KEELE STUDENTS IN PILOT LEGAL COMPANION SCHEME

Keele Law students are in a major pilot scheme being trialled in North Staffordshire that will explore a new way to deliver legal assistance for self-represented litigants, helping to bridge the ever-widening gap in publicly funded legal services.

Launched by Keele's School of Law, the Community Legal Companion (CLC) is an innovative new role, which will train Law students from the University, under the supervision of partner organisations, to provide unrepresented litigants practical assistance throughout the legal process.

Following discussions of declining capacity to deliver legal services, Dr Jane Krishnadas, Director of Legal Outreach at Keele, proposed the role of the Community Legal Companion as a way to attain recognition of legal assistance for a wider range of local community legal service needs through a collaborative supervision and training programme.

Dr Andrew Francis, Head of the School of Law, said: "The Community Legal Companion scheme builds on the collaborative network between the University, community partners, law firms and public bodies to promote community access to justice and legal service's needs."

The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Nick Foskett, who presented CLC certificates to the first Keele students to have completed the training, said: "This is a fine example of collaboration that will have a major local impact."

To become a Community Legal Companion, prospective students undertake a detailed training programme delivered by Keele Law School and local partner organisations before being paired with a regional law firm where they will be introduced to litigants and can start performing their role. For more information visit: www.keele.ac.uk/law/legaloutreachcollaboration.

The picture shows the Vice-Chancellor, second left, with Dr Francis, right, Dr Krishnadas, second right, and guest speakers.

WHAT TO DO ABOUT HATE

Dr Bill Dixon (RI for Social Sciences and School of Sociology and Criminology) has been in South Africa this week, where, together with a leading South African academic working on 'hate crime', and a constitutional lawyer actively involved in litigation in this increasingly significant area, he organised a panel discussion on 'What to do about 'hate'? State responses to crimes of prejudice' at an international conference, 'Perspectives on Crime Reduction and Criminal Justice', organised by the Institute for Security Studies in Johannesburg. 

As part of the discussion he presented a paper on the prospects for 'hate crime' legislation in South Africa based on a recent journal article, 'Look before you leap: hate crime legislation reconsidered' co-authored with Professor David Gadd (University of Manchester). Bill was also a member of a team of international and South African academics who facilitated a pre-conference workshop at the University of South Africa on writing for publication, attended by more than 20 early-career researchers.

CARE LEAVERS IN HIGHER EDUCATION

Keele and Staffordshire universities joined forces to run three days of events highlighting the barriers to entering Higher Education faced by young people leaving Local Authority Care. On Monday and Tuesday, Student Ambassadors from  both universities  invited students in Keele's Students' Union to add to a notice board  about what they  did on their 18th birthday, in return for a 'birthday card'  explaining the big challenges Care Leavers face on their own 18th. 

On Wednesday Professor Marilyn Andrews, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Education & Student Experience, launched an afternoon of talks and discussion on Care Leavers in Higher Education, including  a talk on the Care Leaver experience by Loughborough University researcher Georgia Hyde-Dryden; followed by a talk from the Head of the Staffordshire Virtual School, Chris Tyler. The event ended with what all agreed was the highlight of the day; questions to a panel of students who had experienced the care system. The panel of four students gave the assembled audience of professionals a first-hand account of the challenges and triumphs they have faced getting to university.

NI ASSEMBLY TALK ON FRACKING

Professor Peter Styles, Applied & Environmental Geophysics Research Group, School of Physical and Geographical Sciences, has had a busy spell, speaking at the Northern Ireland Assembly's All-Party Group on Science and Technology Debate on Fracking at the Parliament Buildings, Stormont; as a keynote speaker at the UK Shale Gas Forum in London: Assessing Production Potential And Determining The Feasibility Of Operating Onshore and contributing to the Leicester Literary and Philosophical Society(Geology Section) on Shale Gas and UK Energy.

In addition he took part in a Wind Energy Debate in Lichfield, chaired by Michael Fabricant, MP, and was called on by national and international media to comment on a report that the earthquake in Spain last year that killed nine people, was triggered by groundwater extraction.

