eNews 8 November
Celebrate Our Staff, London Underground honour, annual reward process, winter graduation and more
Celebrate
Celebrate Our Staff
Prizes, a new book and a lifetime achievement award feature in our regular series celebrating colleagues across the University.
From cleaning to crime science, and from campaigns for accessibility to neuro-oncology, read what academic and professional colleagues have achieved during the past month.
Celebrate Our Staff is open to all colleagues and we love to hear what has been achieved by members of our University community. Fill out our nomination form to make a submission for the next roll of honour.
Professor’s London Underground honour
One of the University’s leading academics appears on a reworked London Underground map celebrating the achievements of engineers. The Royal Academy of Engineering worked with Transport for London to place Professor Cath Noakes among 274 people on the Engineering Icons Tube Map. Designed to mark National Engineering Day (1 November), Cath’s name replaces Leyton station on the Central Line!
Thought pieces
Listen | How do we build a carbon-free future?
“What we are seeing globally is that there is a huge lack of political will and that is the biggest barrier.”
This week’s ‘How to Fix’ podcast features Dr Clare Richardson-Barlow, Lecturer in East Asian Studies, Vera Trappmann, Professor of Comparative Employment Relations, and Richard Beardsworth, Professor of International Politics.
If you enjoyed this episode, find out more about the University’s Climate Plan on our dedicated hub.
Staff reward
Annual reward process opens
The annual process for managers to nominate team members for Additional Scale Increments (ASI) or Discretionary Increments (DI) is now open. Managers can present recommendations by completing an online form to reward employees who are demonstrating a consistent and sustained level of performance, above and beyond the expectations of them in their role. Your local HR team will be able to advise about the process and assist with applications.
Did you know?
It’s World Kindness Day on 13 November and as a University employee you can make charitable donations directly from your pre-tax salary with the Give as You Earn scheme, meaning part of your donation comes from money that would have otherwise gone to HMRC.
Pensions
USS Pension consultation
The Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) Pension consultation closes on 24 November. Make sure you have your say if you’re eligible for this scheme. You can find out more on our USS Pension In depth page.
Campus life
We will remember them
The Parkinson Building will be lit up in red this weekend to mark Remembrance Day on 11 November.
Key Travel | Campus Engagement Days
21-23 November
Key Travel and the University’s Travel Procurement team will be on campus hosting full-day drop-in sessions to discuss business travel, as well as offering booking platform training. Pre-booking isn’t essential but would be appreciated to assist with catering arrangements.
Register | A coffee with Professor Jo-Anne Murray
9am to 4pm, 30 November
Book your place on our next coffee event to speak with Professor Jo-Anne Murray, our Pro Vice-Chancellor: Digital Transformation, on a one-to-one basis. You’ll have the opportunity to hear about the exciting work she’s doing and ask any questions you may have. Coffee, tea and light refreshments will be provided.
University carol service
5.15pm, 5 December
Join colleagues in the Great Hall to sing traditional Christmas carols accompanied by the LUU Music Society brass band. Everyone is welcome to this free event with no booking required. Email chaplaincy@leeds.ac.uk for further information. Please contact Robin Fishwick on r.fishwick@leeds.ac.uk if you enjoy singing and would like to help lead the carols by becoming part of a scratch choir for the evening.
Have you explored HELIX yet?
HELIX – the new digital innovation space on campus – is showcasing its fantastic facilities with a series of exciting events for staff and students. Try something new, including 3D printing, self-recording, VR gaming, podcasting or photography. You can also sign up for a hands-on, mind-blowing LEGO Serious Play Session to unleash your creativity and problem-solving skills! Sessions are free and in person at HELIX, located on Level 7 of the EC Stoner Building.
Graduation
Get involved | Winter graduation
“My first ceremony was an honorary ceremony, where Dame Judi Dench received her honorary doctorate. It was my responsibility to lead her into the hall, show her to her seat, and then lead her out again at the end. She was lovely and extremely nervous!”
We’re looking for colleagues to support the smooth running of the ceremonies on campus during the winter graduation ceremonies this December. Read about the various roles available and sign up by 21 November to help create a memorable experience for our students and their guests.
