EHU - E42 Magazine Issue 7

Edge Hill University Magazine | Issue 07

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2 E42 Magazine | Issue 07 EDGE HILL UNIVERSITY

Contents03 Master of the Macabre

06 Outstanding

10 How to Get Ahead in the Media

14 A Sporting Chance

18 The Small Research Groupwith a Big Influence

20 Student Hub: On Target for September Opening

22 Something in the Air?

26 Bard in the USA

30 Grand Slam

32 Caring for Carers

36 Staff Profile: Lisa O’Connor

38 The Kids are All Write

Published by Edge Hill University

Editor: Sam ArmstrongDesign: Andy Butler: EHU Creative ServicesCopywriting: Sophie Wilcockson, Nicky SpeedPhotography: Stuart Rayner, Colin McPherson

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E42, Corporate Communications, Edge Hill University, St Helens Road, Ormskirk, Lancashire L39 4QPUNITED KINGDOM

Jeremy Dyson is best known asone of the creators of the multiaward-winning dark comedy,The League of Gentlemen. His hit West End show, GhostStories, has been nominated fora 2011 Olivier Award and his firstcollection of short stories, TheCranes that Build the Cranes, in 2010 scooped Edge Hill’s prestigious Short Story Prize.

3EDGEHILL.AC.UK E42 Magazine

Master of the Macabre


E42: Welcome to Edge Hill. What was your own student experience like?

JD: I had originally planned to do Fine Art at Trent Poly (as it was then) but I was in a band at the time and we’d just got a record deal. So I decided not to go to Trent and do art and ended up at Leeds doing Philosophy instead, which was a slightly bizarre decision. It paid off subsequently though, because the things I studied and read in my final year went on to inform my interests and writing, which have led me to where I am today.

E42: When did you start writing?JD: Writing came to me almost by accident,

really. My end of year project at university had some writing in that people responded to. And I’d just discovered Ramsey Campbellwho I became passionate about and I thoughtI wanted to write like that. Those two things combined sparked an interest in writing so I went on to do an MA in Scriptwriting at the Northern School of Film and Television.

E42: How did you get into comedy writing?JD: As a teenager I used to improvise sketches

with my best friend. Monty Python has alwaysbeen a big influence. They were my first comicpassion so I’ve been committed to comedy as a fan for a very long time. I didn’t actually write any comedy until I met [fellow LoG creator] Mark Gatiss towards the end of my time at university – that was the catalyst.

E42: What is it about writing short stories that appeals to you?

JD: It was the first sort of writing I liked. I read loads of science fiction and ghost stories when I was growing up so I developed a passion for the form. It’s my default writing position. Unfortunately, there’s no great short story tradition in the UK. In America there’s great respect for short story writing and they have the forums for it, like the New Yorker. It’s still a massive thing to have a story published in the New Yorker. We haven’t had that sort of forum since Victorian times. What do we have now? Woman’s Weekly?

E42 caught up with the prolific screenwriter, producer, authorand occasional cameo artist just before he stepped onstage toread from his award-winning short stories to an appreciativeOrmskirk audience.

Master of the Macabre


E42: What does winning the Edge Hill Short Story Prize mean to you?

JD: I’m usually quite wary of awards but this one actually means a lot to me. Obviously, there’s the basic human thrill of knowing that the judges read lots of extremely good books and decided yours was the best. But it meant a lot to me personally as well because it’s the first time I’ve won an award in my own right. Every writer is in business atthe end of the day and now I can put “award winning writer Jeremy Dyson” on my CV!

E42: You’re well known for writing material with dark, sinister, often violent, themes.Where does that come from?

JD: I think I just write about the human condition, the boat we’re all in, which is, to say the least, deeply mysterious and at times downright terrifying. I’m just being honest about the human condition. I believe everyone has the capacity for evil. We can all do things that have terrible consequences and only have the dimmest awareness of it. A misjudged sentence to the wrong person can have a lifetime of consequences.

E42: Most of your writing contains elements of the s upernatural. Are you a believer?

JD: Not in a Most Haunted way, no. I’m deeply sceptical about ghosts and ghouls, but I am fascinated by the ultimate mysteries of life and that’s the kind of thing I like to read and write about.

E42: Do you have a writing routine, or do you just write when it comes to you?

JD: No, I do strictly office hours. I know some writers prefer to write spontaneously, but for me it’s my job, it pays the mortgage, so I approach it as I would any job. I have a writing shed. Well, it’s bit more dignified than a shed, but it’s somewhere where I can lock myself away. If I’m at home I’ll be in the shed from 9-6 every day.

E42: What’s next for you?JD: I’m currently working on a couple of film

scripts and Andy Nyman [co-writer of Ghost Stories] and I are doing another thing together. So, I’m stacked out for the moment which is always a good thing for a writer… even an award-winning writer!

Jeremy Dyson will be on the judging panel of the2011 Edge Hill University Short Story Prize.


Outstanding

Edge Hill University is celebrating the unique achievement of a glowing Ofsted inspection.

The University has achieved Grade 1 ‘outstanding'results across all 33 possible graded areas coveringevery phase of initial teacher training - Primary & EarlyYears, Secondary and Post-Compulsory Educationand Training



The Report states that “Edge Hill University provides its trainees, regardless of their chosenage range, with outstanding training. They make at least good progress in their chosen courses and are supported very well so that they attainoutstandingly well.

All three phases benefit from very rigorousrecruitment and selection, which support trainees'rapid progress from the outset and the highly effective focus on the continuous development of trainees' performance through the setting andmonitoring of coherent and very clearly definedtargets for improvement. The University has a verystrong focus on improvement based on robustevaluations of its provision. This is a key factor inensuring all three phases demonstrate outstandingcapacity to improve."

Vice-Chancellor Dr John Cater said: "As someonewho has spent seven years as a Director of theTraining and Development Agency for Schools and the Teacher Training Agency and chaired itsAccreditation Committee, I am very aware of therigorous standards applied by Ofsted in their inspection process. I have never seen a report sounequivocal in its recognition of excellence andI'm privileged to work with such talented and committed professionals, partner schoolsand trainees."

To read the full report, please visitedgehill.ac.uk/outstanding

It's the first time that a university offering all threephases of initial teacher training has achieved thehighest possible grades in all areas graded by the inspection and it builds on Edge Hill's alreadyoutstanding reputation for, and a commitment to, the highest quality training of education professionals.

Robert Smedley, Dean of the Faculty of Education,said: "As the UK's largest provider of educationand training for the whole school workforce, EdgeHill University is delighted to have all of its workrecognised as being outstanding. The Universityhas played an immensely valuable role in the development of the children's workforce for thepast 125 years and continues to lead the way. This recognition from Ofsted, the official bodywhich regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in education, reflects the quality of thetraining experience at Edge Hill University and itspartner schools and colleges, and the stunningoutcomes that our trainees achieve."

