Annual Report 2009 - St Mary's University College

St Mary’s University College 

Twickenham London 

Annual Report 2009 

www.smuc.ac.uk 





Inside this years 

Annual Report 

Annual Report 

2009 

Introduction from the 

Chair of Governors 02 

From the Principal 04 

Honorary Fellows 2009 05 

Schools 

Communication, 

Culture and Creative 

Arts 06 

Education 08 

Human Sciences 10 

Management and 

Social Sciences 12 

Theology, Philosophy, 

and History 14 

Chaplaincy 16 

International 

Office 17 

Estates 18 

Professional Short 

Course Unit 19 

Information Services 

and Systems 20 

Sport St Mary’s 21 

Student Services 22 

Student and Staff 

Numbers 24 

Finances 25 

01 

01









Introduction from 

the Chair of Governors 

+George Stack 

St Mary’s catering staff 

On behalf of the Board of Governors 

of St Mary’s University College I am 

pleased to introduce the Annual Report 

for the academic year 2008/09. This was 

a successful year marked by record 

levels of applications to undergraduate 

and postgraduate courses and a very 

positive outcome from the 2008 

Research Assessment Exercise. 

The primary mission of 

St Mary’s is in teaching and 

learning. This is underpinned 

and enriched by research and 

scholarship. Governors pay 

particular attention each year 

to those key performance 

indicators that relate to the 

quality of the student 

experience. I am pleased 

to report that the University 

College continues to perform 

well in terms of academic 

achievement, student 

satisfaction and employment 

prospects for its graduates. 

Strengthening the research 

base is also important as 

St Mary’s moves to full 

university status. It was very 

pleasing that the results of the 

2008 Research Assessment 

Exercise showed that research 

in Theology and in English 

was awarded the highest 

possible accolade of 4*, 

defined as “world leading 

in terms of originality, 

significance and rigour”. 

Success in any area of 

activity within the University 

College depends on the 

talents, commitment and 

contribution of its staff. In the 

course of the year a largescale 

independently organised 

staff satisfaction survey was 

undertaken. The results were 

very positive. St Mary’s is seen 

by staff as a good place to 

work and one they would 

recommend to others. As a 

result of the satisfaction levels 

that were recorded, St Mary’s 

has been designated an 

‘Employer of Choice’. 

On behalf of the Board of 

Governors I would like to thank 

all those who contributed to 

the success of the year which 

is explained more fully in this 

Annual Report. 

+George Stack 

Chair of Governors 

Board of Govenors 

– 

Research 

02 03









From the 

Principal 

Honorary Fellows 

2009 

Dr Arthur Naylor 

Dr Mary Eaton 

Welcome to our University 

College Annual Report for 

2008/09. It captures the 

highlights of the year in which 

we continued to expand 

numbers in areas where growth 

was not constrained, to achieve 

the 4,000 full-time equivalent 

student numbers that is the 

only remaining hurdle to full 

University title. Record levels 

of applications for courses 

were achieved for 2009 entry. 

However, with the cap still in 

place on home student 

numbers, expansion was 

focused, with considerable 

success, on international 

student recruitment. 

There were successes too 

in the Research Assessment 

Exercise 2008, which fed 

through into a 269% increase 

in research funding grant 

from the Higher Education 

Funding Council. 

Knowledge transfer activities 

expanded over the course of 

the year, in particular through 

the Centre for Workplace 

Health and the Centre for 

Bioethics and Emerging 

Technologies, both of which 

are covered in this Report. 

It was an exciting year also 

in student sport. Our strong 

relationship with Harlequins 

Rugby League was 

strengthened when we 

became the major shirt sponsor 

for the 2009 season. Like us, 

Harlequins RL is committed to 

developing strong community 

networks and developing 

sport and fitness at all levels. 

Among our strategic aims for 

2008-12 is full engagement in 

the opportunities afforded by 

London 2012. Following our 

designation as a Pre-Games 

Training Camp we were 

delighted to be chosen by the 

South African Olympic Team as 

their base for 2012 preparations. 

In describing particular events 

in 2008/09 I would emphasise 

that, through times of change, 

St Mary’s remains fully 

committed to maintaining its 

ethos and character and, as 

has been the case since its 

foundation in 1850, its 

commitment to wider access 

to education at all levels. It was 

very pleasing, therefore, that 

staff in Theology were 

successful in bids to the Charles 

Plater Trust. Fr Plater was a 

pioneer in widening access 

to higher education in the early 

20th Century and the Trust now 

exists to support “imaginative 

projects providing education 

for people from the most 

marginalised sectors of society”. 

