Campus News
Vice Chancellor and UCU Branch President Meeting
March 13th, 2018
The Vice Chancellor, Professor Shearer West, and the President of the University of Nottingham UCU Branch, Dr Matt Green, met yesterday (Monday 12 March, 2018) for informal conversations on the current national industrial action.
Recognising the national positions of UCU and UUK, as the respective staff and employer representatives, the following points were discussed:
- mutual agreement to explore ways in which specific cases of staff hardship due to pay deduction might be alleviated through the approach to deductions taken by the University, while acknowledging that pay deductions for strike days will continue to be made;
- the importance of a long-term sustainable USS which delivers good pensions to all members;
- mutual support for ACAS-mediated talks between UCU and UUK as currently the best means to identify a solution to the national dispute;
- joint commitment to the rights of all staff to follow their conscience in deciding whether or not to participate in industrial action free from bullying or intimidation;
- joint reassertion of commitment to free and civil debate, welcoming the fact that this has been the overwhelming case to date, and noting that personal attacks, abusive or offensive language and intimidating behaviour – online or in person – have no place on our campus; including responses to striking staff and non-striking staff on social media, in departmental communications or on picket lines;
- UCU concerns over the use of lecture capture recordings and an agreement to further meetings to discuss this matter, while acknowledging that the University’s position is that recordings represent possible supplementary learning materials and are not an alternative to face-to-face teaching.
Tags: Industrial Action, UCU, UCU Pensions, UUK
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Professor Sarah Sharples joins the Council of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
March 12th, 2018
Professor Sarah Sharples, the Faculty of Engineering’s Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research and Knowledge Exchange, has been appointed to the Council of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).
Professor Sharples said: “EPSRC invests more than £800 million a year in research and training in engineering and the physical sciences and I’m honoured to take up this role.”
Professor Dame Jessica Corner, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research and Knowledge Exchange at the University of Nottingham, said: “Sarah’s appointment is testament to her passionate commitment to the delivery of research with real impact.
“As the Faculty of Engineering’s Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research and Knowledge Exchange, Sarah has already strong links with EPSRC in its role as one of our key funders and partners. This appointment is recognition of her grasp of the challenges and priorities in creating and supporting a landscape where research and innovation flourish.”
Read the full story on the Research Exchange blog.
Tags: EPSRC, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research and Knowledge Exchange, Professor Sarah Sharples, Research and Knowledge Exchange, Research Exchange, Sarah Sharples
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Nottingham Women Expert Network
March 12th, 2018
A series of events of free events and training opportunities are being planned under the scope of the Nottingham Women Expert Network (N-WEN); a new network designed to boost the visibility of the many talented women at Nottingham who have expertise to share.
N-WEN is a joint initiative with Nottingham Trent University. To launch the network, we’ve produced the Nottingham Women’s Expert Online Guide – an online and hard copy guide of female experts, researchers and academics at both universities. This directory has been sent to newsrooms, MPs, thinktanks and partner institutions locally and nationally.
Find out more about the Network and Guide at the Newsroom Blog.
Tags: International Women's Day, IRW18, media, N-WEN, Newsroom, Nottingham Women Expert Network, Nottingham Women Experts, Nottingham Women’s Expert Online Guide, women
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Work commences on University Park Arboretum
March 12th, 2018
The work is being carried out as part of the strategy to further enhance the stock of trees across University Park. The long-term goal is to establish an Arboretum resource of regional and national value for the benefit of both students and visitors to the campus.
The University of Nottingham has a well-established reputation for creating attractive campuses. Recent developments at University Park, such as the Trent Parterre overlooking the Highfields Park Lake, continue to reflect our ongoing investment in landscape and green infrastructure across the estate. The University has now developed a strategy for the enhancement of the extensive tree collection that defines much of University Park Campus.
Trees have always been an integral part of the landscape across University Park. The campus has benefited from planned tree planting that dates back to its origins in the 12th Century as the Lenton Priory estate. This rich heritage comes with a great responsibility to manage, maintain and enhance the campus and the plans demonstrate our commitment to this by establishing an arboretum resource of regional and national value for the benefit of both students, staff and visitors.
