Leadership Update
Date:
January 2011
Subject:
This is the latest in a series of regular briefings containing Universitywide 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,
college, school, 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:
FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY
1. University gets top rating in HEFCE Assurance Review
2. University launches the Savings Challenge
3. VC Briefing event post Browne and Comprehensive
Spending Reviews
4. Performance and Development Review update
5. University’s digital strategy being developed
6. Environment and Sustainability update
7. New appointments and leadership arrangements
8. Change in Head of School for Social work, Psychology and
Public Health
9. Staff experience survey to be launched
10. Pay negotiations 2010/2011
11. LGBT History Month launch
12. University gains top ranking in Stonewall Index
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Our mission:
Salford is an enterprising University which transforms individuals and
communities through excellent teaching, research, innovation and
engagement.
Our vision:
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.
Our values:
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:
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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: Cynthia Pine
Our six themes:
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Built and Human Environment
Energy
Enterprise and Innovation
Health and Wellbeing
Human Rights, Social Justice and Security
Media, Digital Technology and the Creative Economy
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 organisations.
This briefing will help support you in addressing the issues above and will
supplement our US employee magazine, US, the Vice-Chancellor’s blog
as well as US Online on the Staff Channel.
Business updates
1. University gets top rating in HEFCE Assurance Review
The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) has
awarded the University a top rating for its accountability for public finance
– demonstrating the highest levels of confidence in the University and our
ambitious Transformation Programme.
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Following an in-depth 2009/10 Review, HEFCE did not make any
recommendations for improvement – the best of the four possible
outcomes.
Instead, the positive report endorses our governance, finances and risk
management, concluding that it was able to rely on the University’s
accountability information.
HEFCE also observed that there was “a good sense of ownership of the
new Strategic Plan throughout the Council, Executive and from staff and
middle management”.
Given the increasing public interest in the governance of universities, the
HEFCE Review is of particular importance and passing the detailed audit
is by no means a foregone conclusion for any institution – making it a
truly significant achievement for the University. The top rating is excellent
news highlighting the integrity of our governance system and reminding
the University of the progress we have made in recent years. It is part of
our process of continual improvement and assures us that our
organisation is robust and well placed to implement the Transformation
Programme and achieve the Strategic Plan.
The Review has endorsed the soundness of the University’s governance
reform which began in 2008. This included the introduction of Lead
Members for key activities and responsibilities, a decrease in the size of
the University Council and the introduction of a clearer majority of
independent members. The University’s approach to strategic planning
and risk management and the value for money framework also received
approval.
Please click here to read the final report.
2. University launches the Savings Challenge
Colleagues are invited to take part in the University’s Savings Challenge
and to come up with ideas to help save money. Like many other higher
education institutions and both private and public sector organisations,
we face challenging financial times ahead.
The Transformation Programme’s non-pay project aims to achieve a
reduction of £7 million in what we spend on goods and services –
excluding our wages bill – and has been identifying and assessing a wide
range of opportunities to reduce our costs. Areas we have looked at so
far include changes such as making better use of our office furniture and
reducing our print costs.
The work of the project is focused on two areas:
 Buying more smartly – in practice, this means managing the demand
for non-pay goods and services to ensure that the University only
purchases what is absolutely necessary, negotiating better contracts
to make sure we get the best deals and making the most of the goods
and services we do buy.
 Introducing an “every penny counts” culture – ensuring that leaders in
the University “lead by example”, involving all employees in the
challenge of identifying saving opportunities and improving the
University’s systems, processes and procedures to help make our
money go further.
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And because every penny counts in this challenging climate the
University wants to do as much as it can to reduce our costs. So every
idea and suggestion is being encouraged.
A dedicated web site has been set up which can be accessed via the
Staff Channel. Employees can submit their ideas using a simple web
form. The Savings Challenge will last a month, ending on 28 February
after which time, a review team of colleagues from across the University
will access and provide feedback on every suggestion received.
Those people submitting promising ideas will receive recognition from the
Vice-Chancellor and Deputy Vice-Chancellor and may also see their idea
implemented, following a thorough assessment by the Non-Pay Project
team.
Some 112 ideas had been submitted by close of play on 31 January. To
find out more and submit your idea go to:
http://staff.salford.ac.uk/savings-challenge/
3. VC Briefing event post Browne and Comprehensive Spending
Reviews
Vice-Chancellor Martin Hall will be hosting a VC Briefing on 11 February,
2011, at 12.30 – 1.30pm in Maxwell Hall, to review the developments in
higher education following the Browne and Comprehensive Spending
Reviews. He will be supported By Dr Adrian Graves, Deputy ViceChancellor. As with the previous VC events, there will be an opportunity
to listen to a presentation from Martin Hall, followed by a Q and A
session, hosted by Phil Hopwood, Director of Planning and Performance.
