Dear colleague,
I hope this message finds you well. My thanks to all of you who are involved in the assessment period starting this week; I hope it goes very well for all.
Step 3 and onwards in the UK’s roadmap
As you will have heard earlier this week, the UK Prime Minister announced that ‘step 3’ of the roadmap will progress as planned on 17 May. For our undergraduates, this will not affect their courses given they are now firmly in assessment period but I’m grateful to departments for reviewing what more we can provide for our postgraduate taught students over the coming weeks.
In terms of working arrangements, although much work can continue to be delivered remotely, we’re also making it easier to work or meet colleagues on campus from 17 May if you need to do so. We have today published information on ‘10 things you can do on campus’ this spring and summer, which may be of interest to you.
Summer at Bath programme open for bookings
As restrictions ease, more activity is possible for our staff and students, and I’m delighted to see that our Summer at Bath programme of activities has now opened for bookings. There are a variety of activities on offer in late May and June, including many opportunities for staff. These include wellbeing and fitness classes and ways to reconnect with colleagues at BBQs on campus, for example. All our activities are being carefully planned in line with the roadmap to enable our community to safely and gradually reconnect with campus and with one another. Spaces are limited for many activities to ensure numbers are regulated, so please ensure you book ahead.
Of course, these facilities and activities are opening up because of the improving public health situation, although we continue to monitor developments carefully. It is really important to ensure that we continue to keep one another safe through observing ‘hands, face, space’ and through regular Covid testing. To make this even easier, from Monday, staff and students will now be able to pick up home testing kits from campus, as well as being able to order them online.
National annual pay negotiations
As you may be aware, the national annual pay negotiations have been taking place. Colleagues may wish to know that the final offer to the trades unions is a 1.5% increase on the pay spine, with higher uplifts for those at the lower end, up to 3.6%. The Chief Executive of the University and Colleges Employers Association has said that this is a “pay offer which balances affordability for our member institutions with a desire to provide a meaningful uplift for staff in the sector”. More information on the offer, which will now be discussed by the national trades unions can be found here.
EU Settlement Scheme application deadline 30 June
For colleagues who are EU, EEA or Swiss citizens or have family members who are, please be aware that the deadline for applications to the EU Settlement Scheme is 30 June 2021. If you are eligible and wish to do so, we would strongly encourage you to apply for the immigration status you will need to continue to live, work and study here in the UK after 30 June 2021. Please visit the EU Settlement Scheme Q&A for staff webpage or email hr-visas@bath.ac.uk if you have any questions or need any support.
iCAST launches
Congratulations to Professor Matthew Davidson and the team behind the launch of the Innovation Centre for Applied Sustainable Technologies (iCAST) this week. This major new collaboration with academia and industry will use sustainable chemical technologies to accelerate the UK’s transition to net zero carbon emissions. It is wonderful to see collaboration with industry, with expertise at the University of Oxford, the Catapult Network (National Composites Centre and Centre for Process Innovation), innovation experts at SETsquared, Local Enterprise Partnerships and investors. May I wish the team every success as this Centre develops.
Finally, I’d like to express my thanks to all those involved with organising ‘Stay Connected’, a dedicated programme of skills support and careers advice for the Class of 2021 to help them enter the current challenging job market. This is a really important initiative and I’m very grateful for the hard work colleagues have put in to provide this support to our final year students.
With best wishes,
Professor Ian White
Vice-Chancellor and President
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