Welcome from the Dean of School

Over the last few years we have been in the process of restructuring the School and relocating to a single site. The changes we have made are almost complete and designed to modernise and create leading-edge courses in continually changing subject areas in a way that will meet the challenges facing Higher Education while also improving your ability to compete in the job market by laying a good foundation for a career in Electronics, Computer Science, Business IT or related subject areas. Our activities are focused into three departments: Business Information Systems (BIS), Computer Science and Software Engineering (CSSE), and Electronic, Network, and Computer Engineering (ENCE). Your degree programme will be centred in one of these departments but you may be taught by staff in other departments.

There are always organisational issues at the start of the academic year created by the volume of new students. This year is no exception - in fact more so because, at the time of writing, we are in the midst of moving into our new office accommodation and bringing our newly refurbished laboratories on-line. This is an exciting time for you and for the School. I would, therefore, ask you to bear with us a few days while we get you enrolled, registered, assigned to personal tutors and allocated to tutorial classes so you can start your studies. You can spend this time profitably getting to know your new campus, places to go, where to get food and refreshments, and all the other important stuff you need to know about life at University outside your studies.

We are required to report to the Higher Education Funding Council those not taking up places within the first few weeks of the semester. Non-attendance can adversely affect the success of your studies and potentially lead to exclusion from your course. It is vitally important, therefore, that you regularly attend lectures, tutorials, and practical classes. Participating fully in the course will maximise your results and make it easier for you to progress through the course to graduation - a day that your tutors, your families and supporters eagerly anticipate.

So, help us to help you by making the time to attend any introduction events or special sessions, particularly at the start of the semester, so that you are up to speed with the structure of the School, timetables, and anything else that might impact on your studies.

Best wishes and good luck with your studies this year.

Professor G.M. Megson
Dean, School of Electronics and Computer Science