In recording the events of 

2009 I would wish also to pay 

tribute to Dr Mary Eaton, who 

retired after thirty three years 

at St Mary’s, the last sixteen as 

Vice-Principal. Her contribution 

to the development of the 

University College and its 

mission has been immense. 

Dr Arthur Naylor 

Principal 

Centre for Bioethics 

and Emerging 

Technologies (CBET) 

– 

Centre for Workplace 

Health (CWPH) 

– 

2012 

Professor Ronald Barnett 

– 

Professor of Higher Education 

at the Institute of Education 

and Chair of the Society for 

Research into Higher 

Education: a past student 

of the University College. 

Sister Ellen Flynn DC 

– 

Former Chief Executive and 

now Chairman of the Board 

of Trustees of The Passage 

in Westminster; as a Sister of 

Charity, part of the University 

College’s Vincentian heritage. 

Dr Patrick Duffy 

– 

Chief Executive of Sports 

Coach UK, the National 

Coaching Foundation, 

Chairman of the European 

Coaching Council and 

Vice-President for Europe 

of the International Council 

for Coach Education. 

04 

05









School of 


Culture and 

Creative Arts 

Following the success of the 

Research Assessment Exercise 

(RAE 2008), the School has 

begun to establish a Centre for 

Joseph Conrad Studies in the 

University College. This will be 

a major and highly prestigious 

acquisition for the University 

College. The Centre will be 

run by Dr Allan Simmons and 

Dr John Stape, who will be 

acting as Joint Editors. The 

Centre will be an international 

base for research into the 

works of Conrad, overseeing 

the production of new volumes 

of his novels, based, for the first 

time, on the original texts, free 

of the editorial alterations which 

were present in previous 

publications of his work. 

Major scholars in the field will 

contribute volumes – three 

volumes are due to appear in 

2010, two in 2011 and with two 

or three volumes appearing 

annually after that. 

The School will continue to 

develop the research expertise 

in Drama and in English and 

Linguistics and, in addition, it is 

planned to establish a centre of 

research in Media Arts. 

Planning for a new MA in 

Sports Journalism has 

proceeded through the 

University College committee 

stages and the course is due 

to start in September 2010. 

Because the course will be 

run in collaboration with an 

existing Sports Agency, 

Sportsbeat, it has received 

accreditation from the NCTJ, 

the National Journalists Training 

Council. It is envisaged that 

this new course will be a 

successful recruiter. 

Focus on Performing Arts 

– 

In the field of Performing Arts 

there has been continued 

engagement with the local 

community, through work in 

schools, as well as work on 

a national level with a number 

of companies, including 

The National Trust. We have 

maintained and developed our 

partnership with the Creative 

Learning Department at 

Richmond Theatre, who 

continue to help us highlight 

specific schools within 

Richmond Borough where 

our work might make a 

significant impact. 

We also have a partnership 

with The Comedy School in 

Camden and some of our 

students have attended 

workshops there. This 

association could provide a 

useful and productive outlet 

for those students who do not 

necessarily work well in text 

based drama, or who do not 

necessarily work well in 

devised physical work, but 

who are very good storytellers. 

Often these are quite 

individualistic students who 

would not fit comfortably into 

company-focused productions, 

and this approach to comedy 

could well provide them with a 

niche and future employment. 

We have worked with Spiral 

in La Rioja in Spain. It is an 

Anglo Spanish company and 

we have been supporting some 

very interesting work there, 

working with a group of Senior 

Citizens, all in their 80s, creating 

a performance from their 

memories of the civil war. 

We are also working with their 

teenage grandchildren. This 

work will come to fruition in 

December 2009. 

Matthew Hahn has been 

working on his Robben Island 

project. That work is focused 

on the time when Nelson 

Mandela and his comrades 

were in the Robben Island 

prison. One of the men, 

Ahmed Kathrada, smuggled 

a copy of the complete works 

of Shakespeare onto the Island, 

disguised as a religious text. 

The prisoners used annotations 

in the text to pass on 

messages. Working in 

association with the Royal 

Shakespeare Company and 

John Kani, the great South 

African actor, actors performed 

a reading of the work in 

progress at Richmond Theatre 

for local schools and colleges. 

Drama 

“The Drama course took 

me on an important 

journey. We learnt an 

incredible amount about 

community theatre, and 

working as a company. 

We were able to work 

closely with established 

theatre companies as part 

of our course and it was 

a great opportunity to use 

Drama outside of campus.” 

D 

Drama St Marys blog 

School of 


Culture and Creative 

Arts 

– 

Centre for Joseph 

Conrad Studies 

06 

07









School of 

Education 

Physical and 

Sport Education 

The main area of development 

in the past year has been the 

major expansion of the Master’s 

degree, with a large increase in 

numbers recruiting to the course. 

