Open letter from Professor Craig Calhoun to LSE students

Greetings! As we gear up for another busy academic year at LSE I would like to welcome back all returning students and especially welcome new students. As I’m new myself, I sympathise with everyone trying to figure out what all the initials stand for and which building is which.

Whether you are new or returning students, you will be aware of the exciting opportunities offered by LSE. As the new Director, I hope to share in some of that excitement. I left New York University at the end of the summer term to begin the process of moving to London, and found myself in the heart of a city vibrant with debate, cultural events and, of course, the Olympics. This is a wonderful time to be a Londoner, and I say that as someone born, like many of you, thousands of miles from here (though I have had the advantage of living in England before).

Since my appointment was announced last November I have been working hard to meet as many students as possible. I have already met the student sabbaticals and other SU officers on a number of occasions and will be speaking at numerous Orientation events in the coming week. I will also be speaking at the UGM on Thursday 11 October and I am inviting all students to my welcome reception on Wednesday 17 October. I am sorry to say that we do not have room for you all to attend, and will have to hand out tickets through a random ballot, but I nevertheless look forward to meeting as many of you as possible. If you cannot attend these events, I will be giving an inaugural lecture on Tuesday 13 November, and there will be other opportunities for us to hear from each other throughout the year.

I welcome emails (though I have been warned not to say this because I will be deluged). I will post some thoughts on LSE’s intranet site and I will use social media to share ideas and thoughts. I am already on Twitter (follow me if you like: @craigjcalhoun) and will do a live session on Twitter on Monday 8 October from 3-4pm. From today you can pose questions via the hashtag #askthedirector. Please do so.

Whether by new or older media or in person, I hope to hear your views on LSE and to try and answer your questions. These will all feed into a more formal process that I am setting up to undertake a major strategic review of the School. Put simply, I am asking colleagues and students alike what the School does well and what it should do better. All universities face a number of challenges, and LSE needs to determine carefully what these are and how best to meet them. I will be back in touch with details as the term progresses. And the SU leaders will work to organise discussion among students.

In the meantime, I would like to reassure you that the student experience will remain at the heart of our concerns. By coming to LSE you are now part of a wonderful global family, one that will support you and offer you opportunities for the rest of your life. I am delighted to be part of that family and look forward to sharing a wonderful journey with you over the coming years.

Welcome to Orientation 2012

This is your chance to learn all about LSE and your place in it. Find out what events are on offer next week to give you a flying start in the new academic year.

Earn a 10 per cent loyalty reward on everything you spend in LSE Catering outlets

Use sQuid on your LSE card to make fast and easy cashless payments across campus.

Alex Peters-Day

'Try everything once. LSE is an incredible institution so take up as many opportunities as you can.'

Alex, general secretary of LSE's Students’ Union, welcomes you to the School.

Welcome to LSE - Orientation 2012

Welcome to Orientation 2012, the welcome to LSE which aims to provide incoming students with a flying start to the new academic year.

The School, individual academic departments, halls of residences and the Students’ Union offer a variety of events to introduce students to LSE’s structure, academic life and social life. Visit lse.ac.uk/yourFirstWeeks or lsesu.com/whatson to learn more.

Don’t forget to visit the Freshers' Fair on Monday 1 October from 10am-6pm and Tuesday 2 October from 10am-3pm, where you can learn more about the huge number of clubs and societies being run by LSE students.

Take a walk around the Houghton Street Fair between 11am and 2pm on Monday 1 and Wednesday 3 October to learn more about the wide range of services available to students at LSE.

While you’re on campus, you can’t miss the New Arrivals Help Points set up at various locations. These are staffed by current students who can help with questions about where to go and how to get there. Guided campus tours are also available from the New Arrivals Help Point opposite the main entrance to St Clement’s Building between 11am and 3.30pm from Monday 1 to Friday 5 October. In addition to this, local walking tours will be taking place from Monday 1 to Thursday 4 October and places for this must be booked online.

Also, make sure you check out the New Arrivals Checklist for useful tips on getting settled in quickly. Most of all, have a great time!
 

LSE has published its first Student Charter. The Charter was written by LSE students and staff with the intention of helping students and applicants understand the vision and ethos of LSE. It aims to set out the School’s core principles and provide a guide to services, structures and expectations.

Christine Child, Head of the Student Services Centre, said: ‘The Student Charter gives a succinct message about the uniqueness of the LSE community, and how students can make the most of their time at the School and continue to benefit from their connection with us after graduation.’

Want to see Kofi Annan, former secretary general of the United Nations?

Details of this term's LSE events programme are now online.

