Campus News
Athena SWAN survey — update
June 26th, 2017
A message from Professor Marion Walker, Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Equality, Diversity and Inclusion):
“Earlier this year we conducted an Athena SWAN survey which aimed to understand your perceptions of your work environment and career progression, and explore some of the wider equality and diversity issues across the University.
“I would like to extend my thanks to all the staff who engaged with this survey (34% response rate) which has provided us with many useful insights which are now helping us develop action plans for future equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) initiatives at the University of Nottingham. It is our intention to share the results alongside our planned actions with you in due course.
“At a University level, the results of this survey will be used in combination with the Staff Engagement Survey, also recently completed (61% response rate), as baseline measures as well as support our Institutional Athena SWAN Silver Award application due for submission in November 2017.
“Data is currently being distributed to all Faculty Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Groups (FEDIGs), School Athena SWAN Self-Assessment Teams (SATSs) and Professional Services, where it may also help inform local EDI initiatives. Where staff groups have been under-represented in the survey responses, we will conduct focus groups to ensure we capture all points of view. As clearly stated previously, all contributions from staff, qualitative and quantitative, have been treated anonymously and great care has been taken to ensure no-one will be identifiable in any data set produced.
“I am hugely grateful for your input into this important survey and look forward to working with you towards an enhanced equitable, diverse and inclusive culture at the University of Nottingham.”
Professor Marion Walker
Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Equality, Diversity and Inclusion)
Tags: Athena SWAN, diversity, Diversity and Inclusion, equality, professional services, Professor Marion Walker
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Participants needed for driving simulator study
June 26th, 2017
Participants are needed for a new driving simulator study.
Individuals taking part in the study should meet the following requirements:
- Have held a UK driving licence for at least 1 year with driving experience on UK roads
- Do not suffer from severe motion/travel sickness; Migraine; Epilepsy; Dizziness; Blurred vision and are not pregnant
- Do not suffer from any vision related conditions that may affect their peripheral vision
The study will take one hour to complete and you will be given a £10 Amazon voucher for your time.
To sign up, please use this Doodle link.
You will not receive a confirmation email once you’ve signed up but will receive a reminder email the day before your appointment.
(Please note: This study should not be confused with another, similar but separate study also taking place, that participants have been recruited for over the past few weeks.)
Tags: driving simulator, driving study, Human Factors research group, study
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Team China take their first Tri Campus Games title at home in Ningbo
June 26th, 2017
Team China have taken their first Tri Campus Games title at the weekend on their home soil, snatching the win away from defending champions Team UK.
Presented with their trophy at the packed closing ceremony on Saturday evening, Team China were named winners with 22 points overall compared to Team UK’s 20 and Team Malaysia’s 18 respectively.
With the overall score very tight, the Chinese women’s basketball team were unbeaten throughout the Games and crucial to their team’s overall victory. Team UK dominated the tennis and women’s football events, but it wasn’t enough to overcome China’s consistent performances across the board.
Based on University of Nottingham’s China Campus in Ningbo, the 2017 Games welcomed 180 students from all three of University of Nottingham international campuses in China, the UK and Malaysia.
In its ninth year, the event is completely unique in the University sector and features eight different sports in the programme; badminton, basketball, football, squash, table tennis, tennis, Ultimate and volleyball.
The schedule included an opening and closing ceremony, feature fixtures and a cultural day for all athletes to explore the local area.
For the full 2017 fixture results, please click here.
For more information on the Tri Campus Games, please click here.
Tags: Ningbo, team china, Tri-Campus Games
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Sutton Bonington hopper bus — change to weekend timetable
June 23rd, 2017
From Saturday 15 July, the Sutton Bonington hopper bus (901) will no longer stop at Broadmarsh bus station.
This is due to the station’s closure as part of a planned redevelopment of the Broadmarsh area.
Hopper bus departures from other bus stops will remain unchanged.
Tags: hopper bus, Sutton Bonington
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Success for Nottingham at THE Awards
June 23rd, 2017
We are delighted to announce that The University of Nottingham has won the International Strategy of the Year category at the 2017 Times Higher Education Leadership & Management Awards (THELMAs).
The THELMAs, now in their ninth year, recognise outstanding work across the professional services and administration of the UK’s world-leading higher education institutions — showcasing and celebrating the best examples of innovation, teamwork and enterprise in the sector.
The University of Nottingham was nominated for the International Strategy of the Year THELMA award on the strength of our Creative Hub, which brings together science, technology and the arts to respond to changes in government policy in China and the UK.
