Today (Friday 16 April), the Vice-Chancellor Adam Tickell updated all staff, in his regular View from the VC email. You can read the full View from the VC below.
I hope that you managed to get a good break over the vacation. I saw my daughters and mum for the first time since October and it was joyful to be able to do so. I’ve emailed you already this week with an update on our Size and Shape programme and news of our new Provost, Rachel Mills, who is a leading oceanographer and an academic leader of the highest calibre. So, I will keep this update brief.
The Government finally confirmed this week that we will not see a wider return of students to campuses until 17 May at the earliest. With the vast majority of our teaching over by then, the announcement essentially means we are looking at September before campus might start to look more familiar. Although the overwhelming majority of young people have very low risk factors for Covid, they have been asked to make major sacrifices to protect the health of the country.
That they are not allowed to return to University but can, the VC of York put it, borrow a book from a public library and discuss it with their tattoo artist but not their tutor, is a strange policy decision. We are extremely disappointed and frustrated that the Government took this decision, against the express wishes of the sector, but we must accept the decision. We shared updated guidance with all staff on Wednesday, so please do find the time to read through this.
In updates from me and our Chair of Council this week, we shared with you progress on our Size and Shape programme. Over the next few weeks, your School or Division will let you know how you can find out more and feed into the emerging plans in your part of the University. Please do take up these engagement opportunities as we look to set Sussex on a successful path for the future.
At a national level, we are at an important stage in the 2020 valuation of the USS pension scheme, which could have significant implications for a large population of our staff body. Universities UK is currently consulting with all 340 employers, including the University of Sussex, to find out how they wish to respond to the Trustee’s pricing of the scheme ahead of national conversations with UCU this summer. Before Sussex responds to this consultation, we want to hear the views of staff who are eligible to be in USS, whether or not they are currently a member.
Next week, you can join one of two webinars with an independent pensions expert, when you can find out more about your pension and what is happening. The following week, we will email all eligible staff a link to a survey and I strongly encourage you to complete it. Your answers will help to inform our position, which will be considered by UUK alongside responses from the other 339 member organisations.
Concurrently, annual negotiations about sector pay have begun. Employers are represented in these talks by UCEA and you can read the latest developments on the staff news pages.
Greta Thunberg tweeted a link last week to a BBC story highlighting the role of the world’s wealthiest in the climate crisis. The source for the story was a major new report led by Peter Newell in our School of Global Studies. Peter did 13 hours of back-to-back media interviews when the report was published on Tuesday and was featured on almost every media outlet you can think of. Blanket coverage of such a vital issue is reward in itself but it’s truly fantastic as a Vice-Chancellor to see Sussex research having such influence and impact.
The news capped a successful few weeks for Global Studies, after Maya Unnithan was invited to join Public Health England’s advisory group on reproductive health, Mike Collyer was appointed Chair of the Independent Advisory Group on Country Information, and of course the continued global dominance of development studies. Congratulations to Maya, Mike, Peter and all those who supported these efforts.
With best wishes
Adam Tickell
Vice-Chancellor