Campus News
LMA Spotlight On… events – available for bookings
March 1st, 2022
Our LMA Spotlight On… events are open to all University of Nottingham staff and are designed to be a relaxed and informal opportunity to learn about key leadership and management topics.
These two-hour events held online between 12 noon – 2pm on selected dates each month are led by colleagues from across the university.
If you want a flexible option to learn how to have effective performance conversations, overcome “imposter phenomenon” or how to use a coaching style, then the Spotlight On… sessions can help.
To book your place and see the full range of events, visit the Leadership and Management Academy Hub here .
Upcoming sessions include:
Spotlight On… Performance conversations
Wednesday 9 March 2022, 12 noon – 2pm
This is an interactive exploration of a selection of approaches that support ADC, Career, Development and performance related conversations with an opportunity to share best practice.
Book here
Spotlight on… Career development
Wednesday 6 April 2022, 12:00 – 14:00
Delivered via Microsoft Teams, this session will provide an introduction to succession planning and career development. This will include tools and resources to help staff wherever they are in their career journey, along with sharing best practice for effective career development conversations.
Book here
Tags: Leadership and Management Academy, LMA, LMA Spotlight, LMA Spotlight Sessions
Posted in Announcements, News | Comments Off on LMA Spotlight On… events – available for bookings
Changes to where Microsoft Teams Meeting recordings are stored
March 1st, 2022
In Easter 2022, changes will take place to how Teams Meeting Recordings are stored. From Tuesday 26th April, recordings will no longer be uploaded to or appear in Microsoft Stream. In addition, an expiry date will be added to new recordings.
Below is a summary of the key points about this change:
Where will recordings be stored and how can they be shared?
Video data will be kept directly within Microsoft 365, specifically in a Team’s Channel or the personal OneDrive of the individual who started the recording. As the recording will be within OneDrive or a Team, the file can then be shared externally. This change takes advantage of the sharing system within OneDrive, SharePoint, and Teams.
How do I access meeting recordings?
When someone records a meeting, that video will continue to be made available within the Meeting Chat. What’s new, is that by default people who attend and people who were invited will gain access to it. It is also possible to share recorded meetings with external attendees as well.
Recordings will have an expiry date
After the change, all Team Meeting Recordings will have an expiry policy applied to them. The default expiry for staff and students is 90 days. For Associates it is 30 days. It is vital that users check and update expiry dates to keep meeting recordings available where needed. This will help maintain good practice around privacy and avoid storing data we may not need.
Alternatively, users can transfer important video content to other university systems e.g., Engage (Echo360) or MediaSpace.
For more detailed information and advice and if you need to take further action, please visit the dedicated SharePoint site here.
Tags: data storage, Microsoft Teams, storage, Teams recordings
Posted in Announcements, News | Comments Off on Changes to where Microsoft Teams Meeting recordings are stored
Staff shaping the future of new Castle Meadow campus
February 28th, 2022
Since the purchase of the Castle Meadow site in November 2021, colleagues across the university have been working to develop the structures, programmes and engagement needed to develop ideas for the new campus.
Different workstreams have been set up to review the ways we could use the new site to deliver exceptional teaching and research, accelerate our strategic ambitions, create meaningful connections with our local communities and deliver an outstanding campus experience. These are just some of the themes that will be explored over the coming months.
A number of engagement events with senior leaders and staff across the institution are being developed to bring forward ideas for the campus from across our community.
Helping us shape the future
Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Andy Long hosted a workshop in February with 50 colleagues who provided ideas and opinions on what they would most like to see at Castle Meadow, examining the following questions.
- What would good student and staff experience look like?
- What do you love about our existing sites that you don’t want to lose at Castle Meadow?
- How do you ensure that the campus feels joined up to the other campuses?
- How can we maximise the site’s sustainability and green potential?
- How can we ensure the site maximises inclusion?
A wealth of initial ideas resulted from the workshop including thoughts on providing flexible and more agile spaces for research, work and teaching, supported by digital collaboration tools and technology-enabled meeting rooms. A dedicated space for inter-disciplinary research could provide opportunities for colleagues who may not ordinarily be based at Castle Meadow to work on the campus and encourage even greater levels of inter-disciplinary research.
Engaging the communities in and around Nottingham with our research also featured strongly in the discussion, with ideas on using lecture theatres out of teaching hours to host public lectures and speaking events, as well as providing demonstration hubs where academic colleagues can showcase or trial initiatives and give members of the public the opportunity to visit and observe their work.
In line with one of the intended uses for the campus, numerous ideas were submitted on how to engage more with local business, ranging from start-ups to small and medium-sized businesses, and providing support for students and alumni to grow their own businesses.
