Vice-Chancellor’s Staff Awards Winners 2014

The winners of the Vice-Chancellor’s Staff Awards 2014 were announced at a prestigious ceremony held on the evening of 27 November 2014 in Kimmeridge House. Vice-Chancellor, Professor John Vinney recognised the achievements of shortlisted staff, along with those who had achieved long service, qualifications relevant to their role and promotion to Professor.

Staff from across the university were praised for their excellence either as individuals or teams – with awards for Individual Achievement, Unsung Hero, Collaborative Team and SUBU’s ‘Most Outstandingly Brilliant’ Gold Award. Among the audience were close friends and family and there was a huge sense of pride as people stepped up to receive their awards.

Congratulations to the following winners of the Vice-Chancellor’s Staff Awards 2014:

Academic Staff – Individual Achievement Award

Dr Carol Clark, School of Health and Social Care

Academic Staff – Unsung Hero Award

Dr Chindu Sreedharan, Media School

Collaborative Team Award

The Durotriges Project Team, Faculty of Science & Technology

SUBU “You’re Brillant” Awards

Dr Louise Preget & Roger Fox, Business School

Affiliated Staff – Unsung Hero Award

PC Andy Scarratt, Member of the Universities Safer Neighbourhood Team

Professional and Support Staff – Individual Achievement Award

Dan Ford,  Marketing and Communications

Professional and Support Staff – Unsung Hero Award

Lauren Duff, Estates

Vice-Chancellor Professor John Vinney appears in The Telegraph

Bournemouth University Vice-Chancellor John Vinney was featured in The Telegraph in an article discussing a new government policy, which promises to open the door to more students by removing the cap which controls numbers of students that universities can recruit.  

Professor Vinney said the reforms would make an impact, irrespective of “discussions about affordability and implementation. Higher Education is a fundamental good for both the individual and society, and any effort to make it more accessible to a larger number of people should be applauded”.

He went on to say, “Speaking as a father, I am pleased that when my children start thinking about going to university they will have a much better chance of entering higher education, and will be much more likely to get a place at the university they want to study at, provided they put in the hard work required”.

“Speaking as a Vice-Chancellor we will now have a true market in Higher Education, with all the joys and sorrows that come with it”.

From autumn 2015, the controls limiting the numbers of students that universities in England can recruit will be scrapped. David Willets, Universities Minister, said the decision will “free universities to recruit the students they want and give people far more choice over where to study”.

John Vinney speaks to Guardian Higher Education Network

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Bournemouth University’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor John Vinney, spoke to the Guardian to give his thoughts on George Osborne’s plans for the future of Higher Education, announced during the autumn statement.

The plans centred on freeing the restriction currently placed on the number of students universities can recruit each academic year.  Funds will be created for the new plan by selling the loan book that supports students while they study.

The blog post started with Professor Vinney declaring that ‘Christmas had come early’ for Higher Education institutions as the cap on the number of students was relaxed, “It is easy to get caught up in discussions about affordability and implementation, but the real headline in the chancellor’s autumn statement is that Christmas just came early for a future generation of students. Higher education is a fundamental good for both the individual and society, and any effort to make it more accessible to a larger number of people should be applauded.”

In the article Professor Vinney weighed the pros and cons of such a move, stating, “Speaking as a father, I am pleased that when my children start thinking about going to university they will have a much better chance of entering higher education, and will be much more likely to get a place at the university they want to study at, with their likelihood of success being dependent solely on their academic ability.”

Professor Vinney continued, “Speaking as a vice-chancellor, we will now have a true market in higher education, with all the joys and sorrows that come with it. But competitive, innovative providers who genuinely care about the future of their students and graduates should have absolutely nothing to fear from that.”

Professor Vinney concluded by saying, “The freeing of controls is a landmark moment for the sector and I for one am glad that a little bit of ideological policymaking has prevailed at last.”

Read the article in full on the Guardian website.

BU generates more than £1million a day spending in local economy

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Bournemouth University, its staff and students bring more than £1 million a day to the South West region, a new study has revealed.

The BU Economic Impact Study 2013 looked at student, staff and university-wide spending and found that BU is worth £378 million to the South West region, and £252 million to the local conurbation.

It also revealed that BU supports over 3,145 full-time jobs in the South West – one job for every seven students at the university.

