Cohort 3
Cohort 3 introduced changes to organisational structures and job descriptions for colleagues at grades 3-7 in the International Programmes Office, and at grades 2-5 in: Teaching, Learning and Student Experience teams in Schools and Faculties; DSE Student and Academic Services; DSE Campus Life; and PGR teams within Schools, Faculties and the central Directorate for Research and Business Engagement.
These changes are the building blocks that will enable us to deliver enhanced, more visible services to students: through School-managed Student Hubs, Faculty-managed PGR Hubs and a significantly improved online platform.
You can read more about the changes in the below sections which were published before the changes went live and have been kept for information.
Key changes and benefits
- There was no risk of redundancy.
- We slightly increased the number of roles and created an upwards shift in grades in response to increasing demands on our time and services.
- Vacant roles were initially reserved for redeployees and those in scope of the changes which provided colleagues the opportunity to gain a role at a higher grade.
- All roles are permanent.
- All roles in the new structures were made permanent, with the exception of a small number of staff who remain on fixed term contracts due to circumstances such as, cover for parental leave.
- We have introduced new ways of working, with closer alignment between Schools, Faculties and Central Directorates.
- There are consistent structures and job descriptions across teams - colleagues were matched to a job role (e.g. Teaching and Learning Co-ordinator) and then assigned to an area of work (e.g. School of Engineering).
- Staff have opportunities to gain experience and move more easily around the organisation, with clear paths for career progression.
- Teams are able to be flexible and respond to changing demands (e.g. additional student numbers or new compliance requirements).
- There is more consistency across structures, roles and processes which reduces the risk of local processes and systems only being understood by individuals or small groups. It is also easier to understand who does what in each area or team.
- New Communities of Practice enable colleagues to collaborate beyond their immediate teams, solve problems collectively and learn from each other.