Campus News
Beeston Lane: Road closure
September 17th, 2018
Beeston Lane will be closed from approximately 7.30am, Tuesday 18 September to 5pm, Thursday 20 September 2018.
The road closure will take place in order to facilitate new gas main works which are being carried out by Cadent Gas on behalf of British Gas.
Beeston Lane will be closed just before the zebra crossing adjacent to Rutland Hall / Sports Centre.
Access to the EMCC and Rutland Hall service road will be via University Park’s West Entrance only.
Effect on bus transport
No hopper buses will operate around Beeston Lane during the road closure. Passengers should instead make their way to East Drive to catch buses.
NCT will be diverting their commercial evening services during the road closure.
The Estates Office apologies for any inconvenience caused by this road closure due to these emergency works.
Tags: bus, Cars, commute, driving, hopper bus, traffic
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New and enhanced digital research services now available
September 16th, 2018
The University has invested over £3m in the last 12 months in developing and enhancing digital services for research. These services will support researchers by improving information security and enabling research that will have the greatest impact in support of our University research strategy.
Included are storage solutions that will transition users from existing legacy storage to secure, fast, accessible technology.
There are new, free at the point of use services as well as high performance options which will have an associated fee, to be recovered from funding bids. The costs recovered through these fees will be reinvested into improving existing, and developing new, digital resources for our research community.
Digital Research Services are more than technology and infrastructure; they are underpinned by experts with specialist digital skills who understand the challenges of conducting research within the digital landscape.
Support services now available:
- You asked for guidance and support on planning your research data management
We delivered a new Research Data Management Service offering guidance to support in research planning, developing data management plans for funding applications, managing data during and after research completion, and all in full consideration of working with commercial, sensitive and personal data. - You asked for access to specialist expertise in data analysis and compute services
We delivered a new Digital Research Service (DRS) providing expertise in the areas of Data Analytics, Bioinformatics and Research Software Engineering. The DRS can help to realise the potential of your data, access the new compute facilities and improve research quality. Available in UNUK/UNNC/UNMC. - You asked for clear policies, advice and guidance on using all digital research services
We delivered new Digital Research pages with comprehensive advice for research data management, including guidance and policies. Further information to support data analysis using on premise and cloud compute services, including routes for accessing regional and national HPC facilities will be coming soon.
Storage services now available
- You asked for secure, compliant and access-anywhere storage for research data
We delivered a new Core Storage Service with allocations of 5Tb per individual, and 1Tb of secure, shared and recoverable data storage (expandable upon request). All cloud storage meets data security standards (ISO 270001 and GDPR) when used in accordance with best practice. - You asked for high-capacity and costed storage for research data
We delivered a new Performance Storage Service for researchers who require a larger storage allocation, higher performance, or where contracts state you need on-site/high security which cannot be met by the free core service. This includes guidance on choosing the right solutions to meet your requirements and clear costs for research bids (via RIS). From Monday 17 September all new requests for research storage will be allocated from the new services rather than R:Drive. - You asked for discoverable, long-term and costed archival storage for research data
We delivered a new Data Archiving Service enabling you to retain and preserve your research data for the future and promote research openness and transparency. We will provide 50GB of free archive storage per research project and should you require more, clear costs are outlined for including in research bids (via RIS). Available in UNUK/UNNC/UNMC.
Collaboration services now available:
- You asked for remote and real-time collaborative working with all your collaborators
We delivered new Collaboration Tools with Microsoft O365, OneDrive and Teams sites. You can now work collaboratively on version controlled documents and share research data easily with colleagues in and outside of the University. Specific advice and guidance on how best to use these tools will be coming soon.
Imminent services available within the coming weeks:
- You asked for high-speed capture and transfer, and costed storage for research data
We will deliver a new Local Performance Storage Service, which will enable you to quickly capture large amounts of data produced from equipment, and move this onto other storage services for analysis and longer-term storage. Clear costs are outlined for including in research bids (via RIS). - You asked for secure, scalable, expanded and costed compute facilities for research
We will deliver a new High Performance Compute Service combining an on premise HPC with “Cloud Burst” for shorter wait times or longer compute jobs, and the ability to run virtual Windows and Linux environments in the cloud. Clear costs are available now for including in research bids, and a free-at-point-of-use service will be available to encourage new users to trial the HPC and to boost innovation.
