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Corporate Services

communicate

IN THIS ISSUE:

News in brief

What’s living on our campus?

Merit Award special

Spotlight on Nichola Stanbury

Dates for your diary

ISSU

E 9

APRIL 2011

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Cover pictureCover pictureCover picture: read about Nichola Stanbury, Head Chef at Reed Hall who features in our Spotlight on...article on page 8.

Welcome to the new-look Communicate,

which will be available to all Corporate

Services staff on a quarterly basis. For more

up-to-date news a monthly email bulletin will

be sent to you all; those of you without access

to email please speak to your manager or

contact cscommunication@exeter.ac.uk for

the latest updates.

As a member of Corporate Services you are one of

just over 800 staff and to fit in an update for everyone

is a tricky business. We do hope this month’s issue

will provide a flavour of interest for you. Each issue of

Communicate will follow a similar format with updates

from across the service, a campus-based feature and a

staff-related item.

We will also have a focus on a member of staff; in this

quarter’s issue we speak to Nicky Stanbury, Head

Chef from Reed Hall. The Guild President for this year

has also taken some time out of his busy diary to talk

to us and let us know how our students are currently

feeling.

On the back page you will find some key dates for

your diary, and finally why not take five minutes to

have a go at the word search for a chance to win £25

of Marks & Spencer’s vouchers.

Communicate is a magazine for all Corporate Services

staff so please contact us if you have any items you

would like to see in the next edition or any queries

you have about this edition. Your general views and

comments are also welcome.

IN THIS ISSUE:

Welcome 2

News in brief 3

Merit awards 5

What’s living on our campus? 6

Spotlight on: Nichola Stanbury 8

Hear from the Guild President 10

Dates for your diary 11

Quiz 12

welcomeCorporate Services

communicate

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GeneralThe Corporate Services website now has a new homepage which can be viewed at www.exeter.ac.uk/corporateservices. If you have any comments please use the feedback form by clicking on ‘your feedback’ in the bottom right hand corner.

Jeremy Lindley’s staff talk will take place on Wednesday 20 April, in Streatham Court A. Please take a look at the dates for your diary section for other key items and add them to your diaries!

Campus Services HelpdeskThe Campus Services Helpdesk team are very pleased to be in their new reception area at Streatham Farm. The team were previously split across two rooms, and the new working environment has been a success. Moving forward, the team have been working on a new Facilities Management system to allow the reporting and recording of faults to be more efficient.

Event ExeterEvent Exeter would like to welcome two new additions to their team. Wayne Chamberlain, who previously worked for Retail Services at Westpoint Exhibition Arena, has joined the team. Wayne will be the new Sales Manager for Event Exeter, developing new leads and securing new business to help the team reach their financial income target for the year.

Kate Concah has also joined the team as the new Sales and Marketing Co-ordinator.

Kate has been working at the University for over three years in the Employability and Graduate Development Division, working on the employer engagement side of the provision. She is very excited to join the Event Exeter team in her new role, which will be marketing-based as this will draw on her business-focussed and marketing background.

Finance ServicesFinance Services would like to welcome an array of new staff. Good luck to everyone.

Margaret Laithwaite, Deputy Director of Finance – Margaret came to Exeter in January 2011 from Manchester University where she was in a similar role. She originally worked as Deputy Director of Finance for UMIST and transferred when the universities merged.

Anne Shrubshall takes up a new role of Assistant Director of Finance with responsibility for all areas of corporate finance, including annual financial statements, VAT etc, together with finance systems and policies.

Two new Research Accountants

Paul Jenkins joined in December 2010 and will mainly assist the College of Humanities with their funding-related research activity.

John Hay joined in January 2011 andpredominantly works alongside Susan Hadley dealing with EU Grant Funding across the various colleges and assists the Business School with their funding-related research activity.

Three new Finance Business Partners

Suzanne Baxter and Liz Mundy both joined in November 2010 and Karen Best commenced work in January 2011. All three work on a 50% part-time basis.

