Channel 11/2011

A CHANGE FROM A change from theNORM Norm THE Our offerfor for2012 32 Our offer

NOV | DEC 11

Editor Sarah McGregor Senior communications officer Assistant editor Alison Crowe Communications officer Channel magazine is published every two months by Marketing and Communications.

Channel is available online at www.brighton.ac.uk/channel.

Alongside this publication our online newsletter eChannel is produced monthly at http://community.brighton.ac.uk/ echannel.

For the latest news about the university, please see www.brighton.ac.uk/news.

For an insight into research conducted at the university, see www.brighton.ac.uk/research.

Contact details Channel Marketing and Communications Mithras House Lewes Road, Brighton BN2 4AT +44 (0)1273 643022 communications@brighton.ac.uk Send your news to communications@brighton.ac.uk.

Front page image Norman Cook, former student at Brighton Polytechnic. Photo by Jim Holden.

Print and reproduction

By L&S Printing Company Limited registered to environmental standard, ISO 14001, This magazine was printed using inks made from vegetable-based oils and without the use of industrial alcohol. 100% of waste material used in production will be recycled.

02  Channel Magazine November | December 2011

Contents News 04 Comment Professor Julian Crampton

04–07 Round up News from across the university

Lead features 10–11 Our offer for 2012

12–13 A helping hand for 2012 students

14–15 The International College

18–19 Staff awards

24 Events

Features 20–21

08–09 Team in focus Registry

22–23

16–17 Special feature National Student Survey results

14–15

20–21 Opinion Norman Cook 22–23 On campus Opening of the Huxley building

08–09

18–19

November | December 2011 Channel Magazine 03

UNIVERSITY ROUND-UP

Comment Professor Julian Crampton, Vice-Chancellor

This edition of Channel magazine is focusing on new initiatives for this academic year, such as the opening of our International College, as well as looking towards the 2012 academic year with the introduction of a new fee regime and our package of bursaries.

Over the next three years funding by the government to higher education establishments will reduce by 40 per cent. To make up the shortfall we, along with many other universities, will be charging the maximum fee level of £9,000. This is not only a reflection of the cost of delivering our courses but also demonstrates our commitment to delivering high quality courses and being confident about positioning ourselves in what will become an increasingly competitive market place. We have a reputation for being one of the most socially inclusive universities and the approach we have taken for our 2012 bursaries will strengthen this further. Although the actual number of bursaries we award is likely to be less in number, we will be providing a higher level of financial support to students who need it most; those from lowincome and non-traditional backgrounds. The fee levels set will provide an annual bursaries fund of £5 million.

The next few weeks and months are critical for us and in early 2012, we will have a clearer picture of the impact of the new fees. Many of you are involved in open days, talking to prospective students over the phone or providing advice to friends and family about a university education. There are many views about the rights and wrongs of the changes planned, however our collective task is to demonstrate the benefits of a university education and, in particular, to promote the reasons for studying at the University of Brighton. We can be confident about our offering. The latest results of the National Student Survey reinforces this with our highest ever score of 83 per cent satisfaction amongst students (and an outstanding result of 95 per cent satisfaction amongst BSMS students). There are areas we need to improve on, however, the survey results demonstrate that we provide an excellent teaching and learning environment for students.

Thank you for your commitment and work over the last academic year. It will be increasingly important for all of us to remain focused on providing a high-quality student experience over the coming months and years.

04 Channel Magazine November | December 2011

FACULTY OF SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING Joining forces to cut emissions The University of Brighton and the Sussex-based Ricardo UK, world leaders in engineering technology consultancy, are joining forces to find ways of cutting carbon emissions in heavy-duty vehicles.

Most car makers produce electric or low-emission hybrid vehicles but heavyduty trucks and similar vehicles are proving more difficult to convert.

The project will look for solutions, funded in part by the UK Technology Strategy Board. Ricardo and the university submitted a winning feasibility study to the board’s recent Disruptive technologies in low carbon vehicles competition.

Shoreham-based Ricardo and university scientists will model and evaluate an advanced split-cycle combustion system that will increase engine efficiency. Unlike previous research, which focused on refining existing four-stroke engines, the CoolR project will examine a new concept based on a split-cycle, temperature-controlled system which increases engine efficiency.

Ricardo has successfully demonstrated a split-cycle isothermal compression engine for power generation engine IsoEngine, but by using the freezing ingredient, liquid cryogen, Ricardo hopes to produce a 40 per cent energy efficiency, significantly better than other technologies.

Dr David Mason, who is leading on the research for the university, said: “Reducing carbon emissions is crucial in combating global warming and we are confident CoolR can make a significant contribution to that task.”

Nick Owen, project director for research and collaboration at Ricardo, said: “The global imperative to reduce the carbon footprint of road transportation is now almost universally accepted.

While electrification, hybridisation and improvements of the existing internal combustion engine offer a pathway to sustainability for light vehicles, a major problem remains in the heavy duty sector.”

FACULTY OF EDUCATION AND SPORT Fundraising for charity University of Brighton students raised £8,400 for nine different charities by organising masquerade balls, children’s tea parties, technology education days and quiz nights for their Oh My Gosh fundraising project.

The students from the International Event Management BA(Hons) course at the School of Service Management delivered events for over 550 paying guests, a feat which organisers described as “quite an achievement for students and their charities, considering the current economic climate.”

Their work involved designing event concepts, undertaking feasibility tests, developing project plans, raising seed money, seeking sponsors and marketing.

Julie Kentsley-Holt, course module leader, said: “The students should be commended on the range of events they delivered. They have represented the university professionally and are a credit to themselves. Ticket sales have been particularly challenging this year, but the students worked exceptionally hard to ensure that they not only broke even but made a profit.”

Student, Gisele Waterfall, said “I gained valuable experience in my role as team leader and, as a group, we learned that organising an event such as this can be challenging and rewarding. We enjoyed the whole experience and introduced new supporters to the charity.”

UNIVERSITY ROUND-UP

FACULTY OF EDUCATION AND SPORT Expert joins Olympic campaign A University of Brighton sports expert has been chosen to help Britain’s athletes to Olympic success in London next year.

