Interim Dean's message

06 Jul 2018

Update from Peter Clayton and Joanne Clague

This month, for the first time, we are bringing a joint message as part of a deliberate focus on enhanced engagement and greater integration across the Faculty.  We thought it would be worthwhile to reiterate some of the key messages from the recent Faculty Town Hall event, where the FLT outlined some high level priorities and objectives for the academic year ahead.

First and foremost, our focus is on consolidating on what is already in place – principally embedding and moving forward on our strategic agenda for Teaching & Learning, Research & Innovation, and Social Responsibility.  We are seeking to incorporate these strategies in all that we do, whilst simultaneously developing a better shared understanding of how things work and how to get things done in FBMH.

Key to this is improved staff engagement; making the most of existing connections across the Faculty and University and encouraging new connections for the sharing of ideas and best practice.  To this end, we are planning to get ‘out and about’ more, visiting different locations across the Faculty to meet informally with colleagues on a weekly basis.  We would also like to explore new ways of working with School Boards, recognising the important role they play in the Faculty and the significant value that they can add.  In addition, FLT will be continuing with the Faculty-wide Town Hall engagement events; the Faculty Leadership Forum; and introducing new professoriate and thought-leader networking sessions.

Many of you are currently coming to the end of a round of annual P&DRs and FLT would like to thank you for your involvement and engagement in this important activity.  As part of our commitment to investing more time and effort in staff support and development, we would like to see this annual activity develop into a more regular, dynamic, ongoing dialogue, addressing many of the comments made in the latest staff survey.

Over the Summer we have committed to maintaining momentum in a number of priority areas and have agreed an ambitious programme of activities.  This includes finalising the 2017/18 teaching contribution data, reshaping the PGT portfolio (with specific focus on opportunities arising from new markets for CPD and distance learning), concluding a review of our Research Domains and taking a first look at the detailed analysis of the Research Review Exercise (RRE) .

As we move into the Autumn, the Faculty we will be participating in a new University-wide employee engagement  initiative around the University’s strategic direction and future vision via a series of team meetings and mass participation events. More details will be communicated over the coming weeks.  We will also be undertaking a second round of Presidential Fellow recruitment. Leading on from the first successful round of non-clinical recruitment, this second round is aimed at clinical colleagues.  Finally in the Autumn we will be undertaking a mock Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) review as part of our preparations for the introduction of subject level TEF assessment, which is expected to take place in 2019/20

During the remainder of the year we will focus on the future funding landscape and developing our external relationships; including those important NHS and strategic international partnerships.

In closing we would like to highlight some of the other new stories featured in FBMH News, not least the good news that Sir Harpal Kumar, the outgoing Chief Executive of Cancer Research UK, has been appointed an honorary Chair in Cancer Sciences in the Faculty.

We’d also like to offer our congratulations to  Professor Marcel van Herk , Professor Jørgen Vestbo  and Dr Sandra Bucci , on being recognised for outstanding research in their respective fields; Helen Eccles and Jessica Bowler who have now been confirmed in their previously seconded roles as Head of the Student Experience and  PGR Service Manager respectively; and to all our winners  in the University’s Distinguished Achievements Awards , who were presented with their prizes at a ceremony in the Whitworth Hall at the end of June.

And finally, many thanks and congratulations to all who attended the Faculty Social Responsibility Celebration event yesterday. This was a great opportunity to thank staff, students and our community partners for their outstanding contribution to our social reponsibility agenda, making it a real success

Peter Clayton                                                                                       Joanne Clague

Interim Vice-President and Dean                                              Director of Faculty Operations