Campus News
July 2nd, 2020
As staff prepare for a return to campus, social distancing measures and flexibility in working patterns will continue to have an impact on the ways in which we all work.
To help staff manage their transport requirements, the University is introducing a more flexible approach to car parking charges when parking enforcement is re-introduced from Tuesday 1 September 2020.
To support more sustainable methods of travelling to and from our campuses, the University has also increased the value of the Cycle to Work scheme to enable staff to purchase bicycles up to the value of £2,000.
Car Parking
Since mid-March, the University has supported the Nottingham University Hospitals Trust and the Royal Derby Hospital by relaxing car parking enforcement and making spaces available to NHS staff.
As more of the University’s estate is re-opened, parking spaces will be released to staff and students and parking enforcement will be re-introduced on Tuesday 1 September 2020.
The application window for new parking permits has been delayed to commence from Monday 3 August 2020 to allow staff more time to consider their working patterns, individual parking needs or alternative modes of transport to travel to and from our campuses.
Recognising that colleagues will have differing campus return dates and to reflect more flexible patterns of working on-campus- and home-working, we are introducing greater flexibility in how you can pay to park on campus for the 2020/21 permit year.
- Full permits: full annual permits will still be available payable from 1 September 2020. Alternatively, staff or students will now be able to apply for a parking permit at any point in the year and only pay for the months remaining in the permit year. For example, if you apply in December, you only pay 9 months of charges.
- Occasional use vouchers: should you wish to use occasional use vouchers to park on campus for a few days each week, for example to accommodate flexible working or until public transport is fully restored, the cost of any unused vouchers will be refunded once you revert to your usual mode of transport. If you wish to upgrade to a full parking permit, the cost of it will be reduced to account for the amount you have already spent on vouchers.
For anyone typically needing to park on campus for fewer than 4 days each week, the occasional use voucher scheme offers the more cost-effective solution.
To underpin the sustainability commitments in our new University Strategy and reduce the loss that the University currently makes between parking charges and its commitments to Nottingham City Council’s Workplace Parking Levy (WPL), the cost of a parking permit will need to rise by 15% for 2020/21.
This works out as an annual increase from £60 to £69 for cars in the lowest emission and salary bracket and an annual increase from £673 to £774 in the highest emission and salary bracket. The average cost of parking is £258 – less than £1.12 per day based on 230 days use – and will therefore rise by £38.70.
Since the WPL was introduced, the University has paid more than £1 million to offset the difference between car parking revenue and our WPL obligations – this year’s increase will help offset the £169,000 shortfall for 2020/21.
We regret that staff parking permits for the remainder of the current academic year cannot be refunded nor rolled forwards, to help the University meet the financial savings required to meet the significant losses incurred by the impact of coronavirus.
Cycle to Work
Cycling to work offers a flexible, fit and sustainable way to travel between our campuses and elsewhere. The University offers a comprehensive Cycle to Work scheme accessible through the Employee Hub and has increased the value of the scheme to enable staff to purchase bicycles up to the value of £2,000.
You can order your bike from a huge number of independent bike shops, online stores such as Wiggle or popular bike suppliers such as Halfords, Decathlon, Evans, Rutland Cycles and many more.
Operated on a salary sacrifice basis, the scheme allows employees to hire a bike and equipment from the University for twelve months. After this period the employee may, at University and scheme provider discretion, be offered options to extend the hire agreement or take ownership of the bike.
The University is currently undertaking a review of cycle parking infrastructure and identifying locations for additional infrastructure for those travelling by bike.
Hopper buses
The University has continued to run a reduced number of hopper bus services over recent months to retain essential connectivity between our sites. In line with current government guidance anyone travelling on the hopper bus service is advised to wear a face covering.
The University will continue to monitor the latest guidance to ensure the health and safety of all passengers. Social distancing measures will inevitably mean that our services will need to operate differently, carry fewer passengers and make some changes to routes and interim stopping points. These measures continue to be developed as we understand the impact of any new guidelines and we will continue to provide regular updates on services and timetables.