Ofsted praised the University for its ‘outstandingtraining' and highlighted a number of key strengthswithin the University's programmes:

- The high quality training that makes excellent contribution to trainees' good and often outstanding progress across all phases

- The very high levels of support and personalised training which are tailored to improving outcomes for all trainees

- The very strong, cohesive and collaborative partnership which promotes and achieves the high expectations it sets for trainees

- The high level skills trainees display in securing good behaviour in their lessons through careful reflection on the impact of their teaching on children and young peoples' learning.

Edge Hill University provides its trainees, regardlessof their chosen age range, with outstanding training.“

”


Summary of inspection gradesKey to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding; grade 2 is good; grade 3 is satisfactory; grade 4 is inadequate.

Factors contributing to trainees’ attainment

To what extent do recruitment / selection arrangements support high quality outcomes?

To what extent does the training and assessment ensure that all trainees progress to fulfil their potential given their ability and starting points?

To what extent are available resources used effectively and efficiently?

The quality of the provision To what extent is the provision across the partnership of consistently high quality?

Trainees’ attainment

How effective is the provision in securing high quality outcomes for trainees?

Overall effectiveness Pri

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1 1 1

1 1 1

1 1 1

1 1 1

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Promoting equalities and diversity

To what extent does the provision promote equality of opportunity, value diversityand eliminate harassment and unlawful discrimination? 1 1 1

How well do trainees attain?

How effectively does the management at all levels assess performance in order to improve or sustain high quality?

To what extent do the leadership and management at all levels have the capacity to secure further improvements and/or to sustain high quality outcomes? 1 1 1

1 1 1

How well does the leadership at all levels anticipate change, and prepare for and respond to national and local initiatives? 1 1 1

How effectively does the provider plan and take action for improvement?

Ofsted Initial Teacher Education inspection report published 12/5/2011

1 1 1

Capacity to improve further and/or sustain high quality


From MPs and directors to the top brass at the BBC and theNational Film and Television School, the Media Departmentis giving its students access to some of the industry’s leadingfigures, to enhance their student experience and increase theirfuture employability.

How to Get Ahead in the Media

Industry InsightsRecent high profile speakers in the Media Department include:

Sir Michael LyonsChairman of the BBC Trust

Nik PowellOscar-winning film producer,co-founder of Virgin Recordswith Richard Branson andDirector of the National Filmand Television School.

Professor Tanya ByronEdge Hill Chancellor and authorof the influential Byron Reportinto the effect of computergames on children.

Andy Burnham MPThen Secretary of State forCulture, Media and Sport.

Peter SalmonDirector of BBC North andformer Director of Programming at Granada.

Barry PurvesAward-winning animator,writer and director best knownfor his work with CosgroveHall and on the feature filmsMars Attacks! and King Kong.


Edge Hill’s graduates are already highly employable– coming second nationally in the latest First Destinations Survey – but in the cut throat world ofthe media, budding TV producers, journalists andanimators need as much help as they can get tostand out from the crowd.

“Competition for jobs in the media has alwaysbeen extremely high,” says Carol Poole, Head of the Media Department, “but in the current economic climate, when many people will gladlywork for free to get into the industry, graduates really have to have something extra special.

“As a department we provide not only a range ofpractical, industry-focused courses but also astimulating learning experience informed by excellent research and practice. Our students benefit from masterclasses by external speakers atthe top of their field, and from a great team of research active, industry-experienced staff whoconstantly engage with media practitioners acrossthe world.”

Among the big names to share their media insightswith students recently have been BBC Trust Chairman, Sir Michael Lyons, Nik Powell,Oscar-winning producer and director of the NationalFilm and Television School, Andy Burnham MP,popular culture expert and Mercury Prize judge,Simon Frith, and animation legend Barry Purves.

Roger Shannon, Professor of Film and Television,has been instrumental in bringing many of thesehigh profile individuals to Edge Hill. He says: “Wedon’t simply educate students to work in themedia. Employers are looking for people who canthink and do, so we give our students a wide andcritical understanding of the industry as well as thepractical skills they need to enter the job market.

“Being able to hear, speak to and question industryinsiders like Burnham and Salmon, who are involvedin policy making, is vital for keeping students’knowledge of the rapidly changing mediaenvironment up to date.”

Photo: Barry Purves by Steve Weymouth


From MPs and directors to the top brass at the BBC and theNational Film and Television School, the Media Departmentis giving its students access to some of the industry’s leadingfigures, to enhance their student experience and increase theirfuture employability.

But it’s not just those coming in to the departmentwho are able to give students the benefit of theirindustry experience. Staff within the Departmentboast enviable CVs, including Roger Shannonhimself who has held senior positions at the BritishFilm Institute and the UK Film Council, been involved in more than 20 feature films and recently produced a music documentary, Made inBirmingham, which has been nominated for twoindustry awards.

“We have some outstanding media practitionersand researchers on our staff,” says Roger, “whoare passing on their knowledge to the next generation of media professionals.”

Among those with wide industry experience are:Carl Hunter, who co-wrote and co-produced the2008 BBC feature film Grow Your Own; Dr MarkFremaux, who has worked behind the scenes onsome of the UK’s best-known television shows including Match of the Day, Doctor Who andQuestion Time; Dr Richard Witts, writer, broadcasterand musician, who recently contributed to the firstacademic study of German techno pioneers,Kraftwerk; and Professor Tomaz Malinowski, producer-director of 67 films, many of which wereinternational award winners.

A Step on theIndustry LadderThree talented media graduates may soon seetheir work on the big screen after scooping aprestigious Royal Television Society award.

Anna Ormsby, Jim Martin and Dan Evans won theEntertainment Category at the Royal TelevisionSociety NW Student Awards, impressing thejudges and prompting interest from several independent television production companies.

Their television pilot, Escape from the Studio,which gets bands out onto the streets to perform in their hometown, beat off strongcontenders from Stockport College and theUniversity of Salford for the accolade. They willnow go through to the national finals later inthe year.

Anna said: “To have won an award from the industry is such a major confidence boost andit’s nice for our efforts to be recognised. A fewindependent companies are interested in our work so, hopefully, we will be able to collaborate with them on it in the future.”


Lecturer in Public Relations, Paula Keaveney, was a BBC journalist as well as heading up thecommunications operations for several nationalcharities before joining Edge Hill. She has introduceda unique project which has contributed to the employability of Edge Hill’s PR students.

Each year students work together as a PR agency,planning and implementing PR campaigns for realclients. First years are the junior members of theteam, second years are the next level up and thirdyears take leadership roles. Throughout theircourse, students have the opportunity to worktheir way up through the agency, mirroring a reallife career.

