19 January 2022

eNews 19 January

COVID-19 updates, Enabling Strategy, IT events, awards nominations, World Changers, carer's leave, campus works, Fresh Start Festival, wellbeing classes, staff offers, events and more.

eNews 22 January 2022

Coronavirus

New COVID-19 vaccination centre

Extra dates have been added for staff and students to book a COVID-19 booster jab or their first dose of the vaccine at a new vaccination centre near campus. Walk-ins are also being accepted without an appointment. Located in Old Broadcasting House, Leeds Beckett University, Woodhouse Lane, the centre is open from 10am to 5pm on Friday 21, Tuesday 25 and Friday 28 January.

Asymptomatic test centre at Cromer Terrace reopens 

The University’s asymptomatic testing centre in Cromer Terrace has temporarily reopened for staff and students who need to be on campus and require a lateral flow test. This is a walk-in centre, so no appointment is required. It’s open from 8am to 4pm today (Wednesday 19 January) and Friday 21 January, and from 10am to 6pm tomorrow (Thursday 20 January).

Lateral flow home test kits

Lateral flow home test kits can be collected from the LUU helpdesk or the Laidlaw, Edward Boyle, Brotherton and Health Sciences libraries. Supply is limited, so please only take what you need. Kits are also available from local pharmacies or they can be ordered online from the GOV.UK website.

Reporting you have COVID-19

If you’re self-isolating or have had a positive COVID-19 test, you must tell us through the coronavirus reporting form and also inform your line manager. Read more about how to report and what to do if you test positive or need to self-isolate.

Updated testing and isolation guidance

See the Government website for updated guidance on PCR and lateral flow tests, together with isolation requirements for anyone testing positive for COVID-19.

Thought pieces

Inside Track | Bringing the strategy off the page

In his latest Inside Track feature, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor Hai-Sui Yu, explains how our Enabling Strategy will support delivery of our new 10-year strategy, providing the building blocks to unlock opportunities for all.

Digital developments

Book | IT roadshow

Join us at one of the open meetings introducing the IT Operating Model (ITOM) and what it means for your role. Following the launch of the Digital Enablement and Be Safe programmes last year, we’ve been designing an ITOM that aims to deliver a modernised IT service and place our customers at the heart of what we do. IT Chief Information Officer, Dan Simms, will share an overview of the ITOM during the events on Monday 24 and Tuesday 25 January, together with information about what the changes will mean for colleagues in professional services, research and teaching. There will also be an opportunity to give feedback. Those unable to attend will be able to watch a recording from one of the events. More details to follow.

Sign up | Research IT engagement sessions

Sign up for our virtual Research IT engagement sessions to hear more about work we’ve undertaken during the past few months with nominated academics and our external consultancy partner, Red Oak, to understand the range of Research IT users and how we can best support them. You can hear about, and provide feedback on, the recommendations at two open online sessions on Tuesday 1 and Thursday 3 February. We will also present our proposed approach to managing computer admin rights – again with the opportunity to provide feedback – at two additional open online sessions on Wednesday 26 and Friday 28 January.

Quarantine emails

Please check your quarantine emails for any external messages you were expecting on Friday 7 January that didn’t arrive. The University didn’t receive external emails between 6am and 10.30am on this date. During this time, senders were notified their message wasn’t delivered, and although the immediate issue was fixed later the same day, some email then incorrectly went into quarantine until 2pm on Tuesday 11 January. If you’re email isn’t in your quarantine, please ask the sender to resend it. You might also want to check your Outlook settings to ensure your emails aren’t incorrectly being sent to spam or junk.

Video production | Supplier framework update

We’re raising the threshold for the supplier framework for video production from £2,000 to £5,000 (including VAT). This means you no longer need to invite multiple suppliers to quote when commissioning a video project up to this value. Contact the Communications Production team for further information.

Image Library

The University’s Image Library is available again following a short period of planned maintenance. We apologise for any inconvenience caused during this time.

Celebrate

Nominate | Leeds Partnership Awards 2022

Nominations for the Leeds Partnership Awards 2022 are now open. The annual accolades will once again celebrate the achievements of staff and students who truly put into practice the Leeds Partnership, highlighting those who collaborate, support and enhance the University community. Nominations close at midnight on Sunday 20 February.

University of Leeds Teaching Awards 2022  

Submit your application for the University of Leeds Teaching Awards 2022, celebrating and recognising excellent practice in student education at Leeds. Open to colleagues involved in teaching or supporting the student learning experience, winners receive a cash award to support professional development and scholarship, a certificate and an invitation to a celebratory event. Book your place on a briefing event being held on Wednesday 2 February if you’re interested in applying.

World Changers | Researcher spotlights

Read the second part of our new series exploring the work of our researchers behind the World Changers essay collection. The authors’ areas of expertise are wide-ranging, but the common thread tying them together is a vision of a better future for humanity, working together to tackle inequalities and create a fairer future for all.