Work has begun with the 

Richmond upon Thames Local 

Authority to tailor make the 

Master’s modules to the needs 

of new teachers beginning work 

in the Borough. One hundred 

NQT applicants are ready to 

embark on this project. The 

teachers make the application 

to the University College through 

the Borough. 

The Aquinas Centre has 

continued to expand its 

activities. There have been 

significant developments with 

Professor John West-Burnham 

launching the Aquinas Centre 

and leading a conference for 

the Three Universities Project. 

The work initiated by Prof. Pat 

Wade, the former Head of 

School, in developing a Master’s 

Programme in a township near 

Cape Town has progressed well 

and the first graduates received 

their degrees in January 2009, 

but were unable to attend the 

Winter Graduation ceremony. 

In September 2009 Dr Mary 

Eaton and staff from the School 

of Education visited Cape Town 

and held a graduation service 

for the ten successful graduands 

at St Mary’s Cathedral, Cape 

Town. This moving and inspiring 

ceremony was the culmination 

of this wonderful venture and is a 

fitting tribute to the excellent and 

dedicated contribution made to 

the School by Prof. Wade. 

Focus on Physical and 

Sport Education 

– 

This year has again showed a 

continued increase in student 

numbers in the Physical and 

Sport Education Programme. 

2008/09 had a First Year 

enrolment of 105, which 

constitutes a very large 

Programme. There has also 

been a significant increase in the 

number of students who change 

their status from their original 

choice to Single and Major 

Honours with us. We think that 

this is due to the way in which we 

engage with our students. Our 

courses are approached from an 

applied humanistic perspective, 

rather than a scientific one, 

which distinguishes our course 

from Sport Science. 

Master’s students 

We have also developed 

partnerships with schools and 

sports communities through 

work-based modules. An 

example of this is one of our 

students working at Chelsea FC 

to look at sport development. 

During the year, assessment 

procedures have been revised 

in order to improve further the 

tracking of students through the 

course. The programme carries 

out a great deal of profiling of 

our students, so that any issues 

can be identified. The tutor 

support they receive has been 

commented on by the External 

Examiners as being extremely 

good, as is the range of 

assessments we have in place. 

A new Master’s Degree, entitled 

Education; Pedagogy and 

Professional Practice in Physical 

Education, started in January 

2010. This degree is open to 

serving teachers, trainee 

teachers and people who have 

Sport Science degrees, PE in 

the Community, or other related 

degrees. It is either a 

community, or school based 

degree and we have twelve 

students in our first cohort. 

“Lecturers give you 

guidance for all of your 

work, as well as help to 

choose your desired 

pathway be it teaching 

or coaching. I have been 

on a number of work 

experience modules 

including schools, leisure 

centres and sport centres 

allowing me to apply my 

knowledge to the work 

environment” 

School of Education 

08 

09









School of 

Human Sciences 

Following a review of the 

portfolio of taught degrees 

offered by the School, a major 

programme of curriculum 

development was commenced, 

which still has one more year 

to run. This programme is 

designed to ensure that the 

degrees offered extend the 

range of educational 

opportunities and reflect the 

changes in career patterns in 

society. Last year saw a number 

of revalidations of existing 

degrees (like the Master’s in 

Applied Sport Science) which 

resulted in a wider range of 

choice for learners and a greater 

opportunity to specialise in 

depth (in this case, two new 

Master’s degrees were created, 

in Applied Sport Psychology 

and in Applied Sport and 

Exercise Physiology). The year 

finished with a more coherent 

and vocationally-relevant 

portfolio of degree programmes, 

which includes our first Master’s 

degree delivered by distance 

learning, in Strength and 

Conditioning Science. 

In terms of Knowledge Transfer 

we have been building on the 

establishment of the Centre 

for Workplace Health (CWPH), 

which was set up in 2004/5 

in response to a clear problem 

in society identified by the 

Department of Health. The 

continuing success of the 

CWPH has led to the creation 

of two new Centres, which are 

analogous to, and work with, 

the Centre for Workplace Health. 

These two new Centres, run by 

a newly appointed Director, will 

address needs identified by the 

elite and recreational sporting 

communities within society. 

The first is called the Centre for 

Health and Applied Sport and 

Exercise Sciences (CHASES), 

which offers a range of 

physiological, nutritional, 

biomechanical and psychological 

services. The other, dealing with 

the prevention, treatment and 

rehabilitation of injury, is called 

the Centre for Sport Health and 

Exercise Medicine (C-SHEM) 

and includes a physiotherapy 

clinic within its range of services. 

