Vice-Chancellor introduction
Autumn is upon us and we are progressing well with our first teaching block of this academic year. After two academic years where we had a campus that felt to varying degrees empty, I think many of us were wondering how the campus would feel this year. I’m incredibly encouraged by the fact that the campus does feel busy and alive which will be great for student experience. Long may it continue.
Looking ahead, in this month’s bulletin I share an update on our approach to delivering against our strategic priorities. Creation of a medical school is one of our longer term strategic aims and I’ve included an update this month. We have known for some time that all universities will have their Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) ratings reassessed. We now know the dates for submission of this critical assessment of our teaching and I share more about our approach to this.
Autumn is also the time when I hold my annual Vice-Chancellor’s Address and you can find out the dates and locations in this bulletin.
Finally, do take some time to join this year’s Festival of Research on 4 November. The festival will bring together all University staff to share knowledge, celebrate success and inspire future work. It promises to be a great event.
Join me at the VC Address
As we settle into the academic year it is also time for my annual address. These sessions are an opportunity for me to share with colleagues progress against our strategic imperatives and the next actions that we will be taking. It’s also an opportunity for me, and some of my UEB colleagues, to answer any questions you may have.
This year we will host three in-person and one virtual session to provide flexibility for engagement. We’ve endeavoured to look for a range of days and times to accommodate the varying commitments that colleagues have. I do hope you will be able to join me for one of the sessions.
Please select the date below to register your attendance on Eventbrite, so we can ensure there are enough seats for everyone:
Enabling our strategic plans
The University is now about half-way through our 2020-25 strategy and we have decided to make some changes to how we enable the achievement of our strategy. Up to this point we operated with thematic ‘strategic delivery groups’. Looking to achieve our strategic aims thematically is of course a logical approach. However, with the decision to maintain a relentless priority on the four strategic imperatives, and to consider other aspects of the strategy only in the context of these imperatives, simplifying the process now makes more sense. We have therefore made the decision to simplify our approach by stepping down the thematic strategic delivery groups and to alternatively address the four imperatives through existing structures and committees.
To kick-start this focus the relevant senior leads are developing delivery strategies for education (Paul Hayes), research (Jeremy Howells), and global (Chris Chang). These delivery strategies are being developed through discussion with colleagues from around the institution, and will be finalised and approved by the end of the month. They will then be shared across our University community. They provide a clear statement of plans and actions as guidance for all of us as we set our individual priorities.
While this might seem a bureaucratic matter, it is important that you are aware as you will inevitably be involved in the development or the implementation of these strategic plans. I also share this information because this change is central to our determination and need to address the four strategic imperatives. It is through developing these delivery strategies and adopting their priorities locally that we can drive forward progress towards achieving our long-term vision that, by 2030, we will be the top modern university nationally and one of the top 100 young universities globally.
TEF 2023
As most of you will know, the University received the highest Gold award when the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) covering undergraduate provision first ran in 2017. For some time we have been expecting the second iteration of the TEF. The Office for Students (OfS) has now announced that it will take place this academic year. As before, there will be a written provider submission, the deadline for which is 24 January 2023. The University has created a steering group, chaired by Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor Paul Hayes, which will oversee the production of our submission.
While some things remain the same from the original TEF, many things have changed. As before, possible ratings will be Gold, Silver, and Bronze but there will also be a ‘Requires Improvement’ rating. There will now also be an optional and independent student submission. I am very pleased that the Students’ Union (UPSU) plans to make a submission. The University will offer all the support UPSU needs.
As in 2017, the TEF will use benchmarked student experience and student outcomes data. However, it will be used differently this time. In 2017 universities received an ‘initial hypothesis’ of their final rating on the basis of their data alone, and prior to any written submission. There will be no initial hypothesis this time. University ratings will be determined more qualitatively and holistically by TEF panels. It is not clear what the implications of this will be but I think it is clear that the Government wants fewer Gold rated universities and may well wish to see a greater span of ratings including some universities being rated as requiring improvement.
We will of course be aiming for a rating of Gold once again. Given our profile, a good TEF rating is vital and while it is unclear what effect a university’s TEF rating has on home recruitment, there is evidence that TEF ratings are looked at critically by prospective international students.
