Essex wins top 10 ranking
ESSEX has been ranked among the top 10 provincial universities in the
UK for the first time by a prestigious Financial Times survey.
The FT 100 UK Universities league table,
published for the fourth year, ranks 97 different universities across 16
categories, to provide an employer orientated snapshot of university
performance.
Essex rose from 25th in 2000 to 17th place
overall, leaping ahead of universities such as Durham, St. Andrews, Leeds
and Glasgow. This put Essex at 9th in the list of provincial
universities.
The FT table measures such criteria as average A-level points, number
of applications to places, student staff ratio, research, teaching,
first-class degrees, graduates entering employment, training and higher
degrees, percentage of postgraduate students, income from industry,
computer and library expenditure.
As last year, Essex topped the list for the percentage of graduates
entering a higher degree.
And the success of Essex graduates in the jobs market has been
confirmed with the publication of performance figures showing 95 per cent
of last year's UK graduates entering work or training.
The figures, released by the Higher Education Funding Council for
England (HEFCE) last month, show the University exceeded its Government
targets for the number of graduates in work or undertaking further study
or training.
This is the first year HEFCE has published performance indicators for
graduate employment. A second indicator, excluding graduates going on to
further study or training, showed 93 per cent of Essex graduates were
employed.
Head of the University's Careers Advisory Service, Joanna Symons, said,
'The University's reputation has rocketed as a result of our high research
ratings and the top scores we have been receiving for teaching quality
assessments. A lot of the larger employers are showing great interest in
our students.'
In addition, she said, the University's reputation meant it was
attracting a high calibre of students. The combination of these factors
has ensured the University is producing highly employable graduates.
Eighty per cent of last year's 698 full-time UK Essex graduates
responded to the employment survey. Of the respondents, 328 were in
employment, 177 were undertaking postgraduate courses or other training,
and just 28 were seeking employment or training.
The HEFCE figures exclude overseas students and postgraduates, and are
based on a survey of graduates' activity on 3 January 2001, for UK
students who graduated in 2000.
Postgraduates celebrate
Degree Day
More than 400 students attended two postgraduate degree ceremonies last
month to receive their awards from the University's Chancellor Lord Nolan.
They were joined by the co-founder of the first Russian hospice, Dr
Andrei Vladimir Gnezdilov, and Lord of Appeal, Lord Slynn of Hadley, who
were awarded honorary degrees by the University.
Honorary graduands Dr Andrei
Vladimir Gnezdilov (left)
and Lord Slynn of Hadley.
More than half of those graduating were overseas students.
Vice-Chancellor Ivor Crewe, addressing the degree congregations, said
"A large vibrant and international community of postgraduate students
is the lifeblood of a research university."
But he added a cautionary note, that cuts in student funding meant
postgraduate study was becoming increasingly difficult. "These
obstacles apply in some measure to all students, but particularly to those
from the UK, who are entering postgraduate study in steadily declining
numbers, to the long-term damage of Britain's academic, scientific and
economic future."
With undergraduates now graduating with an average debt of £5,000, he
said, "Not surprisingly, they balk at the prospect of going deeper
into the red by further study." He paid tribute to the financial
sacrifices and commitment of those graduating, and the generous support of
their parents and partners.
Celebrations to mark move
of Victoria County History to University
Wivenhoe House was the venue for a reception to mark the move of the
prestigious Victoria County History of Essex (VCH) to the University's
Department of History during March.
The VCH is a highly respected, quality work of reference, and will
enhance local history resources based at the University. The VCH was
established in 1899 when Queen Victoria accepted the dedication of, and
gave her name to, the History. Dr Janet Cooper, who has been editor of the
Essex VCH since 1986, explained that it is the first work people turn to
when they want to learn about the history of a county and the parishes
within it. She said: 'The Victoria History of the County of Essex is part
of the great series of volumes of the Victoria History of the Counties of
England, which will eventually cover every county and parish in the
country.
'Work is currently in progress in fourteen counties, including Essex.
All three staff of the Essex History are highly qualified and experienced
historians whose histories are based in original research from printed and
manuscript sources. We are looking forward to working closely with other
members of the History Department in expanding the University's work in
local history.'
The presence of the Victoria County History in the Department of
History will complement the work of the Local History Centre, established
in 1977 within the Department of History, whose range of activities
include postgraduate schemes and certificates in Local History.
