Campus News

Covid-19 contact centre set to close

June 29th, 2021

The Covid-19 contact centre – a helpline service for staff and students – will close on Friday 2 July.

Specific medical support can be sought from our Cripps Healthcare Centre or by contacting NHS 111. Out-of-hours, our security team is available on +44 (0)115 951 8888.

For more information on the university’s response to the pandemic and the service and support in place, visit our Covid-19 web pages.

Staff and students can access more detailed information on our SharePoint FAQs.

 

 

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Remote study options for the 2021/22 academic year

June 29th, 2021

Remote study for the 2021/22 academic year will be available to any students or postgraduate researchers living outside of the UK who are facing significant travel, financial or health impacts relating to Covid-19.

New and returning students and postgraduate researchers will be able to apply for Remote Study provided they are based outside of the UK and their request relates to: 

  • Travel restrictions, including a lack of transport links and the health risk posed to anyone with a condition listed by the NHS as a shielding condition; 
  • Legal restrictions barring entry to the UK or departure from your country of residence (excluding standard quarantine requirements on departure or arrival); or 
  • Financial restrictions, including significant, unexpected and temporary personal financial barriers 

Students and postgraduate researchers experiencing short term financial, visa or travel restrictions that will delay their arrival onto campus at the beginning of the 2021/22 academic year may not need to apply for Remote Study. 

Most students will be able to arrive on campus within the first four weeks of the semester and will not need to present evidence to support their delay. However, they must have completed university registration by Monday 11 October 2021 and have arrived on campus and completed quarantine by Sunday 17 October. This may differ for students on non-standard start dates, in which case schools and departments will be asked to advise. 

We will be contacting returning students about Remote Study on Thursday 1 July and offer-holders will be contacted on Friday 2 July. Returning students will be able to apply for Remote Study from Sunday 1 August and both new and returning students will have until Friday 6 October to submit their application. 

Read the Remote Study policy 

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Next steps in research strategy consultation, and tackling climate change

June 28th, 2021

Update from Professor Dame Jessica Corner

We continue to make good progress towards developing the university’s new research strategy. Your insights are helping to identify the key drivers of our renewed research strategy and how we will achieve our goals.

Next steps include writing the white paper that will set out more detail on developing a high-performing, inclusive research ecosystem. Consultation will continue with our research community and response to the white paper will be welcomed.

Further updates and resources can be found on our developing our research strategy pages.

COP26: highlighting our commitment to tackling climate change

COP26, the UN Climate Change conference, comes to Glasgow in November. This is an unprecedented opportunity for our researchers to help shape the world’s response to the biggest crisis of our time.

We wish to showcase the breadth and excellence of our climate-related research, while also focusing on net zero aviation as one of our strategic strengths in tackling the climate crisis.

The Institute for Policy and Engagement is looking for potential contributions to this campaign from across all schools and faculties.

Read Dame Jessica’s full update

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Frontier research for growth and recovery: our vision for Digital Nottingham

June 28th, 2021

Guest blog by Professor John Gathergood

Technology-driven radical transformations in the economy and society, propelled forward by the Covid-19 pandemic, are changing the ways we work and live. At the same time, so is our understanding of the role of places, people and partnerships to deliver growth and change. Central to this transformation is the way in which our world uses data, facilitated by digital technologies, to learn and develop new skills, create opportunities, and deliver growth and recovery.

Digital Nottingham is our endeavour to transform our city – its potential, the skills and ambitions of our community, and deliver growth and recovery – through data science, technology and innovation. As a place-based initiative aligned to the priorities of government and funders, this will see a new form of collaboration between the university and the city.  Digital Nottingham seeks to embrace a broad range of areas in which we can build partnerships to address key challenges from climate change to health care across a wide range of disciplines including mathematics, computer science, engineering, medicine and arts.

As we launch our Digital Nottingham programme, we are excited to announce our first two initiatives that will propel forward our frontier research collaborations in the area of financial services and financial technology – just one of the research themes of the programme.

A new partnership with KPMG, the UK’s leading business advisory firm, seeks to drive insight for clients and support the regional economic growth agenda. Research in partnership with KPMG will leverage data science to inform business decision-making. At the same time, we are joining forces with the UK’s leading technology venture builder, Blenheim Chalcot, to link the city’s next generation of scale-up businesses to university expertise which can help them innovate and grow.

