A Bright Future Ahead

Vice Chancellor Mary Stuart Interview

The view from the office of new University of Lincoln Vice Chancellor Professor Mary Stuart is certainly an impressive one. Looking down over her new University, the panoramic windows take in the impressive sight of the Brayford, sweeping along the bars and restaurants to finish with the Cathedral in the distance. An amazing view from a privileged position. Needless to say I was nervous walking into the office of the Vice Chancellor for the first time. It felt like being summoned to the Headmasters office for doing something you shouldn’t have. I expected to be greeted with a cold handshake and to get straight down to business. But the woman who shook my hand warmly as I entered was totally different. Calmly sipping lemon tea, we’re chatting away for a good ten minutes before I start the interview.

Mary Stuart is no stranger to Lincoln, having spent a long weekend in the city in 2003. Whilst there was a University here then, it was by no means the institution that stands here today. I asked her what she thought of the city. “I think it’s fabulous,” she replies “It’s a real national treasure. I don’t understand why the Cathedral especially, is not a world heritage site because it really should be.” She goes on to express her deep admiration for Lincoln, remarking that it has a truly unique blend of historical and modern architecture. “I think the University has played a big part in letting that happen,” she explains, saying that the student population of the city and the residents of Lincoln seem to have blended together well.

I then ask her what the job of a University Vice Chancellor entails. To which Mary simply replies “In terms of responsibilities you are the chief operating officer for the institution. This means you are in a sense the guardian of the University. You have to make it a safe environment for students and you have to maintain the institution for the future.” Mary quickly goes on to explain that she is not solely responsible for running the University, and expresses her thanks for the team of people behind her who ensure that the University of Lincoln runs smoothly on a day-to-day basis.

We then move onto the areas that Lincoln is working to improve. Mary quickly identifies three key areas that the University is working on. “I think we need to take forward our research programmes,” she says, explaining that whilst Lincoln has done well in research exercises held last year, there is still a long way to go to reach its full potential. Other areas she is actively targeting to improve are the library service (which thanks to a combined effort from the University and the Students’ Union will be open 24 hours, 4 days a week for 2 weeks in December and then again for 4 weeks in the Spring), and trying to make the University less dependent on government funding.

With all this talk of positive change in Lincoln, I decide to ask the new Vice Chancellor whether the change over period before her taking office was a positive experience. “Professor Chiddick and I met pretty much straight away,” she says “We have worked together all the way through this period. Sometimes these transitions don’t work very well, but on this occasion I’m pleased to say it’s all gone very smoothly.”

From here the interview quickly moves on to tackle the biggest issue facing students, that of University course fees. “Fees will not rise next year,” She says “Even if the Government decides that student fees can go up, I don’t see them doing it for a while. I am incredibly worried about the amount of debt that students have, I personally would rather that we did not increase fees at all.” Mary goes on to explain that in other parts of the world, where students don’t pay course fees up front and leave University with debt, they are more inclined to go straight into work, rather than research the option of a postgraduate qualification. She implies that whilst the system in the UK at the moment helps to limit this, she hopes that the current course fees don’t rise to such an extent that the same effect is created in the UK.

Throughout our talk the subject of the University’s relationship with the Students’ Union has been at the centre of everything. I ask Professor Stuart what she thinks of some of the new initiatives brought in by the Union this year. “I think that the Student Job Shop particularly is fantastic, and I think that there’s a lot more we can do together to improve it. I’m very keen to develop an appropriate policy around the employment of students on campus. One of the ways that we can help to limit student debt in the future is to make sure that students are getting good jobs that don’t negatively impact on their courses.”

My final question to the Vice Chancellor asks her what changes we could expect to happen to the University of Lincoln over the next few years. “For all of our projects the horizon that we’re looking to is about 2016,” she answers “the new Business and Law faculty will open from September next year, and we’re just starting to build the Engineering faculty building. There are lots of future building plans but I don’t want us to lose our green campus. We’re also doing significant work to improve our Riseholme campus.”

The Vice Chancellor’s final words are enough to instil a sense of pride in any Lincoln student, as she says “I think that this is a partnership going into the future. Students and staff working together is how we’re going to turn Lincoln into the place we all want it to be. I’m incredibly positive about the future of Lincoln because I think it has so much potential. “

I walk out of the VC’s office proud to be a student at Lincoln, and proud in the knowledge that we have someone so passionate about improving the student experience to take the reins of the University and lead it into the future. Mary expressed her intentions to take Lincoln up into its rightful place as a leading University. And after listening to her plans, I can’t help but believe her.

