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› Contents: news; people; notices; people in the news; what's on; ads

NEWS

National pay negotiations

The employers have put forward their final pay offer of 0.5% for the year 1 August 2009 to 31 July 2010. This final offer, improves on the 0.4% offer made on 19 May.

UCEA has also offered to work with the trade unions to:

• Investigate systematic issues around the gender pay gap and monitor the application of equal pay reviews
• Evaluate the implementation of the Pay Framework Agreement since 2006, and in particular to look at harmonisation of terms and conditions, the operation of contribution points and the assimilation of hourly paid lecturers
• Consider issues affecting the financial sustainability of the sector.

The revised pay offer is in addition to the incremental payments equal to 3% that approximately two-thirds of HE staff will receive. The increased offer was made following an extensive consultation exercise with HE institutions, all of which are operating in an increasingly difficult economic environment, and at a time when RPI is running at minus 1.6% and is likely to fall further.
The Executive Boards of the Unions are now considering whether to consult members and no formal response to the new pay offer is expected until late August. Staff will be kept informed of developments. Please see the webpage for full information and links.

Lancaster University announced £80 million refinancing

Lancaster University this week announced plans to refinance its 1995 Debenture Stock. The redemption will be effected through a new facility agreement with the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS). The University has also secured credit approved terms from RBS for a revolving credit facility to support its ongoing Capital programme. › To view the full story

Global first for Observatory

Lancaster University’s International Observatory on End of Life Care is the only institution in the world to offer a Doctorate in Palliative care. The first such doctorate in the world will begin in June next year, and is intended to be international in focus, appealing to people working in a variety of settings whether as doctors, managers, educators, policy makers or researchers. The Observatory already has a worldwide reputation for teaching and research and is well known for its comparative analysis of international hospice and palliative care services. › To view the full story

Mayor at Pre-School Centre

The Mayor of Lancaster is to open a new £40,000 outdoor area at the University's Pre-School Centre next Friday, July 31. After the opening at 11am, the children will enjoy a teddy bears' picnic in the landscaped grounds which were created with £20,000 each from the University and Lancashire County Council. There are two Norwegian wooden lodges with living grass roofs, four willow wigwams as well as a dry river bed. There is also a wooden boardwalk through the area, paved pathways and trees and shrubs.

Swine Flu update

A number of cases of Swine Flu have been identified in the Lancaster and Morecambe district as well as across Lancashire. The University is in close contact with the Health Protection Agency and the local Health Authority and is monitoring the situation on campus.

Yesterday the Government launched the online National Pandemic Flu Service https://www.pandemicflu.direct.gov.uk/
and telephone service 0800 151 3100.

For the latest information and advice please check the University Swine Flu webpage on http://www.lancs.ac.uk/press/swineflu.htm

Please ensure that HR hold details of your current emergency contact information by checking your details (via campus PC or VPN) on “employee self-service” which can be accessed from the HR home page or https://hr.lancs.ac.uk:8643/concerto/Portal/

People

Chris Thrush has been appointed as Divisional Director of Human Resources. Chris has wide experience of leading HR functions in major organisations, most recently as Group Director of HR for Corporate Express NV in the Netherlands. Chris will start at the University on August 24th, taking up his position formally from September 1st. This is a role that is of central importance in delivering the excellent HR services essential to support the strategic plan.

Professor Paul Farley, English & Creative Writing has been shortlisted for the Forward Poetry prize, and has been featured on the Guardian website, 23 July and the BBC News website, 23 July.

Dr Griet Scheldeman from the Lancaster Environment Centre has been selected from over a hundred applicants for one of this year’s British Science Association Media Fellowships. The scheme is aimed at creating a better understanding of the media among practising scientists, social scientists, clinicians and engineers. She will undertake a placement with BBC Radio & BBC News Interactive over the summer and attend the British Science Festival at the University of Surrey, where she will work in the press centre alongside science journalists.

The report on antisemitic discourse – ‘Understanding and addressing the ‘Nazi card’’ - jointly written by Dr Paul Iganski and PhD student Abe Sweiry from the Department of Applied Social Science launched at a reception in the House of Commons last week has been widely covered in the Jewish Press including the Jewish Chronicle, The Jewish Tribune, and Hamodia. It has also sparked an outbreak of blogging including the Guardian’s Comment is free.