Marion Williams, Professional Services Accounting – Marion returned from maternity leave in January following the birth of her second son. Steve Sharp, who covered Marion’s maternity leave, has left the University for a new post in the private health sector.

Clare Rule, ESI Project Support Officer – Clare started as a permanent member of staff in a new role supporting the financial monitoring and grant claims process for the Environmental and Sustainability project. She is based at the Cornwall Campus.

GroundsThe team have been very busy over the last few months, having planted 67 standard trees around Campus. These include a mix of Sorbus (Rowan) and Malus (Apple) trees on the banking at the rear of Building:1 at the Business School to give interest from spring (Malus flowers) to autumn (berries on Rowans).

Things have also been busy at St Luke’s where staff have planted a new garden to the rear of the Library for students to enjoy as a new outdoor study space. A new hazel hedgerow has also been planted at Rowancroft.

The pond works just below Reed Hall have now been completed and the fish were re-introduced in early March. Both the grounds team and students will continue to monitor their progress.

A quick round up from all of the services for 2011 so farnew

s in brief

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A quick round up from all of the services for 2011 so far

new

s in

brie

fAnd finally congratulations to James O’Callaghan, who received the award for Best Arboricultural Student from Bicton College earlier in the year.

Procurement ServicesWant to know more about procurement at the University? The team have been working on some new ways of making staff more aware of what they need to do and be aware of when buying goods or services.

Firstly a new Guidance manual is available on the Procurement website. This edition aims to provide information throughout the whole of the procurement process. It will exist as a ‘live’ document, meaning your feedback is essential in ensuring its usefulness to all staff.

Further to this, staff can now book on to the new and well-received ‘Introduction to Procurement’ course. Staff can expect an introduction to what procurement is and what the University expects from those staff who are authorised to buy goods and services. Intermediate and advanced training courses are currently in design, and will follow soon.

Quality and TrainingIt has been a busy few months in the Quality and Training team. Over 100 staff have been trained in the British Institute of Cleaning Science, and the training course portfolio has continued to increase with the introduction of more varied and bespoke courses.

Davina Elliott-Cannon has been leading on the Investors in People ‘Health Checks’ and has gained feedback from over 600 staff so far. Her work continues across the whole of Professional Services. Alison Blackler has also joined the team, from Event Exeter, to work as the Communication Manager for Corporate Services.

Security – Estate PatrolOver the last couple of months everyone in the department has gained a BTEC Level 2 Award in Physical Restraint (Security). This allowed some members of staff to build on the skills learnt during their Door Supervisors Training and for others the techniques were totally new. The award is nationally recognised and includes a number of core principles including investigating the difference between non-harmful methods of control and

more restrictive methods of control, and when the use of such methods would be considered appropriate. Well done to the whole team.

SportSport have been working hard on presentation and now have a complete new uniform! This is to go alongside new signs, images and new marketing materials coming soon. There have also been a range of new fitness classes including the hugely popular Zumba – a Latin-based dance class that uses international themes (salsa, meringue and African beats, etc). If you have never tried it, then you must. Ditch the workout! Join the party!

Student Sports SuccessIt has been another good year for our student sports teams. We are heading towards a top 10 finish in the British Universities and Colleges Sport rankings. The students train hard and that is certainly paying off! The win ratio is at 58% for this year so far. Did you know we have some of the best up-and-coming sports talent in the country? For example: Exeter students Chris Reakes, 3rd-year Exercise and Sports Science, and Tom Sargeant, 2nd-year Geography, recently made their first starts for England Students at fly half and flanker respectively.

Staff offers and suggestionsThere are some exciting plans in the pipeline to further engage us, the staff, to make more use of the sports facilities on campus – look out for some new campaigns. Do you have any ideas yourself? Just email exetersport@exeter.ac.uk with your ideas.

