The websites of the following departments have been launched. The departments use the Web Content Management System (CMS), adopting the standard University web templates:

- Department of Psychology
- Department of Spanish

IT Services is currently assisting the few remaining University departments to migrate or set up their websites using the Web CMS. More information about the Web Redevelopment Project is available here.

Click here for details.

Staff are reminded of It-Tajra Child Care Facility's Afternoon Drop-in Session from 1330hrs until 1700hrs, and is available from Monday to Friday until 15 June 2010, excluding Easter Recess between 25 March and 9 April 2010.

The Drop-in fees are:
•    €1.20 per half hour, or
•    €250.00 per term for unlimited time.

For an application and further information please contact:
Ms Jacqueline Sant, Principal
It-Tajra Child Care Facility
on ext. 2134 or
send an email.

Donating blood is a noble act. Blood is essential for us to live. It’s like the air we breathe without it we are unable to live. You can’t find it in shops and buy it, YOU have to give it – donate it - and it might be YOU who will in turn be receiving it. It doesn’t cost you any money but when you donate it, blood is priceless! It costs more than the most precious diamond – it saves lives!

An adult person has about 5 to 6 litres of blood. When one donates blood, the individual is giving only about 450ml (Less than a pint … imagine how quickly one pint of beer disappears on a Saturday night!!) This is less than 8% of the total blood volume one has. From a bag of blood one can take:

• Red Blood Cells
• Platelets (small structures needed for wound healing)
• Plasma (the liquid component of blood)

In other words, 3 people can benefit from one donor!

To donate blood you must prepare yourself with drinking a lot of water and by not eating fatty foods. Your Haemoglobin levels will be checked and a doctor will give a general check up before you donate blood to see whether one is healthy enough to donate blood so don’t worry that donating blood will harm you in some way!

So…we hope to see you on 16, 17 or 18 March, at the Blood Mobile Unit near Carpark 6 (next to Gateway) to donate blood. Don’t forget to get your ID Card with you! Please don’t leave it up to someone else.

DONATE BLOOD: EVERY DROP COUNTS

On Wednesday, 17 March, between 0900hrs and 1400hrs, a team of young volunteers from the Diocesan Youth Commission (KDZ) will be at the Msida campus with the aim of processing registrations for interested students from university to attent the Young People’s meeting with Pope Benedict XVI on Sunday 18 April.

With over 500 young people giving their energy in the setting up of this event, it is expected that 14,000 young people from Malta and Gozo participate in this event to be held at the Valletta Waterfront. The event kickstarts at 1430hrs with a concert by live bands, solo artists and dance groups. The musical programme features guest band Winter Moods. The young people’s meeting with Pope Benedict, lasting about an hour, has dialogue between the Pope and young people as the central issue. After this encounter, a concert with more live bands will continue until 2100hrs.

All young people are invited to attend and participate. Registration, on campus next Wednesday, or online through the website www.kdz.org.mt, is important to obtain entry passes for the Valletta Waterfront on Sunday 18 April.

Fr Michael Holman sj at the University Chaplaincy for three days of lenten reflections. These will be held on 29, 30 and 31 March at 2000hrs. All are welcome to attend. The theme of these reflections will be ' God is served only by loving'. Child minding will also be available on request.

For further info please contact us on 2340 2341 or send an email or Facebook: Chaplaincy Uni

Michael Holman SJ
A Jesuit priest and current Provincial to the British Province
Studied at Heythrop College (London University), the London Institute of Education, and in the USA at the Weston Jesuit School of Theology in Cambridge, Massachusetts ad at Fordham University, New York.
Taught at St Aloysius College, Glasgow; Mount St Mary’s College, Sheffield (Deputy Head) and at Wimbledon College (Head Teacher, 1995-2004)
Worked in the British Jesuit mission in Guyana, South America, helping develop a moral education programme.
Spirituality is the other ministry in which he has been most involved, along with prison and hospital chaplaincy while in Guyana.
In July 2005 became Provincial Superior of the Jesuits in Britain.
The province has responsibility also for Jesuit work in Guyana and South Africa.
Lectures at Heythrop College, University of London.

The Finance Office will be closed on Maundy Thursday, 1 April 2010.

University of Malta members of staff wishing to have items written-off are kindly asked to send their request to:  writeoff.committee@um.edu.mt.

Contact will then be made and an appointment set up to view the equipment.

The most uptodate version of the 2009/2010 University of Malta Calendar may now be accessed here.

The University Library is continually investing in academic database packages which contain numerous journals and articles covering all areas of study at the University.

In order to give you the opportunity to exploit all the resources at hand, the Library is organising free workshop sessions from 8 to 26 March.

There will be two identical 1 hour sessions from Monday to Friday which will be held at Dar Guzeppi Zahra, Computer Building, Lab 205.

Each session will focus on a particular area of study. Click here to choose your preferred date according to your discipline.

During the workshop you will learn how to search for online full-text peer reviewed academic journal articles, through an interactive demonstration and hands-on practice.
Needless to say, these e-resources would broaden your research material and considerably enhance your assignments.

