eNews 11 January
VC and DVC blogs, Fifteen to One Q&A, Climate Plan, Leeds Partnership Awards, LEEDS 2023, Further Together, New Year Honours, Staff Festival, road closures, personal data, Be Curious and more.
Nominations are open for the Leeds Partnership Awards 2023
Thought pieces
VC blog | Faith in difficult times
In her latest blog, Vice-Chancellor, Professor Simone Buitendijk, considers how faith can help us through uncertain and difficult times.
Blog | Our Curriculum Redefined journey so far
Read a recent blog by Professor Jeff Grabill, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Student Education, about the journey so far for Curriculum Redefined, our ambitious education transformation programme.
Fifteen to One | Masud Khokhar
He’s got the coolest job title in town, but what makes our University Librarian and Keeper of the Brotherton Collection tick? Masud Khokhar answers some challenging questions in our latest Fifteen to One Q&A feature. Discover how his father was a huge inspiration in his life, his pride at being the first Russell Group University Librarian from a minority ethnic background and his plans to position us to become one of the greatest libraries in the world. You can also find out how he came to rub shoulders with both King Charles III and Dr Who!
Climate change
Climate Plan Quarterly Update
Read the latest University Climate Plan update to find out about our recent progress and future initiatives. The Climate Plan sets out how the University will support climate change mitigation and adaptation during the next 10 years. A key success in this latest update is the University’s transition to an investment strategy that’s not only Climate Active but ensures we’re only investing in companies and bonds that support sustainable social and economic development.
Campus buildings lighting
We’re reducing the number of hours external facades of buildings on campus are lit, in support of the University’s pledge to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2030. They will be lit until midnight every day or until 2am to mark special events. There will be no impact to pathway or street lighting around campus.
Celebrate
Leeds Partnership Awards 2023 | Nominations open
Now’s your chance to celebrate the amazing people who collaborate, support and enhance the Leeds community. Nominations are open for the annual Leeds Partnership Awards, which will once again celebrate the achievements of staff and students who truly put into practice the agreement setting out our shared commitment to work together to support all aspects of our University community. Nominations close at midnight on Sunday 19 February.
LEEDS 2023 | Poet Laureate kicks off spectacular show
Poet Laureate and the University’s Professor of Poetry, Simon Armitage, has urged Leeds to ‘wake up’ to its creative potential in a song penned for the city’s festival of culture. Thousands gathered at Headingley Stadium on Sunday 8 January to celebrate the launch of LEEDS 2023, a year packed with events to highlight the city’s vibrant culture. The spectacular show featured a performance by Professor Armitage alongside a range of creative talents from across Yorkshire, including carnival dancers, roller skaters and Leeds alum, Corinne Bailey Rae.
Apply | Water Woman Award 2023
You can now enter the Water Woman Award 2023, recognising the achievements of women in research and their power to inspire others. Organised by water@leeds in partnership with faculty Athena SWAN teams, each of the four winners will receive £1,000 for their staff development accounts. Applications close at midnight on Monday 30 January.
New Year Honours recognition
Read about Professor Kanti Mardia, from the School of Mathematics, who has been awarded an OBE in the New Year Honours list for services to statistical science.
Further Together | Inspirational stories
New stories celebrating the excellent and impactful collaborative work our talented research community has achieved are now showcased on the Further Together website. From examining how a good breakfast feeds through to improved GCSE results, to a technician’s innovation supporting neurodiverse students and the benefits of improving representation when recruiting staff, we showcase the fascinating people behind the headlines.
Staff Festival 2023 | Charity nominations open
Nominations are open to select the charity to benefit from this year’s Staff Festival. Plans are in full swing for this summer’s return of the hugely popular entertainment extravaganza, with a packed programme of events in the pipeline. All colleagues, family and friends are invited to join us on campus on Friday 30 June for an enjoyable afternoon of activities, full details of which will be announced nearer the time. Homeless Street Angels will be one of the beneficiaries of this year’s event, but you can now nominate a second charity to receive a funding boost. The deadline is 5pm on Friday 20 January, after which you’ll be able to vote for the winner.