The study was produced by BU’s Professor John Fletcher and Dr Yeganeh Morakabati through staff and student surveys, interviews with major suppliers to BU and the university accounts.

Professor Fletcher said that BU was part of the “fabric of Dorset”.

“Although I am going to talk about numbers, these are lives, these are jobs, these are the people who shop in the shops and drive down the roads,” he said.

“It brings people in who you meet in the street, who enjoy the entertainment, who go to the shops and the beach and spend money, and it creates a vibrant and a young society.”

He added that students and their visiting friends and relatives spent more than £128 million in the area – often at times of year when there is less tourist trade – and that the total combined spending of the university was equivalent to 11,476 households in Dorset.

Speaking at the launch of the study, Bournemouth West MP Conor Burns added that BU’s benefit to the community also came in numerous, intangible ways.

He said: “When I’m asked about the university’s impact on Bournemouth and the region, I have an easy answer. I always say it’s priceless. I now have a number of statistics to hand to give a more informed answer in future.

“But there’s so much more to the students in Bournemouth and academic staff and for what the university does than these numbers – however great they are.”

He added: “Bournemouth would not just be economically and socially diminished without Bournemouth University, it would be decimated without Bournemouth University.”

Jonathan Clark, executive chairman of local digital agency Bright Blue Day, also spoke about the value of BU and its graduates.

The study found that the 5,879 graduates from BU this year will create an extra £1.3 billion in additional earning potential, but Jonathan added that they are also great advocates for the university and the area.

“People who leave and are in the early or later parts of their career are fantastic supporters of BU,” said Jonathan, whose agency has employed a number of BU graduates.

“They recommend BU at every turn, promote the area, come down here for weekends and bring friends to the area. It has an economic impact on us all.”

A similar Economic Impact Study in 2007 found that the total amount spent by BU contributed £241 million to the South West’s regional economic output – a figure that has now grown considerably.

BU Vice-Chancellor Professor John Vinney said: “BU has changed in that time, and our reputation has continued to grow.

“We also contribute in many less tangible ways, bringing a hugely skilled workforce to the area, support for local businesses and simply the introduction of a huge number of young people to help the region be lively, thriving and a good place to be.”

Read the Economic Impact Study 2013 in full

BU vice-chancellor attends launch of University Innovators Guide

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Professor John Vinney, the Vice- Chancellor of Bournemouth University, attended the launch of The Dods University Innovators Guide in Westminster.

The publication focuses on the strength of university-business collaboration in the UK at the moment and examines how this relationship can be developed further in the future to help grow the economy.

The event was attended by MPs, Members of the House of Lords and business leaders.

Speaking at the launch, Professor Sir Tim Wilson, author of the 2012 Review of Business-University Collaboration, spoke about how, with the end of traditional industry, the UK has to rely on its workforce as the capital to drive forward the economy, and universities were vital in developing the necessary skills for this.

The Wilson Review was published last year and in it Professor Wilson proposed an agenda for change to make the UK the best place in the world for business-university collaboration.

Also speaking at the launch was Adrian Bailey MP, who is Chair of the Business, Innovation and Skills Select Committee at Westminster.

He emphasised that universities were already collaborating with business, but not enough was being done to publicise this.

“Universities need to highlight their overall contribution to driving forward the economy and society today,” he said, adding that he welcomed the publication as a great significant contribution to that.

Professor Keith Brown from the National Centre for Post-Qualifying Social Work at BU was at the event, highlighting the work the NCPQSW does with the private and public sector to provide in providing education and training for professionals within Health and Social Care.

He was accompanied by Jo Sams who studied at the NCPQSW and now owns and runs a number of residential care homes for young people.

The Dods Innovators Guide was produced in partnership with Bournemouth University, the University of Birmingham, Brunel University, the University of Hertfordshire and the University of Northampton.

It features an article on BU by Professor Vinney in which he outlines his plans for university-business collaboration.

He concludes: “University-business collaboration brings clear benefits to our students, the University, and the businesses that we engage with, and our work with local, national and international business is a source of considerable pride.

“The recommendations in The Dods University Innovator’s Guide will ensure that BU can continue to prepare our graduates not just for the world of today, but for the world of tomorrow.”

Download the University Innovators Guide