The third strand of development 

throughout the past year has 

been in the area of research 

activity, which has served to 

underpin all the other related 

activities within the School. 

Last year the School was 

successful in the Research 

Masters in Strength and 

Conditioning Science 

Assessment Exercise (RAE 

2008), the first time we had 

entered. The establishment of 

the Centres, mentioned above, 

provides an additional advantage 

of being focal points for research 

collaboration within the School, 

as well as being vehicles for 

generating income to augment 

related research activity. 

Work is ongoing to develop an 

International profile for Human 

Sciences, working alongside 

colleagues in the US, Canada, 

Australia and the EU, where 

there are very important links 

with other academics based 

in Higher Education Institutions 

within the areas of Sport Science 

and Allied Health. This work 

will open up opportunities for 

St Mary’s students and staff 

to take up exchange places. 

The MSc Programme in Sport 

and Exercise Rehabilitation 

continues to progress and 

develop well. 

Sport Science 

“The open door policy that 

lecturers practice is very 

helpful and they are more 

than happy to help me. 

I’ve got a great rapport 

with them. The Learning 

Resources Centre has all 

the relevant literature 

required for my studies 

and the round the clock 

computer facilities ensure 

I can use them whenever 

I need them. As a Sport 

Science student I benefit 

from the sports facilities 

and specialist labs but other 

resources are great too.” 

School of Human 

Sciences 

– 

Centre for Health, 

Applied Sport and 

Exercise Sciences 

(CHASES) 

– 

Centre for Sport, 

Health and Exercise 

Medicine (C-SHEM) 

– 


Health (CWPH) 

10 

11









School of 

Management and 

Social Sciences 

It is the growth of the School 

over the past few years, which 

has been most significant. 

There has been an even greater 

move forward this year. We will 

be concentrating not only on 

the established programmes 

we have – we have recruited 

strongly to all of those this year, 

as has the University College 

generally – but particularly on 

the new areas we have brought 

on stream – so the Mountbatten 

Programme will be one of the 

main features for us. It has 

delivered about five hundred 

plus students for the School 

and is very significant for the 

institution, in terms of 

collaboration. Also, the Diploma 

in Clinical Hypnosis is a very 

specialist programme and the 

only one of its kind in the 

country. We are the validators 

and awarding body of the 

programme, which is delivered in 

conjunction with an organisation 

called the BST Foundation, who 

are involved with the external 

teaching and delivery. 

Focus on the Centre for 

Workplace Learning 

– 

The Centre for Workplace 

Learning has been very 

significant in the past year, 

where there has been growth 

in the number of students 

coming through. We run the 

modules not only for the internal 

Management Programme, 

but also for a range of other 

academic programmes in the 

University College. One hundred 

and thirty students from sixteen 

different undergraduate 

programmes across St Mary’s 

opted to take accredited work 

placement modules as part of 

their degree studies in 2008/09. 

Getting involvement in 

workplace learning is a key 

feature now of undergraduate 

education and one that has 

continued to be fostered by the 

Centre. The uptake of places on 

these modules has increased 

each year, reflecting the 

students’ growing awareness 

of the need for the opportunity 

to put theory into practice, 

to gain experience, enhance 

their CVs, make contacts and 

build their confidence in the 

workplace. Employers also 

Awarded: The Malta 

Tourist Office 

welcomed the opportunity 

to take on enthusiastic and 

motivated volunteers. 

In June, awards were made 

to students who had shown 

exceptional commitment and 

dedication in their placements. 

Judolene Bergh spoke of her 

challenging work with the 

Richmond Young People’s Drug 

and Alcohol Support Service. 

Matthew Pittendreigh talked 

about his experience in a school 

PE department, and how he 

fitted his placement around his 

work as a special constable, 

his role as a senior resident at 

St Mary’s, and his studies. 

Perhaps the most unusual 

placement this year was 

secured by Sanaa Khan, who 

worked in the House of Lords, 

giving her the opportunity to 

gain invaluable experience in 

work, life and politics. 

Awards were also given to 

two employers, the Malta 

Tourist Office and Richmond 

Aid, who had offered excellent 

opportunities and support to 

St Mary’s students. 

“It is a fact that every 

student is worried about 

his or her future job. We all 

know that a good degree 

will not be enough and we 

need some real relevant 

experience. Understanding 

this led me to choose to 

take the second year work 

placement module. 

The staff in the Centre 

for Workplace Learning 

discussed my preferences 

with me and what I was 

expecting to do in the 

future. They also gave 

me tips on how and where 

to search for a placement.” 

