KEELE'S ARTHRITIS RESEARCH UK CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE STATUS RENEWED

Keele's Arthritis Research UK Centre of Excellence status has, following extensive external review, been renewed for a further five years with funding of £2.2million.

The five-year strategy for the Centre is to produce research that will underpin a shift in the way musculoskeletal disorders are managed in primary care management; away from a narrow focus on disease and reactive treatments (dealing with today's problems as presented by patients), to an increasing emphasis on:

• pro-active, positive approaches to seeking out patients needing more support for self-management, as well as those needing more input from doctors or other health professionals, and developing and testing new ways of organising primary care which better meets these needs and takes the physical, psychological and social needs of patients into account

• Using our research into which physical, psychological and social factors predict what impact that musculoskeletal pain has on their every-day lives to define groups of patients with similar characteristics, and to match these patients with appropriate treatments, thus making sure that the right patients get the right treatment in a timely manner.

Professor Elaine Hay, Director, Arthritis Research UK  Primary Care Centre at Keele, pictured, said "We will achieve this through three research programmes, addressing the two most common musculoskeletal problems (osteoarthritis and chronic musculoskeletal pain), and the most common inflammatory diseases (gout and polymyalgia rheumatica) presenting to primary care. Each programme brings together our clinical expertise in primary care with our strengths in observational research, clinical trials and qualitative research."

NATIONAL STUDENT SURVEY 2013

Now entering its ninth year, the National Student Survey (NSS) will launch at Keele in the week beginning 4 February.
The NSS is a survey of mostly final year undergraduates in England, Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland. 

The survey is part of the revised system of quality assurance for higher education, and is designed to run alongside the QAA institutional audit to generate more detailed public information about teaching quality. The NSS is commissioned by the Higher Education Funding Council for England and administered by Ipsos MORI, an independent research company.
 
It is important that as many students as possible provide their feedback for the survey to generate reliable information. Last year we achieved an overall response rate of 67% - our second highest since the survey began in 2005 - and are aiming to do even better this year.

Chris Wain in Planning and Admissions will be coordinating our NSS promotion and ensuring that guidelines issued by HEFCE in relation to the promotion of the survey are adhered to.
 
He said: "Eligible students will be sent an invitation email to complete the NSS. Those who have not completed the survey may later be contacted by post or ultimately by telephone. Early online completion is desirable, so please make your students aware of the NSS and encourage them to complete the survey online at www.thestudentsurvey.com (via computer or smartphone). Students may also opt out of the survey at any point during the fieldwork."

All schools will have one or more members acting as an NSS contact for their students, to whom they may be directed if they want to discuss the survey. If you have any further questions please contact Chris Wain.

RECRUITMENT, OUTREACH AND ACCESS LAUNCHES

The Recruitment, Outreach and Access team have celebrated the launch of the Access to Keele and Access to Professions projects for 2012-13.

Over 200 year 12 and 13 students were invited onto campus to attend two exciting launch events to kick start the projects. Both projects work with students who are underrepresented in Higher Education and aim to raise aspirations of young people to university.

Students taking part in the Access to the Professions project attended a Meet the Professionals Launch event when they had the opportunity to meet Medicine and Law professionals. Professionals from the University Hospital of North Staffordshire, Douglas Macmillan Hospice and Knights Solicitors joined academics from the Keele Law School and School of Medicine to mentor the students and offer advice and guidance.

Access to Keele celebrated the launch of a newly revamped scheme. 120 students taking part in the scheme were invited, along with their parents and teachers, to meet Keele staff and students to find out more about the scheme.

The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Nick Foskett, spoke to guests about the importance of the A2K scheme in helping students make informed decisions about Higher Education and the benefits of a university education despite the challenges of the current climate.

BREAKING DOWN THE BARRIERS

Players from 14 different nations took part in a 'breaking down the barriers' football match at Keele.

The idea of the event came from a conversation between Ian Macharia, a post graduate student in Barnes, and Trevor Beech, Barnes Hall Steward.  Players in the 5-a-side competition competed for two hours before the top two teams, Leo's Lions and Mushy's Rovers, battled it out in the final to claim the shield. The game was level after extra time but a golden goal scored by Leo's Lions settled the issue.

Following the match the players and supports went to the Barnes Social Space for refreshments and a buffet, where SU President Joe Turner presented the Breaking Down the Barriers Shield to winning captain, Leopold Rommel. 

All participants enjoyed the afternoon's competition, with a unanimous feeling that an international select team would challenge a home team in May.

NATIONAL AWARD FOR MEDICAL SCHOOL STUDENTS

Two Keele Medical School students have won a top national award for Human Anatomy.

Professor Val Wass, Head of the School, said: "At a time when medical schools are being criticised for developing new curricula which fail to teach sufficient detailed Anatomy, we are delighted that two of our second year students, Mohamed Elkawafi and Adam Ashmore, have won a National Student Award for Human Anatomy.

They competed in Cardiff against 102 medical students from 11 UK schools winning their way through the various challenges on anatomical knowledge to emerge as the national champions.

Professor Wass added: "It is a great credit to them and the Anatomy teaching team here at Keele. The timing is also apposite as work to extend our Anatomy teaching facilities within the school has commenced."

BBC2's STARGAZING LIVE AT KEELE OBSERVATORY

Keele Observatory again took part in BBC2's Stargazing Live campaign, opening its doors to the public on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday lunch- times and evenings.

Over 500 visitors were entertained by members of the Keele Observatory Support Team and Keele Astrophysics Group. While the weather was dreadful most of the time, including thick fog on the closing day, many visitors saw Jupiter through the massive 139-yr old refracting telescope, and on the unexpectedly clear Tuesday evening an array of other historic and modern telescopes were used to show the wonders of the night sky.

The "Stardome", located in the Sustainability Hub, was very popular, especially with the many children who loved the movies projected onto the inside of the inflated bubble. The events at Keele received coverage in The Sentinel and BBC Radio Stoke's Lamont Howie has become a regular visitor to the observatory.

The Observatory is open to the public all year long on Tuesday evening, 8-10pm, and Saturday afternoon, 1-3pm. See here for further details."

NEW ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS

School of Law

Dr Yossi Nehushtan, has been appointed a Lecturer in Law and was previously a Senior Lecturer, Haim Striks Law School - College of Management.

Ms Daria Davitti, Lecturer in Law, previously External Lecturer/Module Convener - University of Nottingham.

School of Nursing & Midwifery

Ms Patricia Owen, Senior Lecturer in Nursing, previously a Senior Lecturer Nursing and Healthcare Practice/ Scholarship & Research Strategy Co-ordinator - University of Derby.

School of Health & Rehabilitation

Dr Claire Stapleton, Lecturer in Physiotherapy, previously a Research Therapist - Salford University.
 
School of Physical and Geographical Sciences
 
Dr Ian Oliver, Lecturer in Environmental Science, previously a Post Doctoral Research Assistant – SUERC.

FROM THE ARCHIVES

A major award in the 11th National Student Drama Festival was won by Keele University for their production of Endgame.

One of the cast, Jack Emery, won high praise from Harold Hobson, the Sunday Times drama critic.

The prize-winning production has now been brought to a London West End theatre.14 January 1966.