Author: Shaun Williams, Executive Director Engagement and Advancement
- There was an update on the ongoing national industrial action by members of the University and College Union (UCU), relating to pay and working conditions, and changes to the USS pension scheme. Discussions continue at national level between the trades unions and the Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA). There is some uncertainty at national level about potential impact on marking and assessments. We will be reassuring our students this week that we will monitor any impact and that we have plans in place to support them.
- UEB reviewed the latest draft of our proposed submission due later this month to the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF), in compliance with the Office for Students condition of registration. UEB acknowledged the enormous amount of work by colleagues and the TEF Working Group, and by SUSU, that has gone into the draft.
- UEB reviewed a paper providing an overview of the Cost of Living initiatives implemented in semester one 2022/23. As inflation hit 11% last September due to rising energy prices and the costs of other essential consumer goods, the University recognised the need to offer a package of support to our students and staff to help mitigate the impact on our communities, and committed to a significant investment in support. Over the course of semester one a series of interventions have been launched including the provision of financial support, subsidised catering on campus, updating the estate to have more space for students to prepare food, warm spaces, additional catered events, and increased support staff, all of which have been made use of by some of our students and staff. In addition, UEB heard that staff have responded positively to the offer of interest-free salary advances with 40 people applying for support, and a hardship grant process will launch shortly.
- Next was the regular quarterly update on our Strategic Major Projects. There was an important discussion about how we create an environment for success as we plan to re-design our strategic change portfolio to ensure successful delivery of existing projects, and prepare for new projects to emerge in response to the new University Strategy and its underpinning strategic plans. There is huge ambition in our strategy, and real excitement about the opportunities ahead. But there is also a clear recognition of the need to ensure projects are properly resourced, prioritised, sequenced correctly, that inter-dependencies with other projects are fully captured, and that the cumulative impact of change is carefully considered.
- There was then an update on the status of a number of current ongoing projects, and an update on our broader IT and estate programmes, followed by a presentation about the recently completed and highly successful Library Management System project.
- UEB then reviewed the latest Risk Horizon Scanning paper, which is produced for UEB and our governing Council’s Audit Committee, as part of our ongoing risk management, to identify potential future risks which might present a threat or an opportunity. This is primarily a collective review of likely trends, future gazing and emerging legislation undertaken by specialist organisations and consultancy groups within the UK and globally. Unsurprisingly, geopolitical uncertainty and instability, inflation and the mixed pace of global post-pandemic recovery remain key areas of risk for many countries and institutions.
- Finally, UEB agreed changes to the Directorships of a number of our subsidiary companies, largely linked to needing replacement directors following the recent departure of the Executive Director Finance, Planning and Analytics, and the appointment of six new directors to the Board of University of Southampton Malaysia; and UEB conducted its regular review of the University Risk Register.