skip to content | Accessibility Information

Daily notices for Friday, 14th October 2011

  • Bone Density Testing Day

    Following a successful event last year, the Reward & Planning Team have arranged another Bone Density Testing Day.

    Tests will be conducted by Tracey Hunt MSc, BSc (Hons) & Isobel Pugh MSc, BA (Hons) on Tuesday 18th October in the Ormond Building between 09:00 and 15:00 and is offered at a reduced rate of £27 (normal prices range from £40 to £50 depending on the company). Payment can be made on the day by cash or cheque only.

    Tracy and Isobel hold Master’s degrees in Exercise and Nutrition Science and between them have 20 years combined experience of working in the health & fitness industry. They have set out some background information about the nature of the test and osteoporosis below.
    Osteoporosis Awareness

    Osteoporosis literally means ‘Porous Bones’. It occurs when the rate of bone renewal does not match the rate of breakdown, eventually resulting in weak, brittle bones. Sufferers generally do not realise they have the condition until they break a bone, by which time it is too late for them to have the most effective treatment.

    In the UK, one in two women and one in five men over the age of 50 fractures a bone, mainly because of osteoporosis; however, their condition is generally as a result of a lifetime’s failure to take preventative action. In fact, the progression to osteoporosis can begin in the early 20’s – it is known as, “a paediatric disease with geriatric consequences.”

    More women die each year from fractures caused by osteoporosis than die from breast cancer. This is a frightening and unnecessary statistic for a condition that is both preventable and treatable.

    We will assess your bone density and fracture risk using a machine called a heel ultrasound scanner. The test is safe, quick, has no side effects and most importantly, it is painless! You put your foot in a machine that grips your heel, and ultrasound waves pass through it. Each heel stays in the machine for about two minutes. After the scan is completed, your results will be printed off and explained to you. There will also be time for you to ask questions, if you have any!

    Along with your results and explanation, you will receive an information pack with nutrition, exercise and lifestyle advice to enable you to safeguard yourself against the condition, greatly enhancing your chances of having strong and healthy bones for life.

    If you would like to book an appointment please contact Stuart Jensen on 0161 247 6221. The appointment will take approximately 15 minutes – longer depending on any questions – and results and advice are given immediately.

    If you are thinking about having the test, but have questions you would like to ask before you decide, please feel free to call Tracey or Isobel on 07951 152172 or visit www.bonematters.co.uk.

    Those taking the test will be provided with further information on the day and will be asked to sign confirming that they have read this and are happy to proceed with the test.

    Please note - If you are based at Didsbury or Crewe campus and are unable to attend the day at All Saints please let the Reward & Planning Team know. If there is enough interest we can look to arrange days at the other campuses.

    Stuart Jensen, Reward and Planning, HR

    Disclaimer: MMU does not recommend, promote or otherwise endorse the products, services or commercial offerings of any third party. By providing you with the following weblinks, MMU is merely providing you with an opportunity to find out more about special offers which may be of interest. These special offers may change from time to time without advanced warning. Please also note that MMU does not accept any liability for the external weblinks provided on these pages or their contents. Any weblinks are correct at the time of going live on this website.

  • Time Management Course

    We have 5 places on a newly-proposed Time Management Course running all day on Tuesday 22nd November at All Saints.

    Open to ANY staff who wish to gain an awareness of time management issues and/or build on their existing skills and practices.

    Course Content

    • examine personal barriers to time management
    • circle of concern and influence
    • personality styles and how these can affect how time is managed
    • prioritisation
    • time management tools
    • structured group work around common time management issues
    • personal action planning

    Objectives

    By the end of the event the participants will be able to:

    • state your current approach & problems in organising your workload
    • demonstrate effective use of prioritisation skills
    • select suitable tools & techniques to improve self organisation
    • prepare a personal action plan to implement and review time management practices

    Course Booking Forms can be found at

    www.mmu.ac.uk/humanresources/devandtrain/ and should be forwarded to OD & T, 6th Floor, All Saints or via your line manager's email to dandtcoursebookings@mmu.ac.uk

    Peter Woodier, HR

  • Honorary Awards - deadline today

    The deadline for 2012 Honorary Award nominations, is today - Friday, October 14.

    Each year the University recognises the contribution made by individuals of distinction through the conferment of an honorary award which both honours the individual and at the same time raises the profile of the University.

    This is an important opportunity for faculties to create an association with well-known individuals with a high public profile in relevant fields and to raise the profile of key areas of the University’s teaching, research and enterprise. In addition, the presence of high profile Honorands at degree ceremonies adds to students’ and their families’ enjoyment of the day.

