Task and Finish Group – addressing operational issues

22 Nov 2023

An update from Patrick Hackett, Registrar, Secretary and Chief Operating Officer (RSCOO)

Dear colleagues,

Over the past few weeks, we have received feedback from across our faculties, schools, and departments concerning ongoing operational challenges and specific issues felt at the start of this academic year.  

Speaking on behalf of the Senior Leadership Team, I appreciate and thank those of you who have taken the time to voice your concerns, and sincerely apologise for the challenges faced by many during the initial part of this academic year and beyond. A convergence of several independent issues has created a “perfect storm” that we know is adding unnecessary pressure and stress to both our staff and student community. While we know positive strides have already been made to resolve some of these issues both locally and centrally, your feedback and engagement have been and will continue to be invaluable in shaping and creating our actions moving forward.

In response, we have decided to establish a temporary Task and Finish Group which will remain in place from now until at least the end of January 2024.

The group will aim to help swiftly identify and address any remaining University-wide issues ahead of Semester 2, resolving outstanding blockers wherever possible, and most importantly working to prevent their recurrence in the future. The Task and Finish Group will focus on:

1. Coordination: Ensuring seamless coordination of existing action plans across faculties, schools, departments, and academic and professional service teams.
2. Barrier Removal: The team will serve as an escalation route, removing barriers and accelerating necessary changes.
3. University-Wide Issues: Addressing common issues at a university-wide level, ensuring comprehensive solutions that can be tailored to your local teams.
4. Transparent Communication: Regular progress updates, following a “you said, we have done” approach.

The group will be composed of colleagues from across the University, including Directors of Faculty Operations, representatives from our Heads of School, Heads of Departments, and professional services leaders, along with representation from our Students' Union – please see Appendix for full membership. By fostering a balanced and coordinated approach, with diverse voices from across our University, we hope this group will enhance our responsiveness to better serve our community both for now and in the future.

If you have any immediate questions or concerns that you would like to escalate to the group, please reach out to me directly: patrick.hackett-registrar@manchester.ac.uk

Best regards,

Patrick Hackett

Chair, Task and Finish Group

Registrar, Secretary and Chief Operating Officer (RSCOO)

Appendix – Task and Finish Group membership

Chair

• Patrick Hackett, Registrar, Secretary, and Chief Operating Officer

Members

• Director of Faculty Operations: Hannah Rundle
• Head of School: Thomas Schmidt (SALC)
• Head of Department: Vanessa May (Sociology)
• Director of Faculty Operations: Beth Micakovic
• Head of School: Andy Brass (Health Sciences)
• Head of Department: Jo Hart (Medical Education)
• Director of Faculty Operations: Catherine Grills
• Head of School: Sarah Cartmell (Engineering)
• Head of Department: Andrew Hazel (Maths)
• Head of Faculty TLSE: Helen Eccles
• Head of School Operations: Kay Hodgson
• Interim Director of Communications, Marketing and Student Recruitment: Matthew Moth
• Interim Head of Internal Communications: Grace Conlon
• Director of People and Organisational Development: Adéle MacKinlay
• Director of Planning: Matt Atkin
• Director for Student Experience: Simon Merrywest
• ITS representative: Sharon Newton
• Student Representative: Hannah Mortimer
• SCO Programme Manager: Miranda Hall