President's weekly update
4 February 2021
I’ve spent time this week in meetings with undergraduate and postgraduate students, Senate, staff and students from two of our biggest schools, and some key external partners.
Our Students’ Union organised a meeting with students and posed questions to me and senior colleagues on international fees, the case for fee rebates, delivery of learning outcomes such that students would be able to graduate, assessments, return to in-person teaching and how we have handled the pandemic.
Professors Colette Fagan, Vice-President for Research, Melissa Westwood, Associate Vice-President with responsibility for postgraduate researchers and I met with a group of President’s Doctoral Scholars. They asked us about ‘paid extensions’, particularly for those who have been unable to complete parts of their research due to the pandemic, University finances and how they have been impacted by COVID, careers within and outside research, equality, diversity and inclusion and the loss of the Erasmus programme and its replacement, the new Turing scheme.
At the end of January, we filed
A briefing on equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) was held for Senate members, led by Professor Nalin Thakkar, Vice-President for Social Responsibility. Although we have made some progress over the last few years and we are similar to other English HEIs, we have to acknowledge and accept that our culture, systems and processes need to change significantly for us to become a truly diverse and inclusive organisation. This change won’t be easy and will require all our efforts. As Nalin outlined, we are implementing significant changes in our EDI approach, and are putting in place measures to start making these changes. There will be wide consultation on our new EDI strategy with staff and students at all levels so that it reflects our collective aspirations and addresses concerns of all our people. This is the start of a new journey for us and I hope, whatever our differences we can work together to build an organisation we are all truly proud of.
At the Senate meeting itself, I updated members on recent events and we discussed the Assessment Pledge, Academic Assurance, and changes to our Statutes and Ordinances, and received the annual report of student disciplinary cases and complaints.
Please consider standing as a member of Senate as nominations open this week.
In one of two school meetings this past week, I met with staff and students from the School of Natural Sciences. Students expressed concerns about access to laboratories and field courses, about support for mental health and wellbeing, which they felt was insufficient, in spite of the additional support we have put in place, and the presence of police and security in our residences when there are large gatherings. In the meeting with staff we discussed the pressures of blended learning particularly for those who have caring responsibilities and home schooling and in areas with high student numbers. Some also felt that teaching requirements had been too prescriptive, though equally many have been grateful for guidance in the transition to blended learning, and had faced issues with imports from Europe and HR processes.
Most teaching in the School of Medical Sciences is continuing in-person, but staff and students from that School expressed concerns about student placements and practical training in health care disciplines. Students asked about rebates for international fees if learning outcomes were not met at the end of the programme, and about whether we would continue with online teaching after the pandemic. With staff we also talked about balancing teaching and other workloads more evenly, local decision making, the need to reduce bureaucracy and become more agile and the challenges of staff being called to deliver frontline clinical, health and social care support due to COVID.
We held one of our regular meetings with senior staff from Greater Manchester Combined Authority, including the Chief Executive, Eamonn Boylan. We discussed the recently established Innovation Greater Manchester, our progress on Innovation District Manchester to develop our North Campus and our activities in inequalities, health, productivity, digital and AI and our work with local further education colleges and schools.
Student applications (home and overseas) for study in 2021/22 are up on last year and somewhat ahead of the UK sector though applications from EU students are, as expected lower than previously. Non-continuation of our current students is low - fractionally above last year for PGT students but well below normal for undergraduates.
I spoke at an event for China-UK educational collaboration to mark the Chinese New Year of the ox that was organised by the Chinese Embassy and attended by almost 300 UK university leaders and members of international organisations.
Nancy Rothwell, President and Vice-Chancellor