School of Management 

and Social Sciences 

– 


Learning 

– 

Mountbatten Institute 

12 

13









School of 

Theology, 

Philosophy, 

and history 

An eventful year began with 

the confirmation of our success 

in the Research Assessment 

Exercise (RAE 2008). Allied to 

the designation of being ‘world 

leading’ in research by the RAE, 

The Times subsequently 

calibrated Theology provision 

at St Mary’s as being the best 

in London and clear leader 

among the Guild HE sector. 

Meanwhile, scholars forming 

part of our Philosophy and Ethics 

provision, under the soubriquet 

of ‘CBET’, the ‘Centre for 

Bioethics and Emerging 

Technologies’, garnered an 

array of consultancies and 

research grants, including a 

resource allocation project 

from the Plater Trust. 

In History the School was 

deeply saddened by the sudden 

death of Dr Michael Partridge. 

A leading scholar and expert in 

military and diplomatic affairs, 

Michael was also a much loved 

lecturer. His memorial service, 

conducted by Fr Gerry Devlin, 

was a moving occasion 

attended by family and friends, 

staff and students. 

Dr Michael Partridge 

As well as hosting a successful 

international conference on 

Contemporary Spirituality, 

numerous members of our 

team have been prominent on 

television and other media. 

2009 also saw the well merited 

awards of a Readership in Early 

Modern History to Glenn 

Richardson and Teaching 

Fellow in Catholic School 

Leadership to Alan Murphy. 

Recruitment success has 

meant student numbers 

across all programmes are up 

on previous years. Moreover, 

our burgeoning national and 

international reputation has 

been confirmed by an historic 

new collaboration with St John’s 

Seminary, Wonersh and 

preliminary agreements with 

two other international Houses 

of Formation. We look forward 

to the future with confidence. 

Dr Glenn Richardson 

Theology, Philosophy, 

and History 

– 

Catholic School 

Leadership 

– 

Research 

– 

Centre for Bioethics 

and Emerging 

Technologies (CBET) 

Philosophy with 

Theology and 

Religious Studies 

“The teaching staff within 

the Philosophy programme 

are friendly and 

approachable. They 

encourage interaction and 

discussion during seminars 

so I can get the most out 

of the subject, and they 

offer plenty of support, 

particularly with further 

personal reading and 

note-taking for essays.” 

14 

15









Chaplaincy 

International 

Office 

Carol Singing for Children’s 

Charities 

Growing in Faith: The 

Chaplaincy at St Mary’s has a 

strong Catholic identity, but is 

open to everybody of all faiths 

and none, with Mass celebrated 

on campus each day and the 

multi-faith prayer room being 

well used. The Chaplaincy 

Centre is purpose built and 

provides an excellent 

atmosphere where students 

can meet and socialise together. 

The Chaplaincy helps students 

to grow in their friendship with 

others, to feel supported and to 

be part of building community 

on our campus. 

The Chaplaincy team believes 

that it is important that students, 

while studying for their degrees, 

are also educated in their faith. 

During the academic year we 

organise various short courses, 

retreats and talks, as well as 

taking part in pilgrimages. 

Former student Claire Keily 

recently returned to St Mary’s 

to talk to a group of students 

on her one year placement in 

the Philippines which was 

organised by the Chaplaincy. 

Claire spoke of her work in the 

Katin Aran Children’s Centre 

and thanked the Chaplaincy 

for their generous funding 

which supported the food 

programme and the rebuilding 

of their Chapel. 

We have recently been 

awarded the title of Fair Trade 

Chaplaincy. The Interfaith Week 

was celebrated on campus in 

November to strengthen 

relations between faiths at 

all levels and build stronger 

bonds of understanding and 

co-operation. 

The Chaplaincy has introduced 

a Facebook group and the 

Chaplaincy blog and the 

students are responding well to 

the messages which we send. 

The Chaplaincy continues to 

play a pivotal role in the life of 

the University College, working 

closely with staff and students 

to ensure the continued growth 

and development of our 

community and beyond. 

– 

Chaplaincy 

Chaplaincy 

Facebook Group 

The 2008-12 St Mary’s 

Strategic Plan saw the inclusion 

of a new strategic aim: the 

expansion of our international 

dimension. The International 

Office, established in early 

2008, contributed to this in a 

number of ways: 

– We expanded the number 

of EU and non-EU partner 

institutions from ten to thirty, 

with wider-ranging 

geographical locations all over 

the world. This has enhanced 

both our home student 

mobility and our international 

student intakes significantly. 

