Update to staff - 20 March 2020
Dear colleagues, it has been an extraordinary, and extraordinarily busy, week for all of us.
When we launched Aberdeen 2040 on Founders’ Day on 10 February, less than six weeks ago, it was not by chance that the first of our four Strategic Themes was Inclusive. Not by chance either that the first of the 20 commitments we made as a University was to ‘care for the wellbeing, health and safety of our diverse community, supporting and developing our people to achieve their full potential’. In the immediate short term this has meant this week completing the rapid transition to home working for nearly everyone – students as well as staff – in the University.
That brings with it both practical and psychological challenges. As a community we have worked hard to acknowledge and address both of those challenges, and that work will continue. We know that the shift to home working is so much more than just a change of physical location. We know that many – cleaners, lab-based scientists, librarians, catering staff – to name just a few, are unable to perform their roles at home either at all or in anything like the same way as on campus. For some of us, caring responsibilities at home mean that we cannot be as productive as we normally are. And we all need to have a thought for those key staff who are continuing to work on campus in difficult circumstances to maintain vital services, including ensuring that students who remain in residence with us are well looked after. We wish to extend our particular thanks to them on behalf of us all.
Our work at the University amongst our colleagues is a large part of the shape and meaning of our lives, so the adjustment for all of us, whatever our roles and circumstances, is huge. From the messages we are receiving what is shining through is the affection and loyalty to our great University, and an understanding for the difficult decisions that have been taken. Of course, we will not have got everything right in these tumultuous days, but we can be very proud of what we have achieved together.
We are also determined to ensure the continuity of the education of our students. It has been heartening to see the energy and commitment of everyone involved in the rapid shift to online teaching and assessment. There will be some bumps along the road, of course, but everyone is working hard to ensure as smooth a transition as possible and to support students whatever their needs.
Social connection
The term ‘social distancing’ has been much used in the media and indeed in our own earlier messages. The term is an unhelpful one, for while we all recognise the importance of physical distancing to halt the spread of coronavirus, we are going to need to work hard to combat the risk of social isolation. Heads of School and Directors are developing ways to ensure that staff stay connected with each other, and never have we been more grateful for the opportunities that electronic platforms and social media provide to allow us to maintain existing networks and build new connections. We also continue to reach out to our alumni, an important part of the Aberdeen community, to support them in new and creative ways. Please stay connected with each other, ensure there is time for the casual conversations that we all enjoy at work, particularly in these early days when we are all feeling disorientated.
Financial sustainability
We started this message by reference to Inclusive, the first Strategic Theme of Aberdeen 2040. We need too to talk about the fourth of our Strategic Themes, Sustainable, and in particular our University’s financial sustainability. Even a quick glance at the news headlines makes clear that the economic impact of coronavirus is of an almost unimaginable scale as well as uncertain duration. Wherever we look – from interest rates at their lowest ever level, stock markets and the price of commodities in freefall, government financial aid in the hundreds of billions, cultural, entertainment and sporting organisations we cherish closing their doors, we see the profound and immediate impact.
The University receives a substantial proportion of its income from its ability to recruit students from around the world. That source of income is clearly at risk in the short term, and so we must take steps to preserve our cash balances. That is why we have taken the decision to pause any capital spend we can on projects across the Schools and Directorates (though the construction of the Science Teaching Hub, which it would cost more to halt, will continue for as long as the contractors are able to operate). We have also taken the very difficult decision to pause the recruitment of staff in all categories across Schools and Directorates until we have greater clarity on the support that may be available for the higher education sector during academic year 2020/21 and possibly beyond.
Resilience
Our Sustainable Theme under Aberdeen 2040 is, however, about more than financial or even environmental sustainability, important though both of those things are to us. Our first commitment under Sustainable talks of ‘recognising the importance of our time, energy and resilience’. Never have these things been more important, and we will need to develop ways of strengthening our resilience – both individual and collective – in the coming days. Very soon too, as we gradually adjust to our new circumstances, our thoughts will need to turn seriously to using our time, energy and creativity to ensure we are as well placed as possible to emerge from the current situation and be sustainable into the future. Things will not be the same again for a long time if at all, and as we have done in the past we will need to adapt and innovate in order to flourish.
Together we will get through this, but for now we wish you a peaceful weekend.
Best wishes
George and Karl
Professor George Boyne |
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