Ensure renewal of Dr. Ian Jenkins' contract for Zoology and Ecology

9 years ago Featured

Dr Ian Jenkins is the only anatomy and physiology lecturer in the zoology department with most of the others being solely ecology based. This is worrying to me because I applied for a zoology degree and not an ecology degree. Reading's zoology course stands out amongst other due to its unique content that I fear would be lost without Dr Jenkins' influence. He is one of my favourite lecturers due to his approachable personality and his clear enthusiasm and understanding of his subject. He has an extremely varied background and I feel this adds a depth to his teaching that other lecturers don't have. I would be extremely disappointed and dissatisfied if Dr Jenkins was not a part of the teaching staff for zoology next year.

Dr Ian Jenkins has played a significant role in my first year here at Reading and I was disappointed to find out that Ian’s contract would be ending this year. From the first Reading University open day I attended Ian made a great impression on myself and also my parents. He was extremely informative on the course and spent the time to talk to us, even quizzing me on samples found in the Zoology labs. This level of engagement and friendly demeanour consequently contributed, if only a little, to my decision to confirm my place as here. Furthermore, when attending my first week here as a student Ian surprised me by not only remembering my name but also where I am from. This was comforting and definitely helped my transition to university because in other lectures it is very easy to become a nameless face so it was refreshing to be seen as an individual to at least one lecturer. This year I have been taught by several lecturers, many of which have been outstanding but Ian’s lecturers are definitely the most memorable. Whilst his lectures are challenging they are also extremely rewarding and held my concentration in a way few others did. Looking at the course content for my next 2 years studying here, I am concerned that one of the modules that really drew me to Reading University, Paleozoology, may no longer exist as Ian is the course convenor. This would be a real shame as not only am I extremely interested in this subject, but also I feel the course may become slightly more dominated by ecology based modules. I preferred Reading University to other universities because of the course content, so I would be disappointed if the Zoology course were to change. I realise that there are many factors that go into the decision of whether or not to renew a contract but for what it is worth, in this case I believe keeping Ian as a member of staff would be beneficial for current and future Zoology students.

Mr Ian Jenkins was one of the largest reasons why I applied to study at this university. His enthusiasm and interest in the natural world were clear from the first time I spoke with him. He gave up time in his schedule to talk to me personally and inform me about the course and its many good features. All of his lectures on Animal Diversity were excellent and he covered the large amount of information in the short time given and made it interesting and enjoyable. However what I like most about Dr. Ian Jenkins is that he makes an effort to know each student personally. I was hugely impressed by the fact that he had learned everyone's names by our first practical with him. He also is willing to share about his life with us in a way that makes us feel like we matter. He treats me like a person and one of the next generation of scientists rather than just another student passing through each year in their thousands. He does better than any other lecturer that I have had in student relations and on top of that he is an excellent teacher who makes sure each of his points are clearly understood before moving on. The university would be mad not to keep him in their ranks. If he goes they lose one of their friendliest, intelligent and thorough lecturers. Someone who doesn't treat us like numbers but like friends.

Dr. Ian Jenkins has remained one of my favorite lecturers throughout my first year. He has gone above and beyond in all of lectures, making sure students understood while passing on great deals of information. The fact that he has taken the liberty of learning everyone's names speaks great deals about how much he cares and I don't think many other lecturers have gone to the same lengths. Overall he has enriched my learning experience at the university and speaking to him on University open days was a reassuring and contributing factor for me coming here in the first place, it saddens me to hear the change in his contract so future first years won't have the same engagement with such a passionate individual in years to come and I also would like to continue learning from him for the rest of my degree, so please keep Ian!!!

Ian has been an excellent source of extra knoledge and support throughout the Zoology course, I don't feel the department would be the same without him.

Ian is an important part of the zoology teaching team! His animal diversity module has been one of my favourite without a doubt this year, helped by his enthusiasm and passion for the topic. Without him, I fear there won't be an equivilent module that goes into such depth, led by such a great, friendly lecturer.

The animal diversity lectures that Ian took during first year were some of my favourite due to his extensive knowledge and passion for the subject. His practical on vertebrate anatomy was a brilliant introduction to the subject and a vital addition to my Zoology degree. Ian takes the time to learn people's names which really helps make the course feel personal and friendly.

9 years ago Featured

The Animal Diversity module has been my favourite module by far thanks to Dr Ian Jenkins' knowledge and expertise. Whole animal zoology and anatomy really interests me, and I feel that his input really makes a difference to the zoology/ecology and conservation courses due to his focus on these aspects of zoology. Dr Ian Jenkins also runs the Paleozoology module in third year and without him this may cease to exist, and his contributions to the bird diversity and vertebrate zoology modules in second year would be missed if he were to leave.

Ian is incredibly knowledgable, and whilst he goes very in depth for first years, this makes the subject very interesting and enjoyable. Having a lecturer that remembers everyone's names after the first two weeks is comforting - he makes you feel like he really cares about how you're doing. His enthusiasm is infectious and his vast knowledge will be missed if he's no longer able to teach in future years.

He is a vital part of the teaching staff and is a friendly face who many are happy to approach and ask for help

9 years ago Featured

Ian was one of the deciding factors in coming to the University of Reading on the basis of a talk he did on the open day. He has been incredibly helpful all year round and is one of the only lectures who looks upon each one of us as a unique individual!

Dr Ian Jenkins is one of the few remaining university lecturers who have expert knowledge on animal anatomy and morphology. This is an essential part of any zoology or ecology degree, and is the foundation from which we have built our knowledge of the natural world. This aspect of biology has slowly been phased out over the past years in high schools, sixth forms and universities across the country and it would be a shame if this was to happen at the University of Reading also. It was the content of the course that attracted me here in the first place, and the focus on more 'traditional zoology' is what brings many students here and makes Reading so unique. Personally I've found no other professor to be better prepared when giving lectures, he demonstrates an infectious passion in all he talks about and is one of the most friendly and approachable staff at the university.