University Scholarship Scheme

Are you involved in voluntary work, do you compete at a national level, want to attend a summer school, or volunteer to coach or teach overseas?  We may be able to help you achieve your goal 

The University runs a University Scholarship Scheme each year to assist students with participating in extra-curricular activities.  You can apply for funding, up to £1000, to finance extra-curricular involvement in activities either directly related to or distinct from your course of study. 

Some examples of students who were successful:- 

Category 1 – Voluntary activities which are community based

In 2009 a group of students received help with funding a trip to Thailand to provide voluntary teaching and another student received help with funding a trip to Sri Lanka to coach football and cricket. Other students were funded to assist them travelling to voluntary placements in the UK with charities such as Turning Point and Save the Children.

It is important when applying for a scholarship for this category that you include information about the charity you are working for, the hours involved and the location of the work.  You should provide evidence that you have been accepted as a volunteer.

 Category 2 – Activities relating to a pastime or interest in which the student is involved (e.g. music or some other arts based area; elite sport)

Last summer students received scholarships to assist them in participation in national sports competitions in a variety of sports including: rowing, golf, swimming and trampolining.  A student also received help in funding a trip to New York to participate in the Centenary of Guiding celebrations.

It is important when applying for a scholarship for this category that you include information, and evidence, of the costs involved. 

Category 3 – Activities which are course related but voluntary but, if undertaken, are likely to contribute to the scholar’s academic performance

This year a student has received a scholarship to assist her in attending a drama course outside of the University. She has undertaken to feed back to her peers the knowledge she gains.  Other students have received funding to assist them in attending archaeological digs which will supplement their learning experience. Again these students will provide feedback to their peers on the knowledge they have gained.

It is important when applying for a scholarship in this category that you provide written evidence of the costs involved and quantify the impact the activity will have on your academic performance.

 To apply for a University Scholarship please complete a form which you can access here or from the Student Records Enquiry Counter in Woodbury. The deadline for applying is the 1^st December 2009. You will need to supply supporting documentation with your application e.g. details of any study visit, invitations or bookings. 

Please note that successful applicants will be required to participate in some form of feedback on their activity and the form this will take will be notified in the award letter.

 All applications will be considered by the Scholarship Panel and applicants will be notified of the outcome before Christmas.

 Completed application forms should be submitted to the Student Records Enquiry Desk by the 1^st December 2009.  The next opportunity to apply for a University Scholarship will be March 2010.

 Please note that this fund is not available to pay for the cost of courses run by the University.  If you are struggling with course costs or have other financial difficulties please contact the Student Welfare and Financial Advice Service http://www.worc.ac.uk/wfa/  who will be able to advise you.

What Next?

Have you considered a Postgraduate Management qualification?

MSc Management

The following is an extract from Prospects.ac.uk:

It could be argued that, as a Masters graduate you possess many of the skills gained from a degree but to greater extent. Studying for a first degree requires a certain level of intellectual ability and motivation but completion of a Masters requires more commitment and capability. Employers value the more technical/vocational skills gained from specific Masters study.

Benefits of the Worcester Business School Postgraduate Management courses

• The MSc courses offered by Worcester Business School are a flexible and dynamic group of courses that provide a sound understanding of managerial theory and practice
• Option to switch pathway after the first semester
• International context built into the course which will help improve your global awareness
• 10% reduction in fees for continuing University of Worcester students
• Opportunity to mix with International students helping to increase your cultural awareness

The Course

The six Masters awards in Management offered by Worcester Business School prepare you for a career in business and management. They offer real flexibility, and potential to specialise in your chosen areas of interest.

The six courses are:

• Management MSc
• International Management MSc
• Management & Marketing MSc
• Management & Finance MSc
• Management & Human Resources MSc
• International Marketing Management MSc

The MSc courses are primarily designed to meet the needs of graduates who have not previously specialized in management and business at degree level however it also offers business graduates the opportunity to enhance their vocational skills.

