Campus News

How the Employee Hub can help you

May 3rd, 2022

The Employee Hub is available to all contracted staff at the university. On the Hub you will find information about managing your wellbeing including access to the Employee Assistance Programme and information about all of our optional benefits.

Since January 2022 more than 2,700 staff members have logged on to the hub and taken advantage of the wellbeing tools and benefits available.

Please log on to see how the Employee Hub could help you.

Staff discounts

Staff who use the staff discounts website save on average 6% every time they use the system. With many of us noticing our bills and outgoings rising, we wanted to remind you that as an employee of the university you have access to discounts via the Employee Hub which can help you stretch your money further. We’ve highlighted some of our favourite offers for May below.

  • Save 4% in-store and online at ASDA and George.com with an eVoucher or when you buy or load a reloadable card.
  • Enjoy the great outdoors with equipment from Decathlon and save yourself 7% when you purchase an instant eVoucher.
  • Get discounted cinema tickets you purchase your tickets in advance (including on annual passes) at selected cinemas
  • Great food, delivered to your door with 5% off UberEats, 4% at Deliveroo and 8% at Just Eat

Wellbeing 

The Employee Hub is home to the Wellbeing Hub which contains a large range of resources to support you in managing your wellbeing.

The Wellbeing Hub is designed to provide you with a range of provisions and services incorporating Healthy Lifestyle, Healthy Mental Wellbeing, Healthy Environment, Healthy Work Experience and Social Wellbeing. You can find links to advice and resources to support you across all of these different areas.

From healthy eating and physical exercise, short courses on topics such as resilience and mindfulness, access to the Employee Assistance Programme, webinars to promote good mental health and much more.

Salary sacrifice schemes

We have two salary sacrifice schemes which are open all year round and also support our sustainability goals. A salary sacrifice scheme allows you to reduce your salary in return for a benefit, in this case either a bike or use (lease) of a brand new car.

  • The car  benefit scheme gives staff access to a range of brand new cars under 124g/km CO2 emissions; they come complete with motor insurance, servicing, road tax, maintenance, replacement tyres and RAC breakdown cover, for a fixed monthly amount. Additionally, you can make National Insurance and Income Tax savings on pure electric vehicles due to the low Benefit in Kind (BiK) rate of 2% until 2025. Due to National Minimum Wage legislation you need to be earning over £19,000 to be eligible to participate in this Scheme. To find out more about how you can drive a brand new car through Tusker’s car benefit scheme, as well as the opportunity to ask any questions, register to join the live webinar on Wednesday 11 May, from 12-1pm.
  • The cycle to work scheme value has just been increased to £4000 which can be used against the cost of a new bike and safety accessories for commuting to work.

Nottingham Reward Scheme

Make online nominations at any point during the year (click here for details on who can nominate) but remember the higher level rewards (£500, fixed value and consolidated rewards) are only reviewed at set points.

The next review period for nominations will be June and the deadline for nominations is Tuesday 31 May 2022. Vouchers nominations for between £25 and £100 can be reviewed and approved locally at any time throughout the year. Full scheme details can be found within the Nottingham Reward Scheme guidance or on the Employee Hub.

 

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Nottingham Reward Scheme (NRS) – reward your teams

May 3rd, 2022

The Nottingham Reward Scheme is designed to reward exceptional performance for staff whose contribution goes above and beyond the normal expectation of their role.

Since launching the online system in November 2021 we have had a great response, with more than 1,000 staff being recognised so far.

That includes:

  • 1,300 nominations received on the new online system
  • 800 voucher nominations approved
  • 250 higher-level awards approved
  • 550 members of staff redeeming a voucher nomination in 2022 so far

Local Reward Committee’s will next be reviewing higher level awards (£500, fixed value and consolidated rewards) in June.

If you are a line manager or you want to make a self-nomination* please ensure you submit your nominations by Tuesday 31st May 2022 for them to be considered for payment in July (August for consolidated awards).

