Contract renewed to deliver specialist learning to police recruits

Our Department for Policing, based in OUBS, will continue delivering a suite of blended learning qualifications with North Yorkshire Police that equip officers with the skills required to meet the demands of 21st century policing.

The partnership has developed four education pathways to support routes into policing – the Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship (PCDA); the Degree Holder Entry Programme (DHEP); the Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) Apprenticeship; and the Special Constable Learning Programme. They all follow the College of Policing’s National Policing Curriculum underpinning the Policing Education Qualifications Framework (PEQF) to equip the students with the educational base to complement their operational experience in supporting policing and the communities they serve.

Since it launched in 2020, the collaborative programme has been a huge success with more than 300 new recruits joining North Yorkshire Police through the OU pathways and contributing towards the force exceeding its Home Office recruitment target. The first two cohorts of officers who successfully completed the PCDA are due to graduate this October.  

OUBS 40th anniversary and the key issues for businesses in 2063?

Founded in September 1983, OUBS officially celebrates 40 years this coming month. To celebrate this milestone, an anniversary-themed week of festivities will take place from Monday 25 September on our social media channels.

This includes asking, ‘What do you think will be the key issues for businesses in 40 years (2063)?’ Whether it’s sustainability, artificial intelligence, lifestyle or technology, we’d love to get your thoughts and you can also email oubs-alumni with your views in the meantime.

There will be lots of ways for you to get involved with the celebrations so keep an eye on our Twitter / X and LinkedIn for more.

Great National Student Survey (NSS) 2023 results

The OU received scores higher than the sector average for academic support, teaching, organisation and management, assessment and feedback, learning resources, and learning opportunities in the National Student Survey (NSS) 2023, the annual initiative commissioned by the Office for Students (OfS).

The OU continued to perform extremely well for its teaching and learning offer, with 92% of students responding positively when asked about receiving their assessment feedback on time – this is nearly 13% higher than the sector average.

More than 90% of students also said they are often challenged to achieve their best at the OU – this score is 6% higher than the UK average. Organisation and Management, and Assessment and Feedback were also some of the highest rated areas.

Further funding for Policing to improve process in rape investigations

Our Centre for Policing Research and Learning (CPRL) have received another year’s funding (£600k) to continue their work alongside the police to improve the way rape and sexual offences are investigated.

The CPRL research team (pictured) have developed processes aimed at turning the knowledge gleaned from Operation Soteria Bluestone, a report launched in 2021 in response to the UK Government’s End-to-End Rape Review, into practice for police forces. These processes aim to improve learning and officer wellbeing, and ensure the environment is ready for change.

In July, the Government announced a new national operating model (or NOM) for the investigation of rape and serious sexual offences, which was supported by learning from the report.

New CPRL Academic Director, Dr Emma Williams, said: “This £600,000 funding means we are able to keep a fantastic set of researchers for another year on this project. I really believe that Operation Soteria Bluestone, which has now become the NOM, offers a real chance for change in the rape and serious sexual offences (RASSO) arena. The need for better and fairer outcomes for victims-survivors has been clear for a long time and having the right knowledge, attitude and skills in this specialist area is central to this happening, as is officer wellbeing.”

Inge climbs to the top of the Hill in EntreComp Awards

OUBS Lecturer in Entrepreneurship, Dr Inge Hill, has received an EntreComp Champion Award for her teaching and policy work over the last nine years. This is the highest accolade for promoting and integrating entrepreneurial competences in the sphere of entrepreneurial learning, as outlined in the European EntreComp Framework.

This work includes her internationally-acclaimed sole authored textbook on new venture creation from 2016, ‘Start Up. A practice-based guide to new venture creation’, as well as her Directorship of Enterprise Educators UK since 2017 – see Inge’s OU academic profile.

Being chosen as an EntreComp Champion by an international selection panel of change-makers in the field of entrepreneurial learning is rare. It recognises those who are implementing practice and / or policy that is transformative – creating change beyond the own immediate work environment in the sphere of entrepreneurial learning.

Trio researching support for craft entrepreneurs

Dr Inge Hill (pictured), Lecturer in Entrepreneurship, has secured funding from the Institute for Small Business and Enterpreneurship (ISBE).

Her Research and Knowledge Exchange (RAKE) project, with co-investigators Professors Richard Blundel and Emma Bell, will investigate how policy regimes shapes business support for craft entrepreneurs, focusing on initiatives in Scotland and England.

Planned research outputs for impact include a public report and a business adviser toolkit for supporting craft entrepreneurs. The latter builds on Inge’s past practical experiences as a business advisor, programme evaluator and designer of business advice programmes – see Inge’s OU academic profile and also the Centre for Social and Sustainable Enterprise.

Remembering one of our well-respected tutors, Hor Chan

OUBS has paid its respects to a long-serving Associate Lecturer on the MSc Finance and MBA programmes, Hor Chan (pictured), who sadly passed away in July following a battle with illness.

During his long relationship with the University, Hor was a tutor, author and student. He started as an AL in 1998, tutoring on B821: Financial Strategy; and subsequently DB234: Personal investment in an uncertain world; B861: Investment and portfolio management; B858: Introduction to corporate finance; and B874: Finance for strategic decision makers.

Professor Dev Kodwani, the Executive Dean of the Faculty of Business and Law (FBL), said: “I am deeply saddened to hear about Hor. When we were developing the MSc Finance materials, I was programme director and worked with Hor. He was a thorough professional and pleasure to work with. We have lost a very valued and competent colleague in Hor, who was a long-standing tutor and friend to us.”

From an Access module to a Masters!

Jacob Mackenzie, a current Masters student with the Faculty of Business and Law (FBL), left school with his GCSEs and an NVQ in Business and Finance thinking that was the end of his academic chapter. But 15 years later, when a friend said she was set to embark upon an Access module with the OU, Jacob was encouraged to give studying another go.

He originally embarked upon an Access module, ‘People, work and society’, which he admits was nerve-wracking. However, he got such a boost in confidence after completing this, he immediately enrolled upon a BA degree in Business Management (Leadership Practice). A further five years on and Jacob is now studying a Master of Laws!

Jacob has now been converted by the power of education and said: “I didn’t see the power of education before but now, having seen how many more opportunities there are from having a degree, I am hugely appreciative of how transformational education can be.”

How to know your own value and negotiate the best deals for your career

Nothing is more important than believing in, and knowing, your own value. 

This understanding of who we are and how we value ourselves will help ensure that we speak up for what we want in work and life. This isn't simply negotiating at work, this is a much richer look at what holds us back from knowing and asking for what we really want in so many scenarios. A dabble of psychology, career management and negotiation!

A lunchtime webinar on Tuesday 26 September, presented by Eli Bohemond, will cover:

• What do you actually have control over and how to value yourself.
• Defining your value proposition to get clear on what you want.
• Negotiating with people you know and don't know, including a useful Salary Negotiation strategy.