Delivering the Strategy - Three College Model Accepted

Leadership Update
Date: / July 2010
Subject: / This is the latest in a series of regular briefings containing University-wide updates.
Briefer:
Briefing guidance: / This briefing contains a summary of high-level, key messages to support you with your face-to-face communications with your direct reports.
Ideally, it should be communicated face-to-face to your direct reports by the end of the month – not circulated by email - and should provide an opportunity for your colleagues to give you feedback on the content.
It need not be presented verbatim. Please summarise where appropriate and deliver in a way you are most comfortable with to ensure that messages are authentic.
Please add your own content, which is relevant to your support division, faculty or area of expertise.
The briefing should enable your direct reports to brief their own people on some of the issues facing the University.
Please encourage your direct line reports to add more localised information which should still be delivered face-to-face at each stage of the cascade.
Allow at least an hour for the sharing of information and feedback.
Highlights this month: /

Delivering the Strategy - three college model accepted
New Admissions and Retention Policy receives approval
Listen! – new equality and diversity strategy is launched
Safeguarding children and vulnerable adults policy
Campus developments: the Chapman Lecture Theatre and new buildings for AMSS
MediaCityUK programmes agreed
New MediaCityUK director is appointed
Discussions begin on replacement VS scheme
Smoke Free campus – project group set up
Huw Morris joins us this month
Next issue of US magazine due out

FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY

Our mission:
Our vision:
Our values: / Salford is an enterprising University which transforms individuals and communities through excellent teaching, research, innovation and engagement.
The University of Salford will be, by 2017, an outstanding University renowned for the quality of its engagement, humanity, global reach and leadership in research, innovation and education.
We espouse and promote the following values and behaviours:

The highest academic, professional and ethical standards
Service to our stakeholders, clients and partners and, in particular, putting our students first
Supporting our people and recognising and rewarding excellence and leadership
Working together for the advancement of the University
Innovation, creativity, enterprise, courage
Diversity, humanity, fairness and respect
Pride in our heritage and the distinctive difference we make to the world
Investing passion in all that we do.

Our six goals and their owners: /

Goal 1 – Transforming learning and teaching: Huw Morris
Goal 2 – Transforming research and innovation: Ghassan Aouad
Goal 3 – Transforming engagement: Keith Barnes
Goal 4 – Our people: Keith Watkinson
Goal 5 – Transforming infrastructure and services: Adrian Graves
Goal 6 – Internationalising our University: TBD

Our six themes and their owners: /

Built and Human Environment: Khairy Kobbacy
Energy: Steve Donnelly
Enterprise and Innovation: John Wilson
Health and Wellbeing: Cynthia Pine
Human Rights, Social Justice and Security: Ruth Wright
Media, Digital Technology and the Creative Economy: Brian Longhurst