Notices

Facilities notices

County South refurbishment - access

• Window replacement to the County Bar, County Diner, Laundrette, JCR will start w/c 27th July. At the same time, works to replace the paving (and to install drainage) to the spine from the Laundrette around to the Piazza and works to the County Court yard adjacent to the Lecture Theatre will be carried out. Click here for a map and more information.

  The Roundhouse - electricity shutdown

• The Roundhouse will be without electricity from 07:30am until 10:00am on Friday 31st July while an electricity meter is replaced. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause. If you have any questions please contact Peter Lawson, Energy Manager, Facilities – Infrastructure 92948.

  Gillow Avenue closure

• Major drainage improvement works commence on 27th July in Gillow Avenue. The Avenue will be closed for parking/deliveries from 27th July until 17th September (at latest). For further information please contact project manager Ian McManus in Facilities on extension 93232.

  Replacement of damaged astroturf pitch

• Work has started on the replacement of the damaged Astroturf pitch at the front of the University. As part of the works the fencing will be replaced around both pitches and the tennis courts. During the construction work both Astroturf pitches and the tennis courts will be out of use, scheduled to be reopened for the start of term. If you have any enquiries regarding the works please contact Chris Maughan 94943.

  Travel

• From Tuesday 1st September 2009 the X1 bus service linking the University with Lancaster Railway Station and areas west of the city centre will be rerouted via the A6 through Greaves, rather than along its current route through Bowerham. This will increase the number of direct buses between Greaves and the underpass from 3 to 6 buses per hour during daytime Monday – Friday. A slightly revised timetable will be published shortly and made available in a future issue of LU Text.

  Cycling skills training

• Do you lack confidence riding a bicycle in heavy traffic, on roundabouts or turning right at busy junctions? If so, FREE help is available in the form of free cycle skills training to your suited level. You could regard it as the ‘Pass Plus’ of cycling and it’s completely FREE to do. Training is done by local trainers who are accredited to training to the national standards. Training can be arranged as 1-2-1 with an instructor, as a group from a department or a group of friends or as part of a larger course. If you are interested please call 01524 582392 or email.

Flexible benefits 2009/10 enrolment and roadshow

Enrolment for the next flexible benefits’ year (commencing 1st October) will take place between 10th August and 9th September. Further information will be sent to staff in electronic and hard copy formats. Please ensure that HR hold details of your current home address by checking your details on “employee self-service”. This can be accessed (via a campus PC or VPN) on the HR home page or https://hr.lancs.ac.uk:8643/concerto/Portal/. Initial information can be found on the HR web site at http://www.lancs.ac.uk/depts/hr/total-reward/benefits.html There will also be a flexible benefits “roadshow” on Tuesday 1st September in the Management School Hub Area, where all benefit providers will be on campus to talk to staff about their products.

Sports centre summer holiday activities and sports camps

5 weeks of fun activities and coaching

• Week 1 : 27th - 31st July General Activities 9.30 - 4.30 £12 per day
• Week 2 : 3rd - 7th August Football Coaching Camp 10 - 3pm 5 day course £55
• Week 3 : 10th - 14th August Rugby Coaching Camp 10 - 3pm 5 day course £55 / Indoor Tennis Coaching Camp 1 - 3pm 5 half day course £22.50
• Week 4 : 17th - 21st August General Activities 9.30 - 4.30 £12 per day
• Week 5 : 24th - 28th August General Activities 9.30 - 4.30 £12 per day
• Ages 8 - 14yrs, please book at reception or on 594000

Cashiers Office

The Cashiers Office will be closed at lunchtime, between 12.30 until 14.00, every Friday in August.

PEOPLE IN THE NEWS

People in the news - Media coverage for Lancaster University.

WHAT'S ON

For a full list of all items submitted for What's On, please see the Arts and Seminars & Lectures LU News web pages. For some event highlights see below.

Ethics and the Media

This exciting workshop – the final one in a three year long sequence of training workshops in research ethics - will explore contentious and pressing moral issues arising from the relationship between the media and research. How should researchers present their findings in the media? What are the responsibilities of the media in presenting work? Should researchers respect people’s privacy? Is it wrong to exploit people and why? Should academics be prepared to employ emotional means to persuade others? Follow link for more information

Lectures & Seminars

ADVERTS

All adverts - posted by staff.