果冻传媒

"Hello everyone, well - we reach that moment, a year, a year of this pandemic. A year since we were all working together at the University, a year since we had to make those dramatic decisions, to close and to come and start working largely, not exclusively, largely from home.

The country was first lockdown a year ago and I just think back over the course of this year which has been so challenging, difficult, dramatic in many ways. We should remember those people who have lost their lives over this period of time and of course I know that many of you, you have lost people in your family, you have been telling me this.

Winter has been really hard for everyone. The impact of Covid of course but also this tight lockdown, kids at home, not at school, the worry of looking after loved ones at a time of short days, cold and sometimes quite revolting weather. And it鈥檚 been really, really hard for everyone. I must confess I have found it really, really hard. And I鈥檓 sorry I haven鈥檛 put out one of these videos earlier, I really should have done.

With the rest of the senior team, we have taken on board the comments you鈥檝e been making in the last staff survey about wanting to have more connection, about having more explanation, about having more engagement. So we are planning to have more video and other ways of explaining to you and sharing with you what鈥檚 going on. And we鈥檒l be finding routes for hearing from you more as well.

I just wanted to take this moment to thank you all yet again, but really, really seriously for the extraordinary amounts of hard work, dedication, commitment you have all put in to help and support the University over this period of time. The working approach that nearly all of us has had to take has been radically different from ones we have had before. And in dealing with that, not only have we got through this with that commitment and high quality, but with really extraordinary resilience in different parts of the University, in different roles, resilience has been one of the most extraordinary factors in this, from everybody and I鈥檓 really grateful, I just want to say thank you so much.

We know that our students have had a really hard time. But they are overwhelmingly positive about the overall quality of education that they have had. And that comes down to our students and the way that they engage, the co-creation work that is so important to our education, and it also comes down to all those academic staff, support staff who work so hard to make sure that all of our learning objects are there for our students, that we are there for our students, that we have engaged with our students. A year ago we all asked 鈥淐an we all commit ourselves and make sure that this year is a really successful one for education for our students?鈥� And everyone has done that and it has been absolutely fantastic.

Also our research continues to be extraordinary successful, amazingly it鈥檚 possible that the earnt research income that the grants, the fellowships that people have won – this year can be even greater than previous years, despite the pandemic which is an extraordinary achievement. The quality of our research is so high, we are just completing the submission to the research excellence framework, the results to which will ensure to demonstrate yet again just how successful, how brilliant the researchers across our University. In the course of that, I discovered an amazing fact. 1/8 of our academics on research contracts, is on some form of competitively won fellowship – it鈥檚 an extraordinary number and real testimony, to the brilliance actually that we have in our University.

Of course some areas of our university have really, really, really had to face hard times – our colleagues in conferences, in retail, cafes, bars and restaurants. As you know, sectors across the whole country have been hit really hard. For our commercial income over the course of this year, we are probably going to be something like 25 million pounds down. It鈥檚 been a real hit and we know how important our commercial income has been over the years, not only in providing jobs and extreme income for our students, which is a really important part of what they do, but also in generating moneys that we can reinvest in the University as a whole. But despite these real challenges, what we have seen from all our colleagues in those places is a gain in resilience and remarkable flexibility. A willingness to work across different areas supporting the University as a whole. Whether in or out of furlough, thank you so much for what you have done as well.

Overall, our financial plan about which we worked collectively so hard last year, about which we worried so hard and long over the summer through the year, our financial plan is going okay. We鈥檙e going to get through this pandemic in the way that collectively and committed we would do when we went into it a year ago.

I guess really one of the biggest learnings of the course of this lockdown the last 12 months has been that the importance of wellbeing which where things are going well, where things are normal, you could take it really for granted. Getting that really strong and clear home and work balance, life balance which can be such a challenge sometimes. Finding ways to keep engaged with support and family and friends, and all they do, including their wellbeing as well. Looking after each other. One of the extraordinary things about our University community, especially evident in the last 12 months, has been what people have done, for local communities, for local people in volunteering and in support. And I know people, you write to me and say 鈥渋t鈥檚 just a small thing鈥� but it鈥檚 really whatever you have done, is not a small thing. If it has impacted someone鈥檚 life, improved it, it is gold. And again, thank you, thank you for that.

Thank you also of course for those people who will be working over Easter break. Those in residential life, security, porters, cleaners, maintenance teams, many others who are going to be working over the period where we are largely closed. Thank you for doing that and for everybody, we must take some rest, we must take some down time. If you can鈥檛 take it over that Easter week, please make sure you do take it subsequently. We all need and deserve some down time.

We are coming up to that Easter break and for me, I am looking forward to a few things. I am looking forward to spending some time in our vegetable beds, and the pre-season work is always really intense this time of year. And goodness me, I have got a lot of weeding I need to get done. I am looking forward to going on some long walks, hopefully lovely sunny days. I don鈥檛 mind if it鈥檚 not warm, just please let it be lovely and sunny. I鈥檓 looking forward to spending some time with the family. I鈥檓 looking forward to a few more points on the premier league table for Aston Villa, but the most exciting thing of all for me over the course of the Easter period is a puppy. We are getting a puppy. Alfie is his name, he is a Labrador, and he鈥檒l be 8 weeks old now, so we鈥檒l be getting him when he is still full of life. I wonder if I am going to get a good night鈥檚 sleep when the puppy comes into the house but for those of you who are dog lovers, you know the excitement of having a puppy in the house and what that will mean. So I鈥檓 looking forward to working with Alfie.

I hope you all have a great break. We are not there yet, but we鈥檙e nearly there. I hope you have a great break, I hope you are finding a way to mark this one year commemoration of the pandemic in whatever way feels appropriate for you and your family.

Best wishes to you all and as I said earlier, we do promise to restart better and more regular communication with you all.

Thank you."

Professor Stuart Croft
Vice-Chancellor

23 March 2021