The Hub links government, universities and businesses in China and the UK to ensure that cutting-edge ideas can be applied to new products and services and subsequently reach the market. At the heart of the Hub is the UNNC Incubator, a ground-breaking multi-use venue for student and staff entrepreneurs seeking to transform ideas into viable products and scalable companies.
Our THELMA win was officially announced yesterday at a ceremony at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London, with the judges commending how the University of Nottingham has “built on a long-standing, effective China strategy to bring in new innovative partnerships with creative industries, businesses, museums and national institutions.”
Paul Greatrix, Registrar at the University of Nottingham, commented: “Our international strategy is at the heart of what we do as a University. We are proud to be a global University, working to encourage the innovation and enterprise of our staff and students throughout all of our international campuses. This award recognises the creative vision and exceptional work of the team in our Creative Hub and beyond.”
The prestigious award is the latest in a series of accolades that have been presented to the University of Nottingham during June 2017 for its work across the higher education sector.
These include:
CASE Circle of Excellence Awards 2017
Earlier in June 2017, The University of Nottingham was recognised with a host of awards in the latest Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) Circle of Excellence Awards.
These awards recognise best practices in advancement and outstanding people who contribute to the growth and understanding of the advancement profession. The University received the following four awards:
- Special Events: Single Day – Grand Gold
- Interdisciplinary Advancement Projects – Gold
- Collaborative Program – Silver
- Advocacy Campaigns – Bronze
The awards relate to Nottingham in Parliament Day: an initiative held in October 2016, where the University of Nottingham led more than 100 partners from across the city, county and wider region to ‘take over’ the Houses of Parliament. The event saw more than 2,500 guests gather at 45 events across Parliament, celebrating the ideas, businesses and people that make Nottingham great.
Speaking at the event on Tuesday 25 October 2017, the speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow MP, commented: “Nottingham has shown itself to be a leader, and where you have led, others may now follow”.
You can read more about the Nottingham in Parliament Day in our previous blog post.
The Impact Awards 2017
The University of Nottingham has received the Project of the Year award for our Art-Business initiative at this year’s Impact Awards for Knowledge Exchange and Commercialisation (KEC) Professionals.
The Impact Awards recognise and celebrate the vital role KEC professionals play in maximising impact from research.
Gemma Morgan-Jones, Knowledge Exchange Officer at the University of Nottingham, said: “We are delighted that our Arts-Business initiative has won the KEC Project of The Year 2017. This project highlights the breadth and diversity of world-class research undertaken in the University of Nottingham’s Faculty of Arts and how, with support from our KEC team, this research is helping businesses to innovate.”
The judges commented: “This project clearly demonstrated the effort of the KEC team in bringing people together that will not have otherwise engage. The team made a real difference to both the academics from the university and the business community.”
Highlighting all of these recent successes, Paul Greatrix commended staff and students across the University for the wide-ranging efforts that helped to achieve the accolades. He said: “To win this variety of awards in such a short period of time is a testament to the dedication, talent and hard work displayed by staff right across the University of Nottingham, and further highlights the strength of the work, study and research that takes place here every day. We can all be extremely proud of our achievements.”
Tags: awards, case awards, creative hub, impact awards, international strategy, leadership and management, THELMA, Times Higher Education
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Amazement and inspiration at Wonder 2017
June 22nd, 2017
Wonder 2017, our free family day ‘to amaze and inspire curious minds’ took place at University Park Campus on Saturday 17 June — and we are delighted to say that it was a fantastic success.
Around 7,000 visitors joined us in the sunshine to enjoy the displays, talks and interactive activities on offer.
The newly-opened David Ross Sports Village proved a popular attraction, with a queue for the climbing wall forming well before the doors even opened, and the Veterinary Science’s teaching dogs were never short of attention. The Lakeside was also a busy spot with the Dinosaurs of China’s Hunter, a four foot Sinraptor, drawing a crowd — and Professor Todd Landman’s blindfolded bike ride around the lake added even more mystery and excitement to the day.
You can view just some of the photos from Wonder 2017 in the gallery below, and see a video of just some of the day’s activities on our YouTube channel. You can also see what visitors have said on Twitter and Facebook by searching #WonderNotts – alternatively, have a look through our Twitter moment and check out the posts on our Facebook event page.
More than 800 staff, students and members of the community were part of the Wonder Home Team, taking on various roles from leading individual activities and manning information points to collecting donations for the Children’s Brain Tumour Research Centre.
The event would not have been possible without the commitment and enthusiasm of this team – a very big ‘thank you’ is extended to everyone who was involved.