Tags: car parking, cycle to work, hopper buses, parking, parking permits
Posted in Announcements, News, Opportunities, Side news story | Comments Off on Transport Update – The Road to Recovery
July 1st, 2020
Information Services will be undertaking essential maintenance to the University network on the following dates and campuses:
Jubliee Campus
Monday 6 July, 8.30am – 1pm
Buldings/Areas affected: Gatehouse Lodge, Melton Hall, Southwell Hall and Newark Hall.
Check status update
QMC & Medical School
Tuesday 7 July, 8.30am – 1pm
Buildings/Areas affected: Parts of QMC West, East and South and small parts of the medical school.
Check status update
Sutton Bonnington
Wednesday 8 July, 8.30am – 1pm
Buildings/Areas affected: All campus buildings.
Check status update
During this maintenance, work will result in short blips / intermittent access to systems and network services. Please take note of the following:
- A 15 minute network outage is expected in some buildings during the maintenance, see list above for more details.
- University wired and wi-fi (eduroam, UoN-guest, UoN-halls) network may appear connected without internet connection.
- Potential disruption to school/department hosted servers or software that rely upon internet or internal University network connection.
Please contact the IT Service Desk if you experience issues accessing systems and services after the specified maintenance times.
If you have any questions about the network maintenance, please contact IS-Communications.
Tags: IS, IS Update, Network update, Updates
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July 1st, 2020
Iconic landmarks including the Royal Albert Hall, Blackpool Tower and our very own Trent Building will be lit up in a beacon of blue to celebrate the NHS’ 72nd birthday.
On Saturday 4 July – the eve of the anniversary – the #LightItBlue illuminations across the country will pay tribute not only NHS staff but to those that have helped the organisation during its most challenging period since its 1948 inception.
Professor John Atherton, Pro Vice-Chancellor and the Dean of Faculty Medicine and Health Sciences at the University said: “We are pleased to support the #lightItblue campaign and to light up the University’s Trent Building to mark the 72nd anniversary of the NHS.
It is particularly poignant and important at this moment, in that we can show our gratitude to the NHS and pay tribute to the staff who have helped the nation during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the countless other organisations that have supported the NHS through such a difficult period.
We would also like to take the opportunity to start our university birthday celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of the Medical School and 30 years of nursing education in Nottingham.
Now, more than ever, we want to celebrate the dedication and commitment of our colleagues and students, and to mark these important anniversaries with a series of events stretching out across the next academic year.”
#LightItBlue was created by the events and entertainment industry to show a united display of gratitude for those risking their own health to look after Britons who are ill with COVID-19.
The initiative began on Thursday 26 March when over 100 of the UK’s most famous castles, cathedrals, bridges, city halls, sports stadiums and giant LED screens were illuminated in blue to coincide with the nationwide applause for the NHS and frontline care workers.
Since then, eminent landmarks across the world including Windsor Castle, Niagra Falls, Komazawa Park Olympics Memorial Tower and the Prince’s Palace of Monaco have taken part.
Tags: Birthday, LightItBlue, NHS, Trent Building
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June 30th, 2020
Recognising that workload is just one of the many issues that can affect staff, the Human Resources department has been working to develop and implement a number of new policies and processes to support colleagues, whilst responding to the significant financial constraints that the impact of COVID-19 has presented.
The unavoidable uncertainty that the pandemic presents us with can be very difficult to cope with, and it is important that colleagues have an opportunity to ask any questions that they wish.
Director of Human Resources, Jaspal Kaur and Pro Vice-Chancellor for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and People, Professor Sarah Sharples are therefore running a series of staff engagement meetings with teams across the University to focus on “COVID-19 Recovery and our People.”
These sessions will provide teams with an update on work that has taken place so far and, most importantly, allow for discussions that will help us all look forward and ensure that we can reflect any learnings on agile working, flexibility, and support for staff.
Look out for your invitation to one of these sessions over the coming weeks.
