Author: Shaun Williams, Executive Director Engagement and Advancement
- There was an update on a small fire at the National Oceanography Centre (NOC) last Thursday, which required the temporary evacuation of the building. Some teaching activity needed to be moved to another location or re-scheduled at short notice for a short period while building management systems were powered up again, and the building is now fully operational. UEB expressed its thanks for the very professional response of staff directly affected and the minimisation of disruption to our students.
- UEB were updated on discussions around outcomes of a ballot by members of the University and College Union (UCU), which on an aggregated basis nationally saw mandates in favour of pursuing industrial action relating to pay and working conditions, and changes to the USS pension scheme. It is understood that UCU will now consult their membership further before announcing future plans for industrial action, which will require a minimum of 14 calendar days written notice.
- UEB noted the recent publication of the first ever QS World University Rankings on Sustainability, reflecting universities’ performance in terms of environmental impact and social impact. Southampton ranked 88th globally, well within the top 100, and 18th in the UK.
- UEB were delighted to hear that on Wednesday this week we will be publishing a new Economic Impact Report, conducted by London Economics, which will show that our University generates a remarkable £4.14 billion of annual impact across the UK. Around £1.6 billion of the identifiable regional impact occurs in the South East, of which a very significant proportion occurs within Southampton itself, underlining the critical role we play in the Southampton region’s economy.
- Next, UEB discussed an interesting concept paper for a potential future Centre for Green Maritime Innovation, which could provide a distinctive University of Southampton response to the interlinked challenges of climate change, energy and resource security, and pollution. UEB agreed this is a very interesting concept which should be progressed further into a full business case, which will require further discussion, analysis and approval.
- UEB reviewed and agreed a paper outlining the Researcher Development Concordat Signature Renewal Actions. As part of this year’s review and reporting process, a number of new actions were formed to improve the culture and experience for researchers at the University. There is a strong appetite for providing more opportunities to bring researchers together to share knowledge and experience, providing further support for the development of researcher careers and stronger communication of what is available.
- Finally, UEB noted papers providing an overview of our reporting compliance in respect of various aspects of our Office for Students conditions of registration; and there was the regular review of the University Risk Register.