Wednesday 17 May 2017

Staff Newsletter Issue 44

Contents

• Announcements
• News
• CASTLE
• UoD IT
• Opportunities
• What's On
• Blogs
• Get in touch

Dundee on the rise again!

We’re on the up again in The Guardian new university league tables. Dundee is top in the UK for Dentistry and Design & Crafts, helping take us to 24th overall from 28th last year, and now third in Scotland having overtaken Edinburgh and Heriot Watt. We are also in the top five in the UK for Fashion & Textiles, Medicine, Social Work, and Business, Management & Marketing. See the full tables here.

Art, Design & Architecture Degree Show update

The car park in front of the Crawford Building, Duncan of Jordanstone, will be closed for general use this Friday (19th May), in preparation for the opening night of the Art, Design & Architecture Degree Show.

Airlie Place car park will also be closed from 17:30pm on Friday.

For more information about the Degree Show, see the What's On section below.

Park Place - road closure

Due to maintenance works by Scottish Gas Networks, Park Place will be closed to vehicular traffic from 29 May until 19 June. Vehicle access to the Dental Hospital will be via Smalls Wynd and Smalls Lane during the works.

Send a message via our Graduation Photo Wall

Before the Caird Hall Graduation ceremonies start, our Photo Wall shows messages of thanks and congratulations. Why not send a message to your students? Just supply a photo and message, and we’ll do the editing. Photos should be landscape and as high resolution as possible. Deadline for submissions is the end of Friday 2 June (midnight BST). Submit here.

Open Badges – what, why and how? (Mon 19 June)

Colleagues in the Universities of Dundee, Abertay and Aberdeen have been collaborating on a QAAS- funded project under the Enhancement Theme: Student Transitions, to investigate current practice in the use of Open Badges and to provide guidance for the HE sector. At this event participants will hear from leading authorities in the field and from the project team, who will share our findings to date. Find out more information and book your place for this free event, which includes lunch and refreshments.

MSc Design for Business

Our new MSc Design for Business is designed to develop influential leaders and entrepreneurs of the future. Applicants from a wide range of disciplines are invited to apply. 

Enhance your understanding and knowledge of how design can be applied as a strategy for transformation and contribution to business and society. Our strong entrepreneurial ethos provides a lively environment for developing dynamic designers, managers and leaders of the future. Our highly connected creative culture will provide you with the opportunity to be part of a growing international community building on the School’s excellence in design research. Find out more information or attend a drop in with Dr Louise Valentine, on Tuesday 30th May or Friday 2nd June. Please contact Linda Spalding.

Free course: Tackling Inequalities Through Health and Social Care Design

Join this free online course from SISCC and the University of Dundee. Tackling Inequalities Through Health and Social Care Design starts May 29th on FutureLearn. Sign up now!

Dundee University Staff and Postgraduate Cricket Club (DUSCC)

Dundee University Staff and Postgraduate Cricket Club (DUSCC) are seeking new players, of any age / gender / ability, for the 2017 season starting May 3rd.

The games are mostly 20-over friendlies, played on a Wednesday evening against local clubs and other Universities. If you are interested, have a look at the DUSCC website for further details. Please contact the DUSCC Secretary Steve Boarder by emailing duscc@dundee.ac.uk

Activist Art Collective

Are you an artist or creative type? Do you care about social justice or activism? If you answered ‘yes’ to either of the above questions, read on.  If you didn’t, still read on. Student Kirsty Sharp is looking to start up an Activist Art Collective - a group of likeminded individuals who share ideas, collaborate on projects, inspire and support each other to help promote social, economic and political justice through art. If this sounds like your cup of tea email Kirsty

Neuroimaging Study

Study on avoidance learning. Do you often feel anxious or worry a lot? The study involves a decision-making task and a brain scan. You will receive £20-30. If you are interested in volunteering contact avoidancestudy@gmail.com

Update on work computer performance issues

Have you been having problems using Microsoft applications and/or saving to shared drives lately? IT have been investigating and are pleased to report that the root cause has now been identified. Although they can't fix it immediately, temporary measures are being taken to alleviate symptoms for those affected. Read more.

A quick response to global ransomware

IT would like to take this opportunity to inform you that a rapid, successful response to the 'Wcrypt' ransomware outbreak that spread worldwide and hit the NHS was initiated over the weekend. The team have tested and deployed proactive protection measures to all University computers as advised by vendor support. This was an excellent show of team work, but we should all still be on high alert and recognise that being cyber secure is everybody's responsibility. An email cannot corrupt your device on its own, you have to interact with it. Read more.

Film Screenings at DCA (Sun 21 May)

As part of Festival of Museums and the University 50th anniversary Alumni Weekend, the University’s Archives and Museums are joining forces with DCA to present a special screening of rarely seen films made about the University in decades past. Find out more information.

Know a student who would make a good blogger?

We are looking for new student bloggers to join us on the University’s student blog. Prospective students want to find out what the student experience is really like, and our students are the best people to tell it like it is. We want them to share their experiences of living, working and playing in the city, as well as what it’s like to study their particular subject. 

We want to recruit a wide cross-section of students, across different disciplines, nationalities, ages and genders.  If you know of anyone who you think would make a good blogger (or vlogger; we would love videos too!) they can apply here.

On social media

On social media recently we have been featuring our current students and offer holders as they let us know how they have been getting ready for exams on Snapchat. On Facebook and Twitter we continued to celebrated being top in Scotland for Dentistry, Forensic Science and Art & Design in the Complete University Guide league table 2018. And finally last week Alpacas visited campus as part of the DUSA Executive Exam Stress Relief campaign. Follow us on Instagram and Snapchat at @dundeeuni or tag your photos with #dundeeuni.