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BGU’s 2024 Honorary Awardees Announced
A BBC television presenter, a children’s book author, and an Armed Forces Champion are among those set to receive honorary awards at Lincoln Cathedral this summer. Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) has announced the recipients of its Honorary Awards, which will be presented at upcoming graduation ceremonies in late July 2024. Two awardees are set to receive Honorary Doctorates for their outstanding contributions to academic achievement, social, economic, or cultural life. Three Distinguished Honorary Fellowships and one Honorary Fellowship will be awarded at the ceremonies. Distinguished Honorary Fellowship is awarded in recognition of outstanding contributions to the University and public life, while Honorary Fellowship is awarded in recognition of an outstanding contribution to the University extending beyond normal responsibilities. Among the Honorary Doctorate awardees is BBC presenter Peter Levy, whose career in broadcasting spans 49 years. He has presented BBC Look North for Lincolnshire and East Yorkshire since 2002 and received the Lord Mayor of Hull’s Civic Crown Award for his charity work. Hannah Gold, another recipient of an Honorary Doctorate, is celebrated for her contributions to children’s literature. The award-winning author is known for her Sunday Time’s best-seller The Last Bear, as well as The Lost Whale, Finding Bear, and her new book, Turtle Moon. Hannah's books have sold over 230,000 copies in the UK alone and have been translated into 27 languages. Receiving a Distinguished Honorary Fellowship is Alex Baxter, whose service in the Royal Navy inspired his current roles as Chairman for the Veterans Advisory & Pensions Committee for Yorkshire and the Humber, and Armed Forces Champion for North East Lincolnshire Council among others. He is Managing Director of Joint Services Major Events Team delivering all aspects of civil/military engagement and the Armed Forces Community Covenant on behalf of North East Lincolnshire Council. As Chair of Franklin Sixth Form College, he volunteers much of his time to the post-16 education sector and to raising the aspirations of students and their onward progression at universities including BGU. Educationalist, historian, and academic Judith Jones will also receive a Distinguished Honorary Fellowship in recognition of her exceptional contributions to the University and public life. With a passionate interest in the history of Lincolnshire, the city of Lincoln, and its Cathedral; Judith has inspired students as a history teacher at various schools in Lincolnshire. Judith’s previous student - historian and BGU Chancellor Tracy Borman said: “It is no exaggeration to say that I owe my career to her. She brought history to life in a way that I have never experienced before or since.” For over ten years Judith acted as a voluntary judge for the Sandford Award, which is administered jointly by Bishop Grosseteste University and the Heritage Education Trust. Also receiving a Distinguished Honorary Fellowship is Paul Deane, Principal and Chief Executive of Grantham College, and a founding director of the Lincolnshire Institute of Technology. The Lincolnshire Institute of Technology is an example of successful collaboration between the FE and HE sectors, and Paul’s work has fostered excellent collaborations with both Bishop Grosseteste University and the University of Lincoln as well as other Further Education providers in supporting the needs of people and the economy in the region. Richard Hallsworth is set to receive an Honorary Fellowship in recognition of his dedicated service to the University, as a trustee and member of Council for BGU over eight years. Now the Managing Partner of Lincoln based accountants Nicholsons, he previously worked as part of the Business Improvement Group in Market Rasen to deliver high street regeneration through the government backed Portas Pilot Scheme. Bishop Grosseteste University Vice-Chancellor Professor Karen Stanton said: "As we approach this year's graduation ceremonies, I am delighted to announce the recipients of this year's Honorary Doctorates and Honorary Fellowships. We recognise these individuals for their enrichment of academic, social, economic, or cultural spheres, embodying the spirit of our institution. “Their contributions inspire us and serve as beacons of achievement for our entire community, and we look forward to celebrating their accomplishments and welcoming them into the esteemed ranks of our honorary awardees." The awards will be presented during graduation celebrations on Wednesday 24th and Thursday 25th July at Lincoln’s Cathedral. Awardees were nominated by current BGU students, staff, and University Council members. More information about each recipient can be found here. -
Outstanding partnership work celebrated