SustainabilityThe new Environmental Sustainability website went live at the beginning of March. View the latest campaigns and recycling and sustainability targets at www.exeter.ac.uk/environmentalsustainability

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The University constantly develops to ensure members of staff are recognised for their exceptional

performance and contribution. One such tool is the University Merit Award process. Last year alone over

20 teams were successful throughout Corporate Services and nearly 60 individuals received the award, but

what are they really about and how do you get involved?

Merit Award Special

• Who can be involved?Any individual or team within Corporate Services at any grade can be nominated, or nominate themselves for a Merit Award. As a member of staff you automatically become eligible for consideration for a Merit Award after 12 months’ continuous service with the University, subject to remaining in the employment of the University on the date payment for the Merit Awards is made.

• When does the process take place?The process generally takes place in the summer of each year, once the previous year’s financial accounts have been finalised and the money released.

• How do I nominate someone? Nomination forms will be made available to all Corporate Services staff via email or the internal mail once the nomination period begins and must be submitted before the nomination period closes.

• Why should I take part in the process?The Merit Award process provides an opportunity to highlight and be recognised for exceptional

performance, whether that is your own or a colleague’s. It is important that hard work and going the extra mile is acknowledged throughout Corporate Services.

• What represents exceptional performance? Contribution to the achievement of income or cost-related targets.

Contribution to the achievement of significant improvements in operational or service level agreement standards or operational efficiency.

Contribution to the achievement of significant improvements in levels of quality and customer/client

satisfaction.

• Where do I find out more information? To find out more about the Merit Awards process you can speak to your line manager, or visit the University Website www.exeter.ac.uk/staff/benefits/rewardingperformance/meritawards/

THE

FAC

TS:

Have you been nominated before but been unsuccessful? Were you pleased that your hard work had been recognised but would like to know how you could be successful in future years? Unfortunately the number of awards that are able to be given out are limited for each of the areas across Corporate Services and it is impossible to award all nominees. However, if you have nominated yourself in the past and not been successful it is important to consider the following before submitting the application:

• Ensure somebody else reads through your application prior to submission; there may be areas that do not read correctly or could be enhanced with further explanation.

• Have you included all of the details? Often people choose to leave things out that they see as insignificant, when actually a judge could see this very differently.

• Ask for help. This can be a colleague, family member or your line manager.

And if you are still left confused please take a look at the following case study for a successful candidate to see what it takes to be awarded a Merit Award.

A successful candidateGH is responsible for managing and delivering a specialist service to members of the University. With the support of an Assistant, she is the sole professional and expert working in this area. The office is busy and maintains a high level of service from year to year. During the review period, there was an unexpected but significant increase in workload, concentrated over more than half of the year. GH had to respond to this peak in demand, often requiring compressed response times, without any increase in resources. GH successfully delivered a quality service in response to these demands, while maintaining the usual high quality service of the office throughout the year.

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What’s living on

Apart from over 2,000 students that live within our many residences there lies a world of living

creatures across the Streatham and St Luke’s campuses. Creatures that don’t need their bedrooms

cleaning, or their meals cooking for them, but need a different kind of care that our Grounds and

Sustainability teams from Corporate Services work to protect.

CONTACT

Karen Gallagher Room 149 Queen’s Building Tel: 01392 725604 k.m.gallagher@exeter.ac.uk

Iain Park Streatham Farm Tel: 01392 725531 grounds@exeter.ac.uk

The campuses that we come to work on seven days a week are filled with an abundance and diversity of species who survive in the rich environment that surrounds us. On the Streatham Campus alone ecologists have identified 16 habitats which sustain a wide range of plants, invertebrates, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals.

At the latest Bioblitz event (October 2010), where staff, students and local experts came together to take a closer look at the types of things we have living on campus, they found over 250 different species of plant and animals in the plantation area alone (the wooded section between Laver and Amory). The most unusual find was a Snipe. This is a wading bird and has never been spotted on campus before. There were also sightings of the Western Conifer Seed Bug, which has appeared due to climate change in recent years, and the prettiest of them all was the Small Copper Butterfly. Karen Gallagher, Sustainability Manager for the University, commented: ‘The event was a huge success for us in 2010. Moving forwards our mission is to continue to enhance the biodiversity of all of our campuses and provide opportunities for staff and students to get involved. This is the purpose of our Birds and Bees campaign.’