*self-nominations only available for consolidated / fixed value awards. For full details please see the Nottingham Reward Scheme guidance.

Please review the Nottingham Reward Scheme for full details, including the full eligibility criteria.

To make a nomination, log onto the Employee Hub and then select the Nottingham Reward Scheme tab across the top. You should then click on the £500 / fixed / consolidated level button on the right hand side to complete your nomination.

Remember that voucher awards for between £25 and £100 can be made throughout the year on the Employee Hub and Microsoft Praise can also be used to say ‘Thank you’ via Teams.

 

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Research Integrity Week: 20-24 June 2022

May 3rd, 2022

As part of our commitment to strengthen the integrity of research carried out across the university, UoN’s Research Integrity and Research Ethics Committee, have organised Research Integrity Week, starting on Monday 20 June 2022, for the second year.

This is part of the university celebrating its commitment to The Concordat to support research integrity and its values through which trust and confidence in research stem, and from which the value and benefits of research flow.

Research Integrity Week intends to highlight many aspects, including ethical, where researchers will immensely benefit in delivering their research.

We are inviting all members of staff and students to utilise this opportunity from all campuses across the UK, China, and Malaysia.

To register for any of the sessions below please complete and submit this form.

  1. Monday 20 June 2022
    a. 10:30am-1pm, Ali Alshukry- Introduction to the Code of Research Conduct and Research Ethics
  2. Tuesday 21 June 2022
    a. 10am-11.30am, James Parry – Good research practice and a healthy research culture (UKRIO)
    b. 12pm-1.30pm, Dr Jessica Butler – Papers, Publications and Retractions
  3. Wednesday 22 June 2022
    a. 11am-12pm, Trusted Research team – Trusted Research
    b. 1pm-2.30pm, Dr Claire Hewson – Gathering Research Data Online: Ethical Considerations
  4. Thursday 23 June 2022
    a. 12pm-1.30pm, Beth Montague-Hellen & Jasper Donelan –Digital Research and Libraries supporting Research Integrity
  5. Friday 24 June 2022
    a. 10am-11.30am, Professor Vladimir Brusic –Research Ethics and Big Data

Please note that the session times are based on UK daylight saving hours.

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Safeguarding at the University of Nottingham – update

May 3rd, 2022

Following the publication of the updated University of Nottingham Safeguarding Policy, we are now developing our university-wide safeguarding network and training.

We have identified safeguarding leads across Faculties and Professional Service Departments and the details of these are available on the UoN Safeguarding Resources SharePoint site. These leads will support with the management of safeguarding issues across the university, as well as ensuring information and updates are distributed.

We want to ensure that everyone working at the university, particularly those in student facing roles, understand what we mean by safeguarding and know what to do if they have any concerns about a student.

In order to achieve this, we will be providing a range of training and briefing sessions before the start of the next academic year. These are updated to be specific to our policy and procedures and therefore include information not covered by previous training courses.

In the longer term, we will be providing different levels of training and briefings in the annual training programme provided through Professional Development, Short Courses.

Please note, training and support for safeguarding leads in Faculties and Professional Service Departments will be provided separately and we will contact you directly about this.

Safeguarding & Prevent at the University of Nottingham

This two-hour session will be delivered online for all staff who work more closely with students, including Senior & Personal Tutors; teaching staff; APM staff in Faculties who are student facing; Mental Health Advisory & Counselling Services, Registry & Academic Affairs, Sport & Library staff; those working with apprentices and under 18’s or Adults at Risk; Technicians; Hall Management & Res X teams, Security; and the Compliance & Investigation team.

Please apply through Professional Development, Short Courses.

Safeguarding & Prevent face to face briefings

A one-hour, face to face session for Domestic Services, Estates Maintenance and Grounds and Catering staff. These courses will be provided at times that will enable attendance for those who work shift patterns.