Tags: community, event, family activities, family fun day, University Park, Wonder 2017
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Our golden day: celebrations for our teaching and our research
June 22nd, 2017
The University has jointly celebrated two outstanding moments in our history.
We have been awarded Gold in the Teaching Excellence Framework, and have also announced an unprecedented investment in our research.
Gold Award in the Teaching Excellence Framework
The University of Nottingham provides its students with teaching of the very highest quality, according to the results of the first Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF).
This means, based on the evidence available, the TEF Panel judged that we deliver consistently outstanding teaching, learning and outcomes for our students. It is of the highest quality found in the UK.
The TEF panel noted that students at the University achieved “consistently outstanding outcomes”, and that there were high levels of student satisfaction with teaching and academic support. The Gold award also reflects:
- systematic evaluation of student feedback
- role of students as change agents
- level of contact time
- embedded culture of personalised learning
- exceptionally high student engagement with advanced technology-enhanced learning
- focused, discipline-specific careers support
- an institutional culture that rewards excellent teaching.
Professor Sarah O’Hara, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Education and Student Experience, said: “We’re absolutely delighted we have received a TEF Gold rating. It reflects the hard work and creativity of our teaching staff and support colleagues across our UK campuses. Every single one of you have contributed to this institutional award, and I want to thank you all.”
We’ll be using the TEF Gold logo on marketing and communications materials, our email signatures and our website. There are strict guidelines governing use of the logo. Visit the External Relations workspace for more details on how to use it.
Transforming the world: an unprecedented investment in our ground-breaking research
Securing sustainable food supplies, ending slavery and developing greener transport systems are three of six most pressing global challenges that we have today set out to address with a planned investment of more than £200 million. This investment, the most the University has ever dedicated to research, will support world-leading experts in finding solutions to global issues through ground-breaking research and its translation into impact.
We are funding six Beacons of Excellence — multi-disciplinary research programmes focused on finding solutions to a global challenge.
The six Beacons of Excellence are:
- Rights Lab — finding solutions to ending modern-day slavery
- Green Chemicals — the next global industrial revolution
- Precision Imaging — personalised therapies to transform lives
- Propulsion futures — the future of propulsion
- Smart Industrial Systems — sustainable products for the future
- Future Food — exploring new ways of feeding the world
The investment will also help transform the University’s impact: even more world-class facilities and equipment will support the capture and delivery of discoveries with the potential to change lives. It will also accelerate a commitment to attracting the brightest and best minds through the recruitment of 100 Research Fellows, while creating and strengthening high-performance teams of researchers from across the University.
Professor Sir David Greenaway, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Nottingham, said: “From the pioneering work of people like Sir Peter Mansfield who developed MRI, to Professor Don Grierson who created the world’s first genetically modified tomato, our University and our people are pioneers of world-changing research.
“It is right the University makes this investment in these six profoundly important areas, building on existing expertise and enabling us to entice world-leading academics and experts to push the boundaries of possibility.
“Our Beacons are tackling complex global challenges. Our research informs policies across the world and we work with the United Nations, internationally-renowned organisations and NGOs tackling real-world issues.
“We live in rapidly changing times, politically, scientifically, economically. The University’s vision to deliver research of global significance remains a constant. But we cannot stand still. We believe our unique approach and proven excellence in research will allow us to help solve these problems facing the world now and in the future.”
Professor Dame Jessica Corner, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research and Knowledge Exchange, said: “We have a long-standing reputation for transformative, world-class research. I’m delighted to announce this unprecedented investment in our Research Vision which we believe will truly transform people’s lives through the work we are pioneering around the world.”
Reflecting on the investment Dame Jessica said: “This is an exciting new chapter in the University’s history with great opportunities to support us all in our research endeavours and to create a research environment in which the exceptional thrives. This investment in our people and our research is a landmark in our history.”
The University’s Research Vision and investment was officially unveiled on Thursday 22 June at The Royal Society in London, to an audience of policymakers, funders, partners, potential new collaborators and the media.
Tags: academic research, reputation campaign, teaching and learning, Teaching Excellence Framework, TEF, TEF Gold
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July Student Services and Admissions roadshows — Learn the latest about Project Transform
June 20th, 2017
ARTICLE UPDATED WITH AMENDED DATE: The event at Jubilee Campus, previously scheduled for Monday 10 July, has been moved to Tuesday 11 July.
Following on from the successful Student Services roadshows in April and May, another series of events will take place in July.
The July events will follow a similar structure, with an update on the project, followed by the opportunity to ask questions. Attendees will hear about UK Admissions as well as Student Services.
