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Archaeology equipment
Following a grant of more than £427,000 from the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), Bishop Grosseteste University was able to significantly enhance the facilities and research capabilities of the archaeology department. Funds were invested in state-of-the-art equipment, which will benefit the wider community of archaeology and history groups, who are welcome to contact the department and arrange use of this sophisticated equipment for their own projects. -
Bishop Grosseteste University Appoints Interim Vice-Chancellor
Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) has announced the appointment of Professor Karen Stanton as the Interim Vice-Chancellor, effective from August 1st, 2023. According to the University, Professor Stanton is an accomplished Vice-Chancellor with a comprehensive background of leading transformational change within Higher Education, having previously served as Vice-Chancellor of Solent University and Vice-Chancellor at York St John University. Her professional journey also includes the role of Deputy Vice-Chancellor at Glasgow Caledonian University, as well as significant positions at King's College London, the universities of Nottingham, Birmingham, and Sheffield Hallam. Professor Stanton said: “I am delighted to be joining the University. BGU is a remarkable institution with a rich heritage of educational excellence and inclusion. “I look forward to working together with its dedicated staff, students and the Council to lead BGU through the next phase of its proud history." A core focus for Professor Stanton throughout her career has been widening access to education and the social purpose and impact of universities. Her one-year appointment as Interim Vice-Chancellor is expected to provide a solid foundation for BGU's future development and growthProfessor Karen Stanton . -
Honorary Award recipients announced
Each year, Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) has the opportunity to award Honorary Doctorates and Honorary Fellowships at its graduation ceremonies. BGU staff and students, retired staff and alumni and current or former University Council members were invited to nominate candidates for honorary awards. Honorary Fellowship is awarded in recognition of outstanding contributions to the University; whilst Honorary Doctorate is awarded to those who have made outstanding contributions to academic achievement, social, economic or cultural life. We're pleased to announce this year's award recipients, who will be honoured at graduation celebrations in July 2023. Bishop Grosseteste University Vice-Chancellor Rev Canon Professor Peter Neil said: “We are proud to be awarding this year’s honorary recipients for their expertise and service in their respective roles. I am delighted to welcome them to our wider BGU community. “Each one of them is inspirational in their own right and all serve as excellent role models for our students in how to make a positive impact on society.” -
BGU announces honorary award recipients for 2023
Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) has announced the recipients of its Honorary Awards, which will be presented at upcoming graduation ceremonies in late July 2023. Five awardees are set to receive Honorary Doctorates for their outstanding contributions to academic achievement, social, economic or cultural life. Two Distinguished Honorary Fellowships will be awarded to individuals for exceptional contributions to the University and public life locally or regionally. Among the Honorary Doctorate awardees are husband and wife, Claire and James Birch, whose fundraising efforts have supported several local projects, including the reinvigoration of Doddington Hall. Charles Cormack, another recipient of an Honorary Doctorate, is recognised as a leader in international higher education. As the founder of the Ukraine Twinning initiative, his work paired UK and other international universities with Ukrainian universities to provide support and resources. Dame Judith Mayhew-Jonas DBE will also receive an Honorary Doctorate in recognition of her exceptional contributions over the course of her career, including as Dame Commander of the British Empire, Chairman of the Royal Opera House, Commissioner of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and Chancellor of BGU. Another recipient of the Honorary Doctorate is best-selling female historian Alison Weir acclaimed for her extensive body of work, including 21 history books and 14 historical novels, which have collectively sold three million copies worldwide. Receiving a Distinguished Honorary Fellowship is Hannah Spencer, Managing Director of LAGAT College and Trustee and Vice Chair of the Lincolnshire Employment Accommodation Project (LEAP), which aims to tackle the issue of homelessness. Her work has so far helped over 1,500 individuals and families find stable housing and employment. John O'Donoghue, a member of Lincoln BIG, will also receive a Distinguished Honorary Fellowship. His dedication to providing career opportunities for undergraduate and postgraduate students in Lincoln through his businesses has made a significant impact in the local area. He also acts as an external trustee for Bishop Grosseteste Students’ Union. Bishop Grosseteste University Vice-Chancellor, The Rev’d Canon Professor Peter Neil said: “We are proud to be awarding this year’s honorary recipients for their expertise and service in their respective roles. I am delighted to welcome them to our wider BGU community. “Each one of them is inspirational in their own right and all serve as excellent role models for our students in how to make a positive impact on society.” The awards will be presented during graduation celebrations at Lincoln’s Cathedral. Awardees were nominated by students, retired staff, alumni, and current or former University Council members. More information about each recipient can be found here. -
PhD student graduates after a decade at university
