New Student Centre construction underway

Preparatory work is now underway to construct the new Student Centre and Albert Sloman Library extension at our Colchester Campus.

Scaffolding is in place so contractors can put up the large 'acoustic duvet' that will considerably reduce building noise during construction. Building work noise will also be significantly reduced during revision and exam time in May and June 2013 and 2014, and work will cease during Graduation in July 2013 and 2014. Other measures in place to ensure quiet study space remains available, include ongoing open use of our 32 PC labs across campus, and an acoustic partition next to the 200 Library workstations in the west side reading room of the Library is also now in place.

Further information during the project

• Please check the Albert Sloman Library Facebook page
• Follow the Albert Sloman Library Twitter feed
• Bookmark the Student Centre website for updated information
• If you have any questions or comments please e-mail the project team at centre@essex.ac.uk.

This major two-year project is at the heart of our commitment to offer excellence in education, by providing the best possible facilities to current and future Essex students. The project has an expected completion date of late 2014.

What the new centre and extension will offer

• IT learning hub for creative and group working
• New IT facilities including touchdown access and new helpdesk
• A new state-of-the-art media centre for the Students’ Union
• New reception area to serve the whole campus
• An extensive ‘one stop shop’ for accommodation, payments, registration and student welfare
• Second floor
• A 24-hour reading room
• Bright new bookable meeting space
• Additional space for storage and consultation of Special Collections books
• Consolidation of the Student Collection of books on the first floor to reach 42,000 extra copies by 2015-16
• A 24-hour postgraduate study area
• Additional study spaces and library shelving
• An additional 388 study places, including spaces on each floor for group and informal study
• Wireless networking throughout with most study places in the extension to have electrical outlets for laptop use
• Two areas for library and information skills training
• 24/7 study area for research postgraduate students
• Total capacity in the extended library for 1.4 million books
• Reconfiguration of entrance floor, providing informal study space

A year of success at Essex - watch our video

The University’s achievements over the past year are highlighted in a new seven-minute video, first shown at the University's Annual Meeting of Court on Thursday 18 April. Vice-Chancellor Professor Anthony Forster introduced the video, 'A year of success at Essex' - watch it on our Vimeo channel, which showcases the full range of student and academic successes from celebrations, events and remembrance, through to Holocaust Memorial Week, and capturing the essence of Essex in a memorable year. Please note: this video contains flashing images.

E-payslips and the HR Organiser for staff coming soon

Following the rollout of phase one in 2011, phase two, and subsequent phases of the iHR system, will be going live from 1 August 2013 onwards, with a pilot system running from April. The system – called the HR Organiser – offers University of Essex staff online self-service access to view and amend employment data, via a link to a portal on the University’s website. The same system, including e-payslips, is now successfully used by a number of other UK universities. Once launched, the HR Organiser will work in a similar way to online banking. Printed payslips will no longer be the University’s preferred method of payment advice, they will become electronic payslips (e-payslips) with an option for staff to request a printed payslip or to have their e-payslip e-mailed to them in PDF format. Later phases, planned to roll out from autumn 2013, will enable line managers to view and authorise electronic absence management and annual leave requests of staff who report to them.

• Visit the HR Organiser main webpage
• Read the FAQs

The Forum Southend-on-Sea opening September 2013

Our new partnership building, The Forum Southend-on-Sea, opens its doors to students on Monday 30 September 2013. This impressive new building provides an academic library for students at our Southend Campus and substantial additional facilities to enhance excellence in education for our Southend Campus students. Built in partnership with Southend Borough Council and South Essex College, the second floor will be completely dedicated to the University, and accessible 24 hours a day.

• Visit the Forum Southend-on-Sea page for students and staff
• Watch the final stages of construction on our webcam
• View more images of the building on Flickr
• Visit the Forum Southend-on-Sea partner website
• Read the Forum Southend-on-Sea news release

Find out more!