Universities’ TEF ratings will be published in September 2023 and will remain valid for four years. Universities will not be able to re-submit in that four year period which is also a change from 2017. This increases the importance of getting a good submission first time around as once awarded there is no means of effecting a change through any form of ‘resit’ process.
If you are currently using the TEF Gold logo or reference in any of your promotional materials or presentations, please remove these. The Office for Students has requested that with the change in the criteria, that institutions no longer use TEF for marketing purposes.
Hybrid working update
While it is expected that the vast majority of colleagues will be back working on campus most of the time, we need to recognise that the way in which people work and study has changed, post-pandemic.
Increasingly flexible working patterns are now being normalised which is incredibly positive and we have a good opportunity to reshape and redesign the way in which we work at the University. Although a number of our colleagues work specific shifts and rotas, a large number do have the opportunity to work more flexibly between home and campus.
We have made a clear commitment to our students that they should expect to receive the majority of their learning in-person and on-campus and to have support services available for them in person. This requires many of our staff to have patterns of work on-campus that meet that need.
Given the breadth of roles within the University and the need to flex the requirements of these roles, it would not be realistic or helpful to centrally mandate how many days a week colleagues are expected to be on campus. This is more effectively managed at a local level. In all cases the local business needs must be prioritised and that means different requirements for different roles in different areas of the University and these needs of course can vary month by month and year by year. Any hybrid arrangements must therefore continue to be agreed locally with line managers.
As we progress our ‘Future of Work’ planning and gain more experience of hybrid working, we need to be clear that there is a distinct difference between locally agreed flexible patterns of work at any point in time and making permanent changes to working contracts. Flexibility can be locally agreed, while at the same time the formal contractual obligation is still for the default work location to be the University.
Permanent and fixed changes to work patterns would require a change of contract, which of course would be a more involved process and would require much greater consideration.
Boundaries for work/life balance
Although technology has huge benefits and enables the University to operate in a hybrid environment, it can also impact on the physical and mental health of colleagues if not properly managed. We all know that email traffic is incredibly high and it is therefore vital that we create boundaries to ensure we are not tied to laptops/devices over long periods of time or feel 'on call' outside of normal working hours - including evenings and weekends.
I would encourage you to think carefully as to whether sending an email is really necessary or whether another form of communication would be better, and to take regular breaks during the day, to ensure you look after your wellbeing, and that of others. For further advice and guidance on any of the above please speak with your line manager.
Medical School bid
A successful medical school will add significantly to our ability to realise our 2030 vision. It could be a step change in engaging more students in a life-changing educational experience through innovative and inclusive education; further widening participation to the key professions; delivering globally-recognised research and innovative solutions that improve society, and becoming one of the UK's leading civic universities.
Work continues to gain General Medical Council (GMC) approval to deliver a medical degree, once government funding is available. GMC Stage 2 and Stage 3 (of an 8 stage process) have now been submitted. Stage 2 required us to show our financial models and reassure the GMC of the viability of our plans. Stage 3 was a significant piece of work. Our submission is made up of 11 sections, and over 150 separate supporting documents, ranging from in-depth analysis of our regional healthcare needs to our medical school student admissions policy. Stage 3 is often referred to as a medical school in a folder.
Our thanks and appreciation must go to our staff in the medical school development team and in our professional support services around the University for the huge amount of work they have carried out to achieve this submission. We hope to have feedback from the GMC within 10 weeks. The further evidence that we provide in response to the GMC’s feedback to our stage 3 submission forms the stage 4 submission. There are 8 stages which must be satisfied before we can be added to the list of bodies able to award a primary medical qualification or new programme. At Stage 6 approval we can start recruiting students when funding from the government is approved. I will keep you updated on our progress.
Karen Blackett to continue as Chancellor
I’m delighted to announce that Karen Blackett OBE will be remaining as our Chancellor for a further five years. As one of our most successful and respected alumni, it is fantastic that she has agreed to continue her relationship with us. While the Chancellor is traditionally a ceremonial figurehead for the University, Karen has a passion for developing talent and learning and helping to create the next set of leaders. She is an inspiring role model for our students and ideal partner for our University.