Activities over the coming academic year:
- Look out for information on roadshows, workshops and events to support your transition to the new storage, compute and collaboration services.
- If you’d like to be an early adopter and feature in our case study showcase or feedback on our services – get in touch.
- We will provide standard Data Management statements for Ethics submissions in the coming weeks.
- A review of all the above services and how they can be best expanded and utilised into the International Campuses is coming soon.
- New Cyber Essentials service for researchers that require high security environments. For example NHS/Government funded research which requires this certification.
- Enhanced cloud services based on researcher’s needs will be available.
- The ability to showcase your research through research showcase websites for example www.civilwarpetitions.ac.uk
- We will implement researcher led enhancements to all the above services based upon your feedback – send your feedback.
Tags: digital, research, Research Strategy
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USS pensions – Joint Expert Panel report published
September 13th, 2018
A report is published today at http://www.ussjep.org.uk/ by the Joint Expert Panel (JEP), which was established to examine the valuation of the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS).
The JEP was tasked with agreeing key principles to underpin the future approach of the University and College Union (UCU) and Universities UK (UUK) to the USS valuation – as outlined in the panel’s terms of reference.
The University remains fully supportive of the Joint Expert Panel in its examination of the valuation. It is hoped that this will aid positive discussions between Universities UK, the University & College Union, the USS Trustee and the government’s Pensions Regulator, in meeting UUK’s pledge of continuing to offer valuable defined benefits as part of the overall scheme.
Universities UK and the University & College Union have both welcomed the report, issuing the following statements.
Alistair Jarvis, Chief Executive of Universities UK, which formally represents the collective view of more than 350 USS employers, said: “We are pleased to receive the Joint Expert Panel’s independent examination of the USS valuation processes and assumptions. We hope that it will create the space for UCU and UUK to find common ground to conclude the 2017 valuation.
“The panel has recommended possible ways of reducing the deficit and the cost of future defined benefit provision, and has recognised that reaching agreement may require compromise from all sides. Potential responses include employers taking on greater levels of risk, stakeholders paying higher contributions, the trustee updating the valuation assumptions and stakeholders agreeing some moderate adjustment to benefits. Any solution is likely to require a combination of these and must be consistent with the statutory and regulatory duties of the USS Trustee and the Pensions Regulator.
“Next week, we will start to consult all USS employers on their views on the panel’s recommendations to inform talks with UCU and the USS Trustee. This will include examining employers’ willingness to accept greater levels of risk and to pay more into the scheme than their current contribution level of 18% of salary. Our engagement with stakeholders will aim to establish which areas highlighted by the panel can be adopted. We look forward to positive discussions with UCU, the USS Trustee and the regulator, so that we can meet our pledge of continuing to offer valuable defined benefits as part of the overall scheme and concluding the 2017 valuation.”
UCU general secretary Sally Hunt said: “It has been a longstanding objective of UCU to secure an independent assessment of the valuation and this first report is a significant landmark in our ongoing campaign to defend members’ pensions. This is a substantial piece of work and we hope that all parties will engage seriously with the report’s findings. We welcome the JEP’s proposal that the valuation should be adjusted and are also encouraged that the panel now wishes to look in detail at alternative methods for future valuations. There is no doubt that we have come a long way from this time last year when we faced plans to impose a defined contribution benefit package that would have seen some members lose around £200,000 in retirement.”
The Joint Expert Panel process runs in parallel to the current USS consultation which seeks scheme members’ views on a USS proposal to phase increases in contributions from both employers and members from 1 April 2019, to cover the cost of securing future service benefits under the defined benefit scheme.
Chaired by Joanne Segars OBE, the panel has an equal number of nominees made by the University and College Union and Universities UK.
UCU nominees: Saul Jacka, a Turing fellow and professor of statistics at the University of Warwick; Deborah Mabbett, a professor of public policy at Birkbeck, University of London; and Catherine Donnelly, an associate professor at Heriot-Watt University, where she leads the risk insight lab focusing on pensions, investment and insurance research.
Universities UK nominees: Ronnie Bowie, Partner at Hymans Robertson and inaugural President of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries; Sally Bridgeland, former CEO of BP Pension Trustees Limited and consultant at Aon Hewitt; and Chris Curry, Director of the Pensions Policy Institute.