There are many ways to find out what's going on every day at the University of Essex:

• Read the Essex Daily blog
• Get the Daily Bulletin sent to your desktop daily
• Follow us on Twitter
• Like us on Facebook
• Read our latest news releases
• Check our events diary
• Bookmark our what’s on diary
• Students’ Union activities
• View the Art Exchange and Lakeside Theatreevents listings
• Check the Sports Centre schedule clubs and classes

Morten's time-lapse video goes viral

Morten Rustad, a first year BSc Business Management student within our Essex Business School, has spent five months painstakingly capturing the dramatically changing face of our Colchester Campus in time-lapsed video. Morten spent five months on the project, using 15,000 pictures which capture the iconic buildings of the campus and its historic parkland in ever-changing weather from sun to snow. In doing so, he has created an internet hit that has attracted coverage from BBC Look East, the Times Higher Education magazine and BBC Essex online. View the full version on our Vimeo channel and read the full story.

Staff and student car parking at our Colchester Campus

The new multi-decked car park, on the south side of our Colchester Campus, is now open for use by staff (with registered vehicles) and for visitors. Two parking bays along Valley Road have been reserved for student parking only. Staff who do not need to park on the north side of campus are encouraged to please use the new car park, as you will easily be able to find a space - enter the new car park by taking the second turning on the right along Boundary Road, passing the traffic island. The new payment system goes live from the end of April 2013 and it will know you are a season ticket holder and will not double-charge you. The car park has LED motion-sensor lighting, and CCTV cameras for personal safety. Season ticket holders may also use the new car park, as there are no barriers. As the new payment system for the multi-decked car park is not yet ready for use, as an interim measure car parking assistants will be issuing tickets with handheld machines at the normal daily rate for those parking in the new car park. Full details about the new payment system and fees for 2013-14 academic year. If you are currently registered and do not want to be included in the ANPR system and wish for your vehicle registration number to be withdrawn from the system please e-mail: parking@essex.ac.uk. This will mean you will not be able to received discounted parking in the new car park should you wish to park there and the full visitor tariff charge will be made. If you have any general questions about car parking, please e-mail: parking@essex.ac.uk.

FindYourWay@Essex app gets an upgrade

Let getting lost around our Colchester Campus be a thing of the past! The popular Find-your-way electronic campus map is now live online plus a mobile app is available and has had a recent upgrade, so it now includes nearby toilets, restaurants, and notifications of routes or lifts that are out of use, as well as the full room-finding service for our Colchester Campus. You can view it online or use the app on your smartphone. If you need any help, just ask for more details at the IT helpdesk off Square 4. The app is also now available for use on iPhones.

New building to house Essex Business School underway

Following the recent groundbreaking ceremony for the new building that will house Essex Business School on our Colchester Campus, work is now underway, with a planned completion date of May 2014. View images of the new building on Flickr. Installation of an electrical supply is now underway until the end of February, that involves digging a trench past Swaynes House leading down to William Morris Tower. Safety notices will be in place and pathways will remain open, we would ask that students and staff take extra care when in this area. Part of the University’s major capital investment programme, the new three-storey 5,500m2 building is being constructed by Morgan Sindall, is designed by leading architects BDP, and will contain a 200-seat lecture theatre, seminar rooms, learning and teaching areas, common rooms and social space. It will feature sustainable design throughout such as low and zero carbon technology, an interior winter garden, a ground source heat pump and photovoltaic panels. The project is being managed by the University’s Estate Management team and any questions may be sent to: ebsinfo@essex.ac.uk. For further information read the news release.

Recycling bins at our Colchester Campus

Our scheme to improve recycling and reduce carbon continues to be rolled-out since the pilot in 2010, with the addition of more centrally-located recycling bins across our Colchester Campus. All the new bins are now in use, and follow many other new recycling facilities that have already been installed and are in regular use by staff and students at our Colchester Campus. Feedback so far has generally been positive following an initial settling-in period. Importantly, staff are recycling more, and finding it easier to recycle. Please also read the FAQs for further information.

