Author: Shaun Williams, Executive Director Engagement and Advancement
- Meeting on Monday this week due to Council meetings on Tuesday and Wednesday, UEB noted with concern the results of a cost of living survey recently conducted by Southampton University Students’ Union (SUSU), aimed at understanding the student experience during the current crisis, how it might be affecting students, and how effectively they are being supported by the University and SUSU. The survey concluded that most students have been impacted in some way by the cost of living crisis, many have cut back on expenditure on food and extracurricular activities, more than half of those surveyed said their mental health had worsened, and a significant proportion felt their academic performance had suffered or even questioned their ability to finish their degree. The results reinforce the decision by the University and SUSU to significantly increase the level of support and advice available, including direct financial support, in which the University has already invested an addition £1.5M this year. Both SUSU and the University will ensure greater awareness of the support available, and will continue to keep close watch on the situation and the support needed by our student – and staff – community.
- There was a further 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. UEB noted that the Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA) has advised employers that, after further facilitated discussions through Acas, participating Higher Education institutions – including Southampton – should proceed to implement the pay outcome to ensure money gets into people’s pockets. UEB heard that a SUSSED post had been published that morning indicating the pay award implementation would begin with March pay. In respect of the USS pension scheme, UEB heard there continues to be optimism about the outcome of the latest valuation, which will be based on a snapshot of the scheme on 31 March 2023.
- Next, UEB reviewed and approved proceeding to the next steps the business cases for three emerging strategic major projects: a Workload Principles project, which will address one of the commitments within the People Strategic Plan to develop and implement a set of principles to guide the management of workload across the University; a new Residences Programme of five underpinning residences projects, that will ensure we have adequate residential accommodation to support our student number growth plans in Southampton and Winchester; and a Successful Futures project, in line with Goal 3 of the Education Strategic Plan and Goal 3 of the Student Experience plan: its aim is that students should leave Southampton able to articulate the value of their degree. It acknowledges that mapping existing and future in-curriculum and extra-curricular employability is crucial to enable students to design their own path through their student journey to meet their career aspirations, and this project will incorporate mapping existing in-curriculum employability, identifying gaps, stimulating discussion on how such gaps might be filled, and sharing good practice in how to do so. UEB considered all three projects to be important to delivery of the University Strategy, and further work on each will now be required, including in due course extensive consultation with our staff and student community, and as appropriate the campus trades unions.
- UEB heard that more than 100 residents of Winchester had attended a listening exercise at the weekend, attended by several UEB members, as an opportunity for residents to share their thoughts on the area to ensure local views are considered at an early stage as we begin to consider our plans for developing our Winchester School of Art campus. Should staff or students wish to give their thoughts on the development of our Winchester campus, please do email estatedevelopment@soton.ac.uk by Friday 31 March 2023.
- UEB also heard that on Thursday this week an important milestone in our civic activity will be achieved when the Vice-Chancellor will officially sign new Civic Agreements with our five local authority partners across Southampton, Winchester, Eastleigh, Test Valley and Hampshire County Council, at a major event at our John Hansard Gallery which will confirm our commitment to help and support local communities within our region, pledging closer links with local people and organisations.
- Next, UEB considered a paper setting out recommendation for how the University can support University of Southampton Malaysia to continue to grow, be successful and generate surplus for the University, with a number of specific recommendations which will now have further discussion with stakeholders around growing the portfolio of programmes; recruitment and development; entry qualifications; transfers and student mobility; and governance. These are all important areas and the principles will also help inform our future planned Transnational Education campus growth internationally.
- UEB reviewed a letter from the Office for Students (OfS) regarding their new approach to access and participation plans for 2024/25 onwards. The OfS is asking for a number of higher education providers to volunteer to join a “first cohort” phase – UEB recommended to the Vice-Chancellor that Southampton should offer to do so.
- The President of SUSU advised UEB of the outcome of the recent elections for the new sabbatical officers, who will take office from 1 July. UEB congratulated the successful candidates and looks forward to working closely with them over the next academic year.
- Finally, there was the regular review of the University Risk Register.