Those wishing to attend should complete the online registration at
http://staff.salford.ac.uk/vc_events/index.php. Questions can be posted
via the VC mailbox VC-mailbox@salford.ac.uk by no later than 4
February, 2011.
4. Performance and Development Review update
The University is introducing Performance and Development Reviews
(PDR) for all employees at Grade 10 or below, building on the work that
has already been undertaken on PDRs for the Leadership Team.
The aim of PDR is to ensure the University has a structured approach to
managing performance, maximising individual contribution, supporting
personal development and ensuring alignment to the University’s vision
and strategic objectives. PDR relates to Goal 4 – Our People.
PDR supports a culture of continuous improvement; helping to motivate
individuals by providing support, feedback and guidance in respect of
individual contribution and personal development. PDR also gives
greater focus on the quality of the relationship between reviewers and
reviewees; helping contribute towards a positive culture change, with
employees who feel valued and with emphasis on our organisational
values.
The purpose of the scheme is to set annual objectives for each employee
in conjunction with their line manager. The objectives are then reviewed
formally at the mid-year and end of year through reviews to determine
how well the employee has performed against the objectives.
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The PDR process is being rolled through a two-year project plan. Last
year, training was rolled out to ‘reviewers’, initially with training sessions
held by an external provider with 294 people attending.
To further support the process the HRM Division held further workshops
last December to assist with the practical application of PDR with 70
reviewers attending these sessions. Through these sessions valuable
feedback was gained - 96 per cent of attendees stated they were either
‘very satisfied’ or ‘satisfied’ with the quality of the facilitation, 80per cent
were either ‘very satisfied’ or ‘satisfied’ with the content of the
training. However, concerns were raised regarding aspects of the
process and this information has been captured and will form part of the
end of year evaluation.
Further sessions are to be offered to reviewers this February and HRD
will contact the relevant individuals.
This year, training will also be rolled out to reviewees through an elearning portal to support employees through the process and enable
individuals to maximise their own performance and development and
career opportunities within the University.
5. University’s digital strategy being developed
Following the appointment of the University’s new Head of Digital
Strategy, Orla Weir, work will shortly start on the development of an
aspirational digital strategy. This, together with MediaCityUK, will help
establish Salford as the University which exemplifies how to use digital
channels to engage fully with prospective students and the business and
research communities.
But first it is essential that the foundations are put in place improvements
are made to the University’s current digital real estate. There are
currently over 250 websites in the University. These are hosted on a
variety of platforms and managed using a range of technologies.
In their current state they present an inconsistent experience to external
website users. It is essential that the digital environment presents a
consistent and coherent University brand and provides a better
experience for our students and partners.
The University recently procured and has started implementing a Content
Management System (CMS) called Squiz Matrix which will provide a
single enterprise-level platform for website development and
management.
The implementation of the CMS has presented us with an opportunity to
re-evaluate our total web presence to ensure that we are meeting the
needs of the University and our website visitors. Several websites have
very few visits and many have obsolete information. We are therefore
taking a phased approach to the redevelopment and optimisation of our
web presence.
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Step 1 will see the closure of websites that are out of date or
where there have been fewer than 2,000 page views in the last
year. Deadline: 28 February, 2011.
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Step 2 will see the redesign and rebuild the Salford website
www.salford.ac.uk in line with our new brand and visual identity
which is being launched in the summer. The structure and content
of this website will be developed to reflect the needs of our
visitors and the University’s vision. It will also ensure that content
is easy to find by both visitors and search engines and will meet
our legal and accessibility commitments. Deadline: 31 July 2011
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Step 3 will see the migration of externally-facing websites onto
the CMS. Timelines and plans will be communicated in the
coming months.
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Step 4 will involved the migration of internally-facing websites
onto a University intranet.
Several other areas will be considered as part of the digital strategy.
These will include Social Media, eLearning as part of open access,
Virtual Meetings, Closed Loop Marketing, Online promotion and Digital
Relationship Management.
6. Environment and sustainability update
University awarded Fairtrade University Status
The University has been awarded Fairtrade University status. The
Executive Director of the Fairtrade Foundation, Harriet Lamb, will present
the University with the official certificate at a joint event to celebrate the
City of Salford achieving their fifth year status renewal at the University in
March. This will be one of a series of events to mark Fairtrade Fortnight
(28 February to 13 March).
