Oak trees to mark the
Millennium
The University celebrated the Millennium by planting about 60 oak trees
across the 200 acres of Wivenhoe Park recently.
Some 19 different species of oak trees, originating from more than 25
countries, including Syria, Israel, Mexico, North Africa, USA and China, were planted to
reflect the international nature of the University and the rich contribution staff and
students from across the world have made to it.
Professor Tim Gray, from the Department of Biological Sciences,
co-ordinated the Millennium Oak Project and explained how the planting of the oaks carries
on a tradition begun at Wivenhoe Park in the early nineteenth century. General Francis
Slater Rebow, the owner of the Park at the time, brought back cuttings of cork oaks in his
boots from the Peninsular wars. Two of these oaks can still be seen today.
The planting also accompanies the University’s Millennium exhibition, Constable
and Wivenhoe Park: Reality and Vision, as it was General Rebow who commissioned the
artist John Constable to paint Wivenhoe Park in 1816. A number of oak species and
hybrids were selected back in 1996 and were grafted onto English oak root-stocks and grown
for the University by local nurserymen in Suffolk and Essex.
Throughout the day members of the University community, past and
present, planted trees. Amongst those planting was the President of the Students’
Union, Tonia Oldham, who planted an oak to represent all students from the University.
Children from the University’s Day Nursery (pictured below) also joined in
and formed a big ring around the tree they had planted and sang and danced ‘Here we
go round the Big Oak Tree!’ Professor Gray planted an oak from the county of Essex to
mark the eighteenth century origins of Wivenhoe Park.
A grove of oaks were planted in remembrance of Professor Alan Gibson
FRS, founding Professor of the Department of Physics. The trees will also mark the closing
of the Physics Department in July next year and a bench has also been placed in the
University grounds as a lasting memorial to Professor Gibson.
There was also a big turnout of past members of the University to plant
the Convocation Grove, honoring not just the work of Convocation, but also the lives and
work of several of its officers.
The Chancellor, Lord Nolan, also participated in the oak planting and
planted an oak originating from Spain and Portugal during his visit to the campus.
The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ivor Crewe said; ‘The planting of
the oak trees around the campus will provide a lasting reminder of the Millennium and of
the heritage of Wivenhoe Park. The University is grateful to those individuals who have
contributed generously to the Millennium Oak Project through the University of Essex
Foundation and the University Tree Fund’.
(left to right) the
vice-Chancellor, Professor Ivor Crewe, his wife Jill Crewe, Personal Assistant, Margaret
Stagg and the Chancellor, Lord Nolan plant their tree
At the reception in Wivenhoe House that followed the planting,
Professor Crewe drew attention to the huge diversity of friends and members of the
University that had helped plant the oaks throughout the day. He also referred to the long
life and robust habits of oaks, the planting of which affirmed the long term aspirations
for the health of the University.
Full marks for the Essex
Philosophy Department
The University’s Department of Philosophy has scored an
outstanding result in a recent assessment by subject specialist reviewers appointed by the
Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA). The reviewers awarded the Philosophy
provision at Essex the maximum score of 4 in all 6 aspects that were assessed, making it
one of the highest ranked departments in the country.
Members of the
Philosophy Department, left to right (front row), Will Cartwright, Mark Sacks, Barbara
Crawshaw (back row), Simon Critchley, Mike Weston, Peter Dews
It scored top marks for the calibre of its Curriculum; Teaching;
Learning and Assessment; Student Progression and Achievement; Student Support and
Guidance; Learning and Resources and Quality Management and Enhancement.
In particular, the review team commended the Department for its
‘high quality of teaching, at all levels’ and highlighted the strength of
student support available and how the friendly environment within the Department
encouraged students to realise their potential. They also noted the comprehensive support
for disabled and international students. The quality of education was highly regarded, in
particular the ‘range of schemes’ available providing both ‘flexibility and
choice’ for students. The staff were also praised for the substantial contribution of
their research and scholarship to the teaching in the Department.
