2023 is shaping up to be a big year for change and projects across the University, and will have an impact on everyone in our community, in one way or another. From breaking ground on the West Slope build, which we’ll update you on as works progress, to starting the work to introduce a significant upgrade to the University internet network, introducing a new catering contract in time for the new academic year, and the early stages of the roll out of the new Student Information System, there isn’t a corner of our campus that will not be touched by well-managed and coordinated change during the year.  

We’ve lots more to tell you about the whole change programme (which encompasses the Capital Programme formerly known as ‘ERIP’) and beyond, starting with the first Capital Programme webinar of 2023 on 22 February. Sign up here.   

We’ll be introducing new ways to keep you informed about all the developments and changes over the coming months, but in the meantime, here are a few of our top stories: 

• Network Replacement Programme (NRP): This flagship initiative will provide a future-proof, secure, high speed wired and Wi-Fi campus-wide data network. We anticipate construction works will start later this year, with roll out of the network itself starting in 2024, and concluding in 2025. 
  
  
• Student Information System (SIS): Work on our new Student Information System (SIS) is continuing to progress well as we begin the new year. Three of 20 project workstreams in total (Admissions, General Person Records and Curriculum Record Management) are all now well underway. Last year we began conducting workshops with our chosen supplier Ellucian and key stakeholders from the University in these areas and more workshops have taken place this year focused on data migration and system integrations. We’ve also received access to an Ellucian test system which will help us to familiarise our teams with the platform and position us well to demonstrate the system to colleagues in future. You can read a full update on our progress.
  

• Professional Service (PS) Places: Earlier this year we launched our PS Places programme survey to help us understand how PS colleagues currently work in existing office spaces and how the spaces and facilities help you to do your job. Our change coordinators – who are supporting the programme team – are currently working with us on an in-depth data gathering exercise which will give us a full and detailed picture of team and individual working habits.  

• The future of campus services: We’ve been collating and analysing all the results from our consultation on catering on campus – thanks again to the 3,200 staff and students who took part. Your feedback is helping to shape the tender for the new contract which will be issued to the market in mid-February, along with the findings from a lively workshop about reducing meat demand on campus which took place in January. Read more about the event which was opened by Vice-Chancellor Sasha Roseneil in a blog from the Sustainability team. We’ll soon be launching our consultation about facilities management to ensure our community gets what it needs and wants from these services in the future, so follow Better Sussex on Yammer for the latest updates. 

• Curriculum Reimagined: On 17 January, 80 members of the University came together for the first open meeting of Curriculum Reimagined. The session explained the structure of the project and the themes that had been highlighted in responses to the survey in December. After the presentation, groups focused on four questions based around: 30 credit modules, over-assessing, reading weeks, and what blended learning means for Sussex. The themes from these will be taken back to the three working groups (architecture, operations and curriculum and assessment). This is the first of a series of open meetings that will take place over the next few months. 

To find out more about how we’re investing in a better Sussex, you can watch our introductory webinar, and our campus development webinar. 

If you have any questions about any of the projects, initiatives and changes across the University, please speak with the Sussex Projects team, who are responsible for overseeing the delivery of all our programmes.