Author: Shaun Williams, Executive Director Engagement and Advancement
- There was an update on the roll-out this semester of MyEngagement, the new engagement monitoring tool that will provide a significant step change in our ability to understand patterns of student engagement, and to tailor our support of student experience. In particular, the new system will be used to proactively identify and work with students who may need additional support, identified by low attendance, and to check students are meeting any attendance requirements, for example for a professional qualification or for students in receipt of a Student Visa under the UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI) route. There has already been considerable communication and support to staff and students, along with training videos and detailed guidance and information. Additional support is now being provided to Schools where required, recognising previously different approaches to the practice of taking registers, and student ambassadors will also be providing support in large lecture theatres.
- UEB were pleased to note that since last week’s meeting we had seen formal public announcements that our University has climbed eleven places to 97th position globally in the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings, our first time in the top 100 in this league table for more than 10 years; and that we have received a Silver rating in the latest Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF), awarded by the Office for Students, which recognised our very high quality provision across all student groups, with some outstanding features. In a very busy week for announcements, our business and public engagement activities have again been recognised as amongst the best in England in the annual Knowledge Exchange Framework (KEF) results, in which we retained our top scores and are recognised as enabling ‘high’ or ‘very high’ engagement across all areas of assessment. All these results are testament to the quality, dedication and hard work of so many colleagues across the University.
- UEB warmly welcomed the news of last week’s formal opening by Lord Willetts of the new regional centre for engineering excellence at the University of Southampton Science Park. This new facility provides specialist laboratories, workshops, office spaces and collaborative zones designed to support a range of industrial sectors. The Centre is also home to the Future Towns Innovation Hub, a joint industry-academic venture led by our University in partnership with the Enterprise M3 LEP and Research England.
- UEB noted and were very much looking forward to the annual Vice-Chancellor’s Awards taking place this this week, which had seen more than 390 colleagues nominated for their extraordinary contributions. A full list of winners will be published on SUSSED on Friday 6 October.
- Finally, there was the regular review of the University Risk Register.