The programme includes an exciting mixture of debates, lectures, exhibitions, concerts and film screenings. Highlights include a lecture by Mervyn King, governor of the Bank of England, a conversation (being recorded for broadcast on BBC Radio 4) between renowned academic Manuel Castells and journalist Paul Mason, a talk by the CEO of the Royal Bank of Scotland, Stephen Hester, about 'Rebuilding Banking', and, of course, a lecture by Kofi Annan.

Information about all of these events can be found on LSE events website and you can also follow us on Twitter - twitter.com/LSEpublicevents.
 

More than 1,000 recordings from LSE's prestigious public lectures programme and other LSE podcasts are now available to download from SoundCloud, the world’s leading social sound platform.

The podcasts of LSE public lectures include speakers from around the globe, with talks by academics such as Professor Paul Krugman and Professor Amartya Sen, as well as politicians such as the prime minister, David Cameron, and former US president Bill Clinton. His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Bill Gates, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and Sheryl Sandberg of Facebook also feature.

LSE on SoundCloud will also host the School’s Causes and Things podcast, a new podcast series which offers a lively introduction to some of the ideas being explored by researchers at LSE, and the LSE Review of Books podcast, which aims to give listeners the opportunity to hear prolific authors and academics discuss the ideas behind their latest books.

LSE has been recognised for its environmental achievements. Its Environmental Management System has been awarded the internationally-recognised ISO 14001 status; and the School has obtained a ‘Platinum’ award, the highest level of certification under the Higher Education-specific ‘Eco Campus’ system.

The School’s Environmental Management System (EMS) allows it to manage strategically its environmental impacts by embedding sustainability policy into working practice across the campus and monitoring progress to demonstrate continual improvement in performance.

Over the summer, LSE Estates has made many improvements to the campus. Some projects were part of a regular maintenance and upgrade schedule, while others were undertaken in response to feedback received from student forums.

Some recent projects were:

• Shaw Library refurbishment - Following a six week refurbishment, the Shaw Library (pictured) was reopened on Monday 17 September. The Library refurbishment works included plastering all the wall and ceiling surfaces; repainting in a softer colour; upgrading the lighting to include lights for the paintings; and flooring repairs and recoating. The works mean that the much loved room can continue to be enjoyed by the LSE community. The first event held in the Library since its reopening was a drinks reception following a public lecture by the French finance minister Pierre Moscovici on Monday 17 September, which was hosted by Peter Sutherland, chairman of the LSE Council and Court of Governors, and LSE Director Professor Craig Calhoun.
• Towers receptions - Modernising the main entrance, due for completion November 2012.
• Lakatos reception - Main entrance transformation.
• Old Building locker room refurbishment - New flooring, recessed lighting, redecoration and installation of lockable storage cabinets for students.
• Campus re-numbering - Completion of the new numbering system across campus. More information on this can be found below in 'Notices'.

For more information and photographs, click here.
 

The Methodology Institute has been renamed the Department of Methodology. The change signals the full transition of the Department of Methodology to the status of a regular department, currently offering degrees and courses at the MSc and PhD levels.

In addition, the Department of Methodology sponsors walk-in Methods Surgeries once a week during term, a series of short workshops in quantitative and qualitative methods, research skills, and proficiency in methods-related computer programs, and a series of YouTube videos on popular methodological topics.

The Department of Methodology's staff currently consists of 14 full-time academic staff and two full-time administrators, and it occupies the top two floors of Columbia House.

Programme registration for continuing students

Most continuing students are now able to register online via the 'Registration for continuing students' option on LSE for You. You should ensure that you register as early as possible, and no later than Friday 12 October, after which the online registration facility will be switched off.

The following groups of students will not be able to register online, and will be emailed information separately regarding their registration arrangements:

• Students transferring from the General Course into the third year of a BSc degree

• Double degree students who are coming to LSE for the second year of their degree

• Students who are returning from interruption or who have been unregistered during the 2011-12 academic year.

For more information on registering for courses, visit Course Registration.
 

Travel light and only take the basics with you
There's not much that can't be bought in London. Remember to pack bed linen, though, as it won't be provided in your room. Alternatively, we've teamed up with one of our suppliers who can send linen and other basics straight to your hall - gailarde.com/lse

We're located in central London, so parking can be tricky
Even on a Sunday, some parking restrictions around the hall may be in force. Check the parking signposts to avoid fines. If you can travel by public transport or take a cab, you'll avoid the parking issue. Plan your journey with the Transport for London journey planner.

The last few rooms are waiting to be 'snatched up' at Wellington Lodge, near Waterloo.

