November 2007 - Posts
A forum for topical research open to staff, students and the general public. The session will include a talk, followed by the opportunity for discussion. Refreshments will be available, and all are very much welcome.
Dr Nicholas Smith
Centre for Research on Social Inclusion, Macquarie University
'Work and Critical Theory'
The paper begins with the claim that a malaise around work pervades advanced industrialised societies. It then considers the normative and diagnostic perspectives on this malaise that critical social theory provides. Three normative models of work are distinguished: an instrumentalist model, what I call an 'expressivist-constitutive' model, and a recognition-theoretic model. The paper argues that while the recognition-theoretic model marks an improvement on the instrumental model, there are morally significant features of work that the expressivist model is better positioned to capture.
http://www.crsi.mq.edu.au/people/staff/smith_nicholas.htm
Room: Boardroom (A39), Allt-yr-yn Campus
Time: 5.30pm
Though all are welcome, places are limited. For further details, and/or to confirm that you would like to attend, please contact Gideon Calder.
Just to say that mulled wine and mince pies will be served outside the admin office at both campuses between 12.00pm and 2.00pm on Tuesday 4th December. Be there, or leave more for the staff!
Just a reminder that the latest in this year's series of research seminars is tomorrow evening - Thursday 29 November - at 5.30pm. As usual, the session includes a talk, followed by the opportunity for discussion. Refreshments will be available, and all are very much welcome.
'Research into Physical Activity Across the Lifecourse:
active commuting in children, workplace walking, activity and subjective well-being in older adults'Professor Jim McKenna. Leeds Metropolitan University
http://www.leedsmet.ac.uk/the_news/mar06/jim_mckenna.htm
Room: Conference Suite, Main Building. Caerleon Campus
Apologies to those who've had difficulties in downloading documents from this blog. My fault, I'm afraid - the way in which I've been accessing the blog to post documents has meant that I was the only one who could actually see them - and not even that for some of the time. It won't happen again!
Can you demonstrate a commitment to achieving academic excellence? Are you looking to participate in an extra-curricular activity? If the answer is "Yes" contact Student Services for more information, have a look at their web site and/or download the information sheet attached to this posting. This is money that's available to help you to do something or go somewhere that would help you in your learning - attending conferences, visiting exhibitions - go for it!
From the Three Week Evaluations we know that some students are uncertain about the availaiblity of their tutors outside class time. Enclosed with this posting you'll find a timetable of everybody's "surgery times" - it'll tell you who's available, when and where.
Not absolutely sure how to use them? You'll find a new video on the Resources page telling you everything you need to know. You can watch it online or download to an iPod or mobile phone.
The next SQAEC (SQAEC? see below for an explanation) takes place on 21st November and we will be seeking student representation at the event from amongst your student reps. Enclosed with this posting are the minutes from the last meeting. You'll see in the "matters arising" section that there's a request that the minutes should be posted on this blog - and so they are!
This might seem like quite a dull one, but it's very important to the school. Every year each of the course teams writes and Annual Monitoring and Evaluation document - known as the AME. This is a reflective document that looks back on the last year and outlines its aspirations for the future. The strands from all the course AMEs get written into one of the Department AMEs - there are two departments in our school - and then the strands from
those reports get written into the School AME. That's what you've got attached to this posting - 30 or so pages about how the school sees the last academic year. It's a draft document which means that we don't yet see it as being done and dusted. We're very open to feedback so if you've got any comments either post them here or
email them. The AME will be presented at the next School Quality Assurance and Enhancement Committee - known, understandably, as the "Squeak" put spelt SQAEC - which will be held on 21st november. After that the AME will cease to be a draft document so, if you've got any feedback, this is the time to give it!
Many thanks to everybody who filled in three three week evaluation forms, asking you what were the good and not so good things about your course, and what you would change about it if you could. Your lecturers are now looking through summaries of your feedback and will be posting their responses onto the MLE in the next few days. The School Executive will also be reflecting on what you've said, as will the Department Boards and the School Quality Assurance and Enhancement Committee. There will be regular opportunities to give us feedback throughout the year but if there's something that you want to say you don't need to wait until then to bring it up - just speak to your tutor or your rep. We want your experience to be a good one.
The School is running a programme of events throughout the academic year. Some of these are open to staff and PhD students while for others everybody is welcome. They're interesting, stimulating and challenging, and you'll find a programme for the year attached to this posting.
Here's another MP3 file supporting one of our modules that should be useful. If you're having trouble getting your head round the science that underpins this module you may well find it worth visiting the Resources Page.
A couple of months ago we made a series of videos for the Resources Page in which George Rose demonstrated how to use some of the equipment in the sports lab. The files are now available in formats to play on a mobile or iPod and, again, you'll find them in the Sports section of the Resources Page. (the link is on the right hand side of this page)
Just because we can do it doesn't mean that it's worth doing, and we could do with a bit of feedback on this one. Is this kind of thing useful? Do you want more of the same? Is it more useful than having video files that you have to watch on a computer? Please tell us - and, if you have any technical problems with this, let us know about that too.
If you know Gideon Calder and/or Enzo Rossi you might find an article in today's Western Mail interesting. In fact, you'll find it interesting even if you don't know them. You can view it on-line
here.
Enzo Rossi and Gideon Calder