“It's not theoretical, it is real and in the real world,”says Paula. “The client gives us a brief and thestudents come up with solutions. Tutors supportbut only step in if there is a real need. This developsnot just practical skills but the leadership andteamwork we know that industry wants.”

Employability is also central to a new module,Trans-Media: Cross-disciplinary Media Skills, designed specifically for joint honours studentstaking Media courses – a first in UK teaching.

Dr Elke Weissmann, Lecturer in Film and Television,is responsible for joint honours students. She says: “The new module recognises the specific capabilities that joint honours students acquire asa result of the two disciplines and aims to facilitatethinking across subject lines. This should allowstudents to become more flexible, more creativeand acquire new skills more quickly which willserve them well in the job market.”

With the creative industries central to economicgrowth in the North West, the Media Departmentat Edge Hill is well placed to make a major contribution to the region’s future workforce.

“We are currently strengthening our links with theBBC and other organisations through the newMediaCity development in Salford, which will openup many new and exciting opportunities for ourstudents and graduates,” says Carol Poole. “We want our graduates from all disciplines tocontribute to the huge talent pool in the NorthWest, and showcase the well-rounded, professionally focused learning experience theygained at Edge Hill.”


Sport isn’t just about improving health, fitness and wellbeing. Indeveloping countries sport is increasingly being used to transformlives, rebuild communities and inspire a new generation of leaders.

A Sporting Chance



While they are in Ghana the six students will beassisting with the Beckwith International LeadershipDevelopment (BILD) programme, which aims tobuild capacity in Ghana through sport leadershipdevelopment. Working alongside young Ghanaians,the students will set up and deliver communitysports and leadership training programmes and, at the end of the project, feed back to UK Sportand other stakeholders. The students are also usingtheir experience in Ghana to enhance their studies.For some it will constitute the work placement element of their course; for others it will form thebasis of a dissertation or consultancy project.

“The IDEALS Ghana project is a further demonstrationof Edge Hill’s commitment to improving the studentexperience and to embedding an international perspective into the curriculum,” adds Iain.

“It also opens up opportunities for staff to engagein collaborative research with colleagues in theUniversity of Ghana. We are already discussinghow we can further our existing links, possibly bydeveloping links between academic courses orproviding placements over here.”

This summer, six students from Edge Hill’s Department of Sport and Physical Activity willspend six weeks in Ghana as part of a prestigiousdevelopment programme, which aims to engage,educate and motivate young people through sport.

The IDEALS programme (International Developmentthrough Excellence and Leadership in Sport), established in 2006 by UK Sport, aims to promotecommunity involvement in physical activity and buildsports leadership capacity in developing countries.IDEALS Ghana is a new partnership between UKSport, Edge Hill University and the University ofGhana, reflecting Edge Hill’s growing internationalreputation in the field of sport development.

Dr Iain Lindsey, Senior Lecturer in Sport Development,is overseeing Edge Hill’s contribution to IDEALSGhana. He has been carrying out research into thecontribution that sport can make to various aspectsof youth development in Africa since 2006.

“For the past ten years, there has been increasingrecognition, by the UN and other internationalbodies, of the potential contribution that sport-based programmes can have within developingcountries,” says Iain.

“Sport for development is actually less about thesport itself and more about using sport to create acontext for other things,” says Iain. “In countrieswhere the burden of HIV and AIDS is heaviest, forexample, sports programmes can be used to communicate vital health messages. It can alsohelp to develop local leadership capability, whichhas implications far beyond sport.

“The IDEALS Ghana project is a life-changing experience for these students. They have the opportunity to put their learning into practice ina way that will really challenge them and developtheir skills. But, for me, the cultural exchange aspect of the programme is as important as theactivities they will be undertaking. It will increasethe students’ awareness of what we can contributeto the world through sport but, more importantly,they will learn more about the ways in which we,in the West, can benefit from other cultures.”


“Countries like Zambia, Tanzania and Ghana needmuch more than sport-based programmes to improve their global prospects, but it’s as good aplace as any to start,” says Iain.

“Sport can’t save the world but it can provide acontext for some individuals to change their livesfor the better. If one person achieves something,they can inspire the next person, and then, hopefully,whole communities can be transformed.”

iwitnessMel Dent, a second year Coaching Education student, is one of the six Edge Hill students to be chosen to take part in IDEALS Ghana.

“I applied for the project because I’m interested in comparing the coaching culture inthe UK and Africa and I can incorporate what Ilearn in Ghana into my dissertation. I have already travelled to Tanzania, coaching football, netball, cricket and volleyball, so I’ve had first-hand experience of the extra opportunities that sport can bring to children in Africa.

“I’m really looking forward to teaching somenew skills to the children in Ghana – seeingtheir appreciation will be the biggest reward.”

IDEALS Ghana is one of a number of projects thatIain is currently undertaking in collaboration withUK Sport. His on-going research into sport for development in Zambia led to a commission fromUK Sport to assess the outcomes of one of itsother projects in Ghana. The project is a partnership between Central St Martins College of Art & Design (London), the University for Development Studies in Ghana, and the Universityof Ghana, and is looking at the sustainable, localsourcing and manufacturing of sports equipmentin Ghana.

Rather than a formal evaluation of the project, Iainis using innovative research methods, includingvideo diaries, to determine the effectiveness of thecollaboration, the knowledge and experiencegained by all stakeholders and the overall outcomes of the project, particularly for the students, in terms of local empowerment.

“Our overall approach to sport for development research at Edge Hill is unique in that we are collaborating with African institutions in an equalpartnership,” explains Iain. “The majority of academic literature on sport development in Africahas, until now been led by people from the ‘globalnorth’. There are very few African voices.

“We want to carry out research that is locally focused and engenders real change in the communities we work in. African knowledge andexpertise is key to making this happen and ourcollaborations open up significant opportunities for knowledge sharing among all parties.”

Iain is currently planning further international collaborative research with the University ofGhana, the University for Development Studies,Ghana, the University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, and Monash University in Melbourne.Subject to funding from the Leverhulme Trust,the three-year investigation will look at sustainable development in sport in Africa, witha focus on interventions in Tanzania and Ghana.


Edge Hill’s Centre for Sports Law Research may only be small,but it is producing some of the most influential work on Europeansports law in the world today – research that affects everyonefrom elite athletes and professional footballers to children inafter-school sports clubs.

The Small Research Groupwith a Big Influence

Professor Richard Parrish, Director of the Centre,has been working with the European Commissionsince 2004 and is one of a small group of ‘trustedadvisors’ who have helped the Commission implement the Lisbon Treaty’s provision on sport.

“The Lisbon Treaty is an international agreementthat sets out the constitutional framework for theEuropean Union,” explains Richard. “When it cameinto force in 2009 it included an Article on sport forthe first time, giving the EU historic new powers inthe field of sport.”

