Author: Shaun Williams, Executive Director, Engagement and Advancement
Operating in Gold Command mode, the University Executive Board (UEB) considered a number of issues relating to the pandemic and its implications for the operation of the University:
- UEB were updated on various discussions at the Silver Command meetings which are taking place twice-weekly. This included the implications of the carefully phased return of students, expected from Monday 8 March if weekend media reports of emerging Government thinking prove correct. Clearly the intensive work carried out last summer to create COVID-secure campuses means we are well-prepared, with risk assessments regularly updated to reflect the prevailing Government guidelines. It is clear that some requirements for social distancing, ventilation and use of face coverings are likely to continue for a considerable period, underpinned by our saliva testing programme. Silver Command and Education Silver will continue to discuss preparations at pace. The latest student and staff COVID cases dashboard was reviewed, which includes those students who are currently still living at home. New case rates remain very low.
- UEB discussed the Government’s announcement of an additional £50 million to support students who have faced hardship as a result of the exceptional challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. We have been ensuring our students have been fully aware of all the support available to them, and a recommendation for how we might access some of this additional funding will be prepared for Silver Command to consider.
- Over the course of the pandemic, UEB and our Governing Council have invited a number of our academic colleagues directly involved in various aspects of the national response to the pandemic to share their assessment of developments, to help inform our longer-term planning. This week UEB had extremely informative updates from Dr Nisreen Alwan, and Professors Robert Read, Saul Faust and Mary Barker, covering their expectations of pandemic developments ahead, the implications for the University, and communications to our students and staff.
The meeting then reverted to normal UEB mode for the rest of the meeting:
- There was a review of the discussions that had taken place at the annual Council awayday, held virtually last month. This had focused on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, ways of working after COVID and our future focus on digital, and the key international competitors against whom we will track ourselves.
- As we continue to increase our focus on long-term strategic issues beyond the immediate pandemic, UEB discussed an important Council discussion taking place later this month about our longer-term estates and infrastructure development and investment priorities, focusing in particular on the next five years and options around the north-east quadrant and heart of Highfield campus.
- Finally, there was a review of the recently updated University Risk Register.