Professor Jo Doust, head of the university’s Chelsea School of Sport in Eastbourne, has been appointed a non-executive director of the English Institute of Sport (EIS) which works to improve performance of elite athletes through high-quality sport science and medical support.

Steve Cram MBE, Olympic silver medallist and EIS board chairman, said: “I am delighted to welcome Jo and have no doubt that the EIS will benefit hugely from his extensive knowledge and experience in the field of sport and exercise science.”

FACULTY OF SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING Skills for saving lives

Dr Kaiming She and Dr Heidi Burgess explained how energy from the sea can power or protect coastal communities.

Teenagers attending masterclasses learned how civil engineering skills save people from disasters including earthquakes.

Dr Friederike Gunzel gave an overview of tectonic activity and earthquakes and a technical lecture by Dr Pierfrancesco Cacciola, explained the design of earthquake-resistant buildings. One student commented: “I thoroughly enjoyed the course and the masterclasses – I learnt a lot. It gave me a brilliant impression of what’s required to become a civil engineer.”

During the four-day event, 34 students from schools across Sussex and the UK conducted tests using state-of-the-art facilities in the School of Environment and Technology, including a 20-metre wave flume, an earthquake simulation table and water quality equipment.

Staff demonstrated how civil engineering know-how can be employed in emergency situations.

Professor Huw Taylor, professor of microbial ecology, gave an insight into the potential consequences of drinking contaminated water and the engineer’s role in preventing infection.

The event was organised by Dr Burgess and STEM Sussex in partnership with The Smallpeice Trust.

Above: Students experimenting with the construction of an earthquake-resilient tower.

Professor Doust, chair of the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences, said: “I am honoured to be joining the board, helping provide strategic direction to the organisation in the build-up to the 2012 Olympic Games and beyond.

“The University of Brighton is a leading professional and applied university and works hard to link academic research with real-world people and organisations. The EIS provides fantastic support to our Olympic and Commonwealth athletes. Contemporary sport is so competitive that every edge counts and I hope I can contribute to the science and medical support that can help achieve medal success on the world stage.”

The EIS delivers an average of 4,000 hours of elite athlete services a week from 15 high-performance centres around the country, offering support services including: physiotherapy, medicine, strength and conditioning, performance nutrition, sports psychology, physiology, biomechanics, performance analysis, performance lifestyle, soft tissue therapy and talent identification.

November | December 2011 Channel Magazine 05

UNIVERSITY ROUND-UP

FACULTY OF SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING Petra’s poster success A presentation on the work of University of Brighton scientists has won an international award.

The prize for an outstanding poster presentation was awarded at the seventh European Conference on Mineralogy and Spectroscopy in Potsdam, Germany, to Petra Kristova, a technician and PhD candidate in the university’s School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences.

The presentation, supervised by Dr Ken Rutt from the school and Dr Laurence Hopkinson from the School of Environment and Technology, focused on the university’s work on quantification of carbonate mineral mixtures by Raman spectroscopy.

The purity and quality of commercially important carbonate minerals found in nature vary considerably hence characterisation of their mixtures is of great interest to mining and other industries.

Above: Arts students preparing for their fashion show.

Raman spectroscopy is an analytical technique that offers rapid identification of materials. Minimal sample preparation and recently developed portable equipment enable on-site monitoring, saving industry time and money.

Dr Rutt, a senior lecturer, said: “During the time that Petra has been working on this project at the interface of chemistry and geology, she has proved to be an outstanding research scientist and it is great that her endeavours have been recognised internationally.”

06 Channel Magazine November | December 2011

FACULTY OF ARTS World-class fashion Fashion at the University of Brighton has been judged world class in a new global survey. Style website fashionista. com has compiled a list of the top 50 fashion schools, ranked on tuition, variety of programmes and famous graduates – and Brighton’s Faculty of Arts fashion and textiles courses were ranked twenty-second in the world.

Fashionista’s league table formed part of a guide to would-be fashion students. They spoke to employers in the fashion industry to see where they hire their students from and considered individual application process, location and popularity.

Malcolm McInnes, academic programme leader in the School of Architecture and Design, said: “The increased international and national interest of talented students drawn to study fashion at Brighton is testimony to the perfect balance of skills we offer on both the MDes and BA(Hons) courses.

“Encouraging students to develop subject-specific skills in design and making, industry knowledge and experience together with entrepreneurial ambition is key to their success from the programme. Our decision to offer a greater number of undergraduate places to students in our courses from September 2011 gives more opportunity to those keen to study fashion at Brighton to be successful on application.”

BRIGHTON BUSINESS SCHOOL Managing innovation and leadership in Tanzania Academics from the Brighton Business School are helping one of the poorest countries in the world by providing management training to support innovation, develop leadership skills and help reduce poverty.

A United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) review of Tanzania’s National Science, Technology and Innovation System identified the need for new ideas to unlock the country’s potential for social and economic development.

UNIVERSITY ROUND-UP

As a result, the Tanzanian government and UNESCO turned to the Brighton Business School for help.

East and Australia, mainly on cycling sites but also on general news sites.

It even made the pages of the millionselling Der Spiegel in Germany, one of Europe’s most popular magazines.

Professor Howard Rush, assistant head of research and Dr Dave Francis, assistant head of the Centre for Research in Innovation Management (CENTRIM) designed a skills-based Managing Innovation train-the-trainer programme first delivered in 2010. The course, which included intensive study with practical sessions, was chosen as the best means of empowering and enabling Tanzanians to become innovation champions.

CENTRIM has been running Managing Innovation: Optimising the Power of New Ideas courses (in collaboration with a US company, Barnes and Conti) around the world for the past five years.

Over 4,000 managers have completed the courses with 40 certified trainers working in USA, Brazil, Venezuela and, most recently, Tanzania.

Professor Rush and Dr Francis recently conducted a new innovation strategy workshop to complement the earlier innovation management course.

