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Introducing the HE Team

Roll up to be a rep...
HE Freshers Week
First HE Blog: HE bee

Students celebrate personal success

at Student Excellence Awards

Further success as graduates bag

gong at Royal Television Awards

HE Student Filmmakers Crowdfund

Black Comedy Project

Hate Crime Awareness raised by

HE Events Management Student

Contemporary Photographic
Practices exhibition
Future First builds alumni
community

HIGHER EDUCATION

STUDENT ENGAGEMENT
NEWSLETTER
JULY 2016
With eagerly awaited anticipation, July marks the start of the summer break and the launch of the
brand new Higher Education (HE) newsletter connecting staff and students alike! Opening our
first newsletter, we celebrate the successes of our students at the end of year Student Excellence
Awards, introduce our new team members and share the achievements of our Film and TV students.

INTRODUCING THE

HE TEAM

We extend a warm
welcome to the
newest members
of our HE team
headed up by Wendy
Pennington, Head
of Higher Education
Student Engagement.
Featured left to right:
Brin Coleman Student Union
President (Higher Education)
Sophie Heaton Transitions
Officer (Higher Education)
Jen Brook Student
Communications and Liaison
Officer (Higher Education)
Wendy Pennington Head of
Student Engagement (Higher
Education)
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Higher
Education

ROLL UP TO
BE A REP

FRESHERS
WEEK

the first Student Union

and HE Freshers
Week are coming!

The first ever HE Freshers

Week has been announced for
week commencing Monday 12th
September! Keep your eyes peeled
for exciting offers from the HE
department!

This September sees the launch of our new

Student Rep structure. Were looking for
new reps to take part in the development
of our first ever Students Union. Theyll
also be involved in setting up a range of
new societies and exciting College events.

NOTE: We require the assistance

of all HE staff and any students
wishing to participate in the
production and attendance
specifically Tuesday 14th September
for our main circus event!

Our Student Reps play an important

role and were looking to recognise
this responsibility with a Student Rep
graduation certificate at the end of
the year a favourable award in any
employers eyes. We need the support
of all tutors in putting students forward,
so we can recruit the most suitable
candidates for the positions.

HIGHER
EDUCATION
BLOG

NOTE: all potential Student Reps must be

nominated by 26th September 2016
Weve launched a brand new Facebook
group, exclusively for new Student Reps
2016-2017 and continuing Student Reps
from 2015-2016. Well be using it to
share our Students Union proposals and
Freshers Week plans.

FIRST HE
BLOG: HE BEE

We cant wait to share more information

with you about the development of the
Students Union and Freshers Week as it
happens keep your eyes peeled for the
next newsletter!

The HE department are also excited to

announce the arrival of the first dedicated
blog, exclusively for HE students and tutors!
Well be hosting guest interviews, discussing
hot topics, recent events and of course
detailing developments of the brand new
Student Union as they happen. You can
access the blog: HE Bee via Moodle, through
the Student Engagement tab: http://moodle.
themanchestercollege.ac.uk/course/view.
php?id=10434

** STUDENT REPS: Dont forget to check

your emails over summer and join the
Student Rep Facebook group to stay
actively engaged in the process! **

Any questions?
Contact Jen on HEstudentreps@
themanchestercollege.ac.ik

If youd like to be featured in HE Bee, simply

contact Jen on jbrook@themanchestercollege.
ac.uk at any time to register your interest.

STUDENTS CELEBRATE
PERSONAL SUCCESS AT

STUDENT
EXCELLENCE
AWARDS
The hard work and
dedication of our students,
was honoured in the
recent Student Excellence
Awards at the city centres
Renaissance Hotel. Over
300 nominations were
received in recognition
of their development and
progress throughout a
successful academic year.

Manchester College Student

of the Year by juggling her
course with part time work
and family, whilst still achieving
outstanding grades. Makile also
makes a difference to others
and is involved in community
outreach activities, especially
for women and children, making
her an inspiration to all current
and future students. She was
also nominated onto the Board
of Governors as a student
member earlier this year.