Order | Graduation ceremony gowns
Academic colleagues attending graduation ceremonies in December have until 27 November to order a gown. Those who’ve ordered before have been sent an invitation to register attendance and submit their requirements. Please check your junk folder if the email hasn’t landed in your inbox. New colleagues should contact the Graduation team at graduation@leeds.ac.uk to set up an account.
Students
New Director appointed for Leeds Institute for Teaching Excellence (LITE)
“I feel privileged to have been chosen to lead LITE, a beacon of scholarship of teaching and learning in the UK. LITE’s achievements, impact and proud history are well recognised in the sector.”
Professor Gabriel Cavalli has been appointed the new Director of LITE.
Take part | Bringing the real world into the curriculum
12 noon to 5pm, 15 November
Experiential learning is about more than just work placements. Join colleagues from across the academic and professional services to explore how we bring the real world into the curriculum. Discover the great work already happening at Leeds, network with colleagues and shape how we can contribute to the national agenda. Register to attend the in-person event, taking place in the School of Music.
Access and Success Insight Session
1-2.30pm, 16 November
Sign up for this online event to find out how we’re progressing the Access pillar of the Access and Student Success Strategy, and how prospective students from a range of backgrounds can see themselves at Leeds and gain a place. Email Jess Burgess at j.l.burgess@leeds.ac.uk to register.
Sustainability and climate
Taking action to achieve net zero by 2030: a deeper delve into our plan
4.30-5.40pm, 4 December
Continue the conversation around climate change at our panel discussion. Director of Campus Innovation and Development, Ann Allen, will share our recently approved Net Zero Delivery Plan. You’ll also have the opportunity to raise topics for discussion with our panel of experts, including James Dixon-Gough, Dr Cat Scott, Professor Fleur Loveridge and Shaun Scholey. The event is open to staff and students and refreshments will be provided afterwards.
Launch | Climate financial risk analytics hub
Stronger links between UK science and innovation and financial institutions will be forged through a new Innovation Hub. Part of the UK Centre for Greening Finance and Investment, the hub – located in Nexus, the University’s innovation community – will be run in partnership with Leeds University Business School and the Priestley Centre for Climate Futures to help transform finance for a greener future.
Digital developments
Register | IT open session
10.05am, 10 November
Register to attend an IT open session to find out what’s happening within the service and to put your questions to the IT Executive Leadership team. Don’t worry if you can’t attend – you can still use the registration form to submit your questions and a recording will be made available afterwards.
Making it easier to set up new starter accounts
Chief Information Security Officer Adam Toulson wrote to all colleagues on 3 November to explain changes to the way new staff can get a username.
Labster | New custom quiz feature
The Labster simulation platform now has a new custom quiz editor feature, which allows tutors to customise simulations according to the needs of their module cohort. Labster is a 3D laboratory training software offering more than 300 virtual laboratory simulations, and is used in a wide range of STEM courses and other subject areas throughout the University.
Research
Embedding equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in our research culture
“Research fieldwork can be full of negative experiences and impacts – our new guidelines aim to establish ways to make this a much more positive and productive process for all.”
Dr Sam Wimpenny, Research Fellow in the School of Earth and Environment (SEE), reveals how a project he’s been leading is helping embed EDI principles across the University’s research practices.
Grant | Sapling Fund: Bradford Edition
The Sapling Fund: Bradford Edition is still open to colleagues across the University to develop projects leading to longer-term community collaboration and partnership. Projects should be in, with or for Bradford. The Leeds Arts and Humanities Research Institute (LAHRI) team and the Cultural Institute will fund a maximum of three projects up to £5,000. The deadline to apply is 13 November.
Register | Belonging and Success Research Group
12 noon to 2pm, 15 November
Staff and students are invited to share work in the Belonging and Success Research Group. Hosted by Head of Educational Engagement, Louise Banahene, and Dean: Student Education (Experience), Professor Paul Taylor, meetings are also an opportunity to develop networks and collaborations across the University.
Apply | Ignite Fund 2023-24
Offered by the Cultural Institute, the Ignite Fund offers up to £5,000 in research impact funding for projects created in collaboration between University researchers and cultural, arts and third-sector organisations in West Yorkshire. The deadline to apply is 20 November.
Leeds Baby Week
Leeds Baby Week is back for an eighth year, focusing on ‘Culture and Identity’ in 2023. Join webinars, parent meet-ups, sensory play, story sessions and more throughout the week, which concludes on 20 November for World Children’s Day.
