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Do something good with SUBU Activities

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The SUBU Activities Council have been busy planning their fundraising challenges and volunteering opportunities this year.

Already this term, student volunteers have started on the Slades Farm Gardening Project and been busy cleaning up Bournemouth beach – treating themselves to a much deserved beach BBQ afterwards.

The 5-minute volunteering scheme is another way students have been doing good work for charity – from decorating jam jars to making a bird feeder for the RSPB. These bite-sized sessions are perfect if you don’t have much time to spare. Pop along to the next 5-minute volunteering session in the Costa Café at Studland House, Lansdowne Campus between 12-2pm (you can stay for more than five minutes if you want to).

If you want to do something a bit more extreme to raise money for charity, then maybe the student-led Raising And Giving (RAG) activities LEGGIT and overseas expeditions will be more up your street.

LEGGIT is the first of SUBUs two charity hitchhike events where teams have to get as far away from Bournemouth as possible – without spending any money on transport. Teams have managed to get as far away as the Sahara Dessert and raised over £20,000 for charity just last year. Find out more at 6pm on Thursday 15 October in the Shelly lecture theatre or Tuesday 20 October in the Cobham lecture theatre.

This year’s overseas expeditions could take you to Vietnam on your bike, climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa or trekking to Peru’s Machu Piccu, following in the footsteps of Ellie Mayo-Ward, SU VP Education: “Going to Machu Picchu was the one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. The fundraising is challenging but completely worth it when you get to the top of Machu Picchu and have realised that you’ve made a huge difference. I made friends for life, spooned a llama, saw a shooting star for the first time and climbed an actual mountain! It was incredible and I’d do it again without even having to think about it.”

Find out more about the RAG overseas expeditions at 6pm on Tuesday 13 October, in the Marconi lecture theatre.

BU and AUB are University Music

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University-music-2015-front-pageFollowing a successful year working together and developing our musical offerings, BU and the Arts University Bournemouth (AUB) have formed a partnership to become University Music.

This partnership has attracted a variety of musicians with different skills, seeing students from BU and AUB coming together to perform in one our three choirs, Big Band, Orchestra and Brass groups.

There are groups to suit all musical tastes and abilities, and new recruits are always welcomed. Membership is free to BU and AUB students, so if you’re interested, go along to a weekly practice groups during term time in the Student Hall, Talbot House, Talbot Campus.

You can see them perform in on campus and around the local area all year – check their autumn program of events for what’s on from now until the winter break.

Music volunteers

The University Music volunteer group support events and concerts, so if you’re musical but not a musician, this might be a good option for you. All you need is lots of enthusiasm and willingness to donate your time. University Music volunteers can earn up to 30 points towards the BU Student Development Award.

Find out more – email musicadmin@bournemouth.ac.uk

 

 

sportBU Intramural 2015 opportunities

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sportBU_logo_bigSportBU intramural teams are now recruiting – you can sign up for football, netball, dodgeball, basketball or tennis.

The teams are open to all BU students, you don’t need to be of a certain level of skill, fitness or experience to join. Places are limited so if you are interested in joining have a look at the timetable or the sportBU website for further information.

 

 

U3 Diversion Route

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bu-bus-2A diversion route will be in place for the U3 bus between Monday 19 October and Monday 30 November, due to roadworks taking place in the Southbourne area.

From Christchurch Road, services will turn right onto Parkwood Road which becomes Woodside Road. Buses will terminate just before the junction with Woodside Road and Seabourne Road. Upon leaving Woodside Road, services will turn left onto Seabourne Road and resume normal route towards BU.

Temporary stops will be placed at the locations marked (X) on the map below.

All passengers will be permitted to stay on board the bus for the entire loop.

Stops unable to be serviced during this time include Fisherman’s Walk (both directions), Beaufort Road, Arnewood Road and Grand Avenue.

BU is listed as a top 500 university

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Times-Higher-AwardsBU has made the list of the top 500 universities in the world, according to the latest Times Higher Education World University Rankings.

