Also in this issue:

Durham University has been recognised for its outstanding performance in research, teaching, outreach and student participation in sport at all levels.

/ Page 04

Welcoming our new PVC Research

Find out more about our new PVC Research, Professor Claire Warwick and her ambitions for the role.

/ Page 12

REF2014

Find out how Research Excellence Framework 2014 will have a major bearing on future research funding for Durham University.

/ Page 06

Sports University of the year 2015

| DEC 2014 / JAN 2015 | ISSUE 38

DESIGN: wearewarm.com

PRINT: statex.co.uk

FRONT COVER: Durham University students playing sport.

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@Durham_Uni

www.thedurhamdiary.wordpress.com

Dear Colleagues,

As we approach the end of the first term, one that has seen continuing external recognition and success for the University across a range of its activities, we await the first REF (Research Excellence Framework) results in mid-December. Reflecting this, this issue has an emphasis on our research activities. There is an introductory article on the REF, explaining what it is, outlining the submission process, how the results are presented and giving an overview of the University’s submission.

A great many people were involved in preparing the submission and it involved a great deal of hard work – we all await the outcome with great interest. No doubt there’ll be more to say about this in 2015. This issue also includes an interview with our new Pro-Vice Chancellor for Research, Professor Claire Warwick, in which she discusses her first two months in her new role at Durham, her ambitions in further developing research here, her own area of research and the individuals who have influenced her career. As many of you will already know, Durham was chosen as the Sports University of the Year and there is an article about receiving the award, including activity on social media, as well as discussing the University’s sports facilities and outreach programmes. Finally, there is an article discussing how Durham Students’ Union has selected the successful University Challenge Team.

With all best wishes

Ray Hudson Acting Vice-Chancellor and Warden

EDITOR:

Zoë Thomas,

Marketing Projects Co-ordinator.

CONTRIBUTIONS: Sharon Battersby, CIS; Tara Duncan, Greenspace; Louise Elliott, Event Durham; Media Relations Team, Communications Office; Rachel Smith, Library; Jim Manley, Procurement; Karen Barrie, HR; Shelley McCormack, Durham Students’ Union; Sam Dale; Academic Office; Jack Boyles, Durham University Brass Band; Claire Warwick, Vice Chancellor’s Office; Bennett Zon, Centre for Nineteenth-Century Studies; Andrew Moss; Centre for Nineteenth-Century Studies.

03 Mediation Service

Get Social

04 Sports University of the Year 2015

06 Research Insights

08 Spotlight on... Centre for Nineteenth Century Studies

10 Durham Students Union

11 Durham Brass Band

Student Barometer Survey 2014

Winter Congregation 2015

12 Welcoming our new PVC Research

13 Open access and planning for REF 2020

14 Museums and Attractions

15 Event Durham, Retail & Catering

16 HR News

17 CIS News

18 Procurement

19 Greenspace

20 Under Investigation

What’s On

Dialogue 38 | Dec 2014 / Jan 2015

Do you follow us on our social media channels? We have compiled a list of our favourite posts, tweets and videos over the past two months to show you what has been happening around the University!

IMAGE OF THE MONTH This month’s favourite photo was taken at Matriculation. To see the whole photo album visit http://on.fb.me/14cxHF1

/durhamuniversity

@D

urham_U

niD

urhamU

niversity

TOP FIVE TWEETS • Ahead of @CollegiateWay14 Durham alumnus

@thejeremyvine reminisces about reading poetry on the roof @HatfieldCollege http://bit.ly/1uj0Ms0

• @durham_uni researchers say stripping #galaxies of interstellar gas could shut down star formation http://bit.ly/1tx5mOj

• @SuttonTrust report by Durham’s @ProfCoe, @profstig & co says many popular #teaching practices are ineffective http://bit.ly/1q7Ugir

• Congratulations to @durham_uni student Holly Anderson who has won a national competition for a placement with Siemens http://bit.ly/ZwiFXA

• @_IHRR @GeogDurham drone heli-camera hovers over @durham_uni for filming of our new #research video

VIDEO OF THE MONTH Durham University geography masters student David Saddington delivers his TEDxTeen 2014 London talk on climate change. In his talk David, who first became interested in the issue of climate change as a teenager, outlines how education should focus on the effects climate change has on people’s everyday lives in order to raise awareness of this global problem. You can watch the video here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vnzKPq390Q

ww

w.thedurham

diary.wordpress.com

Share your story...If you have anything interesting coming up such as an event, lecture, news article, radio/TV appearance, etc. get in touch with zoe.thomas@durham.ac.uk

We are pleased to announce that a new Mediation Service has been established. Mediation is a method of dispute resolution and gives people the opportunity to step back from a situation and consider how to put it right.

