Wednesday 25 April 2018

Staff Newsletter issue 67

Graduation - important message for academic staff

Academic and other teaching staff who wish to attend one or more of the graduation ceremonies to be held on 20, 21 and 22 June 2018 should complete the on-line registration form or by going to the Registry web pages and following the link for Graduation 2018.

The deadline is Friday 25 May 2018. 

Due to shortage of space on the stage we cannot guarantee your request for a place and will confirm your attendance by email after the deadline.

Please contact Susan Walker (s.e.z.walker@dundee.ac.uk) if you have any queries.

Changes to Reading Lists software

If you use Reading Lists, a new student list view, with a more modern look and feel, will be implemented across all reading lists on 1 August 2018.

You can preview this on 2017/18 and 2018/19 lists by clicking on the "List beta" button which appears on the list menu.

Further information is available online or from ReadingLists@dundee.ac.uk.

Discovery Research Portal and Pure

The Discovery Research Portal is changing on Monday 30 April.

It has a fresh, new look, which introduces some new features to help you explore the range of research undertaken in the University.

Further details are available online.

University Timetabling Policy

The refreshed University Timetabling Policy was approved at the March meeting of Senate.

This is now available online at: https://www.dundee.ac.uk/roombookings/centraltimetabling/

Please contact the Central Timetabling Team for further information timetabling@dundee.ac.uk.

A few updates from IT...

Changes to your Junk Email folder
From today, IT will be diverting more emails to your Junk Email folder. This will reduce the number of spam/phishing messages reaching your Inbox. Check this folder more often, in case legitimate emails end up there. Read more about this on IT Status.

Set up the fingerprint reader on your HP laptop yet?
You can use your fingerprint to log in to your laptop instead of typing your password. Find out how to do this in IT's Service Guide. 

Seeing prostate cancer in a new light

A new method offering more successful diagnosis and management of prostate cancer has been identified by researchers at the University, who say it offers much greater accuracy and reliability in diagnosis of prostate cancer, while being a non-invasive and cheaper method than those currently being used. 

Read the full story. 

Architecture tutor going to Venice to represent Scotland

Fergus Purdie, a part-time Architecture tutor, will represent Scotland at the international exhibition The Venice Biennale next month.

Collaborating with local school children, his architecture practice will bring Scotland’s Year of Young People to the prestigious cultural world event.

The Venice Biennale is one of the world’s leading architecture and arts festivals. With an audience of more than half a million people each year. The exhibition for 2018 will be titled 'The Happenstance' and focuses of the theme of Freespace.

The proposal is supported and promoted by the Scotland + Venice partnership: Scottish Government, Architecture and Design Scotland, Creative Scotland, British Council and the Year of Young People/Young Scot.

Eventbrite training course (Wed 2 May)

If you organise events and would like to know more about using Eventbrite for taking event bookings, reserve a place on this training session. Please bring a laptop.

Wednesday 2 May, 9-10.30am, Dalhousie Building, room 1G15. 

Computing Degree Show (Fri 4 May)

The annual Computing Degree Show highlights the talents of over 60 new and emerging software engineers, developers, interaction designers, programmers and entrepreneurs.

Join them at their showcase of final year work at the cutting-edge of computing technology on Friday 4 May, 4-6pm at the Queen Mother Building. 

Find out more.

Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design and Architecture Degree Show 2018 (Fri 18 - Sun 27 May)

Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design and Architecture Degree Show celebrates the work of creative final year students.

A highlight in the cultural calendar of Dundee, for 10 days DJCAD is transformed into Scotland’s largest exhibition space with thousands of visitors experiencing the best new work from students in the fields of art, design and architecture.

Exhibition preview takes place on Friday 18 May, 6-10pm.

Exhibition continues from Saturday 19 May until Sunday 27 May and is free to attend.

Find out more.

#DJCADDegreeShow

Saturday Series - The Journey to Hope and Recovery (Sat 19 May)

Jonny Benjamin is an award-winning mental health campaigner, film producer, public speaker, writer and vlogger who was diagnosed with a combination of schizophrenia and bipolar when he was 20 years old.

Following his diagnosis he began making films about his condition on YouTube which have been watched by thousands of people. He’ll be joined at this event by Neil Laybourn, the ‘stranger’ who encountered him on a bridge when he was contemplating taking his own life.

Together they’ll talk about mental illness and how their chance encounter changed both of their lives forever.

Book tickets.

Do you employ current students? We want to hear from you!

DUTE allows University graduates, current part-time staff and retired members of staff a chance to find paid employment within the University. DUTE offers this talent pool of temporary employees to the Schools and Services that are in need of short term cover.

Working with HR and Payroll, the DUTE programme is looking to pilot a scheme whereby existing students who are employed by the University are managed via a similar process to the way DUTE is run currently.  

We are looking for groups of students who are regularly employed by the University to use as test subjects for this pilot proposal, whereby the majority of the administration for the appointment will be dealt through DUTE. 

We are looking for staff who currently, or have in the past, supervised student employees to complete this short survey which aims to gather information regarding their current and potential use of DUTE to employ students in future.

Please contact Mark McCabe at dute@dundee.ac.uk with any queries.

New food recycling bins across city campus

The University is increasing the amount of food recycling on campus to try and reduce waste going to landfill. As well as helping our environment, this should save us money.

New external food recycling bins are being installed across city campus. They are located in six areas:

1. Park Place - north end of Scyrmgeour Building
2. Small's Wynd - recycling point at Fulton Building
3. Balfour Street - DUSA beside recycling point at Premier shop
4. Airlie Place - DUSA at bottom of steps
5. Matthew Building - rear entrance beside bike shelter
6. Old Hawkhill - recycling point opposite ISE

New food recycling caddies will go into all staff kitchens across city campus - this process began on Monday 16 April. The caddies will be emptied as required by domestic staff. All caddies have detailed stickers on the front outlining what can go in them.  

Collect bottle tops for a chance to win an Overgate voucher

There is a problem on city campus with the number of blue plastic bottle tops which are dropped on roads, grass and in our flower beds.

Help keep campus tidy - from Wednesday 25 April until Thusrday 10 May, please collect as many plastic bottle tops as you can.

On 10 May there is a campus and surrounding area litter pick from 11am - 1pm, followed by a free lunch. At 1pm bring your bottle tops to campus green - the person with most tops will win a £10 Overgate voucher.

Dundee University Staff Cricket Club (DUSCC) seeks new players

DUSCC is looking for new staff / TPG players of any gender/age/ability to play friendly 20 over matches, mostly on Wednesday evenings. Emphasis is on enjoyment and having a go over high standards. And they don’t sandpaper their balls.

Contact duscc@dundee.ac.uk.
 

Meet Mike Galloway, Executive Director of City Development, Dundee City Council

We’re excited for the opening of V&A Dundee, especially now that we have an official opening date. (It's Saturday 15 September – get it in your diary!)

Did you know we’ve got a few alumni who have been busy working behind the scenes to bring the city this incredible museum of design? We hope to bring you their stories over the next few months. First up is Mike Galloway OBE. 

Read the One Dundee blog.

The importance of colour

In any area of design colour plays a huge role from print to digital media. Colour can help convey different emotions, capture target audiences and communicate action.

Read the web team's blog.

If you wish to communicate around the University, this fortnightly newsletter is just one way to do that. Please check our Methods of Internal Communication webpage, and feel free to get in touch if you have any questions.

The next newsletter will be distributed on Wednesday 9 May - the deadline for information to be included is 4pm on Friday 4 May.