In his summing up the Chair of the Review Team remarked how Philosophy
at Essex is an ‘excellent Department and should be proud of its achievements, student
support and teaching with excellent systems in place to provide good quality
assurance’.
Professor Peter Dews, Head of the Department of Philosophy gives this
account of the four days of assessment:
‘The beginning of the academic year is always a busy time, and this year it was
especially hectic as the Department prepared for the QAA visit. There were several
intensive rounds of meetings to decide what material should go into the
‘Baseroom’, where the reviewers work during their visit. It contains samples of
student work, and documentation about the Department’s activities, and its place
within the University. This was largely assembled by our Executive Officer, Barbara
Crawshaw, and Secretary, Pauline Antrobus.
The visit began with introductory talks about the University and the
Department by the Vice-Chancellor and Head of Department, but after that the going got
rough. On Tuesday and Wednesday the Reviewers observed full time members of staff
teaching, and sat in on classes by graduate teaching assistants and one part-time teacher.
There were a series of meetings where members of the Department and University officers
were quizzed about the details of procedures and arrangements. By lunch time on Wednesday
we were getting a sense that the Review Team were very impressed with the quality of what
they observed, including the work of the graduate teaching assistants. But there were
still other issues, primarily concerning the Department’s curriculum and quality
assurance procedures, which had to be dealt with. Senior staff in the Department were up
until midnight three nights in a row, assembling evidence and settling the tactics for the
next day. They were greatly assisted by Rosemary Harrison, the Institutional Facilitator,
who acted as a link between the Review Team and the Department. The result, when it was
announced Thursday afternoon, was a delight and a relief for all concerned. Everyone in
the Department had worked very hard during the lead-up to the Review. But that was not the
main point. We felt that the Department’s long-term achievements had been recognised,
something which could not be conjured up after a few weeks, or even months, of
preparation. From early on the Department has sustained an unusually broad curriculum for
the UK, covering both Anglo-American philosophy and the continental European tradition. It
has fostered an awareness of the interrelations between philosophy and other disciplines
and runs a range of innovative MA programmes, including an internationally known MA in
Continental Philosophy. The Department intends to continue building on these strengths in
the future.’
The next subject area to be reviewed by the QAA is Sports Science in
January.
British Election Study
returns to Essex
A team of researchers at the University has been awarded a major
research contract to conduct the next "official" study of the British General
Election. The contract, awarded by the Economic and Social Research Council, is worth over
£500,000. The British Election Study will involve conducting surveys before and after the
general election with special studies of voting in Scotland and Wales included.
The aim of the Study will be to explore four main sets of questions:
Why do so many people bother to vote in general elections when each
of them knows that his or her individual vote is very unlikely to affect the overall
result?
What are the major factors voters consider when they decide to
support one party rather than another? How important is the performance of the economy?
Are voters interested primarily in the qualities of the party leaders? What effect, if
any, did the "fuel protest" movement have on long-term support for the
government?
Why did the winning party win? How important were the media in
influencing voters’ opinions? Is the character of party support changing, so that
voters now act much more like consumers buying a product than long-term supporters who
always vote for the same party?
What impact do elections have on the democratic process and
voters’ opinions of that process? Does a low election turnout result from
voters’ satisfaction with democracy or serious disillusionment with the current state
of UK party politics?
The Study will be directed by Professor David Sanders (pictured
right) and Professor Paul Whiteley of the Department of Government, with the collaboration
of two US academics, Professor Harold Clarke and Professor Marianne Stewart. Advice for
the project is being provided by Professor Nick Buck of the Universitys’ Institute
for Social and Economic Research.
Professor David Sanders said, ‘I am delighted that the British
Election Study is returning to Essex. The fact that such a prestigious project will be run
from Essex reinforces the University’s position as a major centre of excellence in
social science research’.
