Annual Report (College Record) 2006 - St Mary's University College

College
Record
2006

St Mary’s University College
Twickenham London
College Record 2006
www.smuc.ac.uk 1
Synopsis
Introduction
from the Chair of Governors
Introduction
Bishop George Stack, Chair of Governors,
congratulates the College on the achievement
of degree awarding powers
Historic year
Celebrating St Mary’s transition to a University College
Letter from the Principal
Dr Arthur Naylor reports on an increase in both
student numbers and the range of courses on offer
School of Human Sciences
The Sports Science Honours and Psychology Honours
achieve industry recognition, while the Centre for
Workplace Health and Professional Short Courses
Unit are established
School of Education
The School has hosted conferences attended by
delegates from around the globe in 2005–2006
and continues the Global Citizenship project
School of Theology, Philosophy, and History
The School has actively participated in a number
of conferences and lectures, both at home and
abroad and contributed to numerous theological
and philosophical publications
School of Communication,
Culture and Creative Arts
The School continues to expand with the establishment
of an MA in Creative Writing and the MA in Applied
Linguistics for students in Holland and Germany
College news digest
A round up of College activities,
events and developments
Centre for Workplace Learning
The centre proves to be highly successful with an
increasing number of students taking advantage
of the work placement programme
School of Management and Business Enterprise
2005–2006 saw the establishment of new degree
programmes in Business Law and Tourism
Management, as well as a new MA in Charity
Management. The School also received a visit
from the High Commissioner of Grenada
Sport St Mary’s
The College prepares for the 2012 Olympic Games,
as Sport St Mary’s is designated as a college
department. It also became the only university in
London to be chosen as an English Institute of
Sport hub and throughout the year athletes from the
College participated in prestigious sporting events
Chaplaincy
The year saw increasing involvement by both
staff and students in Chaplaincy groups and the
continued development of outreach programmes.
The Chaplaincy was also involved in numerous
successful fundraising events
Annual report
A summary of finances for 2005–2006 and a list
of members of the Board of Governors
Promotions
New Professors and Readers appointed
Information Services and Systems
Facilities have been significantly upgraded and
modernised while increased funding has allowed
for the appointment of an e-learning advisor
Student Services
There has been an increasing demand for all student
services and the department has taken responsibility
for College bursaries and scholarships
On behalf of the Board of Governors, I am pleased to introduce the
College Record and the Annual Report of St Mary’s University College,
Twickenham, for the academic year 2005–2006.
The most significant development of the year was the achievement of
degree awarding powers following intense and extensive scrutiny by the
Quality Assurance Agency. This achievement brings the College closer
to its strategic goal of gaining university title in its own right.
It is fitting that I should pay tribute to the Principal, the staff of the College
and my fellow governors at this significant moment in the history of St
Mary’s. Each one of them has played their own part in the processes
that have led to the award of ‘taught degree awarding powers’ and the
‘University College’ title, which we now enjoy. St Mary’s is the first Catholic
institution in England to be able to award its own degrees since the
Reformation in the 16th Century.
In other fields of activity, the year 2005–2006 proved to be an outstanding
one for the College. The National Student Survey (of student satisfaction)
placed the College very highly. This reflects the work of staff in supporting
the academic and personal development of our students.
Autumn 2006 marked the introduction of variable tuition fees along with
all the uncertainties associated with such a major change. Despite this,
St Mary’s College was so heavily oversubscribed in its undergraduate
and PGCE programmes, that for the first time we were not in Clearing,
in any subject. This is an undoubted affirmation of all that we do.
As Chair of Governors I am pleased and privileged to present this Record
to you all. In doing so I express my admiration and thanks to all who have
made possible these noteworthy achievements.
+George Stack
Auxiliary Bishop of Westminster
Chair of Governors