– Our non-EU undergraduate 

and postgraduate student 

intake increased by 33% from 

2007/08 to 2008/09 and the 

attached income levels rose 

by 55%. The international fee 

policy was brought closer in 

line with sector standards 

and the foundations of a 

support infrastructure were 

also laid down. 

– To give us more international 

edge and visibility, we have 

joined the British Council 

Education UK Partnership; 

UKCISA, the UK Council for 

International Affairs; NAFSA, 

the Association of International 

Educators; ACCU, the 

Association of Catholic 

Colleges and Universities 

and BUTEX, the British 

Universities Transatlantic 

Exchange Association. 

– We created partnerships with 

local institutions that welcome 

and prepare international 

students for entering UK 

Higher Education. Part of 

these efforts was to create a 

Foundation Programme with 

three dedicated St Mary’s 

academic study skills modules, 

which was completed by 

fifteen international students 

in 2008/09. 

– We have started the 

development of an overseas 

agent network, to provide 

us with representation in 

countries that our small team 

cannot regularly reach for 

student recruitment purposes. 

The Head of the International 

Office was joined by a second 

member of staff, an International 

Officer, in June 2009. 

International Office 

16 

17









Estates 

Professional 

Short Course 

Unit 

Approved: New Sports 

Building 

2009 saw the introduction 

of a new cyclical painting and 

decorating Master Programme 

for St Marys. Included within it 

are also external repairs and 

attention to backlog 

maintenance. As well as looking 

at the external decorations and 

maintenance, Estates have 

combined the programme to 

make use of the contractors 

on site during poor weather and 

included internal decorations to 

common and shared areas. 

A programme of improvements 

and works to roads and paths 

was also initiated that has seen 

several improvements to 

access, as well as the creation 

of new pathways, such as those 

adjacent to L and K blocks. 

There are further proposed 

works to improve pathways, 

including the installation of a 

new path adjacent to the road 

to J block, together with new 

lighting, and the existing path 

to R block. 

The New Lighting Programme 

has also been introduced that 

will address the standardisation 

and improvements of fittings 

and styles to the campus’s 

lighting system over the 

coming three years. These 

more strategic long term works 

have been complemented with 

bespoke projects, such as 

improvements to the SU shop, 

a new SMUC radio station, 

completion of the Shannon 

corridor and WC suite, 

modifications to drainage to 

the LRC to combat potential 

flooding, site-wide electrical 

testing and repairs, energy 

conservation improvements to 

the chapel, major conversion 

works to provide new academic 

office suites in G block, 

refurbishment of the Waldegrave 

Suite, as well as major campus 

moves for numerous staff. 

With the additional creation 

of a new hundred seat lecture 

theatre and annexed offices 

to what was the old kitchen 

area within N block, the past 

twelve months have seen a 

great deal of work and change 

under way across the site. This 

could not have been achieved 

without the ongoing help, 

assistance and cooperation of 

various departments, groups 

and students. 

Energy and conservation is 

always high on the agenda, 

which is why we have recently 

been in discussion with energy 

providers to look at the use of 

renewable energy for our sites, 

including the possible installation 

of automated metering systems 

that will help us identify and 

better manage energy 

resources across our campus, 

as well as contributing to a 

reduction in C0 2 

emissions 

and running costs. 

With planning approval granted 

to build a new Sports Building 

and successful tender 

negotiations currently underway, 

2010-12 is set to offer even 

more challenges and allow us 

to deliver better facilities for 

staff and students. 

Campus Improvements 

In January/February last year 

the Professional Short Courses 

Unit started credit bearing 

courses in coaching with 

CPD (Continuing Professional 

Development). These were so 

popular they are being run 

again this year. 

We have focused on our 

strengths in the School of 

Human Sciences, using existing 

expertise to create one day 

courses for coaches in Strength 

and Conditioning. We have 

offered First Aid for Coaches, 

which gives the regular First Aid 

qualification, but one which is 

applied specifically to whatever 

sport the individual course 

members were involved with. 

There have been courses 

offered on Nutrition, focusing on 

hydration and carbohydrates, 

and these have been developed 

further this year. We have also 

added a course on Coaching 

Children and Teenagers, 

because coaching methodology 

should be different for younger 

participants and coaching 

qualifications normally do not 

focus on children. 

Student numbers have averaged 

465 a year. We are seeking to 

acquire funding from the 

Learning Skills Council to allow 

us to develop these courses 

further. The Unit participates in 

local charitable events, where 

we can demonstrate the work 

we do on our courses and this 

aids us in promoting our services 

to the wider community. 