STUDY ABROAD FAIR

More than three hundred Keele students attended the annual Study Abroad Fair this week. The event showcased the many opportunities students have to study at a partner university overseas, whilst earning credit towards their Keele degree.

Previous Study Abroad Keele students and visiting international students promoted their host/home universities and talked of the highlights of their time overseas.

The Fair was extremely well-attended, with over 250 students registering their interest.  The Study Abroad office is expecting a busy period leading up to the application deadline in late December.

CULTS AND CULTURES OF MANAGEMENT

Professor Emma Bell, Keele Management School, this week gave the opening lecture in the University's programme of Inaugural Professorial Lectures for 2012/13. The title of the lecture was "Cults and Cultures of Management".

She said management's love affair with culture began in the early 1980s. However, little more than a decade later, managers and management scholars had fallen out of love with culture and moved on to newer management fashions.

In her lecture she traced the resurgent interest in religious and spiritual beliefs in organisations and considered what this post-secular turn reveals about cultures of management and the ethical systems that they promote. Drawing on her research into companies, including Walmart and Apple, she suggested that the power of organizational culture lies beneath the surface, and while some of these belief systems may be considered disciplinary, belief can also provide an ethical frame for challenging the excesses of modern management.

Emma, is pictured with the Vice-Chancellor and Professor David Shepherd, Dean of Humanities and Social Sciences.

ACADEMICIAN OF THE ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

In the School of Law Professor Tony Bradney, pictured, has been made an Academician of the Academy of Social Sciences.

The Academy announced that it was delighted to welcome 63 leading social scientists as Academicians of the Social Sciences.

 
Welcoming the new Academicians, Professor Cary Cooper CBE, Chair of the Academy, said: "It is so important for the social sciences to have a strong and comprehensive voice able to represent its crucial work."

POLITICAL ECONOMY OF THE ARAB SPRING

Professor Bulent Gokay, Head of SPIRE, presented one of his recent projects on the Political Economy of the Arab Spring to the Keele Perspectives Postgraduate Society.  

The presentation culminated in a very fruitful discussion by post-grad students and academics.

CONJOINT PROFESSOR AT NEW SOUTH WALES UNIVERSITY

Professor Sue Read, Nursing and Midwifery, is now conjoint professor at the University of Newcastle, NSW, Australia.

This will enable Sue to continue to build upon her research links; share her academic expertise through undergraduate and/or postgraduate teaching teaching/education; and develop collaborative research in conjunction with international colleagues.

WHAT'S ON 

50th Anniversary Poetry and Music at Keele -

Monday, 29 October, Westminster Theatre, 7 pm.

Poets Laureate of England and Wales– Carol Ann Duffy, pictued, and Gillian Clarke - are joined by South London band, LiTTLe MACHiNe.

Admission Free but by ticket only.

Tickets can be obtained from: Chancellor`s Building reception:  Monday to Friday, 09.00-17.00 or by telephone: 01782 734127.

Start Up Britain comes to Keele

Start Up Britain has chosen Keele as one of the Staffordshire venues during their nationwide tour this October. 

The event on 31 October, 9am-12noon at the Sustainability Hub aims to inspire and encourage people to take that first step in realising their dreams and running their own successful enterprise.

Concerts at Keele

Souza Winds - 31 October.

Westminster Theatre, Chancellor's Building at 19.30pm.

Spooktacula - Wednesday, 31 October, 2.00pm, Keele University Sustainability Hub.

A Halloween Science Fayre for all ages.

Tickets - Adults: £3; Children: £3; Family Ticket: £10 (2 adults + 2 children)
Time: 2pm-5:30pm.

Keeled Over - A whodunnit by Keele Hub - Wednesday 31 October, 19.00pm, Keele Sustainability Hub

A fun and exciting way to spend  Halloween Evening - a 1949 Murder Mystery with a twist.

Tickets: £15; Dress code: Late forties. Price includes pie and chips. Drinks not included.

FROM THE ARCHIVES

Fifty-five years ago -

Students returned to Keele following the closure of the University College for two weeks owing to the influenza epidemic. More than 75 of the 650 undergraduates were taken ill, but all had recovered by the time the College re-opened on 23 October 1957.