Feedback
Have your say | Research Culture Pulse Surveys
Share your views via our latest Research Culture Pulse Survey, which this month focusses on initiatives at Leeds and throughout the wider higher education sector. The survey takes less than five minutes to complete, and your feedback will play a vital role in helping create a positive and inclusive research culture at Leeds. You can also join the Research Culture conversation on MS Teams.
Take part | Win £300 with the Library survey
Taking place every two years, the Library survey is your chance to give feedback on the Library’s services and facilities. The survey closes on 4 December, with participants entered into a draw for the chance to win a top prize of £300 or five smaller prizes of a £25 Amazon or shopping voucher.
Wellbeing and support
Book | Winter Wellbeing Week 2023
20-24 November
Check out the listings and book your place on events for the first Winter Wellbeing Week. With activities including arts and crafts, yoga, Qigong, chiropractic and physiotherapy consultations, wellbeing walks and a gong bath sound therapy session, there’s something for everyone with the mix of in-person and online sessions.
Learning and development
Pedagogies in physical spaces at the Library
10am to 12 noon, 28 November
Explore the Brotherton and Edward Boyle libraries and think about how to adapt pedagogical approaches in different physical teaching spaces to engage students and promote active learning and reflection. This on-campus event is hosted by the Teaching, Innovation and Practice in Student Education (TIPS) community and Organisational Development and Professional Learning (OD&PL).
Beginner’s guide to LinkedIn Learning
10-11am, 7 December
Join OD&PL for a virtual event to explore LinkedIn Learning and see how it can support your learning and development. Available to all colleagues, the session will share top tips on how to use the many features available to get the most out of your free LinkedIn Learning account.
Guide to learning outcomes
Read a new OD&PL resource about learning outcomes, which explains their purpose and considers their importance in an outcomes-based approach to learning. The guide will help you learn how to write or improve existing learning outcomes, and considers how you can do this with consideration of competence standards and constructive alignment. The resource is relevant to anyone with an interest in student education.
Events
Attend | Understanding ADHD in Women: Embracing Neurodiversity
1-2pm, today (8 November)
Nadine Cavigioli and Jenny Love will share their personal experiences of having ADHD and what it’s like to be a line manager working with colleagues with ADHD. They will also discuss the ways in which neurodiversity has impacted their lives, why ADHD is under-diagnosed in women and the unique benefits that come with it. The online event takes place via the Women at Leeds Network events calendar.
2023 Festival of Social Science
Until 17 November
With events exploring the world of social science, from how society has shaped our local areas to behaviours helping fight climate change, Leeds is one of the hosts of the 2023 Festival of Social Science. Delivered across 42 institutions, this year’s festival includes sessions focusing on lifelong wellbeing, exploring mental and physical health at all ages and celebrating the 75th anniversary of the NHS.
Book | New online catalogue launch for literary treasures
5-7pm, 20 November
Join us at the Leeds Arts and Humanities Research Institute to celebrate the launch of the new online catalogue of the Novello Cowden Clarke Collection with a trio of talks, featuring papers by Dr Rebecca Wade, Dr Bryan White and a keynote lecture by Professor Tim Barringer (Yale University). Donated to the University by family descendants, collection highlights include letters from significant figures such as Charles Dickens, Elizabeth Gaskell, John Keats, Florence Nightingale and Mary Shelley… as well as locks of hair belonging to Mozart and Beethoven!
Exhibition | Books and Benefactors
Until 6 April 2024
Momentous historical events, dubious legends and the real-life characters who shaped our world today are among the rich variety of stories told in Books and Benefactors.
The new display at the Treasures of the Brotherton Gallery features rare books and manuscripts allocated to the University via Arts Council England’s Acceptance in Lieu programme. This scheme transfers important cultural, scientific or historic objects and archives to the nation in payment for inheritance tax.
A celebration of these important new arrivals will be held from 5.30-7.30pm on 21 November. Admission is free but booking is required.
Tell us your story
We’d like to hear about the great work you’re doing. Contact internalcomms@leeds.ac.uk to share your stories.
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Keeping up to date
You can keep up to date with our latest news on the For Staff website and the staff Twitter account.
With best wishes,
The Internal Communications and Engagement team
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