We participated in our own 

charity event, the SMarts 

festival, and staff from the Unit 

also visited several schools in 

the local area. One of our 

recent students has set up a 

very successful clinic based on 

the work she had done with us 

on the ITEC Diploma Course on 

Holistic Massage, now called 

Body Massage. 

Professional Short 

Courses and 

Continuing Professional 

Development training 

Free Taster Sessions 

18 

19









Information 

Services and 

Systems 

Sport 

St Mary’s 

This has been a year of change 

within ISS. Máire Lanigan, who 

had been Director for about 

nine years, left in December 

2008 to take up a role at City 

University. Interim arrangements 

were put in place pending a 

review process and Martin 

Scarrott became the Acting 

Director of ISS. The department 

has continued moving forward 

and making improvements to 

services during the past year, 

which has been a challenging 

one, with tougher challenges 

to come. 

We have been concentrating 

upon listening to our users, 

especially students. We 

conducted a student survey 

and held focus groups, making 

sure that we reported back to 

students what they had told us 

and what actions we were 

taking. There were many 

positive comments about the 

service and about staff. One of 

the major concerns was about 

study space. Fifty percent of 

students wanted more silent 

space and fifty percent wanted 

more group study space. As a 

result we have redesigned our 

zones to try and make them 

clearer and we have 

successfully bid for funding to 

begin to create additional study 

space by replacing some of the 

old wooden library shelving 

with compact shelving. 

Further feedback was received 

through the National Student 

Survey. This revealed some 

concerns about the library 

stock. In response we 

successfully bid for a one-off 

amount of money to spend 

on text books. 

We have made considerable 

improvements to the way in 

which students and staff access 

our online resources. Self-service 

online password management 

was implemented and the 

same username and password 

are used to access most of our 

online resources and systems. 

This was an essential part of 

adapting our services to meet 

the needs of the distance 

learning students who joined 

us in September 2009. 

A major challenge for us has 

been the rising cost of library 

resources. Many university 

libraries are having to cut the 

number of printed and online 

journals to which they subscribe 

and reduce the number of 

books they buy. St Mary’s, 

however, has committed itself to 

maintain all library subscriptions 

for the academic year 2009/10 

and the expenditure on books 

will be increased slightly. 

Information Services 

and Systems 

The academic year started 

with a highly successful torch 

relay to mark the handover of 

the flag for the Paralympic 

Games to London by Beijing. 

The relay was organised jointly 

with Richmond Borough and 

Richmond upon Thames 

College (RuTC) and involved 

teams of staff and students 

visiting eleven primary and 

secondary schools in the 

Borough. They were set off 

from St Mary’s by the Principal, 

Dr Naylor, the Mayor and the 

Principal of RuTC, Kevin 

Watson, and schools organised 

their own receptions for the 

arrival of the torch, ranging 

from a whole school assembly 

on an Olympic theme, to drama 

and music productions. 

Probably the highlight of the 

year, though, was the decision 

by the South African Sport 

Commission and Olympic 

Committee to base their 

Pre-Games training camps 

for the London 2012 Olympic 

Games at St Mary’s and the 

Lensbury hotel complex. The 

team will stay at Lensbury and 

train at St Mary’s and other 

South London venues and visits 

may start as early as 2010, 

building to a full training camp 

in 2011 and then a holding camp 

immediately prior to the Games 

itself. In partnership with our 

South London colleagues in 

Go South Go, discussions are 

also underway with other teams 

that might be interested in 

coming to St Mary’s. 

In a very different, but 

complementary way, St Mary’s 

has played a role in the 

development and launch of the 

John Paul Foundation for Sport, 

which will promote the idea of 

value and virtue in sport and will 

encourage volunteering and 

leadership. St Mary’s is playing 

an important role in helping 

schools to engage with the 

programme, which may well 

feature in the Pope’s visit in 2010. 

In sport in general, St Mary’s 

enjoyed a high profile year 

as the main shirt sponsor for 

Harlequins Rugby League, 

which has led on to discussions 

around several exciting 

community initiatives in 

collaboration with the Rugby 

Football League. St Mary’s was 

designated as the lead for all 

London universities in the 

government’s Talented Athlete 

Sport Scholarship Scheme 

and now co-ordinates support 

for over sixty athletes in these 

institutions, many of whom are 

students here. Community 

sport, especially for young 

people, remains a priority, 

and the Youth Sports Trust 

designated the Regional 

Multi Skills Academy held at 

St Mary’s as a model of good 

practice, whilst the Simms 

Sport programme expanded 

and had another successful 

year offering opportunities to 

many local families and schools. 

Sport St Mary’s 

– 

Simmsport 

– 

2012 

20 

21









Student 

Services 

In the past year, Student 

Services has begun carrying out 

equality impact assessments 

on its policies and procedures, 

in order to ensure that they 

do not discriminate in any way. 