Staff benefits

Carer’s leave extended to 31 March 2022

In response to the pandemic and to support colleagues who are balancing caring responsibilities, we increased the standard entitlement of paid carer’s leave from five to 10 days (pro rata for part-time staff). We’re now extending this provision to Thursday 31 March 2022. These 10 days include any carer’s leave already taken within the past 12-month period.

Campus life

Building works | Possible disruption

Work is being undertaken on service tunnels beneath the Roger Stevens and Maths/Earth and Environment buildings between Monday 24 January and Monday 14 February, which may lead to occasional disruption to the supply of power, data and communications to these buildings. This could also affect the Priestly Building, Worsley, Irene Manton, LC Miall, Garstang, IT Services and the Biological Sciences teaching block. Contact Mark Lines, Project Manager, with any enquiries.

Road closure

Lifton Place will be closed to vehicles and pedestrians from today (Wednesday 19 January) until Monday 31 January due to underground drainage works. The road will then be limited to one-way-only vehicle access in the direction of Cromer Terrace between Tuesday 1 February and Tuesday 31 May. The footpath on one side of the road will be open during this period. Contact Adrian Smith, Senior Project Manager, with any enquiries.

The Edge | Opening hours

Normal opening hours have resumed at The Edge – 6.30am to 10.30pm on weekdays and 7.30am to 9pm at weekends. Sport and Physical Activity will continue to monitor the situation to ensure the safety of staff and members.

Students

Fresh Start Festival

Find out more about the Fresh Start Festival running from Monday 24 to Sunday 30 January. To kick this term off in style, we’re working with LUU to offer a week of free online and in-person activities packed full of food, fun, friends and fantastic opportunities. You can also request a communications toolkit from organisers to help promote events to students you interact with. As well as the full programme and a daily breakdown of what’s on, the toolkit includes a PowerPoint slide that academics can drop into existing learning materials and text updates you can use in existing communications.

Take part | Sustainability at Leeds

Get involved with Sustainability at Leeds by attending Fresh Start Festival activities designed for staff and students. These include a stall at the fair on Tuesday 25 January, a litter pick in Hyde Park on Wednesday 26 January and a planting session at the Sustainability Garden on Friday 28 January.

Additional study spaces on campus

We’re continuing to make more study spaces available for students and postgraduate researchers, with extra walk-in and bookable spaces added this week.

Apply | Laidlaw Leadership and Research Programme 2022

Applications for the Laidlaw Leadership and Research Programme 2022 are now open. Colleagues with teaching responsibilities are asked to share details of this paid opportunity with first year undergraduate students. Eligible students can submit applications through MyCareer until midnight on Monday 28 February. They can also attend drop-in sessions to find out more or contact the Undergraduate Research team for further information.  

Research

Take part | Be Curious 2022

Researchers from all disciplines are invited to make contributions to Be Curious 2022, our annual open event showcasing the University’s world-changing research to the wider public. Submissions are invited for in-person activities to be hosted on campus on Saturday 7 May, together with supporting digital content that encourages families to explore research through hands-on making, doing and creating. Read the guidelines for taking part and complete the online form by 5pm on Wednesday 26 January to register your interest. You can also book 15-minute slots at the upcoming Be Curious surgery being held tomorrow (Thursday 20 January), where you can discuss your ideas before making a submission.

Apply now | Research Development Fund

Applications for the next round of the Research Development Fund are open until 5pm on Wednesday 2 February. Awards of up to £600 are available to support patient, public or stakeholder involvement or engagement in the research design stage.

Learning and development

LinkedIn Learning’s most popular courses

More than 13,000 staff and students at Leeds logged on to LinkedIn Learning last year. Find out more about the most popular LinkedIn Learning courses of 2021 and access your account for free.

Register | LITE Teaching Show Watch Party

Sign up for the pilot LITE Teaching Show Watch Party, taking place online from 3-4pm on Thursday 27 January. This new episode of the LITE Teaching Show – a short video that presents research material in a fun and engaging way – features National Teaching Fellow, Dr Alison Voice, explaining her work on spaced repetition as a tool for learning retention. Dr Voice and Susan Preston, our student co-presenter, will be available afterwards to answer questions.

Sign up | Foundations in Teaching course

Register for the online, self-paced Foundations in Teaching (FiT) course from OD&PL, providing information and advice to those new to teaching at Leeds. Full details, including how to join, can be found on the Student Education Development website.

Health and safety training

Look out for emails reminding you to complete the online health and safety training, if you haven’t done so recently. Training courses, operated by Britsafe, have been upgraded for a more modern look and feel. Each module – Display Screen Equipment (DSE), Fire Safety and Manual Handling – takes about 20 minutes to complete. For the DSE training, you can focus on the workstation you use the most, whether this is on campus or at home.

