Author: Professor Mandy Fader, Pro Vice-Chancellor (10-Year Plan)
How many of our colleagues take family leave? What is our retention and turnover rate? What proportion of colleagues take University-led training courses? A raft of fascinating HR metrics characterising our staff ‘body’ was presented to UEB by Andrew Gameson, Head of Reward and Recognition. Anne-Marie Sitton, Executive Director of Human Resources, then led a lively discussion focusing on both exploring which metrics would we like to see in more detail, and how we should interrogate and use the data further in order to make best use of it. As well as a range of data requests, we decided in the first instance that we needed more data on utilisation of UniWorkforce and that we should focus on strengthening our processes around staff achievement awards to create a more consistent approach.
Kieron Broadhead, Executive Director of Student Experience, followed to discuss upping our game in sports. Perhaps surprisingly (at least to some of us), we learned that we already have a range of facilities that rival the larger ‘sporting’ Universities, but it’s rather scattered and does not have a ‘hub’. We need to not only ‘up’ but also be ahead of the game if we are going to attract students who look for a sporting ‘Wow’ factor in their university of choice. Students from SUSU and a range of sports clubs and organisations, alongside staff on the Sports Experience Board, have developed a University Sports Strategy to address this need. The new Sports Strategy was enthusiastically welcomed and approved by all, but we asked that the focus was more broadly defined as ‘activity’ including wellbeing, to ensure it was inclusive. We also asked for attention to be paid to facilities and activities across our various campuses, not solely on Highfield, and that facility sharing with other Universities and the City Council also be explored.
Better sporting facilities will not only be good for students but also for staff. UEB members like to think of ourselves as a pretty active bunch, managing waistlines through a firmly enforced ‘no biscuit’ policy in the three-hour meetings as well as exercising modestly during a newly introduced ‘toilet break’. But a tad more serious exercise wouldn’t hurt and a strategy for sports and active living should help us all to get out of the office and onto the field, yoga mat or dance floor.
Kieron stayed on for the next paper on 2019-20 international recruitment, and updated UEB on this new initiative. Focusing on 25 programmes from across the five faculties, this collaborative project has brought together academics (mainly Associate Deans International) and colleagues from across Professional Services to trial new approaches to marketing and application generation. For a relatively small investment (under £20k) this project has generated a total growth in applications of 70 per cent to these programmes. Very encouraging – but its not over yet and we will need to see how this translates into students through the door later in the year. Kieran will return with an evaluation and ‘lessons learned’ document later in the year.
Sarah Pook provided an update on the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS). USS has put forward three possible options for concluding the 2018 valuation, which Universities UK (UUK) will now need to consider. UEB supports option three, recognising that this leads to employer and employee contributions of 30.7% (21.1% for employers and 9.6% for employees), applying from October 2019 – below those currently expected for October 2019, from the 2017 valuation. Option three also proposes another USS valuation in 2020, which should link in with the findings from phase two of the Joint Expert Panel (JEP).
Finally, Professor Jane Falkingham took us through the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021 – Code of Practice which was prepared by the REF Equality and Diversity Committee with representatives from across the University. This document sets out our decision-making processes for the REF, including how we will determine who is an independent researcher and the process for selecting outputs. The main query raised was around the Governance structures where there was uncertainty about the terminology used, which needed to be clarified. Our President and Vice-Chancellor (Interim) Professor Mark Spearing then closed the meeting, having commended authors and presenters for an excellent set of papers.