College Principal Lisa

OLoughlin opened the
ceremony addressing the
finalists: We decided to
introduce these awards because
its important to recognise your
outstanding achievements, your
commitment to learning and
the journey you are taking to
reach your own potential. You
have made important progress
towards achieving your
academic and personal goals
and we want to celebrate this

Makile says

Makile Onuzuruike, Foundation

Degree Student in Business
Management & Business
Human Resource Management,
scooped not one but two of
the sought after awards; Higher
Education Student of the Year
and The Manchester College
Student of the Year.
Were extremely proud of Makile
for winning these awards!
She has shown remarkable
qualities in being awarded The

Studying for my Foundation

Degree at The Manchester
College has been a truly
amazing experience. Returning
to Higher Education as a
mature student whilst raising
a young family proved to be
a worthwhile and rewarding
experience for me. Although
the usual student life challenges
were present, I was privileged to
be under the wings of incredible
lecturers who took the time
to give me plenty of individual
support. During my studies, they
provided me with insightful,
detailed and constructive
feedback and above all,
heartfelt encouragements which
included support in applying for
the Student Governors role.
Being a Student Governor
has been a life changing
experience. I have been given
the opportunity to bring direct
insight of student life to the
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board. It is such an honour and

a privilege that I have been
entrusted with the prestigious
role of representing the
students voice at the Colleges
highest level of strategic
decision making. Engaging with
other students and supporting
one another through personal
and academic challenges has
helped me to grow as a person.
The Manchester College
Student Excellence Awards 2016
showcased and celebrated the
outstanding achievements of
well committed and dedicated
students. I was extremely
honoured to be awarded HE
Student of the Year and The
Manchester College Student
of the Year Awards. Knowing
that the College believed in me
from the board through to the
staff and above all my peers
has been a turning point in my
life. The awards evening was
filled with amazing student
life stories, proud parents and
tutors and above all a warm
atmosphere that will forever
echo in my mind. I would like to
thank The Manchester College
for making such a positive
contribution and difference to
the lives of the students within
our community and beyond. I
now look forward to completing
my top-up degree at the
College and I can safely say
that choosing to study here has
been the best decision I have
ever made.

FURTHER SUCCESS AS

GRADUATES BAG GONG AT ROYAL

TELEVISION AWARDS

Alumni Film and Television students from The Manchester

College have come away with impressive achievements at this
years RTS Student Television Awards.
Olly Philpott-Smith, Lauren Brown, Sam Okell, Faisal Muhammed and Zoe Howard won the award
for Undergraduate Craft Skills Camerawork, for their film The Switch. The film, created at The
Manchester Film School at The Manchester College, beat 495 entries from 90 universities and colleges
across the UK, earning additional nominations for Best Sound and Best Comedy. Judges said that,
with very good lighting and design, this ambitious and technically accomplished film used a
succession of clever shots to set the mood. A great example of producing a lot without very much.
Gareth Hall, tutor at The Manchester College, said: To win a national RTS Student Award is a fantastic
achievement. To say I am proud is an understatement!
Youll be able to watch The Switch and other winners on Sky Arts On Demand later this year, along with
all the nominated films from this years finals.
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HATE CRIME
AWARENESS

RAISED BY HE EVENTS
MANAGEMENT STUDENT
HE STUDENT FILMMAKERS

CROWDFUND
BLACK COMEDY
PROJECT
Award winning HE student, Olly Philpott-Smith
and fellow filmmaker Anthony Burtwistle, are
looking to raise funds of 3,000 to support the
production of Grim Preacher a film set in the
17th Century, about the historical bubonic plague.

The Manchester
College, in association
with Greater
Manchester Police
(GMP) are calling for
an end to all hate
crime. In collaboration
with the GMP
Community Safety
Team, a recent design
competition aims to
promote the anti-hate
crime message across
Manchester during Hate Crime Awareness
Week.