Register | Cross-Disciplinary Innovation Fund

There’s still time to apply to the third round of the Cultural Institute and Leeds Museums and Galleries (LMG) Cross-Disciplinary Innovation Fund. The project will pair up academics with curators, enabling them to work together in exploring LMG’s nationally recognised collections from a broad range of research perspectives. The deadline for applications is 5pm on Friday 21 January.

Wellbeing and support

Register | Virtual Pilates class

New year, new you! Try our free virtual Pilates class, which will get you moving and improve your posture, core strength and flexibility. It’s a chance to calm your mind, reducing stress physically and mentally. The class runs from 3-4pm every Wednesday via Teams. Contact Fran Andralojc to be added to the mailing list.

Sign up | Online postural sessions 

Are you struggling with your posture? Do you regularly experience aches and pains? Try the 15-minute upper body postural sessions, offering gentle exercises for your neck and shoulders, including mobility, stretches and activation. The class runs every Monday at 12 noon and Tuesday at 4pm. And why not give the 15-minute lower body postural sessions a go, too? They target stiffness in your legs linked with a sedentary job/lifestyle. Classes run every Wednesday at 12 noon and Thursday at 2.30pm. If you’re specifically suffering with lower back pain, try our new 15-minute lower back postural classes, which run every Monday at 2pm. All the above sessions are held via Teams. Contact Fran Andralojc to be added to the mailing list.

Join | Disability, Accessibility and Mental Health Staff Network

The Disability, Accessibility and Mental Health Staff Network (DAMH) is looking for new members. The group was created to support staff with accessibility requirements, mental/chronic health issues and those who are neuro-diverse or consider themselves disabled. The group aims to improve the process for obtaining reasonable adjustments and change the way disability is perceived at the University. Contact the DAMH network or find it on Twitter to learn more and get involved.

Staff offers

Happy Veganuary!

We’re supporting the Veganuary campaign in the Refectory and our cafés this month. Tasty plant-based treats for you to try include our vegan dish of the day, together with a super sandwiches selection, as part of our meal deal. Let us know your favourite sandwich via Twitter and we’ll add the most popular to the menu permanently! Picking up a hot drink on campus? Switch to a vegan milk alternative at no extra cost this month. Even better, get your regular hot drink with a vegan apricot pastry (from 8.30-10.30am) or a vegan brownie (from 1-3pm) for just £3.75.

Events

Holocaust Memorial Day

We’re commemorating Holocaust Memorial Day 2022 (Thursday 27 January) by inviting colleagues to sign up for the free remembrance event organised by Leeds City Council. Taking place online and in-person at the City Varieties Music Hall at 2pm on Sunday 23 January, the event will also be available to watch online afterwards.

Register | Bragg Centre for Materials Research symposium

Book your ticket for the Bragg Centre for Materials Research fourth annual symposium being held on Tuesday 25 January. Taking place in the Great Hall, The Bragg Exchange 2022 is designed to celebrate the opening of the Sir William Henry Bragg Building, with speakers covering a broad spectrum of materials research. See the website to find out more about the Bragg Centre and become a member.

Sign up | Astbury Conversation

Register for the 2022 Astbury Conversation, which takes place online on Monday 25 and Tuesday 26 April. This year’s theme is ‘Seeing into Cells’, with online talks – including a keynote from Nobel Laureate Richard Henderson – taking place alongside virtual poster presentations and a digital exhibition. Contact the Astbury Conversation team for further information.

Register | Turing Scheme staff webinar

Register for the Turing Scheme staff webinar taking place from 1-2pm on Tuesday 25 January. With Leeds having been awarded funding from the Government’s Turing Scheme, the webinar will provide information about how this will benefit those students interested in undertaking international study and work opportunities.

Chinese New Year | Educational session

Join the Business Confucius Institute to learn about Chinese New Year. This short online session for staff and students takes place between 12 noon and 1pm tomorrow (Thursday 20 January), offering the basic cultural knowledge and language skills to engage confidently with your Chinese students, colleagues or classmates at this special time of year.

Book | Free Friday lunchtime concert

Book to watch the first free Friday lunchtime concert of the Spring Season online or in person at Clothworkers Centenary Concert Hall on Friday 28 January. Organised as part of our International Concert Series, the event features world-renowned musical performers Irène Duval and Ariel Lanyi, who will be playing the violin and piano respectively.

In case you missed it

Vice-Chancellor’s blog | What’s love got to do with it?

Appointments | Two new members of the IT Executive Leadership Team

New Year Honours

University home for Brontë treasure trove

Take part | UKRN Open Research survey

Deletion of older Minerva modules

Assessments | Advice and support

Book | PebblePad training 

Apply | Leadership development programmes

BOOST programme | Career development for researchers

Sign up | Menopause in the Workplace workshops

Book | Language@Leeds Triennial Showcase 2022

Sign up | Be Curious LATES: Something to Bragg about

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