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

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St Mary’s University College Twickenham London College Record 2006 www.smuc.ac.uk 8 St Mary’s University College Twickenham London College Record 2006 www.smuc.ac.uk 9 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 Twickenham London College Record 2006 www.smuc.ac.uk 10 St Mary’s University College Twickenham London College Record 2006 www.smuc.ac.uk 11 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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Annual Report (College Record) 2006 - St Mary's University College

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