With proven experience in the area of sport and EUlaw, Richard was invited to join the Commission’sGroup of ten European Independent Sports Experts– one of only two selected from the UK. Their rolewas to advise the Commission on how best to usethese new powers across all member states.

“The aim of the sports Article in the Lisbon Treatywas to promote the European dimension in sport,to look at common challenges and see what valuethe EU could add to member states’ sports policies,” says Richard.

“We were also asked to consider the specific nature of sport in European law – whether generalEuropean law can, or should, be applied to sport.Sport is different to ‘normal’ industries. It has practices which would not be tolerated in anyother sector – particularly around the nationality ofparticipants – and it is this specificity of sport that the Commission were most interested in understanding.”

The Group’s findings contributed to the productionof the EU’s first official policy statement on sport,the ‘Communication on Developing the EuropeanDimension in Sport’. This Communication endorsed the Group’s recommendations on priority areas for an EU sports funding programme.

Richard and his colleague Samuli Miettinen alsoadvised the European Parliament on the LisbonTreaty having won a tender to carry out a majorstudy on the issue. The project, an internationalcollaboration between Edge Hill University,Loughborough University and the TMC Asser Institute in The Hague, advised MEPs on what the new sports powers meant for them. The subsequent report is widely regarded as the definitive study on sport and the Lisbon Treaty.


The Parliament Study generated much public interest across Europe, leading Richard to becomethe Specialist Advisor to the House of Lords inquiry into the Lisbon Treaty. This looked at howEuropean policy may affect sport, and specificallygrassroots sport, in the UK. Richard attendedweekly Committee meetings in Westminster andassisted with the taking of evidence with a view toshaping the UK Government’s position on theCommission’s Communication on Sport.

“The EU’s involvement in regulating media andgambling markets can have a profound impact onthe sustainable financing of grassroots sport,”says Richard. As the manager of an Under 9s football team in his spare time, Richard is at whathe calls “the sharp end” of grassroots sport. “Volunteering is the life blood of grassroots sportand the Lords were keen to understand how theEU can better promote this activity throughout theUK and Europe.”

The Lisbon Treaty calls for greater ‘openness’ inEuropean sporting competitions and with this inmind, the European Commission asked Richardand Samuli to write a follow up report on ‘Discrimination against non-nationals in individualsports competitions’. This project, with the TMCAsser Institute and Leiden University in the Netherlands, again explores the complex relationship between the rules of sport and thelaws of the European Union.

“The Commission has received complaints fromsportspeople who were not able to compete intournaments because of their nationality,” explainsRichard. “For example, a swimmer from one country is not allowed to enter a race in anotherbecause they are foreign. This would not be tolerated in any other industry as free movementlaw allows workers to circulate.

“Our job was to survey sports participation rules in26 sports across all 27 member states of the EUand recommend to the Commission a frameworkfor dealing with these rules within the context ofEU law. The Commission has said it will use the report as the basis for launching a new dialogueon the subject between the EU and governmentaland non-governmental stakeholders.”

Richard’s reputation as an international expert onsports law began in 2003 when, following the publication of his book, Sports Law and Policy inthe European Union, he was invited to assist astudy for the Commission on collective bargainingin European professional football. The projecthighlighted the benefits of a ‘social dialogue’ between football clubs and players on labour related issues and advocated resolving problemson a European basis.

The results of this project contributed to the establishment of the first ever Social DialogueCommittee for professional football in 2008, whichrepresents an historic development in Europeanfootball labour relations.

“For a long time sports law was considered a marginal academic discipline, but that is no longerthe case,” says Richard. “With the advent of satellite TV and the creation of the PremierLeague, sport – and football in particular – is nowbig business. Money breeds litigation and thatconnection is keeping the Centre, and our sportslaw students, very busy.

“It’s extremely gratifying to see the work of a relatively small research centre having a genuineimpact on UK and European sports law and policy.Samuli Miettinen, Adam Pendlebury, RobertoBranco Martins, Peter Coenen and AlexandreMestre are a great team to work with and we havebeen well supported by Franco Rizzuto, the Headof Law and Criminology. I would also like to acknowledge the contribution made by our international partners who are based all over Europe. We also owe a debt to our students whostudy sports law on our LLB Law degree – they really are the sports lawyers of the future. ”


Construction work on the exciting new £13m ‘Student Hub' atEdge Hill University is well underway for its September unveiling.

The innovative and sustainable building will effectively create aone-stop shop for all student needs and will further improvefacilities for staff and students as well as benefit the local community.

Student Hub:On Target for September Opening

Housing a number of Edge Hill's student services,retail and dining areas in one place for the firsttime, the new building will mark the central pointbetween the modern western campus and theiconic, 1930s Main Building.

The Hub will fundamentally redevelop and enhancethe existing Main Building and will incorporate theTerrace café and Sages restaurant, opening upkitchen and seating capacity for both. Catering willinclude an area for hot meals as well as more formal dining requirements, a fresh sandwich ‘graband go' section and a quality coffee shop.

Retail facilities will include a small conveniencestore and space for selling University brandedmerchandise, as well as the possibility of an academic book retailer.

Upstairs there will be brand new accommodationfor the Students' Union, including dedicated spacefor societies and student groups, and offices forother student support teams. There will also bemore classroom space and a range of learning facilities to support students with a mixture ofcomputers and other IT resources.


Pro Vice-Chancellor Steve Igoe said: "Edge HillUniversity is committed to providing a high qualitystudent experience and has invested over £130mover recent years in creating an award winningcampus environment that is amongst the best inBritish higher education. The Student Hub is ourlatest development and will enhance our facilitieseven further to the benefit of both staff and students alike. If we want to continue to attractlarge numbers of high quality students, we have to ensure an outstanding student experience particularly in a future environment dominated by increased expectations and demands. I'm delighted that work is progressing rapidly on thisproject for it to be ready in time for the start of thenew term in September."

As well as creating a visually exciting focal pointfor the University, The Hub will also help toimprove the flow of foot traffic around the campus.Its orientation will provide the future main entranceto the existing building, in accordance with theUniversity's masterplan which envisages anEast/West transition across the Ormskirk campus.

The building will also demonstrate Edge Hill'sproven commitment to sustainable development.It will be thermally efficient with a design that promotes natural light and ventilation. Energy willbe recycled, for example from cooking areas, to be re-used throughout the building.


Studies have shown cancer to be particularly prevalent inareas of high industrial activity, regardless of lifestyle or socio-economic factors.

If it’s not related to what people eat, how much they exercise, whatthey do or how much they earn, what is making these onesso toxic?

Somethingin the Air?



Anne Worsley, Professor of Physical Geography atEdge Hill, has been carrying out research into thisarea for some years. She and her team haveproduced the first NHS-funded research into airpollution chronology – how pollution has changedover time.