Why we need these briefings / The University acknowledges the need to keep its people informed. Employees perform better when they are involved and when they have an open and honest dialogue with their leaders.
Involvement creates good will and employees are prepared to go the “extra mile”. One of the targets for our People Goal 4 is to increase the number of employees engaged to at least 45 per cent by 2012 – placing us in the top quartile of UK organisation.
This briefing will help support you in addressing the issues above and will supplement our employee magazine, US, the Vice-Chancellor’s blog as well as US Online on the Staff Channel.
Business updates / 1. Delivering the Strategy – three college model accepted
Following the University Council meeting earlier this month (8 July), approval has now been given for the University’s proposed three college structure. From September 2011 the new structure will replace the four faculties with three colleges: Health and Social Care, Science and Technology and Arts and Social Sciences – putting in place a model that will support the delivery of our strategic vision.
Approval has also been given for the wider principles proposed by John Lauwerys in his review, which include the introduction of a new Executive Committee – expected to be operational from the next academic year – a unified professional services infrastructure and the model schools and colleges.
The VC, Martin Hall intends to proceed to the appointment of PVC Deans who will head up the colleges this month (July) and the process for appointing the three College Registrars will also be initiated this month.
The University will continue to respond to comments and questions which are being analysed on a regular basis and which continue to inform the next stages of delivering the strategy. Please do not hesitate to share your thinking with us by emailing our
Mailbox.
You can also find a selection of some of the most frequently asked questions, together with our answers – on the Staff Channel. See link
2. New Admissions and Retention Policy receives approval
The new Admissions and Retention Policy has received final approval by the Senate.
The rationale has been to develop a single, integrated Admissions and Retention policy for the University to provide consistency and clarity for all stakeholders involved in widening participation, admissions and retention.
The single policy amalgamates six strategies and policies which govern the University’s practice in this area. They are the Admissions Policy, Recruitment and Admissions Policy, Widening Participation Strategy, Accreditation of Prior Learning Framework, Retention and Progression Policy and General Entry Requirements for All Taught Programmes.
The Student Information Directorate is working on guidance to support the implementation of this policy. This will be available in the new academic year.
The new Admissions and Retention Policy can now be found in the AQA Handbook on the Governance Services website:
3. Listen! – new equality and diversity strategy is launched
The University has launched its new equality and diversity strategy – called Listen! – following extensive consultation and final approval from the University Council.
Written by VC, Martin Hall, working with the Governance Services Unit and staff networks, the strategy is unique in its approach. Not only is it a promotion of diversity and an attack on unfair discrimination, but it advocates the importance of “listening” and being open to other points of view.
Listen!sets out a programme for recognising, respecting and taking advantages of the opportunities brought to the University by the diversity of our staff and students.
The University has made good progress over the last year with an independent mediation services in place, new and active staff networks, a network of equality and diversity co-ordinators, new approaches to bullying and harassment and through work on our equality impact assessments.
However, there is still a long way to go and the available evidence of continuing inequalities across a range of equality strands must be addressed.
Underpinning the Listen!Strategy is a robust governance and management infrastructure. Martin Hall has the lead management responsibility for Equality and Diversity and will be supported by a new Equality and Diversity Advisory Group which, inter alia, will review and approve annual action plans, review the outcomes of the annual staff and student surveys and review progress against targets in staff recruitment, promotion and retention.
The strategy sets out in detail six dimensions of work for ensuring full compliance with both existing and new equality legislation and regulation:

Distributed leadership and local action: making the strategy relevant to everyone
Support and protection: looking to the needs of individuals and minority groups
Continual institutional improvement: reviewing the effects of policies and practices, making training available to managers and setting appropriate targets to correct identified inequalities
Human Rights, Social Justice and Security theme: one of the university’s six themes
Keystone development programme – Listen! – addressing and enhancing the staff and student experience of being part of the university community through a series of activities and events such as Black History Month which launches the programme in October.
Communication, measurement and reporting: getting out the message and measuring how we do it.

For more information about Listen! and background go to:
4. Safeguarding children and vulnerable adults policy
The SLT has approved a new policy on Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable adults.
The policy reflects the requirements of the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 and applies to all staff, students and volunteers who, in the course of their work or study, come into contact with children and/or vulnerable adults. In accordance with the Act, the policy defines a child as someone under 18 (this clarifies previous distinctions where a child was defined as under16, and 16-17 year olds were defined as young people).
The definition of Vulnerable Adults is slightly more complex and applies to an adult (18 or over) who either receives listed services or is in one of the listed situations or settings (eg receiving health care or, if disabled, receiving services specifically for that disability) under the Act.
The policy and related guidelines (which cover matters such as how to respond to allegations of abuse, and, seeking Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) disclosure for staff and students) take into account the recent changes in the Independent Safeguarding Authority and the Vetting and Barring Scheme recently announced by the Home Secretary.
The new policy particularly affects staff who in the course of their duties come into contact with children and/or vulnerable adults on a “frequent” or “intensive” basis. “Frequent” is defined as a regular, repetitive activity once a week or more and “intensive” is contact on three or more days in a 30-day period. Staff in this category will need to be CRB checked.
Examples of the kind of roles which could be affected include:

working in Schools on widening participation initiatives
undertaking placements with health and social care agencies as part of professional training
research where subjects are children or vulnerable adults
provision of services in a clinical setting eg podiatry and sports injuries.