For further information on this training, including the dates and locations, please discuss with your line manager who will book you onto the course.

Online Safeguarding & Prevent briefing session

These short briefings provide general information on what Safeguarding & Prevent are. We encourage all staff not noted above, who have not done this training in the last two years, to do both of these briefings.

Please apply through Professional Development, Short Courses using the links below:

For more information on what action to take if you have any safeguarding concerns, please visit the UoN Safeguarding Resources Sharepoint site.

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REF2021 results: a truly significant day for our university

May 3rd, 2022

An update from Professor Dame Jessica Corner

Results of the Research Excellence Framework (REF) will be published by Research England on Thursday 12 May 2022.

This will be a truly significant day for our university.

REF assesses research quality and is the mechanism for allocation of government funding for research at Nottingham and at all UK higher education institutions.

REF2021 justifies £2bn of public funding for research nationally per annum.

The publication of results from REF2021 also marks the culmination of hard work by many hundreds of researchers and colleagues across the university over a number of years.

This involved a complex process of data and evidence-gathering to enable our research to be assessed across three criteria:

  1. Quality of research outputs – originality, significance and rigour
  2. Impact of research – its reach and significance
  3. Research environment – our vitality and sustainability

This means we can provide accountability to taxpayers for public investment in our research.

Public funding is essential to our mission of delivering exceptional research. By allowing us to invest in exceptional people and cutting-edge technologies and facilities, it helps us have a transformative impact on lives, here in the UK and across the world.

REF gives us the opportunity to demonstrate the benefits of this investment, to the communities we serve, our funders and to the partners who help translate our discoveries into real-world impact.

It also allows us to further build our reputation as a research institution of international significance and provides benchmarking of our research quality and power against other UK HEIs. This helps us attract and retain exceptional researchers and research students.

None of this would be possible without the dedication of many colleagues, whose hard work over a number of years culminated in our submission to REF in 2021.

I once again offer my sincere thanks to you all.

Informing our research strategy and culture

Our renewed research strategy, including a commitment to building and sustaining a dynamic, supportive research culture, will evolve as we review our REF2021 performance and look ahead to the next research assessment in six or seven years.

A reminder that research culture workshops take place between 16 and 26 May.

Sign up for a research culture workshop

These one-hour, open discussions will explore emerging themes and findings from our research culture survey and help us plan interventions that positively influence our working environment and change how we behave.

Each workshop is open to all colleagues and will be held via Microsoft Teams.

For those yet to take part in our research culture survey, I encourage you to share your insights and experiences.

Finally, following the publication of our results, please look out for a reputational research campaign, inspired by impact case studies submitted to REF2021, which will celebrate the impact of our research on the UK and the world.

My very best wishes

Jessica

Professor Dame Jessica Corner
Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research and Knowledge Exchange

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YM Tengku Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Ahmad Rithauddeen Bin Tengku Ismail, 1928 – 2022

May 3rd, 2022

Tributes have been paid to the former Chairman of the University of Nottingham Malaysia after the death of YM Tengku Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Ahmad Rithauddeen Bin Tengku Ismail was announced.

YM Tengku Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Ahmad Rithauddeen Bin Tengku Ismail was an instrumental figure in the establishment of the Nottingham campus and led the historic ground breaking in January 2002 for the new purpose-built campus at Semenyih.

He was conferred Doctor of Laws honoris causa at the Malaysia campus inaugural graduation ceremony in 2002 and in 2013 received a University Alumni Laureate Lifetime Achievement Award, which recognises those who demonstrate special excellence over an extended period of time.

He was a founding member of the United Nations Association of Malaysia (UNAM) and was named an Ambassador for Peace in 2005, in addition to holding a variety of senior positions in the Malaysian Government including Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Trade and Industry and Minister of Defence.