As part of the Birds and Bees Project teams will be working with academic specialists at the University and Devon Wildlife trust to develop a programme of practical actions we can take to enhance biodiversity on our campuses. An ‘Otter Watch’ will also be carried out as grounds staff have received reports of sightings of these inquisitive, playful and intelligent mammals. If the team can find out more, it is possible that otters can be encouraged as regular visitors to the site. Iain Park, Director of Grounds, commented, ‘Our team do a fantastic job 365 days a year, and it is very rewarding to come across different types of species on a daily basis. Our remit will always be to protect our campus and create a relaxing and enjoyable environment for our staff, students and species!’

Is there something interesting that you have seen on campus, perhaps close to where you work? Do you work late at night or early in the morning? Have you worked at the University for many years and have seen new things over the past few years? Were there creatures that you used to see but you don’t see anymore?

Our Sustainability and Grounds teams would love to hear from you. Or perhaps you would like to get involved by volunteering your time to either of these areas, please contact them.

our campus?

GROUNDS TEAM PROFILE

31 gardeners whose combined

experience reaches almost 500 years

150 hectares of grounds to maintain

100 hectares of gardens to maintain

31 hectares of sports fields to maintain

Welcome to our two new apprentices,

John Lee and Laura Keefe.

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“The University is

committed ‘to be responsible,

sustainable and ethical, meeting

the needs of the present and

leaving a better environment for

future generations’.”

BiodiversityWhat are we doing already?

We preserve and enhance existing valuable

habitats.

We identify specialist measures for

vulnerable species e.g. protection around

known badger sites.

We stimulate natural habitats by leaving

‘eco-strips’ near streams and woodland

edges.

We ensure habitat piles are left in

appropriate areas to provide sources of

food, shelter and hibernation sites.

We arrange for bird and bat boxes to be

erected at suitable locations throughout the

campus and monitored annually.

We have planned planting schemes which

use a variety of plants, trees and shrubs,

with varying flowering times to encourage

year-round wildlife activity.

We erect explanatory signs by valuable

habitats.

We reduce the use of residual pesticides

through use of bark mulch and natural

predators.

We leave non-urgent tree felling works to

be done outside the bird nesting season.

We have naturalised over 21,000 additional

bulbs at locations such as Lopes, Ransom

Pickard, Birks Bank and the entrance to

the University at New North Road. This

represents another source of early pollen

for the bees.

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SPOTLIGHT ON:SPOTLIGHT ON:

• AGE – 41 • OCCUPATION – HEAD CHEF AT REED HALL

Nicky Stanbury has worked at the University for 18 years, from waitressing on the Paignton Steam

Train to preparing some of the finest meals at Redcot. She has two wonderful children, who she

adores, a team of four inspiring chefs to manage at Reed Hall, and is the only female Head Chef at

the University.

In recent years Nicky has taken part in the Skills for Chefs

programme; she is currently taking part in the pilot scheme for

the new Purchase to Pay project; and for many years has helped

to lead a team for the University Caterers Organisation (TUCO)

competition which takes place annually. In the time she has left

she cooks for the many customers at Reed Hall and Redcot which

range from wedding receptions for 200 guests through to fine

dining for VIPs visiting the University.

Q. How did you get to where you are today?

I have been with the University for 18 years. Prior to that I

worked in a number of hotels as Breakfast Chef, Chef de Partie

and Restaurant Manager. I began my career as a teenager working

at Exeter Bus Station as a sandwich maker, before going on to

Exeter College full time to train professionally in catering. I started

working for the University in 1993, starting off in Devonshire

House and then as the 2nd chef of Reed Hall before spending

11 years at the Crossmead Conference Centre, only to return

to Reed Hall in 2006 as the Head Chef.