Watch | Campus Live highlights video
You can watch the highlights video from Campus Live, which saw 83 different events bring campus to life during the course of the autumn term. Celebrating the community at Leeds, Campus Live showcased the amazing talents of University colleagues, students and partners – through music, art and even fire eating!
Staff reward
Annual reward process
The deadline for managers to submit nominations for the annual reward and recognition process is Friday 13 January. Speak to your HR team for further information.
Campus life
Road closures
Several roads on campus are being closed for resurfacing. Vernon Road will be shut until Thursday 19 January. There’s no access to the south of campus during this time for vehicles heavier than 7.5 tonnes. A diversion is in place via Willow Terrace Road for vehicles under this weight. Lodge Street is closed until Friday 20 January, while Cavendish Road will be reduced to a single lane – and subject to traffic management – from Tuesday 17 to Thursday 19 January. Contact James Wright, Senior Maintenance Manager, for further information.
You can keep up to date about disruptions on campus by visiting the Campus Development webpage, where you can also sign up for a newsletter. Updates are also posted on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Roadworks restrictions
Northern Powergrid will be laying new cables along Clarendon Road, Woodhouse Lane, Carlton Hill, Leicester Place, St Mark’s Road and Raglan Road until the end of July. Traffic lights will be in use while the work is carried out. Access to buildings will be maintained at all times and there are no plans to turn off anyone’s power. Contact Northern Powergrid for further information.
Free bike security drop-ins
Staff and students are invited to attend free drop-in sessions at the Security Office at 175 Woodhouse Lane, from 10am to 2pm Monday to Friday, to sign up to the national BikeRegister scheme. You can also have your bike marked with a National Cycle Database identifier. Visit the Estates website for further information about BikeRegister, which helps locate your bicycle should it get lost or stolen.
Digital developments
Looking after personal data
In an email to all colleagues on Monday 9 January, University Secretary, Jennifer Sewel, outlined our duties for looking after personal data. This includes our own data held on servers at Leeds and that of others linked to the University. Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the University must be able to provide evidence of actions taken to meet these requirements. This includes regular deletion of information no longer compliant with our data storage plan. Find out how this affects you and what your responsibilities are to ensure compliance with GDPR and University policy.
Sign up | Windows Refresh project drop-in sessions
Register for Windows Refresh drop-in sessions taking place tomorrow (Thursday 12 January) to find out more about the project, which is updating, replacing or decommissioning University-owned Windows devices. You’ll be contacted directly by the project team (WindowsRefreshComms@leeds.ac.uk) if your device needs updating. Read the Windows Refresh project FAQs or you can contact the project team with any questions.
Improvements to email security
Between Tuesday 24 and Thursday 26 January, we will be making important changes to the way we process email, to enhance security and improve reliability. These changes will be made behind the scenes, so you won’t see anything different and no action is required on your part.
Transformation
Find out more about our new Transformation Office
You can find out more about the purpose and core functions of our Transformation Office (TO) through its newly launched knowledge hub. The TO has been set up as a centre of excellence to give focus to, and enable effective delivery of, our large-scale transformation programmes, such as Curriculum Redefined, the Student Lifecycle Programme (SLP), Corporate Processes and Systems (CPS) and the Digital Engagement and Be Safe programmes (DEBS). It has three core functions – enterprise design, portfolio management and change delivery.
Feedback
Take part | Research culture survey and events
Have your say on assessment practices and policies at the University by taking part in a survey, funded by the Research Culture Crucible programme. If you’ve served as a panellist (reviewer or observer) on any selection committee at Leeds, join an in-person (Thursday 12 January) or online (Monday 16 January) event to discuss any aspect of research assessment. Please read the project information sheet before participating.
Research
Apply | Be Curious 2023
Submit a proposal to feature your research at Be Curious 2023, the annual open event showcasing the University’s world-changing research to the wider public. Watch last year’s Be Curious highlights video and see how, with your help, we can inspire the next generation of researchers. The Public Engagement Team is taking proposal submissions until Friday 3 February. You can also book 15-minute slots at the Be Curious surgeries taking place on Wednesday 18 and Thursday 26 January, where you can discuss your ideas before making a submission.
