eNews 6 July
New staff survey, postgraduate diversity, pay and contracts, ordering laptops, Laidlaw Library closures, Uniforum 2022, honorary degrees, IMC attractions and more
Feedback
Have your say | New staff survey
Take part in an exciting new staff engagement approach being launched across the University tthis week. Using a leading survey tool, Culture Amp, it will enable us to improve your working lives and support you in your roles by obtaining and acting on your feedback. Share your views and experiences about wellbeing in the workplace, our ways of working and the way we communicate with you. Look out for an email from Culture Amp with your invitation to take part, together with further instructions. Please check your junk folder if this hasn’t landed in your inbox by the end of this week.
Thought pieces
Blog | Understanding and taking action on postgraduate diversity
Read a new blog authored by Louise Banahene, Director of Educational Engagement, in which she sets out the case for insight, understanding and action over diversity in doctoral study
Pay and contracts
One-off payment | FAQs
As part of a series of commitments to staff, a one-off payment of £650 (not pro-rated) will be made in July to all staff in roles up to and including grade 6. Eligible staff have received communications this morning detailing action needed in regards to the payments. If you believe you are eligible for this payment and haven’t yet received an email, visit our FAQ webpage or email reward@leeds.ac.uk for support.
Fixed-term contracts
Work is progressing to develop our approach to how we use fixed-term contracts, and to transfer current eligible colleagues to ongoing contracts. We’re in formal consultation with our campus trades unions and we’re working on a more detailed update to share with colleagues very soon.
Digital Developments
Ordering laptops
There’s currently a delay of at least eight weeks in delivering new laptops and other computers, due to supply issues and other circumstances beyond our control. Please read the advice on the IT website before placing an order, or ifyou’ve recently submitted one, especially if it needs to be charged before the University’s year-end.
Administrator privileges
We’re transforming access to administrative privileges on University computers to make them easier and quicker to obtain for users who need to update software. Delinea Privilege Manager will automatically be installed on University-managed Windows and Mac computers, and will allow you to run applications on an elevated (administrator) basis, when needed, for software updates.
Campus life
Laidlaw Library closures
The Laidlaw Library will be closed for two separate weeks during the summer so repairs can be made to the central staircase. The library and Caffè Nero will close from Monday 11 to Sunday 17 July, and again from Monday 15 to Friday 19 August. There will be a book retrieval service when the building is closed. Visit the Library website for further information.
Data collection
Uniforum 2022
Learn more about this year’s UniForum collection. Leeds is one of a number of Russell Group universities participating in the 2022 programme, designed to gather information to help ensure our professional services are as efficient and effective as possible, which is an important part of the enabling work supporting our University strategy. Data collected provides insight into how we resource the activities and services that underpin and support our teaching and research work, enabling us to benchmark with peer institutions. A number of managers and supervisors across the University will be asked to provide data. They will be contacted directly during the coming weeks.
Celebrate
Honorary degrees
Honorary degree ceremonies are returning to the University to celebrate the success of key figures in the worlds of law, art, science and more. Alongside undergraduates receiving their degrees, eight individuals will be honoured in the University’s Great Hall with one of higher education’s most prestigious awards.
Award winners honoured for supporting students
Read the latest in our series of articles profiling the winners of this year’s Leeds Partnership Awards. The feature highlights the achievements of Dr Nadine Cavigioli and Melanie Flynn, who won this year’s Equality and Inclusion and Global accolades respectively.
Students
Update | Banner Student Record system
As part of a statutory requirement to submit student information to the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), there are updates being made to the Banner system today (Wednesday 6 July). This is to account for the changes in data being collected by HESA. Teams directly impacted have been informed of the update. See the Regulatory Reporting webpage for further information or contact Rob Moores, the Business Change Project Manager.
Research
Join | Research Supervision Development Community
Join the OD&PL Research Supervision Development Community on MS Teams. It’s a place for supervisors and colleagues who support doctoral researchers to access professional development resources, accreditation opportunities, news and policy developments. A comprehensive online course, called Supervising Doctoral Studies, is available through the channel, equipping supervisors to deal with challenges and establish the best environment to support candidates to become independent researchers.
Sign up | Research leadership development
Sign up for OD&PL’s package of development opportunities for research leaders at Leeds, which supports you to create a professional development plan, identify upcoming opportunities and join new peer support groups.
Learning and development
Apply | Building Impact Momentum Programme
Register your interest in the next Building Impact Momentum Programme by 5pm on Friday 8 July. The programme is designed to develop concrete ideas for impact that can be applied to research projects or grant applications. Running from September to December, the programme is open to research, academic and professional support staff. It consists of six webinars, additional reading, partner work and impact practice.
Register | PebblePad workshop
Sign up for the latest PebblePad workshop, running from 11-11.30am tomorrow (Thursday 7 July). Dr Ruth Payne will present on using PebblePad in her own Language and Gender module, and for assessment and reporting. This workshop is part two of her presentation – watch part one of Dr Payne’s PebblePad workshop
Staff offers
Discount | Inaugural Summer Festival 2022 tickets
You can still take advantage of half-price tickets for evening concerts at the inaugural Summer Festival, using the discount code FESTIVALUOL50. Join the International Concert Series at the Clothworkers Centenary Concert Hall until Friday 8 July to celebrate the success of School of Music alumni who’ve gone on to enjoy professional careers in the music performance industry. The festival includes free, daily lunchtime concerts, as well as additional evening performances, a community ‘Come and Sing’, industry sessions, panel events and more.
Events
Attractions | International Medieval Congress 2022
International Medieval Congress 2022 (IMC) organisers are calling on colleagues to help them in ‘Making Leeds Medieval’! With registration now closed, IMC is opening up the festival to the wider public on its final day – tomorrow (Thursday 7 July) – and encourages visitors to engage with medieval research, festivities, stalls and exhibitions on show. Visit the IMC website for further information, including the full programme.
Register | Piers Sellers Prize
Register for our annual Piers Sellers Prize event, being held online from 11am to 12.15pm tomorrow (Thursday 7 July). Prizes will be presented in the name of the climate scientist astronaut and Leeds alumnus, Piers Sellers. This year’s winner is Professor Joyeeta Gupta, from the University of Amsterdam, for her world-leading contribution to solution-focused climate research. The prize-giving event will also include short presentations from the 2022 PhD prizewinners, Adele Dixon (School of Biology) and Angus Naylor (School of Earth and Environment).
In case you missed it
New appointment | Leeds Academic Health Partnership
Take part | Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Data Quality project
Apply | Michael Beverley Innovation Fellowship Programme
Register | ESRC Festival of Social Science 2022
Apply | Aurora leadership development programme
Book | Research Computing Leeds Conference
Watch | Chartered Manager Degree Apprenticeship (CMDA) recording
Submit a request
You can submit a request for an eNews entry via email. Please contact us in advance of the deadline (the Friday preceding the relevant Wednesday circulation date) so we can advise you on our editorial and content guidelines.
Other than in exceptional circumstances, eNews entries should be no more than 60-70 words long, as these are designed to be bite-sized chunks of news linking to other trusted sources (such as University websites) for full details.
Keeping up to date
This eNews is brought to you by the Communications and Engagement team. You can:
- keep up to date with our latest news on the For Staff website and by following the staff Twitter account
- view our previous staff email communications on our dedicated In depth webpage; and
- access key University systems and information, such as HR self-service, IT, the Office365 web app, year planner, Minerva and purchasing, via the staff systems and quick links sections towards the top of the For Staff homepage.