Bulletin staff Issue 5, June 2021 - Stranmillis University College
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bulletin staff
Issue 5, June 2021
Achieving in a year of Community Engagement Best small Students’ Union
challenges Planning for 2021 University of Year nomination
Investing for the Future Health and Wellbeing 1st for student satisfaction
A Year Like No Other Investing in our People
As we come to the end of a very challenging The wellbeing of our staff and student retention (97%) and student
year, I would like to thank and congratulate students lies at the heart of our success (97%). These achievements
you all on what we have achieved.
mission. Over the past year, one of have only been possible as a result of
Throughout, and despite, the many
restrictions and difficulties the pandemic our strategic priorities has been to your hard work, professionalism and
has thrown at us, we have continued to maintain the highest quality of unfailing commitment to our students.
invest in our people and in our campus, and teaching experience and student With restrictions on f2f interviews,
we have continued to
support. Being student focused - over 1100 virtual interviews were
innovate and deliver.
Our student retention nurturing, developing and conducted to ensure that a new cohort
and success rates maximising the potential of every of students will walk through the
remain high and are a student - is one of our guiding values. College gates in September. I applaud
reflection of the
During a time of challenge and all those involved in the process, with a
dedicated efforts of
our staff, who continue uncertainty, that priority and core special mention to the Registry team.
to deliver high quality, value has ensured that our students
scholarship-led succeeded, felt valued and have been Our Halls of Residence were severely
teaching and
supported at all times. disrupted by the lockdowns. Despite
outstanding student
support. Coming 1st in this our Halls team has done an
Northern Ireland and The latest National Student Survey, outstanding job looking after those
6th in the UK in the recent National Student carried out during the pandemic, students who remained on campus.
Survey and making it into the final four
ranks the College 1st in Northern The fact that our Halls are already full
nominations for the Edufuturist University
of the Year Award are public endorsements Ireland and 6th in the UK for student for the next year is testament to how
of the College’s pursuit of excellence. satisfaction. We have also well students felt cared for and safe
maintained our outstanding levels of while living on campus.
In 2020-21, we were forced to rely heavily
on digital technology to ensure business
continuity. We are grateful to the enormous this Bulletin. These are impressive been a great honour to serve and lead the
efforts of our Digital and IT Services and achievements the College can be proud College. Like all journeys, there have been
Marketing teams who ensured the College of. Staff and students have felt the loss some challenges but my abiding memory
continued to communicate effectively with of community and face-to-face contact will be one of joy and gratitude. Thank
our internal and external stakeholders and this year. We all look forward to you for all your support and
maintain a vibrant profile as we tried to meeting up in the near future for a encouragement over the years. It was a
navigate the Covid-19 world. coffee and chat. Hopefully, the 2021-22 great journey shared with great people! I
year will bring us back to a ‘near wish you all a restful summer and every
The end of this academic year marks the normal’ experience of College life. success for the new academic year.
completion of our 2018-21 Corporate Plan
and we can look back on the successful At the end of July, I will have Professor Anne Heaslett
delivery of the key objectives as outlined in completed 14 years as Principal. It has Principal
Investing in Campus Infrastructure Investing in
One positive outcome of the to progress the University College’s Innovation and
pandemic has been the College’s IT and Digital Services strategy
ability to attract Covid-19
Development
including improved campus Wi-Fi,
Contingency Funding, which has a new Learning Management Covid-19 did not prevent us from
allowed us to invest over £500,000 System and Teaching and Learning making significant progress in
in upgrading Halls, enabling us to equipment for staff and students. developing and expanding our portfolio
create new social spaces in every This has brought immense benefits, of blended learning modules and
flat, upgrade kitchen facilities and with easier and more immediate courses. As a result, new Masters’
refurbish Nendrum Hall. access for staff and students. enrolments increased by 60% and
income from our Professional
We have also invested £1.5m Development programme increased
on other campus projects such hugely. This excellent performance
as the demolition of College reflects the demand for innovative
Hall, Health and Safety online programmes and provides a
Improvement Works and a significant opportunity for future growth
robust IT and Digital Services in this vital area. Our students also
provision, which has been contributed to innovative curriculum
critical to our success during development by producing online
lockdown. £643k was invested teaching resources for use in schools
and at home.