Q. Where did your passion for cooking come from?

I guess I have many people to thank along the way. Firstly my dad

worked in the army catering corps, he was very successful and

cooked on the Queen Mary for the Queen. My brother also took

to the catering trade and has recently applied to Marco Pierre

White’s Restaurant in Bristol. I really mustn’t forget my fabulous

mum who makes the most delicious scones. I still pop around at

the weekend to pick up tips!

Q. Is it more difficult for women to get ahead in a kitchen/catering environment?

It is hard, but I feel it all comes down to your own personal

determination to succeed. I have been fortunate in my career

to have been given some great opportunities, however every

step of the way I have had to prove myself. It’s a tough, stressful

environment, and whether you are male or female you need the

right attitude to succeed.

Q. What would be your top tip for anybody wanting to get into catering or to develop in their current role?

Always try your hardest. Don’t be afraid to say if you don’t like

something. I’m someone who initially is quite daunted when new

things come my way, but by taking everything in your stride it is

never as scary as you first think!

Q. Who inspires you as a professional chef?

All professional chefs inspire me. Michel Roux stands out as one of

the best, but also for me any chef that comes out with new trends

and ideas is inspiring.

Nichola Stanbury

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Q. How has the Skills for Chefs Programme benefitted you?

It is always difficult for us chefs to take time out of the busy

kitchen environment, but the Skills for Chefs programme has

actually been very beneficial. The biggest thing for me was

realising that I do not need to try and manage everything myself

and, by delegating to my more-than-capable team, we have

become even more successful. Not only am I performing better

but my team is as well!

Q. What is your proudest moment?

Without doubt giving birth to my two beautiful children. Lewis is

12 and Riley is now 3 years old.

Q. And finally, what’s your favourite food!

ANYTHING! (Except raw celery!)

“I am only as good as my team”

Skills for Chefs Programme This took place throughout 2010 and was

aimed at Head and Second chefs. The

programme helps chefs to develop their

business management skills and look at

aspects of catering from menu management

to back-to-basics cooking. If you would like

to develop your skills speak to your line

manager or contact cstraining@exeter.ac.uk

Fancy trying some of Nicky’s fabulous food? Reed Hall is open daily from 9am to 3pm

for staff, students and visitors to enjoy hot

and cold drinks and refreshments in either

the bar or restaurant area. Receive a free

hot drink with the voucher below.

FREEHOT DRINKAt Reed Hall on presentation of this voucher.Offer available only at Reed Hall until 31 May 2011

Nick Denning and Nicky Stanbury at the

annual pancake race in 1995.

Q. What does your role as Guild President entail?

The role of Guild President is hugely varied. Essentially, it’s as big

or small as you make it, depending on the priorities you take on.

For example, this year my role has in many ways been defined

by government cuts and higher tuition fees. I’ve had to steer

the student body through this minefield and get them the best

possible deal at the end of it. But my driving passions have been

harnessing the benefits of studying at Exeter for students and

making extra-curricular opportunities far more accessible. I’m

determined to tell a narrative of what it means to live and study

in the heart of Devon – in particular, we owe our international

students a clear picture of what our unique Devon culture

is about.

Q. How are you finding your role?

Honestly, I can’t imagine a tougher time to represent the student

body. With the building works and fees debate dominating campus

life like never before, our students have never had so much to

disrupt their University experience. But I know that, when we

get to the other side, we have a once-in-a-generation chance to

give students real opportunities to seize life chances previously

not there. Also, I have to say that if you care deeply about

somewhere, as I do Exeter, you want nothing more than to be

in a position to steer change at the time of biggest risk. This is the

challenge, and I relish it.

Q. What’s the best thing about being a student at Exeter?

People who choose to invest the best years of their life in

Exeter are the most outgoing people I’ve met. It’s being in this

atmosphere, which is so intimate, that leads you to meet simply

brilliant people. I’ve been to universities across the country;

nowhere has the same feel. On a personal level, I couldn’t have

got more out of Exeter. It’s not always the most obvious choice of

where to study but, if you embrace it, the dividends will be high,

very high.