The ideas and questions raised in this session are now being considered by the Castle Meadow programme team for further consideration and development – we keep you updated with how these ideas develop over the coming months.
Have your say
Please do look out and sign up for more staff workshops – you can sign up to receive alerts and we will notify you when future opportunities become available.
Additionally, if you have an idea you would like considered for the Castle Meadow campus, or have some thoughts on the questions above, please submit them here.
Posted in Announcements, News | Comments Off on Staff shaping the future of new Castle Meadow campus
Ukraine – statement of support
February 25th, 2022
The university has updated our statement in light of recent events. Please read the updated statement here.
We fully understand that the invasion of Ukraine by Russian armed forces is dangerous and will be distressing for our students, staff and alumni. Our thoughts are with everyone affected at this difficult time.
As a global university with proud links to Ukraine, our community is deeply concerned and sends the Ukrainian people our support and earnest hopes for a peaceful resolution even as the situation deteriorates.
The university is contacting students in our community who are directly impacted by recent events to offer support for their wellbeing and to alleviate the undoubted pressures on them at this time.
We are monitoring the situation and strongly recommend that staff and students follow Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office advice, which currently advises against all travel to Ukraine and all but essential travel to some regions of Russia.
Support for students
We understand that some students may find it difficult to focus on their studies at this time. Anyone struggling with academic work should first talk to their tutor, who will be able to offer support and advice.
Students can contact our Support and Wellbeing Service for support with their mental health and wellbeing, either on their own behalf or if they are worried about another student.
The Home Office has confirmed that Ukrainians who are on study visas in the UK will have their visas temporarily extended or be able to switch onto different visa routes. Full details are available here.
If you are experiencing financial difficulties, please contact the financial support team via an online appointment or call 0115 823 2071.
Support for staff
The Employee Hub gives staff access to our employee assistance programme providing free confidential support, over the telephone (0808 168 2143) or on-line 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Please also speak to your line manager about any other support or flexibility you may require.
We understand how difficult this situation will be for staff and students in our community and will do everything we can to support those who are or will be affected. Nottingham is a diverse community with many different nationalities and we ask people to continue to respect and support each other at this time.
Humanitarian Support
A number of charitable appeals have been set up should you wish to donate to organisations that are currently providing humanitarian support in Ukraine:
- The British Red Cross is working with the Ukrainian Red Cross Society and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to support people affected by the conflict. Donations to the Red Cross go towards food, water, first aid, medicines, warm clothes and shelter.
- UNICEF is working across eastern Ukraine to deliver life-saving programmes for children as well as deliver safe drinking water in areas heavily impacted by the conflict.
- The UNHCR is working with local authorities and other partners in Ukraine to provide humanitarian assistance for refugees.
Tags: support for staff, support for students, Ukraine
Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Ukraine – statement of support
Lifting of Covid restrictions and anticipating new challenges
February 25th, 2022
Research update by Professor Dame Jessica Corner
The government has announced that the national legal restrictions put in place to limit the transmission of Covid-19 will be lifted over the coming weeks. Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Andy Long has this week communicated what this means for our university.
Our research has been back at full capacity for some time and researchers and colleagues who support research are encouraged to continue to conduct their work on campus, while following safety measures. We continue to strongly encourage our staff and student community to follow safety guidelines that will limit the spread of Covid-19. These include:
- self-isolating after testing positive for Covid-19
- reporting positive test results to the university
- wearing face coverings in indoor spaces
- testing weekly, and staying up to date on vaccinations
- ventilating and monitoring air quality in buildings
Our remarkable response to Covid
We can all meanwhile take pride in the university’s response to Covid, with our researchers exploring the pandemic’s impact on every aspect of our lives.
Please take a look at the web pages dedicated to our response to the virus. This involved hundreds of colleagues, working in transdisciplinary teams to tackle an unprecedented crisis.
As we enter this phase of ‘Living with Covid-19’ our research will continue to help the UK recover and anticipate further global challenges.
My research update also includes progress on our renewed research strategy, including supporting new and emerging interdisciplinary research collaborations, and engaging with colleagues across the university on the business case for a Zero Carbon Research and Innovation Cluster.
Read Dame Jessica’s full update
Tags: COVID-19, Covid-19 and research, professor dame jessica corner, research, research update
Posted in Announcements, News | Comments Off on Lifting of Covid restrictions and anticipating new challenges
USS Pension – JNC decision on reforms to conclude the 2020 valuation
February 23rd, 2022
The Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) has voted to implement the Universities UK (UUK) package of reforms to conclude the 2020 valuation of the pension scheme.
