Vice-Chancellor's Introduction
We are finally starting to see some signs of spring after what has felt like a long winter. Spring is a time for renewal and that is very much the case for us. I hope you have managed to read and absorb my recent email about Our Reset. It was a long message, but I considered it important to share with you in my own words the current context and the active ways in which we are responding.
I explained in the email that there will be change ahead and this would need to be done at pace. I appreciate this could be a little daunting, but it is also exhilarating and there is much to look forward to as we take this opportunity to shape our future. To be the top UK modern university and in the Top 100 young universities globally by 2030 is still very much at the heart of our ambition. We are also continuing our focus on our four strategic imperatives. This reset will provide us with the tools and resources to accelerate our activities in pursuit of our vision. We will continue to invest wisely in strategic programmes such as Estates Masterplan, delivering our London Campus and progressing our plans to create a Medical School. It is so important that we do not sacrifice our long term future when dealing with short term imperatives.
In this bulletin I wanted to share a few more of the specific actions we are taking as part of our reset. I also have good news to share about further successes we have had for research funding.
Voluntary Severance Scheme
I have recently announced that we will be providing all eligible colleagues the opportunity to apply for Voluntary Severance. This is a real opportunity for those who wish to apply to leave the University, to do so with a financial package. From a University perspective, it will provide some opportunities to consider local operating structures and to improve our agility and efficiencies in some areas. I recognise and appreciate that some colleagues feel this is a good time to consider a change to pursue new opportunities, now that we are post-pandemic and at the beginning of the next stage of our development.
The scheme will be opening on 1 May with the deadline for applications being 31 May. I wanted to tell you about the scheme now, so that everyone who feels this might be an option for them has the opportunity to review the information and have adequate time to make the right decision for them personally.
Changes within Academic Leadership
In my communication last week I also said that we would be looking at some of our organisational structures. With Paul Hayes’ decision to retire early next year, we are taking the opportunity to look at some of our academic leadership structures.
We will be creating a new Deputy Vice-Chancellor (DVC) role for Education. This role will be reporting directly to me and we will commence recruitment later this month. Creation of this DVC role will provide strategic leadership in Teaching and Learning alongside the roles of DVC Global Engagement and Student Life and DVC Research and Innovation. We will share the individual strategies for Education, Global and Research and Innovation with you over the coming weeks and months.
At the same time as we recruit for the DVC Education role, we will also be recruiting for a new role of Provost. The Provost will act as our most senior role with oversight and leadership for all our academic areas and practices across the University. The Provost role is now widely used within the sector and will act as our senior academic leader. With the departure of Stephen Wiggins we are also developing a new role of Academic Registrar, in line with most UK Universities.
Our students and their education is our core business. By creating these senior roles we are strengthening our leadership structures to reflect our ongoing commitment to delivering teaching excellence, at a time when adopting new approaches to education and assessment and responding to new educational opportunities will be important for our future.
To further enhance the strength of academic leadership we are also looking at historically long term secondment roles and considering the best options for the future. I will share more on this once detailed proposals have been formed and debated at UEB.
Creation of Associate Professor roles
Across the institution we are changing the role of Reader to Associate Professor. This has been approved by the University Executive Board (UEB), we have informed the recognised unions of this change and will present it for ratification at the next Academic Council. This approach has strong support and will bring us in line with much of the Higher Education Sector. Through creating these roles we will continue to recognise research and innovation with a more clearly defined path for those demonstrating these qualities in the area of teaching innovation and development. We are contacting all existing Readers to explain this opportunity to them and further information will be available more widely as part of the University’s Annual Academic Promotion round.
Student Services Review
The Student Services review is about the re-organising and improving of services for our students. The project is still in the engagement and development phase under Kevin Child (Interim Student Support Project Lead - previously Director of Student Services at Swansea University for 15 years). The aim is for us to continually improve our support for our students which will be at the forefront of the project. The expectations and needs of our students as well as the Office for Students (OfS) as our Regulator are increasing and we need to explore the best operational structures that provide joined up and effective student support that meets future needs. We will keep you informed of the outcome of this review once it has been considered by UEB and our proposals developed in response.
World-leading research and partnerships
Our ability to attract significant research and innovation funding and extend our global reach though international partnerships continues to grow from strength to strength.
Research is a core part of our identity and ambitions as a University - prioritising collaboration and international engagement which in turn enhances our educational offer to our students. We will not become the top modern university nationally and one of the top 100 young universities globally by 2030 without world-leading research.
Building on our excellent REF results last year when we were ranked third of all modern universities in the UK for research power, we have recently announced a series of exciting developments including:
- UKRI Research England funding to support 20 research and innovation projects in Ukraine as part of our twinning partnership with Odessa Polytechnic National University.
- UK Space Agency funding of £1.2 million for the newly-formed Space South Central, the UK’s largest ‘space cluster’, which includes us as a key partner to boost further innovation and growth in the region’s thriving space industry.
- The School of Mathematics and Physics has received a further £280,000 from the most recent round of funding from the Faraday Institution for battery research. Dr Jamie Foster has now received more than £1m from the Faraday Institution for his multi-scale modelling research which allows manufacturers to digitally design batteries without creating numerous physical prototypes.
- We have also successfully passed the first stage application to Research England's UK Research Partnership Investment Fund (RPIF) for the Portsmouth Research Institute for Space Missions (PRISM). The second round full bid now has to be prepared and submitted by September this year and if successful will be transformational for our Space related activities at the University and in our region. The bid will be for £10M with industry and other support of up to £20M, meaning a potential funding package of £30M for the University if we are successful.
My congratulations to all involved in these projects which will contribute significantly to our strategic imperative to increase our globally recognised research and innovation.