Tags: pensions, UCU, Universities Superannuation Scheme, Universities UK, University and College Union, USS, UUK
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Car parking permit renewals — reminder
September 12th, 2018
The new car parking permits came into effect on Saturday 1 September 2018. Have you renewed your car parking permit?
2018/19 full permits are required for drivers parking on campus from Saturday 1 September 2018 to 31 August 2019.
For more details of the scheme, including how to apply, please refer to the ‘permit applications’ section of the Car parking webpage.
You can also contact the security team for further information (telephone: extension 13557 or email: parking@nottingham.ac.uk).
Alternative travel
Before renewing your permit, you may wish to consider alternatives to driving to campus. The University actively promotes low-carbon, healthy transport options through a range of initiatives, including:
- Discounted bus, tram and train passes
- Salary sacrifice schemes for purchasing a bike
- Investment in cycle facilities
If you’d like to find out more about these travel options for getting to campus, you can request a personalised travel plan. The plan will look at options for walking, cycling, driving, bus, train and tram – all in a single document. The results will be emailed to you, with maps and step-by-step directions. The plan also gives you access to an online tool to further explore and adjust the options.
If driving to campus is the only realistic option, then you may like to consider sharing your journey with others. It’s an easy way to do your bit to reduce both congestion and demand for parking spaces, and the University has a car share scheme specifically to help staff find others going your way.
Tags: car, car parking, commute, driving, parking
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Kerry Law: moving on
September 12th, 2018
Kerry Law, Chief Marketing & Communications Officer, will leave the University of Nottingham on Friday 7 December 2018.
Kerry will take up a new role as Chief Marketing and Engagement Officer at the University of Leicester, where she will join the Leadership Team to help shape and deliver the future vision of the University. Like her current role, her responsibilities will include student recruitment, marketing, communications and brand but also include alumni relations and development.
In her role as Chief Marketing & Communications Officer and a member of Executive Board, Kerry has led the External Relations team, comprised of four divisions: Digital and Marketing, Student Recruitment, Communications & Advocacy and Nottingham Lakeside Arts. Most recently, the Office of Global Engagement and the Institute for Policy and Engagement joined this broad and diverse team.
In her four-year tenure, Kerry successfully led the University’s rebrand; two global campaigns — firsts for Nottingham — to deliver student recruitment and enhance reputation; and led the University’s size and shape student number planning, working with colleagues across the University to achieve student recruitment targets.
Commenting on her move, Kerry said: “I am delighted to have secured this exciting role at the University of Leicester, and I very much look forward to the opportunities that the role and the institution will bring. This was not an easy decision. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at Nottingham, and I feel immensely proud of what has been achieved. It will be hard to leave many inspiring colleagues and great friends both in the External Relations Department and across the University.”
Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Shearer West said: “I would like to thank Kerry for the immense contribution she has made to our University, in particular for securing so many talented students to join our community and for highlighting our many research, teaching and institutional successes to our stakeholders. I wish Kerry every success in her new role at the University of Leicester.”
Registrar, Dr Paul Greatrix said: “I have greatly enjoyed working with Kerry both as UEB colleague and a marketing and communications professional. While Leicester’s gain is Nottingham’s loss, I am confident we will secure a successor of equal calibre. Kerry leaves a legacy of professional marketing, communications and admissions expertise that will stand Nottingham in good stead for many years to come.”
Kerry joined the University in 2014 following a 25-year career in marketing — 15 of those in Higher Education. Her career has included senior roles at De Montfort University, where she was the Director of External Relations for over 12 years, and FTSE100 company Pearson, where she led a team to launch and establish industry-focused degrees.
A recruitment exercise to secure Kerry’s successor will commence shortly.
Tags: External Relations, Kerry Law
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Develop your leadership skills
September 10th, 2018
The Aspiring Leaders and Stepping into Leadership programmes from the Leadership and Management Academy are now open for applications.
If you’re a leading people for the first time, or don’t yet lead anyone but want to in the future, the Leadership and Management Academy have programmes specifically aimed at developing your leadership skills, which are both open for applications now.
Aspiring Leaders
This programme is for any member of staff who’s thinking about taking on their first leadership role.
