Author: Shaun Williams, Executive Director of Engagement and Advancement
Professor Mark Spearing opened the meeting by expressing enormous appreciation to all those academic and professional services staff who had worked so hard on making the Open Days over the weekend such a success. He said he had received an unprecedented level of entirely positive feedback from prospective students and their families, an experience echoed by Professor Alex Neill, Vice-President (Education).
Mark also discussed arrangements for re-allocating responsibilities for International Portfolio activities while Winnie Eley, Vice-President (International) is on Special Leave for personal reasons. Professor Alex Neill, Vice-President (Education) will now take on responsibility for chairing the International Executive Group (IEG), the International Programme Board (IPB), the International Strategy Working Group, and the 10-Year Plan International Pricing and Scholarships project. He will also assume the role of Chair of the University of Southampton Malaysia Campus. Mark Spearing will chair the 10-Year Plan World Rankings and Reputation Project. The International Blog on SUSSED will continue, with different contributors. Mark pointed out that a strong group of people, in particular the Associate Deans (International) were heavily involved in all these initiatives, alongside Professional Services colleagues, and he was confident momentum would be maintained on all these important initiatives.
International continued to be the focus of part of the main UEB agenda today:
(i) UEB formally approved a paper setting out recommendations for non-regulated standard (non-premium) international UG and PGT fees for 2021/22, which will now be considered by Council’s Finance Committee next week.
(ii) UEB endorsed the latest iteration of a framework for a refreshed international strategy. Elements of this will be progressed further to provide our incoming new Vice-Chancellor with a suggested direction of travel, and options, ahead.
(iii) UEB received an update on a project led by the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Science (FEPS) to establish a Joint Education Institute in the area of Ocean Engineering with Harbin University in China, as Southampton extends its reputation as a centre of excellence for Digital Maritime. UEB supported continuing to progress the project aimed at recruiting the first cohort of students in September 2020.
UEB today saw the first in what will be a regular update by each Dean and Professional Services on their area’s progress in delivering their staff engagement survey action plans, and meeting UEB’s commitments following the staff survey. Today Professor Rachel Mills, Dean of the Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences, updated UEB on activity in her faculty, including a focus on leadership visibility, developing line manager skills, better communication, and introducing a faculty well-being strategy.
Finally, UEB noted the agenda for the Council meeting on 25 September, and Mark Spearing commended progress on completing the Centenary Building and thanked the teams involved.
There was an update on the PASNAS pension consultation, and an interesting discussion about the HR quarterly metrics, particularly around how we can ensure a greater focus on unconscious bias during the recruitment process, in the context of Athena SWAN and our equality, diversity and inclusion (ED&I) agenda.