Author: Shaun Williams, Executive Director Engagement and Advancement
Operating in Gold Command mode for the first part of today’s meeting, UEB discussed a number of operational and campus issues:
- The day of the meeting, Monday 17 May, saw a further stage in the Government’s easing of lockdown restrictions in England, with the next and final stage of easing currently planned for 21 June, although there is increasing expectation that this stage may need to be delayed given concerns over the Indian variant. Meanwhile, planning is already underway for the next academic year, a task made harder by the continuing uncertainty around what COVID-secure measures may still be needed in the autumn. UEB is clear that our approach should be one of balanced confidence and caution, informed fully by the prevailing Government advice and the advice of our local public health bodies, and that we should aim to be an exemplar of good behaviours.
- To help inform UEB’s wider understanding of current pandemic developments, beyond the roller-coaster of recent headlines, we were joined – as we have been regularly since the start of the pandemic – by a number of our academic colleagues who are directly involved in advising Government on different aspects of the pandemic through SAGE, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, and other bodies: Professor Keith Godfrey, Professor Bill Keevil, Professor Sabu Padmadas, Professor Robert Read, Professor Lucy Yardley. As always, it was a hugely informative and helpful discussion. The Vice-Chancellor expressed his huge gratitude for the contribution they are each making at University and national level.
- The latest student and staff COVID cases dashboard was reviewed. Incidences in our own community continue to remain extremely low, as are case levels in Southampton.
The meeting then reverted to normal UEB mode for the rest of the meeting to discuss a number of issues:
- There was an update on last week’s Queen’s Speech, which included the Government’s intention to address issues around free speech on university campuses through a new Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill, which has caused some concerns in the sector. UEB also noted a letter sent to Vice-Chancellors at the end of last week by the Secretary of State for Education about anti-semitism in higher education.
- UEB discussed and approved a detailed proposal Phase III (ongoing) Funding COVID-related Extensions for Doctoral Students; and discussed and approved recommendations for a number of changes to the Academic Promotion and Pathway movement processes. To be implemented over the next two academic years, the proposals have been developed with a view to increasing fairness and consistency in decision-making across all levels of promotion applications, as well as achieving greater equity and administrative efficiency in the process.
- UEB agreed a recommendation to move with immediate effect to clearer naming of our existing and future strategies and sub-strategies. We are currently developing and consulting on a single University Strategy with the aim that it unites and galvanises our University community around a clear, compelling purpose; facilitates strong internal strategic alignment; and leads to ambitious, deliverable actions. Ensuring that the Strategy priorities result in coherent action across the University is best achieved by not overcomplicating our supporting processes and achieving clarity of message. To that end, the existing plethora of University “strategies” that we currently have is at times unhelpful and confusing. In future, there will only be one strategy – the University Strategy – which will be delivered through a number of issue/activity-specific Strategic Plans. Existing, and new, strategies will be renamed accordingly.
- UEB were briefed on media stories over the weekend concerning the private papers of Lord Mountbatten in the Broadlands Archive, acquired by the University in 2011, and which we have catalogued, preserved and digitised. On acquiring the Archives the University was directed to keep a small number of papers closed until we were otherwise advised, so we have always aimed to make public as much of the collection as is possible whilst balancing all our legal obligations.
- There was an update on the recent pension scheme consultation on the USS 2020 valuation; a reminder that expressions of interest are being invited for the role of Associate Vice-President Interdisciplinary Research; a review of the Annual Report on Health and Safety prepared for our governing Council and covering a period hugely dominated by the impact of the pandemic; and the regular review of the University Risk Register.