Author: Shaun Williams, Executive Director Engagement and Advancement
Operating in Gold Command mode, UEB discussed several operational and campus issues:
- There was a very detailed discussion about the latest fast-moving developments with the Omicron COVID variant. In common with other universities, and the wider population, we have seen some very significant spikes in COVID case numbers amongst our student population in recent days. The sudden spike suggests these cases are of the more transmissible Omicron variant. Symptoms are apparently mild, and the positive cases are being picked up through our extensive saliva and lateral flow testing programme. It is believed the cases are linked to student social activity off-campus. We have in place well-rehearsed procedures for providing support to any affected students. We have reminded our students of the government regulations around testing and self-isolation, and the impact that might have on their winter break plans, and underlined that the Student Hub is open 24/7 for any questions and concerns students might have over the winter break, wherever they might be.
- We continue to follow the prevailing government guidelines, along with regular dialogue with our local health protection board. Last week we responded within minutes of the Prime Minister’s announcement of changed guidance to ask those colleagues who are able to work from home, and who are not required to be on campus to support our teaching and research, and to support our students and campuses, to work from home from Monday this week. We will continue to monitor closely and respond to any developments, recognising these often happen at very short notice.
- There will inevitably be many questions, and uncertainties, around the implications for universities for the January term. The Government was clear last week that it wants educational institutions including universities to continue with in-person teaching, and we are expecting the Government to continue to prioritise education if strengthened measures are required. We are not anticipating any revised guidance from the Department for Education about the January term until the week after Christmas, during our closure period, and we will of course provide whatever update we can immediately the University re-opens on Tuesday 4 January. It would be sensible for colleagues to prepare for a number of different potential scenarios, just as we had to do this time last year.
The meeting then reverted to normal UEB mode to discuss a number of other issues:
- As we have done for the last three UEB meetings, we reviewed and discussed another of the 10 strategic plans which will underpin and ensure delivery of our new University Strategy, to be launched early next year. This week it was the turn of our Research strategic objectives to be in the spotlight, one of the central elements of our “triple helix” of education, research and enterprise. This, like the other strategic plans, 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 prioritisations needed during the next period of business planning. We’re very conscious of the feedback from the consultation that colleagues want to understand clearly how the Strategy directly relates to their role. (The 10 strategic plans will comprise: People; Equality, Diversity & Inclusion; Sustainability; Student Experience; Education; Research; Enterprise; International; Civic; and Infrastructure.)
- UEB reviewed and approved the Athena Swan action plan, developed by our Athena Swan self-assessment team, and which will form part of our renewal application for an institutional Silver Athena Swan award. The six core themes for action are: Engage & Understand, Transparency & Accountability, Inclusive Recruitment, Job Security, Family Friendly & Flexible, and Career Development. UEB also discussed the annual Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Report, which will be reviewed by our Governing Council in March. ED&I will be a central core of our new University Strategy, and UEB noted the very significant strengthening of the core ED&I team resource over the last 12 months, to ensure adequate support can be given to faculties and departments.
- Next, UEB discussed a proposal to strengthen further our response to any potential Cyber Security incident; UEB was briefed on a new membership opportunity with the influential UK/US Fulbright Commission; UEB members were asked to encourage the submission of exhibits for the Science and Engineering Day on Saturday 7 May 2022, our free family-friendly event taking place across Highfield Campus and Boldrewood Innovation Campus, with hundreds of interactive activities, workshops, live shows art performances and laboratory tours; and there was the regular review of the University Risk Register.
- Finally, the Vice-Chancellor expressed his and UEB’s huge thanks to Richard Middleton, who was attending his final UEB meeting, remarking that no-one could have predicted when he joined us for what was intended only to be a six-month period as interim Chief Operating Officer, that it would turn out to be a two-year period grappling with the trickiest issues the University has ever faced. All of UEB thanked Richard for his wise and steady counsel in difficult times.
- The Vice- Chancellor also expressed his and UEB’s sincere thanks to Professor Jane Falkingham, whose term of office as Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences ends at the end of this month. The Vice-Chancellor thanked her for her tremendous leadership of the faculty over many years, and for her unstinting contribution to the wider leadership of the University at UEB, which she will, happily, continue to attend in her ongoing role as Interim Vice-President (International). Professor Jo Swaffield joins us from the University of York in January as our new Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences.