Author: Shaun Williams, Executive Director Engagement and Advancement
Operating in Gold Command mode, UEB discussed several operational and campus issues:
- The meeting started with an update on implications for the University following changes to the government guidelines to deal with the Omicron COVID-19 variant. The University already requires the wearing of face coverings when moving around inside our buildings or in crowded spaces, as from Tuesday 30 November this has also become compulsory in shops, including the SUSU shop, and on all public transport, including UniLink buses. The University has also revised its international travel guidelines in light of new government travel restrictions, which includes additions to the travel red list, and a requirement to take a PCR test within 48 hours of arrival in the UK. All close contacts of a suspected Omicron case must self-isolate for 10 days, regardless of vaccination status.
- We continue to be guided by government guidelines, Department for Education operational guidance, and by our regular dialogue with our local public health and NHS partners. As we have had to do several times over the last two years, we are preparing for different scenarios which could emerge over the coming weeks, as we enter a period of fresh uncertainty.
- In our communication to our staff this week about the changes, we will also be reminding colleagues of the increased allowance of domestic leave from four to 10 days, to help support colleagues who may need additional time off due to caring responsibilities, and reminding staff and students that twice-weekly saliva testing is now available, and encouraged.
- We continue to monitor closely the daily reported staff and student COVID case numbers, which continue to remain relatively low overall.
The meeting then reverted to normal UEB mode to discuss a number of other issues:
- As mentioned last week, the new University Strategy, to be launched early next year, will be underpinned by and delivered through 10 Strategic Plans, which will ensure we translate the long-term strategy into tangible actions over the medium term, and bring the strategy vision to life. These will comprise: People; Equality, Diversity & Inclusion; Sustainability; Student Experience; Education; Research; Enterprise; International; Civic; and Infrastructure. This week, UEB reviewed and discussed drafts for a further three strategic plans: Student Experience, Education and International. These will continue to be refined over the coming months, including through detailed consultation with the wider community, to ensure readiness and alignment with the overall strategy, and to help inform the decisions and prioritisation needed during the next period of business planning.
- UEB was updated on recent Department for Education announcements related to access and participation, which could affect the University’s approach to widening participation, our commitments to the Office for Students, and our offer to students. The detail around much of these announcements is unclear, pending further guidance to universities. However, it seems certain that we will be asked to review and re-submit our Access and Participation Plan.
- UEB reviewed and approved Southampton’s Technician Commitment submission to the Science Council, a plan developed by the Technician Commitment Implementation Group and its supporting working groups, each led by a Faculty Technical Lead and aligned to one of the key themes of the commitment – Visibility, Recognition, Career Development and Sustainability – and informed by a period of consultation with technical staff in early October.
- Finally, there was an update on the dedicated briefing sessions that have been taking place last week and this week to help colleagues gain a greater understanding of the proposed changes to the USS pension scheme, and the current member consultation process which ends on Monday 17 January 2022. This is an important issue and colleagues who are USS members or eligible members are strongly encouraged to ensure their views are conveyed through the consultation. The meeting ended with the regular review of the University Risk Register.