The study first began in the early 1960s, when it was based at Oxford
University. In the 1970s, it was run from Essex by Professor Ivor Crewe – now the
Vice-Chancellor. In the 1980s and 1990s, it returned to Oxford and from this month it will
again be based at Essex. The Study will run for two years in the first instance.
University is partner in
new Learning Shop for Colchester
(left to right) Alan
Skinner, Principal of Grey Friars College, David Gregory, Colchester United footballer,
Helen Parr, Principal of Colchester Institute, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ivor Crewe
and Ian McNaughton, Principal of Colchester Sixth Form College
The University is one of the partners involved in establishing a new
Learning Shop in Colchester. The Colchester Learning Shop is the first in the area and
will provide a friendly and relaxed environment for everyone to find out about the
learning opportunities available to them. Situated in Colchester town centre, chosen to
maximise accessibility, the Learning Shop aims to offer free impartial information and
advice plus confidential guidance sessions with qualified staff. Taster sessions and
exhibitions on different areas of learning will be offered along with prospectuses and
leaflets to take away.
The Learning Shop was officially opened at the beginning of November by
Colchester United footballer David Gregory who commented on the value of having a one-stop
shop for learning and training. ‘The Learning Shop will be so useful to people
wanting to find out what learning can do for them - speaking from the point of view of a
footballer, where career change is always a possibility.’ More than 60 people
attended the launch including the Mayor and Mayoress of Colchester and the
Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ivor Crewe.
The University has played a central role in establishing the Learning
Shop. The Registrar, Dr Tony Rich, chaired the initial steering group of the six partners
to pursue the development of the project.
The other partners that are involved with the Learning Shop along with
the University are; Anglia Polytechnic University, Colchester Borough Council, Colchester
Institute, Grey Friars Adult Community College, The Open University and The Sixth Form
College, Colchester,
The Learning Shop is located in St Nicolas Street and is open Monday to
Friday, 11am-4pm and 11am-2pm on Saturdays.
Last chance to view
Constable’s Masterpiece
There are less than two weeks left to view the University’s
Millennium exhibition Constable and Wivenhoe Park: Reality and Vision.
So far more than 7000 people have visited the University Gallery to
view Constable’s 1816 masterpiece. The unique opportunity to view the painting in
situ and explore the parkland where Constable painted has proved as an added incentive for
visitors.
The exhibition was officially opened in September by two of
Constable’s descendants, his great-great-great grandson and great-great-great-great
grandson. Amongst the many visitors who have some from across the county and beyond, were
two further descendants of Constable. Relatives of Maria Bicknell, Constable’s wife,
whom he courted whilst painting Wivenhoe Park, came to view the exhibition and trace the
story of their relationship through the letters Constable wrote to Maria, actually from
Wivenhoe Park, which are also part of the exhibits currently on display.
Miriam Le Seve,
winner of the Constable Drawing Competition with runners up, Jordan Payne (left) and Reece
White (right)
The many events that have accompanied the exhibition range from
lectures and residential weekends about landscape painting to The Big Draw and all have
proved immensely popular. None more than the active educational programme - no one on
campus can have failed to notice the regular hordes of schoolchildren wandering around the
park in search of the spot where Constable painted from! By the time the exhibition closes
more than 2000 children aged between 5 and 18 would have taken part in the educational
programme.
Laura Davison, the Exhibitions Education Officer explained how
Constable and Wivenhoe Park: Reality and Vision has encouraged children to learn more
about art, especially at one local primary school, ‘The whole of Brightlingsea Junior
School visited the exhibition which also proved to be the inspiration behind a week long
arts programme at the school where the children explored Constable’s life and work,
producing some amazing artwork.’ Whilst on campus the children entered a drawing
competition to produce their own versions of Wivenhoe Park. The winner and two
runners up were presented with certificates and prizes by Laura during their school
assembly recently.
The exhibition has been funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund,
Colchester Borough Council and Crayola.
Constable and Wivenhoe Park: Reality and Vision closes to the
public on December 16.
It is open Monday-Friday, 11am-6pm and Saturday and Sunday 2-4pm.
