eNews 11 August

Teams Voice desk phone roll-out, major awards, supporting students, Business in the Community, special ticket offers and more.

eNews 11 August 2021

Digital developments

Microsoft Teams | Flexible calling

Teams Voice is being rolled out to support hybrid working. This will add desk phone capabilities to Microsoft Teams on your computer or mobile device, giving you the flexibility to make and receive calls from your university extension number wherever you are. Access our Teams Voice presentation recording and FAQs for further information.

Reminder | Mediasite Desktop Recorder retirement

Mediasite Desktop Recorder will be retired on Friday 27 August and replaced by Mediasite Mosaic. This new application provides multiple recording options and can also be used to bulk upload videos created in other applications to Mediasite. Full instructions on downloading and using Mediasite Mosaic are available for Windows 10 and MacOS (Catalina onwards).

Globus data transfer service

The new Globus file transfer protocol (FTP) service went live at the end of May, letting users transfer large amounts of data securely – both between campus systems and also with other universities and research institutions across the globe. If you’re using other FTP services, please start to use the new one, as the legacy FTP servers will be decommissioned at the end of November.

Celebrate

National Teaching Fellowship and collaborative teaching success

Advance HE recently announced two major awards for our academics. Congratulations to Dr Alison Voice, who has been awarded a National Teaching Fellowship, and the School of Biomedical Sciences’ Capstone Experience Team, which received a Collaborative Award for Teaching Excellence.

Excellent customer service recognised

Facilities Directorate services have been awarded prestigious national Customer Service Excellence (CSE) accreditation for the third year running. CSE is a Government standard that recognises an organisation’s commitment to putting customers first. The assessor praised staff for their valuable contribution to delivering customer-focused services during a turbulent year.

Outstanding contributions to promote equality and inclusion

Championing diversity at Leeds has been recognised in a prestigious awards scheme. The latest in a series of profiles on the winners of this year’s Leeds Partnership Awards highlights the outstanding accomplishments of recipients of the Equality and Inclusion accolade.

Students

Summer Campus Day

Colleagues are asked to encourage students to attend a day of activities on campus tomorrow (Thursday 12 August), as part of the Summer in Leeds programme. Events include lawn games, a campus tour and a quiz with student ambassadors. The Careers Service will also be on hand to chat to students about their next steps. All activities are free and lunch is included.

Accommodation FAQs

A handy accommodation factsheet is now available to assist colleagues in providing up-to-date and accurate information on this subject to any enquiring students. A range of detailed accommodation FAQs for staff and students can also be accessed online.

Student Success SharePoint

The Student Success SharePoint site is now live. It’s a resource for all colleagues who are interested, or involved, in work relating to improving outcomes for specific groups of students. It’s regularly updated with useful resources on areas of the student experience, such as non-continuation, awarding and progression, and also acts as a repository for papers and presentations highlighting good practice. Please contact Katie Peyton-Lister if you have any ideas for additions to the site.

Get ready to submit your reading lists

Teaching colleagues can use the Minerva tool to create or update reading lists for the new academic year before Saturday 14 August. The Library has advice on getting the most out of your reading lists to ensure students can access the information they need. Online readings and ebooks will continue to be prioritised ahead of printed texts in order to support the shift towards digital education.

Learning and development

Apply now | Enhance Your Student Education Practice (pilot) course 

Applications close at 5pm today (Wednesday 11 August) for a new course from OD&PL aimed at early and mid-career academic teaching colleagues, especially Teaching Fellows. The Enhance Your Student Education Practice (pilot) course features six workshops providing you with the tools and skills to plan, evaluate and enhance your teaching and scholarship practice. It can also support your career development and plans for professional recognition.

Sign up | Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice

Applications are open until Monday 22 November for the next Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice (PGCAP) cohort. Starting in February 2022, the PGCAP is for colleagues involved in student education at Leeds, and aims to enhance your academic practice, connect you with peers and challenge your thinking. It’s also one of the routes available to gain a Fellowship of the Higher Education Authority (FHEA). 

