturer Kathryn Wightman beat out more than 40 finalists from around the world recently in an international juried kilnglass exhibition. Kathryn came to Whanganui from the UK in 2012 to teach at Wanganui Glass School on the Whanganui UCOL Diploma in Glass Production and Design programme, has picked up the Gold Award in the Bullseye Glass Company Emerge 2014 eighth biennial kiln-glass exhibition for emerging artists. Bullseye Glass is a United States based manufacturer of coloured glass with worldwide distribution and a commitment to research, education, and promoting glass art. Kathryn will receive US$1000 worth of Bullseye Glass materials, and her winning work, ‘Posy’, will be part of a US tour later this year. Kathryn says she likes making glass not look like glass and ‘Posy’ utilises glass to mimic textile surfaces, which aim to challenge the viewer’s sense of reality.
“Hybrid decorative patterns are deconstructed to create multiple layered compositions. Each layer is stacked to add depth, allowing the patterned form to grow from the surface of the glass.” The process used involves screen printing using glass powder. “I discovered the process through my PhD study and it’s now of interest to people,” Kathryn says. Last year Kathryn travelled to the UK, Switzerland and the US to deliver workshops on her process. In June this year she will travel to Seattle to teach at the internationally renowned Pilchuck Glass School.
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new knowledge BANGERS MADE FLASH UCOL Wairarapa opened its teaching kitchen doors to the foodies of the region for a series of Cookery Master classes over the past few months. Guided by experts in their field, capacity audiences were able to prepare, cook and eat their creations.
hands-on art of making delicious savoury and sweet dumplings in early May. More recently Chief Steward at the 2014 NZ Cheese Awards, Melva Howard, took participants on an Ultimate Cheese Experience.
In March, sausage maker Craig Ireland from Hospitality Training Solutions Ltd in Hastings showed a total of 28 people the finer points of creating a good snag. Renowned Dumpling Queen from Wellington’s House of Dumplings, Vicky Ha, shared the
Damian Peeti and students tasting cheese Participants made traditional ricotta and learnt about choosing, handling, storing and cooking with cheese. Wairarapa Cookery Lecturer Damian Peeti says, “Due to the interest at last year’s Kokomai Festival, a Master class series seemed inevitable.”
UCOL Chef Lecturer Damian Peeti, Craig Ireland, Tui Cherry and Angela Hewitt
“Adding value to a community and family is what UCOL is all about,” he says.
te toi tauira registration
Registrations are now open for Te Toi Tauira Conference 2014 in Palmerston North on September 30 - 2 October. The theme for 2014 is He Puawai O Te Matauranga – defining best outcomes for Māori. What are they?
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To register for the conference please head to www.ucol.ac.nz and click on the event listing. For further information please email Audrey Tamanui-Nunn or Holly Rika at tetoitauira@ucol. ac.nz
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web presence new site for wsd Whanganui School of Design (WSD) now has a web presence, at www.wsd.ac.nz. Whanganui UCOL Associate Dean (Creative) Katrina Langdon says the website is a very exciting development. “It provides WSD with an opportunity to present design education to the world in ways which reflect the special character and fine reputation of the school and of Whanganui as a centre for design excellence. “The new website design is the result of Lecturer, Andres Salinas’s unwavering commitment to WSD and the design vision that
he has worked with the WSD team to shape and develop.
“It provides WSD with an opportunity to present design education to the world...” “The launch of this website also creates an outstanding opportunity for current students to present their design successes to the world and to remain connected to the Whanganui Design community.”
The home page at www.wsd.ac.nz 8
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staff success role-play all the way Catherine Snell-Siddle, Sarah Snell and Aaron Steele from UCOL’s School of Business and Computing have proven role-play is not just for budding actors. At an ‘embracing change’ conference run by the New Zealand Association for Cooperative Education (NZACE) in Christchurch recently, the trio presented a paper on an innovative roleplay activity that enabled students to test and develop their interview and communication skills in a real-world interview simulation. They came home with The Allister McLay Best Paper Award for 2014, judged by Richard Coll, an eminent researcher in the field of cooperative education, and the current Vice Chancellor of the University of Fiji. Catherine says the role-play activity is currently a component of the Bachelor of Information and
Communications Technology degree’s Professional Practice paper which aims to prepare students for their industry based projects which is the final paper and the culmination of their studies. “We want to equip students with the necessary skills, abilities and traits necessary for their progression and transition into the workforce. The paper was well received when presented due to the transferability of the activity across multiple disciplines,” she says. NZACE is a non-profit organisation that promotes cooperative education/work-integrated learning to education providers, workplaces and government in New Zealand. The conference was attended by delegates from the tertiary education sector including ITP’s and universities, as well as government agencies.
