Could you be the next PMSO?

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Hello Postgraduates,

As the outgoing officer, I would like to ask you to consider standing to be the next Postgraduate & Mature Students’ Officer (PMSO).

What is the Postgraduate & Mature Students Officer?

The Postgraduate & Mature Students’ Officer is the elected voice for postgraduates at our University. You will work with the Guild Officer Group and the Guild staff team to ensure that postgraduates have access to social events, development opportunities and academic support. You will represent postgraduate students within the Guild of Students, to the University and at a national level with the NUS.

What does the role involve?

You will be required to:

- Reply to messages sent to your Officer email account. This is how students can contact you with questions and suggestions.
- Attend the three Guild Council meetings, spread over the academic year.
- Attend the monthly Guild Officer Group meetings, where the full-time and part-time Officers meet to discuss wider issues.
- Write an Officer blog so students are aware of your activity.

You will also be expected to:

- Liaise regularly with the Postgraduate & Mature Students Association (PGMSA).
- Plan events and campaigns based on postgraduate and mature student issues.
- Attend the two-day NUS Postgraduate Conference in April 2011.

Ultimately, you are elected by the students and so your year in office can take whichever direction you wish.

What other positions can postgraduates apply for?

In addition to the Postgraduate and Mature Students’ Officer, there are also two Guild Councillor positions reserved for postgraduates. Postgraduate Guild Councillors are the main voices for postgraduates at Guild Council - the meeting that sets policy on key issues that effect students.

We are also looking for enthusiastic and ambitious students for the following roles:

- the Chair and Deputy Chair of Guild Council.
- academic School Guild Councillors.
- the Satellite Sites Officer, who represents the students studying at Selly Oak campus, Ironbridge, the Shakespeare Institute and the Medical & Dental Schools.

Why should I get involved?

The Guild of Students is the Students’ Union for all students that study at the University of Birmingham, representing both undergraduates and postgraduates. Getting involved in the Guild of Students is a great way to take control over your university experience while developing valuable transferable skills and meeting new people.

We hope that you will stand in these elections and become part of the team that will improve the quality of the education received and the wider experience enjoyed by you and other postgraduates.

How do I stand in the election?

For more information read the attached nomination packs or visit www.guildofstudents.com/elections. Also, you can visit the new Student Voice office on the ground-floor of the Guild of Students, where our staff will be more than happy to talk you through the election process and answer your questions.

Nominations for all positions close on Monday 11th October at 12pm.

If you have any questions then please contact me at pmso@guild.bham.ac.uk.
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DR Poster Conference - 17th September

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The Graduate School is hosting a Poster Conference showcase as part of the University of Birmingham's British Science Festival.

Date: Friday 17th September

Time: 11am-3pm

Venue: Marquee by the Clock Tower

Price: FREE with a free lunch (see right)

This is a great opportunity to discover the exciting research that is being carried by our doctoral researcher community and talk to the students themselves.

For the uninitiated, each student has condensed their research onto a well-presented, A-zero sized poster. You can then walk around (much like an art exhibit) to read the posters and learn about the world-changing research conducted at the University of Birmingham.

The doctoral researchers themselves will be at hand to answer your questions and explain their research further.

Definately not to be missed.

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Mastering Postgraduate Study

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Making the leap from undergraduate English Literature study to postgraduate English Literature study was more challenging than I expected. It was a similar course and I opted for a taught Masters, so I anticipated a year very much like my final year.

In reality, this was not the case. There was a huge change in the nature of study and these differences were both exciting and demanding.

For starters, the standard is certainly raised. As a Masters student, there is a much higher expectancy of your performance as a student. The workload is greatly increased and I rarely have fewer than eight books in my bag!

Furthermore, the entire year is assessed by essays. This is great in one respect because it means that we have no exams and no revision. However, it requires much more independent study and vast amounts of research. This can be very lonely, especially over the summer when campus is almost empty. But these are useful skills in foreshadowing PhD study. Our essays are also scrutinised more carefully and original thinking is essential.

To balance these challenges, there are many perks. The postgraduate community is excellent and the lecturers treat you as colleagues, as opposed to just students. We interact with them in the Senior Common Room and occasionally see them at the Bratby Bar.

In addition, the study environment is very stimulating. The lecturers give us freedom to pursue areas that interest us and so we pick our own essay titles, such as my dissertation on His Dark Materials. Equally, all postgraduates have actively chosen to pursue further study, as opposed to just following the conveyor belt of education. Therefore, there is a level of enthusiasm that goes further than that found in undergraduate study and this makes for passionate seminar discussions.

Ultimately, the transition really tested me but it has been a great experience and I have obtained lots of new skills. I highly recommend taking on a Masters!

