Dr Morn Capper is the head of Undergraduate History Programmes at UCS and teaches history and heritage.
What is a typical day at work for you?
A typical day starts with a train ride through the Welsh borders to Shrewsbury and then a quick short walk from the station to campus. As head of Undergraduate History Programmes at UCS, most days I prepare and teach lectures, seminars or workshops for undergraduates and postgraduates, answer email queries and do programme and assessment administration.
What is your favourite thing about your job?
To me, learning can happen anywhere, but variety is the spice of life. I like to combine lectures and seminars with innovative field trips and workshops. Recently I have been enjoying teaching British History, Heritage debates, History on Film and the Norman Conquest. We also visit local archives and I recently joined up my Norman Conquest class with a colleague who teaches the English Civil War so that our students could investigate with us together how castles controlled the landscape in different periods.
The best thing about running the undergraduate programme is the chance to see students getting inspired and learning about new subjects. This includes teaching based on my history research and practical heritage experience. I often take students in Heritage classes to see and evaluate exhibitions, local heritage sites or exhibitions.
What has been your proudest moment whilst working at the university?
Hearing from my students that they have achieved their aims to study for Masters and won workplace scholarships in museums in heritage conservation
Are you working on any exciting projects?
My current research with partner universities and Tamworth Castle Museum has produced a research conference this summer to explore new ideas about Anglo-Saxon warleader Aethelflaed, Lady of the Mercians, which we will be publishing as a book. It is important to me that my research is accessible to students and the public, so I also produced a popup exhibition to share my research, which has been to a museum, a shopping centre and Chester Archives so far.
What is the best piece of advice that you could give to a student?
Take advantage of opportunities. One of the best things about history at Shrewsbury is the opportunities for students to work in small groups, receive one-to one support and to develop new skills in a growing department.
What makes University Centre Shrewsbury unique?
Everyone in the team is a specialist, happy to give students one-to-one support, but we also bring in guest lecturers from industry, for example this month an independent heritage film-maker. Student opportunities are a priority in our thinking and every undergraduate has access to work-based learning. We are meeting this week to buy books for next year’s Masters courses in Museum Practice and Military History and to plan local placements for second year students in museums and archives.
If you'd like to learn more about studying History at UCS, why not come along to one of our upcoming Visit Days? You can book your place here.