“There must be something else at work beyondlifestyle and socio-economic factors,” says Ann.“The answer may be genetic, something in people’shistory which may be linked to their environment.

“It’s interesting that there are higher cancer rates inareas where there has been a high concentrationof industrial activity in the past, such as Liverpool,Widnes or Runcorn. It’s possible that if your great-grandfather worked down a mine or in a millor a factory, you, as the great-grandchild, might bepredisposed to getting certain cancers. We don’tyet know the long-term genetic effects of whatwas in the air, the soil and the water during thosetimes of heavy industrial activity in the North West,or what effect they are having on contemporarycommunities.

“Our research is challenging the accepted ideathat lifestyle and socio-economic factors can bestpredict where incidence of cancer will be highestor lowest. We believe that the environment, andhow it has changed over time, plays a major partin public health.”

This connection between health and the environment was the subject of a ground breaking,multi-disciplinary conference hosted by Edge Hillin April. Organised by the University in conjunctionwith the Society for Environmental Geochemistryand Health (SEGH), the five-day ‘InternationalConference on Environment and Health’ attractedhigh profile speakers from across the world topresent on subjects as diverse as chemical warfare, vehicular pollution, climate change andchildren's health.

The conference brought together an eclectic mixof geographers, geologists, environmental scien-tists, medical professionals, geneticists, publichealth specialists and geochemists, among others,who were all addressing environment and healthissues in their specialist field.


“It’s about approaching the subject from a varietyof angles and seeing if there are connections andsynergies that we can take further, with a view toattracting alternative sources of funding,” saysAnn. “Even before the conference began peoplewere talking, creating networks, introducing colleagues working in similar areas – so I’m certain there will be some significant collaborations as a result.

“The conference asked some very big and verychallenging questions but it also raised some concerns because there is currently a lot of investment by the government and other agenciesin the healthier lifestyle agenda.

“Of course, encouraging people to eat more fruitand veg and do more exercise will help to tacklethings like obesity, chronic obstructive pulmonarydisease (COPD) and heart disease,” adds Ann,“but for cancers we’ve got to ask other questions aswell, particularly as we are seeing similar patternsemerging across the industrialised world.”

One of the highlights of the conference – and amajor coup for Edge Hill – was a public lecture byChristine Gosden, Professor of Medical Geneticsat the University of Liverpool. Professor Gosden isinternationally renowned for her work in NorthernIraq into the long-term genetic impact of thechemical, biological and radiological weaponsused by Saddam Hussein's former Government onKurdish communities. She was awarded the USCongressional Human Rights Award in 2001.

Ann has recently started a unique, collaborativeproject with Professor Gosden, combining herknowledge and understanding of genetics and herexperiences in Iraq with Ann’s research into mapping environmental change over time. Theyhope that by using the information on man-madepollutants gathered in Iraq, the project will shedsome light on the problems around health and theenvironment in the North West.

Ann’s team is also collaborating with the Jane’sTerrorism and Insurgency Centre to look at the current conflict in Afghanistan and map wherethere might be long-term risks to health and environment from warfare in the future.

“The impact of CBRN (chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear) weapons is a very significant area for research, particularly given thecurrent situation in Libya and other countries,”says Ann. “Smart bombs might be smart in termsof targeting buildings but they’re not so smart interms of potential long-term effects on people’shealth. We need to establish what the long-termimplications are.”

Assessing the impact of modern weapons is a farcry from the traditional image of geography. “It’snot about looking at rocks and drawing maps,”laughs Ann. “To me geography is about exploringthe connections between people and their environment through space and time. It’s like aforensic science, in a way, because we often usevery small components of the environment, suchas sediment or sand, to tell a bigger, often verysignificant, story.”

Ann is hopeful that connections made during theSEGH conference will, ultimately, have an impacton the long-term health of communities by influencing policy.

“We hear a lot in the press about carbon beingemitted into the atmosphere but very little aboutthe other pollutant emissions. Just because wedon’t have industrial smog in the UK anymore,doesn’t mean we have clean air. The ‘cost' tohealth services from the emissions by transportand industry may actually be considerable. In thelong-term, policy on atmosphere should not justconcentrate on carbon dioxide but should also target the ultra fine particulates which may be affecting human health.

“Collaboration with Professor Gosden and othersmay enable us to look for alternative sources offunding and take the next step towards reducingthe heavy burden of cancer in the North West.”

Podcasts from the conference are available to listen to at edgehill.ac.uk


Bard in the USA

It’s a rare thing to find two Poets Laureate in the same room. It’seven rarer to see them perform their work together in public. In2010, both of these things happened, and it wasn’t in London orNew York – it was in Ormskirk.

Former US Poet Laureate, Billy Collins, and his current Britishcounterpart, Carol Ann Duffy, took to the stage together for thefirst time at Edge Hill at an historic special event to mark NationalPoetry Day and to celebrate the University’s 125th anniversary.

E42 managed to catch Billy Collins before the event to ask him abouthis work, his life and the ups and downs of being Poet Laureate.



Billy Collins is the Bruce Springsteen of modernpoetry. He enjoys a level of fame almost unprecedented in contemporary poetry, performingat sell-out gigs across the US and beyond. TheNew York Times called him the “most popular poetin America”, his six-figure publishing advance fromRandom House in the late 1990s broke all records,and his 1997 recorded collection, The Best Cigarette,was a best seller.

Collins’ recognition includes several awards fromUS magazine Poetry, fellowships from the New YorkFoundation for the Arts, the National Endowmentfor the Arts, and the Guggenheim Foundation. Heis currently a Distinguished Professor at LehmanCollege of the City University of New York and isthe Senior Distinguished Fellow of the Winter ParkInstitute, Florida.

His work has taken him all over the world, so whatdid he make of his first visit to the North West?“Poetry has taken me to some interesting places,”says Billy, “and also places I never would havegone due to ignorance or indifference. Oftenthey’re very eye opening. I had heard pretty grittythings about Liverpool, for example, but it is actually very beautiful.”

Collins’ poetry is funny and accessible, using humour in clever and subtle ways to draw thereader in before flooring them with somethinghard-hitting or profound. He has been describedas the poetic voice of America but he sees his appeal as more universal.

“My poetry is about age-old themes: grief, separation, joy, death, carpe diem – all the usualingredients,” he says. “There are maybe a dozenor so bumps in my poetry where I use terms whichare purely American, but I think you can hop overthose bumps quite easily. I think of my work asquite international.”

The role of US Poet Laureate is a relatively newappointment – the first was Robert Penn Warren in1986 – compared with its British equivalent, whichwas established by King James I in 1617. “Youmay have history on your side, but at the rate weappoint Laureates – 17 since 1986 – we’ll soonovertake you!” quips Billy.