Aaron Steele, Catherine Snell-Siddle and Sarah Snell ISSUE 68, JUNE ‘14
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open day get in on the action
An Open Day for Diplomas and Degrees will be held on Wednesday 11 June on the Palmerston North campus. There will be displays in the Atrium and workshops in rooms around campus. External Relations Officer Gloria Evans has been hard at work contacting schools and pulling the day together.
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This year there is a focus on getting industry partners on board too. The Manawatu Jets, Manawatu Turbos, BCC have all confirmed attendance and The Edge is all set to run a sausage sizzle on the Green. The Day is shaping up to be a great one. If you are interested in being involved on the Day please contact Gloria Evans.
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student story Mathew feekes - u-skills Mathew Feekes has given the thumbs up to Jamie Oliver and the thumbs down to Gordon Ramsey. Mathew’s ambition is to work in the hospitality industry. He’s not quite sure whether to be a chef or own or manage his own cafe. Whatever the outcome he doesn’t want a “kitchen nightmare.” Mathew’s moment of indecision occurred 18 months ago. He was on the verge of leaving St Peter’s College but instead became interested in how Vocational Pathways could help learn the skills he was interested in. Being in the Trades Academy has allowed Mathew to continue his education, achieve NCEA Level 2 at school and spend a day a week at U-Skills. Under the guidance of Kelly Gay, Executive Dean of Trades and Technology, and his team, Mathew could explore options, receive work experience and successfully transition into the work force.
National Certificate in Hospitality and, this year, he’s tackling a one year Business Management Course. That means he has the flexibility to choose between managing his own restaurant or being creative in the kitchen. “I love what Jamie Oliver does. I’d love to work with him and he doesn’t swear at you,” Mathew comments. Already Mathew has a part-time job at Joe’s Garage restaurant and, last year, was nominated for UCOL’s Most Outstanding Student. And all this is happening while he’s still a Year 13 student at St Peter’s College.
“We give them the space and environment to make better choices,” Kelly says. Mathew enjoyed cooking at home and raised the idea with the UCOL team. “They were positive, created an atmosphere for me to learn and gave me hands-on opportunities,” he says. “They prepared me for the real world. Suddenly I was doing it.” Doing it included mastering the coffee machine at UCOL’s Ambitions Restaurant, knowing the difference between a latte and a flat white, preparing and cooking meals, serving customers in a formal setting and working front of house. “I love cooking a roast. The challenge for me is to ensure the potatoes are not underdone,” Mathew says. It’s the same challenge for the Trades Academy that the students are fulfilled, mentored, gain life experience, explore options and are not underdone. By the end of 2013 Mathew had achieved his
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Mathew Feekes - taking charge of his future UCOL was one of the first polytechs to receive government funding for a Trades Academy. In the three years it’s been going it’s “successfully morphed to suit the needs of schools,” Kelly says. “Seventy percent of school students don’t go to university. That’s the bulk of them. We see our role is to provide pathways for students so they can make sense of the confusion before a student leaves school without knowing what to do. It’s so important to create an environment where they grow and mature and make decisions for themselves.” Seventeen year old Mathew Feekes is an ideal, walking, talking, cappuccino making example. He’s one of 257 students at U-Skills who is taking charge of his future.
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looking back From the 2103 annual report The 2013 Annual Report is out now, you can find it on the UCOL website, www.ucol.ac.nz.
