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 the marking and assessment boycott (MAB) that has been taking place. Our primary focus continues to be to ensure that our students are not disadvantaged by any action and that there is minimal disruption to their progression.
- UEB heard that last weekend’s Open Days had gone very well with 5,500 prospective students and their families attending over the two days, with the campus looking at its best in glorious sunshine. UEB congratulated all those involved in making it a positive occasion, and particularly thanked this year’s cohort of student ambassadors.
- UEB also heard that positivity and engagement was also reflected in the city on Saturday at a free arts, fashion and music festival for children, young people and families, part of Connecting Culture, a major project led by the University and supported by Arts Council England. Free activities and live music took place across the Guildhall Square and in Cultural Quarter venues including our John Hansard Gallery. UEB congratulated all those involved in a highly successful event.
- UEB heard that it would be announced mid-week that Professor Guy Poppy has been confirmed as Interim Executive Chair of the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), the UK’s national funding agency investing in bioscience research and training, and offered him their congratulations.
- UEB noted our internal auditor KPMG’s positive review of our approach to our annual TRAC (Transparent Approach to Costing) return. We are required each year to submit to the Office for Students our TRAC return – an activity-based costing system, adapted to academic culture, which records the full economic cost of all activities including direct costs and support costs, and reflects the full economic cost of sustaining activities.
- UEB noted two papers which will be discussed at the July meeting of our Council: Monitoring the Success of our University Strategy, a regular update on progress against the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) which underpin our new Strategy; and Future Governance Structures, a paper following the recent external review of Council effectiveness, to ensure effectiveness and avoid duplication.
- The rest of the meeting was taken up with a regular review of our Strategic Major Projects, which included an overview update on our strategic major projects portfolio; an update on our IT Programme; an update on our Estates Programme; noting of the closure report for the Cyber 2.0 programme; and an update on the Future Ways of Working project, which will move into business as usual from the new financial year. UEB also thanked Professor Mandy Fader, attending her last UEB in her role as Associate Vice-President (Strategic Major Projects), for her tremendous leadership and hard work in progressing our strategic major projects, as she steps back from this role to focus on her research and professorial role.
- Also attending his final UEB meeting was this year’s SUSU President Oliver Murray, whom UEB thanked and congratulated for the very effective way in which he had represented students’ views and issues over the last 12 months.
- Finally, there was the regular review of the University Risk Register.