Kia ora koutou

Firstly, thanks to all who came along to either (or both!) of the two Staff Forums over the last fortnight. I appreciated the levels of attendance, and the flexibility for short-notice rescheduling when I was absent for a week due to sickness. We have attempted to record this week’s session, but in any case, we’ll collate a potted summary of the great questions from the floor and those received through Slido in advance, along with the answers provided and follow-up discussions that have taken place.  I really appreciated the energy and openness of our kōrero together and welcome such interactivity at all times!  It’s such a great way to air issues, share insights and collectively broaden our understanding on key matters. Ka pai!

I’m attending the monthly Academic Board meeting this afternoon and am hoping the revised and updated Terms of Reference (TOR) for our Library Committee will be approved there today. The former TOR dated to 2016, so were well (over)due a review.  The main difference and improvement, I believe, is the expansion of the membership from 16 academic and professional staff, to a total of 24.  In my view and as mentioned as this week’s Staff Forum, the UC Library Committee is a real gift, in terms of the commitment, energy, advocacy and support all members provide. The fact the Library Committee is a subcommittee of Academic Board is another notable positive – we are so often helpfully in the spotlight of Academic Board discussions, in relation to a range of issues (e.g. Open Access, space constraints due to increased student numbers, and how popular all our libraries are to visit). Such regular, enthusiastic and high-profile engagement is a real asset!

Also this week, we’ve been focussing on preparing a pack of key documents to share with our external peer review panel. As mentioned at this week’s Staff Forum, I’ll share the Document Index with you all, early next week.  Almost all the documents contained in the pack are available to us all to refer to and read at any stage, with just a few exceptions which are commercially sensitive and will shared directly with panel members (who have signed a non-disclosure agreement).

Once finalised, I’ll also share with you all the schedule of interviewees, who’ll be meeting with panel members when they’re here for their site visit later this month.

For now, a safe and restful weekend all,
Kat