BU has been listed between 401 and 500 on the list, with only three other UK post-92 institutions making the top 500.

This is the first time that BU has featured in the list, and comes at a time when the university has risen in all three major University league table rankings in the UK, The Guardian University League Table, The Complete University Guide League Table and the Times and Sunday Times rankings.

The Times Higher Education World University Rankings lists the best global universities across core areas of teaching, research, knowledge transfer and internationalisation.

The other three UK post-92 universities within the top 500 on the list are Plymouth, Oxford Brookes and Portsmouth.

Christchurch House Locker Facilities

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christchurch-houseIf you use the locker facilities at Christchurch House, Talbot Campus, please be aware that due to essential maintenance these facilities will not be available after 7pm Friday 16 October until 6am Monday 19 October.

All personal items should be removed from the locker rooms (inside and outside of lockers) by 7pm on Friday the 16 October. Any belongings left in the changing rooms (inside or outside of lockers) cannot be stored and will be disposed of. Please make sure all locker keys are returned to the correct locker.

International Open Access Week, 19-25 October 2015

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Open-Access-intranet

 

 

 

 

 

As part of International Open Access week the Research & Knowledge Exchange Office will be running a series of events across the university, some of which are Faculty specific. Join in and find out more.

A global event now entering its eighth year, International Open Access Week is an opportunity for the academic and research community to continue to learn about the potential benefits of Open Access, to share what they’ve learned with colleagues, and to help inspire wider participation in helping to make Open Access a new norm in scholarship and research.

What is Open Access?

Open access is free, unrestricted access to peer-reviewed scholarly research literature and data.

Why do it?

Publicly-funded research should be made freely available to the community who support it.

Benefits

To members of public

  • Allows access to journal articles without restrictions of costs and time delay
  • Reveals the latest medical discoveries and breakthroughs (which may save your life)
  • Gives crucial information  freely to medical professionals, students and nurses in developing countries so saving thousands of lives
  • Enriches the educational experience of millions of students and teachers around the world (who otherwise cannot afford subscriptions to prestigious journals).

To academics

  • Removes  barriers  to networking and sharing research
  • Increases exposure and use of publications
  • Facilitates interdisciplinary collaboration and new discoveries
  • Increase usage, citations and impact].

For more information and a full list of events please visit the Research Blog.

Some Top Tips for Staying Safe on a Night Out

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UniSNTIf you’re planning on enjoying a night out at one of Dorset’s town centres, such as Bournemouth, we want to make sure that you enjoy your night and stay safe.

The Universities’ Safer Neighbourhood Team would like to remind all students the importance of keeping yourselves and your friends safe whilst going out. Please remember to always think of your personal safety and avoid becoming a victim.

We would like to remind you of a few basic tips that will help you to stay safe and enjoy your nights out.

Please remember:

  • Make sure you stay with your friends, especially if they are drunk. Don’t leave them vulnerable and alone
  • Always plan how you’re getting home and ensure you keep money aside for a licensed taxi or bus
  • Never walk home alone and don’t go home with someone you barely know
  • Don’t drink to the extent that affects your judgement.

Visit our safety & personal security web pages or the Dorset Police website for further information.

BU Sports Development Expedition 2016

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camps-internationalSportBU are joining up with Camps International again this academic year, offering students the opportunity to work with rural communities in Kenya to develop a sports festival in the local school.

Barry Squires, SportBU, who has organised a presentation evening on 8 October about the 2016 expedition says: “This is a fantastic opportunity for any BU student to experience something many of us will never have the chance to. We’re looking for students who are enthusiastic, motivated and want to develop themselves as global citizens. There’s also financial support available from BU’s Global Horzions Fund to help make this possible. There’s no set limit of the number of students who can go, and we welcome applications from students of all backgrounds and courses.”

