19 August enews: Pay and reward updates, A-Levels latest, celebrations and opportunities to get involved

19 August enews: Pay and reward updates, A-Levels latest, celebrations and opportunities to get involved

The 19 August 2020 enews banner, featuring the Roger Stevens pond. August 2020

Update on national 2020-21 pay round 
 

The negotiating round on pay for 2020-21 was postponed in March by agreement of all negotiating parties due to the coronavirus pandemic. Following the wide-ranging challenges and uncertainty now facing the higher education sector, no uplift is being offered to basic pay on the salary scale for 2020-21. The exception being that, where required, the lower band will be increased in accordance with the National Living Wage levels.  

However, here at Leeds our local reward processes will continue, including annual increments, promotions and other contribution-related pay increases (discretionary/additional increments), which are subject to separate processes local to the University. As a result, many colleagues across our University will still see an increase to their pay during this academic year. Read our full update on the pay round, including local discussions on wider aspects of pay and employment terms. 

Update on 2020 A-Level results 

In light of the Government’s announcement on exam results, read the latest update we have shared with prospective students on our clearing and confirmation web pages

Annual Reward Scheme 2019/20 

Further to the confirmation that this process will continue, the HR team will review and discuss any recommendations for single scale or discretionary increments in line with the 2019/20 Annual Reward Scheme and principles. The 2019/20 scheme covers the period from 1 August 2019 to 31 July 2020 and the review process will conclude in December. 

Our commitment to managing organisational change 

We are pleased to confirm that new arrangements for managing organisational change are being introduced. The People & Change Approach focuses on involving colleagues in the process of change and promoting consistent practice across the University. To support this we have developed a policy for implementing organisational restructurings and have introduced a new Organisational Change Group comprising of senior management and trades unions. We have been working closely with the trades unions, during the past 18 months, in the development of the new approach.  

Complete the professional behaviours training  

All colleagues who have access to the system must complete the professional behaviour and relationships training by Monday 31 August. If you do not have online access or are unable to complete the training for any other reason, please speak to your line manager. 

Update your Windows and Office licences 

If you see pop-up messages telling you your Windows or Office licence is about to expire, follow the instructions on the IT website to renew them. Normally, these licences renew automatically when you are connected to the campus network, but if you are working from home you may need to do this manually. 

Best practice hub to support welcoming students 

We have created a best practice resource hub for colleagues involved in welcoming students onto campus. It is designed to help those organising taught student welcome and induction events, as well as those supporting the transition of returning students. The hub contains a wealth of resources, materials and ideas to help you plan a successful welcome, induction and transition, so students feel supported, informed and part of our community. 

Celebrate…    

Academic honoured for ‘exceptional achievements’ tackling covid-19 

One of our leading academics has received a top award from the Royal Academy of Engineering for work that has had “widespread and significant impact” in tackling the spread of coronavirus. The citation honours the role of Professor Cath Noakes “... in advising the NHS and Government at the highest level during the pandemic, shaping life-saving guidance based on her expertise in environmental and engineering controls”. 

Leeds – Together for Pride 2020 

We have joined forces with Leeds Beckett and Leeds Arts universities to develop a Digital Pride programme, which launched on Monday and continues throughout this week. View the full programme online and look out for content on social media. 

Partnership Awards 2020   

  

Read the latest in our series of profiles on the winners of this year’s Partnership Awards, which recognise the amazing achievements of staff and students working together to support all aspects of our University community. This time we focus on recipients of the Mentor and Personal Tutor accolades. 

Bragg Building artwork installation 

An ambitious two-storey sculpture by Sara Barker will be installed on the exterior of the Sir William Henry Bragg Building in the week commencing Monday 24 August. The three-dimensional piece combines the qualities of drawing, collage, textile, painting and sculpture, and alludes to the work of both Bragg and Professor Helen Gleeson, the current Cavendish Professor of Physics at Leeds – the same position held by Bragg in his day. Keep an eye out on Twitter and Instagram stories for updates as the installation progresses. 

Get involved…    

Virtual conference questionnaire 

Complete the questionnaire to help shape plans for a virtual Student Education Conference on Thursday 7 January 2021. Titled ‘Lessons from a hybrid teaching world’ and organised by Leeds Institute for Teaching Excellence (LITE), the online event will explore the current model of higher education teaching and learning. Open until Monday 31 August, the questionnaire aims to discover what the student education community at Leeds wants from the event and gauge views about a traditional on-campus conference later in 2021. 

Be Curious 2020: Last chance to register you interest 

Time is running out to register your interest in taking part in Be Curious 2020. Following the success of #BeCuriousGoesVirtual earlier this year, preparations are underway to ensure you can enjoy even more world-leading research from the comfort of your own home. Launching on Saturday 10 October with a full day of live events, the virtual version of Be Curious 2020 will run until Friday 23 October. Read the guidelines for taking part and complete the online form by 5pm on Friday 21 August to register your interest.  

Submissions deadline for Leeds Creative Labs: Virtual Edition   

It is the last chance for academic colleagues from all disciplines to apply to join Leeds Creative Labs: Virtual Edition. The initiative matches creative and academic partners in a playful, open collaboration that encourages discussion and exploration, with no brief other than to see what happens. Submissions deadline is midnight on Sunday 23 August.      

Take part in Leeds Digital Festival 2020 

The deadline to make a submission to host an event at Leeds Digital Festival is Wednesday 26 August. We have renewed our sponsorship of the latest instalment of the hugely popular tech showcase, scheduled to run between Monday 21 September and Friday 2 October.  

LinkedIn Learning pilot opportunity 

  

We have been selected by LinkedIn Learning to pilot a new Curator role. Ideal for colleagues with a focus on learning and teaching, this allows you to upload internal custom content as well as create and share learning pathways – complete with insights into the number of views and completions. Please e-mail LinkedInLearn@leeds.ac.uk by Friday 21 August if you are interested in taking part.  

In case you missed it…    

Inside Track – Professor Nick Plant: Helping shape a better future  

New accessibility guidance 

New flexible Northern season ticket 

Celebrate Our Staff 

Research Round-up 

University backgrounds for Teams 

New tool for collaborative learning 

PebblePad partnership announced 

Request library books for collection 

Engagement Excellence Scheme 2020-21 applications 

Opera North podcast 

This enewsletter is brought to you by the Communications team. You can keep up to date with our latest news on the For Staff website and by following the staff Twitter account.  

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