A network of Designated Safeguarding Officers is being set up following a series of one to one meetings with Heads of School and staff from HRD, Governance Services and Student Life, involved in the preparation and implementation of the policy. These meetings also resulted in Heads of School advising HR of all staff currently CRB registered and any existing or new staff who will need to be CRB checked.
Training is being arranged for the network of Designated Safeguarding Officers.
5. MediaCityUK programmes agreed
The first set of programmes to be delivered from the University’s unique digital learning, teaching and research facility at MediaCityUK have been agreed.
Over 1,600 students will benefit from a mix of undergraduate and postgraduate provision covering a range of disciples. Students will enjoy exceptional opportunities to work with media professionals using the very latest industry specified equipment, studios and labs – placing them in prime position for digital and media careers.
Much of the curriculum is centredaround the Schools of Media, Music and Performance and Computing, Science and Engineering but also includes programmes from the School of Art and Design, Salford Business School, and the School of Social Work, Psychology and Public Health.
Programmes are expected to move over to the new location during 2011/12 to be delivered in their entirety, or to utilise the new facility for the delivery of most modules. Signing off the curriculum is a major achievement and key milestone for the MediaCityUK project.
A list of the initial programmes can be found at
6. New MediaCityUK director is appointed
Jon Corner, the new MediaCityUK Director joined the University this month (July). As one of the leading media professionals, Jon will be responsible for delivering our unique 103,000 sq ft teaching, research and business hub at MediaCityUK and for forming the commercial partnerships to enhance the student experience and engagement with industry which will form the heart of the development.
He brings a wealth of experience to the role, having previously founded River Media, the highly successfully Liverpool production house which has contributed films for the City’s European Capital of Culture and World Heritage Site bids.
He replaces John Holland, who left the University last month to run his own media-consultancy based in London.
7.Campus developments: the Chapman Lecture Theatre and new buildings for AMSS
As part of the development of the University campus, consideration is now being given to constructing two new buildings to accommodate Music, Media and Performance and Art and Design in a cluster with the Chapman building.
This move follows extensive consultation with staff and advice from the University’s architects and project managers.
The creation of around 19,000 square meters on the Peel Park campus will allow the University architects to treat the three buildings as a coherent group within a distinctive “creative industries” precinct.
In order to achieve the transformation of this part of the campus, refurbishment of the Chapman building is being deferred for 12 months to enable further work to take place to incorporate the building effectively into this exciting, new environment.
It will also provide the opportunity to look at available teaching space, taking account of ongoing work relating to space planning, efficient use of rooms and timetabling.
Opportunities for future use or disposal of the Adelphi and Centenary buildings currently used by MMP will also be looked at. A detailed proposal will go to the new Executive Committee - which replaces the SLT - for approval in the autumn before going to Council.
8. Discussions begin on replacement VS scheme
The University Council discussed the feasibility of continuing with the University’s current voluntary severance (VS) scheme at its meeting early this month (8 July.)In common with a number of other universities the current VS scheme has been found to be financially unsustainable in its current form given the continued tough challenges facing the higher education sector.
Though in a robust financial position overall, the University must look at ways to maintain its core frontline services whilst having to reduce expenditure wherever possible. To this end, the University has opened up discussions with the recognised trade unions about a replacement scheme.
9. Smoke Free campus – project group set up
A Smoke Free University project group – aligned to the Health and Wellbeing theme – has been set up to take forward the principle of moving towards a smoke free campus.
Led by Professor Cynthia Pine, Executive Dean, Faculty of Health and Social Care, (HSC) the project group consists of representatives from Estates and Property Services, HR, Student Life, the faculty of HSC, and a representative from NHS Salford.
The project group will be looking at how other universities have implemented “smoke free” practices and in particular what support should be made available for supporting people to stop smoking. The project group will work closely with Student Life who are introducing smoke free accommodation in the University from 1 August.
10. Huw Morris joins us this month
Professor Huw Morris our new Pro Vice-Chancellor (Academic) joined us this month. This is a key appointment which will contribute to the leadership of our major transformation programme – Delivering the Strategy.Huw joins us from Manchester Metropolitan University where he was Dean of the Business School and Pro Vice-Chancellor for Enterprise with a special responsibility for e-learning.
In his new role he will be responsible, inter alia, for leading on all aspects of learning and teaching strategy at the University, including the design of course portfolios, internationalising the curriculum and transforming learning and teaching technologies.He is based in the Old Fire Station.
11.Next issue of US magazine
The next issue of the University’s US magazine is due out at the end of this month and is delivered to each member of staff via the internal distribution process used for mail and payslips.
This issue features updates on our Strategic Plan, interviews with staff about the Lauwerys Review, a round-up of news across the campus, interviews with Martin Hall, Adrian Graves, Huw Morris and John Wilson and features on our Energy House and the research we do in radiography.

FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY

Faculty/Divisional communications
Record of notes and feedback from briefing session:

FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY