Bournemouth University is famed for its industry specific courses and combining academia with practical skills. In order to achieve this balance there are a range of specialist facilities on campus, as well as general learning spaces. This allows students to develop professional skills in the environment they can expect to find in the real world, as well as having a suitable space in which to study.
I’m most familiar with the facilities in Weymouth House, the large media building on Talbot Campus. Here, the animation students enjoy various dedicated facilities such as an art room, computer animation suites with over 60 CG optimised work stations, and a specialist Green Screen and Motion Capture Studio to refine their motion capture data acquisition skills, and get to practice applying special effects. Journalism students can gain experience of working in a real news room environment. The newsroom in Weymouth House has over 20 iMacs complete with the latest editing and digital content creation software. There are also five professional radio studios available for radio production students. In addition, the HD TV studio is the first of its kind in the UK, offering cutting edge professional equipment for students to train on including cameras, sound mixers and TV news and drama sets.
The specialist facilities aren’t just for media and production students. For those more geared towards Health and Social Sciences there are plenty of dedicated spaces to gain essential experience and skills. Three hospital wards have been specially set up, complete with talking, breathing mannequins, hand washing facilities, basic life support training equipment and injection trainers. The birthing suite allows midwifery students to gain experience of various types of birthing situations; it is well equipped with a birthing bed, birthing pool and birthing mannequins. The Faculty of Health & Social Sciences also boasts an operating studio, nutrition lab and occupational therapy suite.
These are just some of the wide range of specialist, industry specific facilities Bournemouth University has to offer. As well as catering to the specific needs of certain courses, the university is also investing in more general learning environments. Over the last few months a shiny new building has been steadily going up on Talbot campus. This five storey Academic Building will, on completion, have over 25 new seminar rooms, three lecture theatres, and (most exciting of all!) a sun terrace on the roof for relaxing outside with a coffee, making the most of the Dorset sun and the view!
Last year the university invested in the new Student Centre. This tall, attractive building is home to the Students’ Union and provides a great space to study, socialise, or plan society activities. This building is specially built with the environment in mind. Solar panels and ground source heat pumps are integral to the design.
Bournemouth really recognises the importance of practical experience, and acknowledges that this is best gained through the use of professional equipment in professional environments. The general study facilities are designed in a way to be conducive to effective learning, as well as aesthetically pleasing! All in all, whatever you’re doing, the university is a great place to be, and offers great spaces to be in.
By Olivia Beazley
