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Week ending Friday 23 June 2006 |
Staff BriefingA joint initiative by MIS, Corporate |
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Next editions and entries to the briefing
- Thursday 29 June (afternoon)
- Monday 10 July
- Monday 17 July
Please keep entries concise with, if necessary, a link to further details on the web. Please check entries for accuracy and timeliness before sending. Deadline for entries is (generally) 12 noon each Friday.
Email: briefing@bradford.ac.uk
General University notices
Introducing The Hub
A competition to name the University’s new student centre concept resulted in over 150 entries from both staff and students. The winning entry from Lorraine Haley was drawn out of a hat as this turned out to be one of the most popular choices. The HUB met the essential criteria for a short and snappy memorable name, which captured the welcoming and accessible nature of the new service. By choosing a new and distinctive name within the University it also demonstrates our vision of a new and vibrant student-centred service at the heart of the new atrium development.
The Hub will not only be the name of the physical space which is now being constructed in the Richmond Building foyer but also the virtual electronic service which will also be introduced over the next few years as a result of the University’s e-strategy.
Hub
- The central part of a wheel where the spokes come together
- The term is familiar to frequent fliers who travel through airport "hubs" to make connecting flights from one point to another
- In data communications, a hub is a place of convergence where data arrives from one or more directions and is forwarded out in one or more other directions
- Hub is a place of convergence where data arrives from one or more directions and is forwarded out in one or more other directions
- A common connection point for devices in a network
- A transportation hub is a node in a network that can be used to channel goods from origins to destinations. Hubs are used at strategic locations in a network to reduce transportation costs
- A location where several pipelines interconnect. Also known as a market center
- A focal point around which events revolve
Clearing Training Days
Training Sessions have been scheduled for Tuesday 4th July (9.30am and 1.30pm sessions) and Thursday 13th July (9.30am and 1.30pm sessions).
Attendance at one session (morning or afternoon) on any one day is considered sufficient to provide all staff (departmental and Helpline) associated with Clearing the necessary experience (revision) in dealing with callers and working with relevant SAINT screens. A drop-in session has been arranged for Friday 11th August (11am - 2pm) as a refresher session for any volunteer who wants to practice any aspect of the Clearing Helpline.
There will be a simulation of the Clearing event on Friday 14th July 2pm - 4pm in the PC cluster room 01.53, JB Priestley Library and L24, Richmond building (Life Sciences base room) in order to test the SAINT screens and different equipment types: phone, PCs, printers and base room information transfers. All volunteers are requested to attend this session.
Even if you are already familiar with the above SAINT-based facilities, it is essential that all those intending to support confirmation and clearing activities, either on the Helpline, or at departmental level attend one of the above training days.
Please note that further information (including confirmation of bookings) in relation to these training days is available from the Staff Development Office.
Important financial news regarding credit cards and online payment
We must cease, with immediate effect, recording credit and debit card numbers (or asking students to provide them). By recording such details, we are contravening the rules of Visa International and they are able to withdraw our credit card facilities, which obviously we don't want.
As an alternative, we can ask students to use our new web-based payment
facility. Unfortunately, it will not currently cover every single type
of payment that the student might wish to pay, but it does cover most.
The University has purchased an Online Payment facility. Here are some
of the details/features:
- It is now up and running
- It provides a secure, flexible method of payment
- It enables students/mums/dads/brothers etc to pay for Tuition and Accommodation Fees using their debit and credit cards
- It confirms or rejects payment (almost) immediately
- It provides a confirmation email to the payers/students email address
- It's minimum information requirement is student UB number and student date of birth - remember - not all '060' numbers have been brought over from Saint to Powersolve yet and therefore there will be some numbers that it will not recognise. Please provide the Finance team with lists of student numbers from whom you are expecting a payment and this should solve the problem.
- It is similar to other web sites for those of you familiar with making payment on the web.
Check out the web site - the address is http://epay.bradford.ac.uk/epay/
(will open in a new window)
There is also a good payment link from our external web page, and a two
step link on the internal web page. Please bear in mind that you can always
ask the student/payer to telephone the Cashiers Office on 01274 233137/8
Please let me know if you want a brief get-together where we could demonstrate
the new system. Call or email with any queries
Jill, j.l.miller@bradford.ac.uk
Ext 3123
Communicating in an Information Age
At Bradford’s recent annual Learning, Teaching and Assessment (LTA) conference I outlined Learning Support Services plans to develop and offer a series of flexible e-learning objects for use by staff and students to develop their communication skills - see http://www.bradford.ac.uk/acad/tqeg/resources/conf06062006/a_picknmix_approach_to_lifelong_learning.ppt (will open in a new window)
Working collaboratively with academic staff is a key element of this project. We need your expressions of interest in taking up the module(s) or individual learning objects, ideas/suggestions regarding content and offers of existing teaching/assessment materials for conversion into interactive e-learning formats.
