Investing in Student Development –
How You Can Help
H
ere at QMU we are committed to helping students get the most out of their time at University. One of the ways in
which we do this is to run a number of student-centred charitable funds which improve the student experience
in various ways. These funds are generously supported by alumni donations and without your support we would
be unable to provide the kind of learning materials and experiences which enhance the student experience beyond the
ordinary to the extraordinary. Details on how you can donate are below.
The Vice Chancellor’s Fund –
Broadening Students’ Horizons
The Vice-Chancellor’s Fund was set up
by Principal and Vice-Chancellor Professor
Petra Wend with the sole aim of supporting
students who wish to take part in study
or research abroad. Offering part-funding
for student trips, the Fund has already
supported 13 students over the last two
years, with destinations as diverse as
Finland, the USA, Australia and the Czech
Republic. Professor Wend has been very
active in raising the funds to support these
trips herself – in fact visitors rarely leave
without having purchased a set of cards
which depict various views of the campus,
painted by Professor Wend, from which
all proceeds go towards this worthwhile
cause.
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One of the students who was lucky
enough to be funded through the 2011
round of awards was Sarah Sproule, a
third year Speech and Language Therapy
student. With the help of the VC’s Fund,
Sarah was able to accept a placement
in Brisbane, Australia, working alongside
speech and language professionals in a
completely different environment from that
which she had experienced in the UK.
“The time I spent in Brisbane was a
fantastic learning experience and I feel as
though I developed both personally and
professionally,” said Sarah.
“I spent 17 days working alongside
several speech and language pathologists
within many different school environments.
I felt proud to have represented QMU in a
new placement.”
Also benefiting from the 2011 awards was
Alice Stockton, currently studying for an
MSc in Dance Movement Psychotherapy.
Alice spent four weeks taking part in
a funded project in Uganda to help
rehabilitate street children through animal
assisted therapy and primate-based
communication and art activities.
“The project initiated very powerful and
important work, which was completely life-
changing,” said Alice.
“It opened me up to a completely new
culture; one so dynamic and vibrant and
quite different from my own. Having the
opportunity to facilitate therapeutic work
in Uganda has developed my skills and
means of adapting as a therapist.”
Alice graduated this year and is planning
to move to Uganda and establish her
new NGO, Kulwa-Abaana, providing
therapeutic programmes for street
children and advocating children’s rights.
(More information available at www.kulwa-
abaana.org )
If you would like to support the work
and development of our students
overseas, you can do so in the following
ways. You can purchase Professor
Wend’s cards, from which all proceeds
go towards the Vice-Chancellor’s Fund,
in our shop on campus or online at
www.qmu.ac.uk/QMU-Online-Shop.
Or you can donate directly to the
Vice-Chancellor’s Fund at www.qmu.
ac.uk/alumni_and_friends/VC_Fund.htm.
LRC Book Fund Fund –
Broadening the Learning Experience
The Library Resource Centre (LRC) Book Fund, which is administered by LRC
staff, offers gr aduates and their families the opportunity to support the learning
of current students by helping to purchase new books and electronic resources.
You can target your gift towards a particular area of interest, or leave it up to the
LRC staff to direct it towards the area of greatest need.
If you would like to donate to the LRC Book fund, donations can be made online a
www.qmu.ac.uk/alumni_and_friends/LRCBook_fund.htm
QMYOU / Alumni & Development News
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