Learning and Teaching Strategy update 2008 Name of Service: Development and Alumni Office (DAO) Contact name and email address: Cathy Bell (C.Bell@admin.gla.ac.uk) Title of case study: Support from the Chancellor’s Fund for learning and teaching initiatives Keywords: excelling in learning and teaching, investment Description The Chancellor’s Fund, supported by donations to the University, provides an important source of unrestricted funds, enabling direction of funds to areas where they can have the greatest effect. The Fund’s Advisory Board has identified four key areas for investment: supporting our students: student welfare enhancing the learning environment: environment, facilities and equipment developing excellence: research, scholarship and teaching preserving our heritage: culture and heritage All donations to the Chancellor’s Fund contribute to one or more of these areas. The Advisory Board meets twice yearly to award grants to deserving projects across the University community. Recent examples related to learning and teaching include: Glasgow University Science Festival: £10,000 to bring the University’s scientific research to the community at large, as part of the GUSF. This annual event also focuses on encouraging young people from all backgrounds to consider a future in science and helps develop the existing communication skills of staff and current students £5,000 for development of an online resource to support staff engaging in the Scholarship of Learning & Teaching by providing practical, collegial, academic and pastoral support. summer studentship in high performance physiology: £5,400 to fund an annual studentship that will allow talented Physiology and Sports Science students to gain valuable experience working with top class athletes. This is a particularly timely award in the run up to the Olympics (London 2012) and Commonwealth Games (Glasgow 2014) high fidelity simulation in nurse education: £2,400 to allow nursing students to develop skills by practising with a simulated critically ill patient in a safe, nonthreatening environment. This experience will be furthered by use of video whereby students can review their own performance and receive constructive feedback. Training the water engineers of the future: £3,000 to provide the equipment for teaching the fundamental concepts of water treatment. These resources will be a vital asset for practical sessions which will be conducted in the recently approved Water Quality Laboratory and central to the public health component of the undergraduate and Masters degree programmes in this area. Conclusion The Chancellor’s Fund does not fund any items or projects which a department should cover in its normal activities and budget. There are occasions, however, when a worthy project does not fit into existing sources of funding. Such projects which fit under the aegis of the University’s Learning & Teaching Strategy may apply to the Chancellor’s Fund and those receiving funding play a valuable part in lifting the richness of University’s learning and teaching to a higher level than would otherwise be possible.