Dear All

I hope you were able to make the most of the late May bank holiday weekend and found some time to step back and recharge. I had some annual leave and enjoyed a super-sunny time in Cornwall catching up with my best friend from primary school.

Your Voice Matters and School visits

We recently shared our Faculty headlines from the 2026 Your Voice Matters Colleague Engagement Survey, alongside a joint message from Emma Rose and me reflecting on what we heard. I want to thank everyone again who took the time to contribute. The strength of engagement in the survey is itself a positive signal, and the insights it provides are an important foundation for shaping our next steps as a Faculty.

Crucially, the survey is just one part of a broader commitment to listening to colleagues and responding in meaningful ways. Over the past few weeks, I have continued a series of visits to our Schools, meeting colleagues in AMBS, SEED and SALC. These sessions provided an opportunity to share a short update on Faculty and School performance and our priorities for the coming year but, more importantly, they allowed space for open discussion and questions.

I found these events extremely valuable. Hearing directly from colleagues – about what is working well, where there are concerns, and where we can do more – is essential. It was also a real pleasure to reconnect with many of you face to face. I look forward to continuing this engagement at the SoSS visit in July, and to building on the conversations we have already started.

Awards celebrations

Last month was marked by a number of awards events celebrating the remarkable contributions of our colleagues and students.

At the University’s Volunteer of the Year Awards, it was inspiring to hear about breadth and impact of the student activity being recognised. I was especially happy to see Vuyo Dube from SoSS receive the Students Helping Students award – a powerful example of the difference our students make through peer support and community engagement.

Similarly, the Peer Support Awards highlighted the depth of commitment in helping our first-year students with their transition into university life. I was struck by the keynote address from SEED Peer Mentor and Student Coordinator for BSc Education, Grace Hollingsworth, which captured the value of the scheme brilliantly.

I also had the pleasure of being present at the Making a Difference Awards earlier in May, and it was lovely to see the achievements of colleagues and students across the Faculty and University recognised in person. The range of social responsibility work taking place across Humanities is something we can all take pride in, and a reminder of the wider impact of our teaching and research.

More recently, I attended the University’s Medal of Honour presentations at Manchester Museum. This prestigious award recognises individuals who have made an exceptional and long-standing contribution to the University, to the city of Manchester or to the wider region. This year’s recipients exemplified the depth and diversity of that contribution, and it was a privilege to celebrate their achievements in such a fitting setting. From a Faculty viewpoint, it was great to see Film Studies and English Literature student Ray Power (SALC) receive a medal as one of the members of our victorious University Challenge 2026 team.

I was also pleased to be at the annual Educate North West Awards (ENAs), which celebrate excellence and innovation across the education sector in our region. It was particularly rewarding to see the PeatFix project recognised with the Sustainable Green Initiative award in the university sector. This knowledge transfer partnership (KTP) between SEED’s Dr Emma Shuttleworth and the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust demonstrates how our research can directly inform practical solutions to pressing environmental challenges. It is a compelling example of how collaboration beyond the University allows us to deliver impact.

Future of Work Alliance

The theme of research making a real-world difference is also central to the new Future of Work Alliance between the University and BNY, delivered through AMBS. This ground-breaking, £5 million partnership will focus on the responsible use and application of human-led AI, bringing together academic expertise and industry insight to address one of the most significant challenges of our time.

The alliance represents exactly the kind of engagement we are committed to fostering, combining our research strengths with external partners to generate new knowledge and practical solutions. It reinforces our position at the forefront of thinking about the future of work, and highlights the critical role Humanities plays in shaping that agenda.

Investing in teaching and learning facilities

Alongside our research partnerships, we continue to invest in our teaching and learning environment to ensure that our students benefit from the best possible experience.

The new Lenagan Digital Teaching Laboratory, located in the Martin Harris Centre, is an excellent example. Since opening in January, it has already supported a wide range of teaching activity, from data science and digital humanities to film, music and drama. What makes this space particularly notable is the way it brings together multiple needs across the Faculty into a single, flexible environment.

Developed through close collaboration between academic and PS colleagues, the laboratory reflects a shared commitment to making the most effective use of our estate. It also demonstrates how we are adapting our facilities to support increasingly interdisciplinary and digitally enhanced teaching. Find out more about the new lab by watching an informative video, featuring just a few of the colleagues involved in its development and benefiting from its capabilities with our students.

This is one of a number of investments we are making in our estate and facilities, with several projects already under way and others in development. Together, they will help ensure that we continue to offer an outstanding environment for teaching and learning across the Faculty.

Senior appointments

I would like to update you on two senior appointments that will take effect from 1 August.

Dr Jessica Gagnon will become the new Director of Methods@Manchester, succeeding Professor Emma Banister. Methods@Manchester plays a vital role in advancing methodological research excellence, supporting interdisciplinary research and training in both qualitative and quantitative approaches. Jessica brings significant expertise and experience to the role, and I look forward to working with her as the initiative continues to develop. I would also like to thank Emma for her outstanding contribution in shaping Methods@Manchester to date.

I am also delighted to announce that Dr Sonja Dobroski will take up the role of Associate Dean for Teaching and Learning – Portfolio, Curriculum and Quality, succeeding Professor David Spendlove. This is a critical portfolio within the Faculty, supporting the development and enhancement of our programmes and ensuring the quality of our provision, and I know that Sonja will make a valuable contribution in this role. My sincere thanks to David for his dedication and leadership over recent years, which have made a significant impact across the Faculty.

Staying Well in 2026

Following the launch of the Starting Well in 2026 campaign earlier this year, we are all now invited to continue with Staying Well in 2026 – a mid-year wellbeing check-in. This next phase encourages us to pause and reflect on how the year is going, and to consider one small action that could support our wellbeing in the months ahead.

A programme of free activities is available across June, designed to support mental, physical and social wellbeing in ways that suit different needs and preferences. I would encourage you to take a moment to think about your wellbeing– even small steps can make a meaningful difference, both individually and in helping to foster a supportive and healthy community across the Faculty. I continue to step away from my computer as regularly as possible and get out and about meeting staff and students across our lovely green campus.

I am looking forward to seeing many of you later in the week at the Faculty Leadership Conference, where the overarching theme will be ‘strategy, delivery and change’. We will be reflecting back on this year’s accomplishments and looking forward to future opportunities and challenges. See you there!

Regards Fiona