Tags: HR, Staff engagement, support for staff
Posted in Announcements, News, People | Comments Off on Staff engagement meetings: COVID-19 recovery and our people
June 29th, 2020
Vet students at UoN are to be among the first in the UK to return to campus following the coronavirus lockdown when they are welcomed back to resume face-to-face teaching in July.
The university has implemented a full package of practical health and safety measures across its Vet School building and accommodation to meet Government guidelines and allow for the controlled return of 150 first-year undergraduate students to its Sutton Bonington campus.
A staggered arrival will enable adequate social distancing to be observed before teaching begins again in small groups on Monday 27 July.
The students returning are from the School of Veterinary Medicine and Science’s first ever April cohort, following the school’s ambitious move to become the first vet school in the UK to operate a dual intake system from the start of the academic year in September 2019.
Since they joined the University in April at the height of the UK lockdown, the school has been able to offer a full and successful programme of technology-assisted Fresher’s Week and teaching activities.
However, the early return of the April cohort will enable face-to-face teaching that cannot be delivered remotely, specifically essential animal handling and health and safety skills required before students can embark on the work experience element of their course.
The practical sessions will form part of a blended approach to learning, with other lectures and tutorial support continuing to be delivered remotely to reduce the number of students in teaching buildings at any one time.
Dean of the School of Veterinary Medicine and Science Professor Gary England said: “We have missed being on campus with our students tremendously during the coronavirus lockdown and we are excited to be welcoming this cohort to Sutton Bonington in July.
“The health and safety of our students and staff has remained our top priority and has been at the heart of our planning process. Colleagues from across the university have been working intensively on the intricate detail required to ensure that adequate social distancing and hygiene measures are in place to allow this first step in a return to campus.”
Among the measures which have been introduced are:
- A new one-way system and increased signage in the teaching buildings to control the flow of pedestrians and ensure adequate social distancing
- Availability of hand sanitiser at building entrances and enhanced cleaning in both teaching buildings and accommodation to ensure a rigorous standard of hygiene
- Safety screens at till points in the shop and coffee shop
- Offering a two-hour arrival slot for students, online registration and asking them to arrive with only one other person to assist with moving in to reduce the numbers of people on campus
- Accommodating the students on campus in cluster flats treated as a household and keeping students in ‘bubbles’ for their teaching sessions to avoid exposure to larger groups of people
- Access to open air sports and indoor Students’ Union society and Sutton Bonington Guild activities in line with Government guidance, as well as fun social activities being organised by the accommodation provider Campus Living Villages including a Google inter-flat Quiz, online yoga, a scavenger hunt, Sutton Bonington Bake Off – with photos of cakes presented and judged via Facebook, and a socially-distanced welcome party with burger van and BBQ.
Renowned for its student experience and quality of teaching, the school was able to move its pre-start and Fresher’s Week activities for the new April cohort to remote delivery.
The School already provides its new students with vouchers for laptops, and these have proved invaluable, allowing students to access both new student and academic resources. Staff and current students worked hard to welcome the new students, including having numerous senior students acting as mentors, being provided with a school t-shirt, tutor-led 360 virtual tours of the school and a welcome talk by the Dean.
Each student has been offered weekly contact with tutors, access to live lectures, evening seminars, quizzes, breakfast meetings with the Dean, and a range of other events to keep students motivated.
Caelyn Millar is a new student who joined in April. She said: “I knew being part of the first April cohort in the UK would mean that my university experience was going to be unconventional, but nobody expected what changes the Coronavirus would bring. Despite all these challenges, Nottingham Vet School has been fantastic and from day one I have felt like part of their community. I feel really positive about my future at Nottingham and I cannot wait to get down there!”
The return of the Vet School cohort, and the successful re-starting of face to face education at University of Nottingham Ningbo China at the end of April, where 5,000 students are now back on campus, will form the blueprint for the return of the majority of students to the University’s UK campuses when the new academic term begins on 21 September.
Many of the University’s programmes are already taught through small-group settings such as seminars, laboratory classes and tutorials, which will continue while following any national safety guidelines in place at the time. Some larger-scale lectures may need to be delivered through guided learning, using educational technologies or through interactive sessions with lecturers.