A local man has graduated with a Doctorate after a decade-long academic journey at Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU). Following his graduation, Lincoln-born Adam Foxon has secured the position of Senior Lecturer at BGU. In 2013, Adam enrolled at Bishop Grosseteste University through clearing, after a disheartening start at another institution which resulted in him dropping out. He said: “I was sat in my bedroom feeling sorry for myself when my brother walked in, threw a BGU prospectus at me, and told me I needed to go back to University.” After completing his BA(Hons) Theology and History degree, a Master’s felt like the natural next step for Adam. He completed his Master’s with a Distinction, and soon applied for a PhD studentship researching Robert Grosseteste, the University’s namesake. Adam said: "To complete my PhD thesis, I had to brush up on my Latin. Having grown up on a council estate, it's not exactly something that I'd dabbled in before!” During his four years of PhD study, Adam acted as a visiting lecturer and completed a PGDE to enhance his teaching skills. After ten years of study at BGU, Adam has now secured a position as Senior Lecturer at BGU. Adam recalls the first day of his undergraduate degree. His lecturer, future PhD supervisor and line manager, Dr Jack Cunningham, asked all the students what their ambitions were. Adam shared that he wanted to achieve his PhD and teach theology. Reflecting on this, Adam said: “I've recently realised I have achieved everything I set out to achieve.” Dr Cunningham said: “Adam came to us as a student 10 years ago and I realised very quickly that he had enormous potential. He did extremely well on his MA and his PhD thesis made a very important contribution to our understanding of the thinking of Robert Grosseteste. “It was a highlight of my career to watch Adam grow to be what he is today, a fine academic.” Looking to the future, Adam said: "I can’t promise my PhD graduation will be my last one - I’m considering doing another Master’s. I just love learning and I also enjoy being able to swoop around the Cathedral in my robes! “I've seen people come and go over the last ten years, but BGU has always remained a wonderful place to study. Without the University, I wouldn't be Dr Foxon.” Adam graduated on Thursday 27th July at a ceremony at Lincoln Cathedral and will commence his teaching role at the University from August. -
Dr Adam Foxon
Dr. Adam Foxon is a senior lecturer at BGU on our Foundation Year programme. He also lectures on Theology, Philosophy and Ethics. He completed his PhD in 2022 entitled, Quod Homo sit Minor Mundus: Robert Grosseteste and the Potentiality of the Material World: Microcosmism and Deification in the Development of a Didactic Weltanschauung. Dr. Foxon has worked in schools and colleges around his work at BGU and actively encourages public exposure to the academic world. He is open to conversations surrounding academic outreach, particularly in areas concerning history, philosophy, and religion. His academic work and interests are incredibly varied. He is a medievalist at heart (12th-13th centuries), but he also delves into other areas, from: historic and modern perspectives on the paradigm between science and religion; arguments for the existence of God; the Christian notion of microcosmism (and its effect on deificatory convictions); and process theology, to: exotheology (theological thought related to extra-terrestials) and the relationship between religion and football. -
BRIDgE Blogs
Take a look at the BRIDgE Blogs below - they range from interviews, event retrospects, and exciting award announcements! -
Petition to reinstate Kate Greenaway's name on award gathers pace
A petition to reinstate Kate Greenaway's name in the literary award which bore her name for decades is gathering pace. Created by BGU Librarian and History Lecturer Rose Roberto and illustrator and bookseller Tamsin Rosewell, it has received backing from a range of illustrators and writers including Patrick Ness, Candy Gourlay, Philip Pullman, and Frank Cottrell-Boyce. According to the organisers: "The Kate Greenaway Medal is the oldest British literary award focused on illustration. It remains one of very few that highlights the contribution of illustrators and actively promotes the importance of their work. Kate Greenaway’s own work is a hugely important part of the heritage of the British Book Industry; she remains an influence on illustrators today and should also be recognised as one of Britain’s great female artists. In an age when illustrators' names are still very often left off promotion and reviews for books, we feel it is vital to retain her name in association with this award." In 2023, the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) which runs the awards renamed The Greenaway Medal as The Yoto Carnegie Medal for Illustration. The organisers describe this as "branding expediency" and argue that "The name of an accomplished woman, whose work is directly relevant to the award, has been removed and replaced with that of a male industrialist and a sponsoring corporation. This feels hugely insensitive, and ironically inappropriate when it awards a profession that still battles to be recognised." The petition calls on CILIP to reinstate Kate Greenaway’s name on the award before the 2024 nominations are made. The petition has now garnered more than 2700 signatures. Click here to add your signature to this cause. Below, Rose Roberto shares more about the petition... 'The Kate Greenaway Medal rebrand is misguided, and thousands are calling for her name to be restored. After signing our petition, award-winning author Patrick Ness, tweeted: "I know the librarians who run the medals do their absolute damnedest to make them the best awards in the world (which they are), but I too would love to see the Kate Greenaway name return. It’s such a specific honour on its own and honours a foundational female illustrator." A Monster Calls, written by Ness, was illustrated by Jim Kay. Jim Kay won the 2011 Kate Greenaway medal for illustrating A Monster Calls. Named awards have meaning. Individuals who have awards named after them should embody the values of the organisation they represent and/or the spirit for which an award was given. Many illustrators not only relate to Kate Greenaway's work and feel inspired by it — she, as a person, represents real struggles with whom illustrators today can relate. As a woman living a century ago, she lacked many opportunities, especially educational ones, that men were given more readily. This petition reflects the fact that writers and illustrators of all genders want this award to be named after a woman. It also shows that they want it to be named after