Dame Denise Holt, Chair of Council
Our final Council meeting of the academic year coincided with some momentous political developments which, taken together, probably mean that we are looking at further delays to any Higher Education policy announcements.
Rankings Rise
In contrast, Council was delighted to receive a detailed briefing on the results of REF2021. The improvement since REF 2014 was really something to celebrate, with 89% of our research now ranked as ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’, and Sussex now in the Top 30 – ranked 27th for all UK Institutions for Research Power and Market Share. This very meaningful affirmation of Sussex’s research-intensive status is something of which we can all be very proud.
A similar presentation on the results of the National Student Survey (NSS) showed that we still have a hill to climb on that front. It’s clear that students have faced some exceptionally challenging times in recent years – but this applies across the sector. Council took comfort from some areas of improvement, such as assessment and feedback, learning communities and student voice, and thought it was hugely rewarding for Sussex to be ranked first in the country with 100% satisfaction in both English Language and Linguistics, and Art History. Overall, though, while we all recognise that – like all league tables – NSS doesn’t tell the whole story, nonetheless student experience remains hugely important to the future of the University and Council will continue to show a keen interest.
Inclusive Sussex approved
Inclusive Sussex, our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy, was first published in 2018 soon after A Better University For a Better World – Sussex 2025. Last week, Council was pleased to approve a refreshed version of the strategy, reflecting a number of developments, including the appointment of David Ruebain as PVC CEI. The refreshed Strategy has added a fifth key goal to the existing four (equality, diversity, accessibility and flexibility): connection, designed to focus on building a thriving community that fosters good relations and supports a rich, diverse, rigorous, collegiate and inquisitive teaching, learning and research environment.
The next stage in this ambitious refreshed strategy will be work on an annual business plan, an organisational design and on a governance and assurance framework.
Creating a Better Campus & Council Updates
An update on our admissions performance provided more good news, including record numbers of Postgraduate Taught applications. Continued growth in demand for Higher Education, from both home and overseas applicants, particularly in the south east of England, should mean a bright future for Sussex. The work underway to improve facilities on campus for staff and students alike should help in that context, and members of Council have been delighted by the new Student Centre. Feedback from students has been really positive too. Lastly (for now) Council gave the go-ahead to a new Student Information System (SIS). This may not sound exciting, but it is a key project which will play a critical role in enabling digital and operational transformation and enhancing user (both staff and student) experiences. By creating an accurate system of record we will be better able to support the lifecycle of students’ educational activities. In addition, it will provide the basis for intelligent reporting and data-driven decision-making, and it will ensure we are compliant with relevant legislation and regulations.
Of course, you, our staff, are at the heart of the University’s life. Council was therefore delighted to support the recommendation from the Executive that from 1 August, all staff working at the University of Sussex will be paid at least the Voluntary Living Wage (VLW) of £9.90 an hour, including colleagues who work in SEF. Staff employed by our catering provider Chartwells already receive VLW. Members of Council were all in agreement that this is the right thing to do, particularly at a time of economic pressures on lower paid households.
The Vice Chancellor also briefed Council on the agreement reached between the Executive and the UCU, which included further provision of a one-off payment for all staff working at the University to support with the higher cost-of-living. Council was pleased that, as a result of the agreement, our students have been able to graduate without impediment.
Council was also pleased to hear of the positive progress made during the year to implement, almost fully, the Governance Effectiveness Review, and I want to thank all who have taken part in the various committees which have made this possible. I especially want to thank Adrienne Fresco, who has now left Council after nine years. Her leadership on the Governance Effectiveness Review has been outstanding, and she will be much missed. Rosemary Martin, herself a Sussex alumna (whose daughter also studied here!), will succeed Adrienne as Vice Chair of Council.
Students Union Update
Very sadly, this Council saw the final update from Nehaal Bajwa our USSU Council Representative, who is leaving Council shortly to take up the role of Vice President Liberation and the National Union of Students. I look forward to following her progress in her new role. Nehaal’s contributions to our discussions have always been thoughtful and constructive; she once told us that her approach was to assume that everyone was operating with the best intentions. I think we all have something to learn from that.
Departures and Appointments
As well as Adrienne and Nehaal, we had a number of other leavers. This Council was the last for Gerhard Wolf, one of the elected academic representatives. Although he will no longer sit on Council, we look forward to staying in touch with Gerhard and his work at Sussex. Our Provost, Rachel Mills, sadly also leaves us shortly to take up a new role at King’s College London, and finally we also bade farewell to our Interim Vice-Chancellor, David Maguire, who has provided invaluable, calm and measured leadership over the last academic year.
Council appointed Professor Keith Jones as Interim Provost to support Sasha Roseneil whilst she identifies her long-term leadership structure.
There is no denying that this has been a testing year for many members of our community, but we end on a happy and optimistic note, with three weeks of celebratory graduation ceremonies followed by the arrival in August of Sasha Roseneil as our new Vice-Chancellor. I for one am very much looking forward to welcoming her to Sussex and working closely with her to deliver (and where necessary update) our plans for Sussex 2025. Our next Council meeting takes place in September 2022.