Tim Westlake, Chief Operating Officer
Dear Colleagues,
Following the sad news of the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, we are in a period of national mourning. You can read more about the arrangements in place at the University including information, guidance and support for colleagues and students. You can also read the full guidance for staff.
A multi-faith memorial service for Her Majesty was held on campus in the Meeting House today, Thursday 15 September. Sussex has an online book of condolence and physical books of condolence are also available in the Meeting House, organised by the Chaplaincy.
Through the period of national mourning, the University will be open, with the exception of the state funeral on Monday 19 September, which has been declared a Bank Holiday, allowing UK citizens to pay their respects and commemorate Her reign. Essential services will continue on campus on Monday 19 September, and students will be able to continue to access core support. We will share further details on this shortly.
Below, PS Essentials highlights the key priorities for Professional Services colleagues and recent news and updates which you and your teams may find useful. Please take five minutes to familiarise yourselves with what's happening.
If there is information you would like included in PS Essentials, please submit your request via the online form.
With best wishes,
Tim
Quick links
About you
- You can now book leave and record absence on MyView
- Safety incident reporting now available on Sussex Direct
- Earn extra money by housing a Sussex student
- Access LearnUpon through Okta single sign on
About Professional Services
- Sussex maintains place amongst leading universities in global rankings
- £23.3m annual funding secured from Research England
- Vanessa Cuthill joins Sussex as Director of Research and Enterprise
- Join the Ask Me campaign and help support new students
- University of Sussex to ‘twin’ with Ukrainian University
- Investing in a Better Sussex: September highlights
What's coming soon
A reminder
- Updated Public Interest Disclosure Policy and Raising Concerns process
- Data protection refresher training
- Appraisals due to be completed by 30 September
About you
You can now book leave and record absence on MyView
You can now request holiday for the new leave year, submit sickness absence, and record other absences on MyView, making it simpler for you to book and keep track of your own absence, including annual leave entitlement. You can also check when colleagues in your team will be absent via your Team Leave Calendar. Useful guidance, including FAQs and step-by-step videos is now available on the Staff Hub.
The HR team has been piloting the MyView absence management module since the beginning of the year to make sure everything is running smoothly before roll out to all staff, but if you or your colleagues have any initial queries about functionality, please check the MyView webpages first where you will find comprehensive guidance.
Safety incident reporting now available on Sussex Direct
You can now log relevant safety incidents on Sussex Direct, following improvements to the incident reporting system. Previously, staff reporting an injury, near miss or bad safety practice needed to find their safety coordinator to make a report.
We all have a responsibility to maintain a safe workplace, and encourage you to report all incidents and near misses. Details of how to do this are on the Health and Safety team’s incident reporting page, which also includes a webform that can be used by visitors or students that do not have access to Sussex Direct. Don’t forget to complete your Health & Safety Essentials online training on LearnUpon to help keep you safe while you're at work.
Earn extra money by housing a Sussex student
Every year hundreds of students are choosing to live in residential properties around the city as a way to immerse themselves in local culture. Providing accommodation in your home for a Sussex University student is a great way of generating extra income while potentially developing long term friendships. Advice and guidance will be provided, so if you live in Brighton and Hove or Lewes, have a spare room and would like to explore the possibility of letting it to a student, find out more and apply.
Access LearnUpon through Okta single sign on
LearnUpon has been moved onto the Okta single sign on platform, part of our new Access and Identity Management System. Find out more about how you can sign in to Okta for easy access to LearnUpon. IT Services are moving widely-used applications onto the Okta platform, and in time you will be able to access multiple apps using just one password through Okta.
About Professional Services
Sussex maintains place amongst leading universities in global rankings
The recently released ShanghaiRanking’s Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) 2022 has placed the University of Sussex among the top 151 to 200 institutions in the world – a position that has remained unchanged for the last four years. The University of Sussex is ranked joint 17-21 in the UK.
The research of our academics and former students not only maintains our position amongst the leading universities across the globe, but also supports our aim to make a positive, transformational difference in the world. Read more.
£23.3m annual funding secured from Research England
The University recently announced it has secured an increase of over £4.5m in its annual funding from Research England for 2022/23, compared with 2021/22.
