Broadcast: News items

Academic update: June 2024

Posted on behalf of: Internal Communications

Last updated: Thursday, 13 June 2024

Academic Update highlights the key priorities for academic colleagues and recent news and updates which you and your teams may find useful.

If there is information you would like included in future Academic Updates, please submit your request to the Internal Comms mailbox.

Quick links:

Education and Students

Sussex Education Festival
Register now for the second Sussex Education Festival, an event for anyone involved in delivering education at Sussex. This year you can attend the festival in-person (9.30-4pm on 10 July) in the Woodland Rooms at the Student Centre and/or online (10-3pm on 11 July). The festival will consist of a number of different session types, including panel discussions and interactive workshops, which are focused around themes such as alternative assessments, student engagement and wellbeing, generative AI and environmental sustainability.

Research and Enterprise

Centres of Excellence: putting people at the heart of research
From protecting children to preventing exploitation, watch/share this video showcasing the final three of our Centres of Excellence; Centre for Innovation and Research in Childhood and Youth, Sussex AI, and Sussex Centre for Migration Research. Watch more videos about our Centres of Excellence.

Worktribe – rollout to Schools
Our new research management system, Worktribe, has been live with Research & Innovation Services and approvers since 1 May. Worktribe will start rolling out to academic and Professional Services colleagues in Schools from mid-June. Briefing sessions with demonstrations of the system have been scheduled for each School. Users will gain access to the system after completing a mandatory LearnUpon module. Further support will be provided via drop-in sessions, online guides and through the teams in Research & Innovation Services. Find out more about Worktribe or email any questions to: worktribe@sussex.ac.uk

Funder webinar – Royal Society (4 July)
Colleagues from the Royal Society will join us at a Royal Society funder webinar on Thursday 4 July 11am – 1pm. Beatriz Brito, Roz Casey and Kam Pou Ha will give an overview of RS funding, including the University Research Fellowship, Faraday Discovery Fellowship, International Exchanges Scheme, Research Grants, and Newton and Wolfson international schemes. Please register in advance.

Funder seminar – AHRC Executive Chair (11 July)
Professor Sir Christopher Smith as the Executive Chair of the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) is visiting the University on Thursday 11 July 2024 between 12-1pm. As part of his visit Sir Christopher will give a presentation on the AHRC and an overview of the research the Council supports. Please register in advance.

Global and Civic Engagement

Strengthening our ties with Brighton Dome and Brighton Festival
Following May’s Brighton Festival, for which we served as Higher Education Partner, we have now signed a Memorandum of Understanding for wider cooperation with Brighton Dome and Brighton Festival. Additional partnership activities are being developed with the Towner in Eastbourne (building on our successful partnership for the Turner Prize) and the Royal Pavilion and Museums Trust. These efforts are part of a strategic expansion of the University’s engagement with culture and heritage in the city and region.

UKRI China discussions at the visit from Daniel and Sophie and their colleagues
On 31 May, we welcomed the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) China delegation to our Falmer campus. We showcased Sussex's international profile and research strategy, followed by discussions with our researchers and innovators from various schools and research centres, including the Institute of Development Studies. Roundtables on Art and Creative Industries, as well as Health, Climate and Agriculture, highlighting the breadth and depth of our interdisciplinary work. Daniel Brooker, Director of UKRI China, noted that the visit significantly informed their scoping work on priority themes in China.

Summer of Research engages local community with events in June
Join us for the brilliant last week of the Summer of Research, celebrating the diversity of research. Are you interested in collaboration? We are sharing creative, collaborative research, and fostering networks and skills. Events to look out for include:

Two practical crafting workshops: The Urban Fabric: Layers of London Road (17 June)
Sign up for your tickets: 2024 Summer of Research Award Ceremony (18 June)
Events to support the development of real-world impact: Sussex Impact Days (18/19 June)
Multispecies Flourishing - The Living Coast Artist Residency exhibition (from 19 June)
Interested in space, evolution or neutrinos? Sussex Science Fair (20 June)
Join our ethics team to learn about the Health Research Authority and mental capacity and receiving consent (21 June)

About you

Are you ready for your Achievement and Development Review?
The Achievement and Development Review (ADR) cycle has begun, running until 30 September for academic and Professional Services colleagues. Find out about improvements made to the ADR process following feedback from staff and sign up for online and in-person workshops in June and July to help you prepare for an ADR, whether you are a reviewer or reviewee.

