1. Policy

Academic Computing Services aims to provide the support, resources and opportunities to promote the personal and professional development of all staff, consistent with meeting overall organisational objectives and in line with the Staff Development Plan and budgetary constraints.

  • The policy is intended to complement the University Staff Development Plan and Information Services Staff Development Policy and aims.
  • The policy applies to all members of staff, irrespective of seniority, length of service or functional position, and applies equally to part-time staff.
  • New staff can expect a minimum of three days per year to be made available to them over the first three years of appointment for training and staff development activities organised within the University. More experienced staff can normally expect a minimum of two days per year to be made available to them for training and staff development activities.
  • ACS will seek to take a strategic view of staff development, relating activities to the objectives of the Division, Information Services and the University as a whole. Staff members may be asked to take part in training activities in order to meet those strategic objectives.
  • Staff are encouraged to take responsibility for their own professional development, and commit to continuous improvement and professional development as job requirements and personal interests change.
  • ACS will use the Appraisal process as the primary mechanism of planning for individual and departmental training and development needs.
  • Notification of IS and University courses and development programmes will be placed on the nott.acs.staff newsgroup. It is the individual’s responsibility to read these notifications.
  • Training and Development activities referred to in this document include training and development courses, attendance at conferences and seminars, application for formal study time at work, and support for personal lifelong learning.
  1. Procedure for Participation in Staff Training and Development

Individuals are encouraged, through their line managers, section heads and via the Appraisal process, to identify the areas in which they require training or professional development. In descending order, requests are prioritised as follows:

  • activities which will benefit the systems and function of ACS, or will directly improve the development of the Division.
  • activities which meet needs identified in the Appraisal process.
  • professional activity which will enhance the capabilities of the individual and indirectly benefit the Division.
  • activities which are essentially of personal benefit but are considered to contribute to lifelong learning.
  • Discuss the required training provision, and any operational issues with your Section Head, either directly or via your line manager, complete the ACS training and development application form (with Section Head counter-signature) and pass to the Staff Development Officer at least 14 days prior to the event. In addition:
  • For Information Services training provision, please also complete the IS application form (available in obtain counter-signature from Head of Section and pass to the Staff Development Officer.
  • For University short courses provided by the Training and Staff Development Unit, complete the T&SDU form ( obtain counter-signature from Head of Section and pass to the Staff Development Officer.

In addition to the priorities outlined above, decisions will be based on (in no particular order): availability of funds, operational constraints, resources already invested in the applicant and the applicant’s commitment to the course and personal contribution to the necessary resources.

  1. Follow-up and Debrief

Members of staff who have benefited from training or development activities may be required to report on their experiences. At least one member of staff (in the case of several staff attending the course) may be requested to produce a short report (approximately one-half side of A4) describing the course attended and benefits gained, which will be made available within ACS. In the case of technical courses candidates may also be requested to provide seminars or teaching sessions to other members of ACS staff as required.

IS0110Page 1 of 2

April 2002