The group of students on the 2015 Expedition visited Camp Tanga in Tanzania for four weeks from mid-August earlier this year. Adam Arthur, BSc (Hons) Physiotherapy student, says:  “When I first signed up for this trip I was hoping for an experience of a life time and I am delighted to say I have achieved this. In coming to this area where the only challenge in life is survival  I am proud to say I have helped to improve the lives of many of the school children and helped a head teacher to reintroduce sport into their curriculum at Boma Primary School so we can leave behind a SDX legacy. On a personal note I have gained many new experiences and feel as if I have grown as a person and in character in coming on this trip”.

Scott Wilkes, BSc (Hons) Sports Development & Coaching Sciences student, adds “This was the first time I had ever experienced anything like this and therefore had no idea what to expect. Speaking to the kids and getting to know them really makes you appreciate everything you have at home”.

Josh Green, fellow BSc (Hons) Sports Development & Coaching Sciences student shared: “this trip has helped me mature both as a person and as a sports coach and will help me improve my standard of coaching in the future – eel like the school has benefitted a huge amount from our efforts which made the whole thing worthwhile”.

The team have put together a blog of their collective experiences in the hope it encourages other students to get involved. Here’s a short extract about some of the practical elements of the project:

“The places you go are different to what you normally visit. The time you spend here will provide you with an unforgettable memory that will stay with you for many years. Watching the football and netball teams play helped us gain a better understanding of their needs and ability which we would soon be coaching. Theory lessons were introduced to ensure all the students were aware of international rules, to help compliment there technical and physical ability.”

As well as the work with the community and school, the group did have some down time at the weekends: “These are our days to come together as a group and enjoy what Tanzania has to offer. What is great about these times is that the opportunity to choose from a wide variety of activities such as, kayaking, scuba diving, snorkelling, and venturing to the nearby towns to spend nights out the African way. These were our periods in the trip after working hard for the kids throughout the weekdays to come together to celebrate and experience Africa. They can also be a chance to catch up on much deserved R and R on the beach topping up that tan or join the villagers to cook their local favourite dishes”.

Read the groups full blog on Camps International and watch the video on BU’s YouTube channel.

To find out more, go along to the presentation evening on Thursday 8 October at 7.15pm in the Lawrence lecture theatre, Talbot Campus. If you can’t attend, visit Barry in SportBU, or look on MyCareerHub for details.

BFX Festival back in Bournemouth

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BFX banner 2015BFX Festival 2015 is taking place at the BIC with some of the biggest names from the VFX, animation and gaming world.

At the heart of the festival is BFX Core, for anyone with an interest in VFX, animation or gaming. A host of presentations will take place from international studios such as Double Negative, Iloura, Pixar and more.

For the first time ever BFX will be welcoming Walt Disney Animation Studios, all the way from California, we expect a presentation on their latest work which could include Frozen, Wreck It Ralph and the smash hit, Big Hero 6. There’s also Aardman, the company behind Wallace and Gromit and Shaun the Sheep.

Frontier the team who created Elite: Dangerous, has built a uniquely diverse track record comprising of games series’. Find out from Frontier’s Chief Operating Officer David Walsh what it took to create this spectacular new multi-player instalment.

Running throughout the festival is the Walt Disney Animation Studios “Big Hero 6″ Concept Art Exhibition, to see the beginnings of the films ideas and design, a unique opportunity to see the journey from paper to screen.

The Workshops for BFX 2015 are set to be the biggest and best to date, from using Zbrush to acting for animation, there’s a host of different themes to get involved in. You will be tutored by some the best creative minds in the industry today!

Some of the workshops are free to the general public; others are included in the price of a Festival ticket, whilst some need to be purchased as a separate ticketed event. Workshops will take place on the 26 – 27 September 2015 and 3 – 4 October 2015.

Throughout the week there are a number of evening film screenings such as Interstellar and Mad Max:Fury Road for only £3. As a one off special event, film maker, Paul Campion is screening two of his films and presenting, The Devil’s Rock – Shooting a low budget horror film in 15 days, it’s completely free.

For more information and tickets, visit www.bfxfestival.com. Follow us on Twitter @BFXfestival.