The Student Disability Service will run a three day event for students with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) or Asperger’s Syndrome, 26-28 July 2017 introduce students to university life and give them a chance to make friends.
Find out more at: http://www.ed.ac.uk/student-disability-service/new-students/transition-event-for-students-with-asd
The International Transgender Day of Visibility celebrates transgender people and raises awareness of the discrimination they face across the world. The Scottish Trans Alliance says the day “aims to increase trans equality and empower trans people to live their lives freely and confidently.”
See the Alliance’s website for easy ways to take part in the day: http://www.scottishtrans.org/our-work/expression/transgender-day-of-visibility/
A number of links for trans staff and students, and the people who support them, can be found in the Equality and Diversity section of the School’s website, under Resources: http://www.ed.ac.uk/informatics/about/work-with-us/equality-diversity/resources
The Principal, Professor Sir Timothy O’Shea
The Principal, Professor Sir Timothy O’Shea, has issued the following statement to staff:
I wanted to write to all students and staff today, as the Prime Minister invokes Article 50 which starts the formal two-year negotiation of Britain’s exit from the European Union. As I have said in my earlier messages, Edinburgh is and will remain a proudly European and international University. We are always open to new ideas and are founded on an ethos of collaboration. We take great pride in, and strength from, the 157 nations that make up the student and staff body of the University of Edinburgh and that will not change.
As we now enter the formal period of negotiation, our messages to government stress the positives of an international outlook. The importance of securing the rights of EU citizens already working in the UK is paramount and long term access to EU research funding programmes remains central to the overall success of our Universities. On the latter point, the guarantees the UK Government has already given to underwrite the payments of awards won, alongside other signals, affords us some comfort that this message is getting through.
Much activity is taking place across the University as we seek to strengthen our existing relationships and to build new partnerships with our European peers.
We continue to be the number one destination in Scotland for applications from the EU and we welcome the recent announcement by Scottish Government that EU nationals enrolling in 2018-19 have been guaranteed free tuition for the duration of their entire course.
I know that for many people there will be further concern around whether you, or members of your family, might be impacted by changes to residency rights. In order to support those members of staff who might be affected we are now offering loans for residency fees and a new set of targeted free legal information sessions, as well as providing further advice to our students.
I am always encouraged to see how people from across the University are working together to demonstrate their support for each other and for our message – that we remain strongly and positively European.
Image: Robert Brady
Students interested in a career in software engineering can hear from Informatics graduates working locally in industry, 6-7pm Monday 3 April 2017. The panel question and answer session is the latest in the School’s series of Women in Computing events organised by the Equality and Diversity Committee in association with Edinburgh Hoppers. This event is also supported by the University of Edinburgh Careers Service and the Development and Alumni Office. The panel will include:
• Agnieszka Bomersbach, BSc then MSc 2014, now Senior Software Engineer at Skyscanner
• Alice Elder, BSc 2011 now Software developer/development team leader, Clyde & Co
• Ljiljana Spadavecchia, PhD 2005, now Senior Software Engineer at GE
• Maria Rovatsou, MSc 2010, now a Software Engineer at Amazon.com
• Verena Beckham, MSc 2005, now Senior Principal Software Engineer, Compilers, Codeplay Software Ltd
The event is free but the audience is asked, please, to register in advance at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/women-in-computing-alumni-software-engineers-tickets-32924936371
The number of students in the UK seeking support for mental health issues has increased significantly in recent years. This month, the University launched a strategy to improve support for students who experience mental health issues. An extract from the strategy, as it relates specifically to Schools, says the University aims to:
For the full strategy see: student_mental_health_strategy-2017 or find it online here: http://www.ed.ac.uk/academic-services/policies-regulations/student-support
A summary of student support within Informatics, and links to specialist support in the University, can be found on the School intranet at: http://web.inf.ed.ac.uk/infweb/student-services/ito/admin/student-support-summary
Between 6-9pm on Friday 31 March 2017, in commemoration of Transgender Visibility Day, University of Edinburgh’s Staff Pride Network is hosting an event to look at cultural representations of transgender identity, with a focus on male transsexuality, as well as general issues affecting trans and non-binary identities.
The event will include a screening of 2011’s Tomboy, as well as a panel discussion afterwards.
Venue: Screening Room (G.04), 50 George Square.
Tickets via Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/tomboy-film-screening-and-panel-discussion-tickets-32891070076
The University is working to support staff from the European Economic Area and Switzerland at the UK moves to trigger Brexit, and will offer the following support over the coming months:
More details are available at http://edin.ac/2msLnoZ.
The University is committed to promoting a positive culture in which all members of the University community treat each other with dignity and respect, and where bullying, harassment and discrimination are known to be unacceptable.
To support this commitment, the University provides a network of staff ‘Dignity and Respect Advisors’ (DRAs) made up of staff from across the University and in a variety of roles. DRAs are volunteers trained to work with staff who feel they have been subject to, or have been accused of bullying, harassment, or discrimination.
AMENDED POST
The following training opportunity is aimed at women up to senior lecturer level or professional services equivalent, who are interested in exploring leadership and management as an option for progression.
The School is willing to fund a place for a suitable candidate.
LFHE’s Leadership Matters 6
Module 1: Wednesday 14 – Thursday 15 June 2017 (non-residential)
Action Learning Set: Tuesday 27 June 2017
Module 2: Wednesday 5 – Thursday 6 July 2017 (residential)
Location: Edinburgh
<https://www.lfhe.ac.uk/en/programmes-events/index.cfm/leadership-matters-6>
If you are interested in attending, please email InfHR with a brief statement as to how you believe that you and the School/University will benefit from participation.
Please mark your email ‘Leadership training – June.’
You should have your line manager’s support for your participation.
Wednesday 8 March 2017 is International Women’s Day. Please help us to celebrate by sharing links to our new short film, Girls in Tech, published today, 7 March and our British and overseas students’ stories (in various languages) which will follow tomorrow, 8 March. See our School news story.
Watch out for our posts:
Theme: Rubric.