Dear colleague,
I hope this message finds you well.
It has been lovely to see campus so lively this week, despite the rather damp weather!
Start of teaching
Looking ahead to next week, my very best wishes to academic colleagues for a successful start to teaching this year. Student feedback over the last academic year has been a real testament to your agility and dedication, shown not least by the wonderful National Student Survey 2021 results. My sincere thanks to all colleagues, academic and in professional services, who have worked so hard to prepare for the Semester and to welcome new and returning students.
Bath Beacons launch
Congratulations to the first selected Bath Beacons projects, working towards large-scale funding to tackle major research challenges. The range of projects supported is really exciting, and I’m pleased that we’ve been able to support early-career researchers in developing future bids.
You should have already received an invitation to an online launch event, on Monday 8 November from 13.00-14.00, and I hope many of you can join us there.
Welcome Week and Induction
Of course, the focus this week has been delivering a successful Welcome Week and I’m very grateful to all colleagues taking part in vital induction activities. It has also been an important week in terms of reinforcing our ‘Be Safe’ messages, and we have seen hundreds of students attend or book onto the NHS vaccine clinics on campus and pick up test kits. You can read more about our range of safety measures on campus and in the city in our frequently asked questions.
For the first time, a Carbon Literacy in induction module is being provided for all new students, as part of our Climate Action Framework. May I thank Dr Steve Cayzer and the whole team for bringing this to fruition.
I would also like to thank our Students’ Union colleagues for working so hard to create safe events for our students; it is greatly appreciated.
Virtual Open Days and Campus Experience Days
As one academic year begins, we are already working on the next recruitment cycle and I am deeply grateful to our academic and professional services colleagues and student ambassadors for the successful events held in September.
In total, more than 3,600 prospective students attended one of our Virtual Open Days or Campus Experience Days. The feedback has been extremely positive, with surveys indicating that more than 80% of the attendees are more likely to apply as a result of their experiences. It is the people they meet which makes all the difference, so thank you to all those who have made these events such a success.
QS World University Rankings for graduate prospects
We received very welcome news late last week that our university has been named in the world’s top 100 universities in the QS Graduate Employability Rankings 2022. We all know that employability, placement schemes and our focus on delivering a rounded educational experience are real strengths here at Bath. This has been reinforced by these rankings, which show we are among the world’s best universities for graduate prospects.
My sincere congratulations on this superb achievement.
Finally, I would like to warmly congratulate The SU team for their much-deserved win of the People Services category at the Bath Life Awards last week. It has been impressive to see not only how The SU has supported students in innovative ways over the last year, but also the wider community here in Bath.
With best wishes,
Professor Ian White
Vice-Chancellor and President
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