Today, 19 February, the Vice-Chancellor wrote to all staff. You can read his email in full.
As I’m sure you are aware, we are expecting the latest set of guidance from the Government to be shared on the potential easing of restrictions in relation to universities on Monday next week.
We’ve been clear from the outset of this latest lockdown that we will need to understand this guidance before making decisions based on what is best for our staff and students from both a health and safety and education perspective. Although a small number of universities in the UK have cancelled all plans for in-person teaching for the rest of the year, the overwhelming majority are – like Sussex – planning to make a judgement based both upon the Government’s new guidance and their own assessments of the health and safety risk. As I’ve emphasised before, our approach will continue to prioritise health and safety considerations. If, and only if, we are confident that staff and students are not at greater risk from coming to the campus, we are likely to encourage a return to limited face to face teaching.
If the Government does publish the guidance on Monday, we will give it detailed consideration and I hope to be able to update you at the earliest opportunity. On that basis, I’m planning to come back to you on Wednesday next week (24 February) with a firm outline of our next steps. Of course, we’ll do the same for our students at that time too.
I’ve mentioned in many of my weekly emails just how impressed I have been over the past year in the way that Sussex staff have kept the whole University going in the most pressing of circumstances. This has been a year like no other and the toll is showing for many people. I know how difficult it has been to balance everything as we continue to work through the pandemic, juggling workloads with other personal challenges.
I am pleased to say that the Executive has decided to give all staff two extra minimum service days (March 31 and April 7) over the long weekend, in addition to the two existing minimum service days on April 1 and April 6.
This means that the University will be closed for the break at the end of the working day on Tuesday, March 30 and reopen at the start of the working day on Thursday, April 8.
We will update the annual leave calculator (available on the HR webpages) and share information on how to work out and amend existing leave calculations based on this – so look out for a news story on this in the staff newsletter (This is Sussex) next week.
If you are someone in an essential role who has to work during this period, you will be able to take the additional leave at another time, as was the case over the winter break.
I also wanted to remind you of a number of additional measures we have in place to support staff during this period. This includes that for those with caring responsibilities we will continue to pay your current salary, even if the pattern of work agreed is less than the usual agreed hours.
We are aware it is not only parents who are struggling, some colleagues live alone and the longer the current restrictions last, the harder this can be.
Others are living in situations that they would rather not have to be in 24 hours a day and that is also causing stress, so we ask colleagues to continue to be mindful of others, as this last stretch (and I sincerely hope it is the last stretch) appears to be particularly hard on everyone.
You can read more about our commitment to staff during these times and also read our flexible working policy which allows staff to ask for reduced hours, compressed hours and unpaid leave to suit a variety of circumstances.
I really encourage you to consider taking annual leave, as even though travel and holiday options are currently limited, we all need a break from our work.
We will be looking at allowing staff to carry over additional leave into the next year as we don’t want people to be disadvantaged, but it will not be any more than it was last year (10 days) – so please make sure you don’t end up losing any days you can take.
In addition we have provided staff with a range of tools and resources to help them during this time, including FAQs for staff, advice for managers - and remember all staff have free access to 24 hour support through the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), and further support in our wellbeing hub.
Yesterday saw the publication of a Higher Education Policy Institute debate paper by former Times education editor Rosemary Bennett on the uneasy relationship between journalists and universities. Higher education has been a focus of media scrutiny during recent years for good reason. We are frequently challenged on issues such as senior staff pay and whether we are providing value for money, and how we are addressing concerns about equal access, social mobility and freedom of speech.
I met Rosemary several years ago when she was new to the higher education beat, and I welcomed the opportunity this year to write a foreword for her paper. I have become aware in my time as VC how important it is for us to engage with these difficult questions. Not engaging, or staying on the fence, only perpetuates damaging perceptions of the sector, and impedes our celebration of the good things that universities provide. If we want to be applauded for our innovations in research and teaching, and our contribution to the cultural landscape, we must be prepared to take the flack when we fail or fall short of expectations.
As Rosemary highlights in her paper, the Covid-19 pandemic has shown the crucial role UK universities play in medical research and the understanding of complex science. Our own academics have, on almost a daily basis, been willing to talk to journalists about viral mutations and transmissions, and the long-term economic and social effects of this crisis for different communities. It’s vital that this knowledge is shared, not just because it makes us look good but because the public deserves to know it.
I’m inspired to believe that engaging in these public debates with courage and honesty will benefit all of us. At the very least, it will help us maintain our integrity in an era when the truth is sometimes hard to find.
With best wishes,
Adam