St Mary’s University College
Twickenham London
College Record 2006
www.smuc.ac.uk
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St Mary’s University College
Twickenham London
College Record 2006
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An Historic Year
Letter from the Principal
The College was granted the power to award its own
taught degrees by the Privy Council in 2006 after
completing an 18 month period of intense scrutiny.
New students registering from September 2007 can
look forward to graduating with a St Mary’s University
College degree.
Following Privy Council approval, St Mary’s now
has the right to be called a University College and can
apply for university status when it meets the criteria for
this important stage. As the transition from College to
University College began, the Principal was keen to
express gratitude to the University of Surrey for its
affiliation with St Mary’s College over the past years.
“We have been greatly supported by the University
of Surrey with whom we will continue to maintain a
positive relationship. While all our taught programmes
will lead to St Mary’s degrees within a few years, we will
maintain our link through research degrees awarded by
the University of Surrey,” comments Dr Naylor.
Both College staff and students look forward to the
beginning of a brand new era.
“a university within the catholic
tradition with a collegial ethos”
This University College Record sets out just some of the many student
and staff achievements of 2005–2006. It was again a year in which
student numbers increased and the range of programmes expanded.
Indeed, we could have taken many more students, but for the
limitations of the Higher Education Funding Council and the Training
and Development Agency for Schools on our plans for growth.
Our aim is to achieve 4,000 full-time equivalent student numbers,
which alongside our recently achieved taught degree awarding powers,
will enable us to apply for a University title. We also intend to achieve
research degree awarding powers, building on areas of strength, in a
focused and mission-related way. At this stage however, the University
College title describes rather well, what St Mary’s offers: a university
education in a collegial environment. This makes St Mary’s increasingly
attractive to new students, as indicated by the 57% increase in
applications to undergraduate courses over the last three years.
High levels of student satisfaction, as reflected in the National Student
Surveys in 2005 and 2006, and strong graduate employment rates,
contribute to the overall attractiveness of the St Mary’s experience.
The vision of St Mary’s, developed by the Board of Governors in 2005,
is of “a university within the Catholic tradition with a collegial ethos”.
University College status in 2006 is tremendously valuable in its own
right and is an important stage as we look to the future in the fastchanging
world of higher education.
Dr Arthur Naylor
Principal

St Mary’s University College
Twickenham London
College Record 2006
St Mary’s University College
College Record 2006
www.smuc.ac.uk
4 Twickenham London
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School of Human Sciences
Rev Dr Steve Talbot, Head of School, reports
on a year of significant developments
Teaching and Learning
The School offers a wide range of taught degree
programmes, from Foundation through to Honours
and Masters Degrees. A key feature of the portfolio of
degree programmes is the link with careers and their
relevant professional bodies.
The Sport Science Honours programme became one
of the first degrees in the UK to be formally endorsed by
the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences
(BASES) and the Psychology Honours programme was
successful in its application to be fully accredited by the
British Psychological Society (BPS).
Knowledge Transfer and Outreach
A major part of the academic activity of the School is
geared towards developing relationships with industry
and commerce (through the Centre for Workplace
Health), as well as with the local community wishing
to access short courses as part of their vocational
learning (through the Professional Short Courses Unit).
The Centre for Workplace Health was established
in September 2005 with the aim of carrying out health
promotion interventions in the workplace of a range of
organisations. In its first year the Centre began work
with Newham University Hospital, in North East London
and with Carphone Warehouse’s main contact centre
in West London. The two projects are funded externally
with significant contributions from Sport England and
the British Heart Foundation. The Centre for Workplace
Health has planned two further projects across London
with the financial support of the London Development
Agency (LDA), Transport for London (TfL) and Sport
England. The first of these projects is due to start in
April 2007, with the much larger project starting 12
months later.
The Professional Short Courses Unit (PSCU) within
the School was established in January 2006 with the
aim of building on the proven success of existing
vocational training activity in the area of health and
fitness. Courses are offered in various formats and
at times convenient to members of the local, lifelong
learning community. The establishment of the PSCU
has brought plans for the expansion of this existing
training activity within the inclusion of BSc and MSc
level short courses for vocational learners.
Research
The School has three research groups, in the areas
of psychological sciences, sport sciences and health
sciences. The sport sciences group received a boost
in early 2006 with the appointment of a Reader in Sport
and Coaching Science, Dr Tim Holder.
We are geared
towards developing
relationships with
industry and
commerce, as well
as with the local
community