Eighteen senior managers from six Tanzanian companies took part, along with six local trainees who, when certified, will take over the running of the new course. Their positive feedback praised the facilitators’ ‘brilliant and professional conduct’. The workshop helped participants to clarify their organisation’s current and required strategy, assisted them to determine where their businesses needed innovation, and defined what their top management team needed to do in order to direct, facilitate and assess innovation.

Dr Francis said: “CENTRIM is proud to have made a contribution to practical innovation in a country that has such a pressing need for economic development.”

Emily, a Product Design graduate, is now studying in the USA where she hopes to develop the idea. She said: “I wanted to tackle the issue of safety of cyclists on city streets by increasing the visibility, footprint, and ultimately the awareness of the bicycle. Eighty per cent of cycle accidents occur when bicycles travel straight ahead and a vehicle manoeuvres into them.

FACULTY OF SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING Lighting the way

“The most common contributory factor is ‘failed to look properly’ on the part of a vehicle driver. The evidence shows the bike simply is not seen on city streets. Even when lit up like a Christmas tree a bicycle in a bus’s blind-spot is still invisible. With BLAZE, you see the bike before the cyclist and I believe this could really make a difference in the key scenarios threatening cyclists’ lives on the roads.”

A School of Architecture and Design graduate has received worldwide attention for developing a safety device for cyclists – alerting motorists to their presence.

Emily worked with road safety experts, Brighton & Hove City Council, the Brighton & Hove Bus Company and driving psychologists in developing BLAZE.

Emily Brooke’s invention is being hailed as a potential lifesaver and won her the only UK place at a prestigious college in the USA, on an entrepreneurship programme.

BLAZE is a small, battery-powered device that is attached to the handlebars of bicycles, motorcycles or scooters, and which projects a laser image ahead onto the road. A bright green bicycle symbol travels ahead of the cyclist, alerting others to its presence. It has the option to be flashing, maximising perception, and the image is visible even in daylight.

BLAZE has been reported in newspapers, magazines and on dozens of websites throughout the UK, Europe, North America, the Far

Above: Emily Brook and her BLAZE device

BRIGHTON BUSINESS SCHOOL School celebration Current and former Brighton Business School staff and students were invited to the school’s twenty-fifth anniversary celebration.

The University of Brighton’s school threw open its doors at Mithras House in Moulsecoomb, Brighton, to allow visitors to catch up with old friends and colleagues, and to hear a keynote talk from Professor Jackie O’Reilly, professor of comparative employment, on The Trouble with Women. There was also be a panel discussion on whether FTSE 100 companies can remain socially responsible.

November | December 2011 Channel Magazine 07

TEAM IN FOCUS

IN FOCUS...

THE ROLE OF REGISTRY Headed up by Martyn Annis, the Registry is a large department of 78 staff divided into nine teams covering admissions, educational liaison and recruitment, widening participation, academic standards and partnerships, international office, student records and fees, student record systems and data, examinations, ceremonies and awards and the administration of the new Doctoral College.

Martyn joined the university in 2009 after 19 years working in the Registry at Kings College, London. He was joined in October 2010 by deputy head Jo Corbett who had spent the previous three years at Brighton and Sussex Medical School and before that headed up the administration at a specialist higher education college for nurses.

The summer is a particularly busy time for Registry colleagues as they tie up one academic year and prepare to enter a new year. Significant areas of work include sending confirmation of places for 2011 applicants and organising clearing, preparing to re-enrol returning students and to enrol of nearly 6,000 new students, publication of the new regulations, supporting the accreditation of courses and progression pathways for students of the new University of Brighton International College, preparing for the annual student data return to the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) and the annual awards ceremonies.

The numbers involved can be huge. For example, the annual student data return to HESA involves over two million lines of data, all of which have to be scrutinised to ensure accuracy, integrity and validation against set criteria.

08  Channel Magazine November | December 2011

This data is used by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) to define our levels of government funding in future years.

Over this academic year the Academic Standards and Partnerships team will service around 60 university committee meetings and appoint 115 new external examiners to join the current 50 examiners. The section coordinates the validation of between 16 and 22 courses a year. The team is also preparing for the new Key Information Set and the forthcoming Institutional Review.

At the 2010 summer awards ceremonies 3,400 students graduated in nine ceremonies over five days, bringing with them more than 8,500 guests. Admissions confirmed places to 4,600 new students in July and August, and took over 4,000 of calls from students over two days during clearing.

All new students enrol online and attend an enrolment session during September and October. All this has to be achieved within strictly limited numbers of undergraduate and post-compulsory teacher training places set by HEFCE.

In addition, many new international students will require a visa to study in the UK and Registry will issue around 1,200 Confirmation of Acceptance of Studies, in line with strict and ever-changing UK Border Agency rules.

During the autumn term the Records and Fees team will raise fees of over ÂŁ53 million, confirm attendance of around 12,000 individual students to the Student Loans Company and issue 5,000 bursaries. They also deal with queries from potential applicants for 2012 who are anxious to know more about the new fee regime and bursaries package.

The Widening Participation team work with young people between year 4 and access level and learners from non-traditional backgrounds, showing them the benefits of a university education. Last year the team interacted over 8,300 times with young people, parents and staff in 60 schools and colleges. The team also gives advice, guidance talks and workshops to students in further education and Access to HE programmes, and gave over 110 talks to these groups last year.

The Educational Liaison and Recruitment team makes up to 100 visits to schools and colleges to give presentations, run workshops and attend careers progression events throughout the UK, Channel Islands and Europe.

TEAM IN FOCUS

The focus for all of us will be on the student experience and providing the best opportunities to enable students to get the most of their time at university.

School visits and residential events are organised for 15 colleges at the university’s campuses and the team also attends 30 large-scale UCAS higher education Fairs with between 180,000–200,000 prospective students attending. Nine pre-application undergraduate open days are also organised for 16,000 potential applicants and their families in the autumn term.

Colleagues in the International Office visit 18 countries worldwide to attend recruitment fairs and meet with international recruitment agents. In addition to preparing for ceremonies in February and next July, the Examinations, Ceremonies and Awards team organise and service examinations involving 36,000 individual sittings, and arrange over 200 merit scholarships payments.