It is a requirement that this is 

carried out every three years, 

so it is an ongoing project. 

All new policies will undergo 

equality impact assessment 

before they are approved. 

The operation and staffing 

of the Health Centre has also 

been reviewed. When the 

University College nurse retired, 

a local Medical Practice took 

over the management of the 

Health Centre, as a branch 

of their Twickenham practice. 

This means that students are 

automatically registered with 

the main practice and can avail 

of their full service to patients. 

Student Services 

– 

Accommodation 

– 

Dyslexia and Disability 

Support 

– 

Money Matters 

The revised Student Charter 

has been completed and has 

led to work on identifying the 

key elements of student 

entitlement. Since variable fees 

were introduced a few years 

ago, we are trying to ensure 

that all students are aware of 

what they can expect from our 

academic schools and services 

in pursuing their studies. 

A review of the role and 

responsibilities of wardens in 

halls of residence was initiated. 

It is envisaged that the role 

of wardens will, of necessity, 

evolve into mentoring resident 

students in order to enhance 

their learning experience. 

To this end, we have already 

provided additional continuous 

professional development. 

22 

The Higher Education Funding 

Council for England (HEFCE) 

asked us to produce a Widening 

Participation Strategic 

Assessment. Student Services 

convened a small team from 

across the University College 

to complete this task. This was 

submitted in early summer. 

The response from HEFCE in 

the autumn was very positive; 

they commended the clarity of 

the submission and St Mary’s 

commitment to widening 

participation from underrepresented 

groups in society. 

23









Board of 

Governors, 

Student and Staff 

Numbers 

Finances 

The members who served on the 

Board of Governors as at 31 July 2009 

Student Numbers 

Expenditure 2008/09 

Total: £29,533,000 

Expenditure 2007/08 

Total: £27,692,000 

Mr A Carey 1,2,8 

Dr M Eaton 

Mr M Fry 10 

Mrs J Hamer 1 

Cllr E Jaeger 3 

Mr P Keech 4 

Mr D Kennedy 2,4,8 

Dr A Naylor 2,3,4,6,7 

Fr M Noonan CM 

Mr P Pledger 4 

Professor B Robinson 10 

Ms O Stannard – Vice Chair 2,7,8,9 

Mr S Uttley 9 

Mr T Walker 10 

Mr J Walsh 3 

Dr T Walsh 1 

Professor B Weiss 1,3,5,8 

Mr M Woods 5,9,11 

Foundation Degrees 

Undergraduate 

PGCEs 

Masters 

MPhil/PhD 

Total 3,928 

Short Courses 59 

Total Student FTE 3,987 

Staffing 

Full and part time 445 

14,000 

12,000 

10,000 

8,000 

6,000 

4,000 

2,000 

12,172 

Academic 

1,976 

Academic 

Support 

Income 2008/09 

Total: £30,691,000 

16,000 

14,000 

15,202 

4,636 4,087 

6,662 

Residences 

& Catering 

Premises 

Admin 

14,000 

12,000 

10,000 

8,000 

6,000 

4,000 

2,000 

16,000 

14,000 

11,557 

Academic 

1,801 

Academic 

Support 

Income 2007/08 

Total: £29,042,000 

14,932 

4,225 3,410 

6,699 

Residences 

& Catering 

Premises 

Admin 

1. Audit Committee 

2. Chairs Committee 

3. Estates Committee 

4. Finance and Staffing Committee 

5. Health and Safety Committee 

6. Honorary Awards Committee 

7. Nominations Committee 

8. Remuneration Committee 

9. Student Support Services Committee 

10. Staff Governor 

11. Student Governor 

12,000 

10,000 

8,000 

6,000 

4,000 

2,000 

Funding 

Councils 

10,130 

Fees 

181 

Research 

Grants 

5,162 

Other 

income 

16 

Interest 

12,000 

10,000 

8,000 

6,000 

4,000 

2,000 

Funding 

Councils 

8,505 

Fees 

389 

Research 

Grants 

5,131 

Other 

income 

85 

Interest 

24 

25









We were in the top 10% 

for student satisfaction 


Waldegrave Road, Strawberry Hill 

Twickenham TW1 4SX 

Tel. 020 8240 4000 

Fax. 020 8240 4255 


www.facebook.com/yourstmarys 

www.twitter.com/yourstmarys 

marketing@smuc.ac.uk 

26 

Designed by Mytton Williams – www.myttonwilliams.co.uk 

27

Annual Report 2009 - St Mary's University College

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