Welcome to Technically Speaking Informative event for technicians

Welcome to “Technically Speaking…!” • Informative event for technicians organised by technicians. • Lots of information about opportunities for technical staff. • Information stands and lunch will be in the ESLC. Most speakers are exhibiting at lunch time – please visit their stands. • 2 Breakout sessions – if you haven’t made your selection yet please go to the registration desk at break time. • Questions - we have a jam packed programme! Instead of asking questions at the end of talks please add any questions to the flipchart board in C 15 using the post it notes provided.

A Look to the Future for University Technical Staff Kelly Vere kelly. vere@nottingham. ac. uk @kellyvere

University Technical Staff Over 20, 000 technicians working in higher education in the UK. Over 600 of these work here at Uo. N! Technical staff make a vital contribution towards our University’s aims to deliver excellence in research, teaching & the student experience. We work in a diverse range of areas from archaeology to zoology. (We don’t all wear white coats!)

Technicians 350 years ago…. Boyle & Hooke 1657 Guericke’s early air pump – early 1660’s.

University Technical Staff Over the years our role has diversified - we are not simply the stereotypical technician in a white coat wheeling equipment from lab to lab. Alongside the provision of traditional technical duties many technicians today collaborate on cutting edge research and make a substantial contribution to the student teaching & learning experience. We’re also well qualified - over 50% of technical staff in the UK are educated to undergraduate degree level or above. Many have postgraduate qualifications and we have an expert and experienced skills base. Crucial resource for the University.

The Cinderellas of Higher Education? Traditionally the role of the technician has not received the appropriate professional recognition for the variety of roles we undertake. Perhaps because the term ‘technician’ covers a broad range of roles, skills, and disciplines? We are a hard group to define and communicate with! Has led to technical staff reporting a sense of invisibility and a perceived low social status attached to the role – are we the “Cinderellas of HE? ”

Changing External Environment Across the HE sector there is increasing acknowledgement that technical staff do not receive appropriate professional recognition for the role they undertake. More value must be placed on the technical contribution to HE. Things are starting to change…. several exciting initiatives in place

External Opportunities

Fantastic that these developments & opportunities are out there. . . …. . but we don’t know about them! No clear source of information dedicated to the University’s Technical Services Staff. Despite there being so many of us we don’t really talk to each other! (perhaps because there’s no clear mechanism to do so!) As technicians we tend to hide in our own labs, offices & workshops. Important that we break down departmental & geographical barriers and share information – a much more efficient way of working! Useful to know what is happening in the wider University and the higher education sector. Essential that as technicians we create and maintain a professional identity for technical staff at the University of Nottingham.

Technically Speaking… University of Nottingham Technical Focus Group Formed in October 2013 – representation from across the University: • • • Elaine Watts/Teresa Needham – Geography Tommy Napier – Physics & Astronomy Eddy Faber – Archaeology Christine Grainger-Boultby – Pharmacy Andy Lee – Medicine Anna Bertram – Chemistry Paul Antcliff/Kevin Padgett – Engineering Susan Woodward – Biosciences Scott Hulme – Veterinary Medicine Kelly Vere – Life Sciences Claire Cawthorne (nee Kempson) – Professional Development If you are interested in being involved in future TFG activities please indicate this on the evaluation forms that will be collected at the end of today.

Technically Speaking… University of Nottingham Technical Focus Group Objective: To create a professional identity for technical staff at the University of Nottingham by: – Providing a mechanism and network for technicians to share information, resources and expertise across the University. – Providing technicians with a voice in the University and the opportunity to contribute ideas to professional service units and management. – Championing technical staff across the University and to build on the high quality technical support that we offer colleagues and students here at Nottingham. TFG is very new - It is up to us all to come up with ideas and proposals for how to move it forward – please input your ideas on today’s evaluation forms. As well as engaging with external opportunities already mentioned we have had several ideas on how we as technicians can interact with the University on a broader scale. Our ideas so far…. .

Internal Opportunities

“Technically Speaking…” Newsletter “Technically Speaking…” Conference 9 th January 2014. “Technically Speaking…” Seminar Series Technical Skills/Expertise Database Technical Training Opportunities & Professional “Technically Speaking…” Workspace Registration Workshops Mentoring Scheme

• Technical staff play a crucial role in research and teaching here at Nottingham. • Creating a professional identity for ourselves is key to raising our profile. • To do this we as technicians need to increase and widen our interactions with our university just as our university needs to ensure it increases its interactions with us! Therefore, we’re very pleased to welcome the Deputy Vice Chancellor Professor Karen Cox to tell us about the value of technical staff, the University’s future strategy & how we as technicians can contribute.