History and length of tenure are not the only thingsthat differentiate the US and UK Laureateships.Unlike in the UK, American Poets Laureate aren’trequired to write official poetry as part of their role.

Or as Billy puts it: “The main difference is that theUK Poet Laureate has to write occasional poetry.The US one just has to write poems occasionally.”

Collins’ term as Poet Laureate, from 2000-2003,coincided with the most significant event in modern American history – the terrorist attacks onNew York and Washington. In an unprecedentedmove, Collins was asked by the United StatesCongress in 2002 to write a poem to commemoratethe first anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.

Collins read his poem The Names, which incorporates the surnames of some of the victims,at a special joint session of the United States Congress – but has never read it in public orpublished it since.


“I was asked to write a poem for the occasion,”Billy recalls, “but I didn’t say yes immediately because I really didn’t think I was capable of writing a poem on such a heroic, historic and,frankly, traumatic topic. The expectations wereoverwhelming so I said I’d read a poem by someone else. They weren’t happy about it but Ifelt that was all I could do.

“Then one morning I woke up feeling very badabout not being able to rise to the occasion. Icould hear my mother’s voice in the background,you know, “get out there and do something!” So Istarted thinking about how I could approach sucha huge responsibility.

“It occurred to me that I could write an elegy. Thatgave me a frame, a genre, in which to write aboutthe dead. And then I thought I could go throughtheir names and choose one from each letter ofthe alphabet. So then, once I had the alphabet totake me on a path through the poem and thereference of the elegy to contain me, I sat downand wrote it in a couple of hours.

“That experience taught me a lesson; the moreconfined you are the more free you are. There is nosuch thing as free verse, just verse that is seekingits own confinements.”

The Names received widespread praise and isthought by many to be among Collins’ finest work.But, for many British Poets Laureate, writing toorder can sometimes spell creative death.

“Writing to order brings problems because youhave to stick to the topic, you can’t stray at all,”explains Billy. “If you have to write specificallyabout the death of a monarch or a sporting event,your creative leeway is taken away. One of the joys of lyric poetry is having a very light touch onthe topic. Poems I love to read and write start out being about one thing and end up being about another.

“Having said that, there is some very good occasional poetry, including the work Carol AnnDuffy has written during her tenure so far. She isalso a terrific reader of poetry. I generally don’tenjoy public speaking, despite my poems lendingthemselves to being read aloud, but it’s going tobe fun to read with her.”

So, having reached the pinnacle of his profession,what does the future hold for Billy Collins?

“Once you’ve been Poet Laureate it’s all downhillfrom there!” he laughs. “My ambition now remainspretty modest: just to write one good poem afteranother.”

UK USPost established 1617 1986Appointed by The Queen The Librarian of the United States CongressCurrent post holder Carol Ann Duffy W S MerwinNo. of Poets Laureate appointed to date 22 17No. of women appointed to date 1 4Required to write poems to mark special occasions? Yes NoLength of service Previously for life, now fixed at 10 years 1-2 yearsFee or payment Annual honorarium of £5,750. $35,000 annual stipend,

Traditionally rewarded with "a butt of sack”; plus $5,000 travel expensestoday’s equivalent is a barrel of sherry

The Lowdown on the Laureates

There was right betw final copysomewherewhen I was I was Shak hitting and the words pentameter page after said wasI love you.I was Shak and Marlow I was liter corner of


“I had never heard of Edge Hill before I decided totake part in the Study Abroad programme but mytime there has completely changed my life.

I was studying Theatre at St Ambrose Universityin Iowa but I decided to take Creative Writing modules while I was at Edge Hill. I had never enjoyed poetry, I thought it was boring and difficult, but a boy I liked was taking the poetrymodule so I thought “why not?”

I did struggle with it to start with but my tutor,Daniele Pantano, obviously saw something in me.One day he asked me to read a poem aloudwhich, as a Theatre major, I didn’t mind. I guess Iperformed it with a certain theatrical energy andfound I really enjoyed it – something just clicked.Then Daniele introduced me to something calledslam poetry and I realised I’d found my niche.

I wasn’t sure if I could do it at first because slampoetry is rooted in hip hop and R&B and I was thisawkward white girl reading poems about love and hope! But for me, slam poetry was like a combination of stand up comedy and theatre andit gave me the opportunity to speak my mind. I feltlike I was connecting with people when I read mypoems and I received some good feedback so Istarted working on the rhythms and sounds of thelanguage and my poems started to improve.

Edge Hill is not just a really creative environment tobe in, the staff and students are very supportiveand accepting, whatever you want to do. If I hadn’tbeen encouraged that first time I performed one ofmy poems in Daniele’s class I would not have hadthe confidence to apply for the scholarship that ledto my big break in poetry – performing at theKennedy Center in a concert to mark the 50-yearanniversary of President Kennedy’s inauguration.

I submitted a poem, Green, Green Hope, that Ithought reflected Kennedy’s ideology. It containsthe line “go on, let us take that first step” which isfrom one of his speeches. I really didn’t expect to win, let alone perform it myself at the Kennedy

American graduate Catie Osborn had never written a poem beforeshe reluctantly tried a poetry module as part of her Study Abroadsemester at Edge Hill. She is now an internationally renowned‘slam poet’ who has performed her work live in front of thousands.

Grand Slam

A World of LearningEdge Hill’s Study Abroad programme givesstudents from overseas universities the opportunity to study for one semester at EdgeHill while earning full credits from their homeinstitution. While Study Abroad students havetraditionally been recruited mostly from theUnited States and North America, in 2010 tenKorean students took part in the programmefor the first time.

Edge Hill is currently working with several potential international partner universities tofurther develop the Study Abroad programme,and to explore other opportunities such as2+2/1+2 schemes, where students study forone or two years at their home university andthen for two more at Edge Hill.

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Center in front of thousands of people via a livewebcast! That was an incredible experience.

I haven’t really decided what I want to be when Igrow up yet. At the moment I’m working with aShakespeare theatre group on an all-female production of Hamlet and coaching a kids’ theatregroup. I also get to release my inner geek by writing in-game content for video games. I’m a‘jack of all trades’, really. I’ve never been the sortof person to work 9-5 in an office so I just try and take every opportunity that comes my wayand I’ve been very fortunate to do some interesting things.

I’m still writing poetry but I haven’t plucked up thecourage to compete at national slams yet. The slampoetry community is mostly based around the bigcities, so I’m working on building up a slam culturein my hometown so that people don’t have totravel so far to see or perform slam poetry. I wantto start a small-town poetry boom across the US!

In slam poetry circles I guess my name is becomingknown, but I’m not exactly recognised in the streetevery day. Although, recently a lovely little old ladydid stop me and asked if I could read one of mypoems at her church. She even gave me some ofher cookies!

To be honest, I’m really not bothered about beingfamous, I just want to enjoy what I do. If reading apoem on TV means I can command a plate ofhomemade cookies every now and then, that’sgood enough for me.”


