Campus News
Need news? See you on SharePoint
July 17th, 2024
After 14 years of service, Campus News is being retired as the university’s staff news platform.
All staff news will now be posted on our new SharePoint staff news site. It will also replace the Staff Room page, which will be archived in the coming weeks. Campus News and Staff Room will no longer be updated from Monday 15 July 2024.
We’ve also launched a new leadership blogs site, featuring regular content from leaders across the university. Here we’ll share updates on key events in the university calendar, strategic projects and other institutional priorities. Blogs will automatically appear on the intranet homepage news feed.
From August, the staff news page will become the staff intranet landing page for the university. It will put staff news and events at the heart of the university’s digital workplace, along with links to the tools and information you use every day.
Learn more about our intranet vision for the staff intranet on the new leadership blogs site.
Hosting staff news and information on SharePoint has a number of benefits, including:
- Articles and blogs are only visible to UoN staff, allowing us to share a broader range of content with colleagues
- A better mobile news experience through the SharePoint and other M365 mobile apps
- The opportunity to influence your own news feed by following the sites you’re interested in
- Like the content you enjoy and leave comments and feedback – helping us to get a better picture of what staff want from their internal communications
Over the coming months we’ll be putting new elements of the intranet live, iterating as we go. We’ll show you how to get the best out of the new platform – from following your essential sites to reading news from inside of Microsoft Teams (desktop and mobile).
We’ll also share opportunities to feedback on the changes we’ve made. Look out for them in your news feed and in the staff newsletter.
Thank you for your support of Campus News – see you on SharePoint!
Tags: Campus News, News and information, Staff news, university news
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Roads and car parks closed for refurbishing work
July 15th, 2024
As part of ongoing road improvements at the university, works will be taking place to resurface a number of access roads on campus between Monday 29 and Tuesday 30 July 2024.
Works will take place between 7am and 6pm on the days above and affected roads will be closed to all traffic for the duration of the works.
Roads will re-open as soon the work has been completed.
The affected roads are:
Monday 29 July 2024
Wortley Hall Close, access road off the A52 Derby Road, affecting access to:
- Residential properties on Green Close
- Residential properties on Wortley Hall Close
- Lenton Firs Lodge East
- Lenton Firs Building
- Workshop/Z Block
- Marmont Centre
- Sustainable Research Building
Please click on the map below to enlarge the image.
Tuesday 30 July 2024
Access road to Ancaster Hall and Abbey House, affecting access to:
- Abbey House
- Ancaster Hall
- Ancaster Hall kitchens
- Cavendish Hall Extension (Chatsworth Court) and associated car park
- Site compounds (separate email to parties concerned
Please click on the map below to enlarge the image.
On these days, we request that anyone who normally uses the affected car parks above finds alternative parking spaces available on campus.
Re-marking of road linings and car parks
Works will also be taking place throughout the summer months to refresh road markings across various sites. This includes those recently resurfaced and some other areas where lines have faded, including some car parks.
These works should cause minimal disruption and there will be traffic management as required where works are taking place on live roads.
Pot-hole repairs
A number of areas have been identified with deteriorated road surfaces and work will be carried out throughout the summer to repair these before they deteriorate further.
Any changes to bus services and diversions shall be advertised in advance via the bus operator and our university Hopper Bus webpages.
Tags: Access roads, car parking, car parks, parking, parking on campus, Resurfacing, roadworks, roadworks on campus
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New mark sheets for reassessment period – improved and ready for use
July 3rd, 2024
The university will be introducing new mark sheets for the upcoming reassessment period.
Our Education Administration Continuous Improvement Team (EACIT) have developed new mark sheets for reassessment – designed to look very similar to the old ones you are familiar with, but which come with significant improvements to enhance their robustness and ease of use.
Key updates include:
- Robust design: The new mark sheets are more robust, minimising the potential for errors. For instance, you are now able to sort the data by student ID within the mark sheets, without it corrupting the file, and you don’t need to re-sort your changes before sending them to your administrator in Registry and Academic Affairs (RAA). This makes the process smoother and reduces the likelihood of inadvertent mistakes
- Familiar format: While the design improvements make the mark sheets more efficient, the overall look and feel remain similar to the previous versions, ensuring a seamless transition
The team are confident that these enhancements will make the mark entry process more efficient and less prone to errors.
You can watch a quick and handy video guide on suggested methods of sorting the mark sheets below.
If you have any questions or need further assistance with the new mark sheets, please do not hesitate to reach out.
Visit the EACIT SharePoint site to find out more about the team and what they do.
Tags: assessment, Mark sheets, marking, Marks and assessment, marks processing, Reassessment
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Appraisal Development Conversations (ADC) training for staff
July 2nd, 2024
The university has developed an additional training resource to support Appraisal Development Conversations (ADCs) for appraisers and appraisees.