The next phase of our planned works is to carry out the essential removal of a number of mature trees along Cut Through Lane, the approach to the Main Visitor Car Park and around Hugh Stewart Hall. These trees have been selected as they are in poor health or have reached the end of their natural lifespan. Their removal is necessary to ensure the safety of students and campus visitors and will provide the opportunity for new planting to extend the longevity of the tree resource and introduce new collections of trees.
New tree planting will offer seasonal and visual interest to users of the campus. It will include a Cherry Walk, glades of Japanese Maples and a Maple Crescent. Planting will also include less common varieties of species such as Persian Ironwood, Tulip Tree and the Handkerchief Tree to build towards the establishment of National Plant Collection Status.
Tags: Arboretum, campus, Estates, landscape, tree work, University Park
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USS Pensions and Industrial Action
March 8th, 2018
The Vice-Chancellor has published a new blog post, where she speaks about important meetings, and a way forward.
Read more on the Vice-Chancellor’s blog.
Tags: pensions, shearer west, UCU, USS, USS Pensions, UUK, Vice Chancellor
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Staff car parking permits — how to extend your permit
March 7th, 2018
All staff who use University of Nottingham parking permits will by now have received an email advising that changes have been made to the Parking Permit System. The email explains how staff can, if they wish to, extend their existing permit and payments to Friday 31 August 2018 at current rates.
If you are a current parking permit holder, please ensure that you open the link in your email and select the ‘accept’ or ‘reject’ option, with reference to the following instructions:
- Staff who pay monthly: Members of staff who pay for their parking permits monthly will need to accept (or reject) the new T&C’s:
- If you select the ‘accept’ option, Payroll will arrange for monthly payments to continue until Friday 31 August 2018 at the same monthly rate as March 2018.
- If you select the ‘reject’ option, your current parking permit will expire on Saturday 21 March 2018.
- Staff who pay annually: Staff who pay for parking permits with a single annual payment (salary or cash) will need to select the REJECT option. The Parking Team will then make contact to assist with renewing the permit for five months, if required.
- Staff Blue Badge permit holders: Members of staff with blue badge permits will need to accept (or reject) the new T&Cs and do nothing else – payment remains at £0.
Associate, Contractor and Resident permit holders will now be able to apply for a new five month permit.
If you require any further information please visit the Car Parking webpage or call 0115 9513557 (Int:13557).
Tags: car park, car parking, commute, parking, Parking permit
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In the frame: portrait project leads International Women’s Day celebrations
March 7th, 2018
A Golden Globe Award-winning actress, China’s Athlete of the Century and the founder of the first women’s Hall of Residence at the University of Nottingham are among those whose pictures will hang in a new exhibition to diversify portraiture at the university.
The exhibition — titled ‘Women at Nottingham: Pressing for Progress’ — has been launched to coincide with International Women’s Day (Thursday 8 March 2018).
It is the start of a wider campaign to raise the visibility and profile of women in Nottingham including students, graduates, academics, managers and professional service staff. The campaign is being led by Professor Jeremy Gregory, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for the Faculty of Arts. It builds on the success of Wonderful Women, a video which celebrates women’s achievements and emerging female leaders at the University, and the appointment of Professor Shearer West, the first female Vice-Chancellor at Nottingham.
The 14 photographic portraits feature inspiring women with a strong connection to the City and the University such as Florence Boot, former partner at Boots the Chemist and a campaigner for women’s rights to Higher Education. She provided the first hostel for University Students in Nottingham and the first female hall of residence at the University — Florence Boot Hall.
Olympic table tennis champion Deng Yaping, actress Ruth Wilson, Brigitte Scammell – Professor in Orthopaedics, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, and Georgina Wilding the first Young Poet Laureate under the UNESCO City of Literature, also feature.