Dr Joan Davies, Head of the Department of History, said: 'We welcome
the arrival of the Victoria County History at the University, as it will
link into all of the related research and teaching activities currently
conducted in the Departments of History, Government and Sociology and in
the Centre for Lifelong Learning. The Department of History, in
particular, has a strong commitment to research and teaching in local
history - especially in Essex History.
'Taken together with the expanding local history special collection
in the University's Albert Sloman Library, this will provide a significant
campus-based resource for research into Essex local history'.
The launch also saw the presentation of £5000 to the University from
the VCH Appeal Fund. Dr Cooper explained that the appeal fund was set up
in 1994 to raise money for the Essex VCH and has become an important
source of financial help for the VCH, especially as more and more unitary
authorities have been unable to make contributions to it. The money will
go some way towards meeting the costs of operating the VCH.
Professor Anthony Fletcher,
Director and General Editor of the Victoria County History, Dr Joan
Davies, Head of the Department of History, Professor Ivor Crewe, Dr Janet
Cooper, Editor of the VCH and Councillor Manning-Press, Chair of the VCH
Appeal Fund.
Charlotte completes her
marathon challenge
Charlotte Sanderson successfully completed the London Marathon and
raised more than £850 for the children's charity VICTA (Visually Impaired
Children Taking Action) at the same time. Charlotte, a second year student
from the Department of Government, was jointly sponsored by the University
and the Students' Union to run the 26 miles of the marathon to the tune of
£400 - which helped her meet her sponsorship target.
Charlotte during her
training across the University campus
Charlotte, from Tunstall in Suffolk, ran the full marathon in just over
4 hours along with her mother and Karl Knights, a local villager who is
partially sighted. It was through Karl that Charlotte first became
involved with VICTA. Charlotte has been active in a variety of other
charity events but this is the first time she has been involved in
something as challenging as running the 26 miles of the London marathon.
She said; 'I am delighted to have completed the marathon and to have
raised money for VICTA - it makes all the hard work and effort well worth
it.'
In supporting Charlotte the University and the Union reinforced their
commitment to supporting the disabled. Angela Jones, Disability Co-ordinator
at the University said: 'Last year five percent of the student population
identified themselves as having a disability, this demonstrates the
University commitment to equal opportunities and its tradition of
welcoming students with disabilities and specific learning difficulties.'
Tonia Oldham, Union President commented: 'The Students' Unions are
currently engaged in a variety of initiatives to promote involvement from
student's with disabilities. Thus we are delighted that Charlotte is
supporting such a worthwhile cause.'
Burrows Lecture 2001
Constable: His landscapes
then and now by Keith Turner of the National Trust
'Constable: his landscapes then and now' is the theme of this year's
Burrows Lecture by Keith Turner of the National Trust.
The annual lecture was established in 1966 as the result of a gift from
Major J H Burrow, who was a proprietor and Managing Director of the
Southend Standard group of newspapers. In making his gift, Major Burrows
asked that the subject of the lecture have some relevance to the county of
Essex and be open not only to the University but to the general public to
forge a new link between the University and the people of Essex. Past
speakers have included Major Bruce Kent, General Secretary of the Campaign
for Nuclear Disarmament and authors Ronald Blythe and Margaret Drabble.
Topics have ranged from ice-age mammals in Essex to witchcraft in Essex.
This year the lecture will focus on the artist John Constable and, in
particular, the views he painted in Essex and Suffolk. Keith will be
tracing John Constable, from his birth in the Suffolk village of East
Bergholt, to his life and work across Suffolk, Essex and beyond, including
his time at Wivenhoe Park.
As Keith explained, the lecture will focus on Constable's landscapes
from a biographical perspective rather than a traditional art history
view, looking at the path his life and work took which led him all over
the country. The views Constable painted in Essex and Suffolk such as
Colchester, Feering, Layer Marney, Southend and Ipswich will be covered by
Keith in his lecture, as will his works more further afield in the Lake
District, Wiltshire and Dorset.
Keith's knowledge of Constable and the landscapes he painted has
developed from his own interest in Constable's work. In his role at the
National Trust, Keith over sees the many National Trust properties in the
South East including those in Constable Country. Keith said: 'In some
cases the landscapes Constable painted have changed very little, even
today, and have largely been preserved, but it is interesting to note the
subtle changes that have taken place over the years and the difference
between how views appeared to Constable and how they are today.
The Burrows Lecture 2001, Keith Turner of the National Trust
'Constable: his landscapes then and now' is on Wednesday 16 May in LTB 6
at 6.30pm.