Employer and member contributions will be 9.8% of salary for members and 21.6% of salary for employers from 1 April 2022 – with guaranteed defined benefits remaining at the heart of the scheme. This represents an increase of 0.5% of salary in employer contributions, and 0.2% of salary in members’ contributions from the 2018 valuation.
The JNC’s decision was confirmed with the vote of the independent chair. The UUK proposals provide an affordable and sustainable solution to the 2020 valuation alongside opportunities to explore lower cost flexible options, alternative scheme designs, and a review of the scheme’s governance.
Without the changes passed by the JNC, pension scheme members could have faced contribution increases to at least 13.9% of salary for members and 25.2% of salary for employers. Instead, scheme members would avoid such increases, but see guaranteed defined benefits build up more slowly – with a reduction in the accrual rate from 1/75 to 1/85.
The salary threshold up to which guaranteed defined benefits are built up would reduce from £60,000 to £40,000 per annum. Members earning above the threshold would receive a 20% defined contribution into their individual pension pot.
University employers have already agreed to make significant financial commitments to the scheme, known as covenant support, equivalent to an additional £1.3 billion per annum to support the UUK proposals.
Following consultation feedback from USS scheme members which identified the proposed 2.5% cap on future inflationary increases as a concern, employers have agreed to pay an additional 0.2% of salary in contributions (on top of the 0.3% of salary increase which has applied from 1 October 2021) to defer the application of the cap until at least the next valuation.
93 out of 97 employers, including the University of Nottingham – representing more than 92% of the active membership of the scheme and over 98% of those responding by weighting – did not support the UCU proposal to conclude the 2020 valuation when consulted.
The decision of the JNC will now be considered by the USS Trustee in accordance with the formal processes under the scheme rules, and it will then confirm the changes that will be implemented to scheme members.
Commenting on the JNC’s decision. Universities UK said:
“The Joint Negotiating Committee’s (JNC) decision secures an affordable solution to the 2020 valuation and provides a more sustainable platform on which the scheme’s longer-term future can be built. This settlement ensures the continuation of a valuable Defined Benefit element to the pensions offer while sparing both members and employers from the damaging consequences of much higher contributions from April.
“Too many members of staff are currently choosing not to participate in USS because the contribution rate is too high, or the scheme benefits are not considered suitable. With these reforms enacted, we have a chance to identify improvements and restore all members’ confidence in their pension arrangements at an affordable price.”
Tags: JNC, Universities Superannuation Scheme, USS, USS pension scheme, USS Pensions
Posted in Announcements, News | Comments Off on USS Pension – JNC decision on reforms to conclude the 2020 valuation
Covid-19 restrictions – isolation, testing, vaccinations and face coverings strongly encouraged
February 23rd, 2022
A message from Professor Andy Long about the most recent Government announcement on Covid-19.
The government has announced that the national legal restrictions put in place to limit the transmission of Covid-19 will be lifted over the coming weeks.
As a university, we remain committed to providing a safe working and teaching environment for our staff and students. Although the national legal restrictions are being lifted, we continue to strongly encourage our staff and student community to follow safety guidelines that will limit the spread of Covid-19. These include:
- self-isolating after testing positive for Covid-19
- reporting positive test results to the university
- wearing face coverings in indoor spaces
- testing weekly, and staying up to date on vaccinations
- ventilating and monitoring air quality in buildings
Our approach to teaching and research on campus remains unchanged, with full in-person provision delivered without restriction, according to Department for Education guidance.
Isolation
Although there is no longer a legal requirement to do so, we expect and strongly recommend that staff and students who test positive for Covid-19 continue to self-isolate for a period of five days.
We will support all staff and students who test positive to help them to self-isolate and this support will be in place at least until the end of the academic year.
Staff will be entitled to sick pay to support their self-isolation, regardless of whether they are experiencing symptoms or not.
Students who test positive should contact their module convenors to let them know that they are unable to attend teaching sessions in person. Module convenors will help students to access the materials they may have missed. Where students live in university halls of residence, colleagues will support self-isolation, including delivering meals to rooms.
Reporting illness
Please continue to report positive Covid-19 test results using the dedicated staff and student forms. This information is essential to help track infections and manage potential outbreaks. The university will continue to report active cases of Covid-19 within our community.
Face coverings
Although the government has confirmed that the wearing of face coverings will no longer be mandatory nationally, the university continues to strongly encourage the wearing of face coverings in all indoor spaces, unless individuals are exempt, and this includes corridors and communal spaces; teaching settings, including lecture halls, seminar rooms, laboratories, and workshops; libraries and shared offices.
When working or studying in NHS environments, staff and students should continue to obey NHS rules, which mandate the wearing of surgical face masks. If working in or visiting the Medical School Building, because of its proximity to NHS space, staff and students are expected to continue to wear face coverings unless they have a valid exemption.