These collaborations are driven by shared vision of data for good, and facilitated by technology overcoming borders and the traditional challenges to global collaboration. Using digital platforms, our research in data science reaches from Nottingham to Ningbo to New York. Our Digital Nottingham programme features research partnerships with global research leaders, including the University of Chicago and Harvard University, and global transformation leaders in industry and policy, with a shared vision of data-driven discovery.

Yet the global mindset of our ambitious programme of data-driven discovery also creates new opportunities in our own city. Nottingham has a rich heritage in data-driven financial services, being home to some of the Europe’s leading financial services providers including globally recognised businesses such as Experian and Capital One. The city is now experiencing a new generation of innovation firms enlivening the culture of growth and opportunity. These firms are based in the city and keen to engage with us as a university as part of their growth projects.

We are excited by the prospect of new collaborations focusing on applications of data science to new forms of data, including unique real-time data to which the latest methods from artificial intelligence and machine learning can be applied, and new opportunities to contribute to data-driven start-ups and commercial opportunities. We will bring together our expertise from computer science, data science, economics, finance, mathematics and beyond. Central to these ambitions is the development of talent. From high-skilled advanced analytics to first-time data wranglers, Digital Nottingham will create opportunity for all in data science and build skills for the future.

Nottingham has grown to become the UK’s leading destination for data science start-ups, through investment in the city by Blenheim Chalcot, and a high-skilled cluster of firms engaged with financial services including KPMG. With significant government investment in data science in Nottingham planned for coming years, including the development of the new HMRC location in the city, the city has in prospect new opportunities for growth, development and regeneration, delivering high-skilled employment, quality jobs and a new growth narrative for our region.

We envisage an open community of innovation and discovery, with a shared sense of purpose and belief in the new growth narrative. These collaborations will grow our community as we birth our plans for Digital Nottingham, in partnership with the city council, business and local community.

Find out more and get involved

Digital Nottingham offers exciting opportunities for our researchers. Professor Dame Jessica Corner, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research and Knowledge Exchange, is leading a programme to scope this vision, which will include a series of consultation meetings to discuss the university’s key strengths in relation to data science and digital transformation. To find out more and get involved, please contact Dr Maria Arruda (Research Development Manager, Research and Innovation) or Dr Jo Barwick (Senior Executive, Creative and Digital).

John Gathergood is Professor of Economics and Associate Pro-Vice Chancellor for Research and Knowledge Exchange in the Faculty of Social Sciences.

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Guidelines to support managers and their teams in returning to campus

June 22nd, 2021

New guidelines have been published to support managers in planning the delivery of operations and services while adjusting to the hybrid working model – a blend of on and off-campus working.

The return to campus – in line with the anticipated easing of Government lockdown measures on 19 July – provides an opportunity for many of our staff to experience a blended approach as we build back our on-campus community and an improved work-life balance, whilst ensuring we comply with ongoing social distancing measures.

Hybrid working should be explored for all staff in roles where it is not essential to be on campus all the time. This enables and supports colleagues in spending part of their working time working remotely and part of their time on campus.

The Hybrid Working Managers Guidelines outline the principles and expectations of hybrid ways of working. It provides practical tools and information to help support managers lead discussions with their teams – as a group and one-to-one – as to how hybrid ways of working will work for their area. Hybrid Working Guidelines for Employees have also been produced for staff to familiarise themselves with the approach which will be taken.

To support the implementation of the guidelines, the Managing Performance in a Hybrid Working Environment guide has also been produced. This outlines key considerations including:

  • organising meetings to be inclusive for all team members
  • providing regular opportunities to discuss and agree objectives
  • supporting new starters
  • considering and supporting equality of opportunity for informal career development opportunities within teams
  • continuing to support employee wellbeing, work life balance and social connectivity

It is anticipated that from 1 September 2021, all staff currently working remotely will return to campus working in a hybrid arrangement. Some staff will return to full campus working where this is required operationally, or where this is able to be accommodated for staff who need/would prefer a full return.

National restrictions are planned to lift on Monday 19 July, subject to confirmation by the Prime Minister. Monday 19 July to Friday 1 September will act as a transition period, to allow teams to start to return to campus and test out new spaces and working patterns. The flexibility of hybrid working allows different approaches to the new ways of working. Teams can use the summer period to find out what works best for them and the services they provide.

Managers should carefully consider how to support colleagues during this transitional phase, recognising that for many this will represent a significant change to working practices imposed during the pandemic. Some colleagues may feel apprehensive or anxious about returning to campus, whilst others may prefer to work on campus for the majority/all of their working week. It is important that managers consider how they continue to support colleagues’ wellbeing and welfare alongside health and safety considerations/risk assessments when implementing hybrid working arrangements.

