Staff | 2 2 2002 | 2003 Annual Report
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2002 | 2003 Annual Report Staff | 22 9 | Learning | 9 9 | Learning | 9 Left: Detail of one of the epaulets that feature in the uniform of the University porters Staff STRUCTURES AND PROCESSES around an innovative web-based approach to the recruitment of research staff.A A lot has been achieved this year to ensure website gives potential research staff access that the University’s academic structure fits to a wealth of information about the with its strategy and goals and provides University, its research, and working and clarity for members of staff.The revised living in Bristol, with links to the structure (see below) came into effect on University’s own website.The technology 1 August, and restructuring is under way in enables the University to measure the the new Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry. success of this approach and to respond quickly to feedback. New faculty structure In the spring, the University launched the final phase of its online recruitment Arts system.Candidates can now apply online Engineering for any vacancy, and recruiting departments Medical and Veterinary Sciences can access relevant applications Medicine and Dentistry immediately.Application information Science is also transferred automatically to the 2002 | 2003 Annual Report Social Sciences and Law University’s Personnel Information Management System. To ensure that support mechanisms 2002 | 2003 Annual Report underpin the new academic structure POSITIVE effectively, the University has embarked on a WORKING programme of process reviews, starting with ENVIRONMENT postgraduate admissions and the purchasing of goods and services. The University, assisted by The Work Foundation, has completed the data- gathering phase of a ‘Positive Working RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION Environment’ project, which aims to identify and eradicate any elements of the The University has launched a new working environment that have a negative Research Advertising Strategy that is impact on its staff.(The University was unique within the HE sector.It is built pleased to receive confirmation from September 2003 Staff | 24 The Sunday Times, The Work Foundation that its Managing staff expectations and personnel policies and procedures maintaining a positive partnership are ‘excellent’.) The project has with the Unions will be key to the now entered the crucial phase of success of the new grading scheme in analysing the results and developing August 2004.The project is now an action plan.Over the coming looking at establishing a career grade year, appropriate measures will for academic staff, a pay protection come into effect. policy and suitable job-groupings. REWARD FIXED-TERM CONTRACTS The Reward project is now well A great deal of work has been under way, with a major pilot undertaken to minimise the undertaken during early 2003. University’s reliance on fixed-term The University has approved a contracts.Negotiations have taken proposal to establish a University place with the AUT on specific of Bristol Grading Scheme, based issues relating to fixed-term contracts, on the Hay job evaluation system notice provisions and redundancy and drawing on the AUT scheme. procedures.A clear policy and new Evaluation of some 200 benchmark procedures should be in place roles took place this autumn. during early 2003/04. ‘…consistently one of top Britain’s universities’ Much progress has been made on achieving a partnership approach with STAFF DEVELOPMENT the Trades Unions on the project. The University continues to offer a wide range of training and development opportunities for staff. CACHET FOR CAMEL This year saw particular expansion in The University’s Nomadic Network Service IT and management training.This (with its distinctive logo, left) received the 2003 Award for Excellence from the includes the introduction of the Universities and Colleges Information European Computer Driving Licence, Systems Association. The Service provides launched to all staff in November network connections for computers using 2002.Two hundred members of staff access points across the campus. It also enables users to connect to the network have already enrolled in conjunction from remote locations such as a home PC. with Learndirect.Training provides a qualification, recognised throughout SNAPSHOT 2002 | 2003 Annual Report Europe, in an array of IT skills. 