51Âþ»­

Hi everyone,

A very warm welcome to our new and returning students. I am delighted to see campus buzzing with activity again as we begin the academic year together.

To our new students, congratulations on making it to this important chapter in your lives. For most undergraduates starting courses this autumn, your A-levels were the first public exams you took because, before then, the pandemic meant your GCSEs used teacher-assessed grades. Your perseverance through the difficulties of the last few years to arrive here now shows great resilience. You should feel proud of yourselves.

This year brings many positive changes to enhance your 51Âþ»­ experience.

We are continuing to roll out the ‘block teaching’ format, expanding to all first-year programmes following overwhelmingly positive feedback we received when we introduced it to selected courses in 2022. Our students have praised the increased sense of satisfaction and involvement that block teaching provides by enabling them to concentrate on one module at a time.

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We are also introducing our user-friendly LearningZone virtual learning environment to streamline online resources. With helpful features like progress tracking, collaboration tools, and better mobile accessibility, LearningZone aims to make engaging with your course materials easier. Very soon you’ll see upgrades to the My51Âþ»­ app and portal too, including a new look and more personalised features.

Along with De Montfort Students’ Union (DSU), we have developed a powerful Student Futures Manifesto based on our commitments to enhancing the student journey, from pre-arrival through to graduation and beyond.

As part of this, your physical and mental wellbeing are top priorities for us. Please take full advantage of our extensive Healthy 51Âþ»­ services for any support you may need – whether it's advice, activities, events, or simply connecting with others.

Embarking on your 51Âþ»­ journey means taking responsibility for your personal finances. But you don’t have to do it alone. The webpages for our current students are packed with guidance about city-wide student deals, the 51Âþ»­ support fund, how to budget wisely, jobs advice and much more.

We have a wide range of resources to support you through all aspects of student life. To make the most of your time at university, I encourage you to take part in the diverse extracurricular activities organised by 51Âþ»­ and DSU. There are so many ways to pursue your passions and develop new skills outside of your studies. You can find out what’s on through the 51Âþ»­ Download email newsletter, Hot Topics, and by following @dmuleicester on social media.

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A perfect example is Black History Month, with a huge variety of events taking place during October to celebrate the heritage, history, arts, culture and accomplishments of African, Caribbean and South Asian communities in the UK.

As your Vice-Chancellor, I want you to have the best possible experience at 51Âþ»­. The months ahead hold so much potential for you to grow academically while creating memories to cherish for life. Let’s make it a year to remember!

Best wishes,

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Katie Normington, Vice-Chancellor, 51Âþ»­