Dear colleagues,
The past week has been hugely eventful following the sad news of the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II last Thursday and the subsequent proclamation of His Majesty King Charles III as Monarch.
During this time of National Mourning, we can reflect on the life of The Queen and the way she supported us and recognised our collective work. Anyone who wishes to express their condolences can sign Glasgow City Council’s public Book of Condolence in the City Chambers or the Royal Family’s online Book of Condolence.
Throughout the mourning period, the University will work as normal, with teaching and assessment continuing and events proceeding where appropriate.
On the day of The Queen’s funeral, Monday 19 September, the University will be closed as a mark of respect and to allow those who wish to follow the momentous events of that day to do so. The library will remain open and I would like to thank the library staff for providing this important resource for our students’ wellbeing.
Of course, some colleagues will need to be on campus to keep our students safe and our buildings secure and the University community is once again grateful for all of their efforts.
Those colleagues who are required to work, and who cannot take Monday as a holiday, can opt to take another day or spread the hours throughout the week with the agreement of their line manager.
Last week, we held our first in-person Open Day since 2019, when we welcomed thousands of prospective students and their families onto our campus to discover more about what Strathclyde has to offer and to get a taste of what being a ‘Strathclyder’ is all about.
The day was very well attended and featured a wide range of events outlining for prospective students everything they need to know about the University, our facilities, courses, and student life. I took the opportunity to pay some flying visits to our Faculty and students services stands in TIC, the Assembly Hall, and at the Barony; what we presented was very impressive indeed.
I would like to thank our colleagues across Faculties, the Recruitment and International Office, and Conferencing and Events for their hard work in planning and delivering this key event in our calendar.
The first Senate meeting of the new academic year also took place last week, where we had wide-ranging presentations and discussions covering our preparations for session 2022/23 on-campus teaching, our National Student Survey Results and associated action plans, and an update on recruitment and financial performance. We also welcomed our new members of Senate, elected earlier in the summer, who play a hugely important role in the academic governance and continuing success of Strathclyde.
And at this week’s Leadership Group meeting we focused solely on undertaking Active Bystander Training as part of our commitment within our People Strategy to ensure a safe and secure working environment, and as part of our wider work to embed Safe360 and the Strathclyde Community Commitment.
The training gives colleagues the skills to challenge unacceptable behaviours, including those which may have become normalised over time. As a socially progressive university, we are determined to ensure that every member of our extended University community is safe and respected.
As part of the University’s commitment to ensuring every member of our community feels safe, supported and secure, we will be launching a range of initiatives over the next year, including participation in this Active Bystander Training, which is available to all staff to book, with new sessions in November.
Finally, with Welcome Week and Freshers’ Week well underway and the campus buzzing with activity, I am sure you will all join me in welcoming our new and returning students to campus to begin the new session as we look forward to the year ahead.
This week, I was also delighted to preside over session 2022/23’s Student Inauguration events held at the Barony Hall. We staged four events, with a degree of robed formality and procession, with each Faculty welcoming their new students and having speeches from me, the associated Executive Dean and our Student President. These were joyful events and it was great to see over 2,500 students attend and excited to be on campus to launch their university journeys.
I look forward to seeing many of you on campus over the next few weeks.
Best wishes,
Jim