The Admissions team are preparing to roll out phase one of the new university Admissions and the Systems and Data team will be delivering up to 50 formal training sessions and many more workshops and desk-side support sessions.

During the next few years Registry staff face new challenges and will be required to implement further changes to university policy as a result of continuing changes in higher education and UKBA policy. The focus for all of us will be on the student experience and providing the best opportunities to enable students to get the most of their time at university. For Registry this will mean working more closely with colleagues in other departments, particularly student services, finance and school offices working towards unified access to the different services we provide.

November | December 2011 Channel Magazine  09

lead feature

From September 2012 our fees for all full-time undergraduate UK and EU students attending the University of Brighton will be £9,000 per annum. Here we explain why we set the fees at this level, take a look at government funding available for students and how the new system will work in practice.

To provide some background, at the end of 2009 the government initiated a review by Lord Browne to make recommendations on the future of fees and student finance. These recommendations were made in October 2009 at the same time as the comprehensive spending review which detailed cuts across the public sector. For higher education, the overall budget will be reduced from £7.1 billion to £4.2 billion by 2014–15, a reduction of 40 per cent.

FUNDING CHANGE FOR UNIVERSITY OF BRIGHTON Chart 1: 2011–2012 Budget

They also approved our plans to spend more than £5 million every year to improve access and support for students, primarily from low income families and from families who traditionally did not go to university (see page 12 and 13 for more details on our bursary schemes).

Chart 2: 2014–2015 (current prices)

The impact of this for the University of Brighton can be seen in the pie chart. At the moment we receive 33 per cent of our budget from the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE). By 2014–15 this will make up just 12 per cent of our budget. When compared to the proportion of our budget made up from student fees, which increases from 34 per cent to 58 per cent of our budget over the same time period, it clearly illustrates there will be significant changes in the funding sources for universities.

Commercial, Residential and Catering Tuition Fees NHS Teaching and Development Agency HEFCE

10 Channel Magazine November | December 2011

Earlier this year all higher education establishments were required to submit to the Office for Fair Access (OFFA) how they planned to support students from non-traditional backgrounds alongside their proposed fee levels. In July OFFA approved our tuition fee levels of £9,000 for undergraduate degrees delivered by the University of Brighton and of between £7,000 and £8,300 for students at our partner colleges.

We are also investing a further £2.8 million in outreach work with local schools and colleges, and for academic and pastoral support for students most in need, to help them make successful applications to the university and to support them in their studies.

In making the decision on fee levels we took into account a range of factors including: • the real costs from 2012 of delivery of our courses • the fact that many require highly specialised facilities and equipment • the significant uncertainty as to the amount of future public funding the government will provide for our courses • the distinctive value of our courses, many of which are approved by statutory and professional bodies • our growing reputation for research excellence • and our continuing popularity with prospective students – we have received nearly 40,000 applications this year, making us the twelfth most applied for university in the country.

lead feature

The government has set out the conditions for how and when the loans need to be paid back. The tuition fee and living cost loan does not need to be paid back until the course has been completed and graduates are earning over £21,000. Payments are deducted from a salary like tax and national insurance. If earnings fall below £21,000 payments stop. All outstanding payments are written off after 30 years. The repayments are set at 9 per cent of income above £21,000. So someone on a salary of £25,000 will have 9 per cent of £4,000 deducted for repayment, amounting to £30 per month.

LOAN REPAYMENT SCHEME Salary

RANGE OF LOANS AND GRANTS AVAILABLE FROM THE GOVERNMENT TO HELP STUDENTS FINANCE THEIR STUDIES Government funding

Who for

Tuition fee loan

UK and EU students going to university for the first time

Maintenance loan (also called living cost loan) Maintenance grant

Disabled Students Allowance

£25,000 £30,000 £35,000 £40,000 £45,000 £50,000 £55,000 £60,000

From which 9% will be deducted £4,000 £9,000 £14,000 £19,000 £24,000 £29,000 £34,000 £39,000

Repayment per month £30 £67.50 £105 £142.50 £180 £217.50 £255 £292.50

Source: Department for Business, Innovation and Skills March 2011

How much

£9,000 for full-time students Up to £6,750 for part-time students Full-time English students £5,500 if living away from home £4,375 if living at home Full-time English students Full grant of £3,250 if household income is £25,000 or less Partial grant if household income between £25,000 and £42,600 No need to pay back Disabled students To help with additional study costs No need to pay back

Part-time students who earn over £21,000 have to start paying back their loans after three years even if their course has not finished. Interest will be charged on the tuition fee loan from the time it is taken out until it is repaid.

We have increased the fees for international and postgraduate students by around five to seven percent. For 2012, international fees will range from £10,500 to £12,750 and postgraduate fees from £4,320 to £12,510.

Full details about our offer for 2012 are available on the SMT feedback pages on staffcentral and also detailed in the staff booklet, Communicating the University of Brighton Offer 2012.

November | December 2011 Channel Magazine 11

lead feature

A HELPING HAND The Office for Fair Access (OFFA) recently approved University of Brighton plans to spend more than £5m every year on fee waivers, bursaries and scholarships. We have a reputation as one of the most socially inclusive institutions in the country and although changes are on the way, our commitment to students remains unchanged.

The new bursary scheme is a very different way of supporting our students, and will mean that help is targeted more at those who need it most.

When differential fees were introduced in 2006 our expenditure to promote widening access was mostly on cash bursaries. However, for the 2012 access agreement, OFFA instructed us to: “where possible increase your outreach expenditure. This approach has been driven by our belief that targeted long-term outreach is a more effective way of widening access than precise amounts of bursary expenditure.”

OFFA also asked that financial support be more targeted in future.

Another major change is how the financial support is provided to students. Under the existing system, the bursary is a cash payment. The new bursaries may include three elements: fee reduction, cash (to a maximum of £1,000) and discounted services, for example, uni card credits or contributions towards accommodation costs. The government was particularly keen that universities include a fee waiver, reducing the debt incurred by the students and the amount borrowed using student loans.