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CAL PG Careers Conference

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Adept are working closely with the College of Arts and Law to organise its first Postgraduate Careers Conference on Tuesday 22nd June. It is hoped that this initiative will help boost the employment prospects of University of Birmingham postgraduates.

The schedule for the Conference is below:

10.00 – 16.30 Arts First Floor Landing
Ø Bring along your CV for tailored advice
Ø Drop in careers advice
Ø Meet the employers and alumni: networking opportunities
Ø Coffee and tea available
Ø All attendees entered into prize draw for two Alton Towers tickets

Drop in sessions: Arts LR3

Session One: 10.30-12.00
Chairs: Holly Prescott and Sarah Parker, Doctoral Researchers in School of English, Drama and American and Canadian Studies

10.30
Beyond Academia: Alternative Research Careers
Christopher Packham

11.00
Career Opportunities in Publishing and Literature
Alan Mahar, Publishing Director, Tindal Street Press

11.15
Funded Business Development Opportunities in Arts and Law
Gino Bellavia

11.30
'For the love of it!' - Careers in the Heritage Industry
Tim Jenkins, Museums Manager, Shrewsbury Museums and Much Wenlock

11.45-12.00 Questions

12.00 – 13.00: Lunch and Refreshments

Session Two: 13.00 – 14.30
Chairs: Alex Standen and Claire Peters, Doctoral Researchers in School of Languages, Cultures, Art History and Music

13.00
University Administration Careers
Dr Catherine Mills

13.15
Funded Widening Participation Opportunities in Arts and Law
Dr Lisa Alberici

13.45
Careers in the Cultural Sector
Clare Mullett

14.00
Careers in the Theatre Industry
Elizabeth Kay, Freelance Production Manager

14.15-14.30 Questions

14.30: Tea and coffee break

Session Three: 15.00-16.30
Chairs: Emma Southon and Rebecca Day, Doctoral Researchers in the Institute of Archaeology and Antiquity

15.00
Careers in Academic Publishing
Fiona Bowler, Publishing Editor, Routledge Journals, Taylor & Francis Group

15.15
Careers in Academia
Dr Gareth Sears

15.30
Public and Private Sector Marketing Careers
Carly Machin and Jacqueline Donaldson

15.45
Careers in Local Government and Summary of Alumni Destinations
Dr Marion Fleming Froy

16.15-16.30 Questions

16.30 End of Day
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Postgraduate Mentor Scheme

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These past fews weeks, I have been working closely with the Postgraduate Recruitment department to implement a Postgraduate Mentor Scheme.

We have recruited forty-two current postgraduates to act as Mentors. Each has been assigned a unique bham email address and these contact details, along with a short profile of their experiences, will be sent to offer-holders who are thinking about coming to our University.

It is thought that the best people to provide advice and address the concerns of future postgraduates are our current postgraduates. These concerns could involve: accommodation, embarking on a research project, adapting to life in the UK, studying with dependents, finding a part-time job and so on.

The email addresses and profiles are being finalised as I type and this information will be sent to offer-holders by the end of next week.

The Postgraduate Mentor Scheme is an exciting initative and we hope it ensures incoming students feel comfortable about their transition to postgraduate study at the University of Birmingham.

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Postgraduate Tips

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The University of Birmingham is currently putting together a new newsletter for postgraduates called Postgraduate Tips.

This is a project headed by the Postgraduate Recruitment department and I have been assigned as the editor for the first edition.

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The newsletter is written by postgraduates, for postgraduates. It will be sent to offer-holding postgraduates to give them insight into life at the University of Birmingham. Meanwhile, current postgraduates will be given a copy so they can gain some insight into the different experiences of their fellow postgraduates.

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As the name suggests, Postgraduate Tips allows postgraduates to offer other postgraduates advice on various areas of University life: teaching, publication, sports, societies, employment and studying as an international student or student parents.

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The content is currently being finalised for the summer 2010 edition and you will be sent a copy in the next few weeks.

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Lastly, Postgraduate Tips is always looking for new writers. Therefore, if you have a unique postgraduate experience with lots of advice for fellow students, then please send your articles to s.fairbanks@guild.bham.ac.uk. We pay £25 for each article.

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Happy reading!

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NUS Postgraduate Conference 2010

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In addition to the Mature conference, I also attended the NUS Postgraduate Students' Conference 2010. Again, this allowed me to represent the views of our Postgraduate Students on a national level.

Similarly, during the two-day conference we:

• discussed the issues that affect postgraduate students across the board.
• learnt how we could represent postgraduates better within out Union.
• elected the National Postgraduate Students' Committee.
• wrote, debated and voted on motions to decide national NUS policy.

Once again, it was a valuable experience and I personally wrote seven motions relating to postgraduate issues.

More details to follow.

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