The University of Bolton's new Chancellor, The Baroness Morris of Bolton OBE DL, will explain on Friday, 16 July 2010, how the Government's new higher and further education agenda is 'right for Bolton'.
The Chancellor will advocate that new Government's higher and further education drivers should all be central to the work of a modern university.
Lady Morris is anticipated to say that the focus in the future will be on more technical and vocational education, modernisation, including shared services, and better progression routes into higher and further education.
Lady Morris said: 'With the new Government poised to deliver exciting transformational change my university is probably best placed in the North West to spearhead that agenda.'
On the issue of university league tables, it is anticipated that the Chancellor will highlight Bolton as a Top 60 University for the majority of its student population.
Added Lady Morris: 'Traditional league tables, focusing on first-year full-time first degree university entrants alone miss the point – 90 per cent* of our student population are not in that category.' (*Please See NOTE TO EDITORS*)
The University of Bolton will award a record 45 honorary awards at its summer Degree Congregation Ceremonies on Thursday 15 and Friday 16 July 2010.
These are the first University of Bolton Degree Congregation Ceremonies to be attended by the University's first Chancellor, The Baroness Morris of Bolton OBE DL.
At the Friday morning Degree Congregation Ceremony Lady Morris will be presented with two Honorary Doctorates by the Vice Chancellor of the University of Bolton, Dr George Holmes, a unique award for the University. She will then be presented as Chancellor of the University.
To celebrate and commemorate Lady Morris' appointment, those receiving Honorary Fellowships in the past from the University, under its former title Bolton Institute, have been invited to receive Honorary Doctorates at the Friday morning ceremony.
Thirty-five Honorary Fellows will be returning to Bolton on Friday, among them Nobel Prize winning scientist, Sir Harry Kroto; businessman and counsellor to the Muslim Council of Britain, Lord Adam Patel and the theatre, film and television actor, Frank Finlay.
In total, 10 new honorary awards will also be presented this year, over two days of ceremonies. Recipients include journalist and television presenter, Gordon Burns; Olympic cyclist Jason Kenny and Blackburn Rovers FC and former Bolton Wanderers' manager, Sam Allardyce.
Said Vice-Chancellor, Dr George Holmes: 'Visitors to the University on Friday could be forgiven for thinking they were at a Who's Who meeting, rather than a degree congregation.
'The range and eminence of those receiving awards is a testament to the standing of the University and its significance to the region.
'This is a unique occasion in our University's history. Welcoming our first Chancellor to our Degree Congregation Ceremonies is a cause for much celebration. We are delighted to mark this occasion by honouring so many. These celebrated academics, professionals, business people and community leaders have been great friends to the University and their support is greatly valued by us.'
Honorary Doctors to be presented on Thursday 15 July, 10.30am ceremony:
Samuel Allardyce
Sam Allardyce is the current manager of Blackburn Rovers of the Premier League. He was previously manager of Bolton Wanderers from 1999 to 2007 and Newcastle United from 2007 to 2008. He led Bolton to a League Cup final as well as guiding them to UEFA Cup qualification for the first time in their history.
'Big Sam' began his football career as a player, joining Bolton Wanderers as a centre-half in 1973 and is, perhaps, best remembered as a player for being part of the side which won the Second Division title in 1977–78 to secure promotion to the First Division.
Oleg Liber
Professor Liber is an innovative educator who has opened up effective ways of learning through technology.
At the University of Wales, Bangor he established its Centre for Education and Learning Technology (CERT). Based there, he set up a Centre for Educational Technology and Interoperability Standards (CETIS). He devised a system for peer-to-peer interaction in learning and he became fascinated by Beer's work on the flow of information and feedback (cybernetics). From Bangor he came to Bolton in 2002 as Professor of Educational Technology. CETIS (now with worldwide impact) came with him, and the University soon created the flourishing Institute for Educational Cybernetics. Here he has developed the Inter-disciplinary Inquiry-based Learning (IDIBL) framework, having a highly innovative approach which offers learners the possibility of acquiring a qualification while still working full time. Focusing in action learning and action research, the awards range from Certificates and Diplomas to First Degrees, Masters and PhDs.
Honorary Doctors to be presented on Thursday 15 July, 2.30pm ceremony:
Iqbal Memon
Professor Memon has worked as a member of several University governor committees and served as Chair of the Board of Governors for the former Bolton Institute. His work has spanned the Bolton community; a founder member of the Community Partnership Initiative, and the Council for Multicultural Studies, Professor Memon is also well-known doctor in the Bolton area. He was appointed by the Home Office as Medical Referee for Preston City Council and also Medical Referee to Lancashire County Council Adoption and Fostering Panel. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Institute of Public Health and Hygiene and also a Fellow of The Royal Society of Medicine. Originally qualifying in Pakistan, Iqbal Memon did his medical postgraduate training in this country. His widespread interests include healthcare, property and publishing. He is also an active member of the Asian Business Federation, based in East Lancashire.
