Campus News

University Volunteer Awards 2024 – submit your nomination

January 23rd, 2024

The university’s annual Volunteer Awards – run by the Campaign and Alumni Relations Office (CARO) – are back for 2024 and the team is looking for your nominations.

The awards, which have been running since 2016, celebrate our inspirational volunteer community and recognise people who have made outstanding contributions to the university and its community, showing exceptional dedication, creativity, innovation or leadership.

Staff across the university are now encouraged to nominate a deserving candidate in one of the following four categories by the deadline on Sunday 3 March 2024:

  • Alumni Volunteer of the Year Award
    To recognise an alumnus or alumna of the University of Nottingham who has gone above and beyond the expected role of a volunteer. It will be awarded to someone who has contributed to the university or the student experience with outstanding enthusiasm and commitment, who has inspired others, or who has acted as an ambassador to promote the university and its values.
  • Recent Graduate Volunteer of the Year Award
    To recognise an alumnus or alumna of the University of Nottingham who has gone above and beyond the expected role of a volunteer.
    It will be awarded to someone who has graduated from the University of Nottingham in the last two years (since Summer 2021) and has contributed to the university or the student experience with outstanding enthusiasm and commitment, who has inspired others, or who has acted as an ambassador to promote the university and its values.
  • International Volunteer of the Year Award
    This award will recognise an individual who volunteers for the university overseas and goes above and beyond as an advocate, volunteer, and representative of Nottingham across the globe.
    It can be awarded to an individual volunteering in any country other than the UK.
  • Community Volunteer of the Year Award (Individual or Group)
    To recognise the sustained commitment and outstanding enthusiasm of a volunteer who is not a student, staff, or alumnus.
    They will have gone above and beyond their expected role and will be an inspiration in their dedication to their contributions to the university.

The winners will be presented with their awards at the annual Volunteer Awards ceremony later this year.

For any questions about the awards email Jessica Bill, Volunteering and Advocacy Offer, CARO.

Find out more and nominate

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Universitas 21 Early Career Researcher workshop on inclusive energy transitions

January 23rd, 2024

This in-person workshop taking place at the University of Queensland from 8–12 July is a unique opportunity for Early Career Researchers (ECRs) from across all disciplines to meet in person and share knowledge, experiences and current projects from around the world.

This year’s theme ‘Inclusive Energy Transitions’ aligns with the objectives of Sustainable Development Goal 7 by ensuring equitable access to affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy for all. 

This workshop is for early career researchers from all disciplines who have been awarded their PhD within the last eight years and can include those who started the research-intensive component of their career later, had career breaks or spent time in industry.

The Researcher Academy will provide a travel grant of up to £2,000 to a help with your travel and accommodation expenses.

Apply for your funded place by Friday 26 January 2024.

Apply now here.  

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Brew Monday 2024 – UniTea

January 19th, 2024

We are inviting staff and students to reconnect with each other in the new year by participating in our UniTea throughout January 2024.

Our #UniTea events are being held across UoN in January 2024, providing an opportunity for staff and students to take time out and connect with each other.

To support the initiative, we are encouraging student and staff engagement and to have open conversations. To promote a sense of belonging between all students and staff across our campuses and to raise awareness of wellbeing support services for the university community.

Our first event took place on Tuesday 16 January in the Chaplaincy department, with students and staff combining and connecting over tea and biscuits and engaging in a ‘paint a mug’ session.

You can still host your own event. Although funding requests are now closed, as long as you have a kettle, you can still host your own #UniTea event.

You can find everything you’ll need to set up an event of your own including activities, wellbeing resources and imagery to help you promote your event on the dedicated Sway site.

Guidance for #UniTea #BrewMonday activities/events

  • Events should be in line with university health and safety guidelines
  • You will be sent a feedback form for evaluation of the event
  • We encourage collaboration between departments and Staff and Students
  • We welcome any photos of your event. Please note these will be shared with the wider UoN community: email BR-EDICoordinators@exmail.nottingham.ac.uk

Why ‘Brew Monday’?

