BSU Meets BSU

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Newton Park plays host to meeting of the BSU Powerhouses

There was a meeting of the BSU powerhouses at Newton Park last week, with students from Bowie State University making the trip from Maryland to pay a visit to Bath Spa University.

The trip saw students from Bowie State University tour the country, hopping from London to Bath to explore UK perspectives around social justice.

Whilst visiting London, state-side BSU students saw Tony Award winner, and one of their alumni, Myles Frost perform in MJ: The Musical in London’s West End. The students also visited Buckingham Palace and saw the Crown Jewels.

Visiting Newton Park was a key stop on the tour, with talks being hosted to explain the history of the campus and the University itself. Activities also included a tour of campus, a look around the historic city of Bath and a trip to the Bath Royal Literary & Scientific Institution.

Bath Spa University Director of Learning Innovation, Development and Skills Helen King said:

“I had the pleasure and privilege of meeting Sheneese Thompson at the Adobe EduMax conference in October 2023. We immediately bonded over our common institutional acronym (BSU), being Adobe Creative Campuses and our interest in authentic assessment. It was a delight to host the faculty and students from Bowie State and to learn more about their University. We’re very much looking forward to future opportunities for collaboration.”

Jacob Bouloubassis, a Sophomore Business administration student at Bowie State discussed his experiences at Newton Park:

"I never imagined that a higher level institution could have such a unique architectural aesthetic. Bath Spa University incorporated the environment as well with historical buildings and landscapes to create a very unique vibe full of historical context for their students. I was in awe of the scenery of the campus."

Kate James, doctoral researcher at Bath Spa University, and Lecturer in History, Heritage, Oral History, and Newton Park and Country House History, spoke to the Bowie State Students during their visit:

"With the help of second year students Millie Watkins and Tyler Callaby, I spoke to the visiting group from the other BSU, about the history of Newton Park, and its complex heritage. They were a ready and enthusiastic audience and asked great questions."

Identical abbreviations aren’t the only similarity shared with our American counterparts, with Bowie State University also sharing a commitment to the social value of liberal arts and humanities education for students, as well as developing confident, professionally minded practitioners across the arts, business, science and technology. Much like BSU’s Newton Park campus, Bowie State University are also an Adobe Creative Campus, meaning our similarities span the realm of both professionalism and creativity.

Surmising the visit, Director of Undergraduate Programmes Richard Stamp said:

“It was a joy to meet and work with Bowie State faculty and students on the day. I was very impressed by the work the students produced on 're-imagine Bath's heritage' from the images and video they captured as they walked around Newton Park in the morning, and Bath's 'World Heritage Trail' in the afternoon.

I couldn't be prouder of our own students, too: Millie Watkins and Tyler Callaby, second year BA History, talked to our guests about how they made their 'Voices of Main House' digital project. Listening to the discussions between the UK and US students was inspiring – creative and curious minds in conversation!

Seeing the work that the Bowie State students made at the end of the day was a joy! Their perspective on Bath was subtle, incisive, and surprising, and it provoked some fascinating conversations around place, memory, and identity.”

We look forward to further collaboration with our American BSU counterparts in the future.