Honorary Masters to be presented on Thursday 15 July, 2.30pm ceremony:
Jason Kenny MBE
Jason Kenny, born in Bolton, is a gold medal-winning track cyclist. He specialises in individual and team sprints. He burst upon the scene in 2003 during the first season of events in the Manchester Velodrome. In his second season he emerged as one of the top ten 15-16 year old cyclists in the country. In 2006 he competed for Britain at Junior level, winning three gold medals at the Junior World Championships in Belgium and three gold and one silver in the European Track Championships. In 2007 he won two bronze medals in the European Under 23 Track Championships. In 2008 with Chris Hoy and Jamie Staff at the Beijing Olympics he won a Gold Medal for Great Britain and a Silver Medal for the individual sprint, coming in behind his team mate Chris Hoy. In the same year, in the first round of the Track World Cup, he came first in the sprint and team events. In 2009 he collected Silver Medals in the UCI World Championships and Silvers in the U23 European Sprint team and Keirin Championships. He was awarded the MBE in the New Year's Honours List in 2009. He is now preparing for the 2012 Olympics.
Honorary Doctors to be presented Friday 16 July (10.30am):
The Baroness Morris of Bolton OBE DL
Patricia Morris, who was Vice Chairman of the Conservative Party, became a member of the House of Lords in June 2004, when she was appointed a Life Peer. She is now a Deputy Speaker.
In the six years as a Front Bench Conservative working peer, Lady Morris served as Shadow Minister for Education, Shadow Minister for Children, Schools and Families, Shadow Minister for Women and was an Opposition Whip. Lady Morris was also a spokesman on Health and Work and Pensions. Lady Morris is a member of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights and is also Chairman f the COnservative Middle East Council as well as Chairman of the All Party Group for the Arab League. Lady Morris is a member of the International Advisory Board of the Amman Arab University and also a Patron of the Committee for Education in the Commonwealth. Additionally she has been Vice-Chairman of the All Party Group for Britain/Palestine. She is currently President of the World Travel Market. Other parliamentary roles and interests have included being Vice Chairman of the Breast Cancer All Party Group and Vice Chairman for the All Party Group on Children and Families, as well as co-Chair of Women in Public Policy.
Lady Morris is a Trustee of UNICEF UK, a Trustee of both The Disability Partnership and the Transformation Trust and is president of the National Benevolent Institution.
She is uniquely honoured by the University with her admission simultaneously to the Higher Degrees of Doctor of Laws, for her contribution to legislative processes and democracy, and Doctor of Philosophy, for her contribution to political thought. Lady Morris became the first Chancellor of the University of Bolton on 1 January 2010 and her formal installation is celebrated at this ceremony. Her tenure runs until 31 December 2012.
Gordon Burns
Gordon Burns is a journalist and television presenter. He was born in Belfast and began his career on the Belfast Telegraph. He then turned to television, working for Ulster Television. A keen sportsman, he also worked for many years in ITV as a news and sports reporter. For 18 years he hosted the extremely popular programme The Krypton Factor. He was heavily involved behind the scenes as well, writing all the scripts for the first 17 years.
Today he is seen every evening as anchor man on the BBC's local news programme, North West Tonight. During the ten years he has chaired the programme, it has won eight awards for the best news programme in the region. He has also won the coveted BBC Ruby Award for the best regional news presenter in the UK.
