Author: Shaun Williams, Executive Director Engagement and Advancement
Operating in Gold Command mode, UEB discussed several operational and campus issues:
- There was an update on various aspects of planning for the start of the new academic year. Over the coming week further communication is planned for our staff community, including details of the significant activity that has taken place to assess and ensure adequate mechanical and natural ventilation in all meeting rooms and common learning spaces. If a room does not meet our regulations, it will be taken out of use.
- UEB discussed the continuing importance of supporting clinically extremely vulnerable staff and students – a reminder of our Vulnerable Adults Guidance was published on SUSSED last week.
- UEB was advised that our students are being surveyed on their current vaccination status, a request made by the Department for Education through the Office for Students, and which will help shape where and how students can be encouraged and enabled to engage with the vaccine programme.
- The latest student and staff COVID cases dashboard was reviewed. Incidences in our own community remain relatively low, but all regions are starting to see an up-tick in case numbers. We are fully ready to respond to any cases and to support any students and staff affected, and we remain in very regular contact with our local Directors of Public Health.
The meeting then reverted to normal UEB mode to discuss a number of other issues:
- The Vice-Chancellor noted the Cabinet re-shuffle last week which saw Nadhim Zahawi MP appointed as the new Secretary of State for Education. Michelle Donelan MP remains as Universities Minister with an expanded remit as Education Minister, and a promotion to the Cabinet. Time will tell whether this signals any change in current government education policy – both Russell Group and Universities UK maintain direct regular contact with the Department for Education.
- The Vice-Chancellor noted a further strong ranking result in the Good University Guide published last weekend, meaning we are now well within the Top 20 across all major UK university guides, a remarkable achievement and evidence of sustained progress and excellence.
- UEB agreed a proposal for a modest, and low-cost refresh to our current University logo, which research tells us doesn’t exemplify the confidence of our global position, or our heritage. The new logo will incorporate key elements of the University’s coat of arms for the first time. The refreshed logo, to be rolled out digitally only initially, will be launched in January at the same time as the new University Strategy.
- UEB were given an update on work to develop a new approach to staff engagement across the University. This could include twice-yearly pulse surveys, a new engagement Key Performance Indicator (KPI), and a move away from a traditional reactive approach to a more proactive and agile approach to engagement through providing tools and learning to leaders and managers to support building engagement as routine, rather than as response. UEB supported the approach which will be progressed further before sharing with our community.
- UEB considered a report on the outcome of the most recent Graduate Outcomes survey, conducted for the 2018-19 cohort of students, and the planned next steps as a result. The survey provides insight into the destinations of students after they finish University. Conducted by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), data is collected on what our alumni are doing on a specific date, 15 months after graduating from their programme of study. The 2018-19 results, which are solid for Southampton, are the second set of results under the new methodology. Although the alumni who are in this cohort of results graduated prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, most alumni were surveyed during the pandemic and the impact of this inevitably affected the results.
- Finally, UEB endorsed a draft response to the Office for Students consultation on Quality and Standards, and carried out its regular review of the University Risk Register.