The hard work and collaboration of teams across the institution has contributed to this success, with the Research and Enterprise team leading the way, and our community can be proud of what it has achieved so far. We are also building on our success by recruiting a new team to further support income-generating knowledge exchange and help us reach our maximum potential HEIF allocation. View more.
Vanessa Cuthill joins Sussex as Director of Research and Enterprise
We welcomed Vanessa Cuthill to the University of Sussex on 1 September. As Director of Research and Enterprise, Vanessa will be working closely with Keith Jones, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research and Enterprise and UEG member, supporting the delivery of the University’s research and enterprise strategy in line with Sussex 2025 and our research with impact ambitions. We wish her the best in her new role, and thank Emma Potts who has been leading the R&E Division on an interim basis. Read more.
Join the Ask Me campaign and help support new students
As Welcome Week approaches, staff are invited to join the Ask Me campaign to help give our new students the very best welcome to Sussex. We know that arriving on campus for the first time can be a big step and our Ask Me campaign enables us to supports students with any queries or concerns they may have as they begin their journey with us.
You can be one of our Ask Me ambassadors by wearing one of our orange ‘Ask Me’ badges and taking a proactive, friendly and helpful approach when you’re walking around campus throughout Welcome Week. Ask Me badges are available to collect from receptions at Sussex House, the Library, and York House. Find out more about the campaign.
University of Sussex to ‘twin’ with Ukrainian University
Sussex has recently signed an official agreement to ‘twin’ with Ukrainian University Oles Honchar Dnipro National to support students and academics displaced by the conflict in Ukraine. By partnering with the Ukrainian University to prevent ‘brain drain’, we are helping to ensure that the University can not only survive but emerge stronger from the conflict.
We join 71 other Universities across the UK who have agreed to support those displaced by the conflict, sharing resource with students and giving academics access to online courses and teaching materials. Find out more.
Investing in a Better Sussex: September highlights
The latest updates on our projects and programmes across the University include:
- Student Information System (SIS): Contract negotiations are underway with the preferred supplier and the Project Team is busy preparing for the next steps in the project, including discovery workshops with key subject matter experts.
- West Slope: Our new Northfield children’s playground and basketball court are now open and lots of work is underway to prepare our campus for our West Slope development.
- Research Management System (RMS): A preferred supplier has been selected to deliver the core RMS, which focuses on the pre-award research funding process, including contracts.
More details about these projects and others underway are available on the Staff Hub.
What's coming up
Community of Practice for Mentors: 28 September
Open to all staff who provide mentoring to colleagues at Sussex, this informal session from 12pm – 1pm provides a space to meet other mentors, discuss topics relevant to mentoring and share best practice. Find out more and book your place.
VC Open Forum: 4 October
Sasha Roseneil joined as our new VC in August and will be holding her first VC Open Forum for staff on Tuesday 4 October at 3pm at the Attenborough Centre auditorium. View more details and book your place.
A reminder
Updated Public Interest Disclosure Policy and Raising Concerns process
The University has updated its Public Interest Disclosure (sometimes referred to as ‘whistleblowing’) Policy and associated Raising Concerns process. These are really important documents for staff to be aware of and you can now view the updated versions.
The updates aim to make it easier and more straightforward for people to find the way to report any matters they may be concerned about, so that issues can be investigated and handled efficiently and appropriately - and as quickly as possible.
Data protection refresher training
Most staff within Professional Services deal with personal data in their roles on a daily basis. That’s why it’s important for everyone to complete data protection e-learning and also keep data protection knowledge up to date. When first joining the University, you will need to complete the main GDPR module in LearnUpon, followed by the Data Protection Refresher module 12 months later.
The Organisational Development team will get in touch with you directly when it is time to complete the data protection refresher training - please make the time to do this important e-learning module. View further information.
Appraisals due to be completed by 30 September
As the new academic year begins, the deadline to complete appraisals is approaching. Please make sure you have completed your appraisal by 30 September 2022 to set your goals for the year ahead, reflecting on what has gone well and what could be improved from the previous year. If you need any guidance or support, please visit the Appraisals webpage.