GCU Students' Association Student President Susan Docherty joins the Common Good Podcast to reflect on her 12 months in office and how she and her team have supported our students throughout the pandemic.

Susan discusses being the Student President during "these unprecedented times", the importance of positive mental amongst the student community, the challenges of remote working and her plans for the future.

Mark Majewsky Anderson, the Director of the Research and Innovation Office at GCU, joins the Common Good Podcast to talk about social innovation and how it ties in with our mission as the University for the Common Good. Mark explains what we mean by the term “social innovation”, GCU’s participation in two recent social-innovation projects and how the concept will evolve and develop over the next decade. He also discusses his "second life" as a playwright and author.

Douglas Little joins the Common Good Podcast for the final time to look back over his remarkable 35 years at Glasgow Caledonian University.

The Director of Estates, who announced he will retire from GCU at the end of April 2021, reflects on joining the Queens College, Glasgow in 1986 as a joiner, how the University was founded in 1993, the rapid transformation of the Glasgow campus and his role in the Heart of the Campus project in 2014.

Douglas is certain to be missed by his friends and colleagues at GCU and we wish him well in the next chapter of his life.

The importance of positive mental health has never before been so important, and GCU is always looking to improve its support for students and staff. Rachel Simpson, the Project Officer for Student Mental Health, and Helen Gallagher, Assistant Vice-Principal of Health and Wellbeing, join the Common Good Podcast to outline the University's mental health provision, how students and staff can access help and the launch of the "Spotlight On" series.

Dr Angela O'Hagan, the Deputy Director of the WISE Centre for Economic Justice at Glasgow Caledonian University, joins the Common Good Podcast to examine the theory behind feminist economics and the importance of gender budgeting. She also outlines the work of the WISE Centre and their role in influencing Scottish government policy, before talking about the launch of the new MSc in Human Rights at the University and the upcoming Ailsa McKay Memorial Lecture.

Elanor Cormack, a final-year student on the University's DPsych Sport and Exercise programme, joins the Common Good Podcast to talk about her research into gender stereotyping in sport and the harmful effects it can have on boys and girls. Elanor discusses how gender stereotyping can happen, which sports are more susceptible to it, and how teachers and coaches can prevent it from happening. She also reflects on her own research paper, "A systematic review of gender stereotype beliefs and their relationship with youth sport participation and performance" and how its findings can be put into practice.

Melissa Pettigrew, a Recruitment and Events Administrative Assistant at GCU, joins the Common Good Podcast to discuss the importance of student recruitment to the University. She talks about how the global pandemic has changed the way her and her team work and the challenges in bringing in new students. Melissa also talks about her own journey, from a GCU student to a member of staff.

Peter Yetton, the Head of Visas, Immigration Support and Advice, returns to the Common Good Podcast to talk about how the coronavirus pandemic and Brexit will impact on GCU’s ability to recruit students.

In this wide-ranging podcast, Peter sets out the challenges posed by the pandemic and how the University can respond to it, and how it will usher in new ways of working.

He also examines Brexit and how it should be treated as an opportunity for the higher-education sector.

Dr Kate McAulay from the Department of Applied Science joins the Common Good Podcast to discuss her research into developing a gel that can clean micropollutants from water. Dr McAulay talks about the science behind her theory, how it will work in practice and the benefits it could bring to the pharmaceutical industry. She also discusses her background in chemistry and science and some of the barriers women face in academia.

The University Archivist, Carole McCallum, joins the Common Good Podcast to discuss the veritable treasure trove stored inside our archives. Carole talks about the various items stored within the archives, including some high-profile collections, the history of GCU, and why it's important we document and preserve items from the past.

Learn more about the Archive Centre at GCU by visiting the website:

https://www.gcu.ac.uk/archives/