Update | Publications Policy
Read the University’s updated Publications Policy, which applies to all research outputs produced by postgraduate researchers and staff. The update will help authors to follow good open research practices and retain intellectual property rights for their work. See the Library website for guidance on meeting the Publications Policy requirements and implementing rights retention.
Apply | Funding opportunity for early career researchers
Apply for the Early Career Researcher Development Fund from the Vulnerability and Policing Futures Research Centre, which is offering grants of up to £25,000 per project exploring challenges related to vulnerability and policing. The deadline is Monday 30 January.
Listen | LITAC Global Challenges Podcast
Listen to the latest episode of the Global Challenges Podcast from the Leeds Institute of Textiles and Colour (LITAC). Hosted by Dr Caroline Hemingray, Associate Professor in Fashion Marketing and Colour, the episode explores how colour forecasting in the metaverse may affect future fashion trends.
Apply | Leeds Museums and Galleries collaboration
Academics from across all disciplines are encouraged to apply to the Cross-Disciplinary Innovation Fund opportunity through the Cultural Institute, which aims to link up researchers with curators from Leeds Museums and Galleries (LMG). With more than one million objects in their collection, LMG are looking for researchers to help explore their extensive, nationally recognised catalogue. The deadline for applications is Tuesday 7 March, with a ‘meet the curators’ event taking place from 12 noon to 2pm on Thursday 26 January.
Learning and development
Staff guides | Assessment tools
You can access the Staff Guide to Assessment Systems for links and information relating to the University’s most widely used assessment tools, along with our Academic Integrity Summary Guide.
Assessment and feedback resources and events
Read a round-up from Organisational Development and Professional Learning (OD&PL) exploring resources and events related to assessment and feedback in student education. It highlights upcoming workshops and recordings from past events, useful guidance and information, together with a series of case studies and examples of shared practice.
Book | Minerva Ultra Course View training
Want to make the most of Ultra Course View and Tests in Minerva? Training courses are now available to book throughout this month.
Sign up | PebblePad training course
Register to attend the new ‘Integrating PebblePad with Minerva’ course, running on multiple dates throughout January. You can also find information on the next series of online PebblePad training, which covers beginner to advanced topics, along with access to on-demand sessions.
Register | Management Essentials
Sign up for OD&PL’s upcoming Management Essentials sessions, designed for new and existing managers. The programme includes a new session to help develop your understanding of the University’s approach to health and wellbeing. Other sessions cover a variety of topics, including an introduction to management, sustainability, recruitment, health and safety, SRDS, supporting excellence, having difficult conversations and managing professional relationships.
Sign up | Sustainability: The Role of the Manager
You can now register for the OD&PL course, Sustainability: The Role of the Manager. This is designed for all managers interested in sustainability, who would like to understand how they can embed it in practice. The first part will be emailed to you after signing up for the course, while the second session takes place online from 9.30am to 12 noon on Tuesday 21 February.
Register | Academic personal tutoring workshops
Sign up for an introduction to academic personal tutoring, which takes place from 2.30-3.45pm today (Wednesday 11 January). Designed for those new to the role at Leeds, this online session will consider key aspects of academic personal tutoring, such as the boundaries of the role, referrals and facilitating a sense of belonging.
New dates | Development programmes
Explore our upcoming provision for colleagues working in roles graded two to five to support their personal and professional development. Additional dates beyond January have been added for the Career Planning First Steps session; the Careers Info, Advice and Guidance programme; the Springboard for Women programme; an introductory session to LinkedIn Learning; and monthly drop-in sessions at the LOGIK Centre.
Professional Recognition in Student Education (PRiSE)
Colleagues interested in applying for PRiSE this year should attend a briefing and workshop in January or February, ahead of the April and July submission deadlines. PRiSE is the University’s scheme for awarding Advance HE Fellowship, and is being reviewed to align with the new Professional Standards Framework. Newly aligned briefings will take place from September for the January 2024 submission deadline.
