Author Archives: gbunting

About gbunting

Status: ACTIVE.

Dissertation Survey Requests – important information

Posted on by

bu-logoBU is aware of the recent spate of emails concerning student survey requests for their dissertations, and the subsequent emails from recipients.

Students are reminded that the correct protocol to request BU staff and students to complete surveys can be found on the News and Information section of MyBU; individuals and groups must not be contacted by email.

The BU mail group is being monitored and any student found to be misusing it could have their IT account disabled.

Students are bound by the University’s ICT Rules and Regulations and specifically the Acceptable Use policy. Please take the time to note clause 6.16 which specifically refers to the content of emails and section 9, which details the possible sanctions for breaching these Rules and Regulations.

If you have any queries, please contact askBU on 01202 969696.

BU Student Travel Survey 2015

Posted on by

travel-plan-images-greenBy taking part in the BU Travel Survey and giving your feedback on the variety of transport services, you may be able to influence future improvements.

It only takes five minutes and you’ll be in with a chance of winning some fantastic prizes, such as a bike, a 2015/16 BU Bus Key Card (worth £240) and a Kindle HD Fire tablet.

The survey runs until 27 March and all you need to do is click on the link and tell us what you think.

SUBU Vice President Welfare, Reece Pope encourages all students to take part; “Your responses are really important to tell us how you travel to and from BU. Your feedback on the buses has already led to an improved service to and from the campuses.

This is your opportunity to give your views on travel provisions to the university and to give feedback on what transport improvements you would like to see”.

No Smoking Day – 11 March 2015

Posted on by

no-smoking-ProudToBeAQuitterBU is proud to support national ‘No Smoking Day’ on Wednesday 11 March, which is one of the longest running and most successful stop smoking campaigns in the world.

Daily smoking rates in England have halved and are continuing to decline [GASP – health education resource]; tobacco advertising is banned; all workplaces and enclosed public places are smoke free; on 1 October 2015 legislation is being brought in to prevent smoking in cars where children (under 18) are present and there are UK-wide networks of stop smoking support groups.

www.gosmokefree.nhs.uk

www.quit.org.uk

www.dorsetsmokestop.co.uk

www.nhs.uk/stopsmokingtreatments

Despite these huge changes in smoking culture, No Smoking Day still achieves a large health impact, with up to 1 million smokers using the day each year to make an attempt to quit. Researchers estimate that up to 1.75 million smokers have quit for good since No Smoking Days’ launch.

The theme for 2015 is ‘Proud to be a Quitter’ which features photos and testimonials from ex-smokers. Smoking is the single biggest killer of people in the UK, with over 4,000 chemicals in one cigarette, including rat poison, toilet cleaner and nail varnish remover.

There are many health benefits of quitting smoking (as well as the obvious financial benefits – the average smoker spends around £2,300 per year on tobacco!);

  • A reduction in the risk of developing illness, disability or death caused by cancer, heart or lung disease (a smoking related disease kills one out of every two smokers)
  • Breathing becomes easier within just 72 hours
  • Improved taste and smell after 48 hours
  • In 2-12 weeks circulation is improved throughout your body
  • In 3-9 months lung capacity improves by up to 10%
  • After 5 years, you half the chance of having a heart attack compared to when you smoked
  • After 10 years, you have halved your chances of getting lung cancer, and reduced the risk of a heart attack to the same as someone who has never smoked!

As well as supporting staff and students who wish to quit smoking, it is important to remember that BU also has a duty to protect all individuals from the harmful effects of tobacco smoke. We would therefore also like to take this opportunity to remind all smokers about the No Smoking Policy and on-line resource which details the University’s No Smoking guidelines.

Bournemouth University International College

Posted on by

BUIC-1Last week, BU joined with Kaplan, Legal & General Property and Watkin Jones Group Ltd to celebrate a major milestone with a topping out ceremony for the new college and student residence building at the Bournemouth University International College.

The building represents a commitment by BU and Kaplan of £110m in a new purpose-built “Live-Learn” facility which is being funded by Legal & General.  Teaching and study space is co-housed in the same building with a student refectory and accommodation with 392 beds in both group flats and studios.  With 16 floors, and views out to the Isle of Wight, and Old Harry, the Purbecks and the New Forest, this will be the highest building in Bournemouth.

Bournemouth University International College is an educational collaboration between Kaplan International and Bournemouth University.  The College supports international students to achieve their ambition of becoming Bournemouth University students by preparing them for admission to undergraduate and postgraduate degrees.  Successful completion of the College’s preparation courses with the grades required by the University guarantees students a place at the University.

Professor John Vinney, Vice-Chancellor of Bournemouth University added: “This building is an exciting new development in our constant efforts to offer the best student experience possible and is a very tangible demonstration of how much we value our international students.

“The boost that they give to the local economy is huge, but that in turn is dwarfed by the importance of the global perspective that they bring, which is absolutely essential in developing the cultural awareness of the University and preparing all of our students for the global workplace.

“The University is particularly pleased to be able to continue to invest in our local area – developing world-class buildings and facilities to enable world-class performance”.