So if you’re looking for that first role as a leader, or if you’ve been identified as potential leadership talent, this programme will give you the opportunity to develop your leadership skills and deepen your understanding of what leadership means for the University.
Staff from all job families are invited to apply, the deadline for applications is Tuesday 30 October. Visit Moodle to find out more/apply.
Stepping into Leadership
If you’re in your first leadership role, this programme is for you.
Whether you’re leading a team, a project or a piece of work, we’ll help you develop your foundational leadership skills and improve the way you lead. Equally, if you’ve been a leader for a while, but haven’t had an opportunity for formal leadership development, this is a great place to start.
Staff from all job families are invited to apply, the deadline for applications is Tuesday 30 October. Visit Moodle to find out more/apply.
Further programmes and development tools
The Strategic Leaders Programme, which is aimed at leaders with University wide responsibility looking to develop their leadership skills is also open for applications until Tuesday 30 October.
You can also find out more about all of these programmes as well as our coaching and mentoring offers by visiting the LMA Hub on Moodle, or by contacting a member of the Leadership and Management Team.
There’s also a huge range of on-line learning resources available for all staff to access on the Learning and Resources page of the LMA Hub. From performance management and emotional intelligence to personal impact and managing stress, there’s a range of topics to choose from, so even if you’re not looking to come on a programme you can find something to help you develop today.
Tags: aspiring leaders, leadership, Leadership and Management Academy, LMA, management, Stepping into leadership
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Staff and student focus groups to tackle misogyny, harassment and hate crime — new dates and online feedback form
September 7th, 2018
*Article updated on Wednesday 2 August 2018 with details of new focus group dates and online feedback form*
Additional places are now available for staff and students to participate in a new project to better understand the nature and extent of sexual misconduct both on- and off-campus.
The confidential staff and student focus groups will help understand the nature and prevalence of unreported misogyny, harassment and hate crime and inform new approaches by the University of Nottingham to tackle them.
The focus groups will be held at the following dates and locations. To book a place in confidence, please email Lorna Lord, Head of HR Business Partnering at lorna.lord@nottingham.ac.uk.
- 9am-10:30am, Tuesday 18 September:LG14, Trent Building, University Park
- 2:30pm-4pm, Tuesday 18 September: A108, Clinical Sciences, Nottingham City Hospital
- 10am-11:30am, Wednesday 19 September: LG14 Trent, University Park
- 3pm-4:30pm, Wednesday 19 September: A05, XuYafen Building, Jubilee Campus
- 9:30am-11am, Thursday 20 September: 9A5, Medical School, QMC
- 2pm-3:30pm, Thursday 20 September: C1, King’s Meadow Campus
Led by expert researchers from the University of Sussex’s Changing University Cultures team, the focus groups will offer a confidential safe space for participants to speak about their experiences in Nottingham. All discussion will be captured anonymously.
An online feedback form is also now available, providing staff and students with a further channel to share their experiences. All feedback shared via this channel will anonymously be incorporated in the research led by expert researchers from the University of Sussex’s Changing University Cultures (CHUCL) team. The brief of the CHUCL team is to explore issues including what it is like to work or study at Nottingham, how values shape relationships and what changes in practice to report and tackle misconduct would be helpful.
The online feedback service will be open to staff until Friday 21 September 2018.
Student groups have already started work to take further action on harassment and hate crime, including additional awareness-raising talks and sexual consent campaigns for students, as well as other opportunities to reinforce messaging and tackle myths and misconceptions.
Vice-Chancellor Professor Shearer West said: “Misogyny, harassment and hate crime of any sort has no place in our University community or in wider society.
“It is imperative that staff and students feel safe at all times and I know that there has been a lot of hard work already in this area. Education and training are important, as is the provision we have in place to support anyone who is subject to harassment or hate crime.
“But there is more we can and must do and I hope that the measures announced today outline how seriously I take these issues, both personally and as Vice-Chancellor of this University.”
The Estates team is currently reviewing levels of night patrols and lighting around the campus to provide the safest possible environment for staff and students.
University staff and students are also reminded of existing awareness, safety and reporting initiatives in place at the University, for example: ‘Ask for Angela’, Let’s Be Clear on Consent and Stronger Together.