The University of Nottingham is committed to supporting staff with their Appraisal Development Conversations.
As such, this year we have developed an additional training resource to support ADC conversations for appraisers and appraisees which has been well received with excellent feedback from attendees.
Please see the links below for information about the asynchronous version of the training.
Facilitating an effective ADC (Appraiser)
Please watch the video below which talks you through facilitating an effective ADC as an Appraiser.
This recorded development session above, and corresponding slides are designed for anyone acting as an appraiser in the ADC process this year.
Underpinned by our university’s Open Conversation Framework, this session will help managers to consider the conversation skills required to facilitate an effective ADC.
This session will also introduce our university’s ambition to become a learning organisation, and what this means to support the professional development of your teams.
Making the most of your ADC (Appraisee)
Please watch the video below which talks you through the best ways of making the most of your ADCs as an appraisee.
The recorded development session above and corresponding slides are designed for anyone wanting to prepare for their ADC conversation.
Underpinned by our university’s Open Conversation Framework, this session will help you with the skills to have an open and effective ADC with your appraiser.
This session will also introduce our university’s ambition to become a learning organisation, and what this means for your personal and professional development.
Live training sessions
If you would like to join a live session of the above training, the next one is on Tuesday 9 July 2024. You can book onto the training through the university’s central short courses.
These sessions form part of a package of resources for appraisers and appraisees which can be accessed via the ADC webpages.
Tags: ADCs, Appraisal & Development Conversations, Personal development, Professional Development, Staff training, training, training for staff
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Hallward building: water heater installation
July 2nd, 2024
In April we communicated our plans to build a Low Carbon Energy Centre on University Park campus that would enable us to remove some of our buildings from the District Heating Network.
The recent borehole tests have returned positive results, and we are now able to formulate a more detailed plan of activity. There are many elements to the project that will bring the Energy Centre to life.
The window replacement scheme is now well underway within Law and Social Sciences which will bring enhanced insultation and thermal resilience to the building in advance of the new Energy Centre installation. These works will continue into the Autumn.
The next phase sees work get underway in Hallward Library and Law and Social Sciences, where we need to disconnect the current hot water fed from the District Heating Network and install new, smaller, more efficient boilers throughout the building.
This work will need to take place at each water installation – in our toilet and kitchen facilities – and will result in their closure while the work takes place.
It will be phased so that only one set of facilities are unavailable at any one time and staff and visitors will be able to use facilities on alternative floors. Work will commence on Monday 24 June to 23 August, scheduled as follows:
Hallward
Lower Ground Floor
Monday 24 June to Friday 5 July (inclusive) – Lower Ground Floor (LG112 & 113)
Monday 1 July to Friday 12 July (inclusive) – Lower Ground Floor (LG502)
[Please use facilities on alternative floors]
Ground Floor
Monday 8 July to Friday 19 July (inclusive) – Ground Floor A210 & A211
[Please use alternatives on Ground Floor – A205 or A206 or A207]
During this time the student kitchen will have limited availability and may be unavailable for small periods to ensure everyone’s safety during the works. The café study area will remain open.
Monday 15 July to Friday 26 July (inclusive) – Ground Floor A212
[Please use alternatives on Ground Floor:
- 15-19 July: A205 or A206
- 20-26 July: A210 & A211 & A207]
Monday 15 July to Friday 9 August (inclusive) – Ground Floor A205 & A206 & 207
[Please use alternatives on Ground Floor:
- 22-28 July: A210 & A211
- 29July-2Aug: A210 & A211 & A212]
Monday 29 July to Friday 9 August (inclusive) – Ground Floor A207
[Please use alternatives on Ground Floor:
- 29July-2Aug: A210 & A211 & A212]
- 3-9 Aug: A210 & A211 & A212 & A205 & A206
First Floor
Monday 5 August to Friday 16 August (inclusive) – First Floor B328 & B329
[Please use facilities on alternative floors]
Second Floor
Monday 12 August to Friday 23 August (inclusive) – C428 & C429
[Please use facilities on alternative floors]
Law and Social Sciences
Ground Floor
Monday 24 June to Friday 12 July (inclusive) – A6, A6B & A7
Monday 8 July to Friday 19 July (inclusive) – A504
First Floor
Monday 15 July to Friday 26 July (inclusive) – B22 & B44
Monday 29 July to Friday 09 August (inclusive) – B49 & B50
Second Floor
Monday 05 August to Friday 16 August (inclusive) – C62
Monday 12 August to Friday 23 August (inclusive) – C63, C500 & Staffroom Sink
During this time there will be some noise disruption, which we will aim to keep to a minimum.