How to Apply

Please apply directly to Registry Services

For further information about the course please contact

John Gardener (Admissions Tutor)

Bredon 210

j.gardener@worc.ac.uk

Deadline for Independent Study Proposals

UMS BA and BSc students intending to start an Independent Study in academic year 2008/09.

The deadline for submitting an Independent Study Proposal Form is Monday 21st April. Forms can be found on the SOLE page on the ‘My Course Information’ tab under ‘Independent Study Information’ or are available from the Student Enquiry Counter in Woodbury.

Race for Life

On Sunday 1 June 5,000 female runners and their families and friends will congregate on Pitchcroft Racecourse to raise money for Cancer Research UK by running, jogging, walking or crawling the 5k course which will finish in Worcester High Street.

Alongside Worcester City Council, Wyvern FM, and the Worcester News, the University of Worcester is now an official Local Partner of Worcester’s Cancer Research UK ‘Race for Life’.

How can you help?

Join Our Team

We recognise that many students and staff have participated in this event in previous years. This year, we are hoping that a sign of collective strength will be achieved by creating a University of Worcester ‘Race for Life’ team. If you are planning to take part this year, please contact Catherine Steele (Institute of Health and Social Care, x 5390), to join the University of Worcester’s team. You will still need to register with Race for Life on an individual basis; Catherine will be happy to provide guidance on this.

Sponsor our Team

There will be the opportunity to sponsor our group of runners both online and through the finance office (please note that individuals can still raise their own monies through friends and family). Once a team of runners has been established, details of how to sponsor the team will follow.

Support our Team

If you can’t run the event for any reason i.e. you’re male (!), but would like to support the event, please contact Richard Medcalf (Graduate Research School, x 5416). We need a group of volunteer race marshals who will line the route, directing and supporting all runners. Last year there were 6 people from the University of Worcester in this role; we’re hoping to smash this number this year with your support. It’s a really invaluable role on the day, and also great fun!

So please get involved in one of these three ways – we can’t do it without you!

Are you looking for work or accommodation during the Summer holidays?

Attention All Students

We are recruiting Facilities Assistants @ £6.24 per hour

This type of paid work is an ideal way for students to enhance their CV.

This post is open to current University of Worcester students only and can be viewed at

http://cook.worc.ac.uk/cgi-bin/personnel/displayvac.pl?refno=stu0801a

Also, rooms are available in Chandler from the beginning of June to the end of August.

Please go to http://www.worcester.ac.uk/accommodation/

where you will find full details and the Summer accommodation booking application form

Thank You

A Road Trip Worth Taking

Canadian theatre company, Ghost River, is renowned for its ambitious and compelling work. Their multi-award winning production, Mesa, has toured throughout Canada to critical acclaim and it can now be seen at the University of Worcester this March as part of a select national tour.

Imagine travelling from Calgary to Arizona, non-stop for five days, with your grandfather…

Paul, an out of work writer, is enlisted to drive his wife’s 93 year old Grandpa, ‘Bud’, from Calgary to his retirement trailer in Mesa, Arizona. Paul dreams of a great adventure in the American desert – strange roadside diners and sleeping out in the desert under the stars. Bud on the other hand wants the home comforts of hotel living. The two men are on the road to find America… and each other. They travel for five days, navigating the predictable turnoffs on the Interstate while discovering their need for each other, sharing their lives and experiences, and their hopes and dreams.

Based on a true story, this is road movie for the stage has toured across Canada and was showcased at last year’s ‘Pride of Place Festival’ in Ipswich.

Formed in 1999, Ghost River Theatre’s vision is to create new theatre that is innovative, original, and highly theatrical. Their plays explore contemporary issues and themes, combining live music and original stories with a unique theatrical perspective.

A road trip worth taking, this production promises a charming, funny, witty, sad and heartfelt evening. Not to be missed!

Sunday 9th March at 7pm (doors open 6.30pm)

Drama Studio

Tickets are £8.50 (students £6) and can be booked in person from the Finance Office in Main Reception or from St Johns Library

Need to find more money to help you study?

