Email sent to all FD staff from Ann Allen, Director of Campus Innovation and Development, on Wednesday 31 May.

It’s that time of year when teaching is over and assessments are well underway. 

More than ever, we hope that our students find the spaces we create and maintain serve them well as they navigate through their studies and – in some cases – prepare for the next stage of their lives. Thanks to all of you, our campus has wonderful spaces in which to study and to find moments of calm and wellbeing.  

On a personal note, it’s nearly a year since I started my role in the FD. I’m so proud of what we have achieved together, and guided by our road map – the business plan – we now have a clear path ahead. This all underpins the University’s Strategy and shows that we have an essential role to play in helping our students and staff achieve their potential and make a difference. Thank you for all your help and guidance in my first year. 

Staff Survey 

I was pleased to see the results of the University’s Employee Engagement Survey shared last week across the University. For the FD, a group of colleagues in the People & Culture working group are analysing our results and we will work with the FD Leadership Forum and FD Staff Voice to prioritise activity and implement change.

It’s early days yet and we’ll be sure to keep you up to date with progress. Thank you again to those who completed the survey and those who helped promote it. 

Net Zero by 2030  

Estates and Sustainability are making fantastic progress in our plans to deliver the Pathway to Net Zero 2030, a key commitment of the Climate Plan published in 2021 and one of the University KPIs.

Underpinned by detailed feasibility studies, and responding to financial, political and environmental changes since 2021, we now have a business case that offers an achievable means of delivery. It has been developed in close collaboration with academic leaders, is in line with research recommendations and is making its way through University feedback and sign off processes. The teams will keep us updated.   

Hybrid Meeting Rooms 

A lot of hard work has gone into the pilot of the hybrid meeting rooms project which launched last week; thank you to Jon Stothard, Andrea Kerridge and many others. This is a chance to trial ways in which virtual and physical meetings can come together successfully. You can find out more in this article on For Staff and I urge you to offer your feedback on the rooms to help shape the future of our spaces.  

Awards 

I was delighted to hear that our very own Natalie Cherry – Assistant Manager of Residence Life at Leeds – was awarded New Professional of the Year at the CUBO Residence Life Conference earlier in May. Natalie has done outstanding work this year, including an overhaul of the Social Committee programme for Residence Life which led to a 38% increase in students volunteering. This is such an important aspect of the student experience so this work has real impact. Many congratulations, Natalie.  

The Residence Life team also hosted the Hall Awards  in partnership with LUU in May to celebrate the achievements of our social committees, Residence Life assistants and residents of our halls. I was so glad I was able to attend and hear about all the fantastic events and activities being organised in our halls of residence.  

And finally, congratulations to Rob Wadsworth for being appointed as the new Chair of the Sport Leeds Partnership, a city-wide group including education providers, professional sports teams and others that collaborate to promote opportunities across the city and further afield.  

Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon 

Thank you to everyone who supported the Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon across our services including SPA and Estates. This included hosting Leeds Philharmonic Chorus on Parkinson Steps and a last-minute request from race organisers to provide extra barriers. Our teams also worked with a brilliant group of student volunteers who set up and ran a water station.

I know several people from the FD took part in the race itself too – congratulations! 

Ann Allen,
Director of Campus Innovation and Development