Professor Sarah Metcalfe, the Interim Provost/CEO of the Malaysia Campus said: “Tengku was our first Chairman, a position he held for 19 years, but he was working to establish the Malaysia Campus for many years before that. The university owes a huge debt to Tengku for the global footprint that it now has.

University of Nottingham President and Vice-Chancellor Professor Shearer West said “We are indebted to Tengku Rithauddeen for his substantial contribution to the establishment, development and success of the University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus.

His commitment and insights have been hugely important to us and we will miss his presence enormously.”

YM Tengku Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Ahmad Rithauddeen Bin Tengku Ismail was appointed Chairman on 27 January 1999 and retired on 31 July 2018.

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Automatic pension re-enrolment at the university

April 29th, 2022

If you were part of a pension scheme at the university but have opted out within the last three years, you will be automatically re-enrolled from Sunday 1 May 2022.

Every three years, the university needs to exercise its statutory duty to re-enrol all employees who have opted out of pensions saving back into a pension scheme.

The university will be carrying out this exercise in May 2022.

Employees who have opted out of their pension scheme within the last three years will be automatically re-enrolled into the appropriate scheme with effect from Sunday 1 May 2022, if they meet the criteria for automatic enrolment (i.e. are between the age of 22 and state pension age, and earning £833.33 or above per month).

The pension schemes undergoing automatic re-enrolment are:

  • Staff between levels 1-3 will be automatically enrolled in the CRSP scheme*
  • All other staff will be automatically enrolled into the USS scheme*

*Staff who are eligible for, but had opted out of other pension schemes (e.g. NHS Pension Scheme or CPAS) will be re-enrolled into either CRSP or USS. If you are re-enrolled into CRSP or USS but believe you are eligible to join the NHS Pension Scheme and wish to do so, then please contact pensions@nottingham.ac.uk.

Everyone affected will receive a letter in May to inform them of their enrolment into the appropriate pension scheme. This will be from either the university (USS) or Legal and General (CRSP). This will also contain information on how to opt out of pensions savings, if you would like to do so.

If you had previously opted out of the pension scheme for Lifetime Allowance related reasons and being re-enrolled is a problem for you, please contact pensions@nottingham.ac.uk before Friday 20 May 2022.

Benefits of staying in a pension scheme

In addition to preparing for a different stage of life there are other benefits of paying into the university pension, including:

  • Tax relief on personal contributions (subject to limitations) – for example, a £100 pension contribution for a basic rate taxpayer will only cost £80
  • You benefit from contributions from the university when you save (that’s like free money for your retirement) if you are in CRSP or the Investment Builder part of USS – as these are ‘defined contribution’ schemes
  • The money can be passed on to your loved ones, depending on the pension scheme rules, on your death
  • You have lots of flexibility in how you access the money at retirement (for most people, any time from age 57)

Furthermore, as an active member of CRSP, if you die before retiring there is a death benefit of 5.5 times your salary in addition to the money in the pension scheme.

Visit our pension pages to find more information including details of how to update your wishes in respect of death benefits payable to your loved ones. There are frequently asked questions and links to each scheme’s website.

You can also visit the government’s website to get a forecast of your state pension.

If you are thinking about retirement planning and would like some advice or guidance, visit the Retirement Living Standards webpages.

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Kate Robertson, former Director of Development and Alumni Relations

April 28th, 2022

The university is saddened to learn of the death of Kate Robertson, former Director of Development and Alumni Relations.

Kate joined the university in 2009 and led the launch of our Impact fundraising campaign in 2011. Her commitment and ability to seize opportunities were key factors in the early success of the Impact campaign, including cycling the length and breadth of the country multiple times with then-Vice Chancellor Sir David Greenaway and other senior members of the university to raise funds.

The final campaign total of £242 million was due in no small part to Kate’s early leadership, infectious enthusiasm and fundraising skill.

Kate left the UK with her family in 2013 to start a new life in Australia, firstly as Chief Engagement Officer for the University of Adelaide, before moving onto several other roles.

