newsthexx staffxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx magazine for loughborough university at lboroissue 79 | winter 2014 February Rising up September the ranks 13th in THE TIMES HIGHER ‘Table of Tables’ inside this issue... Making student voices Let’s STEMM the leaky Glasgow 2014 heard How Loughborough did pipeline The Athena SWAN A look back at the in the NSS, p8 Charter, p10 Commonwealth Games, p16 02 news news 03 in this issue Five Star Loughborough 99% August OF COURSES February Loughborough May has achieved a five star rating in September with year-long an independent WORK PLACEMENT OPTION assessment of its performance. The QS Stars scheme provides institutions with a broad range of criteria that allows them to T highlight their particular areas of excellence. Focus 8 According to QS, a five star university is “world National Student Survey class in a broad range of areas, enjoys a high results reputation and has cutting edge facilities and internationally renowned research and over the next ACILITIES Focus 10 teaching faculty.” £100M INVESTMEN IN F three years Athena SWAN The assessment looked at four core criteria Research 12 – teaching, research, employability and Loughborough leaps up Research Challenges internationalisation. It also assessed the From #IAMIN to #WEAREHERE! University’s facilities, its innovation, including the number of research projects undertaken Focus 14 The University was a hive of activity in mid August, Part two of the campaign kicked off in September, Good University Guide my.HR makeover with external companies, and access – including when students received their A level results and found with students encouraged to upload their the value and number of scholarships and Loughborough leapt to 13th place out The Vice Chancellor says the out whether they had a place at Loughborough. #IAMHERE selfies to Twitter. There were also giant bursaries available. Focus 16 University’s rise in the rankings reflects Glasgow 2014 #WEAREHERE frames at each of the University’s of 123 UK universities in The Times Over a period of five days, around 90 staff and The review of Loughborough included an Commonwealth Games halls of residence and the Students’ Union so groups and Sunday Times Good University the commitment and dedication of all students were based in a special call centre in the additional assessment of its performance in of friends could take collective photos. Guide 2015, published in September, members of the University community, Sport and health 18 Haslegrave building, taking enquiries from students. mechanical, manufacturing and aeronautical cementing its status as one of the with the coordinated approach taken engineering. Sport news update In the first hour of day one, 25 calls a second were “Loughborough’s well-known for its community feel, so country’s leading higher education by the University and Students’ Union received by the University. Staff in all the University’s we wanted to have an initiative that makes our freshers Loughborough gained five stars for each of the institutions. It was also shortlisted for of particular importance. Schools were also busy advising students on decisions, feel part of the University right from the outset,” said areas in which it was assessed. the coveted title of University of the “We have a very significant common and the Vice Chancellor and Students’ Union president Rob Whittaker, LSU President. “And the giant photo Year 2014-15, which recognises Public Relations Office “To have received five stars right across the board interest – to provide the best experience were on hand for a while to call successful students. frames on campus will definitely help to generate is an outstanding achievement and confirms the all-round excellence. T: 01509 222224 for our students,” says Professor Allison. E: [email protected] some light-hearted inter-hall competition, with a prize breadth of excellence at Loughborough,” said the In the build up to Clearing and Adjustment, the for the hall with the most selfies!” Vice Chancellor. “This rating puts us alongside The guide ranks universities on eight “The close working relationship that the Design/Print University had a dedicated website, with details of Design and Print Services some of the very best universities in the world.” key criteria – student satisfaction, University and Students’ Union have www.lboro.ac.uk/designandprint available places, infographics to highlight University The VC, Professor Bob Allison, was happy to get research quality, graduate prospects, gives Loughborough an exceptional Printed on Essential Silk, produced facts and achievements, video, student blogs about involved with the campaign as well. entrance qualifications, degree results cohesiveness that really benefits using sustainably sourced materials their Clearing experiences, and