eNews 17 August
eNews: Appointments, campus life, apprenticeship provision, IT induction, learning and development, FUAM Art Prize and more
Appointments
Chief Operating Officer
Rachel Brealey took up her post as the University’s new Chief Operating Officer on Monday. Formerly Director of Faculty Operations in Biology, Medicine and Health at the University of Manchester, and joint Portfolio Director of a pan-University transformational change programme for Professional Services, Rachel takes over the reins from Dennis Hopper, who has held the post on an interim basis for the past 17 months. Dennis will remain at the University to support a smooth transition.
New appointment | Helping deliver change to support our strategy
An important new appointment has been made to help deliver the core aims of our University strategy. Jenny Baynes joins us on Monday 22 August as Director of the Transformation Office, which encompasses a number of significant change programmes, including Curriculum Redefined; the Student Lifecycle Programme; Corporate Processes and Systems; and Digital Enablement and Be Safe.
Campus life
Campus Live – Your time to shine
Do you have a great idea or a hidden talent you’d like to showcase on campus this autumn? Applications have been rolling in for Campus Live, with some brilliant proposals so far, from musical performances to poetry, walking tours to workshops. Reasonable expenses can be claimed for staging an event or installation, with up to £500 available for students, societies and recent graduates (2020-2022). Contact the Campus Live team for further information.
Laidlaw Library closure
Ongoing repairs mean the Laidlaw Library is closed until Friday 19 August. Visit the Library website for further information.
Yorkshire Water hosepipe ban
A hosepipe ban comes into operation from Friday 26 August for all businesses supplied by Yorkshire Water. The University is following Yorkshire Water’s advice for business owners, which includes restrictions for non-essential hosepipe use.
Postponed | Vernon Road works
The planned closure of Vernon Road until Friday 26 August, to allow for repair works, has been postponed until further notice.
Celebrate
Higher and degree apprenticeship provision
Higher and degree apprenticeship provision at the University has been awarded a rating of ‘Good’ by Ofsted. The education watchdog praised a “culture of care and respect” which makes apprentices feel “valued and safe”. At the time of the inspection in June this year, Leeds had 544 apprentices studying across disciplines including healthcare, nursing and leadership.
Feedback
Sign up | Have your say about how we communicate with you
Do you like the way the University communicates with you? Tell us what you think. We’re holding online focus groups, exploring how we share information with colleagues. Sessions run by an independent agency are being held in early September. You can have your say in a constructive, but frank fashion. Register your interest online or contact the Internal Communications and Engagement team for further information.
Reminder | Postgraduate Taught Programme Survey 2022
Our masters students have been invited to take part in the Postgraduate Taught Programme Survey 2022. Help from teaching colleagues to encourage and enable students to participate would be greatly appreciated, as feedback helps us improve their academic experience.
Digital developments
Updated staff and student online IT induction
We’ve updated our online IT induction for new staff and students, featuring top tips and resources to help them get through their first day and beyond. The induction covers useful information to know before they arrive, too, so please encourage new staff and students to view the webpages ahead of their start date.
Learning and development
Apply | Aurora leadership development programme
Submit your application for the 2022/23 Aurora programme by Monday 22 August. Aurora is a women-only leadership development scheme, designed and facilitated by Advance HE for colleagues at or above lecturer level, or grade seven for technicians and those in professional services. Delegates will explore several leadership themes and skills through a mix of sessions involving guest speakers, mentoring, self-directed study and more. Colleagues can either apply themselves or be nominated by their faculty or service.
Events
Visit | FUAM Graduate Art Prize exhibition
The annual FUAM Graduate Art Prize exhibition is back in person for the first time since 2019. Celebrating its tenth year, the prize features work by four artists who’ve recently graduated from BA studies in Art and Design and Fine Art. The free exhibition is in The Stanley & Audrey Burton Gallery, and online, until Saturday 5 November.
Editions
eNews deadlines
Due to the bank holiday, eNews will take a break after next week’s edition (Wednesday 24 August) until Wednesday 7 September. Deadline for submissions is the Friday preceding the relevant publication date.
In case you missed this
Outstanding contribution to student experience
Inspiring teaching and mentoring
Request | Class Teams for teaching modules
IT Exec Team open meeting | Read the Q&A and watch the recording
Sign up | Student Success Forums
Register | We Move – Race Equality and Migrants’ Rights Summit
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Keeping up to date
This eNews is brought to you by the Communications and Engagement team. You can:
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keep up to date with our latest news on the For Staff website and by following the staff Twitter account
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view our previous staff email communications on our dedicated In depth webpage; and
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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.