Her final post was Executive Director for Advancement at the University of Tasmania.

Current Director of Development and Alumni Relations, Edith Prak said: “Kate made enduring personal and professional relationships wherever she went. In the four years she was at Nottingham, Kate launched the university’s largest ever fundraising campaign and secured the largest corporate donation for higher education in the UK outside Oxford and Cambridge.

Our thoughts are with her husband Nic, her sons Luke and Noah, and her many friends at Nottingham and around the world at this very sad time.”

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Call for LGBTQIA+ steering group staff representatives

April 28th, 2022

LGBTQIA+ is one of six EDI themes within the University of Nottingham. From September 2022, a university-wide Steering Group, with responsibility for taking this theme forward, will be established.

The Steering Group will meet three times per year for a 90-minute meeting to be co-chaired by Dr Lucy Jones (Director of EDI and People, Faculty of Arts) and the EDI Coordinator for the Faculty of Engineering.

Membership will be comprised of staff representatives from HR, Student Services/Education and Student Experience, and the LGBTQIA+ Staff Network. The Liberations Officer and LGBT+ Officer will also represent the Students’ Union.

In addition, there are spaces for two staff representatives on the Steering Group. These colleagues may come from any part of the university and from any job family. To ensure continuity, members are asked to commit for up to 3 years, where possible, after which point a renewed call for staff representatives will be made and new members will be sought.

Membership of the LGBTQIA+ Steering Group equates to 50 workload hours, to be agreed with and approved by each member’s line manager.

The overall purpose of the LGBTQIA+ Steering Group is to:

  1. Identify two clear strategic priorities annually and take these forward. For the year 2022/23, these priorities have been set already, and are:
    i) Review the university’s subscription with Stonewall
    ii) Explore the possibilities for gathering information on LGBTQIA+ staff and student population and experiences, to inform future priority-setting.
  2. Identify experiences of staff and students, consult with relevant stakeholders, and make recommendations to the university and Faculties to enable action planning in response to these experiences.
  3. Promote a better understanding of LGBTQIA+ inclusion across the university, including contributing to LGBTQIA+ History Month events.
  4. Advise on appropriate training and events to inform and raise awareness within the university about the LGBTQIA+ community.
  5. Advise on relevant policies, processes and guidance developed by the university to support LGBTQIA+ staff and students.

We are now inviting applications from colleagues interested in joining the LGBTQIA+ Steering Group. Please use this form to make your application no later than Thursday 30 June 2022.

For any questions, please contact Lucy Jones.

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Celebrating biodiversity at the university

April 27th, 2022

Throughout May and June, the university is celebrating biodiversity and encouraging wildlife back into people’s lives.

There will be plenty of events taking place on our campuses through May and June, and we will be sharing tips and tricks you can do at home to increase biodiversity in your garden.

In addition, there are a whole new range of activities on the university’s sustainability app, Green Rewards, that people can complete to earn points and get rewarded.

Some initiatives taking place over the next few months that the university is involved in include:

No Mow May

Plantlife’s No Mow May campaign asks everyone to lock away lawn mowers and leave gardens and parks to bloom and go wild for a month. The less that grass is mown, the more pollinators it will attract.

You can join in by changing your mowing habits at home to benefit wildlife or by helping to conduct surveys of the area to establish the change in levels of wildlife before and after the campaign.

Hedgehog Awareness Week (1 – 7 May)

Over the past 20 years, hedgehog numbers in rural areas have plummeted by 50%, and in urban areas by 30%. In response to this, passionate members of the university community formed the UoN Hedgehog Friendly Campus Group.

They raise awareness of the plight of the hedgehog and are taking action across our campuses.

During Hedgehog Awareness Week, join the group on a litter pick on University Park or take part in their garden competition. Find more information about Hedgehog Awareness Week and the garden competition here.

Find a full list of events that celebrate biodiversity at the university on our Sustainability Webpages.

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