Online workshop | Studying at university as a mature student

Thinking of doing a degree for your career or to follow a lifelong passion? Find out how we can help you balance study with other life commitments. Book your place on the latest Lifelong Learning Centre (LLC) online workshop, being held on Thursday 19 August, to learn more about studying as a mature student.

Mature Student Graduate Network

Did you know anyone aged 21 or over when starting undergraduate study is eligible to join the Mature Student Graduate Network, run by the Lifelong Learning Centre (LLC)? You can also find out more about the support for mature undergraduate students offered by the LLC, from pre-entry to graduation and beyond. 

Wellbeing and support

Business in the Community

Leeds is now a member of Business in the Community (BITC) – the largest and longest-established membership organisation dedicated to responsible business. Membership covers all areas, including environment, nature stewardship, community, age, race, gender and health and wellbeing. It also includes access to a range of member-only events, resources, guides and insight reports. Create a login to sign up for newsletters and access toolkits, case studies and webinars – all based on the interests you specify.

Staff benefits

MCard extension/cancellation scheme

Following the national lockdown in March 2020, Metro launched an extension/cancellation scheme for annual corporate MCard holders unable to travel on public transport due to Government restrictions. The deadline for requests has now been extended to Monday 16 August. For those applying for extensions, new cards will start no later than Wednesday 1 September 2021.

Gryphons Go Kids Camps

Not sure how to entertain the kids during the summer holidays? Book them onto Sport & Physical Activity’s Gryphons Go Kids Camp for £40 per day. Children can swim, climb and explore the outdoors, as well as develop their physical skills and make use of our superb educational facilities. Camps will be hosted at The Edge from Monday 16 to Friday 27 August.

Ticket offer | 2021 Leeds Opera Festival

This year’s Leeds Opera Festival programme will celebrate the works of English composer Gustav Holst. Enter the promotional code for a 10% discount on ticket prices when booking online for any of the events, taking place in and around Leeds from Monday 23 to Monday 30 August. Please note you will be prompted to login to For Staff with your username and password to access the offer.

Ticket offer | Heathers The Musical

Leeds Grand Theatre is playing host to West End smash Heathers The Musical. Take advantage of the special staff ticket offer for shows until tomorrow evening (Thursday 12 August). Simply enter the promotional code when selecting your seats. Please note you will be prompted to login to For Staff with your username and password to access the offer.

Events

Sign up | Student Education Forum

You can now sign up for the next two sessions of our monthly Student Education Forum, bringing together networks from across the University community. The next session, taking place from 3-4pm today (Wednesday 11 August), will feature an update on the postgraduate student experience commission, chaired by Professor Paul Taylor, Dean: Student Education (Experience), together with an opportunity to welcome our new Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Student Education, Professor Jeff Grabill.

South Asian Heritage Month 2021

There’s still time to get involved in South Asian Heritage Month 2021. Running until Tuesday 17 August, festivities aim to raise the profile of British South Asian heritage and history in the UK through education, arts, culture and commemoration.

Leeds Digital Festival 2021 submissions

Event submissions for Leeds Digital Festival (LDF) 2021 close at 5pm on Wednesday 18 August. We’ve renewed our sponsorship for the latest instalment of the hugely popular tech showcase, with the two-week open-platform event running from Monday 20 September to Friday 1 October. Please share details of your LDF event with us if you’d like to be included in our future publicity.

In case you missed it

VC’s podcast | The case for active learning 

Thank you for taking part in The Big Leeds Conversation

New Disability Equality Framework published

Update | Change to storage of Teams meetings recordings delayed

Read | Digital Education Annual Report

Turing Scheme study abroad funding secured

Reminder | Mentoring scheme 

Careers Summer for Researchers | Personal Branding webinar

Sign up | School of Media and Communication Research Newsletter

Leeds University Library Galleries reopen to the public

FUAM Graduate Art Prize 2021 online exhibition

Ticket offer | The Leeds International Piano Competition

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