Dean Sets Buxton's Sights High
3 May 2011
Dr Peter Dewhurst, Dean of the Buxton Faculty
Our students value Buxton's focus on real-world applied learning, and I have encouraged programme leaders to develop partnerships within industry to the betterment of the student experience, and the enhancement of their employability.
”Dr Peter Dewhurst, the Dean of the University's Buxton Faculty, talks about how the Campus' unique features make it a special place to lead, as well as a special place to study.
Prior to joining the University of Derby Buxton, Dr Dewhurst had acted as an external examiner on its degree programmes, and was hugely impressed by the testimonials and feedback of its students.
"Meeting with the students at Buxton I always found they talked very warmly about the support they received from the academic team. I realised this was one of this intimate campus' real strengths.
"Since becoming Dean I've worked to ensure this emphasis on the individual student experience is embedded across all of our programmes. Our students also value Buxton's focus on real-world applied learning, and I have encouraged programme leaders to develop partnerships within industry to the betterment of the student experience, and the enhancement of their employability.
"For example, our Events Management programme team has links with major industry players including Capita Symonds Leisure Safety Group who it worked with to jointly develop the Event Safety Diploma, delivered through UDC.
"We are also a World Martial Arts Council (WMAC) Centre of Excellence, and have developed sports coaching qualifications for its members.
"Relationships like these undoubtedly enhance the experience of our on-site students."
Peter feels that the Buxton Faculty is well placed to meet the University's online distance learning and international agendas, with a number of its international partnerships maturing, and new opportunities for online and international delivery emerging.
"Our link with the Swiss Education Group has grown from one point of delivery to two, and I had the pleasure of attending the awards ceremonies at both Neuchatel and Leysin earlier this year.
"On speaking to the graduates it was clear they appreciated and connected with our approach to learning and I'm confident that some of these alumni, many of whom are working at senior levels in major hotel companies, will embark on the new online MA in International Hospitality Management that we have recently developed."
"Another relationship with Stenden University, who have campuses in the Netherlands, Bali, Qatar and Thailand is also evolving, and opening up opportunities for progression agreements and in-country delivery.
"Making sure that our products and programme content are fit for purpose for alternative methods of delivery is one of our key objectives at present," he added.
Increasing emphasis is being placed on the Faculty's research agenda, and it has welcomed a number of academics over the past year including Eleni Michopoulou, Nikolaos Pappas and Andrew Cowen. These academics are currently carrying out studies with real world application in, amongst other areas, tourism and sport psychology.
"Research hasn't been central to our approach in the past, but is vital in the future to refresh the curriculum. I hope that we will achieve a virtuous circle between research, third stream income generation and the core curriculum. Our core business is teaching, so research must always have a benefit; refreshing, informing and updating the curriculum."
As both a home for the School of Culture and Lifestyle and Buxton College, the Buxton Campus is unique in that it will have to face changes affecting both higher and further education.
"Further education will undoubtedly be affected by changes to the HE fee regime coming into effect in 2012, as well as the education agenda set by government which has an increasing emphasis on apprenticeships," Peter said.
"We want to ensure that our FE students aspire to continuing into higher education. Although students can stay at Buxton and move into HE, we know that a change of scenery is appealing and beneficial. We intend to strengthen the links between the college and the HE programmes on offer within Derby's EHS, BCL and ADT faculties - providing opportunities for college students to investigate and explore through open days for example."
Communicating the campus' unique features is of primary importance in the future, to face up to challenges and seize opportunities. "We must communicate that our offer is different to that of other institutions. We offer premium quality applied real world learning and our programmes have valuable links with industry, all of which is key to maximising students' career potential.
"I believe these features will set our programmes apart, and appeal to potential students as they begin to think more deeply about the value of their degree and the career opportunities it brings under the new fee regime."