An award for an outstanding contribution to school partnerships was made in a short presentation to the headteacher and class teachers at Bishop King CE Primary on Wednesday 22nd May. The reason for the award was to celebrate their outstanding achievement in hosting placements over the past five years. This year alone, the school has facilitated 27 placements for teaching trainees derived mainly from the PGCE Primary, but also the Undergraduate BAPE programme – a massive contribution to the future teacher workforce. Speaking to the class teachers who have had trainees in their class this year, Mark Larrad (PGCE Placement Lead) told them: "Your contribution has been outstanding. As mentors to your trainees, you show total dedication and commitment, and your support and encouragement over the years has enabled trainees to excel! In every respect you go over and above." A specially designed certificate acknowledging their commitment (which had been specially approved and by signed by Bishop Grosseteste University's Vice Chancellor Karen Stanton and Chris Davis, who as Head of Partnerships, was also present), was accepted by Jenny Brown (ITE Coordinator) on behalf of all mentors. Bishop King has supported trainees for over 15 years. On a recent visit, an external examiner to the school commented on the high quality of mentoring and the strong nature of the relationship between the teacher mentors and BGU. The headteacher, Mrs Hazel Wheatley, thanked Mark on behalf of her staff. She acknowledged the many strengths that BGU trainees bring and hoped that the school would continue in its partnership in the future. Mrs Wheatley was also presented with flowers by Placement Services Manager Vicki Walker, in recognition of her generous contribution to ITE at BGU. -
BRIDgE EDI prize winner announced!
This year, Bishop Grosseteste University's newly formed Base for Research in Inclusion, Diversity & Equality (BRIDgE) introduced a student prize to celebrate work on promoting Equality, Diversity and Inclusion through any course or extra curricula aspect. This year's prize was open to all BGU students on any course, and provided an opportunity for students to show how EDI can be championed by everyone. From the wide range of entries we received Mae Sleeman's poster, A Dramaturgical framework of Care, was selected as the winner. This rich poster championed concepts of both theory and practice and was, the judges felt, an exciting and innovative consideration of 'belonging.' The poster (and the framework it proposes) embeds inclusion through questioning and meaning-making, and through the valuing of safe spaces in which to 'communicate, learn [and] explore' issues of equality, and diversity. The award winner Mae said: "I feel incredibly fortunate to have won this year’s BRIDgE EDI Prize. For me, EDI is all about belonging and curating a culture that is caring, respectful and embracing of all our diversities. As a teacher, fostering this attitude is fundamental within the classroom and is a way we can be reflective of the world we live in. Both EDI week and this prize have given me the insight into new and different viewpoints, which will undoubtedly support me as a move forwards as a teacher. I hope future cohorts of students admire these opportunities as much as I have." Dr Sheine Peart, Associate Professor in Access, Equality and Inclusion and the instigator of the award added: "Promoting inclusion is a job for everyone and we work with students to help them realise the profound impact they can have on the lives of individuals and communities when we build a brighter future together." Karen Stanton, the University Vice Chancellor, presented the cash prize to Mae and confirmed; "This prize is just one of the many ways in which the University demonstrates its serious commitment to embedding equality in the curriculum and to working in both the University and wider community to promote equality to enhance the lives of all our community members. Mae's creative and exciting poster shows how academic concepts can inspire practical changes and embed core values into all we do." The award was presented to Mae during a short ceremony and her poster will be on display throughout the coming academic year! -
Matriculation 2024
The Matriculation Ceremony has now established itself as a tradition at BGU and is an annual feature on the University’s calendar, serving as an opportunity to officially welcome newly enrolled students into the BGU family -
Matriculation 2023
The Matriculation Ceremony has now established itself as a tradition at BGU and is an annual feature on the University’s calendar, serving as an opportunity to officially welcome newly enrolled students into the BGU family -
BGU selected to take part in REF 2029 exercise
