Innovative thinking for the real world

Summer 2014

Real woRld impactInformation for Schools, Sixth Forms and Further Education Colleges

Students from the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) have spoken of how their legal training prepared them for the “craziest week of their lives” after they attracted international media attention following an unexpected jamming session in their living room with 90s American rap star Coolio when he visited Preston.

Following their evening, the students, five of whom are studying for a Masters in Law at UCLan, have been inundated with requests for the rights to the footage of their impromptu sing-along with the rapper after he visited their house in Preston to cook a three-course meal.

They have given interviews to newspapers, radio and television both home and abroad including NBC news and the Wendy Williams Show in America. A video of their acoustic performance of ‘Gangsta’s Paradise’ has attracted over a million hits since it was posted on YouTube.

23-year-old Law Masters student Lorcan O’Mahony said: “It’s been very useful to have knowledge of intellectual property as we’ve been approached several times by companies asking to buy the rights to our video. We want to keep full control of the footage and leave it open for people to use.

“Our evening with Coolio was unexpected and we don’t want it to seem contrived because it really wasn’t. You can’t make a video go viral, it just happens.”

Law training helps students keep a cool head following rapper video fame

New Medical Sciences course for 2015University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) is pleased to announce that it is launching a new undergraduate course in Medical Sciences for September 2015 entry. The course will be particularly relevant for students who want to gain a solid foundation in medical sciences and open up the door to professions such as medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, optometry and veterinary sciences. On this course students will develop knowledge, understanding and practical skills relevant to medicine, dentistry, health care and industry. Covering core biomedical subjects such as biochemistry, physiology, cell biology, microbiology, pathology and immunology, students will be taught on medical and dental courses, including a number of high profile internationally acclaimed professors, researchers and professional

practitioners in public health, nanomedicine, genetics, cell biology and computational medicine.

Students who successfully complete this degree programme at UCLan will be able to study BDS Dentistry (Graduate Entry) at UCLan or go on to study Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MB BS) at other universities who offer this degree.

International students who study BSc (Hons) Medical Sciences at UCLan will be able to study the MB BS at UCLan (at present the MB BS is only open to international students).

For further information on any of these courses, please visit our website www.uclan.ac.uk/courses

Following successful completion of UCLan’s Undergraduate Research Internship Scheme (2013), three of our students were accepted to present their findings at two prestigious undergraduate conferences: the British Conference of Undergraduate Research (BCUR) at the University of Nottingham and the National Conference of Undergraduate Research (NCUR) at the University of Kentucky, United States.

The School of Psychology provides students with the opportunity to develop their own research skills through conference talks, research publications, research grants and much more. Our Psychology students regularly contribute to Diffusion, the University’s own undergraduate research journal, either through publication of their own research or through membership of the editorial panel.

Peru proves popular destination for students to gain employment skillsAs part of the ELSIE (English Language Skills Initiative for Employability) project for his Year 2 module, Lewis Walmsley travelled to Peru to work in a local school with under privileged children. Tom Clifford, TESOL and Spanish student, volunteered to spend two weeks in Peru as a TEFL teacher, gaining the vital experience he needed in order to reaffirm his decision to become a teacher.

Undergraduate Psychology Research Interns off to US

Did you know?w Fantastic library facilities available 24/7 during term-time, and

ranked in the top 10 in the country by a recent T.H.E. student survey

w It is estimated that over 60% of British Sign Language/English interpreters working in the UK have been taught on UCLan courses

w History is ranked 14th out of 100 institutions in the UK

w UCLan is the only university in the North West to boast its own on-campus Dental Clinic

Talks at UCLanAt UCLan we offer talks on a variety of subjects such as “Introduction to Higher Education” and “Hints and tips for writing a Personal Statement”. If you would like to arrange a talk, or have any queries, email us at: eliaison@uclan.ac.uk

UCLan plays host to chemistry competitionThe final of the 2014 National Schools’ Analyst Competition was held at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) in Preston on the 24th and 25th June. Dr Robert Smith and William Stockburn from UCLan devised a programme of experiments around a forensic theme. The winning team of year 12 students came from Charterhouse School in Surrey and comprised of Anthony Wong, Max Thomas and Bettina Chan.