Covid testing and vaccinations
Staff and students are strongly encouraged to test for Covid-19 at least weekly, using the university’s asymptomatic testing service. The test is quick, simple and identifies infection at the earliest possible stage to avoid transmitting illness to others. This free service will continue at least until the end of the academic year.
Communications to students will continue to strongly encourage taking a weekly Covid-19 test as well as full vaccination and boosters – please do repeat this message in any Faculty, School, or programme-level messages that are planned.
Ventilation
The Estates team will continue to ensure optimal levels of ventilation and monitor the air quality in teaching rooms. Air quality in almost half of our teaching rooms is monitored and ventilated automatically, and portable CO2 sensors are regularly used in other rooms to confirm that CO2 levels are within the recommended limits. Were CO2 levels to exceed recommended limits, the room would be taken out of service and alternate teaching locations provided until CO2 levels have been addressed.
As the country moves into this next phase of ‘learning to live’ with Covid-19 as an endemic virus, I would ask us all to support and respect each other in following these simple measures to continue to limit the spread of Covid-19 at the university.
Professor Andy Long
Deputy Vice-Chancellor
Tags: Coronavirus update, Covid update, COVID-19, safety on campus
Posted in Announcements, News | 2 Comments »
VC staff surgeries: Wednesday 9 March, 11am–12pm
February 22nd, 2022
The next set of ‘staff surgery’ sessions are now available for colleagues to discuss any issue with Vice-Chancellor Professor Shearer West, on Wednesday 9 March, from 11am – 12 noon.
Booking your session
To register for a session, please email BA-VC-Surgery@exmail.nottingham.ac.uk with your preferred date from the list below and a brief agenda for the meeting.
Places are offered on a first-come, first-served basis, so colleagues are encouraged to book early. You will be contacted within two working days of your request confirming the date and time.
Further surgery sessions are available on:
- Tuesday 12 April, 15:00 – 16:00
- Tuesday 24 May, 09:00 – 10:00
- Thursday 16 June, 09:00 -10:00
- Tuesday 19 July, 14:00 – 15:00
Further information is available at VC Staff Surgery. Conversations will usually be held in-person, although can be arranged via Teams if preferred.
Tags: Professor Shearer West, Staff surgeries, staff surgery, VC Surgeries, VC surgery, Vice-Chancellor Professor Shearer West, Vice-Chancellor Surgeries
Posted in Announcements, News | Comments Off on VC staff surgeries: Wednesday 9 March, 11am–12pm
Trent Building to illuminate for Rare Disease Day 2022
February 22nd, 2022
The university’s iconic Trent Building will be illuminated this weekend to show support for Rare Disease Day 2022.
Monday 28 February 2022 is International Rare Disease Day, a date appointed to raise awareness for the over 300 million people worldwide living with a rare disease.
To help raise awareness of the day, the Trent Building on University Park Campus will join a host of other organisations in being lit up in blue and green from Friday 25 to Monday 28 February at 7pm.
Rare Disease Day began in 2008 with 18 countries. Today, participation has grown significantly with events in over 100 countries in 2021.
The worldwide events are organized by patients, clinicians and every person interested in raising awareness for rare genetic diseases.
In February 2021, more than 500 landmarks were illuminated in over 100 countries around the world for Rare Disease Day.
Help us spread awareness by sharing through social media platforms with #rarediseaseday and @rarediseasedayofficial.
Posted in Announcements, News | 1 Comment »
Estates Director joins Barclays Bank
February 22nd, 2022
Director of Estates & Facilities, Linda Goodacre, will leave the University of Nottingham at the end of April to take up a new role with Barclays Bank plc.
Since joining the university in April 2018, Linda has focused on developing the strategy and structure for the Estates and Hospitality departments, stewarding the university estate during successive lockdowns and leading the purchase of the Castle Meadow campus.
Linda’s career in estates and facilities management spans some 30 years with senior roles including Boots, Wm Morrison and telecommunications company EE.
Chief Financial Officer, Margaret Monckton said: “Linda has been a superb Director of Estates & Facilities and will be very much missed by her team. She leaves a great legacy putting in place the Estates Development Framework and leading on the acquisition of Castle Meadow Campus. I have personally enjoyed working with her and wish her well in the future.”
Linda said: “It has been a privilege to work at the university and to look after an award-winning estate that offers so much for our staff and students to conduct their research, teaching and learning. I shall miss the excellent team in the Estates and Hospitality departments and want to thank for their support and wish them every success in the future.”
A recruitment competition to identify Linda’s successor as Director of Estates and Facilities will commence shortly.
Posted in Announcements, News | Comments Off on Estates Director joins Barclays Bank