Words by Darren Moss

10 Internet Sites You Should, But Probably Don't Know About

It's hard to imagine that just ten to twenty years ago, the world existed without things such as Facebook, Google, Wikipedia, Youtube and BBC iPlayer. Today, sites such as these serve as evidence as to how much the internet has revolutionised our world, making countless tasks easier and providing information on any subject imaginable.
We, as students, are one of the groups of people most affected by this revolution, as the internet has changed the way we do everything from carrying out research for assignments and accessing learning resources to recieving feedback on our work and maintaining correspondance with our tutors.
There are many, however who do not utilise all of the resources that the Internet revolution has to offer them, instead relying on outdated methods for tasks such as information retrieval. This list intends to provide such individuals with knowledge of ten web resources, (five of which could be classified as useful in aiding our university work, and five of which could be classified as sources of entertainment, or sources of information regarding our hobbies and interests) that in most cases, you will not have come across before, yet are highly useful and/or interesting in accomplishing tasks.


Digital Spy (www.digitalspy.co.uk) is the UK's largest media news site, featuring an array of articles on subjects such as television, films, music, gaming online media and comics, alongside one of the UK's most popular forums for discussion of said topics. Updated around the clock with news and interviews, the site also contains a number of useful resources, such as a television guide, price comparison across sites on a wide range of media products and tech reviews, and should be one of your first ports of call on screen-based media subjects.


One of the newest sites on this list, Funny Or Die (www.funnyordie.com) is a user-uploaded content site featuring humourous material. Founded by Will Ferrell, star of films such as Anchorman and Step Brothers, and Adam Mckay, who directed Ferrell in said films, the site is also regularly updated with content from other well-known faces in the world of comedy, such as Judd Apatow (Director of The 40 Year Old Virgin and Knocked Up, and mentor to stars such as Seth Rogen and Jonah Hill), Zack Galifianakis (Star of The Hangover) and Will Arnett (Star of sitcom Arrested Development). The presence of names such as these, as well as content submitted by users around the world (which is rated by users and removed if deemed 'unfunny'), is sure to ensure an enjoyable experience.


Video gaming is something that has greatly evolved over the last few years, and something that has grown with it is GameFAQ's (www.gamefaqs.com). The site offers a number of features, including the titular Game FAQs (user-submitted guides to accomplishing things in games), one of the world's largest gaming forums (which gives individuals from around the world an opportunity to discuss their hobby, as well as providing a platform for people to get involved with online gaming), and user-submitted game reviews, which give honest insights into which games you should spend your student loan on. With such dedicated content, GameFAQ's is a site that no game enthusiast should do without.


Need to send a file to your group work partner, but cannot be bothered to walk to their flat with a memory stick? The internet has a solution - Rapidshare (www.rapidshare.com) allows users to upload files for others to download. Whilst the majority of the sites content can only be accessed by premium users, the simple matter of uploading and downloading files is free for anybody to do, making the site an invaluable resource for sharing work/media/humour/whatever with your friends or complete strangers.


Predominantly a news site, Reuters (uk.reuters.com) offers a number of useful services to students alongside the provision of detailed news articles from around the world, particularly to business students. Featuring articles in subjects such as sport, technology, entertainment, science, health, lifestyle and weather, the site is far more comprehensive, and less costly/wasteful than any newspaper, and it's data regarding topics such as the stock market, currencies, the economy and research make the site ideal for anybody studying a business-related course.


The creme de la creme of film sites, Rotten Tomatoes (uk.rottentomatoes.com) is a database of nearly every film ever made in the history of cinema. The highlight of the site, however, is the percentage score given to each film, reflecting its perception amongst professional critics (of which the site collects reviews from hundreds of the worlds most acclaimed film writers) and site users (who can freely upload their own detailed reviews), such a wide collection of data offers an honest opinion of what films you should buy for nights-in, and the additional site features of forums, film news and cinema showtime listings allow for film discussion, a look into the cinema of the future, and a detailed resource for planning a trip to the pictures respectively.


One of the more random sites on this list, Snopes (www.snopes.com) makes for an interesting read on a day when you're bored of studying/drinking/lying around on the sofa doing nothing. The site collects myths, rumours, urban legends and the like, investigates, and then posts evidence either proving or disproving them, allowing you to once for all find out whether things you've wondered about for years are actually true or not - for example, school playground stories such as 'chewing gum taking 7 years to pass through your digestive system' or 'hair growing back darker and thicker after it is shaved'


Stumbleupon (www.stubleupon.com) has for eight years been doing to internet users around the world what this list is hopefully doing to you - providing them with links to things they most likely didn't know about, but may find interesting or useful. Operating as a website or Firefox extension, Stumbleupon allows users to share websites, pictures and videos from around the web with one another, with users able to access 500 popular items at a time when they indicate their needs to the site, and is a wonderful little tool for discovering the secrets of the Internet.