We apologise for any inconvenience these works create, all the work being undertaken is important to ensure the future warmth and resilience of the building and is part of our wider strategic plan to decarbonise our estate.
At all times library staff will be available to support users with finding alternative quiet spaces.
Tags: District Heating Network, Estates, Estates and Facilities, hallward, Heating
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Welcome to Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Researcher Academy and Research Culture Development
July 1st, 2024
Professor Jeanette Woolard has been appointed as Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor for the Researcher Academy and Research Culture Development.
Professor Woolard will steer the academic direction for the Researcher Academy, provide institutional leadership in the postgraduate researcher (PGR) space and deliver a key pillar of our research strategy – helping our researchers develop and achieve excellence in a supportive environment.
Professor Woolard, who is Professor of Cardiovascular Physiology and Pharmacology in the School of Life Sciences, will be in post from 23 September 2024. She takes on the role from Professor Richard Graham, who has been acting as interim for this academic year.
Professor Graham will remain involved with this important area, as academic lead of the lead of the Next Generation Research Super-Vision Project (RSVP) and the HURDLE: Help For Under-represented Researcher Groups To Develop, Lead And Excel programme.
Professor Woolard said: “I am very much looking forward to taking up the role of A-PVC for the Researcher Academy and Research Culture Development in September 2024.
“The development of our researchers is an area that I am passionate about. As Director of the Centre of Membrane Proteins and Receptors (COMPARE), a collaboration between the universities of Birmingham and Nottingham, we focus on the power of team science, and how bringing together researchers together in a supportive environment generates innovative opportunities.
“It’s also important to capture and recognise the contribution of individual researchers in the delivery of collaborative projects. My experience with the Wellcome Trust Doctoral Training Programme further demonstrates how early researchers can be supported to achieve their individual goals.
“I look forward to building on the Research Academy’s work in this area to share our vision across the institution – and beyond.
“I would like to thank Professor Richard Graham for delivering the role as interim A-PVC during this academic year and for his continued support as the lead of both the RSVP and HURDLE programmes.”
Professor Tom Rodden, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research and Knowledge Exchange, said: “I am delighted to welcome Professor Woolard to our team. The Researcher Academy plays a crucial role in building a positive research culture and environment, which is a pre-requisite to the delivery of excellent research. Professor Woolard’s leadership and passion for this work will help drive further progress.
“The next Research Excellence Framework (REF) in 2029 will assess the output and impact of research in a more holistic way, with more emphasise on people, culture, and environment.
“The Researcher Academy demonstrates the University of Nottingham’s commitment to these areas, not least with its trailblazing researcher development provision and delivery of an evolving, sector-leading programme that supports our researchers to achieve their potential.
“I would like to thank Professor Graham for his leadership and support for the Researcher Academy in the past year, and everyone at the academy and across the university who strives make this a great place for our people to thrive and deliver exceptional research.”
Tags: Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Researcher Academy and Research Culture Development, Professor Jeanette Woolard, Researcher Academy
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Strong research funding performance is a fantastic achievement
July 1st, 2024
Professor Tom Rodden’s research update
I am delighted to report that the University of Nottingham is expected to exceed our target of £186m of new research funding awards this year.
We are also seeing a strong performance in new research bid applications which are expected to reach a target of £726m for 2023/4, compared to £707m last year. Our research income is also up and expected to reach £137m compared to £128m last year.
As with last year, our awards have been bolstered by a number of large awards, such as the £8m grant from XTX Markets to establish the Observatory for Mathematical Education, and a £14m award from the UK Research Partnership Investment Fund to support new world-leading research facilities and programmes that will decarbonise future transport.
The correlation between bids, awards and income is significant and we have not achieved this level in all three areas for around ten years.
Bids and awards are leading indicators of future performance in research income – funding bids will convert to awards next year, which will then flow through to income.
The external funding landscape is becoming increasingly competitive, so this overall performance is a fantastic achievement.
My congratulations to everybody involved from across our research community and all those who support the processes and systems that underpin our research activity.
Read Professor Rodden’s full update
Tags: Professor Tom Rodden, research, Research and Knowledge Exchange
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Staff Information Fair 2024: feedback and recap
July 1st, 2024
On Tuesday 25 June the Organisation and People Development Team hosted the Staff Information Fair in the Pope Building in room A13 and A14 at University Park.
There was a fantastic variety of more than 40 stalls who provided great information and advice on a wide range of topics about our work at UoN and the opportunities and benefits available.
It was lovely on a sunny day to see so many of us networking and meeting new colleagues and thinking about ways we can connect and stay in touch.
The team would like any feedback on the event, to help them develop into the future – the short feedback form using the link below is an opportunity for you to share your experience.