The B50 Hub at Kings Meadow Campus remains open for approved Professional Services staff who have a need to work on campus – more information and details on how to book can be viewed on the Staying Connected SharePoint site. Professional Services hubs which were originally planned to open on 21 June will now open on Monday 19 July, subject to government confirmation.

If you have any queries, please view our FAQs or contact your HR Business Partner

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UN Climate Change Conference: call for campaign contributions from research teams

June 21st, 2021

The UK will be hosting the most important event in the climate change calendar in November, when COP26, the UN Climate Change conference, comes to Glasgow.

This event presents an unprecedented opportunity for UK researchers working on issues related to climate change to bring their work to the attention of governments and policy makers, and to influence the decisions that will shape the world’s response to the climate crisis in the coming years.

Nottingham is home to a huge and diverse range of climate-related research with enormous social, technological, environmental and health-related implications. This work has great potential to influence climate policy and change public understandings of the issues at stake.

To raise the profile of this wide-ranging and important work, The Institute for Policy and Engagement are planning a digital campaign to run in the lead-up to and during the COP26 conference, focusing on the valuable research contributions coming from all corners of our university.

The campaign will be built around two groups of content: one focusing on Net Zero Aviation as a strategic strength of the university, and one seeking to draw on a wide range of research to showcase the breadth of our contribution to tackling climate change.

The Institute is looking for potential contributions to this campaign, to form the basis of content to be promoted and shared with targeted stakeholders as well as a broad public audience. Formats might include, for instance, a blog post focused on the policy implications of your work or a podcast interview. Institute staff will be available to support you to develop your work into a format suitable for the campaign.

Applications are welcome from any school or faculty, and the Institute are keen to ensure as broad a representation of the university’s academic expertise as possible as part of the campaign.

If you’re interested in having your work included in this exciting campaign, please email theinsitute@nottingham.ac.uk by Friday 30 July, with the following information:

  • Your school
  • The focus of your research
  • Why this matters to the climate change agenda, and if applicable what the policy implications are (i.e. what you think governments need to do, on the basis of your research, in order to tackle climate change)
  • Any audiences you are particularly keen to engage

COP26 is a global event so the communications field will be crowded. Content that stands out through innovative methods or “unexpected” contribution to the climate change challenge is particularly encouraged. Given the global nature of the event, content that is aimed at audiences extending beyond the UK will also be welcome.

Confirmation of projects chosen to be included in the campaign will be in early August, at which point, successful applicants will be contacted to discuss format and content creation.

If you have any questions, please contact Chris Sims, Deputy Director of the Institute.

More information can be found on the Institute SharePoint

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Chancellor’s Inaugural Lecture – all welcome

June 21st, 2021

How might the fashion industry show us how to effectively challenge the concept of private greed over public need? Baroness Young of Hornsey will discuss this in her inaugural lecture as Chancellor of the University of Nottingham – Support and solidarity: re-imagining our global world.

Speaking to the university community via Teams on Thursday 15 July, Baroness Young will outline how states are attempting to balance competing interest during a pandemic – constantly needing to consider global versus local need, economic priorities which are weighed against each other, alongside social and health considerations.

The spread of Covid-19 has clearly demonstrated that whilst viruses may not discriminate, this one has highlighted and exacerbated existing inequalities to a significant degree.

Baroness Young said: “Where might effective challenges to this situation come from? Although it may seem an unlikely proposition, fashion – due to emerging policy shifts, high profile campaigners, and nano and small business activists in the sector – offers some interesting perspectives on some of these issues.

“This talk will explore the ways in which fashion disrupters are scrutinising the ways in which the pandemic, climate change, modern forms of enslavement, racism and historical amnesia intersect, and in doing so point towards an ongoing refresh of critical/analytical ways of thinking about, and implementing change.

“I’m looking forward to speaking to the university in my inaugural lecture as Chancellor.”

The Chancellor’s lecture will be followed by a virtual Q&A session, facilitated by Professor Louise Crewe, Associate Pro Vice-Chancellor (Education and Student Experience) and Professor of Human Geography in the Faculty of Social Sciences.

Vice-Chancellor Professor Shearer West said: “I am delighted to welcome Baroness Young in giving her inaugural lecture as Chancellor. This promises to be a fascinating and engaging event, and I hope that many members of the university community will be able to attend.”

The Chancellor’s inaugural lecture is public, and all are welcome to join. Book online to be invited to the Teams event, which takes place 11am to 12noon on Thursday 15 July.