St Mary’s University College
Twickenham London
College Record 2006
www.smuc.ac.uk
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St Mary’s University College
Twickenham London
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School of Education
Professor Patricia Wade, Head of School,
reflects on an eventful 12 months
Expansion and development
The School of Education in 2005–06 continued
to expand and diversify its range of activities which
now include foundation degrees, undergraduate and
postgraduate initial teacher training, a wide range
of continuing professional development programmes
to Masters level, and research facilities and supervision
to Doctoral level. All programmes subject to OFSTED
inspection are currently graded as good or very good.
Staff are increasingly engaged in national and international
developments in research and consultancy with a focus
on collaborative activity.
International subject update course
A successful subject update course for teachers in
international schools abroad was held in the summer
at St Mary’s. Teachers attended from countries
including Kenya, Mexico, United States, Kuwait and
Greece. They took part in lectures and workshops in
all subjects in the National Curriculum, looking at new
initiatives and future changes in schools. They enjoyed
the surroundings of this part of London, visiting
Kingston, Richmond and Central London.
Promoting primary music
In November 2006, 500 children from Richmond
primary schools took part in the first of three Schools
Prom concerts at the Royal Albert Hall. The massed
choir performed a specially written piece in two vocal
parts, accompanied by a 60 piece school/student
orchestra, seven drum kits, electronic effects and
the organ.
Global Citizenship
This project is in its third year at St Mary’s. It was initially
led by three members of the primary Geography and
primary Religious Education teams. However, there are
now nine staff working on the project. It was originally
funded by LaSER GD (London and South East Global
Dimension), which itself is funded by the Department for
International Development. It now also receives funding
from London South Bank University. The broad aim of
the project is to promote global citizenship across the
School of Education. This aim is huge and involves farranging
issues from recycling within the College, to
teaching about faraway places. The project was primarily
associated with its 10 day ‘Our World – Get Global’
initiative in 2005, but it continues to be active. For
example, a representative of UNICEF has been invited
to the College to lead a staff session on teaching about
children’s rights in March 2007. The project team has
just finished writing about the project for a forthcoming
publication by London South Bank University.

St Mary’s University College
Twickenham London
College Record 2006
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St Mary’s University College
Twickenham London
College Record 2006
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The School of Theology,
Philosophy, and History
Dr Michael Hayes, Head of School,
summarises a notable year
School of Communication,
Culture and Creative Arts
Professor Brian Robinson, Head of School,
celebrates a successful year
It has been a very busy year for the School of Theology
with both students and staff participating in a host of
different events and contributing to a range of
publications. There have also been a number
of academic appointments and achievements.
Head of School Dr Michael Hayes was awarded a
Fellowship by the Leadership Foundation in Higher
Education. In addition, the School also welcomed
two new research fellows; Professor Mary Grey
and the Reverend Dr Frank McHugh.
Peter Tyler, Programme Director of the MA in Pastoral
Theology, Chaplaincy Studies and Catechesis, was
the keynote speaker at the Catholic Association for
Retreats and Spirituality Annual Conference in January.
The St Mary’s Holy Land Research Project attracted
funding from the British Academy, for co-organising
two workshops in 2007, one in London and the other
at Birzeit University, Palestine, on ‘The Politics of
Elections and the Struggle for Democracy in the
Middle East: Perspectives from Within and Below’.
In April 2006 Dr Claire Norton, Lecturer for the History
Programme, was one of several organisers of a major
international conference, ‘The Renaissance and the
Ottoman World’ jointly sponsored by St Mary’s
University College, the Warburg Institute and the School
of Oriental and African Studies at London University.
Dr Glenn Richardson, Programme Director for
History and Deputy Head of the School, was elected
to the Steering Committee of History UK.
Dr Anthony Towey, Programme Director, Theology and
Religious Studies, was invited to participate in the ‘New
Humanism in Europe’ conference in Rome, in June.
Dr David Jones, Academic Director and Programme
Director for MA in Bioethics and the Foundation Degree
in Healthcare Chaplaincy, made various appearances
on national television and radio in Spring 2006 as an
expert commentator on media stories covering
embryos and euthanasia.
Dr Marije Altorf, Programme Director, Philosophy, gave
a paper at the International Association for Women in
Philosophy in August and a paper at the Iris Murdoch
conference at Kingston University in September. She
also contributed to a new book entitled, Iris Murdoch:
A Reassessment (Palgrave MacMillan).
Dr Nur Masalha, Programme Director, MA in Religion
and Conflict and Director of the Holy Land Studies
Centre, edited a book of essays in honour of the late,
Palestinian-American literary theorist, Edward Said,
entitled Catastrophe Remembered: Palestine, Israel
and the International Refugees (Zed Books).
Dr Masalha was elected onto the Postgraduate Panel
for Philosophy, Law and Religious Studies of the Arts
and Humanities Research Council.
In May, around 100 students from Esher College,
St Francis Xavier College and the London Nautical
School took an active part in the Sixth Form
Conference, offered by the Philosophy Programme.
The School of Communication, Culture and Creative Arts
has had a very successful academic year. Students in
all programmes confirmed the quality of their curricula
and the high levels of support they received from staff in
the results of the National Student Satisfaction Survey.
Recruitment of high quality undergraduate applicants
to the School is also buoyant.
The Masters programmes continue to expand with a
collaboration with the University of Maastricht, which
enables us to provide the MA in Applied Linguistics to
students in Holland and Germany. In addition, a new
MA in Creative Writing has been designed and is now
in the process of being marketed. This programme will
complement the work done at the undergraduate level
by the Professional and Creative Writing programme.
The MA in Directing recruited its first cohort and has
already had a significant impact in the field of
postgraduate studies in Performing Arts in London.
Student degree results on all programmes remain
above the national average, while the School record in
peer-reviewed publications was very impressive. Staff
participated in a variety of national and international
conferences and were also involved as writers,
performers and designers in several productions
on the London stage.
The School continued to refine its research strategy for
its entry in the 2008 RAE (Research and Assessment
Exercise). The focus of the submission will relate to all
aspects of the School’s creative work: the study of
literature and drama; creative writing; the performing
arts; language in education and society; and the role
of the media in contemporary society. The School is
confident of success in this prestigious exercise of
national research recognition.

