President's weekly update
12 October 2023
Events in the Middle East
The recent violence and loss of life in the Middle East is deeply distressing and the conflict is of great concern for many in our University, particularly those with friends, family or close ties to the region.
We have contacted all staff and students from the region to say that we are there for them and to offer support and assistance. We have extensive resources for wellbeing and other sources of support can be found on our conflict and humanitarian disasters site for anyone who is affected.
In these very difficult and distressing times, when emotions are understandably running high, it is never more important to hold on to the values of mutual understanding and tolerance that must guide us all. Any and all forms of racism, discrimination, and abuse have no place in our community. If you or someone you know has experienced or witnessed any form of such behaviour or have a safeguarding concern, please do report anonymously via our Report and Support website.
First Board of Governors meeting of the new academic year
Our Board welcomed several new members. Board members took part in informal briefings to update the guidance for them in dealing with employment relations panels, on artificial intelligence and its implications for the University, and on the Teaching Excellence Framework and National Student Survey outcomes.
At the main Board meeting, members received updates from me, reports from the Board sub-committees and Research Relations Oversight and Gift Oversight Groups. We discussed progress on major projects and the impact of the cyber incident, operational priorities for the current academic year, outcomes of the Board evaluation of its own and the Chair’s performance and an update on the Freedom of Speech Act.
Positive announcement on USS pension
It is very good news that, subject to the outcomes of consultation processes, approval by the relevant boards and a vote by members of UCU, there is agreement between Universities UK (representing employers) and UCU (representing employee members), that we will see a return of benefits to pre-April 2022 levels and a reduction in contribution costs for employers and employees. An augmentation will also be made to benefits to reflect the lower accrual in the past two years.
Regular meeting and engagement with staff
I held one of my regular meetings with a small group of staff where I ask what is good and what is not so good about the University. All said that people are a huge asset, with amazing colleagues, great opportunities for collaboration, notably across disciplines and strong support. They felt that our relationship with the city region, our commitment to social responsibility and our ambition were valuable. Several reported difficulties with some processes, especially in teaching and timetabling and felt that this was largely due to the changes brought about by the Student Experience Programme (SEP). Certain issues associated with SEP and introducing a new timetable are contributing factors, but problems have been greatly exacerbated by staff shortages, staff working to catch up marking delayed by the marking and assessment boycott and the impact of the cyber incident. Research support was described as problem in one School but was said to be excellent in another in the same Faculty. I was asked about the current situation and likely benefits of Innovation District Manchester, the major development on our North Campus.
Next steps in our Strategic Planning
Our strategic planning group discussed operational priorities and targets for the next year. We considered our latest position in the THE World University Rankings, where we improved by three places, and started planning for the Annual Performance Reviews (APRs) which will begin shortly. The APRs look in detail at all areas of our performance and feed into the Board annual performance review.
Positive response to Student Support Hubs
These have been developed across the University to provide a single point of contact for students. They have received very positive feedback from students. I visited the hub in the School of Environment, Education and Development (SEED) and was extremely impressed! It is a fabulous space with many students studying and making enquiries. The School had received very positive feedback from students, as we have seen in other Schools.
Professor Tom Hinchcliffe
It was with great sadness that we heard that Tom died recently. He was one of the four Founders of The University of Manchester in 2004, so we owe him a great deal.
Nancy Rothwell, President and Vice-Chancellor