Bystander intervention training is delivered to key people including Welcome Mentors, Sports Club and Society committee members and Hall Tutors, and the Student Community website and video makes clear the standards of behaviour we expect as a University community.
Where incidents do occur, they can be reported in person to the University security team, welfare officers and hall wardens, or through harassment and hate crime webpages, email and mobile app. Offenders should be clear that they are likely to face criminal charges as well as sanctions under the student Disciplinary Code including expulsion from the University.
While reported instances of misogyny, harassment and hate crime remain low in number at the University, one is one too many, and it is hoped that these additional measures will support and reassure our University community, and underscore our positive culture.
Tags: Diversity and Inclusion, edi, equality
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Nottingham shortlisted for four national awards
September 6th, 2018
Teams behind a new approach to get people excited about science, an academy to support leadership development, and a scientific breakthrough that reduces infection have all been shortlisted for Times Higher Education awards.
Affectionately known as the Oscars of UK Higher Education, THE Awards are designed to showcase why and how institutions continue to prosper.
The University has been shortlisted in four categories:
- Outreach and Widening Participation
- Most Innovative Contribution to Business-University Collaboration
- Technological Innovation
- Outstanding Contribution to Leadership Development
Deputy Vice-Chancellor of The University of Nottingham, Professor Andy Long said: “I’m delighted to see such a broad range of University life represented in these short-listings. From engaging and inspiring people of all ages to be interested in Science, nurturing leadership skills, to translating academic research into medical products, we can see the breadth of Nottingham’s offering to a global community as well as our own staff. I offer my congratulations to the talented teams involved and wish them well for the awards evening.”
Use of ground-breaking short YouTube videos to engage people in Science and STEM subjects has been shortlisted in the Widening Participation or Outreach Initiative category.
The initiative began with “Nottingham Science”, a YouTube channel showing the daily work of our scientists. This was followed by Periodic Table of Videos (Chemistry), Sixty Symbols (Physics), Deep Sky Videos (Astronomy) and Computerphile (Computer Science). These five channels have attracted a staggering 362 million views and 3.2 million subscribers.
School pupils who were once bored by STEM report their interest has been reignited, encouraging them to pursue university-level study. Some videos have proved particularly appealing to children with learning difficulties (particularly autism) and are often used for home-schooling.
The videos have impacted positively on student numbers at Nottingham, contributing to the University’s wider aim of maximising Higher Education participation amongst non-traditional and under-represented groups.
The University’s work with Camstent, a Cambridge biotechnology company, earned it a shortlist for innovative contribution to business-university collaboration.
Bacteria-resistant polymers discovered at the University of Nottingham have been developed to produce a urinary catheter coating that has the potential to reduce infection and save the NHS £1bn a year.
The collaboration had to overcome challenges of product development in transforming the materials discovery into medical use. In June 2018 the first patient used the Camstent Ltd catheter and a wider trial has been commissioned.
The University’s innovation of the Monica fetal/maternal care monitor has been shortlisted for Technological Innovation of the year. Delivering the world’s first wearable patch for monitoring a pregnant mother and her fetus during labour, the innovation measures the heart rate of unborn babies and mothers, and mothers’ contractions, without restricting her movements. The devices are now used at more than 1,000 sites across Europe, Asia and North America, with more than 100,000 patients benefitting from the technology in the last year.
The University’s Leadership and Management Academy, run by Carol Steed has been shortlisted for its contribution to leadership development. The LMA was launched in October 2016, filling a void in leadership and management provision for the 7,500 staff at the University. It is unusual given the breadth of its provision and the focus on all leaders at all levels.
Alongside 9 blended-learning leadership programmes, training 67 staff as internal coaches, 1:1 personalised support for 65 senior leaders, and a University wide mentoring programme, a major development was the creation and launch of a new platform – the LMA Hub – which is a central point for learning and resources.
As well as focusing on individual leader development, the enhancement of collective leadership practice is also a key feature of the LMA’s portfolio. A Community of Practice for Higher Education Leadership has been established physically and virtually. This is where leaders and managers can share experiences, support each other and put new learning into practice.
Winners will be announced at a gala awards evening at the Grosvenor House Hotel, Park Lane, London, on Thursday 29 November 2018.
Tags: the awards, Times Higher Awards
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