Study School, Jan 2010

Later this week we welcome a new intake of Masters students to Dundee for a Study School, prior to them commencing their studies in Archives and Records Management by online distance learning on Monday. Sessions at the Study School cover topics such as distance learning issues, what to expect from our programmes, academic skills and using the University’s Virtual Learning Environment.

The Study School also has a variety of sessions to introduce students to the professional theories, skills and competencies that will inform their studies and their careers and a number of our tutors and guest speakers are travelling to Dundee to meet and lead sessions with CAIS' students. Speakers coming to Dundee for this Study School include Sarah Wickham, University Records Manager, University of Huddersfield, Dr Jan Merchant, Assistant Archivist, Perth and Kinross Council Archive and Anne Grzybowski, Deputy Records Manager, University of Edinburgh. A particuar highlight will be Dr Norman Reid, Head of Special Collections and Keeper of Manuscripts and Muniments, University of St Andrews, reflecting on his career to date, his current position and whether there is any such thing as a 'typical' day in the professional life of a record keeper.

100 years ago...

In January 1910 students were returning to their studies at University College, Dundee following the Christmas holidays. Teaching at the College resumed on Tuesday 11th January, classes having ended for the holidays on 17th December 1909. Among the students at the college during the 1909-1910 session was Robert A. Watson Watt (pictured left), the future father of radar. This was a good session for Watt who was awarded the Carnelley Prize for Chemistry as well as the class medal for Ordinary Natural Philosophy. Another medal winner was David Rutherford Dow who was awarded the class medals for Ophthalmology, Operative Surgery, Junior Clinical Medicine, Systematic Medicine and Midwifery and Gynaecology. Dow would later become Professor of Anatomy at University College and in 1954 was appointed as the first Master of Queen's College, Dundee.

The 1909-1910 session saw 234 students at the college of whom 101 were female. The number of female students had fallen by about 10% from the previous session, which was thought to be due to the fact that new teacher training regulations made it less likely that women studying to be teachers would attend Psychology and Education classes at UCD. Despite this, there were a number of promising female academics at UCD. These included Miss Doris L Mackinnon, the assistant to D'Arcy Thompson (Professor of Natural History), who won praise from her superior for her 'excellent services' and ran the practical Natural History class with great efficiency and ability. She would later become Professor of Zoology at King's College, London.

January 1910 was a busy month for extra-circular activities. The month saw the founding of a UCD Rugby Football Club following a mass meeting held in the Classical Room of the College. The Scientific Society, which was one of the strongest societies at UCD at this time, held several meetings in January including a very successful musical evening. The Debating Society, which had only recently been reformed, held an 'impromptu concert' towards the end of the month where performers were both 'willing and able'. The Students' Representative Council meanwhile expelled two of its members during its monthly meeting since they had failed to appear at previous meetings and had 'produced no satisfactory reason for absence.'

This and more information about College life in 1910 can be found in the University College Calendars and the College Magazine in the University Archives, for more details contact archives@dundee.ac.uk or visit www.dundee.ac.uk/archives .

Happy Holidays!

We'd like to take a moment to to wish everyone a happy festive season and a safe and prosperous new year.

Our very best wishes,

All in Archive, Records Management and Museum Services and the Centre for Archive and Information Studies at the University of Dundee.

(University of Dundee e-card)

Who Do You Think You Are? Live 2010

We'll be returning to Who Do You Think You Are? Live for the fourth time early next year. This is the UK biggest annual family and local history conference and exhibition. Experts from CAIS will be there to meet people and chat to them about their experiences of doing research about their family or the area where they live, the sources they have used and the archival sources and research techniques that might help them go further.

We're really looking forward to the event at Olympia in February. We'll be at stand 708 and hope to meet you then. Meantime, the image to the left is a preview of our entry in the programme for the event, which we finalised today. To find out more about our courses in family and local history by online distance learning please take a look at our website (www.dundee.ac.uk/cais) or give us a call on +44(0)1382 385543. Remember to check back here from time to time too as we'll post updates on our plans for the event as they develop.