Following the Vet School’s example, social distancing measures will be in place across teaching and study spaces, offices, halls of residence, laboratories, cafes, meeting rooms, sports facilities, libraries, support services and outdoor spaces. New systems will be in place to guide people through buildings, including the introduction of dedicated entrances and exits along with one-way systems, queues and distance markers.
Buildings will be cleaned and disinfected regularly, and additional handwashing and sanitising facilities will be provided. Personal protective equipment (PPE) will be provided where it is required in specific circumstances, for example clinical teaching and research facilities.
Tags: Nottingham Vet School, Nottingham Veterinary School
Posted in Announcements, News, People | Comments Off on Vet students among first in UK to return to campus
June 29th, 2020
In her new blog, our Pro Vice-Chancellor for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, Professor Sarah Sharples, discusses support and talks about publishing new principles and guidance to support staff and manage workloads as we continue our recovery from the impact of coronavirus.
Read the blog here
Tags: Diversity and Inclusion, edi, equality, equality and diversity, Professor Sarah Sharples, PVC EDI, PVC Equality, recovery
Posted in News, People | Comments Off on PVC EDI blog: Coronavirus recovery and workloads
June 29th, 2020
Individuals whose mental health has been, or is likely to be, disproportionately affected by COVID-19 are to be the focus of a new research project funded by a donation from multinational bank and financial services group, Santander.
A group of the country’s leading mental health experts based at the Institute of Mental Health and the University of Nottingham are set to develop a rapid research programme for post-pandemic depression and anxiety following the generous £58,000 donation.
The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health are expected to continue for many years to come, even after the infection is brought under control. The enduring adverse economic impact and societal changes required to bring COVID-19 under control, alongside the mental health effects, are disproportionately high in some groups of society.
Amongst the general public, mental health effects of COVID-19 disproportionately affect younger people with suicidal thoughts, those who are under 24 years of age, those with existing mental and physical conditions, those who live alone or with children, those with lower income, and those who are unemployed or experience job insecurity. Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) people account for 70% of COVID-19 deaths among professional key workers, constituting another group that has been disproportionately affected by COVID-19.
The specific needs, challenges and opportunities that each of these groups presents must be studied to understand how their mental health and psychological wellbeing can be supported and improved. This includes NHS and social care workforce, particularly those from BAME backgrounds, in addition to those with severe health anxiety, children and young people.
This donation will secure the expertise and resources to translate technology and treatments into life-changing support. Mental health researchers face the challenge of acting now, in order to prepare for the future.
Tags: coronavirus, COVID-19, mental health, Santander
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June 25th, 2020
The Code of Research Conduct and Research Ethics provides a comprehensive framework for good research conduct and the governance of all research carried out across the University.
Given the current changes to how we undertake research and devolved working practices, it is even more vital to ensure the highest standards of integrity, rigour and excellence in all aspects of our research.
As part of the annual review of The Code of Research Conduct and Research Ethics, the University Research Integrity and Research Ethics Committee has reviewed and approved version seven, dated June 2020. This code applies to all research staff and students across our UK, China and Malaysia campuses.
The updates include substantial amendments, clarifications to existing sections, and the addition of new sections (e.g., expanded Supervision and Leadership, new sections such as Researcher responsibilities, EDI, IP, H&S, etc.)
Research staff and students are required to familiarise themselves with the updated code. Research leaders and supervisors are requested to bring to the attention of their research teams and students.
The code is available on our Ethics and Integrity pages.
The Head of Research Integrity with the Graduate School are organising two training sessions titled: Introduction to The Code of Research Conduct and Research Ethics
Book your session here.
New Research Ethics and Integrity SharePoint pages have also been launched, dedicated to Research Ethics and Integrity, which include contact information for research ethics committees and resources for researchers.
The pages include Research Integrity Bytes. They are one-pagers addressing common issues and questions raised by researchers in all fields. The bytes are written to give researchers a starting point when considering issues that may impact the integrity of their research.