Vice-Chancellor’s staff blog and briefings

The Vice-Chancellor Professor Anthony Forster updates his blog for University of Essex staff monthly, via his dedicated University webpages. The latest blog post is titled ‘Research and scholarship that matters’. To access the page, staff need to enter their University log-in details, and bookmark the page to revisit it regularly. Professor Forster has also published a new external blog, and the first issue asks 'What is the regional role for an international university?' which you can read online now.

• Follow the Vice-Chancellor Professor Anthony Forster on Twitter

Southend town trail - blow away the cobwebs with a walk

If you're studying, visiting or working at our Southend Campus, then why not download this town trail walking tour and accompanying map to help you find your feet around town, visit some interesting places right on our doorstep, and blow away the cobwebs with a bracing seaside walk? Second and third year students, and our University staff, may also discover a new place or two!

• Southend-on-Sea town trail (.pdf)

• Southend-on-Sea town trail walking map (.pdf)

Keep the latest Student News in your pocket

Excellence in education is our ethos, and if you're a current Essex student, there's a new Facebook page that already more than 550 followers, where you can find all the useful guidance and support you need to help you achieve your full potential during your time at Essex. And if you use the Facebook smartphone app you can carry it around in your pocket. This information is also included in the start and end-of-term student e-bulletins, containing information from right across our University. 'Like' the new University of Essex student news page for more about help and support as you continue your studies at Essex.

Improve your writing with help from the professionals

Any Essex student looking for help to improve their writing skills need look no further. Because our Department of Literature, Film, and Theatre Studies is hosting two Royal Literary Fund Fellows - both of whom are professional writers. Gillian Richmond is a dramatist for TV, radio and stage and Jim Kelly is a crime novelist (pictured). Gillian and Jim can help with all aspects of improving your writing - from getting multiple ideas into essay form in a clear, accessible style, to developing writing strategies and reviewing feedback on marked work. Gillian will is now on our Colchester Campus on Mondays and Tuesdays from 10am-5pm, and Jim on Thursdays and Fridays from 10am–5pm. Both are based in room 5A.334. and to make an appointment, please visit the Department of Literature, Film, and Theatre Studies administrative office in room 5A.201, or e-mail Gillian at: grichmon@essex.ac.uk or Jim at: kellyj@essex.ac.uk.

The Meadows student accommodation takes shape

October 2012 saw the 'ground-breaking' ceremony for The Meadows - the vibrant new student accommodation set to open at our Colchester Campus in autumn 2013. When finished the new development will offer an additional 648 student bedrooms, and a social pavilion, which will house a common room, launderette and a 'grab and go' shop. Pictured at the ceremony are - from left to right - David Pannells from Derwent Living, Arnaud Bekaert from construction company Bouygues UK, Bryn Morris, the University's Registrar, and Nicolas Guerin of the Uliving@Essex partnership, that has overall responsibility for managing the project.

Essex Offers - the new benefits scheme for our staff

The University of Essex has teamed-up with employee benefits company Reward Compass to offer staff everyday savings and discounts in an extensive new staff benefits scheme, called Essex Offers. It provides easy, online access to benefits available to staff working for the University and our wholly-owned companies, and offline deals are also available. Money-saving schemes include medical insurance to dental care plans, alongside salary sacrifice options such as childcare vouchers and mobile phones, good local deals, disocunted shopping cards and exclusive privileges. If you're a member of University staff, join Essex Offers now and find out more.

Maths support for all

A free Maths Drop-in Centre is now open at the University to offer help and advice to students and staff on a range of maths problems. Providing a one-stop-shop for any maths issues, the service is part of an on-going scheme by the Department of Mathematical Sciences to improve the employability of students. The new helpdesk, run by trained frontrunner Plus student advisors, will offer support to students and staff on maths issues on all levels. The aim is to provide the opportunity for staff and students to chat through their maths problem and be given guidance on how it can be solved. All questions will remain confidential. To contact the Maths Drop-in Centre e-mail: mathshelpdesk@essex.ac.uk The Drop-in Centre is open from 2-3pm Monday to Wednesday and 12 noon to 1pm on Thursdays and Fridays. Local businesses are also invited to use the service, although their problem may be dealt with on a consultancy basis.