St Mary’s University College
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College Record 2006
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St Mary’s University College
Twickenham London
College Record 2006
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College News Digest
Centre for Workplace Learning
Liz Coombs, Director of the Centre explains the
vital role the centre plays for St Mary’s students
Dol.cHe Vita
One of the College highlights of the year was the
opening of our new campus coffee bar. The new
Dol.cHe Vita coffee bar was opened in September
2006 for students, staff and members of the public,
serving snacks, sandwiches, drinks and Fairtrade
coffee. The coffee bar also offers a wireless internet
connection so students can study while enjoying
their refreshments.
Charities benefit
The College chose its charities for RAG week, by
means of an internet poll on the website. Charities
include Simms Lourdes, Strawberry Hill Overseas
Concern and The Roy Kinnear Foundation. National
charities include Breakthrough Breast Cancer, the
Children’s Trust and the Meningitis campaign. The
students were involved in choosing the charities
and gave wholehearted support during RAG week.
Honorary Fellowships awarded
Four people, who have made an outstanding
contribution to the community, were awarded Honorary
Fellowships by the College. Sister Dee Smith, a former
student of St Mary’s, is responsible for Proyecto Vida
(Project Life), which provides education towards the
prevention of AIDS. Andy Sutch, a highly respected
figure in British sport, contributed to the emergence
of Lottery funding in sport and oversaw the investment
of more than £100 million in London’s sport. Barry
Keates, a former Governor and Vice Chairman of the
board of St Mary’s was enormously influential in the
development of the College. Bishop Vincent Malone
was awarded the Fellowship for his contribution to the
development of Catholic Higher Education in England.
College welcome
The College Summer School successfully completed
its fourth year, with a record number of 70 school
students aged 15–16 attending from across London
and the South East. The Summer School targeted
young people from schools and colleges who have
the proven academic potential to succeed, but may
not have a family history of Higher Education. It aimed
to develop and refine their study skills in preparation for
a university degree and raise their aspirations towards
further study.
College promotes primary teaching
The College hosted a conference for A-level students
interested in training as Primary Teachers. Students
from local schools were able to meet members of staff
and current students and find out about all aspects of
life at the college.
Students and local organisations have benefited this year
from the placement programme offered by the Centre
for Workplace Learning in the School of Management
and Business Enterprise, which allows second and
third year undergraduates to gain academic credit for
part-time work placements.
The work placements are designed to give St Mary’s
students the opportunity to apply the theory they learn
at College to the workplace, to enhance their CV’s,
develop the ability to reflect on and transform the way
they work through the learning experience and to test
potential career paths.
In 2005–2006 approximately 100 students took
advantage of the work placement programme. They
undertook their experiences in banks, schools, arts
centres, local councils, charities, hospitals, tourism
companies, hotels, retail outlets, sports centres and
many other businesses.
Feedback from all our employers has been very positive
and a large number of students were offered continuing
paid work on a temporary or part-time basis following
their work placements. Eight of our final year students
were offered graduate jobs, either with their work
placement employer, or as a direct consequence
of the work they undertook and contacts they made
whilst on placement.
Michelle Smart, a final year student studying
Management Studies with Sociology, secured a
placement with Richmond upon Thames Council,
to undertake a research project to identify future training
needs, as determined by employers within the borough.
This project required Michelle to show independence
and resourcefulness as well as to use and develop her
research and presentation skills.
The Centre for Workplace Learning offers a suite of
work placement programmes designed for students
in both their second and final years and for those
interested in a variety of work experiences including
working in business and in the not-for-profit sector.
Students working
in business and in the
not-for-profit sector