12 Channel Magazine November | December 2011

SUMMARY OF UNIVERSITY OF BRIGHTON BURSARIES University bursary Widening access

Total value two-year taught course £5,000

Total value three-year Total value four-year taught course taught course £7,000 £9,000

Care leavers

£5,000

£7,000

£9,000

Aimhigher

£4,000

£6,000

£8,000

Access to architecture Access to pharmacy

N/A

£3,000

N/A*

N/A

N/A

£4,000

Access to teaching

N/A

N/A

£4,000

* Architecture students receive £1,000 per year for the undergraduate course (three years) and a further £1,000 for each of the two years of the postgraduate course.

There are two main types of bursary funding. The National Scholarship Programme (NSP) involves the university matching funds provided by the government. In the first year of the programme £555,000 has been allocated by the university.

The NSP covers the care leavers’ bursary and the widening access bursary.

The care leaver’s bursary is aimed at young people who have been in care for at least 13 weeks since their fourteenth birthday as well as young people who have been living in supported accommodation. This group is the least likely to go to university, with only seven per cent of care leavers progressing to higher education.

The university has a strong record of working with care leavers. Since being awarded the Frank Buttle Quality Kitemark in 2008, the number enrolling has increased from eight to 19 last year. In 2011 more than 25 careleavers will be studying with us.

We have identified the groups of students who would benefit most from receiving more financial support than in previous years.

We have also linked the provision with outreach and retention initiatives.

lead feature

The Aimhigher Brighton bursary will be awarded to local students who have participated in either the Aimhigher programme or a University of Brighton widening participation initiative. Students are selected to take part in these schemes on the basis of a variety of factors that indicate deprivation.

We are pleased to be able to continue the valuable work undertaken by Aimhigher Sussex and to be able to support students who could have been part of this scheme for five years. This bursary reflects the university’s commitment to the local community and will be accompanied by an extended outreach programme.

The access to architecture, pharmacy and teaching bursaries reflect our ambition to improve access to professional careers and to support those from lower income families to take professional four and five-year courses. The Access to Architecture course is also available to three-year undergraduate architecture students and a further £1,000 is available for each of the two years of the postgraduate course.

We are continuing the University of Brighton Disabled Athletes Scholarship, which has run successfully for some years.

The widening access bursary is specifically for students from low-income families and from neighbourhoods where fewer people than average go to university. By combining these two factors we are hoping to reach students who have suffered real disadvantage. This would include students from areas of Hastings and from Whitehawk in Brighton. In 2010, only one young person from the latter area went to university.

Both these bursaries are particularly designed to link with outreach activities and to address the challenges faced by students taking longer courses.

In addition to the NSP, the university has committed £300,000 to other bursaries, scholarships and financial support in 2012, rising to £1.5 million in 2015.

There will also be a University of Brighton Student Support Fund, which will complement the Access to Learning fund allowing students who are in real need (who may in the past have been eligible for a general university bursary) to receive one-off payments.

We will be able to reduce some of the effects of fee increases for students from non-traditional and low-income backgrounds.

In redesigning the bursary schemes, we have identified the groups of students who would benefit most from receiving more financial support than in previous years. We have also linked the provision with outreach and retention initiatives.

The University of Brighton bursaries are for full-time undergraduate students from England. Part-time students will receive pro-rota support providing they meet criteria similar to those for full-time students.

Although fewer students will be receiving a bursary from the University of Brighton, students with household incomes below £42,600 will still be eligible for government grants and loans.

We hope that by having more tightly targeted and higher-value support, we will be able to reduce some of the effects of fee increases for students from nontraditional and low-income backgrounds.

November | December 2011 Channel Magazine 13

special feature

The University of Brighton’s International College opened at the university in September, providing new opportunities for students from around the world to join us. The opening of the International College will contribute to the university experience for all our students and to meeting the international objectives of the university’s corporate plan.

Students wishing to further their education in the UK will sometimes require a pathway, or foundation programme, to meet the entry requirements for university. This may be because they come from a country with a 12-year education system or need more preparation for postgraduate study.

Students at the International College will undertake up to five terms of academic and preparatory tuition. Once they successfully complete their programme and achieve the required grades, students can progress to almost 100 undergraduate and postgraduate degrees available to International College students at the university in 2012. The curriculum, academic standards and assessment criteria for the International College programmes are the responsibility of a joint academic board chaired by the university.

Faculty standards committees are responsible for approving the university courses that are available to students as progression routes. Interest in attending the International College and progressing on to the University of Brighton has been strong. At the time of writing, over 100 students from 27 countries have accepted offers to study.

Richard Spoor, manager of the university’s International Office, is working with the International College to achieve best use of resources and greater coverage of the university’s priority and emerging regions.

He explains that access to a network of more than 400 representatives in 60 countries worldwide “will complement our own international relationships and allow us to reach many more students across the world, who can benefit from the professional strength of the university to build careers and futures.”

Students also have more time to adjust to life in the UK before moving on to the university. They are supported in an excellent learning environment in which they are guided and monitored throughout their academic progress.

Small class sizes at the International College allow for individual attention and assist learning. English language preparation can be provided for students who require it.

Phil Mandy, quality director at the university, says that “we are confident that the pre-degree and pre-masters pathways, specifically designed for entry to the university’s courses, will prove to be very successful.”

14 Channel Magazine November | December 2011

The university’s Pro-Vice-Chancellor with responsibility for international affairs, Colin Monk, says that “with increasing recognition of the value of the international perspective to learning and the development of new knowledge, the university plans to continue to attract greater numbers of international students. The International College will continue to grow in coming years, complementing our activities internationally and making a major contribution to the university’s ambitions for the global Brighton community.”

If you would like more information about the International College from the university, please contact Phil Mandy on p.j.mandy@brighton.ac.uk or Richard Spoor on r.a.spoor@brighton.ac.uk.

Students at the new International College.

special feature

The director of the International College at the University of Brighton, Peter Venables (pictured above), was joined by International College staff at their new premises on the Moulsecoomb campus to greet their new students.

Where have you been before arriving in Brighton to start our International College?

I’ve been working at Glasgow International College (in partnership with the University of Glasgow) for over four years now, and have seen that grow from an office, some floor plans and a list of students into a busy college on seven floors and over 670 students this year.

