Author: Shaun Williams, Executive Director, Engagement and Advancement
There was no UEB meeting last week due to meetings of our governing Council, so this is the first UEB Blog for two weeks.
- During the initial phases of the COVID pandemic, UEB meetings moved into Gold Command mode to consider operational campus matters. From this week, we are moving to a more standard agenda format, recognising we are now in a new longer-term phase of living with COVID. Our Gold, Silver and Bronze protocols are primarily used for shorter-term business continuity situations.
- However, UEB will of course continue to receive regular updates on all matters relating to COVID, as appropriate. If a new variant emerges, we would likely re-instate Silver Command to deal with any immediate tactical response. Reported case numbers in our community continue to be monitored daily, and we are currently able to offer twice-weekly testing to staff and students though the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Saliva Testing Programme. We are also very aware that some members of our community remain extremely medically vulnerable to COVID and are feeling even more vulnerable as societal measures are lifted.
- The University continues to monitor closely the harrowing situation in Ukraine, which we know is the cause of immense concern to many in our community, and not simply those with direct links to Ukraine and Russia. There is support available for staff and students, please do reach out if you need to talk. As a City of Sanctuary Supporting Organisation, we are currently actively considering ways in which we may be able to support students from Ukraine entering the UK as refugees.
- The news that the University has successfully renewed its Athena Swan Silver Award, and that we continue to be one of only 20 UK universities to hold this level of award, was warmly welcomed by UEB members, who expressed their huge thanks to the hard work of countless people over the last three years in helping us secure the award. Our forward action plan is ambitious and will require everyone to play their part in delivering it.
- Next, UEB discussed a summary report of the review of the University’s three Strategic Interdisciplinary Research Institutions: the Southampton Marine and Maritime Institute (SMMI), Institute for Life Sciences (IfLS), and the Web Science Institute (WSI). In all cases the Institutes were observed to be offering a significant strategic benefit to the University, with distinctive activities. Linking the Institutes more closely to the University Strategy and opportunities to grow and strengthen will now be the subject of further discussions.
- UEB was then joined live from Malaysia by Professor Rebecca Taylor, CEO of University of Southampton Malaysia and Associate Vice-President (ASEAN), for an energetic update on our activities and future strategy in Malaysia.
- UEB formally approved the proposed University responses to three Office for Students consultations: on the Teaching Excellence Framework; on a new approach to regulating student outcomes; and on constructing student outcome and experience indicators for use if OfS regulation. All have been the subject of wide internal discussion. UEB also agreed that the University should become a signatory of the new Universities UK (UUK) Fair Admissions Code of Practice, underlining our commitment to maintaining fair admissions processes and systems that are in applicants’ interests.
- UEB reviewed and discussed the latest Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) quarterly update, highlighting key achievements and issues, and presenting the rationale for a new format for quarterly reporting that allows for easier tracking of progress, and ensuring an effective balance between staff and student reporting. Finally, UEB noted the University Risk Register.