First for Biological Sciences

Tuesday, 11 June 2013

The School of Biological Sciences has been recently been accredited as meeting Investors in People standard - the first academic unit in the University to do so. Investors in People (IiP) is a national standard for professionalism in management and leadership in UK organisations.

Head of School, Dr Mark Fellowes, said "we are very proud to have our efforts to support the development and success of staff within the School of Biological Sciences acknowledged in this high profile way.

"This shows how we have built best practice into how we go about supporting an empowered, forward thinking and focused School that recognizes the need for continuous improvement if we are to succeed in meeting our ambition to be recognised as one of the best places to conduct research and study biology in the UK. Our applications alone show that we are doing something right. This year well over 2,000 people applied to join our undergraduate degree programmes, a number unimaginable several years ago".  

Chris Butcher, the Investors in People consultant, was impressed with the work that the University has completed on "Values for Working Together and Professional Behaviours" and felt the outcomes described there are very much in line with the good practices contained within the IiP framework that the School of Biological Sciences had met.

While initially aimed at the business community, the principles supported by IiP have been applied to an enormous range of organisations, including charities and the civil service, as well as companies of all sizes in the UK. Within the University, both the Library and Estates and Facilities have already achieved IiP status.

Pictured: members of the School's Investors in People team receiving the official certificate (l-r): Dr Kim Watson, Dr Tim Richardson, Dr Karen Henderson, Trevor Pitman, Dr Mark Fellowes, Professor Tony Downes (Deputy Vice-Chancellor) and Chris Butcher (IiP assessor).