Why is the service of the International College important?

It’s a great opportunity for international students who – because of the education system they’ve been through, say – wouldn’t normally have a chance to make it to University of Brighton directly. We aim to provide more time for students from other countries to adjust to the university, the culture and the norms of UK higher education.

Could you share one of the things you are most looking forward to in this first year of the International College’s operation?

Beyond the first year, I can’t wait to see our first University of Brighton graduates. That success at the university is how we have to measure ourselves, and from that keep aiming to provide the right preparation and levels of support and independence.

What are you looking forward to about living and working in one of Britain’s most famous and diverse cultural centres?

The international student environment has always been one I’ve enjoyed for its diversity and mix of cultures and points of view. Beyond the International College, I’m looking forward to discovering that richness of experience in the city.

November | December 2011 Channel Magazine 15

special feature

IMPROVED RESULTS FOR

National Student Sur ey The results of this year’s National Student Survey (NSS) have again showed an overall improvement in students’ perception of their experience at the University of Brighton. The results showed a four-point percentage increase in satisfaction from 79 to 83 per cent. The Brighton and Sussex Medical School achieved the highest satisfaction rate in the country at 95 per cent.

The NSS, which began in 2005, provides UK higher education institutions with annual data about their students’ level of satisfaction with their learning experience. Along with other internal student evaluation data, NSS is a central part of the university’s academic health process.

for being enthusiastic and for making courses intellectually stimulating. An increasing number of students thought their courses had made them more confident and had helped improve their communication skills. The majority said courses were well organised and that they ran smoothly.

Students provide responses to 22 questions based on a five-point scale and covering seven categories.

• The teaching on my course • Assessment and feedback • Academic support • Organisation and management • Learning resources • Personal development • Overall satisfaction

The results show that in some key areas specific improvements made by course tutors, school administrators and university-wide staff during 2009 and 2010 have had a marked effect in improving student experience.

Sixty-four per cent of our students took part in this years’ survey and, in almost every category, more students said they were satisfied. Students praised staff for making subjects interesting, for explaining them well,

Historically we have performed less well in the organisation and management, and assessment and feedback categories. Initiatives implemented include tackling timetabling issues by introducing rolling timetables to minimise changes, finalising and publishing timetables before the academic year begins, and by better communicating changes to lecture topics and venues through studentcentral, by text message and using Google calendar.

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Students’ responses to their experience are shaped by their expectations and managing those expectations is an important factor in the NSS results.

In response to this, a number of schools have revised their induction week programmes and course-related literature for all new students where the culture, environment and teaching philosophy are outlined.

This includes learning outcomes, the role of assessment, the differences between summative and formative feedback, and learning and teaching methods.

satisfaction with course teaching

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Schools have been committed to improving the rate at which students’ work is marked and returned to them and are continuing efforts to make their assessment criteria transparent and accessible. Several courses hold student briefing sessions to explain the criteria used and written feedback has been made clearer so it highlights strengths and weaknesses.

Schools have also been encouraging tutors to offer students greater support, particularly with work placements, workshops and projects. Tutorial systems are being revised to provide greater one-to-one tutorial support to help students with assessments, and enabling them interpret the feedback they receive.

RESULTS OF THE NATIONAL STUDENT SURVEY FOR UNIVERSITY OF BRIGHTON COMPARING 2010 TO 2011 Satisfaction with..

Results 2010 (%) Results 2011(%)

Difference

The teaching on my course

82

85

3

Assessment and feedback

65

67

2

Academic support

75

76

1

Organisation and management

68

71

3

Learning resources

82

82

0

Personal development

80

81

0

Overall satisfaction

79

83

4

Visit http://staffcentral.brighton.ac.uk/spo/planning/nss for further details on the NSS results.

satisfaction with personal development

Despite these improvements there is more which can be done. Commenting on the results Vice-Chancellor Julian Crampton said: “The sector average score this year is also 83 per cent and there are some subject areas and courses where lower scores and the accompanying student comments are telling us we still need to improve. The Deputy Vice-Chancellor and the deans will be identifying those areas and discussing them with heads and course teams over the next few weeks.

“Overall, however, the 2011 NSS supports the view that this university provides an excellent teaching and learning environment for students.

This can give us great confidence in presenting a strong case for the value of higher education at the University of Brighton in the year ahead.”

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SPECIAL FEATURE

The university’s Pro-Vice-Chancellor (business and marketing) Colin Monk presented the awards.

Other award winners • Student/alumni Entrepreneurship (£1,000 prize) – David Ferguson for Loft Storage Stilts to provide more storage space and increase insulation.

• Student/alumni Social Enterprise (£1,000 prize) – Lydia Addison for Free by Design, a fashion and textile agency to market undergraduates’ work.

• Profitnet Star Performer – Nathan Hayward of More Than Handy and Keith Pordum from Bon Appetit.

• Profitnet Innovation Champion – Keith Pordum from Bon Appetit.

• Profitnet SuperGroup – Profitnet West Sussex Group.

Left: Enterprise Award winners celebrate. Photo: Jim Holden.

INNOVATION AND ENTERPRISE AWARDS The University of Brighton 2011 Innovation and Enterprise Awards saw two university staff win Enterprising Partnership Awards for their development work in sustainability.

In the public and third sector category, business development manager, Zoe Osmond, won an Enterprising Partnership award, along with James Grugeon from Environment Protection UK and Tom Chute from Brighton and Hove 10:10 for their work in promoting sustainability. Zoe said: “We were delighted to accept the award. We have been working very closely over the past year and a half on innovative and inspiring initiatives designed to get people thinking about their carbon footprint and ways to reduce it.

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“Our partnership has led to joint planning of a pilot project for Brighton & Hove, which involves working with communities on a streetby-street basis to upgrade energy efficiency and ensure homes are well-insulated; an issue which is becoming more pressing with rising fuels prices and economic pressure on families.”

