President's weekly update
2 May 2019
We held one of our regular meetings with nearly 60 leaders from across our academic areas, Professional Services (PS) and cultural institutions. I reported on the outcomes of the Board of Governors’ Accountability and Planning conference held in March, which was overall favourable but recognised major threats to the higher education sector and fed back on the discussions on the vision and strategic plan for our University’s future.
Patrick Hackett, Registrar, Secretary and Chief Operating Officer, led a discussion to engage Heads in the development of the ‘Our People, Our Values’ theme of our strategic plan. This focused on ‘ways of operating’ followed by a discussion on areas that we value, those that we need to change and how we can work more effectively. As a direct result of your feedback from Our Future we’re giving all staff the opportunity to contribute to our University’s values. I’d encourage you to get involved by sharing your stories and giving feedback on our existing values.
Since my last message I have visited three Schools. Staff in the School of Arts, Languages and Cultures reported on a very welcome increase in the number of applications for undergraduate study, notably in foreign languages which has been in decline across the UK. They also raised the issue of disabled access to some of our rooms, spaces for practising music and drama, summer schools and funding for postgraduate research students.
In the School of Social Sciences, students raised some concerns about examinations and their lectures. We urged them to feedback through their student representatives so timely actions can be taken. Staff asked about the use of Research Review Exercise grades for the Research Excellence Framework and their possible use in performance management. I assured them of our statement that this was not the case. They raised limited space for offices (we said that in some parts of the University academic staff share offices) and how activities at Faculty and School level are best determined as we move towards fewer schools.
Students in the School of Medical Sciences spoke to us about their (generally positive) experiences as international PhD students. Staff raised questions about teaching loads and assessment, how we better value staff activities in social responsibility and contributions above and beyond the key academic measures that we use, staff morale, Brexit and our future strategic plan.
I and other members of our Senior Leadership Team are holding an open meeting for staff on Tuesday, 4 June where we will give an update on our University’s progress, opportunities and challenges and there will be an opportunity for you to ask SLT questions. You can book your place at this session on StaffNet. This week has also seen the launch of Viewpoint, a blog where leaders from across the University can post about issues to do with our own University or the higher education sector more widely. You can comment on these blogs.
At an event to follow up on MIPIM (the major property conference in France) where we launched our plans for ID Manchester, Sir Richard Leese, Leader of Manchester City Council asked a small group of attendees from Manchester about their experiences of MIPM. All were positive and also said that our presentation on ID Manchester was by far the most exciting opportunity.
Joanna Newman, Director of the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU of which we are a member), visited us with her colleagues to hear about our many activities with international universities and our international students and to discuss opportunities for collaboration and funding offered by ACU for students and staff.
Alan Ferns, Associate Vice-President for External Relations and Reputation, and I met Mike Kane, one of our local MPs, who has been working with us on our student access programme, partnerships with schools in his Wythenshawe constituency and local activities of our Manchester Museum.
I visited the new workspace pilot offices for the MECD project, which are on the lawn outside the Pariser Building. Professor Martin Schröder, Vice-President and Dean of the Faculty of Science and Engineering, members of Professional Services, academic groups and students have moved into this space to test various configurations of workspace. This is the third such pilot as spaces are adapted according to feedback from staff and students who have spent three months in the pilot spaces. After feedback and further discussions, a decision will be made about the best option for the workspace environment, and this is due to be considered over the summer.
The University’s Poetry Competition, led by Creative Manchester, is now open. It welcomes submissions from staff students and alumni and our Chancellor, Lemn Sissay is one of the judges. The closing date is 19 May.
Nancy Rothwell, President and Vice-Chancellor