To book please send an email on reservations.lib@um.edu.mt. Places are on a first come first serve basis. In your email please state clearly your preferred date and time according to the attached timetable. Should you have any queries do not hesitate to contact me on stefania.cassar@um.edu.mt

Stefania Cassar
Assistant Librarian

A new society 'The Maltese Oriental Society', has been founded for those who have an interest in the languages and cultures of the Near, Middle and Far East.

Those interested in becoming members of this society are kindly asked to contact the secretary of the society Dr Dennis Mizzi, at inf.mos@gmail.com (please note correction in email address). This society has been set up as an initiative of the Department of Oriental Studies of the University of Malta.

Between 6 and 10 May 2010, the Chaplaincy will be visiting Lourdes, Bartres, Cite' St Pierre, Gavarnie, St Jean de Luz, Col d'Ibardin (Spain) and Pont d'Espagne.

The group will be made up of staff, students and friends.

For further details of programme as well as costs please contact Fr Michael Bugeja sj by email or phone on +356 2340 2341.

IT Services is organising courses aimed at academic staff who want to use the University Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) to complement and enhance their study-units. Moodle is the VLE supported by the University of Malta. The courses are intended for beginner Moodle users.

The course consists of a single session of 2.5 hours. Three courses have been scheduled:

• Wednesday 3 March: 0900hrs - 1130hrs
• Thursday 18 March: 1400hrs - 1630hrs - Fully Booked
  
• Thursday 25 March: 1400hrs - 1630hrs - Fully Booked

All courses will be held at IT Services Main Site (Lab A).

More information about VLE training courses is available.

IT Services is organising the following PASW courses for members of staff and University students.

PASW Introduction: Monday 8, Wednesday 10 and Friday 12 March 2010 - Fully Booked
PASW Intermediate: Monday 22, Wednesday 24 and Friday 26 March 2010

All sessions will be held at IT Services Main Site between 1630hrs - 1830hrs.

More information about PASW courses is available for University students and staff.

Click here for details. 

Click here to download the Academic Year Planner 2009-2010.

Click here for details. [PDF]

Submission of Timesheets for Work Performed on Externally Funded Projects

Click here for details.

The UREC committee meetings for Year 2009/10 will be held as follows:

Friday 11 September 2009
Friday 9 October 2009
Friday 6 November 2009
Friday 4 December 2009
Friday 15 January 2010
Friday 5 February 2010
Friday 5 March 2010
Friday 2 April 2010
Friday 7 May 2010
Friday 4 June 2010
Friday 2 July 2010.

The Committee will deal with all those projects that it receives two weeks before the committee meeting.

Further information may be obtained by contacting Victoria Perici.

The University of Malta and MIB Malta Ltd (formerly known as AON Malta Ltd) are pleased to announce the renewal of the Employee Benefit Scheme for the period 1 March 2010 to 28 February 2011.

Click here for details. [PDF]

Click here for details. [PDF] 

Click here for information about health insurance for University of Malta staff.

Click here for details.

The following is the procedure to obtain a temporary parking permit:

Departments requesting a temporary parking permit for their visitors (including visiting teaching staff) are to provide an authorization letter on the Departmental letterhead and signed by the Head of Department. The letter should be shown at the guard room of the Main University Entrance (Mater Dei side).  On presentation of letter, visitors will be given a temporary parking permit, which has to be returned on their way out.

Please note that waste from outside the University is not to be deposited in the skips on campus since the litter space available is limited. Moreover, when the facilities are full, no further material is to be deposited outside the bins and skips. Facilities are monitored and emptied regularly.

The Office for Human Resources Management and Development would like to bring to the attention of all members of staff that information about job opportunities with the University of Malta is available on the Office of Human Resources Management and Development website. Members of staff are therefore encouraged to access this page which is updated on a regular basis.

This information will also be available, as usual, on the Main Administration Noticeboard of the University.

External Calls

Internal Calls

STEPS is one of the scholarship schemes offered by the Directorate for Lifelong Learning within the Ministry of Education, Employment and the Family.  The other two are the Malta Government Scholarship Scheme (MGSS) and the newly launched Malta Arts Scholarships (MAS).

The 4th Call for STEPS is going to be issued on 1 May 2010 (closing date is noon 15 June, 2010). Students in their final year of studies for first degree may apply provided that they have their results published by 15 September 2010. To be eligible, an applicant shall have at least 2nd Class Upper (Cat. IIA) in his/her first degree honours or 2nd Class Upper (Cat. IIA) in his/her first degree general and a postgraduate diploma.

Scholarships are for Masters (EQF Level 7) or for Doctorate (EQF Level 8). Since STEPS is an ESF funded project, the studies must come to an in 2013 and results published by 31 December 2013.

For those who wish to pursue studies leading to a Masters, the course can be full-time, part-time or through distance learning (provided that the programme of studies does not exceed three years).

For those who wish to pursue studies leading to a Doctorate, the course shall be full-time only (provided that the programme of studies does not exceed three years).

An information meeting for University students will be held on Tuesday 23 March 2010 from 12 noon to 1300hrs in Hall A M.A. Vassalli Conference Centre (Gateway Building) at the Msida campus.