Those also to be presented for Honorary Doctor at 10.30am:
George Almond CBE in recognition of outstanding contribution to the Fire Service and the region as County Fire Officer, President of the Institute of Fire Engineers and Deputy Lieutenant of the County of Greater Manchester
Professor Arup Banerjee OBE in recognition of outstanding contribution to medicine, especially medical education and research into ageing
Peter Bounds in recognition of outstanding contribution to local government in Bolton and Liverpool
Brian Bruce in recognition of outstanding contribution to the University of Bolton, principally as a governor and as Chair of the Governing Board
Josephine Burns in recognition of outstanding contribution to the arts and creative industries in Manchester and the North West
Jim Cartwright in recognition of outstanding contribution to the theatre as an innovative and highly influential playwright
John Cassidy in recognition of outstanding contribution to poetry and the teaching of creative writing
Cynthia Clarke in recognition of outstanding contribution to health and community relations
Sir Alan Cockshaw in recognition of outstanding contribution to the civil engineering industry and urban regeneration
Andrew Dickson in recognition of outstanding contribution to business and the community in Bolton
Pat Dickson in recognition of outstanding contribution to further education, the arts, business and the community in Bolton
Frank Finlay CBE in recognition of outstanding contribution to theatre, film and television as a distinguished and highly regarded actor
Les Gent in recognition of outstanding contribution to journalism and local history
Jeremy Glover MBE in recognition of outstanding contribution to Bolton, as Chief Executive of Bolton Lads and Girls Club
Anthony Goldstone OBE in recognition of outstanding contribution to business and commerce
Professor John Grant in recognition of outstanding contribution to writing, especially as the creator of the Lovejoy novels
Gordon Hargreaves in recognition of outstanding contribution to Bolton, as a businessman and chair of Bolton Wanderers Football Club
Dr Ron Hill MBE in recognition of outstanding contribution to sport and textile technology
Dr Brian Iddon in recognition of outstanding contribution to higher education, science and technology and to Bolton and the University of Bolton
Andrew Kluge in recognition of outstanding contribution to business an enterprise in Bolton
Sir Harold Kroto in recognition of outstanding contribution to science and innovation; Nobel Prize laureate
Roy Lancaster OBE in recognition of outstanding contribution to horticulture and broadcasting
Joseph Locke MBE in recognition of outstanding contribution to structural engineering
James McKnight in recognition of outstanding contribution to mechanical and automotive engineering
Chris Mack in recognition of outstanding contribution to the University of Bolton, as Governor and Deputy Chair of Governors
Zahida Manzoor CBE in recognition of outstanding contribution to race relations and the health services
Michael Parker in recognition of outstanding contribution to textile studies and the textile industry
Lord Adam Patel in recognition of outstanding contribution to race relations and the Muslim community
Meena Pathak OBE in recognition of outstanding contribution to business and commerce
Anil Ruia OBE in recognition of outstanding contribution to business and commerce
Pam Senior in recognition of outstanding contribution to health and to the university as a governor
Norman Stoller CBE in recognition of outstanding contribution to business and commerce and Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Greater Manchester
Peter Sydall in recognition of outstanding contribution to the University of Bolton, as Governor and Chair of the Audit Committee
Professor John Turner in recognition of outstanding contribution to education
Frank White in recognition of his outstanding contribution to community, parliamentary process and the regeneration of Bolton
Dr Anne Wright CBE in recognition of outstanding contribution to higher education
Honorary Doctor to be presented Friday 16 July (3pm):
Elizabeth Tatman
Elizabeth Tatman is a specialist in the development of young children. She trained and worked as a teacher of young children and went on to share her understanding of young children's needs through teaching adults about the work of early years, including lecturing at the Bolton Institute, precursor of this University. She is still active in the training field working as Verifier and Moderator of courses for the Early Years. Mrs Tatman has also lectured abroad on her specialism and is still active in keeping links with supporting training for the early years in Romania.
She also established the Toy Library in Bolton and has been Training and Development Officer for the Preschool Playgroups Association. She opened a Centre for the Assessment of Special Needs in young children in the town. She was a founding member of the Bolton Daybreak Rotary and has also been District Governor of Rotary District 1280, which stretches from Cheshire to North Lancashire and the Isle of Man.
Alan Cornthwaite
Alan Cornthwaite joined the former Bolton Institute almost 30 years ago, into a department that was very much under the dominance of civil engineers. He was one of only four staff whose major interest was in the design and construction of buildings. Alan, firstly as principal lecturer and then as the leader of the expansion of the Building Department, successfully developed the HND course in Building. In the past five years, following the award of University Title, he designed and led four undergraduate degree programmes in the Built Environment subject area. The successful growth of these courses was highly dependent on their being approved by the relevant professional associations. This was achieved by Alan's skilful guidance. Alan subsequently became Head of both Civil Engineering and Building and he successfully led the merger of these two departments as the Dean of Built Environment and Engineering.
Chris Minta
Chris Minta took up his second teaching post as Head of PE when he came to Bolton to join the staff of the Junior Technical School, housed in the Technical College of Manchester Road, in September 1960. His students registered many successes in sporting competitions. Chris became Chairman of the Bolton Sports Council and a member of the NW Sports Council, serving for almost ten years with both organisations. He was also appointed to an influential TUC committee on which he served for a similar term. As time went on, he devoted more and more energy to employer-employee relationships and the promotion of harmonious working relationships. In the international arena he has presented papers on health and safety in a joint conference involving this country, as well as China and Singapore. Chris is a member of the University governing body, a position he has held at various times over the past 14 years.
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*NOTE TO EDITORS*
Higher Education Statistical Agency figures for 2007-08, measuring first-year student retention, show that for part-time first degree entrants, the University ranks 59th out of 139 institutions. For 'other undergraduates' it is ranked 67th of 139 institutions. For full-time first degree entrants 152 out of 157 institutions but full-time, first-year first degree students account for less than 10% of the University of Bolton total student population.
UK 2007-08 figures for the University: 1,150 first-year full-time first degree entrants: total student entrants of more than 13,000.
More than 50% of the total student population of the University are part-time.