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PGT experience and learning during 2020-21 survey

June 21st, 2021

The university is conducting a survey with our postgraduate taught students to understand their experience and learning during 2020-21.

We surveyed students in June 2020 and ran a UG survey in February 2021 to find out how Covid-19 had affected their learning experience, with the aim to provide improved support.

Over 5,376 students completed the June 2020 survey, and 3,127 undergraduate students responded in February 2021. This helped us to understand how the university needs to support students’ learning and wellbeing throughout the year. Communications, wellbeing support and enabling safe social interactions were highlighted as areas for us to improve.

These surveys have been key to informing much of our work this year (Student Guide to Digital Learning, the Coronavirus webpages, newsletters) and are informing plans for 2021-22.

The university is now launching a third survey to review the learning and wellbeing experience and to assess the impacts of the measures we have put into place in particular for PGT students. This survey will only be available for postgraduate taught students to complete and the results will be used to inform our approach moving forward.

The survey is now open and will be live at the following link until Tuesday 31 August: bit.ly/PGTSurvey

We are asking for the support of all staff in encouraging students to complete this survey; the more responses we receive, the better we can understand how to improve our provision.

Please do encourage any students with whom you interact to complete this survey, whether that’s at the end of a lecture or while providing a student service – your Education and Student Experience team will be in touch with more information.

If you have any questions, please contact carmen.tomas@nottingham.ac.uk.

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Supporting people during Covid-19 – more webinars available for bookings

June 18th, 2021

As we continue to review our practices in response to Covid-19, the Leadership and Management Academy have launched the latest webinars for leaders and managers to provide support as colleagues continue to return to campus.

These 50 minutes webinars are open to all university staff and are designed to provide a space for shared experiences, information and support.

Emerging from the pandemic: Long Covid19 – Rehabilitation and support for staff
As the impacts of Long-Covid19 become better understood, it’s important to support staff as they manage their health with Long-Covid. This webinar will build an understanding of the effects of Long Covid19 and take you through the rehabilitation and support mechanisms you can put in place to ensure the care and safety of your staff with Long Covid19 and other long-term health conditions.
Book here

Emerging from the pandemic: Wellbeing conversations
This webinar will explore how to support staff as they re-integrate into broader social and physical spaces and find ways to re-adjust to post pandemic circumstances. We will have an opportunity to share experiences and discusses what we have learnt during the pandemic about health and wellbeing and importantly, how to have meaningful wellbeing conversations with staff.
Book here

Feeling good about health and fitness
Practical advice and tips for you and your teams for staying healthy. This webinar led by Shoaib Raza and John Burgess from the UoN Sports Team is packed of practical hints, tips and activities for keeping you and your team fit and healthy.
Book here

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Free speech and academic freedom at Nottingham – statement ratified

June 17th, 2021

Following detailed consultation with staff and consideration at Senate, the University’s new statement on Free Speech and Academic Freedom has been ratified by Senate.

The statement underscores a continued commitment to promote freedom of speech and allow for robust and civil debate within the law, helping students learn through debate and exposure to new ideas, while providing a supportive environment and infrastructure for them to ensure their wellbeing.

Academic freedom is also central to the statement, stressing that, whenever possible, controversial ideas should be subject to questioning and challenged by evidence and reason. It also asserts that the University is “not a public square,” meaning that we are not obliged to provide a platform to those with no relevant expertise or who espouse palpable falsehoods.

The statement intends to be a living document that the University community as a whole owns and stands by and will be routinely reviewed in the light of experience and changing legislation.

Vice-Chancellor Professor Shearer West said:

“The statement on free speech and academic freedom is the result of extremely diligent work by members of our academic and professional services community, endorsed by the University’s Senate, and I congratulate the working group on its development.

“Nottingham has a long and proud history of supporting free speech over many years and this statement will aid us all in both continuing our tradition and addressing points of contention that will undoubtedly arise in the future.

“I am confident that Nottingham will remain a university where new ideas are proposed, received wisdom is tested and disagreements are conducted with civility and respect, underpinned by this statement which reflects the values set out by our community in the University Strategy.”

The Chair of the Free Speech Working Group, Registrar Dr Paul Greatrix, has placed on record his sincere thanks to the members who development the statement: Professor Marko Milanovic, Professor of Public International Law, School of Law; Dr Zachary Hoskins, Associate Professor, Department of Philosophy; University General Counsel, Kate Gallagher; Campus Life Director, Andy Winter; and Students’ Union Development Officer, Madeleine Fox.

 

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