Try Educational Trust Funds.
Come to the Welfare & Financial Advice team’s promotion about easy access to Trust Funds on 3rd March in the Students’ Union.

Freshers – win a £30 voucher!

We would like to hear about your experience of this year’s Welcome Week & Induction programme so that we can improve the induction of new students in the future. We would be very grateful if you could take a few minutes to complete the following questionnaire.

Sorry, but this survey does not apply to new nursing or teaching students.
At the end of the survey there is the opportunity to enter a prize draw for a £30 voucher for a high street retailer of your choice.

The closing date for the survey and prize draw entry is 24th October 2007.

Enter Now!

Posted on behalf of Student Services.

On-line Registration performance enhanced

We were experiencing some technical problems with the new on-line registration systems resulting in poor response times and occasionally users being presented with error messages.

These problems have now been resolved. If you have been struggling to complete the process, please try again. If you are still encountering difficulties, please contact the Student Records Office on 01905 85333 who will be able to assist.

Logout added to SOLE pages

A number of students have asked us why there is no logout link within the SOLE pages and in response to these comments we have now added such a link. The link is available from within the SOLE Options tab and on each page in the top right hand corner. We are working on this also being in the list of tabs on the left hand of the page.

Please remember if you have accessed your SOLE page off campus via the single sign on page you will remain logged in and still be able to access all the services until you close the browser.

Keep your comments and suggestions coming in using the link from the SOLE Home page. We read them all and wherever possible try and incorporate as many of your ideas as possible.

HSBC: Changes to student accounts

HSBC have recently announced changes to student accounts when they are converted to Graduate Accounts. The Students’ Union have published some advice and guidance on their web pages which may be helpful.

HSBC has gone back on plans to end interest-free deals for graduates – see The Independent article: Student power forces HSBC U-turn on overdrafts.

First Year Students: Your chance to win £1000!

Are you a first-year student on an undergraduate degree or diploma course? If so, you are a member of the Futuretrack cohort and you may have completed an online questionnaire in response to an invitation from UCAS sent to all 2006 higher education applicants. Last summer 130,000 respondents did so and the research team at the University of Warwick are just about to launch the key findings from this study on 12th June. Futuretrack – the biggest-ever study of higher education, career development and employment – is a longitudinal study that will survey participants four times: before starting courses, at the end of the first year of study NOW, in summer 2009 and finally, in winter 2011/12. It will provide valuable information to help improve guidance and information services to students and all who are interested in the graduate labour market.

If you filled in a questionnaire last year, you will have been sent an email to the address you provided last summer, inviting you to complete the stage 2 questionnaire and be entered to the prize draw for 140 prizes of £1,000, £500 or £100. Check out your email now if you have not already done so and click on the link to the questionnaire. If you no longer access the e-mail you gave us, or if you started an undergraduate course in 2006 and have not yet joined Futuretrack, you can update your details, or register to join by clicking on the link below:

http://sol2.surveyshop.com/surveylogin.asp?k=118215986162&s=b

Alternatively you can register on the HECSU website, or email Futuretrack2006@warwick.ac.uk giving your name, course, university and email address, and a link will be sent to you.

If you are eligible, don’t miss this chance to win a prize and contribute to better knowledge about higher education and labour market change in Northern Ireland and in the UK as a whole.

Professor Kate Purcell
Warwick Institute for Employment Research
University of Warwick
Coventry

Registry Services Closed – 31 May

Please note that Registry Services will be closed on Thursday 31 May for the Strategic Plan Away Day and staff development. The offices will be open as normal on Friday 1 June.

Apologies for any inconvenience caused.

Welcome to our new information service

Following the recent Service Review, Registry Services has been looking at a number of ways that as a Service we can improve the information provision to staff and students. The use of this blog is one of these methods of improving communication along with the the new briefing notes that will be produced on specific matters.

Let us know what you think, what you would like to see etc.