The School received a prize of £1000 together with Amazon vouchers of £50 to each of the three team members. The School will hold the new shield until June next year, this being the second occasion on which they have won the competition.

In joint second place were Down High School from Northern Ireland and Holyhead High School

UCLan students’ historic project kicks off

Final year Public Relations students have teamed up with the People’s History Museum (PHM) in Manchester to deliver a live project that includes a set of organised events. The project aims to raise awareness of the museum among Preston and Manchester students and motivate them to share their ideas worth fighting for.

from North Wales. In third place was from Varndean College in Brighton. The competition was judged by Professor John Dean (University of Northumbria), Dr Andrew Morrison (Robert Gordon University) and Brian Woodget (Coordinator for the National Schools’ Analyst Competition), who also chaired the judging panel. The prizes were awarded by Alan Handley (LGC North West), President of the Analytical Division.

The Competition is mainly sponsored by the Analytical Chemistry Trust Fund, however many other companies have also provided financial sponsorship. The final was also sponsored by the North West Region of the Analytical Division.

A number of the schools who participated in the final have revealed how much their teams enjoyed the experience.

Extra curriculum changesUCLan is offering informal sessions to help teachers gain the extra subject information needed for Year 12 and 13 curriculum changes.

These sessions provide the opportunity to discuss topics with academic experts and network with fellow subject teachers.

Please email: eliaison@uclan.ac.uk to express your interest.

Enhancing our students’ employment chances has always been a priority at UCLan and for those students studying sports degrees there are many additional qualifications, such as National Governing Body awards, which can add to their skills and knowledge and so increase their career opportunities. In many cases these can be studied alongside their degree. The different sports degrees and additional qualifications can be confusing for students when deciding which sport specialism they would like to work in. With this in mind the School of Sport, Tourism and The Outdoors have developed an infographic, based on the London Tube Map to help teachers, careers advisers and students find their way around this confusing landscape. Each career is a ‘line’, with qualification ‘stations’ along the way. The sports careers tube map is available in print, in the form of a poster, and also interactively online at www.uclan.ac.uk/sportcareers. For a print version call Clint Godfrey on 01772 895899 or email cgodfrey1@uclan.ac.uk

What’s new in Sport?

International Table TennisIn the run up to the Commonwealth Games, UCLan’s Sir Tom Finney Sports Centre are excited to be hosting a major international table tennis match - England vs Australia on Sunday 20th July from 2-5pm. Doors open at 1.30pm and tickets cost £3.00. All welcome. If you would like any further information call the Sports Centre on 01772 895400.

Innovative thinking for the real world

@StudyAtUCLan

Two teams of Law students from the Lancashire Law School at UCLan qualified for the National Mediation final at Queen’s University, Belfast, where they competed against 20 other UK universities. The team of Ellen Rutherford, Sophie Piper, Orla McAllister and Lorcan O’Mahony returned with a third place finish.

Orla also received the individual award for ‘Best Intuitive Mediator’ and a third place finish in the ‘Best Overall Mediator’ category, in which team mate Lorcan came second.

“I was actually slightly shocked,” said Orla. “But I guess that I shouldn’t have been that surprised because Emma (McAndry, Senior Lecturer who organised UCLan’s participation in the competition) really helped me to develop my mediation skills through her intensive training. I think the results of the competition really show her dedication to us and the competition. Now I have something quite unique to put on my CV which will really make me stand out to employers.”

Mediation is a very significant and growing alternative dispute resolution (ADR) process in the UK whereby disputing parties are facilitated to identify, negotiate and agree mutually acceptable solutions.

Volunteer experts aid Russian World Cup preparationsSports volunteer representatives from Russia have visited Preston to meet members of UCLan’s Centre for Volunteering and Community Leadership (CVCL) who will be advising the World Cup volunteer organisers on how to develop a volunteer programme ahead of the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

As part of their visit, the Russian guests met Dr Adrian Ibbetson,

Law School success in national mediation final

the Assistant Dean of the School of Sport, Tourism and the Outdoors at UCLan. They also visited The Myerscough College Football Academy to meet staff and students from the football studies programme, discuss the role of volunteers within the Football Academy and Sport England Volunteering and consider possible collaboration.