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St Mary’s University College
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School of Management
and Business Enterprise
Adrian Wilkins, Head of School,
reflects on a year of change and expansion
Sport St Mary’s
Andrew Reid-Smith, Director of Sport, reviews
a landmark year in the College’s sporting life
The School is in a period of significant growth and
development. At undergraduate level new degree
programmes were introduced in Business Law and
Tourism Management. The School also expanded
its postgraduate portfolio with the validation of a new
MA in Charity Management. Application numbers to all
programmes increased during 2005–2006, reflecting
the importance of professionally based education in
degree selection.
The School constantly focuses on building links with
the external business community. The Business Forum
played a significant part in driving forward new initiatives
and final year Management Studies students were
fortunate to work with a local consultancy organisation,
as part of their final semester studies.
The quality of the School’s academic provision was
reflected in the national league tables. The Geography
programme was ranked 20 out of nearly 100
geography departments in the Guardian annual survey.
The School welcomed the High Commissioner for
Grenada to the College during 2005–2006 as part of
its preparation for a field trip to the country by students
on the Geography and Tourism programmes. During
his visit the High Commissioner thanked staff and
students for their efforts in raising money for disaster
relief in the country following two recent hurricanes.
The School also welcomed two new members of staff
in September 2006. Chris Hull joined to lead the new
Business Law programme and Dr Geoff Paul became
responsible for the MA in Charity Management.
Sport at St Mary’s has reported some considerable
achievements and undergone major reform. The
sporting relationships with UK Athletics, the London
Marathon and the English Institute of Sport (EIS)
continue to thrive and develop. St Mary’s has been
chosen as the EIS hub site for the West of London,
the only university in London to be selected for this role.
St Mary’s has provided numerous athletes, who have
competed in this year’s notable championships,
including the Melbourne Commonwealth Games,
the European Athletics Championships and the IAAF
World Junior Championships. Exceptional
performances saw Mo Farah gaining a European silver
medal in the 5,000m and Harry Aikines-Aryeetey
becoming a Junior World Champion in the 100m.
This sporting excellence has gone hand in hand with an
extensive ‘grass roots’ programme involving Richmond
Athletic Club and a number of other local clubs and
schools. The St Mary’s High Performance Centre
provides not just the environment, but also specialist
knowledge and inspiration for these young athletes.
The success of this is illustrated, not only by the move
of the Athletic club to St Mary’s, but also its name
change to St Mary’s Richmond. The club now enjoys
the benefit of using first-class facilities. It has also seen
a significant rise in membership to over 200 athletes.
In total over 1,300 children and young people took
part in programmes operating from St Mary’s during
the 2005–2006 academic year, a large number
participating in the Borough’s nationally recognised
programme, ‘Competitive Edge’.
In September, 2006 the organisation of sport at St
Mary’s was significantly changed with Sport St Mary’s
designation as a College department. With stimulating
opportunities ahead, Sport St Mary’s is in an excellent
position to further strengthen and advance its sporting
programme and is well-placed to coordinate
successfully the College’s contribution to the
London 2012 Olympic Games.

