President’s Weekly Update

30 January 2014

I hosted two dinners this week for new staff who have been appointed to the University across all areas of activity. The purpose was for me to meet them, and for them to get to know others from different parts of the University. In addition they did have to do some work, by discussing what is good and not so good about our University. It was particularly interesting to hear from those who have joined the University from other similar institutions and indeed from some very different organisations. As usual, they raised a number of concerns (some common themes that we know about and have to deal with) but also many very positive comments.

I attended the memorial service for Sir John Zochonis who had long associations with our University, as a member of our governing body for 20 years and chair for three, and a very generous donor. The service was attended by hundreds of people from so many different walks of life (including quite a number of current and past colleagues from the University). I was privileged to be one of a small number of speakers and talked of his incredible philanthropy, together with humility and a great sense of humour and good will.

This week I visited two schools - Law and Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering (MACE). On each occasion I met with senior staff, and afterwards held open meetings with students and then staff. The students all valued many of their teachers, facilities and the reputation of the University, but raised specific concerns about a few staff whom they found impossible to contact (I was clear with them that this is unacceptable) and specific issues about some exam accommodation and crowded lectures, which we are following up.

This week we held meetings of the Board of Governor’s Finance and Audit committees. These committees are made up of both lay and staff members of the Board and they are attended by University staff including myself, Will Spinks (Registrar, Secretary and Chief Operating Officer) and Steve Mole (Director of Finance). Key issues at Audit Committee were ensuring the security of our IT systems, declarations of interest (see below), our ‘TRAC’ analysis which estimates the costs and profit or losses on our research and ongoing internal and external audit analyses.  In Finance Committee, in addition to the normal reports, reviews of our management accounts and discussion of our Campus Masterplan, we met with the companies who advise and make investments of our assets on our behalf to talk about how we balance risk, return on investment and our socially responsible investment strategy.

I attended a Faculty Leadership Team meeting in the Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences. I gave a short summary of what I saw as the key challenges for the University and for this Faculty, then we discussed many topics such as postgraduate taught courses and challenges for recruiting UK students; delivering research excellence; enhancing staff performance and what we need to do match our competitors.

At our regular meeting with members of the executive of our Students’ Union, we talked about government cuts to the National Scholarship Programme (and potential further cuts), current and future pressures on pay and pensions for universities, the recent problems with IT dysfunction during some exams and promotion of elections for the next executive of the Students’ Union - please encourage students to vote!

Can I remind everyone to complete the ‘Register of Interests’ which documents any links to external organisations and other potential conflicts of interest.  You may be aware that some organisations (notably the National Institutes of Health in the USA) do not allow their staff to do any work with commercial organisations. By contrast we encourage such links, though it is important for the University to be aware of these, not least in case there are ever real or perceived claims of conflicts of interests. The University’s Policy on Outside Work and Consultancy provides a framework for managing these links. Queries should usually be addressed to your Head of School Administration in the first instance.

Congratulations to Rob Tominey and Aden Levin, two of our graduates who secured £100,000 investment for their travel company from one of the investors on the TV programme Dragon’s Den.

I managed to spend a little time over the last week on research - meeting with my collaborators and reading grants and papers. It was a real delight to meet, albeit too briefly, Professor Sir Andrew McMichael from Oxford when he visited to give a seminar. Andrew is a remarkable scientist whom I have known for a very long time. We reminisced about a fascinating visit to China some years ago when (amongst other things) we had to deal with our car breaking down in the early hours of the morning in Beijing and keeping up with the numerous toasts led by our eminent hosts (I had an excuse to leave so got off a little more lightly).

Nancy Rothwell, President and Vice-Chancellor

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