New Undergraduate Students: don’t forget to meet your student mentor

The Student Mentoring Scheme offers all new LSE undergraduate and General Course students the chance to make connections with second or third year undergraduates, often from the same department. Mentors are students like you, but with more experience of LSE.

By now, your mentor should have been in touch to introduce him or herself and to set up a time to meet during Orientation Week. This first meeting is your chance to get to know other new students and to ask your mentor any questions you may have about settling in.

Your mentor will also set up another group meeting with you in week three and at other times throughout the year. Mentors are also available by email throughout the year to answer any questions that may arise.

Don't feel shy about getting in contact - mentors are disappointed when they don't have a chance to help.

If you haven’t heard from your mentor yet, or if you have any other questions about the scheme, email studentmentoring@lse.ac.uk.
 

Earn a 10 per cent loyalty reward on everything you spend in LSE Catering outlets

From September using sQuid on your LSE card to make fast and easy cashless payments in catering outlets across campus will be even better value.

A value of 10 per cent of your spend will be added to your Loyalty Purse weekly, each Monday morning, for the previous Monday to Sunday period.

sQuid provides the option for contactless payment for goods and services from a variety of vendors on campus using your student ID card. Visit squidcard.com/lse for more information. Register it, load it, use it.
 

Campus re-numbering

The School has completed the new numbering system across campus.

The Towers have now had their signage upgraded and the new numbering system introduced, which means that departments such as LSE Careers and the Accommodation Office will have a new room number. More details and plans showing both the new and old numbers can be found here.

Room numbers within each of the Towers will change in the following ways:

• The single letter prefix allocated to each building will be removed from all room numbers and replace by a three letter prefix.

• The first digit of the room number indicates the floor level, followed by a decimal point and then the allocated room number.

• In corridors, numbering will be in sequence as you travel through the corridor i.e. across and down the corridor rather than consecutive numbers along one side and then another.

For more information about the new numbering system, including change schedules and updated plans, visit the Estates website. If you have any queries, contact Phil Newsham at p.newsham@lse.ac.uk.
 

Welcome from the Library

A warm welcome from the Library to all students. As always we will be working hard to make your experience with us the best it can be. Here are some starting points to help you hit the ground running:

• Your LSE card is also your Library card. You will need a PIN which you can find on the ‘Library’ section of LSE for You.

• Use our Orientation guide to find all the information you need on getting started in the Library and where to get help.

• Search across our print and electronic resources in Summon.

• Explore your department’s Library Subject Guide to get to know the key information resources that you will need.

• Find out who your department’s Academic Support Librarian is. You can arrange a meeting at any time with these specialist staff to discuss information resources for your studies.

• Book on one of our training workshops this term to help you learn how to find, use and manage academic materials for your studies.

• Make an application for a locker on Tuesday 16 October from 1pm on LSE for You.

• Follow us on Twitter and Facebook for essential updates to services and other items of interest.
   

Some of the services for students include:

• IT Help Desk: for support regarding LSE hardware and software, network and email account issues and general IT queries
• Student PCs: Over 1,000 student PCs, including laptops to borrow and use in the Library
• PC Availability Service: visit lse.ac.uk/itservices/findapc for live PC availability
• IT Support for Disabled Students: IT support and assistive technologies
• 24 Hour IT Helpline: call 020 7955 6728 for support 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year
• Virtual IT Assistance (VITA) real-time assistance with an IT help desk advisor
• Laptop Surgery: for assistance with personally-owned laptops and mobile devices
• Free Anti-Virus: if your laptop or personal computer is not properly protected it can become infected within a few minutes of connecting it to the network
• Free IT Training: IT training is delivered in a number of ways, allowing you to enhance and improve your IT skills
• Online IT guides and FAQs: a series of online guides and FAQs offer advice and solutions to common IT-related questions
• LSE Mobile: this is the campus app for mobile phones

Welcome from the Disability and Well-being Service

Disabled students are invited to attend a welcome event on Tuesday 2 October in room OLD 3.21, Old Building, from 10am to 3pm. The day will provide lots of useful information about services at LSE as well as a free lunch.

The term 'disabled' includes students with long term medical conditions, sensory and physical impairments, neurodiverse profiles such as dyslexia or Asperger syndrome, mental health concerns and so on. You are welcome to dip in and out if you can’t make the whole day.

For more information, email Sue Haines at s.haines@lse.ac.uk.
 

On Monday 8 October, LSE, the LSE Students’ Union and the Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust will be hosting a series of events to draw attention to the issues surrounding depression amongst students and staff.

