Staff feedback on proposed academic structure - a message from the Vice-Chancellor

Monday, 26 January 2015

Vice-Chancellor Sir David Bell

Dear colleagues,

Today we publish proposals for a revised academic structure, following discussions between UEB members and Deans, Associate Deans for Teaching and Learning and Heads of Schools. We are inviting feedback by 6 February.

Our structure has served us well to date, but to deliver our strategy to 2026 and to operate most effectively in a competitive and changing environment, we must keep what we do under review. The principles underpinning this review are the need to be agile, to give the academic body a strong voice within the University, to allocate responsibilities clearly, and to empower colleagues who are close to our core activities.

The proposed new academic structure will both broaden and strengthen academic leadership across the institution, enabling a larger group of academic leaders to work directly with UEB.

We are not proposing any change to the current structure of Schools, with cross-disciplinary research groups and departments.

However, we are proposing that as from 1 August 2016, the University's academic community is no longer divided into faculties, each led by separate Deans, Associate Deans for Teaching and Learning and Faculty Directors of Research.

Instead, we want to create a broader academic leadership team of senior roles with dedicated responsibility for schools, for research, and for teaching and learning. All of these leadership posts would report to members of UEB.

In putting together our proposals we have been mindful of related developments, including the development of a new planning and resource allocation processes, the review of Professional and Administrative Services, and the development of a new 2020 Research Plan.

We should make clear that two elements outlined below are already decided but that the rest is open to your feedback.

First, there will continue to be five posts with responsibility for teaching and learning, but these will report directly to UEB and will be known as Teaching and Learning Deans.

Second, we are creating Research Dean positions, also reporting directly to UEB. We are, in fact, advertising today for up to five new Research Deans to report directly to the Pro-Vice-Chancellor with responsibility for research. These roles will be effective from 1 August 2015 to enable the University to start implementing its forthcoming 2020 Research Plan. A clear message emerged from internal discussions that we must start preparing for the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2020 cycle immediately. The results of REF 2014 confirmed that we are a world-leading research-intensive university, but we now need to build on them. The Research Deans will lead that process.

The rest of the proposals are open to your feedback, and are outlined below. I encourage you to read the proposals and provide your input by 6 February. The University Executive Board (UEB) will consider your feedback at its meeting on 16 February, after which we will determine the final proposal to be presented to Senate in March. Consultation with UCU, the Staff Forum and colleagues affected by the changes will be undertaken at the appropriate time.

We will work with colleagues through an implementation group to consider in detail how we make sure a new structure works in practice from 1 August 2016.

I recognise that structural changes can be disruptive, and we will work with those academic, professional and administrative colleagues who will be directly affected. I also recognise that these proposals represent a change to our ways of working and that you will have questions. Feel free to raise these through the feedback process.

I look forward to seeing you there.

With best wishes

David

How to provide feedback

You can email your comments - or questions - directly to university.strategy@reading.ac.uk or anonymously via the feedback form here.

We will also run a series of open sessions where any members of staff can come and hear about the changes, ask questions and make comments. The details of these sessions are below. There is no need to reserve a place.

Monday 26 January 13.00-14.00 Palmer 108

Tuesday 3 February 13.00-14.00 Palmer 108

Proposals for a new academic structure

Proposed University leadership team

The key proposed changes are:

Faculties

We no longer have Faculties, and instead of Deans of the Faculties and Faculty Directors of Research we have a number of senior academic leadership roles with clearly defined responsibility for research, teaching and learning and the schools, which report directly to University Executive Board.

Schools

Schools continue as they are currently constituted.
Henley Business School, which acts as both a Faculty and a School under the current arrangements, will act as a School under the new arrangements.
Heads of School continue normally to be internal appointments.
Heads of School will be appointed on a six-year fixed-term basis, with the possibility of extension on a case-by-case basis as determined by the University Executive Board.
Line management of Heads of School transfers to the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Academic Planning and Resource).
Heads of School will be responsible for the academic and financial performance of their school, and will also be responsible for contributing to the leadership and broader good of the University.
The Heads of School roles and the related support will be defined further through ongoing work, including, as appropriate, consultation on the new planning and resource allocation processes and the Professional and Administrative Services (PAS) review.

Teaching and learning - Changes already agreed by UEB and not part of this consultation

There continue to be five posts with responsibility for teaching and learning, but these report to the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Teaching and Learning) and are known as Teaching and Learning Deans.

Research - Changes already agreed by UEB and not part of this consultation

The post of Dean of Postgraduate Research Studies will continue as now on a fixed-term basis, reporting to the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation).
Up to five new Research Dean posts will be established to take effect from 1 August 2015. Research Deans will have responsibility over the development of the five University research themes, providing leadership and management, and developing ways to enhance quality of research outputs, research income and impact.
Each Research Dean will lead a minimum of one research theme: Environment; Food; Health; Prosperity and Resilience; and Heritage, Creativity and Values.
These posts will report to the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation), and will be appointed to 31 July 2021 to take the University beyond the expected date of the next REF.

Next steps

We are proposing to introduce changes to the academic structure from 1 August 2016 and there is a lot of work we need to do between now and then to get this right.

Comments received from staff by 6 February 2015 will be considered by UEB at its meeting on 16 February 2015.
The proposals will be formulated for submission to the Senate at its meeting in March, to be reported to the Council.
Steve Mithen, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation), is leading the appointment of Research Deans (to be in post by 1 August 2015), and will consider the implications for research of all proposals as part of the forthcoming 2020 Research Plan, including committee structure and research roles in schools.
Gavin Brooks, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Teaching and Learning), will consider the implications of the proposals for committee structure and teaching and learning roles in schools.
We will establish an implementation group to consider the detailed implications of the new structure for our ways of working and to ensure that all elements are in place ahead of an effective date of no later than 1 August 2016.
Consultation with UCU, the Staff Forum and affected employees will be undertaken at the appropriate times throughout this process.