Gone are the days when finding out the meaning of a word meant searching through an enormous book. Today, the Internet offers thousands of dictionary sites offering definitions at the click of a button, so what makes The Free Dictionary (www.thefreedictionary.com) different? The answer is the depth of the site's content - not only is it a mere dictionary of English words, but also a thesaurus, encyclopedia and dictionary of words in 13 other languages. The most useful feature for students however, is the provision of subject dictionaries, featuring detailed descriptions of keywords in the subjects of medicine, law and business, and a literature reference library, which provides information (perfect for referencing in essays) on almost every subject imaginable.


Many of the features of The Student Room (www.thestudentroom.co.uk) are redundant for individuals like yourselves, such as a university guide, a-level revision notes and personal statement help, however, the sites other features are an excellent resource. These features include discussion and help forums for each university in the country, most of the degree areas offered by said universities, careers and placements, and aspects of university life, such as finance and accomodation, this is alongside information and resources for postgraduate study and careers, making the site a useful place to visit from the start of your time at university right until the end.

by Alex Antliff

Students Union

Dear Students,

As someone who has eyes and ears in our Students’ Union, I have come to understand and appreciate the work that our SU Officers do for us. Some of you may be concerned that the SU don’t know if they’re ‘coming or going’, or perhaps they’ve ‘packed up and gone home’. Well, I can assure you they’re definitely here from the early hours of the morning until late at night.
So, I thought it was wise to tell you guys what they have been doing over the last few months. As well as developing relationships with the students from each campus, such as Riseholme and Holbeach, the officers have been working hard dealing with student concerns. They are also trying their best to guarantee our time here at University is well spent, and our needs are catered for.
Fighting the closure of the R Bar at Riseholme is just one of the things that the SU have been dealing with. SU Welfare and Liaison Officer Steven Greaves has dedicated a lot of his time to this and has been to and fro the campuses. It seems his hard work paid off as the bar is now able to stay open for five nights a week. Issues surrounding the Riseholme Bus have also been something Steven and SU President Chris Charnley have been dealing with. The bus has been infrequent and unreliable. Numerous students have missed lectures due to the inconsistency of the transportation. The service was cancelled after three weeks and now our SU Welfare Officer and President have been liaising with the University and the Riseholme students to provide a better service. They have increased their bus size which accommodates more students and are going into consultation with the students and will develop a better system for them.
You may have seen Chris Charnley running around University with posters tucked under his arms and talking to students; he’s been promoting the SU Elections. Admittedly, the elections didn’t have much promotion at first but that’s because the SU have prioritised our problems and put us first.
This is how our SU works; they will always put us first.
The nominations opened on Monday 12th October with clear aims and objectives to recruit Student participants. Student Council has also been a key priority because it provides students with a voice, after all that’s what the officers are here for.

Job Shop is now up and running. This is the place to go if you are looking for any type of employment whilst studying. The SU have been promoting this as it’s important to them that we have financial support and the opportunities to develop our skills for the outside world. Take a trip down to the SU Soap Centre and see what they have to offer.
Some of you may have ventured down to the Pep Rally, this is a huge event which involves the sports teams and societies, and attracts a lot of students. Kayleigh Valentine, our SU Societies and Activities Officer has had the responsibility of organising the event. Kayleigh plays a watchful mother to the societies; she has been busy helping them get started and making sure all they know what they’re doing. Kayleigh also overlooks Tower Bar Take Over’s and organises student trips and activities, such as the Talent Show which is being held later on this month, and the Alton Towers and Amsterdam trip away.
Reforming procedures and policies, creating new events, and organising budgets, our SU Sports and Teams Officer, Chris Farrell has been a busy man. He has recently created ‘Superstars’, an event which brings the Sports teams and Societies together. This is something that has never been done before and has required a lot of time and effort.
Our SU Education and Academic Affairs Officer has been planning and implementing a new rep system, which is now run by the SU. This focuses heavily on making sure reps are trained properly and supported all year round. Kayleigh Turner has had to research various methods for implementing effective postgraduate representation for research students who have previously faced a number of problems but had no opportunity to discuss or resolve them. This is where Kayleigh comes in! She has been looking specifically at the needs of art students, it is important she has counter parts in other unions across the country. She identifies the actual impact of things like hidden course costs, poor resources and facilities.