On the day there will be stalls on Houghton Street where you can pick up leaflets and freebies. There will also be two workshops and a 'Living Library', where people can confidentially record their problems in a secure and safe environment, in The Underground.

LSE Language Centre - here to help

The Language Centre has lots to offer new and continuing students.

Do you think you might need help with your English?
If English is not your first language and/or you have never studied in an English speaking environment before, the Language Centre offers a comprehensive support programme available to all students.

Want to take a language as part of your undergraduate degree?
You can take a French, German, Mandarin, Russian or Spanish course as a fully assessed part of your undergraduate degree. You do not even have to have studied the language before. Four Literature and Society options are also available, and new for 2012-13 is the option Linguistics for Social Scientists.

Do you want to take a language course while at LSE?
If you are a postgraduate student or an undergraduate who cannot (or chooses not to) take a language as part of your degree, we have a programme of extra-curricular courses. Our Certificate Course programme offers Arabic, Catalan, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish. Priority is given to LSE students initially and remember that you may be entitled to a free language course under the LSE Language Policy.

Additional services
If you have an important piece of work to submit, there is a proofreading service available to LSE students at cost.

LSE Careers

We have a packed programme of seminars, presentations and fairs coming up during Michaelmas term, so whether you are a new or returning student, and whether you know what you want to do or are still looking for career inspiration, now is a great time to come meet us at LSE Careers.

See our information for new students to find out how to:

• Search LSE CareerHub for part-time, graduate, or voluntary positions and internships

• Book one-to-one CV checks and careers appointments

• Develop your interview, presentation and communication skills and present yourself at your best to employers

• Research a huge range of careers online

• Find and book key events

• Keep up-to-date with application deadlines

You can also contact LSE Careers by asking a question on LSE CareerHub, emailing careers@lse.ac.uk, or dropping in to the Careers Resources Area on the 3rd floor of Tower 3.
 

LSE Volunteer Centre @ LSE Careers

The Volunteer Centre sits within LSE Careers and is here to help you find a volunteering placement at a charity during your time at LSE. We had many successes last year, shown in our online brochure, and we hope to build on them in the 2012-13 academic year.

The Centre offers a wide range of volunteering opportunities for you to get involved in, whether you have one hour a week or two days a week to spare. It can offer a wealth of advice on volunteering in London and overseas, plus how you can make the best use of your opportunities to make a difference in the world and help gain new skills for your future careers. You can follow us on Twitter, Facebook and through our blog.

If you have a question about volunteering please arrange a one-on-one appointment with the LSE Volunteer Coordinator:

• Tuesdays at 4-5pm, upstairs in SU Quad by Alpha Books (drop in).

• Fridays at 2-4pm, LSE Careers, Floor Three, Tower Three. Please book an appointment on LSE CareerHub.

Volunteering Fair 2012
Tuesday 9 October, 5.30-8.30pm, Senior Dining Room, Old Building
This is the perfect opportunity to meet the huge variety of charities which work with the Volunteer Centre including The Hackney Pirates, Read International, Restless Development, Reprieve and BeatBullying. Book your place from Wednesday 3 October at 9.30am on LSE CareerHub.
 

LSE's Teaching and Learning Centre

We run free year-round events and services that complement your academic learning and help you make the most of your time at LSE.

To make sure you don’t miss out, sign up to our new Twitter account, @LSETLC, where we’ll be posting regular news for you.

• Taught students: events on effective reading strategies, academic writing, exam preparation and much more, plus Maximise Your Potential (for undergraduates) and MSc Dissertation Week

• PhD students: interdisciplinary workshops, including writing coaching, research project management and strengthening impact, and the Research Festival 2012-13

• All students: expert well-being services - counselling, disability, treatments - that provide tailored support when you most need it

You can also reach us at 020 7852 3627, email tlc@lse.ac.uk, or visit us at lse.ac.uk/tlc.
 

Student Counselling Service

The LSE Student Counselling Service will be running a series of events during the first few weeks of term. These include presentations on being a student at LSE, good writing psychology, as well as workshops for MSc and international students.

A list of all workshops and presentations being held in Michaelmas term can be found here, and further details on the Student Counselling Service website. Events are free and open to all current students; there is no need to book in advance.

The Student Counselling Service will also run groups this term on stress management and self-esteem. These small groups last for three weeks, starting in November, and places must be booked in advance.

We are also running longer term therapy groups for MSc and PhD students. For a list of all the short term and longer term groups, click here.

For more information, call 0207 852 3627, visit us in KSW.507 or email student.counselling@lse.ac.uk.
 