We would like to thank all those that contributed to making the day a success and those who were able to join us to learn more about our university.
Tags: Organisation and People Development Team, Staff information, Staff Information Fair
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Staff Cricket Festival 2024: recap and look back
June 26th, 2024
10 teams, 80 players and over 15 schools and departments represented: the Staff Cricket Festival was back, bigger and better than ever, following a Covid-induced absence of several years.
The Festival took place at Highfields Sports Ground on Monday 17 and Wednesday 19 June involving teams of eight from across the university. The event was blessed by good weather, lots of enthusiasm and some excellent cricket.
Teams were ranked by net run rate meaning UoN Sports B ended up the winner with the Business School coming a close second.
The Estates team were given the Spirit of Cricket award for their camaraderie, cheery spirit and inclusive approach.
Festival organiser, Professor David Paton from the Business School, commented:
“It was great to see the level of interest in cricket across the University. Pretty much every team included people who had not picked up a cricket bat for many years and for some it was their first game of cricket ever.
It was also lovely to see such a mix of people from different job families and from all parts of the University.
On behalf of all the participants, I’d like to give a vote of thanks to the grounds staff and UoN Sports (especially Glynn Dignam) for their support in making the event happen.”
After the success of this year’s event, the hope is to make it a regular fixture in the university calendar. So keep an eye out for news if you fancy getting a team together next summer.
Staff Cricket Festival results
Match 1: Humanities 87 for 5; Life Sciences A 88 for 3. Life Sciences A won by 4 wickets.
Outstanding player for Humanities: Jonathan Kwan
Outstanding player for Life Sciences A: Matt Jacks
Match 2: Chemistry 117 for 4; UoN Sports Greens 96 for 4. Chemistry won by 21 runs.
Outstanding player for UoN Sport Greens: James Bateman
Outstanding player for Life Chemistry: Ben Garrett
Match 3: UoN Sports Golds130 for 2; Estates 100 for 5. UoN Sports B won by 30 runs.
Outstanding player for Estates: Richard Wigginton
Outstanding player for UoN Sport Golds: Laura Sainsbury
Match 4: UoN Allstars 113 for 3; Finance 114 for 4. Finance won by 4 wickets.
Outstanding player for UoN Allstars: Asif Nawaz
Outstanding player for Finance: Kuldeep Singh
Match 5: Life Sciences B 71 for 5; NUBS 72 for 1. NUBS won by 6 wickets.
Outstanding player for NUBS: Louise Thomson
Outstanding player for Life Sciences B: Adam Plumbley
Cricket Festival Top 5 teams (based on net run rate)
Team Net run rate
- UoN Sport Golds B 1.88
- NUBS 1.56
- Chemistry 1.31
- Life Science A 0.18
- Finance 0.14
Tags: Cricket festival 2024, Staff cricket, Staff cricket festival
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Event Management Community of Practice: Free Speech
June 26th, 2024
Register now for the Event Management Community of Practice: Free Speech – Thursday 1 August 2024.
The new Higher Education (Free Speech) Act 2023 contains additional requirements for universities and students’ unions in relation to freedom of speech and academic freedom. The regulatory role of the Office for Students (OfS) in this area has been strengthened and extended to include students’ unions.
The OfS is also introducing a new free speech complaints process and has recruited a Director for Freedom of Speech and Academic Freedom to oversee work in this area.
Freedom of speech and the free exchange of ideas are central to our mission of advancing truth, knowledge and understanding at the university and the Registrar is leading work to ensure this is embedded this across the institution, ensuring we are compliant with the legal and regulatory expectations.
As part of this work, we have recently reviewed and updated our statement on Free Speech and Academic Freedom. We already have a Code of Practice on Meetings & Other Activities on university Premises, which should be followed when booking events. This is being reviewed and a new Free Speech Code of Practice and supporting resources will be published in the coming months.
The additional procedures we are required to introduce are intended to be as clear and streamlined as possible while ensuring we meet our legal and regulatory obligations, but they will mean that further planning and reporting will be necessary in many cases. However, the approach we have taken anticipated the new framework and our policy and procedures on free speech and academic freedom are very much in line with what is now expected.
The timetable set out by the Office for Students is as follows:
- 1 August 2024 – the new statutory duties on free speech come into force and the Office for Students launches its new free speech complaints scheme.
- 1 September 2025 – the new conditions of registration with the Office for Students come into force, along with the monitoring of overseas funding
More information on the Higher Education (Free Speech) Act 2023 and the role of the Office for Students in this area is available here.
Register now for the Event Management Community of Practice: Free Speech – Thursday 1 August.
Tags: free speech, Free speech and academic freedom, OfS
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