Investing in the Future The College has also strengthened its
As a result of careful management future as outlined in the Corporate research profile, with, during the last
and our Finance Team securing Plan for the Transition Year 2021- planning cycle, over 200 research and
significant Covid-19 grants, 22. Another cause for celebration scholarship outputs across a range of
despite the significant financial is the College receiving Planning key areas, including the Report of the
challenges, we will achieve a Approval to proceed with the Expert Panel on Educational
positive bottom line. This is to be refurbishment of the College’s All- Underachievement, chaired by Dr Noel
celebrated and means that as we Weather Pitches. Our consultants, Purdy. The work of our Centre for
emerge from the global McAdam Design, are now working Research into Educational
pandemic, we will be able to on the final design. Underachievement has accelerated and
continue to invest in the College’s is now making a major impact in this
critical area.
Widening Participation and Planning for Academic Year 2021-22 and the
Social Responsibility Opening Up of Our Campus
Supporting Access to HE, and having The planning for 2021-22
a strong programme of WP events, is continues on the assumption
a vital element of our Community that there will be a return to
Engagement strategy. From coding near normal conditions from the
workshops for children to health and start of the new academic year.
wellbeing events, supporting families The focus for the 2021-22 year
must be on re-engagement with
staff and students in order to
reconnect with the vibrant
campus community we have all
missed so much.
experience for all students, and
The principles guiding our the maintenance of quality
planning, taking all current and standards
future government guidelines
into account, will continue to be continued provision of a high-
and communities in disadvantaged the: quality, broad all-round
areas to forging partnerships with educational experience for all
Fostering Network, Volunteer Now health, welfare and safety of students
and the FE Colleges, the College is our College community
committed to making a difference us working in collaboration with
and building better futures for all. continued provision of a high- other Northern Ireland Higher
During the pandemic, the creation of quality learning and teaching Education Institutions (HEIs) to
online teaching and learning present a bid to government
resources by our Student WP for a financial package to
Ambassadors and the delivery, free fund a robust Student Re-
of charge, of online and blended engagement Strategy to
learning professional development support students.
courses to over 1,000 teachers and
education professionals further
demonstrates our commitment to
supporting the whole of the sector.
Health and Wellbeing
Feeling Good App Mental Health First Aid physiotherapist to provide staff
The Feeling Good App, which is We are currently running Mental with a further opportunity to
free to access for staff and Health First Aid Training for 15 attend an online Back Health
students, is an award winning staff from across the College with Awareness session.
app providing access to a range a view to having a network of
of content which teaches you trained volunteers who can Inspire Support Hub
how to calm the mind and support colleagues and students All staff now have access to a
develop a positive mindset, and sign post them to appropriate range of free online resources via
enabling greater emotional professional support. Feedback the Inspire Support Hub. The Hub
resilience to deal more effectively from participants to date has comprises various resources,
with challenges of life. Over 100 been very encouraging. Further including self-help programmes
staff and students have already details of volunteers and the and digital intervention tools,
downloaded the app and we programme will be made digital counselling tools and
have received very positive available once training has been a wellbeing information library.
feedback on it. One user noted ‘I completed.
have found it very difficult to find
an app to help Flu Vaccine
me self This year we offered a flu vaccine
manage my free of charge to all members of
emotions and staff, with 62 availing of the
moods as this opportunity to have the vaccine.
year has been We were lucky to have placed an
financially early order for the flu vaccine
tough. I am so which was in short supply!
grateful you If you need further information on
have made Back Health any of our health and wellbeing
this As many of us have not been services, please get in contact
available.” working at our normal with our Human Resources team
workstations, it is more important at hr@stran.ac.uk.
than ever that we take care of our
back health. We appointed a
News Congratulations to Jonny
Jonathan Reid, our outgoing
in Brief Student President, and his
Student Executive, did an
Research in Hyperdrive exceptional job supporting
students and helping to
Over the past few months, our maintain a sense of college
Summer Graduation
Research Office has been going all community under the most
guns blazing.as
Unfortunately, Aslast
wellyear,
as Covid trying of circumstances. We
restrictions means that ourour
successfully submitting normal wish in-coming President,
submission
Graduation for REF2021,
Celebration andthetheteam Meabh Magee, and her
has published
Graduation a number
Ceremony of
at queen’s Executive every success for
important and high profile
have been postponed. A Virtual 2021-22.
research reports
Graduation including
Celebration will bethe
held
report of the Expert Panel
at 5.00pm on 21 July. The plan, on
Educational
however, remainsUnderachievement
that our (A Dissertation Survivors!