Advance HE Fellowship Certification
If you hold an Advance HE Fellowship, this is a reminder to check your details are correct on My Advance HE. You can view guidance on how to do this. It is always good to check any data held on you, and it also helps the University to report accurately on staff qualifications. These are achievements you have worked hard for and can be proud of – remember to refer to them in your Achievement and Development Review. If you’d like to work towards a new or higher Fellowship, support is available to guide you through the process.

Sharing your views with Senate
The next Senate meeting will take place on 26 June and the agenda, minutes and papers will be published a week in advance on Sussex Direct. Senate is the highest academic committee, overseeing quality assurance and standards of the education provided by the University. Senate meets termly, and you can view information on past and future meetings.

The academic voice is a vital part of the discussion, and your elected senators are representing your needs and interests. You can find details of all elected academic senators on Sussex Direct. Please reach out to your elected senator if there is a matter you would like to raise at Senate.

About Sussex

Improvements to Doctoral Tutor terms and conditions
The University of Sussex and the University of Sussex branch of the University and College Union (UCU) recently announced the 2024 Collective Agreement on Doctoral Tutor Terms and Conditions, agreeing improved terms and conditions for all Doctoral Tutors at the University. The sector-leading changes to Doctoral Tutor contracts reflect the University’s commitment to invest in staff and demonstrate the ongoing partnership work between the University and the Sussex UCU branch. Recognising the important role that Doctoral Tutors play in undergraduate teaching at Sussex, the agreement will make a material difference to the working conditions of Doctoral Tutors across the University and ensure a sustainable teaching model for the future.

Refresh your Health and Safety knowledge with new e-learning and newsletter
The Health and Safety Team/Organisational Development has set up 36 new e-learning courses that can be accessed via LearnUpon. You can log in, search the catalogue for ‘safety’ and enrol on the courses you would like to complete. Topics include chemical safety, management of contractors and display screen equipment. You can also catch up on the latest edition of the Health and Safety newsletter which includes an interview with Senior Safety Manager Mike Young and top tips to reduce the risk of toaster fires in the workplace.

Incident Coordination Team established
The University now has an Incident Coordination Team, chaired by Emma Potts, Interim Chief Operating Officer, and comprised of a group of senior colleagues from across the University. It will convene to coordinate and, where necessary, communicate a response to any significant incidents on campus, ensuring that relevant people are engaged as early as possible. It will not impact on the current process of reporting, so please continue to follow this guidance if you need to report an incident.

Explore the possibilities of AI with Microsoft Copilot
All Sussex staff and students now have exclusive access to a secure web version of Microsoft Copilot, via your Sussex account. Microsoft Copilot is an advanced generative AI tool to assist with generating images and creating content. This unique access ensures your data remains protected while you explore the capabilities of Copilot.

Read the latest updates in the Transforming Sussex newsletter
In the latest edition of the Transforming Sussex newsletter, read about how we’re surveying students on accessibility and taking steps towards a new and improved digital HR system. The Digital Infrastructure Programme is also helping us develop better ways of working by modernising our approach. Find out what the programme has achieved so far and what’s next, and stay informed by signing up to the newsletter mailing list.

Student debt update
The Finance Division has written to over 1,000 students with tuition fee and accommodation debt this month to advise them how and when to settle their final 2023/24 debt and where to find support if they need it. Our approach continues to balance the need to maximise recovery of income with consideration for the wellbeing of our students and supporting them to continue with their academic studies and achieve the academic outcomes they have worked for.

A reminder

Financial year end is on 31 July
If you have financial responsibilities, please look out for an email from Chief Financial Officer Jacinda Humphry which will set out what to start thinking about now ahead of year end. The Finance Service Desk will be looking at ways they can help make this process run smoothly for you and may be in touch to resolve any issues, so please do work with the team if you are contacted.