Staff are invited to advertise research seminars in a new events listing, hosted by the Graduate School. The resource has been introduced in response to students’ comments that it is difficult to find information about the full range of seminars on offer at Imperial, and covers research seminars open to all students and staff from across the College.
The listing can be found on the Graduate Schools website.
Receptions for graduates and their guests will take place across the South Kensington Campus on Wednesday 9 May as part of the Postgraduate Graduation Ceremonies. These events will lead to some changes to College catering services:
Imperial Consultants has recently launched a termly newsletter aimed at staff working or interested in consultancy activities at the College. The Imperial Consultants team provides a professional support service for Imperial’s academic and research staff who act as consultants on behalf of the College. Consultancy activities include the provision of technical advice, expert witnesses and testing, measurement and analysis for industry, commerce and governments worldwide.
The newsletter contains news, events and details of consultancy opportunities, and is only available to Imperial staff. To register to receive the newsletter, please enter your Imperial login details at: http://www.imperial-consultants.co.uk/newsletter
Read the first issue of the newsletter (Imperial login required)
Staff and students are invited to complete a short survey to offer information about their daily travel to and from Imperial. The data gathered will inform how more sustainable options for travel might be achieved at the College and will assist with preparations to report on green house gas emissions associated with staff and student commuting, which is expected to be a requirement by the Higher Education Funding Council for England in the future.
The survey should take 5-10 minutes to complete and participants will be entered into a draw to win a £50 Amazon voucher. To complete the survey, visit: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ImperialTravelSurvey
The results of the survey will be published on the Sustainability website.
As part of proposed plans for the new Imperial campus on Wood Lane, the College is exploring opportunities to offer private residential accommodation, which may include apartments for staff. A survey has been launched to seek input to the proposals from staff, specifically their accommodation requirements and what pricing would be attractive. The survey is anonymous and results will be collated by an independent market research company.
To complete the survey, visit: https://www.ox-p.com/imperial
The feasibility study examining the proposed redevelopment of Level 0 of the Sherfield Building was completed in mid-February. The Portfolio Review Board (PRB) reviewed the findings at a meeting on 24 February, alongside feedback received from staff and students across Imperial and a paper submitted by the Holland Club. At this meeting, the PRB agreed:
Following that meeting, the Rector asked the Deputy Rector:
The Deputy Rector is in the process of appointing a task group to guide plans for the use of Level 0 of the Sherfield Building. The task group will review the feedback received from staff and students across the College during the feasibility study and make recommendations to the Management Board on the following points:
Membership of the task group will be as follows:
Construction work has begun on recladding the Mechanical Engineering Annex which fronts on to Exhibition Road. The £1.19 million project will improve the building’s appearance and its ability to retain heat, delivering energy savings which will help to reduce the College’s carbon footprint. The work is expected to be completed in time for the London 2012 Olympics.
All courses offered under the name Imperial College London, which are not part of an award-bearing programme, require review under a light touch quality assurance process managed by the College’s new Continuing Professional Development Quality Committee. The process applies to courses including:
Approved courses will be able to offer participants the official Imperial College London Certificate of Attendance and any information online will be publicised via the School of Professional Development website.
Staff intending to run a short course are asked to complete a proposal form available at the following website: http://www.imperial.ac.uk/cpd/qualityassurance
Following removal of the Default Retirement Age on 1 October 2011, the College will no longer set a date when members of staff retire. Members of staff will be able to choose when they enter retirement on a full or part-time basis. Where a member of staff is considering retirement they should discuss their intentions with their line manager in good time.
Support is available for staff intending to enter retirement in the next 12 months through the workshop organised by the Learning and Development Centre, ‘Preparing for Retirement’. The workshop is run annually and will take place on 6 July in 2012.
For further details and to book a place, visit: http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/staffdevelopment/ldc/workshops/prof_dev/retirement
Members of the Superannuation Arrangements of the University of London (SAUL) and staff eligible to join this pension scheme are invited to offer their views on proposed changes to the scheme. The changes aim to ensure that SAUL continues to offer high quality, affordable and sustainable benefits. During the period 10 January to 9 March the College, along with all other SAUL employers, is seeking input to the consultation. There are minimal changes proposed for current members. For new members changes include earning a pension on a Career Average Revalued Earnings (CARE) basis and the introduction of the normal pension age of 65. Member contribution rates will remain at 6% for current and new members; employer contribution rates remain at 13%.
For full details and to offer your views, visit: http://www.saul.org.uk/changes.html