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easter awards and the winner is... The Whanganui Campus Easter Awards have been a tradition since the 1990’s. So long in fact no one can remember when they first started. The awards are usually held in the week prior to Easter and involve staff ‘dobbing’ in their colleagues by emailing the Easter Bunny with any silly things they may have said or done throughout the year. The award winners receive their gong and an Easter Egg at the Easter Awards ceremony. The ‘dobbers’ are acknowledged with an Easter egg quietly appearing on desks or in pigeonholes. “We always have a very fun time, and there are lots of laughs which are very much needed in our busy working lives,” says Business Tutor Kim Butters. Kim says the Easter Awards are all in good humour and have become a much anticipated, social event. “The mantle of Easter Bunny has been passed on to various people over the years,” says Kim. “Long may it continue.” The recipients’ names will not be divulged (what happens at Easter Awards stays at Easter Awards) but here is a taste of the April madness: SCIENCE RESEARCH AWARD: For the continued effort in cultivating mould and bacterial growths in the coffee cups accumulated on desks and shelves. ARMOUR GUARD AWARD: For locking oneself IN the mailroom for 15 minutes – lucky there was something to read! MARY POPPINS AWARD: For the new and innovative use of an umbrella to ward off the chilly downdraft from the very flash high tech air conditioning system. AIN’T TECHNOLOGY GRAND AWARD: For trying to use the ‘open all doors’ swipe card to open the lift doors!
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One of the bunny crowd MICROSOFT OFFICE GRADUATE OF THE YEAR AWARD: For surviving a difficult morning trying to work out how to mail merge from Excel, only to print 801 labels on the wrong side of the paper. I’M SURE THEY WERE HERE A MINUTE AGO AWARD: For bringing all work to a halt so colleagues could hunt high and low for lost car keys, only to realise the car was at the garage, and so were the keys. I’M FAR TOO YOUNG FOR A SENIOR MOMENT AWARD: For completely forgetting their own birthday celebration and having to be summoned by telephone. ONE POWER SWITCH TO RULE THEM ALL AWARD: For turning the heater off at the wall and then wondering why the computer wasn’t working. Evidently she hadn’t noticed a multi box plugged into the wall. HE WILL SAY HE WAS ONLY JOKING AWARD: For helping the Nurse Education Team with some email issues and being invited to join in the Florence Nightingale birthday celebrations – then asking what department she works in.
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meet and greet going to guangzhou Tim Snape has been to China before but he says it is one of those places in the world that never ceases to amaze. Last month he visited Guangzhou in China’s Guangdong province, to meet and teach the next cohort of students who will come to Whanganui UCOL to undertake culinary study.
“The sights, sounds, smells and tastes in China all take the senses to the extreme.”
The food there is definitely amazing and there is something for everyone!” While in China, Tim visited the Guangzhou Hospitality Supply Expo Centre, which he says is amazingly huge. “Words can’t describe how huge it is.” The cohort of 10 students is due to arrive in Whanganui in early August.
Tim says the students were really keen to learn and accommodating, though the facilities are not quite what we in New Zealand are used to. “The size and levels of equipment are the main differences, with the number of students in each class being trying! Health and safety really doesn’t exist either. “The sights, sounds, smells and tastes in China all take the senses to the extreme.
The Hospitality Supply Expo Centre
The next cohort of Whanganui UCOL culinary students from China 14
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out there arts & cultural awards Nominations are now open for the Student City Arts & Cultural Awards 2014. All talented and skilled tertiary and high school students are welcome to be nominated! Students have the opportunity to showcase their
skills by entering these awards. A panel of judges with professional backgrounds will go through all applications and the best will be awarded on the awards night on 9 October at the Convention Centre.
staff symposium 2014 Preparations for this year’s Staff Symposium are well underway. Putting the Pieces Together; teaching and learning as Dual Professionals will take place at the Palmerston North campus on Wednesday 9 July and is sponsored by High Performing Teaching Teams. Bill Potter from the New Zealand speaking circuit will be the MC for the day.
A 9.00am mihi whakatau and welcome by Paul McElroy will be followed by keynote speaker Prof Angus McFarlane and his address titled Diversity as a discourse for connecting teaching and learning. After morning tea, staff members are invited to participate in a variety of workshops. These workshops are diverse in their content so there should be something for everyone! The afternoon sessions include Stories from four dual professionals, a keynote address from Bill Potter, The Maverick Teacher and the presentation of HPTT awards by Nikki Maw and Janet Walke. The day will finish with reflections led by Micheal King from Cognition and the chance to socialise with fellow staff. Make sure you are part of this year’s Staff Symposium – the registration link will be sent out very soon.
David Blakiston, Glenis Bruin and Tim Snape during Andrew Mock’s workshop last year. ISSUE 68, JUNE ‘14
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