Fairtrade guarantees producers in developing countries a fair and stable
price for their products that covers their costs and enables them to
support their families and invest in a better future.
Christmas Switch-off campaign success
Switching off computers, shutting down printers and turning out the lights
over the Christmas break made a huge difference to the University’s
energy consumption. If similar switch-on patterns can be repeated every
weekend throughout the year it could save enough energy to make 17
million cups of tea! That’s around £30,000 a year.
Because of the Christmas Shutdown Campaign 3.5 per cent more energy
was saved than the previous year – and 13.3 per cent more than normal
weekends.
The latest campaign has highlighted a potential saving of 340,00kWh or
185,000kgC02 – if colleagues continue to remember to switch off and
shut down non-essential equipment and lights at the weekend through
the rest of the year. For very little effort and a bit of good housekeeping,
everyone can make a big impact on the University’s carbon footprint.
Green champions needed
The Environment and Sustainability Team are looking for Green
representatives to champion environmental issues within the University.
This is a voluntary role with champions feeding in any ideas or
suggestions relating to our environmental performance.
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Training will be provided and anyone interested should contact the
Environment and Sustainability team through the Estates and Property
Services help desk on 54444 or via the website at:
http://www.estates.salford.ac.uk/cms/news/article/?id=26
7. New appointments and leadership arrangements
Executive Director of Finance. Karen Brown has been appointed the new
Executive Director of Finance, joining the University from Tameside
Hospital NHS Foundation Trust where she was Executive Director,
Finance. She will join the University later in the year but in the meantime,
Julie Halliwell will fulfil the role of Acting Director of Finance.
University Librarian. Julie Berry has been appointed as University
Librarian. She was previously responsible for leading the Library through
the restructuring of Information and Learning Services (ILS) in November
2009. She played a key role in the establishment of the University’s
Institutional Repository (USIR) and putting in place the Open Access
Mandate. Before that she was Associate Director in ILS.
College Registrar. Helena Thorley has been appointed as the new
College Registrar for Science and Technology. She joins us in February
from the University of Keele where she was Academic Registrar
responsible for international and UK student recruitment and admissions,
UK and international partnerships and student registry.
The University has not made Registrar appointments in the Colleges of
Arts and Social Sciences and Health and Social Care and for a variety of
reasons it has been decided to seek suitable appointments to those
posts later this year.
Because of the intensive nature of the work of the Transformation
Programme and the scope of the programme for each of the three
Colleges, special arrangements have been agreed for management of
the transformation of each College. This will be overseen by a College
Programme Implementation Team (CPIT) chaired by College Sponsors
who are:
 Liz Bromley: College of Arts and Social Sciences
 Paul Rowlett: College of Health and Social Care
 Phil Hopwood: College of Science and Technology.
Click here for more information and the message on leadership
arrangements from Adrian Graves.
So that the Transformation Programme can proceed without delay,
Adrian Graves, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, has agreed a range of fixed term
secondments to support the PVC/Deans and the College Programme
Sponsors of those colleges.
From 1 February, 2011, Jennifer Hinsley moves from Health and Social
Care over to the College of Arts and Social Sciences to support Huw
Morris and Liz Bromley. Jackie Flynn has agreed to an assignment in the
DVC’s office to assist on special projects associated with the
Transformation Programme.
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Alison Mullan moves over to become College Administrator in Health and
Social Care in support of Cynthia Pine and Paul Rowlett. Alison Rhodes
will join the Office of the Vice-Chancellor and Registrar as Chief of Staff.
These arrangements are essential to assure that the Transformation
Programme proceeds accordingly to schedule and under effective
management.
8. Change in Head of School for Social Work, Psychology and
Public Health
Dr Ruth Wright has taken the difficult decision to work part-time under
medical advice and therefore will step down as Head of School. Ruth will
continue as Associate Dean International. She is succeeded by Dr Karen
Kniveton who will take over as Acting Head of School from 1 February,
2011 until September 2011.
9. Staff Experience Survey to be launched
Preparations are being made to launch the next Staff Experience Survey,
called Our People – Our views, over a four week period from 28
February, 2011. Once again, employees will be given the opportunity to
answer questions about their experience of working for the University.
The annual survey is used as an important indicator of the University’s
health and levels of employee engagement and is aligned to Goal 4, Our
People. Some of the measures of progress outlined in the University’s
strategic plan include:
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Increase the level of senior managers who are classified as
“effective” at leadership to over 80 per cent by 2013
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Increase the number of employees “engaged” at work to at least
45 per cent by 2012 and at least 50 per cent by 2014, placing us
in the top quartile of UK organisations.