The third Monday in January is sometimes referred to as ‘the most difficult day of the year’ but this is a myth. At Samaritans we know there’s no such thing as ‘Blue Monday’ – we all have our good days and our bad days, and those aren’t for the calendar to decide.

So we say it’s time to stop this myth about Monday being ‘blue’ and instead start a conversation over a brew. ​Reach out and connect with family, friends, colleagues and loved ones.

Any day can be a Brew Monday. It doesn’t matter if it’s a Monday morning or Saturday night, or if you’re drinking green tea, black coffee or orange juice. If you’re sharing a cuppa and listening, you’re doing it right.

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Update: roadworks on Jubilee Campus to tackle drainage issues

January 19th, 2024

*Article updated on Friday 19 January 2024

Work to address drainage issues on Jubilee campus is taking slightly longer than scheduled due to adverse weather, and is now due to finish on Saturday 27 January 2024.

The work is tackling historic problems with the drainage outside the Atrium, which have required the road to be closed between the Atrium and the Exchange building to allow for excavations.

There will be continue to be no through route when the road is closed, so drivers will need to choose the correct entry point to Jubilee campus, depending on where on site they are trying to get to.

To access the parking outside Computer Science, Exchange Building, Business School North and Melton Hall drivers will need to enter campus using the northern entrance from Wollaton Road.

For all other destinations, drivers can use Triumph Road or the southern entrance from Derby Road. The plan below shows the diversion route for any vehicles trying to drive through the campus.

The road closure will only affect road vehicles – a pedestrian route will be available at all times. Cyclists/e-scooter users will need to dismount to use it.

Hopper buses will continue to run between campuses but will be placed on a diversion route. The diversion means that the Exchange bus stop can still be served, but the Newark Hall bus stop will be temporarily relocated to Triumph Road during the works – the plan above shows the temporary stop location.

The road closure will also apply to bin collections and deliveries, although the delivery bay outside of the Atrium will remain open.

Thank you for your patience and understanding during this time.

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Kids science workshops at Lakeside Arts

January 17th, 2024

Do your kids love making things and experimenting? Ignite their passion with Lakeside Arts’ fantastic February Half-Term workshops.

There will be a number of activities on offer, including:

Clay Animation
Tuesday 13 February, 10.30am-12.30pm
Ages 7-10
Find out more

Screen Printing
Wednesday 14 February, 10.30am-12.30pm
Ages 8-12
Find out more

The Chemistry of the Paintbox
Thursday 15 February, 10am-11.30am
Ages 8-12
Find out more

Making Pigments from Plants
Thursday 15 February, 1.30pm-3pm
Ages 7-10
Find out more

Cityscapes
Friday 16 Feb, 10.30am-12.30pm
Ages 5+
Find out more

Crafts from the Caves
Saturday 17 Feb, 12noon-3.30pm
Ages 7+
Find out more

University staff get 10% off full price tickets when they book through the box office.

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An update from your University Executive Board

January 17th, 2024

UK Higher Education is facing unprecedented financial pressures, largely due to the impact of high inflation and rising utility costs and associated financial challenges for students which are causing more of them to change their plans, whilst tuition fees decline in real-terms value.

At Nottingham, we also face some challenges around our estate and the need to address some immediate maintenance issues.

Because of this, we have identified a gap versus our planned budget which means if we do nothing, we will end the financial year with a deficit and this is not a sustainable position for the university.

While we are still in a much better position than many in the sector, this is a more challenging financial position than any of us would wish to be in and we need to respond appropriately to deal with this situation.

To manage this, we need to make some decisions that will ensure organisational resilience into the future while protecting the important work we are doing across the institution.

