Author: Shaun Williams, Executive Director Engagement and Advancement
- In its final meeting of 2023, UEB noted that last week’s winter graduation ceremonies in Southampton’s Guildhall had all gone very well, and thanked all those colleagues who helped make it such an enjoyable event for our graduands, and their families and friends.
- UEB noted that the Office for Students is currently conducting two consultations around free speech: one on proposals for a free speech complaints scheme, the second on the regulation of relevant students’ unions. The Vice-President (Education and Student Experience) is leading an internal working group which will consider our responses. UEB also noted that the OfS had published the previous day a further 50 Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) ratings of universities and colleges whose ratings were previously pending.
- After the regular review of the University Risk Register, the Vice-Chancellor thanked UEB members for their contributions during another very busy and successful year for the University, and thanked all colleagues across the University for their greatly valued contribution and dedication over the last 12 months. UEB expressed their particular thanks to those colleagues who will continue to work during the closure period looking after our students and our campuses.
- Finally, the Vice-Chancellor and UEB expressed their huge thanks and appreciation to Professor Paul Whittaker, who was attending his final UEB meeting before stepping down as Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, and returning to the Winchester School of Art. Paul was thanked for his tremendous contribution to the University, and to UEB, in a number of leadership roles including as Dean of two faculties. His successor as Dean, Professor Miguel Mera, joins us in January.
The next scheduled meeting of UEB is on Tuesday 2 January 2024.