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

Across the FD, we deliver services to students and colleagues. As a highly-skilled and dynamic workforce we are also constantly challenging ourselves and contributing to key projects across the University.

You may be aware that we are shortly launching the FD’s first business plan, the purpose of which is to be clear on our focus for the next three years and what we are realistically able to deliver. Called Our Way Ahead, it builds on your great work in helping the University deliver its Strategic Plan: we all know that we are here to ensure the best possible experience for students and staff.

The plan will be with you all next month and a member of the senior leadership team will be attending meetings across the FD so that you have an opportunity to ask questions and feedback. Details of dates and how to join will be sent out in the next few days. We appreciate that some of you work shifts and some of you will be away from work taking strike action so we are working to give everyone the greatest possible opportunity to attend.

Two things are at the core of the FD’s new plan. Firstly, we must always provide the best possible campus experience and service for our communities. Secondly, I want to help everyone in the FD to collaborate: it will make all our jobs easier and our activity more impactful. To enable that to happen as effectively as possible I am introducing three new senior leadership positions and there will be some re-grouping of services. Most people will be unaffected.

The new Director-level roles will be advertised in February and replace our current interim leadership roles in Estates and Facilities, Commercial, Campus Support and Sustainability. Roles like this take time to fill and any other changes will not happen until after the roles are in place.

I will keep you informed as the recruitment process continues and the senior leadership team will talk through the structure and which service each team will sit in when we run the presentations for the business plan. I’d also encourage you to contact your head of service/line manager with questions.

The new senior management structure will be as follows:

• Director of Campus Innovation: Masterplanning, Asset Management & Sustainability
• Director of Campus Innovation: Infrastructure, Construction & Delivery
• Director of Campus Innovation: Campus Services, Experience & Commercial
• Director of Residential and Catering (this role is unchanged and not part of the recruitment process.

Another focus of the new business plan is creating opportunities for everyone in the directorate to help shape how we work and have their say. Towards the end of last year the new FD leadership forum was established which is an opportunity for leaders to come together to shape and inform our strategy and activity. In a similar way, I want everyone to have a voice and the next step is to set up a “staff voice” group, bringing colleagues together from all levels. This is in addition to other routes for having your say such as trade unions, line managers or talking directly to HR or senior managers.

Please look out for those opportunities and also for the new, University-wide staff engagement survey which launches in February. I’d like us all to take part in that and encourage others to do the same. This is another great opportunity to have your say and make a difference.

It is a busy time but we must continue to make our campus experience the best it can be for students and our colleagues across the University. Thank you for your continued hard work.

Ann Allen,
Director of Campus Innovation and Development