For any queries please contact the Head of Research Integrity, Ali Alshukry.
Tags: code of research conduct and research ethics, research, research misconduct
Posted in Announcements, News, Research | Comments Off on New version of Code of Research Conduct and Research Ethics released
June 24th, 2020
Following requests for more online training for information security, the Information Security and Compliance team has published a short video with a quiz on Moodle, created by the UK government’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC).
Staff, students and associates can access it through Moodle. It is a self-enrol course and can be done multiple times.
Access the Moodle information security training [Moodle login required].
Tags: cyber security, Information security, Information security training, training
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June 23rd, 2020
Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Andy Long and Chief Financial Officer Margaret Monckton further update colleagues on plans to address the financial impacts of the coronavirus.
In a virtual sense, we have been on the road this past month. We have hosted some two dozen meetings with teams in academic and professional services areas across the University and have a further round of meetings planned across the rest of the term.
Speaking with hundreds of colleagues, we have had the opportunity to update them on progress with our financial plans, and had the privilege of receiving very helpful feedback and ideas to make savings and generate the income we need to invest in our staff, students, research and teaching next year
Our community has responded selflessly to the challenge of tackling our parallel financial challenges of mitigating a projected loss of £60 million in the period to July, alongside resetting our financial plans for the new academic year and beyond, to mitigate a projected reduction in our annual turnover of 20%. You can read more about the detail and figures of the financial challenge in our previous blogs in April and May.
We are truly grateful to all colleagues for sticking with the emergency spending controls to ensure we are successfully managing our cash flow across the term to protect staff salaries, online teaching and critical research. Current cash flows show that these controls are working and we are currently forecasting to reach August with our debt position being at an acceptable level, albeit £20 million worse than it would have been without the global pandemic. As a result, we have already increased delegated approval for FPVCs and Directors to £10,000 and will look to lift the spending controls at the end of July once 2020/21 budgets have been confirmed.
A budget plan for 2020/21 will be presented to University Council for approval at the end of this month, which reflects thoughtful, innovative but ultimately very difficult decisions by budget holders across the University to pause investments and reduce planned spending by 15%. Coupled with further measured borrowing on top of our current £100 million debt, this plan will help us meet the costs of our teaching and research next year, and position us to recover our finances more quickly than many universities.
However, we are under no illusion just how difficult many savings decisions will have been and we are enormously grateful for every contribution made by colleagues across the institution.
Savings proposals have reduced non-pay spend in areas such as scholarships, conferencing, subscriptions and sustainable commitments to reduce energy, print and travel costs. We have also received a significant response to the current voluntary redundancy scheme available until the end of June that will help to make savings and minimise the need for compulsory redundancies. We will continue to consider requests for voluntary redundancy sensitively and carefully to balance the needs of our colleagues with delivery of our teaching, research and services to students.
As pay represents well over half of all spending, some £365 million annually, measures to manage our pay bill continue to be considered and we may need to pause spending on things like the Nottingham Reward scheme, pay increments, promotions or re-grading. We will continue to discuss these measures with our trades unions prior to reaching a decision.
We have also been delighted to accept many new ideas to generate further income from our teaching, ranging from extending our provision of online postgraduate taught courses to expanding numbers of higher apprenticeships. Proposals have also been accepted to increase our research margin, where we currently receive 67p for every £1 spent on research – lower than many of our competitors.
To support our vital 2021/22 student recruitment activity that draws in more than half of the University’s annual income, colleagues in External Relations have just launched Discover something extraordinary, a series of live lectures, recorded subject talks and virtual open days, with contributions from many academic colleagues,
We will host a further round of staff meetings over the next few weeks, so if you have not had the opportunity to speak with us, please do attend one or email us with your thoughts and questions. We will write again next month with further news on progress. In the meantime, a number of common questions and themes have come up in the meetings we have hosted to date, so we thought we would publish these, together with the answers.
Tags: COVID-19, finance, University finances
Posted in Announcements, News | Comments Off on COVID-19 and University Finances – Update 3