a fellow illustrator. The Kate Greenaway Medal has always been a privilege for librarians to give to illustrators, recognising their talent and their specific work in a particular year. CILIP’s argument that librarians now somehow need to make literature awards about libraries is self-aggrandising and utterly bizarre. Greenaway’s name has been a constant and consistent example for many aspiring illustrators and writers in the English speaking world. Canadian Duncan Weller writes: "I have heard of the Kate Greenaway Medal, probably as early as my teenage years when I first thought of becoming a writer and illustrator of children’s picture[s]. It is a great mistake to change this name. Female illustrators need more recognition and especially those as qualified as Kate Greenaway." Oxford-based Helen Cooper posts: "I write and illustrate. They are entirely different. And for some reason one is often seen as more important than the other. I wonder if giving both the awards the same name was a misguided attempt to adjust that? I think it will have the opposite effect so am signing the petition. The Kate Greenaway award is so important for illustrators as a standalone award. We don’t want it to be the lesser of the Carnegie’s — which it almost certainly will become." London-based Phil Bradley wrote: "This is an absolute disgrace and very disappointing the CILIP has made this decision. It is wholly inappropriate and completely out of step with how members and wider society feel." It is troubling is that the CILIP’s rebranding campaign was launched in September 2022, with little fanfare, and little consultation. There were many surprised librarians who contacted both Rosewell and I personally complaining of a lack of transparency in this decision. Had any sort of proper research been conducted before the name change (ironically, the kind of research that librarians excel at), launching a campaign to remove the Greenaway name would not have occurred. This year, I ran a CILIP Shadowing Awards scheme at the Bishop Grosseteste University Library (BGU). BGU houses one of the largest children’s literature collections in a UK university and has been collecting two copies of Greenaway and Carnegie Medal winning books since the 1950s. During the shadowing scheme process, I first became aware that Kate Greenaway’s name had been removed from the medal. When I sent CILIP an email querying this decision, requesting that the decision be reversed back to the 2022 award name which was "Yoto Kate Greenaway", I heard nothing back from CILIP for weeks. While waiting for a response, Rosewell and I decided to launch our petition. We were honoured that the first signatory was Jackie Morris, who won the Kate Greenaway Medal in 2019. James Mayhew eloquently explains why we undertook this campaign and why so many have signed the petition. "Kate Greenaway was a pioneering woman," he said. "It is right and proper that she is remembered, celebrated, and has her name attached to this important prize. Losing this link with an actual illustrator greatly lessens the significance of such an award." If you sign, you’ll be joining others such as Philip Pullman, Frank Cottrell Boyce, Jackie Morris, Dapo Adeola, Rob Biddulph, Lydia Monks, Thomas Taylor, Candy Gorlay and Patrick Ness.' This story was first published by The Bookseller. Hear Rose and Tamsin speak on The Illustration Department podcast here. -
Archaeology Field School 2024
BGU’s Archaeology Field School is a fully accredited 4-week course that will deliver training in field archaeology and excavation skills, post-excavation finds processing, and recording data. -
BGU scores high in National Student Survey
Students have voted Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) as a leader in three categories* of the National Student Survey (NSS). The University took first place in learning opportunities, assessment and feedback, and learning resources. BGU also performed well in other areas, ranking top ten for student voice and teaching – for which the University received a nearly 91% positive response. For academic subjects, the university achieved multiple top ten spots in all categories. The history department celebrated a 100% positive score for both academic support and course organisation. Sports was awarded first for assessment and feedback and came second for learning opportunities. The English department was voted second for teaching, with a positive score of 98.2%. Nearly half a million students from more than 150 Higher Education Institutions across the UK are invited to take part in the NSS every year. The survey provides final-year students an opportunity to give feedback about their student experience at colleges and universities. It is an influential source of information and serves as a key component of the quality assurance and wider regulatory landscape in UK higher education. Rob Boast, Pro-Vice Chancellor (Students) at BGU, said: “Student voices are incredibly important to the University, and we’re pleased that so many of our final year undergraduates took part in the NSS and shared such positive feedback about their time with us. “We pride ourselves on our personal and friendly approach to higher education, ensuring that every student's voice is not only heard, but valued. The outstanding feedback we’ve received is a testament to the collaborative spirit of the BGU community – an environment where students and staff work together to achieve excellence. “Looking ahead, we will continue striving to exceed expectations. The feedback we've collected will drive further improvements, allow us to expand on our outstanding record and help us deliver an educational experience that stands apart.” BGU’s recent news comes after it secured additional award victories earlier this year. The University achieved first place for Halls and Accommodation and Student Support, and third place for Career Prospects at the 2023 Whatuni Student Choice Awards. *The NSS data presented above excludes FECs & alternative providers. Results are measured by per cent positive responses. 323 BGU students responded to the 2023 NSS (a response rate of 81%). As a small institution BGU is not typically included in the Guardian Good University Guide league table, although several subjects do have sufficient numbers to be included in the subject league tables.
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