Skip fit lessons

Security officer and former boxer Daniel Beckley is running skip fit lessons for all students and staff at LSE.

Build up your fitness, burn calories and increase your stamina, all within an hour.

The next lessons will take place from 1-2pm at the Badminton Court, Old Building, on Tuesday 2 October, Tuesday 16 October, Tuesday 23 October, Tuesday 6 November, Tuesday 13 November, Tuesday 27 November, and Tuesday 4 December.

Just turn up on any of these dates with your own skipping rope. All lessons are free to attend. For more information, email Daniel at d.beckley@lse.ac.uk.
 

More for less - take advantage of special offers for LSE students

LSE students can sign up now for an exclusive Covent Garden loyalty card.

The card offers discounts from 10-50 per cent at a range of shops and restaurants in the Covent Garden area. Students can simply apply for the card as the School falls within the half mile radius of the centre of the Covent Garden Market Building.

For more information, visit Covent Garden London.

On: Monday 1 October at 6.30pm. The venue will be announced to ticket holders
Speaker: Stephen Hester (pictured), CEO of the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS)

Stephen Hester took over as RBS CEO after the UK government was forced to rescue the bank from the brink of collapse during the financial crisis. Three and a half years after launching its recovery plan, the bank is in much stronger health. But, like the rest of the banking industry, RBS continues to confront serious reputational damage as past mistakes slowly come into full view of regulators, media, and the wider public.

Stephen will explain how an important factor behind the scandals currently affecting the industry has been its approach to customers. He will argue that improving that approach is the key to fixing both the culture and performance of the banks we all rely on.

The Crisis Always Rings Twice

On: Monday 8 October at 6.30pm in the Peacock Theatre, Portugal Street
Speaker: Professor Manuel Castells (pictured), professor of sociology and director of the Internet Interdisciplinary Institute at the Open University of Catalonia in Barcelona.

This event will present the analyses contained in the new book Aftermath: the cultures of the economic crisis, edited by Manuel Castells, João Caraça, and Gustavo Cardoso, and will be broadcast as part of the BBC Radio 4 Analysis series.

On: Tuesday 13 November at 6.30pm in the Sheikh Zayed Theatre, New Academic Building
Speaker: Professor Craig Calhoun (pictured), LSE Director

The university is an institution in upheaval. In his inaugural lecture as Director of LSE, Professor Craig Calhoun explores the options for the future.

Achieving your Dreams
On: Tuesday 2 October at 6.30pm in the Sheikh Zayed Theatre, New Academic Building
Speaker: Gurbaksh Chahal (pictured), entrepreneur.

Manifesto for a Post-National and Federal Europe
Date: Monday 8 October at 6.30pm in the Old Theatre, Old Building
Speakers: Daniel Cohn-Bendit, co-chairman of the group of the Greens/European Free Alliance, and Guy Verhofstadt (pictured), member of the European Parliament.

Reinventing Europe: one crisis, many futures
On: Wednesday 10 October at 6.30pm in the Sheikh Zayed Theatre, New Academic Building
Speakers: Robert Cooper, former director-general for external and politico-military affairs at the General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union, Richard Corbett, former member of the European Parliament and advisor to president Herman Van Rompuy, and John Peet, European editor of The Economist.

Free tour of Westminster Abbey for new students of all faiths

Organised by the LSE Chaplain, the tour will take place on Monday 8 October from 4.30pm. The tour will follow the service of Choral Evensong where the founders of LSE, Sidney and Beatrice Webb, will be remembered. The tour will finish at approximately 6.45pm.

Places are limited so sign up by 5pm on Friday 5 October by emailing chaplaincy@lse.ac.uk with 'Westminster Abbey' in the subject box. Please check that you do not have a class or departmental orientation event at this time before booking.

Regular chaplaincy services will take place as follows:

• Roman Catholic Mass
  Wednesdays at 1.15pm

• Anglican Communion Service
  Thursdays at 1.05pm (all Christians welcome)

For more information, visit lse.ac.uk/chaplaincy. If you want to be kept up-to-date with Interfaith events at LSE, email interfaith@lse.ac.uk. You can also follow the Chaplain on Twitter - @lsechaplain.

Nicole wants to hear from you!

Do you have some news, an achievement, or an aspect of LSE life that you would like to share? If so, then I would love to hear from you, contact me at n.gallivan@lse.ac.uk or on ext 7582.

The next edition of Student News is on Wednesday 3 October. Articles for this should be emailed to me by Monday 1 October. Student News is emailed on Wednesdays, on a weekly basis during Michaelmas and Lent term and fortnightly during Summer term.