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We discussed the University\u2018s progress towards its Athena Swan<\/strong><\/a> submission, which is due in November.\u00a0\u00a0An initial draft of the submission has now been written, and is undergoing editing, and will be reviewed at UEB on 16 September 2019<\/strong>.\u00a0\u00a0The critical issue is that Athena Swan, together with many of the other Equality and Diversity and Inclusion \u2018Kite Marks,’ need to be embedded throughout the University.\u00a0\u00a0Our initial reflection is that this has been achieved to varying degrees over the last five years since our previous submission, and over the coming years we need to find better ways to achieve a more uniform engagement with the very important aims of the programme.<\/p>\n UEB agreed to support a proposal from the University and Colleges Union (UCU) for a 30 minute work stoppage, by all staff who want to support this activity and whose roles allow, on 20 September 2019<\/strong> as part of the Global Climate Change<\/strong> action.\u00a0\u00a0This is intended as a recognition of the need to act individually and collectively to address the increasingly critical global environmental situation.\u00a0\u00a0Further details will be available on SUSSED in due course. Independently of this, UEB will have an initial discussion about the development of a comprehensive environmental sustainability strategy on 16 September.\u00a0\u00a0We noted that the 2019 Travel Survey for staff<\/a> is now open and we encourage staff to participate.<\/p>\n Professor Mandy Fader, our Pro Vice-Chancellor for the 10-Year Plan took the chair for the remainder of the agenda.\u00a0\u00a0We reviewed the portfolio of projects and were pleased to see a number were making good progress from concepts to business cases, through the initiate and planning phases and onto \u2018delivery\u2019.\u00a0\u00a0A new project to create a Future Towns Innovation Hub, <\/strong>to be located at the Science Park, was introduced.\u00a0\u00a0Over \u00a34M of funding has been won from the Enterprise M3 Local Enterprise Partnership and Research England to support this project, which will house applied research facilities and incubation and growth space for start-ups and small companies working in relevant technologies.\u00a0\u00a0We had a wider discussion about projects in the portfolio which require changes in ways of working and ensuring that there is sufficient support provided for these projects.<\/p>\n We reviewed the governance for the 10-Year Plan and reiterated\u00a0the need for effective prioritisation, including making \u2018go\/no go\u2019 decisions at the earliest possible stage. There was a strong collective view that where we have a choice, we will benefit from undertaking slightly fewer projects with a clear focus on delivery in a timely manner, rather than spreading ourselves too thinly.\u00a0\u00a0Related to this, we also discussed the need to have a clearer method of distinguishing projects that have been approved but are not being progressed at the present time, either due to the need to focus, or due to funding or other resource constraints.<\/p>\n A paper to develop an integrated sports and estates strategy<\/strong> was enthusiastically approved.\u00a0\u00a0This recognises the multiple benefits to having more of our students and staff involved in sports and other physical and wellbeing activities.<\/p>\n