Calling all aspiring journalists!

''UCLan Magazine Journalism Scores Hat-Trick;

For the third year running the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) has scooped the Oscars of the magazine industry after a graduate won the coveted prize at the Professional Publishers Association awards.

This year the Most Promising Student (undergraduate) award was won by Andy Biddulph for the work he produced while studying on the BA (Hons) Journalism magazine course under the guidance of Course Leader Cathy Darby. He graduated last year and is now working as a freelance music journalist for Rock Sound and a range of other titles.

This hat-trick means only UCLan has won this award since its launch three years ago.

Andy, who beat two other nominees from Bournemouth University, said: “It was nice to be rewarded for all of the time and effort I've put in over the past year, and the fact that a UCLan student has won this award three years running is an indicator of just how valuable UCLan's magazine journalism route and Cathy Darby's expertise can be.”

Catherine, who was Andy’s module tutor, rejoiced at Andy’s triumph. She said: “I was so pleased that my student Andy entered the competition as winning this award gives a wider platform to his undoubted talent and engaging writing style. I am sure his freelance career can only benefit from such an accolade from industry experts. And, personally, I am thrilled that UCLan magazine students have secured the remarkable achievement of being the best in the UK for the third year running.”

Guests at the industry’s prestigious event, which was held in London earlier this week, were told: “The judges were impressed by the consistently excellent standard of Andy's work. They found his writing captivating, despite having little or no knowledge around the subject areas themselves. Andy is an excellent storyteller who has developed his own voice in a very short amount of time. A very talented writer, said one judge, who takes on big challenges with real confidence, resulting in poignant, mature pieces way beyond his years.”''

Congratulations to both Andy and UCLan for their success.  If you are interested in studying a foundation coursse leading to any of UCLan's Journalism degrees visit www.foundationcampus.com/uclan for more information.

Internationality Hospitality Management Visit at UCLan

We try and arrange for all of our students to visit the department at UCLan where they will study once they progress and to meet the Course Leader so they know what to expect and they become familiar with the place and the people. This is really helpful for students to lessen the feeling of first day nerves when they return after a summer break and start their degree programmes.

Yesterday a number of our UFP students who are due to progress onto BA (Hons) International Hospitality Management at UCLan next year met with the Course Leader, Dorota Ujma.

Students were given a presentation by Dorota about the course and what to expect during the 3 or 4 years they will study there.  They also had a chance to ask questions and look around the School in which they'll be based.


UFP students with Dorota (second from left)

UCLan was rated 3rd in the country for their Sports, Tourism and the Outdoors degrees in The Times Good University Guide and this includes the BA (Hons) International Hospitality Management programme. This is a fantastic achievement for UCLan and is a great opportunity for our students to study on such a revered course. Students also have the opportunity to undertake a year placement in Year 3 of this degree increasing their employability in the future.

UFP Business Teamwork Fashion Show

As part of the UFP course a number of modules require an element of teamwork.  Group presentations, group experiments and group business plans are all forms of assessment which are used by us which reflect some form of assessments that are used as part of degree programmes.

 

In UFP Business students worked together to put on a fashion show, creating clothes from magazines and bits of newspaper. 

 

First they had to discuss what item of clothing they could make, create a sketch of the item then make it using the materials given such as foil, newspaper and trimmings. 
 

 

One student acted as a model and represented the group at a 'fashion show' in which teams were judged on their creativity, style and performance.
 

 

The activity led into a discussion on Belbin's theory of team roles and students could then look at the role they each played in the team and the contribution they each made.  Belbin's theory is intended to look at group dynamics and the strengths and weaknesses of each role.  Improving the students' understanding of teamwork and also their self-awareness is intended to improve their teamwork skills for the group assessments throughout this course and in the future.

 

This was a very fun-filled and interactive activity, demonstrating the importance of working as a team, what can be achieved when a team works well together and discussing the different roles and jobs the team members carried out.

UCLan Physiotherapy Open Day

Yesterday our budding Physiotherapy students from the Undergraduate Foundation, Life Sciences, Programme went to the Physiotherapy Open Day at UCLan to meet their Course Leader, Heather Stewart, and have a closer look at the course and the department.



Foundation students join other Physio
applicants for the Open Day tour

Firstly, students were taken on a campus tour (many of the other students visiting are not current UCLan students but hopeful to join the degree programme in September) and were shown around the department by third year students. 

Students were given a great Q+A opportunity and Yoshihito, one of Physio applicants, was pleased to hear how much his tour guide was enjoying the programme.

The group was given a short presentation about the course by Heather which explained the different modules since the course was redesigned for September 2012.

She talked about the advantages of studying Physiotherapy at UCLan; the new look programme has a great practical element which prepares graduates for work after the course.  Physio students get the chance to apply theory based learning to real life situations during the work experience placements that they will undertake as part of the course.  There is also a great social programme and an opportunity to study abroad for selected students.

After the presentation there was another opportunity to ask questions to current first and third year students about their time on the course.

Our students had a very positive experience and Jay said the open day was uplifting.  Our students must now prepare for their interviews which will take place in a few weeks before they find out if they have secured a place on the course.  Good luck guys!

Alfred, Jay and Yoshihito at the Open Day

She said yes!

This week we had an extra special treat at UCLan FoC.  Two of our past students who studied on the Undergraduate Foundation Programme in 2010/11 returned to the place they first met and became engaged.

Willam Waters, who is currently studying BA (Hons) Communication Studies at UCLan after passing the UFP, surprised girlfriend Lijing Chen, a Business and Management student, by arranging a small party with some of their friends from the foundation course.  He presented her with a film of photographs of them since their first meeting in Vernon Room 69 on the first day of induction back in September 2010 before getting down on one knee in the same room where they first laid eyes on each other.

Congratulations to the happy couple!  Everybody at FoundationCampus UCLan wishes you a wonderful future together and we are delighted that we could be a part of your special day.

January Enrolment Day 2014

Today our January term began and what a busy day it has been. 

Our returning students from the September cohort have been coming in to collect new timetables, sign back into the college and discover their Module 1 results.  Welcome back everyone!  It is great to see you and we hope you've had a good rest over the last 4 weeks and are now ready to tackle Term 2 head on.

We have also welcomed our January students to the centre.  They will be joining our ongoing English programmes and starting Undergraduate and Master's Foundation Programmes which begin next Monday following this induction week.

After this morning's welcome talk and centre enrolment students have taken their own campus tour, following a map to find their way around and taking pictures and videos of the University campus. 

We are looking foward to getting to know you all over the next 9 months and wish you all the best for your time with us.

European agents visit UCLan and FoC

Last month we were visited by a number of agents from Russia and Kazakstan.

They visited us here and UCLan and had presentations about Sports, Tourism and Events Management, Journalism, Media and Communication (including a visit to a TV studio) and the School of Languages where they had a translation demonstration.

They also had a Christmas-themed buffet complete with crackers and heard fomr our current students and Russian alumni who talked about their experience of FoundationCampus, UCLan and what it is like to be an international student in Preston.

We are very excited to potentially welcome new students from different parts of the world to maintain a good mix of different nationalities at FoC and look forward to working closely with these agents in the future. 

We hope they had a very interesting visit and enjoyed their stay in Preston.



Agents with Mary Wade, Centre Head (back far left)