Given the choice, the majority of terminally ill people wouldchoose to spend their last moments in their own home,surrounded by the things and people they know and love.Why, then, do 60% end up dying in hospital? And is there sucha thing as a ‘good death’?

Caring for Carers



According to a major piece of research, being undertaken at Edge Hill University and funded bythe National Institute for Health Research (NIHR)Research for Patient Benefit (RfPB) programme,thesupport received by unpaid carers could be a significant factor in what happens to terminally illpeople, particularly cancer patients, at the end oftheir lives.

Professor Barbara Jack and Dr Mary O’Brien fromthe Evidence-based Practice Research Centre(EPRC) initially carried out a small-scale, local studywith Sefton PCT into healthcare professionals’views on why an increasing number of cancer patients, who had elected to die at home, werebeing admitted to hospital in the last days of life.They found that, in many cases, carer breakdownplayed a key role in end of life hospital admission.

“The last year of a patient’s life can be extremelystressful for unpaid carers and people are often reluctant to ask for help,” says Professor Jack, Director of the EPRC. “Our research found that alot of people whose care had been going well, and who did not have medical problems thatwould force them to be taken into hospital, weresuddenly being admitted.

“Interviews and other data suggested that carerswere becoming burnt out. Many were juggling theircaring role with full-time work or other family commitments; some were elderly themselves andstruggling to cope.

“Often, it was a small trigger event that led to thepatient being admitted to hospital; an accumulationof things that had finally tipped the carer over theedge. What was missing in palliative care was aclear way of identifying when carers were close tobreakdown and putting appropriate support inplace for them.”

To address this vital issue the EPRC team, includingProfessor Brenda Roe and external colleagues(Professor Mike Nolan from the University ofSheffield, Professor Mari Lloyd-Williams from theUniversity of Liverpool, and Kirsty Pine from NHSHalton and St Helens PCT), successfully bid foran award of £248,725 from the NIHR’s RfPB programme to fund a two-year research project– the largest single grant Edge Hill has ever attracted. The project will explore the personal experience ofcaring for someone during their last year of life toidentify factors carers find particularly stressful.Identifying these key factors, together with promptintervention and support, aims to reduce carer strainand burden, decrease inappropriate end of lifehospital admission, enhance quality of end of life careand promote a ‘good death’. This is particularlyimportant for patients who are terminally ill andwhose wish is to die at home.

This study aims to develop assessment tools thatcan be used by health and social care professionalsto assess carers’ needs, and indicate the appropriateinterventions that are needed to support them andavoid inappropriate patient admissions to hospital.“What makes this research unique is that it is aprospective, rather than retrospective, study,”adds Professor Jack. “Most studies into end of lifecare are done after the patient has died. Our studygoes through the last year of life, giving a richness ofdata that offers a completely different perspective. Itwill capture carers’ experiences as they are actuallygoing through the event rather than after bereavement.

“With an ageing population, a changing healthcarestructure, and a greater focus on care in the community and the voluntary sector, care of thedying is a vital area for research.”

Who Cares?

• 1 in 8 adults are carers

• Nearly 175,000 young people under the age of 18 provide care

• Every day 6,000 more people take on a caring role – more than two million a year

• By 2037, it's anticipated that the number of carers will increase to nine million

• Carers save the economy £87 billion per year – almost as much as the total spending on the NHS

• 1 in 5 carers are forced to give up work

• The main carer's benefit is £53.10 for a minimum of 35 hours, equivalent to £1.52 per hour

• 625,000 people suffer mental and physical ill health as a direct consequence of the stress and physical demands of caring


Who Cares?

• 1 in 8 adults are carers

• Nearly 175,000 young people under the age of 18 provide care

• Every day 6,000 more people take on a caring role – more than two million a year

• By 2037, it's anticipated that the number of carers will increase to nine million

• Carers save the economy £87 billion per year – almost as much as the total spending on the NHS

• 1 in 5 carers are forced to give up work

• The main carer's benefit is £53.10 for a minimum of 35 hours, equivalent to £1.52 per hour

• 625,000 people suffer mental and physical ill health as a direct consequence of the stress and physical demands of caring

There are currently around six million unpaid carers in the UK looking after an ill, frail or disabledfamily member, friend or partner.

Source: Carers UK

What is the EPRC?The Evidence-based Practice Research Centre(EPRC) is part of the Faculty of Health. Evidence-based practice involves combiningclinical expertise with the best, most-up-to-date empirical evidence when making decisions about the care of a patient.

The EPRC aims to develop programmes of research to advance evidence-based clinicaland educational practice and evaluation. Italso engages with the evidence-based practiceagendas of local health care providers, throughcollaborative research and by offering a consultancy service and specialised courseson evidence-based practice to external organisations.

About the NIHRThe National Institute for Health Research provides the framework through which the research staff and research infrastructure ofthe NHS in England is positioned, maintainedand managed as a national research facility.The NIHR provides the NHS with the supportand infrastructure it needs to conduct first-class research funded by the Governmentand its partners alongside high quality patientcare, education and training. Its aim is to support outstanding individuals (both leadersand collaborators), working in world-class facilities (both NHS and university), conductingleading edge research focused on the needs of patients. www.nihr.ac.uk


In 2008, it became compulsory for all new to post SpecialEducational Needs Co-ordinators (SENCos ) to undertake theNational Award for SEN Co-ordination to develop and managespecial needs provision. Edge Hill recently won a contract toprovide national training for the mandatory award.

Lisa O’Connor, a former SENCo herself, is now responsible forrunning the training programme.

Staff Profile: Lisa O’Connor

I nearly taught Tony Blair’s children.I’m from Bootle and still live there, round the corner from the house where I grew up. I wantedto do my PGCE in Liverpool but ended up going to the University of Surrey, Roehampton. I was offered a job at the Kensington Oratory PrimarySchool, where Tony Blair sent his children, but Iturned it down. I know it was a great opportunitybut the cost of living in London is so high and although I enjoyed my time down south – it reallybuilt up my confidence and opened my eyes to life– to be honest, I wanted to come home to Bootle.

I didn’t go to university until I was 27.I started sixth form but left at 17 because I wantedto earn money. I worked in the tax office for 10years and eventually studied for some A-Levels atnight school. I knew an office job wasn’t for meand I wanted to work with children and I wanted a career in teaching but decided to do a BA Honoursdegree in English & Sociology at Liverpool Hope,just in case I changed my mind. I didn’t, but I’mglad I chose an Arts degree, rather than focusstraight away on education, as I think it gave me a broader perspective.