Fair Start),
graduates willSchool-based
have a physical Support Well done Class of 2021.The
for Syrian Refugee Pupils in
graduation as soon as it is possible. Library team offers their
Northern Ireland, Homeschooling congratulations to the 2021
during the Covid-19 Crisis, Safer #dissertationsurvivors! “You've
Borrowing (an Evaluation of the worked hard, adapted to so much
Impact of Financial Literacy in (including using the library
Schools) and Play in Practice and remotely) and now it's time to
during the Pandemic. celebrate! #loveyourlibrary
Congratulations to Dr Noel Purdy,
Dr John McMullen, Celia O’Hagan,
College History: QUB Archaeological Excavation Project
Dr Glenda Walsh, and all those The College is working with QUB Department of Archaeology and
involved in the REF submission, Palaeoecology this summer to facilitate undergraduate training with
for continuing to deliver on our excavation work on the campus. The campus has many areas of
commitment to shaping archaeological interest. The excavations, supervised by Dr Colm Donnelly
education and changing lives. and field archaeologists (Ruairi O Baoill, Brian Sloan and Ruth Logue) from
the Centre for Community Archaeology (CCA) will focus on: the
"farmyard", which may be a "lost" early 17th century fortified house and
defended farmstead; the lawn outside Stran House which records suggest
was an Early Medieval ringfort; and a rather curious linear building to the
western boundary of the estate shown on a map from the 1830s. We will
keep you posted on their findings.
Halls are Full! #Why We Care!
At this time of year we would The College was delighted to be able to support the recent
normally have around 50 #WhyWeCare Foster Care Fortnight campaign. Ensuring that every
bookings for our Halls for next care experienced young person has the same opportunities to access
year, with the vast majority of Higher Education as
bookings coming in once A-level their peers is one of the
results are out and students start pillars of our Widening
looking for accommodation. For Access and
next year our Halls are already Participation strategy.
oversubscribed - a big shout-out
for Halls!
NI Does Daily Mile
On Friday 28th May, 392 schools
took part in NI Does the Daily
Mile, with primary and nursery
schools across Northern Ireland
running their Daily Mile
together (virtually) to raise
awareness of children’s mental
health and wellbeing.
Congratulations to Brenda
McKay-Redmond and the team
behind the Daily Mile.
EduFuturists
The College is delighted to have been shortlisted as one of the four
finalists for the Edufuturists University of the Year Awards. The
College was nominated by Seaview Primary School Principal, Mrs
Latham. "I nominated the excellent work of the university research
and the amazing digital support that was provided during lockdown.
Honestly you have all been amazing throughout lockdown and
during the pandemic times and I just wanted to highlight the
wonderful work you are all doing.
So tell your friends and get
voting!!! Let’s shine a spotlight on
positive Covid –19 moments.”
Working Together, Achieving Together Stran SU Takes Top Spot
As we come to the end of the 2018-21 Corporate Plan, it is with great pride
that we can look back and reflect on some of the many achievements we
have made collectively as a team over the past 3 years - staff, students,
management and board all working with a clear focus to meet and exceed
challenging targets, even with a global pandemic thrown in to the mix!
For Students’ Union President,
Jonny Reid, and his Student
Executive, this year has certainly
been a year like no other - a year
of constant challenges when,
probably more than ever,
creativity, innovative thinking and
sheer hard work were needed to
ensure that the Stran community
stayed together and supported
each other.
Their success was recognised by
the Union of Students in Ireland
and NUS when the team won
Small SU team of the year in the
#SAAI21 awards for the second
year in a row.
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