Issue 595 Reporter January 2016 Get ready to Be Curious All are invited to a new family-friendly event showcasing our exciting and innovative health and wellbeing research. Page 4 Sleep Research @ Leeds A new initiative is set to transform the way we think about sleep and how health services encourage healthy sleep. Page 7 A new era of teaching innovation and scholarship at Leeds Winning team cut accidents in the lab The Leeds Institute for Teaching Excellence and Innovation shows our commitment to A team from the Faculty of Biological Sciences improved lab procedures and instructions to win enhancing student education and teaching. the coveted Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Health and Safety 2015. Page 9 Page 5 02 Leader column Reporter 595 January 2016 Leader column Making the case for intelligent reform We are already in the swing of 2016 – teaching has started, this year’s first tranche of examinations is complete, Senate has met, and nominations for the student executive are open. Once again it will be a busy year. It could also see the beginning of significant changes for higher education in the UK. As outlined in my last column, we have been preparing – and have now submitted – our standards and quality; access and participation; idea of preceding the conference with a Digital response to the Government Green Paper on transparency and provision of information for Festival was inspired. Discussing and exploring higher education and you can read it on the For students and the wider public; the effective ways in which to evidence excellence, whilst Staff website. We agreed with the broad sweep handling of student complaints and redress; giving people the opportunity to discover more of the detailed responses made by the Russell and questions of financial sustainability and about technologies that can help do this, was a Group and UUK and confined our response to good governance. powerful combination. SEC also saw the launch key questions on the oversight of universities of the Leeds Institute for Teaching Excellence We welcome the principles behind the at national level, the Government’s intention to and Innovation. This is a tangible commitment introduction of a Teaching Excellence open up the sector to new entrants, the teaching to position Leeds as an international leader in Framework (TEF). However, teaching excellence excellence framework, and the dual support the pedagogy and scholarship of research-led must incorporate and reflect diversity, be system of research funding. education and research based learning. I have the sum of many factors and chime with the high hopes for its development as a centre I have no doubt that the Government’s proposals varying perceptions of students, institutions and for the dissemination of innovative teaching have been formulated with the best of intentions employers. The TEF should be a mechanism practices. and we support the core aims of the Green for enhancing teaching excellence and building Paper – to raise teaching standards, boost on the global reputation of UK universities. Together with other colleagues, I was also graduate employability, widen participation and The suggested ranking system needs further delighted to attend Leeds University Union’s encourage new high-quality entrants. However, development work, whilst the measurement (LUU) presentation on the considerable impact we do have some key points of difference on of ‘learning gain’ is in its infancy and needs they have made over the past year, focusing how intelligent reform might be delivered. to develop further before it can be used on four key areas – empowering, enriching The existing legislation has worked well for reliably. The University supports a model of and inspiring students and driving LUU into almost 25 years and has supported the co-development where universities and policy the future. Executive officers Toke Dahler and development of world-leading higher education makers can work together to develop and test Mels Owusu gave an overview of some of their and research. The principles of university new arrangements over time. major successes, such as the 90% of taught postgraduate students who feel positive about autonomy and academic freedom are key to We do not support linking fees to the TEF. LUU, the 24,000 club and society memberships this and must be maintained. The Green Paper The idea that teaching excellence is driven by created during the year, and the 1,000 proposes splitting the regulation, funding and increasing income misjudges the importance students who have gained employment or work oversight of teaching and research, potentially of partnership working and trust between experience through the union. Suffice to say between several different bodies. We believe universities and their students – students that the event underlined the huge importance that this is fundamentally wrong as it would have a right to high quality education in every of LUU to the University and the overall student fragment and overcomplicate the engagement institution trusted with University Title. Future experience at Leeds. between Government and universities. It risks fee levels and the overall balance of private an unnecessary division between education and and public investment in higher education is a Their achievements are tremendous, and reflect research and increased transaction costs. matter of much wider societal interest. the engagement, enthusiasm and determination that are the defining characteristics of the Leeds The distinctiveness of a university education Finally, quality-related research funding student body. I know that the strength of The depends on the symbiotic relationship between enables universities to maintain a dynamic Partnership, in particular, is much admired – teaching and research; research-led education and responsive research base. It provides not just within the University but by our peers enhances the student experience and prepares much needed flexibility to invest in new areas in other UK institutions – and I am very much high quality graduates for employment. We of research, to encourage new partnerships looking forward to continuing our work together. recommend that any new national body should and interdisciplinary working and to support a operate a ‘whole system’ approach to regulation, vibrant PhD and postdoctoral community and 2016 holds the promise of being another good funding and oversight, enabling a coherent must be protected. year for the University and I look forward to it approach to improvement in undergraduate with excitement and enthusiasm. Back on campus, the quality of teaching at and postgraduate education, research and Leeds was showcased earlier this month innovation. at the fifth Student Education Conference The Green Paper also implies some relaxation of (SEC)*. There are very few universities that the requirements for new entrants to the sector. could hold such a conference on this scale University Title is precious and valuable – the and no other that could mount such a rich Vice-Chancellor Sir Alan Langlands criteria and process for obtaining this need to be and diverse programme. This year’s theme of rigorous, focusing on key questions of academic ‘Evidencing Excellence’ was timely, and the *See pages 8 and 9 for more details of the SEC and LITEI. January 2016 Reporter 595 News 03 News Contents News Page 3 People Page 5 Research and innovation Page 6 Students Page 7 Partnership Page 10 Campus Page 11 In the news Page 12 Honours Page 13 New year, new gallery News/small ads Treasures of the Brotherton Gallery opens Page 14 Events The first day of February will see Leeds University Library open the Page 15 doors of the new Treasures of the Brotherton Gallery to colleagues, students and the general public. FAQs Located in the iconic Parkinson Building, introduction of conscription in Britain and Page 16 the new gallery will enable visitors to see and explores what happened when able-bodied explore books and manuscripts from our world- men refused to fight for their country. The renowned Special Collections, including the exhibition features original letters, artwork, About the Reporter first folio of William Shakespeare’s plays (1623), government documentation, diaries, postcards Brontë family papers and illuminated medieval and personal items belonging to the men who The Reporter is the University of Leeds’ staff magazine, produced eight times a year. More manuscripts. asked to be excused from military service. than 7,600 copies are distributed to our staff This thought-provoking exhibition presents the Highlights from the University Library’s five and stakeholders. The Reporter is produced various non-combatant wartime roles available by the Communications team. designated collections are at the centre of the to conscientious objectors. The display also new space. The permanent display continues Previous copies of the Reporter can be found highlights the public reaction to the men who with three themes: From hand to print, online at www.leeds.ac.uk/forstaff/reporter refused to take part in war. Understanding our world, and Imagination and Read online creativity. Visitors will discover objects which tell The Treasures of the Brotherton Gallery has If you would prefer to receive an electronic a thousand tales, from the evolution of printing been made possible by the financial support copy of the magazine, please email to the story of a First World War prison escape, of the Heritage Lottery Fund and the John [email protected] quoting your and see manuscripts written by some of the Brotherton-Ratcliffe Trust. personnel number or, if you are external to world’s most famous authors. the University, your name, postcode and Entry to the gallery is free, and it is open on work email address. As well as displaying objects from Special Monday between 1-5pm and Tuesday to Keep in touch Collections, the gallery will also stage special Saturday from 10am–5pm. If you have an idea for a story, want to exhibitions.