The project is one of a number of initiatives taking place at the University, and at its campuses in China and Malaysia, in celebration of International Women’s Day. A conference is being held with Nottingham Trent University along with the launch of the Nottingham Women Experts Network and Guide, and several other staff and student-focused events are taking place.
Read the ‘Celebrating Nottingham’s Women’ blog from Vice-Chancellor, Shearer West.
Watch our video from the exhibition launch event:
The Woman at Nottingham: Pressing for Progress exhibition will be in place until March 2019. After the exhibition ends the portraits will appear on the walls of relevant Schools and Faculties as a constant inspiration for those living, working and studying there.
The full list of sitters is as follows:
- Daphne Priestly OBE, JP, DL — BA Sociology 1954
- Dame Mary Marsh DBE — BSc Geography 1968
- Ruth Wilson — BA History, DLitt, 2003
- Professor Karen Cox — PhD Nursing 1999
- Dr Deng Yaping DLitt, — MRes Contemporary Chinese Studies 2002
- Kelly Vere — MA Higher Education 2011
- Stacy Johnson
- Professor Brigitte Scammell — MmedSci Clinical Education 2008
- Emma Barnett — BA History & Politics 2006
- Hannah Reid — BA Art History & English Studies 2011
- Dr Amanda Horton-Mastin — PhD Chemistry 1988 & BSc Chemistry 1983
- Georgina Wilding — BA Creative & Professional Writing 2015
- Florence Boot
- Dr Janet Folkes
Location and opening times
The portraits are currently on display at the Council Room, Trent Building, University Park. Throughout the year, thousands of people will see the portraits during meetings and other occasions.
There are also several dedicated dates when the room will be opened to public viewing:
- 4pm-5.30pm, Friday 9 March
- 4pm-5.30pm, Monday 19 March
- 11:30am-1pm, Tuesday 20 March
- 12 noon – 2pm, Thursday 29 March
- 4pm-5.30pm, Wednesday 13 June
- 12 noon – 2pm, Thursday 20 September
There’s no need to book in advance; just turn up on the day.
You can also view the images online at nottingham.ac.uk/women.
Tags: International Women's Day, IWD2018, Pressing for progress, Professor Shearer West, Vice Chancellor, Women at Nottingham, Wonderful Women
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Staff email banners — update
March 7th, 2018
The email signature templates available for staff on Workspace have recently been updated with new banner designs.
There are four different designs to choose from and you are welcome to pick the one that best fits with your role. (For any staff who haven’t already done so, the Workspace page also includes instructions on how to change your email body text to Arial font).
To download the Word documents containing the new banner designs, visit the ‘Email signature’ section on Workspace.
Tags: brand, design, email
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New Vice-Provost for Research and Knowledge Exchange appointed at UNMC
March 7th, 2018
“We are delighted to announce the appointment of Professor Deborah Hall to the position of Vice-Provost for Research and Knowledge Exchange at the University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus.
“Deborah is a world renowned researcher and academic leader. Her biography is a testament to that:
“Deborah is an NIHR Senior Investigator and Deputy Director of the NIHR Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre (funded 2017-2022) where she leads research projects on measures in clinical trials, tinnitus and translational neuroscience.
“Deborah graduated from Brunel University in Psychology and completed a PhD in Cognitive Neuropsychology with Profs Glyn Humphreys and Jane Riddoch at Birmingham University in 1996. She moved to the MRC Institute of Hearing Research in Nottingham to develop auditory functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), firstly as a postdoctoral research fellow, then as a programme leader where she also held an honorary professor appointment in the School of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Nottingham.
“In 2009, she left to establish cognitive neuroscience teaching and research in the Division of Psychology at Nottingham Trent University, whilst also leading the tinnitus research group at the NIHR Nottingham Hearing Biomedical Research Unit (BRU). Following the successful refunding of the BRU, she joined the School of Medicine at the University of Nottingham as Professor of Hearing Sciences and was Director of the BRU from April 2012-March 2017.