The events will be hosted by the Faculty Pro Vice Chancellors, or a representative, and the Registrar. Colleagues from Student Services will present at the sessions. They, along with representatives from Admissions and Project Transform, will be on hand to answer any questions you have at the end of the presentation.
All staff from across the University are encouraged to attend. You can go to any of the sessions. There is no need to book, just turn up on the day.
The available roadshows are:
- Wednesday 5 July, 2:30pm: B1 Physics Building, University Park – hosted by Prof Jeremy Gregory, Faculty PVC for Arts
- Friday 7 July, 1:30pm: Coates Auditorium, Coates Building, University Park – hosted by Prof Andrew Long, Faculty PVC for Engineering
- Tuesday 11 July, 11:30am: CLT2 The Exchange Building, Jubilee Campus – hosted Prof Todd Landman, Faculty PVC for Social Sciences
- Wednesday 12 July, 11:30am: Lecture Theatre (A2016), Derby Royal Hospital – hosted by Prof Philip Atherton, Professor of Clinical, Metabolic & Molecular Physiology
- Thursday 13 July, 11:30am: A33 Food Sciences, Sutton Bonington – hosted by Prof Matt Dickinson, Professor of Plant Pathology
- Monday 17 July, 2:30pm: Studio 7, King’s Meadow Campus – hosted by Paul Greatrix, Registrar
- Friday 21 July, 11:30am: A4, Medical School – hosted by Prof John Atherton, Faculty PVC for Medicine and Health Sciences
Tags: Project Transform, student services, student services roadshows
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A message from Information Services — Introduction of Screen Lock and Intruder Lockout
June 19th, 2017
From early July 2017, two new security features — Screen Lock and Intruder Lockout — will be introduced by Information Services in order to protect individual user accounts and ensure security best practice is maintained throughout the University.
What is screen lock?
‘Screen lock’ will be applied to staff laptops and desktops from early July 2017.
‘Screen lock’ will be initiated when there have been five minutes of inactivity for a particular machine (for example, no keyboard strokes or mouse activity). After this period, the desktop or laptop will require the user to enter their password to unlock the machine. Machines left for a longer period of time may enter sleep mode. If you wish to immediately lock your desktop or laptop screen, you can press Windows + L on the keyboard.
Please note that these changes will only affect staff laptops and desktops and will not apply to machines in computer rooms or lecture theatres. Computer rooms already have a policy that automatically logs the machine off after 20 minutes of inactivity. Screen lock will not be applied in lecture theatres.
What is intruder lockout?
‘Intruder lockout’ will be applied to staff laptops/desktops and machines in computer rooms and lecture theatres from July 2017.
‘Intruder lockout’ will lock a user account temporarily when there have been five failed attempts to login within five minutes. Please note that if you enter your University login details incorrectly, this will temporarily lock you out of any applications where those details are required.
‘Intruder lockout’ allows the user to re-enter their details after a five minute lapse. Users can also contact the IT Service Desk to remove the lockout or re-set the password. If password re-set is undertaken, note that the password will also need to be changed on any corresponding mobile devices that synchronise to your University account.
Next steps
If you would like to discuss the introduction of ‘screen lock and ‘intruder lockout’ further, please contact the IT Service Desk or a member of your local Campus IT Support team.
Tags: Information Services, IT, IT Services, Zonal IT Support
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Raising funds for Dream Big Ghana
June 19th, 2017
A group of University staff and students are holding two fundraising events for the Dream Big Ghana Foundation (DBGF) – an NGO working in rural Ghanaian communities to help improve sanitation, public health, education and youth sports development.
The first event to take place will be a benefit fundraiser in Nottingham city centre on Friday 23 June. Named the ‘Roots Reggae party’, this event will feature DJs and music playing at the Spanky Van Dyke’s venue from 9pm-2am.
Tickets are available for £5.00 in advance via this link, or can be purchased for £6.00 on the door. All staff and students are welcome.
As well as inviting attendees to the event, the organisers have also put out a call for additional volunteers to help run the event. If you’d like to get involved, please contact Dr Linda East.
The second fundraising event will involve a number of individuals taking part in a sponsored 5K run at the Nottingham Forest Rec parkrun, on Saturday 18 November.
This event will be held to coincide with UN World Toilet Day – and the money raised will be used to build a compost toilet in one of the villages in Ghana where the charity operates.
If you’d like to sign up to the team, please contact Dr Linda East. If you’d like to support the team through donation, please visit http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/team/RRR2017.
Tags: Dream Big Ghana, fundraising, Ghana, world toilet day
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