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College Record 2006
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St Mary’s University College
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Chaplaincy
Fr Gerry Devlin explores the key roles
of the Chaplaincy at St Mary’s
Chaplaincy is central to the life of St Mary’s providing
ongoing pastoral care and support for students and
staff, reaching out to people of all faiths and none.
Students are also encouraged to take part in outreach
programmes. We have developed good links with
voluntary organisations including: CARA; The Roy
Kinnear Foundation; Kids Enjoy Exercise Now;
The Shooting Star Trust; Irish Centre Housing;
Richmond Housing Partnership; Feltham Young
Offenders; and CAFOD.
Throughout the academic year Mass is celebrated
in the Crypt or the College Chapel every day. We
also have a Prayer Room situated below the College
Chapel. Students are involved in the organisation
of all College liturgies.
The Chaplaincy takes the lead on the Community
Scholarships and applicants must demonstrate that
they have offered their skills, resources and gifts for
the purpose of creating a more just world. It continually
strives for greater involvement of all staff and students
in making a lasting contribution to the evolution of
community life on the campus and beyond.
Chaplaincy groups and activities
2005–2006 included
Liturgical ministries;
Social events,
Rite of Christian,
Initiation of Adults,
Sacramental Preparation;
Retreats,
Taize evenings,
Simms Lourdes,
Ecumenical Prayer Group,
Pastoral Council,
Justice and Peace Ministry,
Serving the Community,
Christian Union,
Catholic Alpha,
Carol Singing,
and fundraising for local, national
and international charities.
We have developed good
links with voluntary
organisations including:
CARA; The Roy Kinnear
Foundation; Kids Enjoy
Exercise Now; The
Shooting Star Trust; Irish
Centre Housing; Richmond
Housing Partnership;
Feltham Young Offenders;
and CAFOD

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Twickenham London
College Record 2006
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St Mary’s University College
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Board of Governors
Finances and Statistics
The members who served on the Board
of Governors as at 31 July 2006
The Right Reverend G Stack 6, 7
Ms J Beedham 3
Ms C Brett 3
Dr M Caine 9
Mr A Carey 1
Rev Dr S Clyne
Dr M Eaton
Mrs L Fardon 9
Dr R Fisher
Mrs V Fulton 1
Mr D Garvey 10
Cllr E Jaeger 2
Dr R Kaczmarski 1
Mr P Keech 3
Mr D Kennedy 3
Prof P Lutzeier 3
Sir A Mackechnie 2
Professor H Michels 1, 2
Dr A Naylor 2, 3, 5, 6
Professor B Ray 3, 7
Ms O Stannard - Vice Chair 6, 8
Professor B Weiss 4
1. Audit Committee
2. Estates Committee
3. Finance and Staffing Committee
4. Health and Safety Committee
5. Honorary Fellowship Committee
6. Nominations Committee
7. Remuneration Committee
8. Student Services Committee
9. Staff Governor
10. Student Governor
Student Numbers
Foundation Degrees
Undergraduate
PGCEs
Masters
MPhil/PhD
Total 3324
Short Courses (FTE) 435
Total Student Population 3759
Staffing (FTE)
Academic Departments 187
Admin Support Services 152
Other Support Services 86
Total 425
Income 2006
Total: £22,695,000
15000
12000
9000
6000
3000
0
12000
10000
8000
6000
4000
2000
12,966
Funding
Councils
10,431
4,463 4,204
1,062
Fees
Expenditure 2006
Total: £22,154,000
1,811
Residences
Catering
Other
3,355 2,841
3,716
Income 2005
Total: £19,222,000
15000
12000
9000
6000
3000
0
Expenditure 2005
Total: £18,958,000
12000
10000
8000
6000
4000
2000
11,406
Funding
Councils
9,068
4,198
Fees
1,578
2,998
Residences
Catering
620
0
Academic
Academic
Support
Residences
Catering
Premises
Admin
Other
2,521 2,582 3,209
0
Academic
Academic
Support
Residences
Catering
Premises
Admin
Surplus for year £541K (2005: £264K)