Campus ToursAt UCLan we offer tours of our Preston Campus which will allow you to view the fantastic facilities that we have to offer as well as being able to get information on student support, accommodation, course and subject information and an insight into student life.

Campus tours take place every Wednesday, starting at 2pm and take approximately two hours.

If you wish to come along to one of our University Campus Tour afternoons, there is no need to book - come to the stand in Foster Building foyer just before 2pm and we will be there to answer all your questions and give you a student-led tour of the Campus. Tours can also be offered other days but pre-booking is required.

‘Meet the professionals’ UCLan event Two high-profile Lancashire Business School graduates delivered inspiring talks to first year Marketing and Public Relations students to get them proactively thinking about their future careers at the ‘Meet the professionals’ event, organised as part of the School’s Skills Week.

Jenny Bollington works for Blackpool Council (BC) as media manager, overseeing a team of eight and managing all

What’s new? Brain Imaging Lab (BIL) at UCLan PsychologyA new course facility within the School of Psychology at UCLan consists of a state-of-the-art 64-channel electroencephalography (EEG) system, a device used to create visual representations of thoughts within the brain by recording electrical activity along the scalp. Currently undergraduate students are getting hands-on experience in EEG data collection and analysis – helping to conduct research carried out by staff in the School.

communications on behalf of the council. She graduated from the BA (Hons) Public Relations and Marketing course at UCLan ten years ago and has been working for BC ever since.

Having worked in PR for a decade, Jenny was able to give a first-hand insight into media relations. She pointed out the importance of having work experience and encouraged students to hone their additional skills which, according to Jenny, are highly

valued by current employers.

Kieran Murphy, who is head of marketing at The In Thing, a children’s toys international distribution company, graduated from the Marketing course two years ago. While studying he completed his placement year with the company. After graduating he managed to scoop his old job back and has been working for The In Thing since, constantly on the move between his two offices – one in Blackburn

and the other in San Francisco. He’s included in the UK’s list of ‘30 under 30’ 2013 and said: “I wouldn’t be where I am at the moment if not for my industry experience during my studies.”

He walked students through the stages of his successful and budget-friendly campaign for Magic Choc, a chocolate picture maker toy, which was recognised as a number one product on Amazon the following day after its official release.

UCLan students and staff have won a dragon boat racing event between four North West universities for the second year in a row.

The 16-strong UCLan team triumphed over competition from the University of Manchester, the University of Liverpool, Lancaster University and Edge Hill University to once again be crowned the winner of the second annual North West Confucius Institute Dragon Boat Race.

Held at Preston Docks the popular event invited each university’s Confucius Institute, which promotes Chinese language and culture in the UK, to take part in a series of 250 metre heats and a final. Councillor Veronica Afrin, Mayor of Preston, was on hand to congratulate the winners.

The Deputy Director of UCLan’s Confucius Institute, Professor Gang Sui, commented: “We are delighted to once again win the dragon boat race. Despite heavy rain we received a lot of support and attracted a great crowd who very much enjoyed this Chinese tradition. We are already looking forward to taking part in this popular community event again next year.”

UCLan Dragon boat win for second year

OPEN DAYS Sunday 28th September 2014Sunday 19th October 2014Saturday 15th November 2014

To start your UCLan experience visit uclan.ac.uk/openday

#TheUCLanExperience

What’s On?International Table Tennis MatchSunday 20th July

1:30pm - 5:30pm

Sir Tom Finney Sports Centre, Marsh Lane, Preston PR1 2HE

Domestic Violence and the Political Agenda: Looking Back and Looking ForwardWednesday 23rd July

4:00pm – 5:00pm

Brook Building, UCLan, Victoria Street, Preston PR1 2QR

Workshop – Adult Basic Life Support (for healthcare professionals)Wednesday 6th August

9:00am – 4:00pm

UCLan, Preston PR1 2HE

MA Fine Art ExhibitionFriday 5th September - Thursday 18th September

10:00am – 6:00pm

Hanover Building, UCLan, Bhailok Street, Preston PR1 2XQ

Conference – Psychosocial Connections: Practice, Policy and ResearchTuesday 16th December

11:00am – 3:30pm

UCLan, Psychosocial Research Unit, Fylde Road, Preston PR1 2HE

For further information on these events and others at UCLan visit:www.uclan.ac.uk/news/events.php

What we can do for youSchools and College Liaison TeamOur Schools and Colleges Liaison Team is focused on working alongside schools, academies, free schools, sixth forms, further education colleges and University Technical Colleges (UTCs) in order to raise aspirations and increase motivation for Higher Education (HE). UCLan also recognises the vital role of teachers and parents in advising potential HE students and we offer support to them in a variety of ways.