    Staff and students are invited to submit nominations of individuals from outside the University who:

    * have made, or continue to make, a major contribution to the academic work, the development or the reputation of the University, or

    * have earned distinction for their activities in the fields of education, sport, business culture, creative work, or public or charitable service, or

    * have made a significant contribution to the North West region, or

    * through their achievements, or through overcoming disadvantages, present a worthy role model to MMU students and staff.

    Nominations must be treated as confidential and must not be made known to the nominee.

    All nominations will be considered by the Academic Board’s Honorary Awards Committee and must be submitted to the Chair of the Committee using the official University nomination form.

    Further details of the procedure, full criteria and the nomination form are available from:

    http://www.mmu.ac.uk/sas/govandsec/honoraryawards.php

    Please return completed forms in a sealed envelope marked ‘strictly confidential’ to Marion Burge, Marketing and Communications Office, Bellhouse Building or via email to m.burge@mmu.ac.uk by no later than Friday 14 October 2011.

  • Places on Disability Equality Action course

    Disability Equality Action Training for Staff

    Owing to last-minute cancellations, there are spare places as indicated below:

    Tuesday18th October (morning) – 5 places

    This programme, facilitated by Breakthrough UK, will enable you to:

    • explain and apply the social model of disability in practical, work based situations;
    • identify environmental and attitudinal barriers faced by disabled people in accessing employment, services and education, and develop practical strategies to challenge and remove them in dialogue with colleagues and managers;
    • identify key statutory duties as defined by the Equality Act 2010 and identify the ways in which these duties relate to workplace practices and the delivery of services.
    • identify current examples of best, inclusive practice and appropriate sources of support and guidance
    • identify your responsibilities and accountability under MMU’s single equality scheme with specific reference to disability related elements of the scheme.
    • develop the confidence and skills to communicate effectively with disabled staff and students;
    • recognise the diversity of disabled people
    • identify key changes that need to be made and produce an action plan to facilitate these changes.

    In view of the last-minute nature, please get your line manager/budget holder to authorise your attendance to dandtcoursebookings@mmu.ac.uk

    Peter Woodier, HR

  • Pennine closure

    The Pennine will be closed on Thursday 20th October.

    We are very sorry for any inconvenience that this may cause. John Dalton Refectory & Mabel Tylecote Green Room are open for hot food.

    The All Saints Coffee bar is open as usual serving sandwiches, baguettes & salad pots.

    Many Thanks

    Phil & The Pennine Team

  • 147 Oxford Road link bus

    The Environment Team and partners have launched a website about the 147 link bus service.

    The 147 service, described as the cheapest, greenest bus in town, runs from Piccadilly to the universities and hospitals and runs every 10 minutes.

    The website http://www.route147.co.uk/ offers:

    • Up to date service reports and news
    • A one stop shop for all the information on the service
    • An easy to use link which can be used on web pages and printed information (please do update your web pages and change printed information when feasible)
    • A simple link to send out to visitors, colleagues, conference delegates etc
    • A downloadable pdf of the new leaflet which includes a route map
    • Twitter and Facebook accounts linked to the homepage
    • Contact information regarding advance bulk ticket purchases for conferences and events

    The website will be updated over time and there is the potential for an online bus tracker to added in the future.

    Jason Smith, Environment Team Assistant

  • Crusts and Carbon - EGS Research seminar

    Tuesday 18th October, E34, John Dalton East Building, from 1.00-2.00 pm.

    Crusts and Carbon: Ntwetwe Pan, Makgadikgadi Basin, northern Botswana

    Dr Andrew Thomas, MMU

    CO2 emissions from soils and sediments are approximately 10x greater than those from fossil fuel combustion. Organic matter in soil effectively locks up C and delays its entry to the atmosphere as CO2. The soil C store is, however, vulnerable and atmospheric warming is enhancing the global flux of CO2 from soils to the atmosphere. Disturbance and land use change can also trigger processes which can increase CO2 emissions. Understanding how the organic C store will be affected by changing climate remains an urgent research priority.

    There is currently a poor understanding of the amount of C contained within soils of all southern African biomes. The extensive hyper-saline ephemeral lakes within the Makgadikgadi Basin in northern Botswana have been assumed to contain no organic carbon and contribute negligible CO2 to the atmosphere. The salt pan is devoid of vascular plant life, but a thin cover of cyanobacteria and algae thrive on the underside of the surface salt crust. This presentation explores the role of salt-biological crusts in the Makgadikgadi pan C cycle, presents data on the flux of CO2 from the variety of pan biomes and determines its sensitivity to changing temperatures and flooding. Alongside the scientific findings, I hope the talk will also convey some of the sense of wonder and occasional fear we experienced in undertaking the fieldwork in this remote and truly beautiful place.

More daily notices…

Go to a day in May:

or view full notices archive