Having won a Royal Television Award for The Switch,

Olly is now sourcing support for his next project. The
story follows the tale of three victims of the plague,
suffering a gruesome and painful death. The three
characters, clutching at straws, turn to God in an
attempt to rid themselves of the heinous disease.
With bills for costumes, locations, SPFX plague
make-up and other production costs mounting up,
Olly turned to crowd-funding tool, Indiegogo. The
website allows funding to be collated from anyone
and everyone willing to donate, encouraged by
guaranteed prizes for participation. Incentives include
a signed script, an invitation to the films premiere
and an exclusive nod as an executive producer,
dependant on the monetary generosity of the giver.

Students Natalie Kaciubskyj, who designed

the winning poster and Amber Jade Atkinson,
second prize winner, were presented with
certificates during a prize-giving ceremony at
Manchester Art Gallery.

People assume its [student films] just two

people in a room with a little phone camera and
they think its going to be horribly acted, horribly
lit and horribly made. All we want is horrible
make-upand thats intentional! Anthony says,
making it his mission to quash prejudice from the
term student film.

Event Management student Natalie, said: I

entered the competition because I love art
and was looking for a way to demonstrate
how I felt about hate crime and help make a
difference. No matter who you are, where you
come from or what you believe in, we are all
the same on the inside.

The Manchester College is providing production

support worth 500, on top of matching 50% of the
amount the filmmakers put into the overall budget.

Natalies winning design features the slogan

Lets end hate crime, an abstract flower
containing flags of several nations and the
words Disability, Religion, Race, Alternative
Subculture, Sexual Orientation and Trans
the protected characteristics recognised by
Greater Manchester Police as coming under
threat of hate crime. Artwork by students was
displayed as part of a week of activities across
Manchester and the region.

For something like this which is really ambitious

for a student film you need that production
value to really sell it says Anthony.
We wish both Anthony and Olly the best of luck
and look forward to seeing the results very soon!
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CONTEMPORARY
PHOTOGRAPHIC
PRACTICES EXHIBITION
Students studying on the Foundation
Degree in Contemporary Photographic
Practices held an exhibition of their work
in Manchester city centre.
Titled Flux, the exhibition showcased the second year students work from their final major projects.
Alex Benn, one of the students whose work was show and who helped organised the exhibition, said:
I was really looking forward to the show with my fellow students and am excited to be exhibiting in the
vibrant Northern Quarter of Manchester.
Local advertising and contemporary photographer, Ian Clegg, added: The students have shown a
varied and robust style throughout the year, with a creative approach to reflecting the world around
them and the Flux exhibition was representative of that.
The photographs on display covered a diverse range of subject matter, from cultural identity to 3D
imagery. The exhibition held at Kosmonaut in Manchesters Northern Quarter, was a great success.

FUTURE FIRST

BUILDS ALUMNI COMMUNITY

Were proud to announce that were growing
our Alumni community and are looking for
new members to join. Weve been working in
collaboration with Alumni charity Future First to
develop our offer and build a thriving community.

If youre a current student, stay connected by

following this link: https://networks.futurefirst.org.
uk/student/manchestercollege
If any of your friends, neighbours or family
members who are former students of the
College, please share this link with them: https://
networks.futurefirst.org.uk/former-student/
manchestercollege

Our Alumni support us in several ways as career

role models, work experience providers, mentors,
governors, fundraisers, event speakers and class
demonstrators some even appear on campaign
posters! Whether our students go on to be
graphic designers, sports coaches, make-up artists
or surgeons, we want to showcase their roles, and
share their experiences and success stories with
our new students to encourage them to join.

For more information, please contact our Alumni

Officer Kim directly at kim@futurefirst.org.
uk or our HE Student Communications Officer
at The Manchester College, Jenny, at jbrook@
themanchestercollege.ac.uk

HAVE A STORY
TO SHARE?
If you want to share a success story, or simply
tell us what youre up to in College or out of
College with regards to your course, then
wed love to hear from you. The launch of the
brand new HE newsletter coincides with the
arrival of the first HE Blog: HE Bee including
interviews, guest writers, event news, plus
fun guides and tips, designed exclusively for
HE students on Moodle, through the Student
Engagement page.
Simply email Jen at
jbrook@themanchestercollege.ac.uk to be
featured in the next newsletter or blog!
HE Blog: HE Bee - http://moodle.
themanchestercollege.ac.uk/course/view.
php?id=10434