Author: Shaun Williams, Executive Director Engagement and Advancement
In Gold Command mode UEB discussed a number of operational campus issues:
- UEB reviewed the latest number of confirmed active COVID cases amongst our students and staff, which continue to be comparatively very low. When the national lockdown in England ends on 2 December, Southampton and Winchester in common with the rest of Hampshire will move into the newly-created Tier 2 level of restrictions.
- There was an update on the work of the Winter Break 2020 Planning Group, a cross-University group which has been planning the staggered return home of students after lockdown lifts on 2 December in line with Government guidelines, alongside an intensified testing programme for students ahead of their departure. The group has also been assessing the support that will be required for those students who will remain with us over the winter break. The Government is expected to publish later this week its plans for what is likely to be a phased return of students to universities in January, and we will need to consider and communicate the implications for our students and staff.
- Based on its assessment of the local context and after discussions with local public health bodies, UEB confirmed that the University will remain at Tier 1 in terms of the Department for Education (DfE) response levels. These DfE tiers are completely separate from the new tier levels being introduced in England this week.
Reverting to normal UEB mode for the rest of the agenda:
- UEB discussed last week’s publication by Universities UK (UUK) of a major, and sobering, report “Tackling Racial Harassment in Higher Education” setting out new recommendations for university leaders designed to decisively tackle racial harassment, as part of efforts to address racial inequality in UK higher education. UEB agreed the report indicates a collective failure of the sector, and that although a lot of work is already underway at Southampton it is clear we have a very long way to go to achieve the fully inclusive community we want to be. A UEB meeting in two weeks’ time has already been dedicated to an in-depth discussion of our ED&I activities.
- There was an update on the University’s preparations for Brexit, with the end of the transition period looming and continuing uncertainty that a deal with the EU will be reached. The cross-university Brexit task-force has continued to meet regularly throughout 2020 to share intelligence, agree risks and develop our responses, and to challenge our preparedness in each Directorate and Faculty. Brexit – with or without a deal – will clearly have an impact in a number of ways on the University, but UEB was satisfied that the risks have been clearly identified and that mitigation actions have been put in place. A major focus continues to be on the impact of Brexit on our staff, and colleagues who may require to formalise their ‘settled status’ are again encouraged to ensure they have taken all necessary measures. UEB also agreed a proposal to establish an EU Scholarship to soften the blow of the post-Brexit changes to EU students’ access to ‘home’ fees and financial support.
- There was a discussion about the impact of the recent Voluntary Severance (VS) Scheme on Professional Services Departments. By the end of January 2021, 137 colleagues in PS will have left the University through this scheme, set up as a way to reduce salary costs to help the 2020/21 financial position given we are likely to run a deficit budget this year, and also to offer staff some flexible options which might suit their current circumstances, particularly in the context of the pandemic disruption. There will clearly be an impact from these departures, and Executive Directors are engaged in active and ongoing discussions with Deans to ensure reduced resource in some areas is focused on agreed University and Faculty priorities. UEB urged all colleagues to show understanding in their expectations and behaviours that some teams have been more impacted than others, and inevitably some operational support activities will need to be re-focused as a result of colleagues leaving.
- Finally, UEB discussed a proposal to develop an international competitor basket of similar universities, to sit alongside the existing UK competitor basket. This would allow us to broaden our assessment of our progress and success against the performance of similar universities, and support our strategic decision-making. This proposal will be considered further at the annual Council awayday in January. The meeting ended with the regular review of the University Risk Register.