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Twickenham London
College Record 2006
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St Mary’s University College
Twickenham London
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Promotions
Information Services
and Systems
Three Professors Appointed
Richard Fisher’s work, profile and publications in national
and international physical education and sport, resulted
in the conferment of his title. He is Honorary President
of the European Physical Education Associations, led the
development of UK Athletics’ current coach education
scheme and holds the Ling Award of the Physical
Education Association of the UK (now Association for
Physical Education). He participated in several of the
working groups that shaped up parts of the bid for the
2012 Olympic Games and is leading St Mary’s
preparations for the Games.
Brian Robinson was promoted as a result of his work
in international teacher education. He spent over 20
years as a consultant for the Overseas Development
Administration and for the British Council. As part of
this work, he helped to develop the higher education
curriculum in a number of countries including India,
Sudan and Mozambique. He also wrote several text
books which have been used extensively in India and
Southern Africa.
Patricia Wade has combined an outstanding
contribution to education, both at St Mary’s and in
the broader context, with national and international
leadership in gymnastics, principally sports acrobatics.
She played a key role in developing this country’s
understanding of the educational needs of
gymnastically gifted girls and internationally was
central to the development of the concept of
‘artistry’ in the acrobatic gymnastic curriculum.
Two New Readers Appointed
Dr Pauline Foster’s research is in second language
acquisition, task-based learning, language
classroom interaction, research methodology
and formulaic language.
Dr Timothy Holder is an applied sports psychologist
whose research has involved work with elite athletes
from a wide range of sports.
It has been an exciting year within the Information
Services and Systems Department. Special funding
allowed the creation of a new post of e-learning advisor.
This expands our work supporting staff and students,
making effective use of the upgraded online e-learning
environment to combine face-to-face with virtual
teaching and learning activities. The installation of a
new state-of-the-art library service counter and
the refurbishment of our largest open access IT space
(IT1) have helped to modernise the Learning Resource
Centre. This year has also seen building work start on
our new hybrid learning space, the i-learn café.
The department is committed to developing as much
flexibility in its computing facilities as possible, moving
towards anytime, anywhere connectivity. This year saw
the development of a wireless network, the use of
laptop loans to support provision within the Learning
Resource Centre and the linking of new residential
accommodation to the College network.
The College’s institutional portal was launched with
a revised visual identity, more intuitive layout and a
new email service – Outlook Web Access (OWA) –
was introduced for staff providing off-campus access
to email and supporting more flexible learning.
Our nationally benchmarked data showed a substantial
increase in the numbers of students seen, per member
of staff, in induction and skills development sessions
and the volume of e-journal articles accessed by users
rose again. 2005–06 was a busy, productive and
successful year for the department.
Máire Lanigan,
Director of Information Services and Systems

St Mary’s University College
Twickenham London
College Record 2006
www.smuc.ac.uk 20
Student Services
Student Services had a challenging year with an
increase in demand on all its services. The Careers
Centre reported a record number of visitors to the
centre as well as to the Teaching Appointments Fair
and the Experience Works Fair.
The number of people using the Dyslexia and Disability
service, which liaises with College departments and
services, also continues to grow. It has been particularly
active in advising staff about the changes in legislation
and preparing the Disability Equality Scheme (DES).
The Accommodation Service continued to focus on
delivery to students, allocating student accommodation
and advising students about how to access
accommodation off-campus. The addition of De
Marillac Hall to the portfolio means there are now
778 beds available to students. All first years can
be accommodated on campus.
During the course of the year the Student Services
Centre also took on the running of the College
bursaries and scholarships.
Kevin Germaine,
Head of Student Services

St Mary’s University College
Waldegrave Road, Strawberry Hill
Twickenham TW1 4SX
Tel. 020 8240 4000
Fax. 020 8240 4255
www.smuc.ac.uk
marketing@smuc.ac.uk