25 | Staff | 25 EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES The University has implemented a V-C APPOINTED range of family-friendly policies over TO KEY BODIES The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Eric Thomas, the past year, including a childcare received several prestigious appointments voucher scheme; a new procedure for in 2002/03. He was appointed Chairman requesting flexible working patterns of the Worldwide Universities Network and (available to all staff, not just parents of Chairman of the Department for Education and Skills Taskforce on Endowments and young children); paternity and Donations. He also joined the Board of the adoption leave and pay provisions that South-West Regional Development Agency, exceed the statutory minimum; and an the Council for Industry and Higher Education and the South-West Regional Sports Board. expansion of the University Nursery. SNAPSHOT In addition, the University received a Silver Award from Opportunity Now.The University’s Race Policy leave must be agreed in advance with and Action Plan was approved as line managers.The hours concerned ‘good’ by HEFCE, with certain can be spread over a number of days. areas ‘needing attention’.A new leaflet on disability will highlight for all staff the support and facilities available to AUTHORS HONOURED those who have a disability or who become disabled. Several books by Bristol academics won prizes in 2002/03.Here are just a couple. VOLUNTEERING LEAVE Parallel Lines: Printmakers, Painters Proposals to grant University staff and Photographers in Nineteenth-Century one day per year of paid leave for France (Yale University Press), by volunteer work have been approved Professor Stephen Bann in the and will be implemented in 2003/04. Department of History of Art, Plans include the development of a was awarded the R H Gapper website giving details of volunteering Book Prize. projects available, and an online form enabling volunteering activities to be Understanding Philosophy of Science monitored.The idea is not to monitor (Routledge), by Dr James Ladyman in an individual’s time, but to keep a the Department of Philosophy, won record of the volunteering carried out The American Library Association’s by staff as a whole.All volunteering Outstanding Academic Title Award. 2002 | 2003 Annual Report DAVE YOUNG DAVE FELLOWS OF THE NEW CHAIRS ROYAL SOCIETY The following new Chairs took up their posts between 1 August 2002 and 31 July 2003: Three scientists at Bristol were elected Fellows of the Royal Society in May. These bring to 30 the number of academics currently at the University Staff | 26 to have been honoured in this way. 14710 Peter Green, Professor of Statistics in the Department of Mathematics, was elected in recognition of his achievements in computational statistics. He has worked on spatial 25811 statistics, agricultural field experiments, reference curves for human growth and emission tomography. 369 1 Chair in Optical 4 Chair in Public Law 7 Toshiba Chair in 10 Sir George White Stephen Mann, Professor of Communication Systems Professor Tony Prosser, Communication Chair in Aerospace Inorganic Chemistry in the School of Professor John Rarity, formerly John Millar Networks Engineering Chemistry, was elected for his work formerly Senior Fellow at Professor of Law at the Dr Alistair Munro, Professor Michael Friswell, on micro-crystals. He has shown QinetiQ, a major arm of the University of Glasgow. Chief Systems Engineer formerly Professor of several routes to the preparation of government’s Defence of Degree2 Innovations Ltd Mechanical Engineering these synthetic materials, and recently Evaluation and Research 5 Chair in Psychology and previously a Reader at the University of synthesised hollow materials of simple Agency. Professor Tom Troscianko, in the Department of Wales Swansea. salts such as barium sulphate. formerly Professor of Electrical and Electronic 2 Chair in Veterinary Psychology in the School Engineering. Microbiology of Cognitive and Computing 11 Chair in Politics and Dr Jose Vazquez-Boland, Sciences at the University 8 Chair in Physical International Relations formerly Professor of of Sussex. Geography Dr Anthony Forster, Veterinary Microbiology Professor Paul Valdes, formerly Director of and Immunology, 6 Chair in Adult formerly Professor of Earth Research and Reader Complutense University Oncology Systems Science in European Foreign of Madrid. Dr Bassim (Bass) Hassan, in the Department of and Security Policy in Peter Wells, Emeritus Professor in formerly CR-UK Senior Meteorology at the the Defence Studies the Department of Clinical Medicine, 3 Chair in Urban Studies Clinical Research Fellow University of Reading. Department at King’s was elected for his contributions to Dr Adrian Franklin, formerly at the University of Oxford College London. the application of engineering and Reader in the School of and Honorary Consultant 9 Chair in Applied physics in medicine. He developed Sociology and Social Work in Medical Oncology at the Mathematics instruments for ultrasonic surgery at the University of Churchill Hospital, Oxford Dr Jens Eggers, formerly and power measurement. He has Tasmania, Australia Lecturer in the Department also made major contributions to the of Physics at the University