Each area has put forward a number of measures on how to reduce spend in their area.  For example, we will be pausing recruitment across the university except in some critical areas.  Longer term, in response to your feedback in our People and Culture survey, we remain ambitious about developing and delivering an operating model for the university that will create an environment which is simpler, more open and transparent, and efficient for all colleagues and students.

Over the next few weeks, we will be holding a series of roadshows – to be led by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor and the Chief Financial Officer – to discuss the university’s finances and budgeting, organisational resilience and the future of the university’s operating model.  This will be an opportunity for you to inform our longer-term thinking as well as sharing the short-term measures we will be putting in place.

Please do register for one of these sessions.

This is about making the right decisions now to ensure organisational resilience in the future.  Preparing for the future would be important even in the best of times, but it is all the more so in the volatile political, social and economic environment of today.

Over the coming months there will be more opportunities for discussion around our plans for Future Nottingham and we would welcome your engagement in this.

With best wishes,

University Executive Board

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Call for speakers for Soapbox Science 2024

January 16th, 2024

Join Soapbox Science 2024 at the university as a speaker.

The University of Nottingham and Nottingham Trent University are organising Soapbox Science 2024 – a public outreach platform for promoting female scientists and the science they do.

From PhD students to Professors, we are seeking diverse speakers to share their passion and knowledge.

Apply now here before the deadline of Thursday 29 February 2024.

This event will be held on 13 July 2024 in Speaker’s Corner, King St, Nottingham.

These events around the world transform public areas into an arena for public learning and scientific debate. With Soapbox Science, we want to ensure that everyone can enjoy, learn from, heckle, question, probe, interact with and be inspired by some of our leading scientists.

Why become a Soapbox Science speaker?

  • Champion visibility for women and underrepresented genders in science
  • Forge meaningful connections with fellow scientists
  • Engage with people who might not otherwise encounter science
  • Showcase your research via blogs and media exposure

You can see how our past event went in the 2022 video.

For any inquiries, please contact Helena Gomes.

 

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Questions about pensions? Come along to Pensions Day, Thursday 1 February 2024

January 16th, 2024

The university is offering staff a chance to find out more about pensions at its first annual Pensions Day on Thursday 1 February 2024 from 9am – 5pm. 

We will have a number of stalls set up in the Great Hall, Trent building for colleagues to have a chat with representatives from leading pension specialists Isio, as well as the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS), Contributory Retirement Savings Plan (CRSP), National Health Service (NHS) and Contributory Pension and Assurance Scheme (CPAS).  

No matter what level you are or where you are in your pension journey, you can drop in and have any questions or queries answered by experts in the field, as well as taking away relevant materials by scheme providers. 

You don’t need to be currently enrolled in a pension scheme in order to take part – just make sure you have your line manager’s permission to attend. 

On the day, there will be a series of 30-minute presentations from scheme providers throughout the day which can be attended on a drop-in basis and opportunities for follow up question and answer sessions. You can see the schedule for the day below:

9am – Event start
10am – 10.30am – CRSP scheme presentation
11am – 11.30am – USS scheme presentation
11am – 12noon – CRSP Focus Group 1 (Room A11, Trent building)
12noon – 12.30pm – NHS scheme presentation
1pm – 1.30pm – USS scheme presentation
1pm – 2pm – CRSP Focus Group 2 (Room A11, Trent building)
2pm – 2.30pm – CPAS scheme presentation
3pm – 3.30pm – CRSP scheme presentation
5pm – Event close

Snacks and drinks will be provided on the day and no booking is necessary to join in, but please register your place to give us an idea of catering requirements.  

If you’d like to know more about pensions, including contribution rates and how to increase them, how to consolidate different pension pots and much more, join us on Thursday 1 February 2024 in the Trent building, University Park campus. 

Find out more about Pensions Day and register your place.  

If you would like to take part in the focus group sessions above, please fill out this form. 

Survey

The university is looking at the pension benefits we provide for Level 1 to 3 employees and want to hear from you.