In the private sector, Dr Jonathan Gates, senior lecturer in the School of Environment and Technology, and specialist in sustainable buildings, won an Enterprising Partnership Award alongside Derek O’Connor of Wildlife Splash. The project involved an assessment of the renewable energy resource available to the community of Mayfield and Five Ashes in East Sussex, focusing on biomass and district heating options. The resulting report is being used to inform the renewable energy strategy for the community.

NATIONAL RECOGNITION FOR EQUALITY PROJECT A University of Brighton equality project has won acclaim as “eye catching and innovative” in a national competition.

The Equality starts here initiative was commended in the Exceptional HR achievement category of the Universities Human Resources (UHR) awards, held each year to showcase the positive impact that good personnel and human resources practices have on organisations.

Helen Tatch, equalities adviser said: “Brighton, as a place, has a long history of tolerance and open-mindedness, and the university community reflects that.”

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We are proud of the recognition and awards achieved by our staff. Here are some recent examples.

EFEL AWARDS

2011 EFEL AWARD WINNERS

As the recently released National Student Survey results show, students place a high value on excellent teaching and support for their learning experience. These qualities are recognised and rewarded by the university through the annual Excellence in Facilitating and Empowering Learning (EFEL) awards.

• Heather Baid, senior lecturer, School of Nursing and Midwifery • Rachael Carden, associate lecturer, City College Brighton and Hove • Peter Day, senior lecturer, School of Arts and Media • Sarah Elliott, senior administrator, School of Arts and Media • Julie Fowlie, senior lecturer, Brighton Business School • Deshinder Singh Gill, School of Computing, Engineering and Maths • Anthony Lewis, student advocacy and research coordinator, Students Union • Marion Martin, senior lecturer, School of Health Professions • Kathy Martyn, principal lecturer, School of Nursing and Midwifery • Jamie McPhee, Plumpton College • Juliet Millican, student learning development manager, Community University Partnership Programme • Emily Ann Nash, Students’ Union • Robert Prosser, careers counsellor, Student Services • Emma Ross, senior lecturer, Chelsea School • Dawn Scott, principal lecturer, School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences • Susanne Simmons, senior lecturer, School of Nursing and Midwifery • Mike Taylor, principal lecturer, School of Service Management • Richard Wallis, principal lecturer, School of Education

Now in its fifth year, the awards are managed by the university’s Centre for Learning and Teaching (CLT), and this year received over 200 nominations from students and staff.

EFELs recognise staff working in teaching and support roles across all disciplines, schools and departments, including partner colleges.

Nominations are considered by a group of staff from across the university and winners collect their awards at the graduation ceremonies.

They also receive £250 for their own and their students’ learning development.

“The key aims of the awareness and communication project, which ran over two years, were to tackle a culture of inertia and complacency and also to engage and empower staff to feel confident in addressing equality issues.”

The mirror-board poster campaign was designed so that people saw themselves in a poster mirror and were encouraged to take personal responsibility for making equality and diversity happen.

Professor Stuart Laing, Deputy ViceChancellor, said: “Equality starts here was led by a skilled and reflective team of personnel professionals. The awareness campaign has meant that the whole organisation has been reenergised and sensitised to equality issues.”

CLT head, Professor Gina Wisker, said: “the nominations included an impressive set of comments from students and colleagues on the quality and commitment shown by those nominated.

“Comments emphasised students’ appreciation of the ways in which colleagues inspire others in their learning and their student experience.”

Comments included: ‘What a truly inspiring teacher…gave me the courage to be a reflective and autonomous learner’ and of another ‘has an amazing ‘yes’ attitude to make things happen for any interested student, tries to support students in reaching their full potential and to have an exciting experience at university. Never judges, always helps.’

Above: Helen Tatch, with the exceptional achievement award.

November | December 2011 Channel Magazine 19

OPINION

“Call me whatever you like: Norman, Norm, Nobby…” Perhaps better known as Fatboy Slim, Norman (born Quentin Leo Cook in 1963) was a student at Brighton Polytechnic from 1982–1985, achieving a 2:1 BA in British Studies. Almost 30 years since graduating, Norman invited Sam Davies, director of Development and Alumni, to his home to chat about his time as a student, his career and his relationship with the city.

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WHY BRIGHTON?

MUSIC FIRST

Norman admitted that in many ways, he chose the city first and the polytechnic second. As his sister attended the University of Sussex, Norman spent a lot of time hanging out with her, soon falling in love with the city.

Norman always wanted to go into the music business but his parents made it clear that they would only support him whilst he was in full-time education.

“They just wanted me to have something to fall back on in case the music career didn’t work, but I always knew what I wanted to do.”

He remembered savouring the rush of freedom associated with leaving home and working out what to do with it. He also learnt how to stick with something for three years and he remains justifiably proud of his 2.1.

Paul Heaton was at the same grammar school and they formed a band together. After graduation, Norman joined Paul in Hull to play bass with The Housemartins. So when did Norman know he’d made it? As with most artists, he cites the band’s debut appearance on Top of the Pops, but also recalls when he first heard a Housemartins’ song on the radio.

OPINION

From Norman’s point of view, being allowed to play hometown gigs in recent years has provided the perfect showcase to celebrate the city, its history, its future and its long-standing tradition of inviting people here for a party.

This year Norman has played 70 shows all over the world – Great Wall of China, Jakarta, Ibiza and Vegas, to name but a few.

RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW Looking forward, Norman’s ambition is to produce a full film score. Following his contribution to Baz Luhrmann’s film, Moulin Rouge, he would love to write a score from start to finish, citing films such as Paris, Texas by Ry Cooder and Midnight Express by Giorgio Moroder as examples where the music has become synonymous with the film.

The band was in a chip shop in Edinburgh and suddenly the song ‘Sheep’ started playing on Radio 1.

After three years, the DJing bug had bitten him and Norman left as he realised it was dance music that he wanted to do.

Above: Norman Cook Above right: Norman chats to Sam Davies about his time at Brighton Polytechnic.

Despite Norman’s determination to develop a career in the music industry, he did find his course interesting. What particularly resonated was a final year module in urban settlement patterns in the US since 1945. This was the aspect he found most appealing and is still fascinated by it. When travelling across the globe, Norman points out city layouts to his crew: “It was all about the idea of planning settlements rather than letting them grow. I still talk about zones in transitions and central business districts.”

