Welcome to the stakeholder newsletter from The Open University in Scotland
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Welcome

I hope you are having an enjoyable autumn. We’ve enjoyed welcoming new students, including our first Graduate Apprentices (see Employees at leading firms start Graduate Apprenticeships), and we’re getting ready for our next cohort of students starting in February.

This month we’ve been celebrating the birthday of the late Jennie Lee, the Scottish founder of The Open University (OU), who fought fearlessly for a university open to all.  

As always, do get in touch if you'd like to work with us. 

Susan Stewart
Director, The Open University in Scotland

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Latest news

Val McDermid and Mark Beaumont honoured by the OU

Honorary graduates author Val McDermid, endurance athlete Mark Beaumont, educationalist Dame Ruth Silver, and teacher and educational psychologist Graham Cameron joined almost 500 Open University graduates in Glasgow to receive their awards. 

You can watch this short clip of Val McDermid sharing her thoughts about the OU.

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Bus driver Scott says "It’s never too late to learn"

Bus driver Scott Montgomery is studying for an OU Social Science degree through Ayrshire College with the aim of changing career. He shares his learner journey in this recent blog.

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Carol Morris: “Girls - consider an engineering career"

Officially one of the ‘Top 50 Women in Engineering’, Carol Morris, OU Senior Lecturer in Engineering and Innovation, calls for more females to consider a career in engineering in this recent blog. 

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Access to sanitary products

Open University students in Scotland can get help to access sanitary products as part of a world-first Scottish Government scheme.

Learners at universities, colleges and schools across Scotland will benefit from the scheme, announced by the Scottish Government in August to help to eliminate period poverty.

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Mental health and wellbeing service available to students online

An online mental health and wellbeing service is available to OU students now.

Big White Wall is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, offering a confidential space for students to access resources and to chat with fellow students or counsellors to share their concerns.

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Celebrating success

Employees at leading firms start Graduate Apprenticeships

Employees at leading firms in Scotland - such as British Telecom - have started their Graduate Apprenticeships at the OU, which includes an induction day (pictured). 

They will be gaining skills and knowledge that will be crucial to both their organisations and their own career development, by studying for an OU undergraduate degree in Software Development, or an undergraduate or postgraduate degree in Cyber Security.

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How I turned to a life of crime writing: Olga Wojtas at Bloody Scotland

“I didn’t realise I had written a crime novel until my publisher informed me...I thought I had written a romp, albeit one with a significant number of murders.”

Olga Wojtas, a former Open University creative writing student, presented her debut novel at a Bloody Scotland Festival event. The OU was pleased to support the international crime writing festival. 

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Teaching with Facebook explored in new book

A new book by OU experts has had over 2,400 chapter downloads within only a couple of months.

'Creativity and Critique in Online Learning' will be of interest to anyone who wants to teach online and keep up to date with the latest methods and technologies for teaching through distance learning.

The editors and authors include the OU in Scotland's George Callaghan (pictured). 

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Event highlights

Nicola Sturgeon interviews Ali Smith at OU Edinburgh International Book Festival event

The First Minister of Scotland, The Right Hon, Nicola Sturgeon MSP, interviewed Booker Prize-shortlisted author and playwright Ali Smith at the Edinburgh International Book Festival 2018, as one of a series of events supported by the OU at the festival.

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Mary Beard and Loki lead OU events at Festival of Politics 2018

Rapper-in-residence Darren McGarvey aka Loki and poster woman for women and power Professor Mary Beard, were among the speakers at three OU-supported events at the Scottish Parliament's Festival of Politics 2018.

You can watch this short clip of Professor Mary Beard sharing her thoughts about the OU. 

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Refugees and asylum seekers across the UK to benefit from OU project

The range of free online educational resources available and of use to refugees and asylum seekers in the UK was explored at a workshop in Glasgow.

The ‘Refugees Open Educational Resources' project is part of the OU's institution-wide 'Year of Mygration'.

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OU Supports Third Sector Leaders Conference

The OU was the main supporter of ACOSVO's (Association of Chief Officers of Scottish Voluntary Organisations) annual conference for third sector leaders.

The ‘Rebel with a Cause’ conference focused on how leaders sometimes need to do things a little differently in order to succeed in today’s world of funding cuts.

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Spotlight

Susan Stewart appointed as a Fulbright Commissioner

Susan Stewart, Director of The Open University in Scotland, has been appointed as one of fourteen Fulbright Commissioners.

Earlier in her career Susan was the First Secretary for Scottish Affairs at the UK Embassy in Washington DC - effectively the Scottish Government's first diplomat in the USA.

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The Open University in Scotland

Jennie Lee House
10 Drumsheugh Gardens
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EH3 7QJ
0131 226 3851

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