Message from the Director of Faculty Operations

11 Jun 2018

Jo Clague provides an update on a number of operational initiatives and comments on PSS successes in the recent Invest in Success Awards

Over the last few weeks I have spent time with the Directors of Faculty Operations in FSE and Humanities, and Simon Merrywest, Director of the Student Experience, to start a conversation about 'Ways of Working' as part of the University’s Student Lifecycle Project.  We are only at the start of this conversation but any changes to our ways of working need to be firmly set in the context of the vision for the student experience at the University of Manchester.

As you know, the University will be inviting staff to engage in a discussion about wider institutional strategy and vision after the summer break. The ongoing SLP will be informed by that discussion and the 'Ways of Working' will be developed in parallel.  There will be regular updates and an opportunity for staff to engage in workshops and briefings over the coming months.

Andy Burnham was with us last week to formally open the new Royal College of Surgeons' Outreach Hub for the North and Midlands.  This new office is based in our Faculty within the Core Technology Facility.  The RCS partnership is an excellent example of us cementing relationships with key strategic partners and plays its own part in helping to redress the balance between services, facilities and expertise in the North and the South.

I have been discussing the review of our Doctoral Academy with Academics and PSS staff and the review group have come up with some clear recommendations aimed at improving the visibility of the Doctoral Academy within the Faculty, Schools and Divisions.  We will be consulting with staff on the recommendations and I look forward to hearing the feedback of colleagues on the proposed way forward.

We are also preparing for the transfer of the MAHSC Clinical Trials Unit from The Christie Hospital to the University this summer.  This unit is an important part of our clinical research infrastructure and is another example of the opportunities available to us through working in partnership with colleagues from across the Academic Health Science System. This has been a major piece of work involving teams from across the PSS, including Estates, Finance, HR, Research Support, Research Governance and Legal.  The move to the Faculty will ensure we are well placed to deliver a broad range of vital support to both academic and NHS colleagues undertaking clinical trials across  a wide portfolio of disciplines.

I've received more detail about our PSS successes in the University's recent Invest in Success awards. 12 projects have been given £60,000, including awards to: Dr Hawys Williams who leads our Social Responsibility team, for a cross-Faculty story-telling training initiative; Mike Young, a data analyst in the Trauma Audit and Research Network, for the development of a functionally-rich business information reporting tool; and Denise Ogden, senior project manager in the Wolfson Molecular Imaging Centre, who is leading an initiative that will enable staff to visit other imaging centres to learn about how they operate, share best practice and develop collaborations to potentially increase income into our facilities. I'm sure we will hear more about the benefits of these impactful initiatives over the coming months.

Jo Clague

Director of Faculty Operations