Author: Shaun Williams, Executive Director Engagement and Advancement
Welcome to the first UEB Blog of 2022!
Although this week saw the first formal meeting of UEB this year, UEB did meet last Friday in Gold Command mode to be briefed on the current COVID situation and to be updated on the discussions at two meetings of Education Silver which had already taken place since the New Year to discuss arrangements for assessments and the new term. UEB also heard once again from a number of our academic colleagues who are directly advising Government on COVID issues, and who have been regularly sharing their insight with UEB over the last two years of the pandemic to help inform and shape our strategic and operational thinking: Dr Nisreen Alwan, Professor Keith Godfrey, Professor Sir Stephen Holgate, and Professor Lucy Yardley.
The Vice-Chancellor opened Tuesday’s formal UEB meeting by warmly welcoming Professor Jo Swaffield, our new Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, to her first meeting of UEB, and wished her every success in her new role at Southampton.
The Vice-Chancellor also announced that Professor Deborah Gill has been appointed as our new Vice-President (Education & Student Experience). Currently Interim Vice Provost, Education and Student Experience at University College London (UCL), she will join us in early April for a short transition period as Professor Alex Neill stands down after 10 years in the role.
Moving into Gold Command mode, UEB discussed several operational and campus issues:
- Following extensive discussions over preceding days at the informal UEB and at several meetings of Education Silver, there was a further detailed discussion about the approach the University should take in respect of the upcoming student assessment period. Concerns and anxieties about in-person exams have been raised with the University through SUSU, whose President Ben Dolbear now attends every UEB meeting, and represented students’ views strongly.
- The concerns raised were taken very seriously indeed and explored in considerable depth from both a health and safety perspective, and in respect of ensuring the best learning outcomes for our students. UEB heard that the Government has been clear than in-person on-campus activity can and should continue, and every precaution has been taken to reduce potential risks for both students and staff for the less than 50% of assessments that will be in person. Rigorous risk assessments have been carried out and only venues that have sufficient space to allow for COVID safety measures to be put in place are being used. We are confident that our in-person assessment arrangements are as safe as our in-person teaching arrangements.
- Secondly, UEB heard there was a clear expert view that putting all assessments online at short notice would not be in the longer-term interests of our students, and their learning outcomes. The balance between online and in-person assessment has been carefully considered at length during the autumn term to ensure it is in the best interests of our students’ long-term education with us. But it was of course recognised that some students would be unhappy with the decision to proceed with some in-person assessments, and the communication to students later that day should stress the academic and pastoral support in place for those who may need it, and outline the special considerations process available for anyone unable to attend an assessment due to COVID or self-isolation.
The meeting then reverted to normal UEB mode to discuss a number of other issues:
- UEB approved a report to update our governing Council on the Health and Safety Audit and Assurance Committee report originally published in May 2021, including a number of actions which will be put in place to address the findings of various recent audits.
- UEB noted an update on its way to our governing Council on the Modernising the Governance strategic major project, including the current status of negotiation and consultation with our campus trades unions. The core project objective is to deliver a refreshed, streamlined, contemporary and compliant set of University governing documents that are easily accessible and understood by staff, students and other stakeholders and which provide transparency about how the University operates and facilitates agility in its operations.
- Finally, there was the regular review of the University Risk Register.