Digest

Discovering degrees
Last month 21 students aged over-21 were guests of the University finding out about life and study as an undergraduate. A new course has been devised as a bridge between the desire to return study and access courses as well as a bridge between part-time and full-time study. The visitors were able to sample courses from all the faculties including an introduction to English, history, philosophy law, biomedical sciences and medicine. Further information for prospective students can be obtained by calling 344209.

Politics
John McAllion MSP, Dennis Canavan MSP and the German Consul General, Hanno Von Graevenitz, recently joined a politics department reading party at the Burn Country House to discuss the impact of the Scottish parliament and how Scottish governance might have changed by 2015. Dr Norrie MacQueen, head of the department of politics reported a lively debate was had by all.

Development
Two new recruits have joined the development office over the past month: Barbara Boyle who has worked with the University for over thirty years joins the office as alumni relations assistant and Jaclyn Scott who has been working on the cystic fibrosis database at the Tayside Institute of Child Health since 1997 joins the development office as its secretary.

Social Work
The department of social work will be holding a five day Child Forensic Interview Training Clinic at the West Park Conference Centre from 25-30 June in conjunction with the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children (APSAC) and the Scottish Police College. The event is running for the third consecutive year and is designed for police officers, social workers and other professionals seeking to develop the knowledge and skills required to allow children who may have been abused the opportunity to provide credible testimony. In addition, on 22 June Dr Anne Graffam-Walker will lead a one day seminar on the subject. Dr Walker is an international figure in the field of children's testimony, combining expertise in child development, children's language and forensic linguistics. For further information contact Stacey Farmer 344903.

Pensions
Following a rule change by the USS, members who retire and who have been paying additional contributions to the Pru are no longer required to take out an annuity immediately on retirement, however the annuity must be taken out before the member's 75th birthday. For further details contact your Pru representative or the pensions office on 344044.

Rotarians
Dundee Rotarians and their wives entertained 80 international students including 45 from the University at their international evening last month. The event organised to give the students a flavour of Scottish culture included music from bagpipes, accordions, fiddles and drums while the Dundee branch of the Royal Scottish Country Dancing Society gave demonstrations before leading the revellers through a night of dancing.

Caledonian
The University was the venue for one of Scotland's most prestigious lectures - the Caledonian Research Foundation Prize lecture - this month. Dr Iain Mattaj, a Scot currently working at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory in Heidelberg was to deliver the lecture first at the Royal Society of Edinburgh then at the University of Dundee on 19 April during a week long trip to Scotland. His lecture, How to be a Eukaryote, discussed the complex biochemical mechanisms involved in controlling the movement of molecules between the cell nucleus and its surrounding cytoplasm. These mechanisms are very important in the overall control of cell metabolism and in adaptation to changing extracellular conditions.

Disability
As part of its mission to assure academic quality and standards in UK higher education, the Quality Assurance Agency for higher education has recently prepared and consulted on a code of practice for students with disabilities. The code will form part of a suite of codes which will ultimately cover a wide range of issues relating to academic standards and quality in higher education.

BIO2000
Diane Taylor of research and innovation services returned from Boston at the beginning of April after representing the University at the biotechnology industry's key annual conference. The biggest conference of its kind, it was attended by over 10,000 delegates from across the globe and enabled the University to promote licensing opportunities in the life sciences arena on an international level. Professor Sir David Lane, speaking at the conference, represented the spin-out biotech company Cyclacel.

Amendment
In 'Facts about your web" published in the last issue of Contact it was reported that there are more than 6,000 files published by departments on the central server. This should have read there are over 26,000 files published by departments on the central webserver.

Design
Professor Tom Inns was this year appointed to the Chair of design at the Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art. Coming to Dundee from Brunel University he commented on his appointment: "Duncan of Jordanstone sits on a unique collection of visual disciplines and that doesn't exist in very many other places. With so many strong areas of research it makes it a very fertile University in which to come and work."

Elections
The beginning of last month saw DUSA in a flurry of activity over student elections. The new complement the "Executive 2000" is: David Cunningham, President; Patrick Ford, Senior Vice-President; Daniel Hartley, Vice-President Communications; Christopher Bustin, Deputy President; Maurice Golden, Junior Vice-President and Belinda Mason, Honorary Secretary.

Textiles
The Rotary Club of Dundee have generously awarded £700 to the department of printed textiles in recognition of their contribution to the annual sportsman's club dinner. This will be used exclusively for final year printed textiles students as sponsorship for their participation in "New Designers 2000" in London to take place during the first two weeks of July.

Return to April 2000 Contact