All Hands on DEC - January 2007
This Months Stories:
- Introduction
- How to submit future stories
- Events Calendar
- An overview of this months activities
- Greenpower Recruitment Success
- Showreel
- Interior Design Graduate
- IT Kidz of Africa
- Recruitment Update
- Mail out to schools
- Schools Liaison Team
- Branding Update
Introduction
Welcome all to the first edition of All Hands on DEC- a newsletter which is dedicated to communicating DECs news and achievements. This newsletter is to be a monthly item sent to everyone in DEC and other identified groups within the University e.g. the PR and Press team. The newsletter will cover stories from the month just gone; and looking forward to the month ahead.
We know that there are fantastic stories happening all the time within DEC but we just dont shout about them enough!! This is your opportunity to tell everyone of any updates and achievements for both staff and students.
We have decided to make it an e-newsletter (and save some trees) due to temporarily still being a split campus School we felt this was the best way to reach everyone. If you would, however, prefer this in paper format then please email Sonia with the best room number to send it to.
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How to submit future stories
If you have a story to submit please send it complete to Sonia. Each month the next deadline will be found at the bottom of the newsletter but also a document can be found in the I drive (I:\DEC\Public\Marketing\All Hands on DEC) with all copy/ story deadlines for the rest of the year.
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Events Calendar
We are aware that there is sometimes a lack of knowledge of what school activities and events are happening within DEC. Please find a spreadsheet at the bottom of the page, containing a chart which outlines Open Days, Conferences, School Visits, Planned Activities, Events, Careers Fayres and any Other Activities.
We are hoping that the introduction of this calendar will assist us all in seeing which schools are having visits as well as outlining various events you may wish to be included in.
This form is free to be added to by yourselves by visiting the link below. If you are filling in a School Visit please also fill in the other sheet within the table outlining the details of your trip.
I:\DEC\Public\Marketing\All Hands on DEC
Any questions/ queries please contact Sonia via email.
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An overview of this months activities
- There is a PG open afternoon today in the Staff Common Room from 15.30- 19.30
- This month there is a computing career fayre at Teign School, Torquay. The event will be attended by Marketing and Mel Coles (BIT).
- Reza Sahandi and Mark Hadfield will be attending Ferndown Upper School on the 13th and will be accompanied by Helen Stickland from Marketing.
- Robot Daze begins with Chris Benjamin on the 6th
- Computer Club for girls moves into its second month
- The last three DEC UG open days are taking place
Greenpower Recruitment Success:
Thank you to everyone who helped at the Greenpower recruitment afternoon a couple of weeks ago.
Emma from Greenpower has reported that we have signed up a further three schools and one sponsor to the Dorset heats.
We are still yet to confirm a venue for the heats, which we hope will take place in June, but hope to secure something in the near future.
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Showreel:
As many of you will know by now DEC has a new showreel. This will be shown at all opportunities and will be sent to all students who receive an offer from us. All of our international agents have also had the opportunity to request a copy.
For anyone who would like to borrow/ have a copy of the showreel please contact Sonia who will arrange to get one to you.
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Interior Design Graduate appears in FXMagazine
James Walker, who graduated BA (Hons) Interior Design this year, has had his final year project displayed in FXMagazine. The design, which won the BU Best Interior Design Award at the Festival 2006 is also patented by BU Innovations. For the article and more information on the design please click here.
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IT Kidz of Africa makes BBC News:
Billie Sule and Matthew Baker, both placement students of MCS, have made it onto the BBC news pages with their charity IT Kids of Africa. The pair are now moving quickly forward now with the project and Matthew is heading out to Nigeria for the first time on the 23rd February. They also have a possible TV appearance in the pipeline thanks to the BU PR and Press team. For the BBC article please click here.
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Recruitment Update:
As new figures were released recently we thought we would give you the run down of the University and DECs performances.
Unfortunately it is too early at this stage to report on postgraduate applications so the information below is only for undergraduate.
Universities across the UK have reported a 6% increase in applications year-on-year. BU has done better than this trend with an increase of 7.2%.
DEC has done particularly well year-on-year with the last released figures showing an increase of 63% in applications (as of the 24/01/2007). The newly created courses are all recruiting well, and the majority of the other courses have shown an increase. This has meant that open days have been adapted to manage the increase of students so please be aware of the new timetable. This is attached to the emails sent by Sonia before the event, and also located in:
I:\DEC\Public\Marketing\All Hands on DEC
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Mailout to Schools:
There has been a large mailout (totalling over 2200 addresses, many containing more than one poster) that has gone out across the UK. Those targeted are:
- Teachers and Careers Advisors
- Dorset Schools
- UK Libraries (for both UG and PG)
- UK Specialist Schools (with specific posters):
- Design and Technology
- Maths and Computing
- Business and Enterprise
- Engineering
The Schools within 1.30hr driving have been invited to either visit us, or have a representative from the School visit them. Everyone in this mailout has been offered to sign up for a termly e-newsletter regarding the Schools activities/ achievements and courses. We hope to increase relationships with teachers and careers advisors from these.
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DEC Schools Liaison Team:
Meet the ICR Team;
We are planning to run a series of focus groups throughout the coming year with the various teams from International & Corporate Relations.
The first of these is to take place on Friday 9th march with Nicola Murray Fagan, Education Liaison Manager, who works for the University on a corporate level.
Nic will be presenting about the current activity that her and her team of student ambassadors do on a daily basis with local schools and colleges.
It would be great to see as many of you there as possible. Please email Helen Stickland if you would like to attend.
The second focus group will take place on Friday 20th April with Caroline Benyon Head of PR. further details to be sent out nearer the time.
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Branding Update:
- UG Honours and Foundation degree Prospectuses 2008 will be printed by end of February 2007 - it deliberately leads people to seek more information either via the website, courses database or by attending open days. It follows the basic AIDA principle aiming to encourage more students to "act" and attend open days, where we know if they have a positive experience they are more likely to apply. Thank you to everyone who has worked so hard to meet deadlines and provide copy in good time - much appreciated.
- IT have recently issued an email updating people on how to use our colours in your documents and presentations. Also now available are a variety of templates, guidelines and tools to help staff produce branded documents and door plates! See i:\icr\public\branding 2006 for all the tools.
- Website work continues, with a new quality strategy and overarching strategy currently in consultation. Additional work includes home page focus group research with key stakeholders, and an ongoing project to produce accurate and comprehensive webstatistics, allowing us to introduce key performance indicators!
- Corporate folders are in production (awaiting some final amends), with Schools folders and booklets to follow.
- The Marketing Communications Agency contract will commence 2 March 2007. The marketing team are now more familiar with the process and how to get the best out of working with the agency, and will be able to use this additional resource to produce high-level targeted outcome focused campaigns.
- Any queries and concerns please contact Claire Chappell