The previous survey was undertaken in November 2008 and the analysis
was completed early in 2009. The overall findings were shared with
employees through face to face university-wide and local briefing events
and a dedicated web site: http://www.staffexperience.salford.ac.uk/
This was the first time a staff survey had been carried out since the 2002
communications and culture survey and the 2005 equality and diversity
survey.
10. Pay negotiations 2010/2011
Recent developments in the pay negotiations for 2010/2011 have been
communicated to colleagues by VC Martin Hall. Following on from his
messages to staff on 24 August and on 1 October, last year, he gave
employees and update on the current position which is as follows.
Last year, the Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA)
tabled the employers’ final position in relation to the wide range of issues
raised by the trade unions and put forward their final pay offer of a 0.4
per cent uplift to all points on the national pay spine, effective from 1
August, 2010.
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With GMB confirming on 17 January that they are joining UNISON and
Unite in accepting the UCEA’s offer, the University and College Union
(UCU) position of non acceptance potentially places them on a dispute
trajectory.
UCEA report good progress in recent months with all the trade unions in
three joint working groups covering; equalities, pay framework and data
research and sustainability issues. UCEA have indicated that work will be
disseminated in the near future.
Notwithstanding the progress that has been made, nationally the UCU
has announced that it intends to run up to three industrial ballots in the
coming weeks.
These will cover Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) reforms;
threats to the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TCP); and the “employers
failure to engage with the unions’ national claim for a job security and fair
pay offer”. Letters alerting HEIs to the likelihood of ballots on USS and
job security and pay have already been sent out and campaigning
material has been published
A potential timeline in relation to a ballot opening on 2 February could be
as follows:
 Notice to employer: 26 January
 Sample ballot paper: 28 January
 Ballot opens: 2 February
 Ballot closes: 2 March
If the majority of those who vote support the action, it must begin within
four weeks of the last voting day. The earliest that action can start is
within seven days of the ballot closing (a legal requirement).
More recently, Professor Hall wrote again to employees about further
developments, with the UCEA informing the University that “the 2010/11
pay round has been concluded as far as it is possible to do so”. UCEA
noted the disparate positions of the trade unions and advised that the 0.4
per cent pay uplift to all points on the national pay spine, should be
implemented, effective from 1 August, 2010.
The background to this difficult and prolonged national pay negotiation
being that all three support staff unions accepted the 0.4 percent pay
offer. The University and College Union (UCU) and The Educational
Institute of Scotland (EIS) have not accepted this settlement. However,
UCEA did not wish to delay payments any further to those staff who had
waited patiently for the uplift.
The University will now implement the uplift as soon as payroll deadlines
allow which is now likely to be next month. Regrettably the dispute
position with UCU nationally remains. Professor Hall will be writing again
to colleagues in the near future.
11. LGBT History Month 2011
On 27 January, the University hosted the official Northern launch of
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) History Month 2011
which featured a programme of events aimed at getting rid of
homophobia in Britain’s schools.
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Local schools took part in equality-focused sports master classes with
world class coaching from John Amaechi, former NBA basketball player
and psychologist, rugby star players Mitch Stringer and Katie Butler and
coaches from Lancashire County Cricket Club.
Teachers were invited to an afternoon showcase of practical resources
designed to tackle homophobia in the classroom. The University of
Salford Student’s Union hosted the Northern premier of the film “The
Homophobia Project” which depicts a London school where the tables
are turned and gay students are the majority.
VC Martin Hall hosted an evening reception with a distinguished panel of
guests including John Amaechi, which was followed by an in-depth panel
session focusing on the 2012 Olympics and the legacy for LGBT sport in
the UK.
For more information on future events click here:
http://www.salford.ac.uk/lgbthistorymonth/
LGBT History Month is part of the Listen! Strategy - addressing and
enhancing the staff and student experience of being part of the University
community through a series of activities and events which have also
included Black History Month.
12. University gains top ranking in Stonewall Index
The University has achieved 60th place in the annual top ranking of
organisations for employing lesbian, gay and bisexual employees – one
of just five universities to make the list.
Salford was ranked second of the higher education institutions on the
Workplace Index published by Stonewall, which is based on a 25
question survey sent to a large range of stakeholders. The Index
incorporates factors such as policy, staff and community engagement
and monitoring.
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College/Divisional
communications
School/
Department/
Section
communications
Include any relevant information relating to your College or Professional
Services Division.
Include any relevant information relating to your School or Professional
Services Unit/Section.
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Record of notes
and feedback
from briefing
session:
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