top tips for students He said: “We want to let our students know that the achieved, student/staff ratios, services our students. We want to provide and elemental chlorine free pulp and their parents. Students were also able to ask staff here at Loughborough are very accessible, so we and facilities spend, and drop-out opportunities for every one of them to Photography questions and get advice from staff and current thought the ‘We Are Here’ message was appropriate for LSU loyalty scheme rates. Loughborough’s results rose this be the very best they can be, which Design and Print Services, students in an online chat room. Andrew Weekes, Thinkstock. us too – we are here to help them make the very best year in six of the eight performance ultimately contributes to the success of now open to staff measures. the University.” On the Saturday after results day the University held of their time at the University.” University staff can now sign up for the an open house event to enable students who’d been Students’ Union’s Loyalty Points scheme. Loughborough’s excellent rating in The made an offer through Clearing or Adjustment to study Times and Sunday Times follows those at Loughborough to see the campus for themselves. For every £1 you spend in the Union’s shops, in this year’s Complete University Guide catering outlets and bars, you’ll get four points OF 2013 All the Clearing activity was supported by an and Guardian University Guide, in which if you scan your staff ID card. You can then GRADUATES IN expansive social media campaign. Students who’d the University was ranked 13th and gained a place at Loughborough were sent a postcard redeem your points on a range of products, 15th respectively. Its performance this to encourage them to take selfies and post them on from meal deals and coffees to hoodies and year meant Loughborough climbed to notepads. 13th in the Times Higher Education’s EMPLOYMENT Twitter using the hashtag #IAMIN. It was hugely 94% ‘Table of Tables’, ahead of two thirds of and/or FURTHER STUDY successful with hundreds of selfies posted, creating a For more information and to sign up go to the Russell Group universities. real buzz about Loughborough on social media. lsu.co.uk/loyalty Loughborough is proud to be a Fairtrade University Look for products with the FAIRTRADE Mark. www.fairtrade.org.uk Keep up-to-date with the latest staff news at www.lboro.ac.uk/internal/news T59013/DPS/Nov14 04 news news 05 Staff development Academics take on course guide comedy challenge The new Staff Development Guide 2014-15 is now Have you heard the one about the available online at www.lboro.ac.uk/services/sd academic in the comedy club? The guide lists all the courses that Staff Development Members of staff have been performing at Loughborough’s very own have on offer, from essential training to courses for Bright Club, a comedy club that originated at University College London in specific staff groups. Printed versions are available in 2009 and has since swept the country – and even sprung up in Australia. the Rutland Building (first floor) or contact Sue Savin Amazing ([email protected]) for copies. The Bright Club is held at the Organ Grinder pub in Loughborough and the three events staged so far have been sell-outs. Reserve your place on any of Staff Development’s Staff email is getting LSU Rag courses via my.HR. Loughborough The academics use their research as the basis for their acts. The idea of Students’ Union Rag Bright Club is to promote engagement with the public and foster good See p14-15 for more information about the has once more proved relations. It has been described as a ‘thinking person’s comedy night’, and revamped my.HR. BIGGER it’s number one in ‘where funny meets brains’. IT Services are moving staff email across to student fundraising, Office 365. Following feedback they will also Performers to date have mostly been PhD students but the organisers are raising a phenomenal be increasing email quotas, from 1GB by default trying to get more lecturers and professors involved. Teaching Centre £1,411,510.43 in to 50GB. Kate Simpson, who helped get the club 2013-14 for local and changes its name Office 365 is hosted in the Microsoft Cloud and is up and running, admits it’s scary but national charities. says: “After attempting comedy, a regular The Teaching Centre has changed its a reliable system, available 99.9% of the time. Check out their great presentation will never be scary again. To find out more name to the Centre for Academic Practice. There will be no change to the way you use your infographic! “Academia can be very serious and I about the Bright Club The Centre is for academic staff and desktop client. However, if you access your work email Kate at email on your mobile or tablet you’ll need to make think it helps make us seem more human others who support learning.