Feedback from staff gathered as part of the level 1-3 pay review in 2022 asked us to explore what additional options we could offer to staff at level 1-3 that find paying into a pension difficult, increasingly so with the impact of the current cost of living.

We have been in discussions with the pension provider on this and would like hear from you to help us to shape our pension benefits into a meaningful and attractive offer for you.

If you would like to have a say, please take no more than five minutes to complete this survey. It is open to anyone – whether you already contribute to a pension or not.

Click here to complete the survey.

CRSP Pension Scheme Focus Groups

We offer a number of pensions determined by your job level. For levels 1-3 we offer the Contributory Retirement Savings Plan (CRSP) through Legal and General. 

We want to understand your experience of the CRSP pension scheme, if you are currently paying into the scheme and if you don’t currently pay into the scheme, why?  This feedback will help us to understand what employees value in a pension scheme to ensure that the CRSP pension scheme is attractive to our employees.   

We would like to hear from a broad range of staff – both those in our current pension schemes and those not currently paying in, from all departments and job families. You do not need to know anything about pensions to attend this session.  We are interested in learning whether CRSP is working for you and if not, how it could be improved. 

The focus groups will be small group discussions, with up to 25 people in a room, led by Isio our pension advisors. Attendees to the focus groups will be placed in a prize draw for a chance to win one of five £20 gift cards. 

The next focus groups will be held on: 

  • Wednesday 24 January 2024
    11am – 12noon, Pope building, University Park
    1.30pm – 2.30pm, Portland building, University Park
     
  • Thursday 25 January 2024
    8am – 9am, Portland building, University Park
    11am – 12noon, Business School South, Jubilee campus
    2pm – 3pm, George Green Library, University Park 

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New guidance on hair and head coverings published

January 15th, 2024

The university has launched new guidance designed to address stigma or discrimination on the basis of hair or head coverings.

We want everyone at the University of Nottingham to feel a sense of belonging by bringing their authentic selves to work, study, or when visiting. That is why, after a long period of consultation and close collaboration, we have produced a new guidance focused on addressing the long societal history of barriers, stigma, or discrimination on the basis of hair or head coverings.

Diversity of appearance may reflect religious or cultural norms, arise from a medical condition, or result from individual choices. It is important that we respect and celebrate this diversity.

The new guidance aims to increase awareness of the importance of hair and head coverings. This resource is here to assist you with practical advice on how to approach different situations.

It covers general good practice, information about health and safety and personal protective equipment, other considerations and examples of application..

This one-page guidance has been co-created with students and staff from the university following focus groups and a thorough consultation process, which has incorporated feedback from over 40 colleagues.

We particularly want to thank colleagues from our Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic staff network for their time, thoughts and constructive feedback.

The guidance is inspired by Crowns, a portrait exhibition which was first shown at Lakeside Arts, which celebrates natural hairstyles and head coverings.

Zakiya Nosakhere, Assistant Professor of Midwifery at the university, organised an event focused on the historical and cultural significance of Black people’s hair in October 2023. After reviewing the guidance, Zakiya said:

“The university’s hair and head covering guidance provides insight to those who are unsure about different hair types, styles and head coverings. This guidance celebrates and educates about the different hair types, styles and covering our students may have and lets them know that their sense of belonging matters.”

Karen Nemi, People and Culture Officer said:

“As someone who has personally never felt confident to wear my natural Afro hairstyle at work due to fear of stigma, discrimination and my hair touched without my consent, this guidance has helped me feel more psychologically safe at work. This guidance allows others to have a better understanding and awareness of how important my natural Afro is to my identity, which is also important to aid implementing good practice in all settings.”

The guidance can be found on the university’s Equality and Diversity Policy page.

We welcome feedback from all colleagues about this guidance. Any thoughts about the usefulness of the guidance, its content, or how it can be improved will be considered at the next review of the document.

If you have any feedback, please let us know your thoughts by filling in this short form.

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