News Archive
September 2008
University celebration in Stornoway
Stirling has high student satisfaction
Stirling School of Law moves to prestigious site
Stirling researcher named in world top fifty
University celebration in Stornoway
Date released: Monday 8 September 2008
The University of Stirling celebrates its 40th anniversary in Stornoway today with a reception at its Western Isles campus. Professor Christine Hallett, Principal of the University, will be joined by Alexander Matheson, Lord Lieutenant of the Western Isles, together with invited guests including politicians, senior health officials, clinical partners and teaching staff.
Guests will see display material showing the current research undertaken by the University on health, sports and the environment. There will be a formal celebration with short speeches at 4 pm, followed by a drinks reception to which media are welcome to attend.
The University of Stirling has been celebrating its 40th anniversary year with a range of events in Stirling and at its campuses in Inverness and Stornoway.
The Western Isles campus plays a key role in the teaching and development of nurses. It supports both pre- and post-registration nursing students, with a range of study activities from diploma courses to first degree, Honours and Masters programmes. Students who commence their programme at the Western Isles campus have the opportunity to undertake a range of practice placements throughout the whole of the Western Isles.
The campus consists of purpose-built teaching accommodation within the Western Isles Hospital, and this is enhanced by the provision of library services and a range of information and communication technologies.
Stirling has high student satisfaction
Dated released: Thursday, 11 September 2008
Stirling’s students have given their University a ringing endorsement in a national survey that measures satisfaction with their course. The University earned high marks in the National Student Survey, which asks final year students to gauge their satisfaction on criteria which range from teaching to IT.
In answer to the key question whether they were satisfied with the overall quality of their course; a resounding 86 per cent* said they were. It is a mark that places Stirling in third place in Scotland, well ahead of the UK average score of 82 per cent.
Professor Christine Hallett, Principal of the University of Stirling, said: “This is the first year that we, along with several other Scottish universities, have taken part in the National Student Survey, and it is gratifying to have the results confirm that students really do enjoy their time at Stirling.
“As an independent survey, it is a very useful barometer of how well we are doing, and while we can take pleasure in the positives, we always want to do better and the survey also identifies areas where we could improve.”
The National Student Survey is targeted mostly at final year undergraduates and provides students with an opportunity to make their opinions on their higher education student experience count at a national level. The results are analysed and used to compile a year on year comparison of data which helps prospective students make informed choices of where and what to study, and enables the participating institutions to identify and improve in areas where they may have let their students down.
The National Student Survey results are published today (Thursday, 11 September 2008) on www.unistats.com with a summary available at http://www.hefce.ac.uk/learning/nss/data/2008/NSS_08.xls
Stirling School of Law moves to prestigious site
Legal students and academics in Stirling are now enjoying life in one of Scotland’s most attractive settings, after the Stirling School of Law moved to Airthrey Castle, an 18th century baronial mansion in the stunning surroundings of the University of Stirling campus.
The Castle has been refurbished to a high standard by the University and provides the School with first class modernised facilities for students and staff, including staff offices, a postgraduate resource room, undergraduate and postgraduate student meeting and study rooms, and the Douglas Vick Moot Court Room.
The Moot Court Room will, in addition to providing the ideal training environment for advocacy and mooting, house library donations from Lord Penrose and Dr Doris Littlejohn CBE, who are both honorary graduates of the University.
Professor Gavin Little, former Head of the School, said: “The move to Airthrey Castle represents the final stage of the first phase of the planned development of Law as a discipline at the University. It was only nine years ago that the first degree in law - the BA in Business Law - was introduced by law staff in the then Department of Accounting and Finance.
“Since that time, Law has expanded considerably to become a School of the University and we now also offer a professionally accredited LLB, an Accelerated Graduate LLB, the BA in Law, a wide range of combined BA degree programmes, the LLM in Commercial Law, a PhD programme and the Diploma in Legal Practice.
“From Autumn 2009, we will also be providing a new LLM in Financial Services Regulation. Being based at Airthrey Castle provides us with the facilities and space needed to take the Stirling School of Law forward into its next phase of development.”
Airthrey Castle is an 18th century Adam-designed baronial mansion at the centre of the 360 acre campus. It was remodelled and extended in Victorian times, and also served as a maternity hospital before becoming part of the new University of Stirling in 1967.
Stirling researcher named in world top fifty
Date released: Tuesday 23 September 2008
A senior researcher at the University of Stirling has been named by an American magazine as one of the most influential people in the world in his field.
Professor Rory O’Neill (pictured right), who is Honorary Professor in the University’s Occupational and Environmental Health Research Group, has been selected in a global list of the 50 most influential environmental health and safety leaders.
He said: “I am delighted to have this recognition, which will help to keep our work in the public eye. Occupational health and safety needs far more attention – market driven deregulatory approaches have left workers less secure and less content at work. Unless we act now to deliver better, more satisfying jobs we’ll see new epidemics of work-related heart disease, suicide and stroke.”
The survey was conducted by Occupational Hazards magazine, an American business magazine which serves the occupational safety and industrial hygiene market.
Professor O’Neill was one of the few non-Americans to be included in the list, which includes government appointees, academics, union leaders, legislators, company-based professionals, the presidents of professional associations, safety industry leaders, safety ‘gurus’ and worker advocates. Senator Edward Kennedy, a prominent proponent of stricter US labour laws, is among those also included on the list.
The editor of Occupational Hazards, Sandy Smith, said: “They all have one thing in common: through their work, their mentoring, their lecturing, their lawmaking, their research, their administration or their advocacy, they have had a strong and lasting impact on environmental health and safety in the workplace.”
Professor O’Neill, who is editor of the British magazine Hazards, has written reports on occupational cancer, older workers and health and safety, younger workers and health and safety, work looking at asthma, work-related upper limb disorders and sustainable development. He has been a labour-side expert at agencies including the International Labour Organisation.
The work of the University’s Occupational and Environmental Health and Safety Research Group covers health and safety in the workplace and in the environment in a range of contexts, especially the industrial and agricultural sectors.
Links:Occupational Hazards magazine: http://ehstoday.com/mag/50_influential_ehs_leaders/
Occupational and Environmental Health Research Group: http://www.nm.stir.ac.uk/research/occupational.php