Q. Our aim as Corporate Services, which has over 800 staff, is to provide the best possible customer service to our students. If we could make one major improvement for you what would it be?

The non-fee related costs of studying at Exeter are simply too

high. Accommodation is but one area which is significantly more

expensive than our comparator group of universities. It is easy

to argue for the increasing range of costs being transferred onto

the student body, but another thing entirely to justify it. This

is contradictory to the rhetoric of improving access for lower

socio-economic groups of current and potential students to the

excellent student experience they pay for.

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A word from

• JONNIE BEDDALL • 2010/11 GUILD PRESIDENT

Jonnie Beddall is the 2010/11 Guild President and is responsible for the leadership and direction of

the Students’ Guild, through his role as chair of the Student Forum and the Trustee Board. He also

represents the view of Exeter students to the University and has managed to spare some time to tell

us a little bit more about what he does and his thoughts for the future.

the students

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Q. Which element of Corporate Services have you been most impressed with?

From the Guild perspective, customer service

has improved significantly. Dealing with Geoff

Pringle (Director of Campus Services) has

been nothing but efficient and accommodating

to student concerns, even in areas where

compromises cannot always be made. This

professionalism is crucial to Corporate Services

and these improvements need to continue

across the board.

Q. As we go into the new student fees environment, what do you think is going to be high on the list of priorities for our students?

Value. It’s very well charging a premium for high

quality services, but it’s Corporate Services’

ability to roll out a comprehensive range of

quality, affordable services which will determine

whether the University does all it needs to do

to make the student experience accessible to all,

regardless of their ability to pay.

A quick round up of forthcoming eventsdates for your diary

Corporate Services Staff TalkWEDNESDAY 20 APRIL

Streatham Court A

A chance to hear the latest update from Jeremy Lindley, Director of Finance and Deputy Registrar.

Good FridayFRIDAY 22 APRIL

Easter MondayMONDAY 25 APRIL

Recognising Excellence Awards ceremony (Finalists only)

THURSDAY 28 APRIL

Holland Hall

Good luck to all finalists across Corporate Services!

Exeter Festival of South West Food and DrinkFRIDAY 29 APRIL – SUNDAY 1 MAY

Once again Event Exeter are proud to be sponsoring the Cookery Theatre at the Exeter Festival of South West Food & Drink. This year the festival takes place over the April bank holiday weekend in the Courtyard of Exeter Castle and the surrounding Northernhay Gardens. With over 100 exhibitors showcasing top quality local food and drink, the festival is well worth a visit. There will be cookery demonstrations by our University Chefs, as well as TV Chefs, and don’t forget to visit the Event Exeter stand, next to the cookery theatre, to sample our Shortbread Confetti in honour of the Royal Wedding.

Royal WeddingFRIDAY 29 APRIL

Summer Term Begins/Bank HolidayMONDAY 2 MAY

Spring Bank HolidayMONDAY 30 MAY

Customer First AssessmentMONDAY 6 JUNE

– WEDNESDAY 8 JUNE

Summer Term EndsFRIDAY 17 JUNE

Graduation WeekMONDAY 18 JULY

– SATURDAY 23 JULY

Celebrations for this year’s graduands

and finally!QuizFruity FeelingWords can go horizontally, vertically and diagonally in all eight directions.Words may overlap and share one or more letters.

Complete the word search below and be in with a chance of winning £25 of Marks & Spencer’s vouchers. Send your completed word searches to Alison Blackler, Mardon Training Centre by Friday 20 May for a chance of winning. Good Luck.

We hope you have enjoyed the new-look

Communicate. If you have any comments or items to be

included in the next edition please contact Alison Blackler

cscommunication@exeter.ac.uk Tel: 01392 726374.

The latest edition of Communicate can be viewed online at

www.exeter.ac.uk/corporateservices

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