If you can help or want to be kept informed of developments please contact Ruth Whitfield, Learning Support Services, ext 3336, r.whitfield@bradford.ac.uk or download, complete and send the form available from http://www.bradford.ac.uk/acad/tqeg/resources/conf06062006/lta_conference.doc (will open in a new window)
Change to Window Cleaning dates
Further to the previous notification of window cleaning, the cleaning of Richmond Building windows (all wings, inside and out) is now going to continue for a further week. Work is going on now and will be completed by Friday 30th June.
Let me have any dates when access to any particular location may cause problems.
Simon Duarri
Estates Manager (Ancillary)
Ext: 34850, email: s.duarri@bradford.ac.uk
Buddhist meditation classes
The Buddhist meditation classes are now held in C2.08 in Chesham, 12.30 - 13.15, at least until and including Wednesday June 21st.
Training courses and events
PC Courses for Beginners in July
The Computer Centre is running a course for University Staff lasting 3 half days which introduces novices to the computer, the internet, and e-mail.
The course is specifically aimed at ancillary staff who do not use computers for their work, but who would benefit from being able to access information via the web or e-mail. However, any member of staff is eligible to attend. No previous computer experience is necessary.
Those who complete the course will have the option to do further study towards the British Computer Society "EqualSkills" qualification. The cost of registering for this qualification is in the region of £25, which will be reimbursed on successful completion.
The dates are:
- Part 1: Monday 10 July, 9.30 - 12.30
- Part 2: Thursday 13 July, 9.30 - 12.30
- Part 3: Friday 45 July, 9.30 - 12.30
Participants need to attend all three sessions.
If you would like to attend, please telephone ext: 5356 and leave your details. Alternatively ask a colleague to e-mail training@bradford.ac.uk and to view the Course Outline at: http://www.brad.ac.uk/lss/training/courses/details/getting-started.php
People Development Events
Places are available at the following courses:
New Staff Induction
Monday 3 July 2006, 11.45 - 15.00
Target audience: Staff who are new to the University of Bradford.
http://www.brad.ac.uk/dev-prog/development/index.php?course=NSIN
Personal Harassment Contacts Training - Tuesday 4 July 2006 - 09.30 -
16.30
Target audience: Staff wishing volunteer as a Personal Harassment Contact
for other members of staff and students
http://www.brad.ac.uk/dev-prog/development/index.php?course=HARA
Disability Issues Training
Friday 7 July 2006, 09.30 - 16.30
Target audience: Essential for managers and staff recruiting for the University,
but open to any other members of staff.
http://www.brad.ac.uk/dev-prog/development/index.php?course=DDAT
Coaching Skills for Managers (2 days)
Monday 10 and Tuesday 11 July 2006, 09.30 - 16.30
Target audience: Anyone who manages other members of staff.
http://www.brad.ac.uk/dev-prog/development/index.php?course=COAC
Clearing Helpline Training
Thursday 27 July & Friday 4 August 2006, 09.00 - 12.30 & 13.00
- 16.30
Target audience: Any members of staff wishing to help on the Central Clearing
Helpline or in Department Clearing.
http://www.brad.ac.uk/dev-prog/development/index.php?course=CLH
Details of all the People Development training events for 2005-6 may
be found at the following web page:
http://www.brad.ac.uk/dev-prog/index.php?section=development
Lectures, seminars and newsletters
Research Bulletin
The latest edition of the Research Bulletin is now on the website at: http://www.bradford.ac.uk/admin/rsil/Newsletter/newsletterfp.htm
Included in this issue:
- Important message from the Research Support Unit re not being able to submit applications electronically or getting signatures for paper copies on 5th, 6th and 7th July.
- Appointments to BBSRC Strategy Panels and Research Committees
- BBSRC launches consultation on Peer Review Committee Structure
- EPSRC seeks input to new Strategic Plan
- Leverhulme Trust - new online applications for outline bids
- EPSRC:
- HPC Prizes
- New Dynamics of Ageing - Preparatory Networks and Grants
- Times Higher/Commonwealth University of the Year Award 2006
- Winston Churchill Memorial Trust Fellowship Scheme
- AHRC - Research Networks and Workshops Scheme
- ESRC
- Impacts Grants Scheme
- ESRC/DFID Joint Scheme
- Environment and Human Health Programme
- Interdisciplinary Early Career Research Fellowships
- How to access:
- ResearchResearch.com
- ub-research mailing list
- UKRO Information Services (UK Research Councils Brussels Office)
University of Bradford and the Feminist and Women's Studies Association
Annual Conference
The Department of Social Science and Humanities is hosting the annual conference of the Feminist and Women's Studies association 'Identities, Sexualities, Diversities' on July 13th 14th and 15th. Key note speakers are
- Thursday, Haleh Afshar 'Feminisms, Islamophobia and Identity'
- Friday, Sylvia Walby 'Gender, intersectionality and nations'
- Saturday, Ruth Lister 'Being Feminist'
Full details of papers and costs on http://www.brad.ac.uk/acad/ssh/seminar/identities/
Job Vacancies at the University
Current vacancies at the University can be found at the Personnel website:
http://www.brad.ac.uk/admin/personnel/jobvacancies/
The weekly bulletin can also be found as a pdf from the same page.
All queries should be directed to Personnel: ext: 5347, email: personnel@bradford.ac.uk
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