ENTER FATBOY SLIM Norman returned to Brighton in 1988 and it was at this point that his friend (another former Brighton Polytechnic alumnus) J C Reid established the Loaded label.

Norman recorded on the Loaded label under the name Pizzaman, but when Skint was set up as a sub label of Loaded, Norman was asked to create another pseudonym and so Fatboy Slim was born. Norman explained: “It’s just that I really like old blues records and if you were a fat blues singer, you got called Slim. There was Pinetop Slim, Memphis Slim, Bumblebee Slim, so Fatboy Slim was a nice oxymoron.”

Coincidentally, his nephew has just started as a student at the university.

He lived with Norman and Zoe for a few weeks before moving into halls. Having his nephew stay certainly made Norman reminisce about his student life. “For me, the weirdest thing is that the geography block where I’d spend many an afternoon gazing out of the window at the South Downs, has now been turned into a football stadium.”

THE BRIGHTON EFFECT

Norman’s links with Brighton and Hove Albion Football Club are well known.

He feels strongly that people should support their nearest team and it meant a great deal to him that the Skint record label name was on the Albion shirt for several years.

Norman is very Brighton-centric: “I’ve always been very proud of the city.

I do love it.” He feels it comes back to what he studied about developing settlements – on one hand there is the hedonism, but then also the underlying role of Brighton as a service point for leisure. “The economy of the city depends on visitors – not necessarily tourists – but visitors, and whether it’s stag nights, clubbers, conference guests or language schools – that’s the economy of the town.”

Is there anything Norman knows now that he wished he’d known when he was a student? Obviously a lot has changed since his student days – if only he’d known then how important computers would become. In his words, it was most certainly a case of: “Check these things out, as they might be around for a while.” He might have something there!

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ON CAMPUS

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ON CAMPUS

Lord Robert Winston, scientist and TV presenter noted for his work on human fertility, formally opened the £23m Huxley Building, the home of the School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences in July.

Professor John Smart, head of the School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, said, “The Huxley Building contains state-of-the-art facilities for pharmacy education and research, with modern laboratories for teaching all aspects of the pharmaceutical sciences. The clinical skills facility enables patient-focused education of pharmacists necessary for them to engage with Modernising Pharmacy Careers and the new education standards of the General Pharmaceutical Council.”

In his address during the opening ceremony, Lord Winston said that “scientists have a duty to communicate and explain their work to the people who pay for it – the taxpaying public.

The science we do in laboratories here at Brighton and at my university, Imperial College, is not our science – it is paid for by the public, and therefore we have a duty to ensure that it is understood and communicated.”

Lord Winston watched a demonstration by the university’s Professor Hal Sosabowski, professor of public understanding of science, who regularly performs explosive experiments for school groups.

Lord Winston said: “What Hal demonstrates is funny and quirky but actually what he is doing is really very important because he is communicating and engaging with the public.”

He said scientists had to ensure people in society understood what they were doing: “And when they feel concerns or anxieties then we as scientists have to be less arrogant. We have to listen to what those concerns are and adjust what we do to take in those concerns.

“One of the really exciting things happening today at places like Brighton is the amount of engagement the university does. One of

the great chances we have now is to reduce, diminish and indeed make seamless the barrier between schools and what were previously mysterious, arcane, elitist and out of touch universities.”

Lord Winston, who was introduced by Lord Mogg of Queens Park, chairman of the university’s board of governors, said universities had resources which could help bring down those barriers: “If governments understood that a little better and tried to fund that in novel ways then I think there would be a massive improvement in the literacy of our young people.” He told scientists and university staff: “You are a beacon for that kind of activity.”

Professor Andrew Lloyd, dean of the Faculty of Science and Engineering, supported the argument: “We feel strongly that this building and the facilities should be considered as a shared resource for the university, local businesses and industry and indeed the local community – schools, colleges and other educational and user groups. We invite our community to take full advantage of this facility.”

Named after the Huxley family, credited with widely contributing to the understanding of science, literature, commerce and politics, he said the building was home to breakthrough research into ageing, diabetes, and to activities promoting science, technology, engineering and mathematics among young people.

Professor Julian Crampton, the university’s Vice-Chancellor, said the university was continuing to invest in its infrastructure and new buildings, across its five campuses.

“Over the last decade we have invested over £80 million of capital budget into buildings and equipment and a further £168 million is planned to be invested over the next decade.

This demonstrates our commitment to providing a high quality student experience with modern campuses and outstanding facilities.”

Left: (left to right) Professor Julian Crampton ViceChancellor, Andrew Lloyd dean of the Faculty of Science and Engineering, Lord Winston, Lord Mogg chairman of the university’s board of governors, Professor John Smart head of the School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences.

Above: Lord Winston at the unveiling ceremony.

November | December 2011 Channel Magazine 23

special feature

Events INAUGURAL LECTURE Professor David Nash Live the deserts, miss the rain: landscape change and climate variability in the world’s drylands Thursday 17 November 2011 Huxley lecture theatre University of Brighton 6.30pm

Landscape change and climate variability in the world’s drylands

INAUGURAL LECTURE Professor Matteo Santin A secret world Thursday 1 December 2011 Huxley lecture theatre University of Brighton 6.30pm

Inaugural lecture David Nash Professor of Physical Geography Thursday 17 November 2011 at 6.30pm Huxley Building Lewes Road Brighton BN2 4GJ All are welcome – if you would like to attend please email events@brighton.ac.uk or online at www.brighton.ac.uk/events.

Image: © Trevor Thomas (2011)

David Nash Inaugural Poster.indd 1

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BIOMATERIALS: FROM TISSUE REPLACEMENT TO TISSUE REGENERATION

Inaugural lecture Matteo Santin Professor of Tissue Regeneration Thursday 1 December 2011 at 6.30pm Huxley Building Lewes Road Brighton BN2 4GJ All are welcome – if you would like to attend please email events@brighton.ac.uk or online at www.brighton.ac.uk/events.

Matteo Poster.indd 1

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17/10/2011 10:12