University statement on exams and bad weather

Important Message Concerning Scheduled Examinations
The University is currently open and today’s scheduled examinations are proceeding as timetabled. The morning examinations proceeded with a normal attendance of students and staff. For this afternoon’s assessments many students are already on campus and more are arriving at the University. The decision has therefore been taken to proceed with the assessments as scheduled. Depending on the impact of the weather on attendance at this afternoon’s examinations, options will be considered with a view to ensuring that no student is disadvantaged. Students please check e-mails for further information.”

Haud yer wheesht!

In response to student feedback Level 4 of the Library has been transformed into a haven of quiet study and is now a silent study zone. There are individual study desks lining the wall or for those who prefer to spread out a large boardroom style table. The existing PCs have been moved to other floors so no study space is lost. We are always interested in student feedback – please use the Your Views service or ask for a form at The Base on Level 0, Saltire Centre.

Using the internet when on placement

If GCU students turn up at a GG&C library with their matric cards, whilst they are on placement (they must be on NHS GG&C placement and be able to prove it if challenged eg give ward details), read the terms and conditions and sign in, they will be logged onto a computer by a member of library staff. They won’t be able to print or downlaod (even onto a USB stick) but they can access email and email stuff to themselves and access any Blackboard. When they’ve finished they will have to tell a member of staff who will note the time, so that staff can monitor access. You still won’t be able to borrow books and this is a temporary measure, but the idea is eventually that all students on NHS placements will be issued with temporary logins by IT.

New Biosis previews database

We now have access to Biosis Previews from 1969 to the present as part of the Web of Knowledge database.
BIOSIS Previews is the world’s most comprehensive reference database for life science research. It covers original research reports and reviews in traditional biological and biomedical areas. It also covers references to primary journal literature on vital biological research, medical research findings, and discoveries of new organisms.
It indexes nearly 6000 journal titles.
You can search Biosis Previews separately or combine searches with the other databases on Web of Knowledge. Coming soon on the same platform: the Biosis Citation Index!

Trailblazing from the Royal Society

To celebrate our 350th anniversary in 2010, Royal Society Publishing will be launching several commemorative initiatives, details at http://royalsocietypublishing.org/seefurther. Today Trailblazing takes most of the headlines on launch day and it has already received international media interest. Trailblazing is a user-friendly, ‘explore-at-your-own-pace’, virtual journey through science. It showcases sixty fascinating and inspiring articles selected from an archive of more than 60,000 published by the Royal Society between 1665 and 2010. It can be found at http://royalsociety.org/trailblazing. Each article has a short commentary and is presented in the form of a timeline alongside a series of major world historical events to illustrate the content in which each discovery was made.