Book | Concordat Awareness Month
OD&PL’s Concordat Awareness Month, which runs throughout January, highlights opportunities to support the development of researchers via a series of virtual information sessions, presentations and Q&As. There’s still time to sign up to the remaining sessions on career development, engagement and research manager best practice, or to attend the in-person Q&A session.
Wellbeing and support
Sign up | Parent and Carer Peer Support Network
Are you a parent or carer looking for extra support? Help is available through the MS Teams-based Parent and Carer Peer Support Network, which includes a series of monthly online sessions. The next support session, which runs from 11am to 12 noon on Wednesday 18 January, is being held jointly with the Pregnancy Hub and Single Parent Network. Contact Gemma Traviss-Turner or James Willmoth for further information and to be added to the Teams group.
Quit smoking support
Choosing to stop smoking as a New Year’s resolution can be challenging – but having a plan in place will boost your chances of success. If you’re thinking about cutting down or stopping, our quit smoking support page offers tips and signposting to a range of support services to help you on your journey.
Register | Social leagues
Fancy starting or getting back into playing sport? Why not join staff and students in the Sport and Physical Activity (SPA) social leagues, featuring 11-a-side and five-a-side football and netball. Visit the SPA website for further information or to submit a team before registration closes on Friday 20 January.
Sign up | Postural sessions
Take some time to look after yourself this year by trying the 30-minute full body posture session, run by the Physical Activity and Wellbeing team. Taking place at 12.30pm every Tuesday in LUU, this includes mobility, activation and stretches for the common problem areas in your body linked to prolonged periods of sitting or standing. You can also join the MS Teams group for session links, updates and recordings. If you’re unable to make the campus event, several virtual 15-minute posture sessions are held every week via Teams.
Events
Register | Bragg Exchange 2023
Book your tickets for the Bragg Exchange 2023, taking place on Wednesday 25 January. The Bragg Centre for Materials Research will be hosting its biggest and most wide-ranging symposium yet, with presentations and talks from Leeds researchers and special guests on interdisciplinary research related to materials.
Sign up | Child of the North webinar series
Register for the latest Child of the North webinar, part of a series focusing on children growing up in the North of England. Hosted by the N8 Research Partnership, the webinars showcase the variety of research into this theme across member universities, including Leeds. The latest webinar in the series takes place online via Zoom from 1-2.30pm on Thursday 19 January.
Register | New exhibition launch
Sign up for a special celebration event on Tuesday 24 January launching an exciting exhibition for the curious explorer! Shifting Borders: A Journey to the Centre of our World(s), housed at the Treasures of the Brotherton Gallery, delves into the world of maps, from a pioneering travel guide printed in the 15th century to contemporary artists’ books. On display will be artefacts belonging to, or created by, explorers, spies, scientists, mapmakers, artists and authors, showcasing the depth and variety of Special Collections at Leeds.
Book | Gryphons Go Kids Camps
Want to get ahead and plan some entertainment for your children this Easter? Book them onto Sport and Physical Activity’s Gryphons Go Kids Camp for individual days or full weeks. 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 3 to Friday 14 April.
International Concert Series
The University of Leeds International Concert Series continues from 3-5pm on Sunday 29 January with a performance by string quartet Quatuor Agate. Tickets are priced up to £15. Taking place in Clothworkers Centenary Concert Hall, the performance is supported by Friends of University Art and Music (FUAM) in memory of Justin Grossman.
In case you missed it
VC blog | Community, culture, impact
Read | Times Higher Education opinion piece
Blog | Digital transformation: Everybody wins if we get this right
Watch | Transformation Office introduction event recording
Read | ‘Being who I am isn’t something that needs to be fixed’
New base for Leeds Institute of Textiles and Colour (LITAC)
Celebration | White Rose University Consortium marks 25 years
Simplyhealth (Leeds Hospital Fund)
Watch | Microsoft 365 accessibility tips
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