New Essex timetabling and scheduler app

The new Essex Scheduler app makes it easier than ever for our students to keep track of schedule and coursework deadlines. Created by Computer Science students Vegard Polden and Jonny Baker, for students at the University of Essex, it lets you quickly access your timetable and online Essex resources at the touch of a fingertip. Please note: this is a student showcase app, created by students, and is not an official University of Essex product.

Features include:

• Personalised timetable – check your schedule for the next day, week or two weeks
• Deadlines – view your coursework deadlines by module or date
• Useful links – instant access to the most visited online resources on the University website
• Personal events – easily add your own events to the schedule
• Widget – display your timetables in a compact format on the home screen of your device
• Find and download this useful new student-created app on Google play here!

Buses, bikes and trains

There are a number of ways you can get to our Colchester Campus – and great discounts on offer for students and staff. Working with First Essex Buses and the Student’s Union, we have negotiated a special discount that saves students more than £300 off zone 1 annual bus tickets. These tickets will be available from the First Bus stall on our Colchester Campus during and after Freshers’ Week, from the Burrow – the Students’ Union ticket office, on Square 3. For train travel, staff can get a 10 per cent discount on a monthly season ticket, and 15 per cent off quarterly, six monthly and annually for travelling to campus by Greater Anglia trains. Students may wish to purchase a 16-25 Railcard which enables discounts of up at a third off rail fares.

• View bus ticket prices and travel zones here

• View the interactive map of local buses services here

Research Excellent Framework website goes live

The Research Excellence Framework (REF) website is now live, to provide staff with the latest news about the development of the REF by higher education funding bodies, and the steps being taken by the University to prepare for its submission in 2013.

The REF is the new system for assessing the quality of research at universities in the UK, and replaces the Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) last conducted in 2008.

The website includes resources for departments to help them in the development of their REF submissions and easy access to previously circulated documents used to collect data from academic staff.

Boost for books in the Albert Sloman Library

Following the allocation in 2010 of an additional £300,000 to develop the student book collection within the Albert Sloman Library, the redevelopment of the first floor of the library is now underway to house the expanded collection. The student book collection refers to text books and other reading material typically used on degree course reading lists. The revamped space is planned to open in time for the start of the 2012-13 academic year, and will hold some 45,000 books in total. This work is in addition to the new extension to the library. Find out more about the new Student Centre and extension to the Albert Sloman Library.

Discover the benefits of car sharing

Did you know the University of Essex's online car-sharing database now has more than 300 members of University staff, and students, who are looking to share their journey onto our Colchester Campus? Colleagues from across Essex, Suffolk and beyond have now signed up and are waiting to hook up with a car share buddy who lives nearby. The easy-to-use online database uses liftshare.com’s proven IT system which brings together potential car sharers, and is totally free to use. When you register your details, the system supplies you with a number of suitable matches, and a useful map will help you pinpoint different locations - so you can find a car sharer near to where you live. Why not give it a go - and see the benefits of saving the environment, saving on fuel, reducing wear and tear on your car, and making it easier for all car users to park at the University. Signing up is quick and easy - join the scheme today here.

Our research repository is now online

The University of Essex Research Repository is now live online with some 1,800-plus academic research papers already uploaded – boosting the visibility and impact of our research. The repository hosts publication details and full text of published research, and all material uploaded is open access – anyone can view it – and it is available free of charge. If you’re a member of University research staff, by uploading your research to the repository you will join academic colleagues in making it available to the global scholarly community on a scale that is impossible with paper. Visit the University of Essex research repository at http://repository.essex.ac.uk

In 2014 the University will be 50

The University of Essex's 50th Anniversary campaign has now been launched. The University will be 50 years old in 2014 - and a short film has been produced to start the campaign, which charts the University's growing reputation locally, nationally and globally. Watch it on the 50th Anniversary website.