BGU is delighted to join one of the 40 institutions selected to contribute to the forthcoming People, Culture and Environment (PCE) pilot exercise for REF 2029. The new PCE dimension will be an important opportunity for universities to showcase the extent of their commitment to research and the breadth of their engagement. BGU’s research is well-established in staff scholarship, external engagement, as well as in the specialist and applied project work of its students. BGU’s strong History team has been chosen by UKRI’s REF team to represent the University’s research community in the pilot. The work of history colleagues is broad ranging, with specialisms that include Military History, Local and Regional History, and Landscape History. History at BGU also supports a long-standing and valued place for the discipline of Archaeology, and also active engagement with the regional heritage sector and learned-society and amenity-group partners. Interim Vice-Chancellor Professor Karen Stanton said: "We are honoured to take part in the People, Culture and Environment pilot for REF 2029. This pilot underscores our commitment to academic excellence and societal impact, and serves as a testament to the hard work and dedication of our staff, the strength and breadth of our research, and our engagement with the community. “We are proud of our History team and their role in this initiative, and we look forward to demonstrating the value of our research." -
BGU tops leader boards in five categories in National Student Survey
The results from the National Student Survey (NSS) 2024 have been announced, and we are thrilled at the outcome, retaining 1st in three categories from 2023, as well as achieving 1st in two new categories. At an institution level, BGU’s positivity scores exceeded sector averages in all themes. This trend continues at an individual question level where BGU scored higher than the sector average across the board. The NSS was the chance for students to provide feedback on their student experience and aimed at undergraduates in their final year of study. We’ve been ranked 1st for: Learning OpportunitiesAssessment and FeedbackLearning ResourcesAcademic SupportStudent Voice Interim Vice-Chancellor Professor Karen Stanton said: “These awards are a testament to the dedication and hard work of all our colleagues. It’s inspiring to see our students acknowledge the excellence of our transformative education, and the supportive, empowering environment we foster at our University. “Together, we’re empowering our students to develop the skills needed for a life of positive impact.” See more of our awards and accolades here. -
BGU students celebrate Graduation 2024
Students, friends, family, and faculty gathered in Lincoln Cathedral to witness the graduation ceremonies of students from Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU). Celebrations took place on Wednesday 24th and Thursday 25th July over four ceremonies. 888 students from various academic disciplines graduated this year, including undergraduate, master's, postgraduate, doctoral programmes, and apprenticeships, with many donning their robes to cross the stage at Lincoln Cathedral. The University also presented Honorary Awards to individuals recognised for their exceptional contributions to the University, academia and society. Among the Honorary Doctorate awardees was BBC presenter Peter Levy, who has had a distinguished 49-year career in broadcasting, notably presenting BBC Look North for Lincolnshire and East Yorkshire since 2002. Hannah Gold, celebrated children’s author of best-sellers such as The Last Bear, also received an Honorary Doctorate. Receiving a Distinguished Honorary Fellowship is Alex Baxter, who is the Chair of Franklin Sixth Form College, and whose service in the Royal Navy inspired his current roles and contributions to military-civil engagement in North East Lincolnshire. Educationalist and historian Judith Jones was honoured for her exceptional contributions to the University and public life, including her voluntary work with the Sandford Award. Paul Deane, Principal and Chief Executive of Grantham College, was recognised for his role in fostering educational collaborations across Lincolnshire. Richard Hallsworth received an Honorary Fellowship for his dedicated service to BGU as a trustee and council member. This year's ceremonies were overseen by Interim Vice-Chancellor Professor Karen Stanton. She said: “Graduation marks a significant milestone for all our students, and it is a privilege to celebrate this achievement in the historic Lincoln Cathedral. “We are delighted to honour the diverse talents and achievements of our graduating students, and to anticipate the extraordinary contributions they will make in their respective fields and communities. I have no doubt they will make us proud.” -
BGU welcomes new students with traditional Matriculation ceremony at Lincoln Cathedral
The celebration marked an official introduction to our new cohort of students. -
Bishop Grosseteste University appoints New Vice-Chancellor
Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) has announced the appointment of Dr Andrew Gower as the new Vice-Chancellor, effective from 22nd April 2025.
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