“Deborah was awarded the British Society of Audiology Thomas Simm Littler prize in 2010 for her services to audiology, and the Tonndorf lecture at the 1st World Tinnitus Congress in 2017. She is Chair of the ‘Outcome measurement’ working group of TINNET (2014-2018) and Training Coordinator of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Innovative Training Networks European School for Interdisciplinary Tinnitus (ESIT) Research (2017-2021).
“Deborah’s exact start date in Malaysia is to be confirmed.
“In addition to her role as Vice-Provost, Deborah will continue to lead research in the UK.
“I am sure that you will all join me in congratulating Deborah on her appointment. I think it is a very exciting appointment and I look forward to welcoming her to Malaysia and working closely with her over the coming months and years.”
Professor Graham Kendall
Provost and CEO, University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus
Pro Vice Chancellor, University of Nottingham
Professor of Computer Science
The University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus
Tags: Deborah Hall, Graham Kendall, research, Research and Knowledge Exchange
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Review into University-wide student support — full report, executive summary and action plan now available
March 7th, 2018
The Organisation Effectiveness (Student Support) Review launched by the Vice-Chancellor at the end of last year has this week provided a briefing of its report to Senate. The full report, executive summary and University action plan responding to its findings are now available.
Introducing the executive summary the Vice-Chancellor, Prof Shearer West, said:
“On my arrival at the University of Nottingham I was, of course, impressed by our thriving institution, its outstanding student experience, world-changing research and global reputation for excellence. I was also impressed by the level of commitment and care demonstrated by our academic and professional services staff in delivering outstanding education and services to our students.
“I have been keenly aware that our Student Services teams are delivering a high quality of service to our students and staff, in the face of significant difficulties resulting from the organisational redesign which changed the way in which that support is provided.
“This is why one of my first acts as Vice-Chancellor was to initiate a review which would consult the staff who deliver or engage with these services, and the students who benefit from them, and ask them to identify the difficulties and offer solutions for how they could be fixed. To ensure the review could secure the full range of evidence and provide objective recommendations, I commissioned a task group of academic and professional services staff — working at arm’s length from the University Executive Board, but with sponsorship from Professor Jeremy Gregory.
“The Organisational Effectiveness (Student Support) Review team, led by Professor Sarah Sharples, has worked diligently and rapidly, engaging our staff and students to produce a high quality set of recommendations to overcome the current barriers to the delivery of high-quality support for students. I am enormously grateful to Professor Sharples, the review team, and the many colleagues throughout the University who will have contributed their views.
“Three months of consultative workshops, online surveys and desk analysis, has resulted in some 40 individual actions for improvement which are summarised in this document, with a recommendation that the majority of these are completed before the start of the next academic year.
“The University Executive Board has considered and accepted the findings of the review, and agreed a plan of action to implement these in a quick, efficient and consultative manner. Implementation task groups will now deliver this plan, with the work led jointly by Student Services and Faculty managers. Importantly, each group will include student representatives, and work to support managers who have day-to-day responsibility for student support. An Implementation Steering Group, chaired by the University’s Registrar, Dr Paul Greatrix, will oversee and report openly on progress.
“From studying this review, and from the many conversations I have had with staff in all roles and at all levels since my arrival, it is clear that there is a deep and longstanding commitment to providing the best possible support to students. It is also clear that this commitment has not always been as supported as well as it could have been by the changes in organisational design, with repercussions for the experience of staff and students throughout the University.
“On behalf of the University, I would like to offer a sincere apology for this, as well as an assurance that we will use the review to deliver the improvements that are needed now, and learn the lessons for the management of future major projects.
“This document contains a summary of the proposed developments and timescales for their implementation. If you would like to be involved in making the changes the review has recommended, whether as part of one of the working groups or being part of a progress check in a few months’ time, then please contact oereview@nottingham.ac.uk to get involved.”
Read the Executive Summary and University Response.
Email to get involved in next steps.
Visit the OESS review landing page on Workspace.
Tags: OESS review, Professor Sarah Sharples, review and improve, review and improve task group, shearer west, student support, The Organisation Effectiveness (Student Support) Review, Vice Chancellor
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