UCLan offers a range of activities for students both on and off campus to help them make important decisions about their future.

w Academic Talks

w Student Life Sessions

w Open Days

w Campus Tours

w University Experience Days

w Workshops

For further information please contact eliaison@uclan.ac.uk or 01772 894443 or visit www.uclan.ac.uk/schools_colleges

Where are they now?

For further information about events, to make bookings or to discuss your school or college’s requirements please email eliaison@uclan.ac.uk, call 01772 894443 or visit www.uclan.ac.uk/schools_colleges

If you are a UCLan graduate we would like to hear from you, please email alumniassociation@uclan.ac.uk, visit www.uclan.ac.uk/alumni or call 01772 892344.

Name: Emma Hall

Course of Study: Pre-Registration Nursing (Mental Health)

Job title: Mental Health lecturer at UCLan

Name: Gavin Singleton

Year of Graduation: 2007

Secondary School Attended: Parkview School, Barrow in Furness

Course of Study: BA (Hons) Management

Job title and employer: Technical Buyer, McLaren Racing Ltd

What made you choose to study your course?

I wanted to take a Business related degree, but with a slight twist. The Management degree offered me a perfect balance of the elements I was looking for.

What did you do after graduation?

I took a temporary job working at GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), with whom I had completed a year’s work as part of my degree. Within a few months I received a call from the manager who mentored me at GSK. She was headhunting and wanted my CV! Before long I had a new career in front of me working in the strategic supply chain world of nuclear submarine manufacture, an amazing opportunity that I was very lucky to come by. I took the job, bought my own place and spent the next 5 years learning a new trade.

Tell us about the journey that led you to your current position at McLaren Racing Ltd.

My partner and I made a very tricky decision in 2012 to both take career breaks and spend 5 months seeing the world. It was a massive decision to make at the time, but on reflection it was the best thing we ever did. We had an amazing trip and a renewed energy when we returned to work and wanted to take ourselves out of our comfort zone with a new challenge. One afternoon I happened to be browsing for my dream job and ended up sending my CV in for a position with the McLaren Formula 1 team, having been a huge F1 fan all my life. The rest is history.

What advice would you give to graduates wanting to do something similar, or what message would you like to give to those thinking of taking up study?

University is not a decision to take lightly but my advice would be that if there is any part of you that thinks you want to give it a go, then go for it. It doesn’t matter how old you are. Take control of your life, nothing in life is permanent and you can change your path at any time.

Why did you choose to study here?

I was considering a few of the universities in the North West but once I came to the Open Day at UCLan I was really impressed. It was friendly and informal and I liked the campus. The facilities were impressive too, we saw the Skills Labs where they set up different scenarios and things for us to watch. My mum trained as a nurse in Preston which also helped.

What did you like about studying here?

First and foremost I would say the support that’s given. The staff are friendly and approachable and they often assign tasks in small groups which helps information sink in. If you have any issues there is always someone available to talk to.

What have you been doing since you completed your degree?

Since graduating with my BSc I got a job as a staff nurse, and started within two weeks of

my graduation in July. I now work at UCLan as a Mental Health lecturer which I absolutely love. Prior to that I was a Team Practitioner within a Forensic In-Reach Team in which I continue to work half a day a week and do clinical work.

Can you explain to potential students about the benefits of studying on the Mental Health Nursing degree?

It’s all about the support, the facilities, the placements – everything! The teaching is innovative and you are taught by experienced, enthusiastic teachers who have worked in different specialist areas. Most of us are all in practice ourselves so we put that experience into our lectures.