Special educational needs teaching chose me.I didn’t really choose it to start with. I was thrownin at the deep end because in the first class Itaught after my NQT year there were two childrenon the Autistic Spectrum and two others with specific special needs. It was the first time I haddealt with special needs on this scale – it wasn’treally covered in the PGCE at that time. I think Imight have had one day of discussions and activities about Special Educational Needs but it is never the same as the challenges within theclassroom. It was a bit daunting to start with, asfour children with such a diverse range of needs is quite a lot to manage in one class, but the challenge ignited an interest in special needs provision that I felt I could develop. I wanted to understand and learn more.


I had only been teaching for two years when I became a SENCo. I had learned a lot from teaching those four children and seen real results just from adoptingdifferent learning styles and building their confidence. I’m a firm believer in a holistic approach to teaching. I have used special needsprogrammes, such as self-esteem boostingactivities, with mainstream children who have behavioural problems and confidence issues, aswell as interventions programmes, like reading intervention schemes, with children with specialneeds. If it works, it works. The impact on thechild’s life and achievement is what matters to me.

I love working with SENCos. I get a real sense of achievement, particularlywhen people are initially reluctant to undertake thecourse. Since the award is mandatory, you dosometimes encounter SENCos who think theywon’t learn anything new from the course. I love to see their attitudes changing as the course progresses, and we get a lot of feedback that the course has made a real impact on teaching practice.

There is a lot more tolerance of special needs these days. Children are taught about difference and inclusionvery early on; not just at school but in TVprogrammes, books, everywhere. You often findchildren are very protective of peers with specialneeds, particularly if they have been in mixed yeargroups and spent a couple of years together. Isaw very little exclusion of children with specialneeds among the Reception, Year 1 and Year 2children I taught. It’s perfectly normal and acceptable to them to have children with specialneeds in the class. In years gone by these childrenwould have been automatically segregated into‘special schools’ – with the right support, thatdoesn’t have to be the case these days.


In years gone by, going to university for the first time was, formany people, a step into the unknown. Now, before you evenapply, you can find out any information you need at the click of amouse, follow students and tutors on Twitter and Facebook, andeven check out your future accommodation on Google Earth.

The Kids are All Write

Edge Hill, like many universities, is incorporating thelatest digital technologies and social media networksinto its student recruitment strategy in order to attract a new generation of media-savvy students.

But, unlike other institutions, Edge Hill’s approachfocuses on the personal touch, recreating onlinethe welcoming community atmosphere that theUniversity is renowned for in real life.

For the past three years Edge Hill has been usingblogs and online forums, alongside traditional routessuch as open days and school visits, to integratevoices of current students into its communicationwith applicants. With the introduction this summerof a new Customer Relationship Management(CRM) system, the University is creating an onlineenvironment where potential students can find personalised information, make friends and createcommunities before they even apply to Edge Hill.

“We see the student decision-making process as ajourney,” says Head of Student Recruitment, LiamOwens, “from thinking about Edge Hill as an optionto applying for a place to accepting that place toenrolling as a student.

“We want to be able to offer targeted support ateach stage of that journey – not just to get morepeople to apply to Edge Hill, but to convert those

applications into enrolled students, and then to retain those students to the end of their course.

Key to Edge Hill’s success in influencing this journeyis the growing army of student bloggers who postregular insights into student life on the University’sThink EdgeHill web portal. The number of bloggers hasrisen from just three when the applicant portal wasfirst introduced, to 18 today. The aim is to reach 21 byJune, when the new CRM system is fully operational– one for each broad subject area at Edge Hill.

Each blogger commits to producing one entry perweek about their life at Edge Hill. This can beabout anything from lectures and essays to nightsout and events on campus. The idea is to give arealistic, personal account of student life which willcreate interest, allay fears and hopefully, convertenquirers into applicants and applicants, into thenext cohort of students.

Edge Hill is also tapping into social media that students use in their every day lives, so as well asreading their blogs, you can also follow Edge Hill’sstudent bloggers on Twitter and Facebook to getup-to-the-minute information.

The blogs are just one part of the new Think EdgeHillpersonalised web portal. Anyone who expressesan interest in studying at the University – whether


by attending a recruitment fair or open day, or viathe website – is sent a link to a personalised webpage which contains information about the thingsthat they need to know. So, express an interest inEnglish and, as well as generic information aboutEdge Hill, you will get tailored content about theEnglish department including courses, news, student profiles and blogs, plus links to theCourse Information, Advice and Guidance teamwho are on hand to answer specific questions.

The new CRM system aims to take this personalexperience a step further by integrating an onlinechat room where potential students can ask questions and get answers from the student bloggers in real time. People who have acceptedplaces at Edge Hill can also use it to make connections with others on their course or in theirchosen Halls of Residence, allowing them to buildsupportive networks before they start.

“What’s really nice to see is when people whoused the blogs and profiles before they came toEdge Hill approach us to become student bloggersthemselves,” says Liam.

“Until now we’ve had an open recruitment policyfor our bloggers – basically, if they wanted to do it

they could. For the next phase, we are starting tolook at underrepresented groups and how we caninvolve them in blogging. For example, we have veryfew male students on our Primary QTS programme– we might look at recruiting a male blogger forthat course to offer a different perspective.

Creating an environment where potential studentscan ask questions, find information and build networks is not just beneficial to the students.Done well it can have a major impact on the futuresuccess of the University.

“A good experience at each stage of the decision-making journey helps in building commitment,bonding and affinity between the potential studentand the University,” says Liam. “If they then comehere to study, they will be better equipped to dealwith university life which should enhance our retention rates, and are more likely to have a positive view of Edge Hill which is good news forour National Student Survey results.

“The student bloggers play a major part in ensuringpotential students have a good experience in theirdealings with Edge Hill. They are great ambassadorsfor the University, and excellent role models for future students.”

Hannah Moulder, a 3rd year Film and Televisionstudent, has been blogging for two years.

“I used the ‘Hi’ website myself when I was applyingfor university and found it really helpful. I’m fromKent and only had one visit to Edge Hill, so readingthe blogs and being able to ask questions made mefeel much more comfortable that I was choosingthe right course and the right university.

“From using the website myself, I knew how valuable

it was to get information and advice from someonemy own age, doing the same course I wanted todo. It was more credible and authentic. I wanted toshare my experience with other students so Ijumped at the chance to become a blogger myself.

“As well as feeling good about helping potentialstudents, blogging has also improved my writingskills, enhanced my CV and given me a real insightinto the way the university system works. It’s beena great development opportunity.”

ManchesterLiverpool

Birmingham

London

Open days

Sat 20th August 201110am - 3pm

Sat 8th October 20114pm - 8pm

Sat 19th November201110am - 3pm

Sat 16th June 201210am - 3pm

w edgehill.ac.uk

f facebook.com/edgehilluniversity

t twitter.com/edgehill

Edge Hill UniversitySt Helens Road, Ormskirk,Lancashire,L39 4QP United Kingdom

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