Rachel Woodward Carrick, College Director, said: “We are thrilled that Kaplan has chosen the Bournemouth University International College for its first ‘Live-Learn’ facility, which is a market-leading offering. Housing classrooms, study space, accommodation and social space together in one state-of-the-art building will give students a safe and convenient living and learning environment with more time to immerse themselves in their studies.”

The building will house a “Knowledge Hub” which will feature informal, flexible learning and study space for students, either in groups or individually, to use outside of teaching hours. A weekly programme of activities will complement students’ college work and residents can take advantage of drop-in sessions with a tutor for help with assignments, essays and projects. There will also be a number of social spaces, including a media room, games area and outdoor common room terrace on 12th floor.  And, while all flats will have kitchens, there will be a refectory featuring foods from around the world and themed dinners.

Launch of BU Proud in the community

Posted on by

BU is very proud of the close relationship it has with the local community. Our staff, students and graduates play an integral part in both the local economy and local society.

This involves many close relationships built up with local organisations and our BU Proud in the community campaign will celebrate these links.

A launch event is being held at AFC Bournemouth on 5 March.

The new branding of our BU buses will be unveiled, celebrating BU graduates working with local organisations, and there will be a BU branded double-decker bus on site featuring Rob Mitchell, Commercial Director of AFC Bournemouth. Rob is also president of the Dorset Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) and has a degree in Leisure Marketing from BU. Other BU graduates from across the region who feature in the new campaign will also be attending.

Look out for the buses and posters around the region, featuring our graduates working in LV=; Lush; RNLI; Bournemouth Echo and Dorset LEP.

BU works closely, with businesses, voluntary groups, and the local community and the BU Proud in the community campaign will be an opportunity to communicate more about this work, engage new audiences and raise the profile of both BU and our successful alumni.

Read more about the graduates involved here: www.bournemouth.ac.uk/buproud

Tweet us your pics

Have you seen the bus?  Are you on the bus? Are you behind the bus?twitter-logo-145

Take a picture (when its safe to do so!) and tweet it to @bournemouthuni  #buproud

BU Celebrates British Science Week

Posted on by

british-science-week-logo-300To mark British Science Week (13-22 March), BU is celebrating excellent examples of research taking place all across the university.

From 10am on Monday 16 March, students and staff will be able to participate in a range of hands on science activities run by BU’s academics, postgraduates and student societies. This will include fingerprinting activities, face recognition and eye tracking activities, and even opportunities to participate in current research projects.

Over the course of the two days, staff and students will also have the opportunity to hear short talks from academics featured in the 2015 Bournemouth Research Chronicle which will be launched to coincide with British Science Week. Featuring examples of research from all over the university, the BRC gives a small insight into some of the exciting work going on at BU, including improving nutrition in cancer survivors, reducing fatigue in people with MS and mapping auditory processes.

The research featured in the BRC has been published ‘open access’, meaning that unlike traditional models of academic publishing, it is freely available for anyone to read and use. Open access is increasingly becoming a feature of academic life, and it’s exciting to see BU’s researchers are already taking the opportunity to share their work with a wider audience. Staff from the Research Knowledge and Exchange Office will be on hand to answer any questions academics may have about open access after each talk.

To see the full programme of events please visit the Research Blog.

Remote Access to P Drive

Posted on by

bu-logoIT Services is aware of the intermittent performance issues that are currently being experienced when students attempt to access the P Drive remotely.

To fix this, work has commenced on a replacement for this service, and we will keep you updated on its progress.

Please be aware that you can view live service statuses, log a job and track its progress on the IT Services website, as well as sign up to receive news and alerts. Alternatively, please call  the IT Service Desk on 01202 965515.

Dodgeball Mania!

Posted on by

SportBU-Dodgeball-sportBU proudly presents our very first Dodgeball Mania tournament…coming this March! 1st PRIZE for both the winning Student team and the winning Staff team is a Bournemouth 7’s festival team package worth £1200 for each!!

We are looking for teams to join us at our tournament on 8 March 2015, 12noon-6pm. Each team requires 8-10 players, at a small cost of £30 per team. Team entry closes on 2 March 2015.

The Bournemouth 7’s festival team package includes the following; TEAM ENTRY + 3 NIGHTS CAMPING + WEEKEND FESTIVAL TICKET (for 10 people).

Visit sportBU reception to enter your team. Spaces are limited, so don’t delay and sign up today!

InsideBU Spring 2015 issue out now!

Posted on by

insideBU-spring2015The latest issue of InsideBU, the internal magazine for BU staff and students, is out now.

Containing a mixture of news, interviews, events and features, InsideBU provides an insight into the activities taking place at the university.

Hard copies can be found around both campuses and you can also read it online. If you use a screen-reader, Word and PDF versions are also available.

Please email insidebu@bournemouth.ac.uk if you would like hard copies sent directly to you.

We appreciate all feedback and suggestions for future issues. If you have a story for the next issue of InsideBU, email insidebu@bournemouth.ac.uk.

Be warned – fake parking permits

Posted on by

bu-logoThere have recently been some instances of students using fake parking permits to park on campus.

Please be warned that using fake parking permits is illegal, and any future occurrences will result in disciplinary action.

Official parking permits are required for parking at Talbot Campus. For information on how to obtain a BU parking permit please visit the Student Portal.