Emma Devine, SU Communications and Media Officer has had lots of things to think about. Following a hugely successful Freshers’ week, (which was the best Freshers' Week to date!) covering every event with the Media Crew, recording a record number of students through the door to the SU Freshers Fayre, she has been working hard on supporting the growth of the Media Crew with over 200 sign ups, and developing a structure to the group which has never been done before. Participation has never been to this extent!
Our Media Centre officially launches next month and it is up to Ms Devine to organise and promote it. As well as introducing Marketing and Communication procedures within the Union to fine tune communication issues, she has been supporting Bullet with their first three issues with the new team!

It seems to me that the SU have been focusing on issues that students have been concerned about and bringing to their attention. Isn’t that why we voted them in?
They are here to help US. The students.

They will make mistakes but they’re only human, right? They can only learn from them and ensure it won’t happen again. This, by all means, doesn’t show that they don’t know what they’re doing. They will continue to support you and do everything they can to make sure we’re happy.

I can assure you, we’re in safe hands here. How do I know this? I’m one of the few lucky students that gets to see what the SU actually do, and as I sit in the Media Centre I watch the officers flood in and out, some of them working 16hour days, getting lunch on the go (if at all!), answering calls, and talking to us about what we want. Look out for the third issue of Bullet Magazine for our ‘Day with the President’ feature, what better way to tell you guys what he does? If any of you guys have any queries then drop me an email or come in and speak to the officers. They don’t bite!

I can tell you student to student – they know exactly what they’re doing.

- If you have any problems then drop the officers an email or contact them on facebook.

Chris Charnley - Ulsu Prez
Steven Greaves –Ulsu Welfare
Kayleigh Valentine – Ulsu Societies
Chris Farrell – Ulsu Teams
Emma Devine – Ulsu Comms
Kayleigh Turner – Ulsu Ed

What do you think of our Students’ Union? Are you happy? Are the SU Officers doing a good job? What would you like to see from them?
Let me know – bulletmagazine@lincoln.ac.uk

New Student Shop Coming Soon!

A new student shop is set to be unveiled at the University of Lincoln. Aimed at both students and staff alike, the new shop will be placed opposite the student support centre in the Main Building, in the space currently occupied by Enterprise Lincoln. Speaking today, Students’ Union President Chris Charnley said “when I was a student there wasn’t really a shop. To me the idea of the shop is to benefit students and staff. It has to offer a wide range of services, foods, snacks, toiletries; anything you’d expect from a student shop really, but based in the centre of the campus.”

Student orientated goods like stationary will also be available in the new shop, meaning students will no longer have to make the arduous trek to Morrison’s for their shopping. In previous years the Student’s Union has tried to get a university shop up and running, however this year is the first time that the university has given a green light for the project. The shop is set to be unveiled at the university in January next year.

Graduation for the Class of 2009

The University of Lincoln Class of 2009 Graduation took place this week in glorious sunshine. Almost 3000 students celebrated three years of hard work in nine ceremonies at Lincoln Cathedral and in the Castle grounds.
Vice Chancellor of the University of Lincoln Professor David Chiddick, spoke at the graduation ceremonies for the last time. He retires later this year after nine years in the role.
In his speech to this year’s graduates, Professor Chiddick spoke of the heightening competition for University places this summer, proving that achieving a University degree is eagerly sort after in the countries current job market.
Applicants to Universities have risen by a huge 35% in 2009. A staggering 200,000 students are expected to not get into University this year, as many Universities are not offering places through clearing. Instead, these extra places are being offered to the additional people who are applying for places, leaving many disappointed.

Is the A-level shake-up necessary?

With the A-level results recently released this summer and many students scrambling for university places, once again the percentage of top grades has gone up. However, with Ministers and many other people in Britain complaining that this is a result of easy A-levels the question has to be asked if A-levels are truly getting easier or if students are just working harder? With this question in mind is an A-level shake-up necessary?

One possibility of the shake-up is the new A* and even A** grade which will be looked at by the former schools chief inspector Mike Tomlinson. Another possibility is to make A-levels similar to the final exams found in Europe, the International Baccalaureate where students are required to study the 'core' subjects e.g. maths and science. There is also the possibility of making exams more analytical and more like dissertations, but once again the questions have to be asked will any of these reforms make A-levels any better? Will universities be able to distinguish better between candidates?

Over the last decade A-level results have been getting increasingly better by the year. Will a shake-up prove that students are working harder or will results slump? I for one think that results are getting better because people want to get into their choice of university to have better job prospects, more opportunities and possibly leave their options open for longer. Ministers are too quick to say exams are too easy and rarely give praise to those who have just merely worked harder to aim for what they want to achieve.

By Kelly Johnson