The service enables members of the University, both staff and students, to resolve their differences through a structured but informal process avoiding the need to resort to the University’s formal procedures. Mediation is optional, confidential and future-focussed; looking at how things could move forward rather than dwelling on how things have been in the past.

At the heart of the new service is a network of Mediators drawn from the University’s academic, college and professional support services staff (see picture). The Mediators have been trained via a nationally accredited programme. They are on hand to help people work through issues, improve working relationships and improve communication concerns.

The team is supported by a Mediation Steering Group who have overseen the development of the service and who will support the continuing professional development of the Mediators.

Sam Dale, Deputy Academic Registrar and the Chair of the Mediation Steering Group, said:

“This is a really positive development for the University and the Service has already mediated successfully between people who were in dispute. The emphasis on informal resolution in a process that is both confidential and impartial will, we hope, be of significant value to the institution.”

Further details about the service including the backgrounds of the Mediators and how to make a referral can be found here www.durham.ac.uk/mediation.service

MEDIATION SERVICE

IMAGES: (left-right) Seated: Joanne Race, Clare Adams, Tess Mantzoros and Stefan Klidzia. Standing: Sam Dale, Marek Szablewski, Jayne Pavitt, Claire Rasul, Katheryn Heywood and Dave Robson.

At Durham, we have one of the highest rates of sports participation in the country, with over 90% of our students involved in sport. Durham’s 16 Colleges boast over 500 teams, competing across 18 different sports, this range of opportunities allows our students to develop key skills by taking an active role in running clubs and teams. The experiences that can be gained through teamwork, planning and communicating, as well as the financial aspects of managing a team can be invaluable examples to future employers of the abilities and dedication of our students.

The university’s academic research and teaching of sport is also celebrated with this award, with the research-led teaching within our friendly and supportive learning environment contributing to Durham’s success.

Quentin Sloper, Head of Sport, Music and Drama, said: “The learning environment at Durham is truly distinctive and very few universities combine academic and sporting excellence more seamlessly, successfully and consistently. We know, from experience, that what takes place outside of the classroom is as

valuable to our students’ development as what happens inside the lecture theatre, laboratory and seminar room.

“Sport, alongside music, theatre, volunteering and many other extra-curricular activities helps our students develop important life skills such as teamwork, communication and leadership and there is strong evidence that this enhances employability and earning potential.”

FACILITIESAt Durham we have state of the art facilities at both Durham City and Queen’s Campus. At Durham City the Graham Sports Centre at Maiden Castle has recently undergone a multi-million pound project to refurbish and develop our sports facilities in Durham. The Centre is set in spacious grounds on the outskirts of Durham and boasts an impressive range of facilities including an indoor rowing tank, a world-class fencing piste, indoor cricket nets, a performance analysis suite, new facilities for use by athletes with disabilities, and a new-look extended sports hall and changing rooms.

Durham has been named as The Times and Sunday Times ‘Sports University of the Year 2015’. The award had been given in recognition of outstanding performance in both the research and teaching of sport, and student and community participation in sport at all levels. This award highlights the impact quality, extra-curricular activities have had, not only on our student’s education and personal development, but also the contribution they make to the community through the varied range of outreach projects.

DID YOU

KNOW…

Our Queen’s Campus Sports Centre has a fully-equipped fitness suite, multi-use eight-court sports hall, designed specifically for court sports, providing a high-performance environment for our elite University teams in volleyball, netball, badminton and basketball as well as a space to just get involved and enjoy sport. Queen’s Campus also has a new boat house by the river providing facilities for students and staff, who are interested in sailing, kayaking, canoeing or rowing, waterskiing, jet-skiing or rafting.

OUTREACHThe University also has an extensive community sports outreach programme, offering even more opportunities for students to get involved. On the international stage, Team Durham will be celebrating a ten-year partnership with Sport in Action Zambia in 2015. There are over 40 sport outreach programmes involving 200 student volunteers taking place both locally and regionally on an annual basis, including sport programmes working with drug rehabilitation clients, disengaged adolescent young girls, vulnerable women, homelessness, looked after children and youth offenders.

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Durham is ranked 2nd in the British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) Championship 2012/13 and 2013/14

The value to students of participating in sport is highlighted in a recent study by Sheffield Hallam University, which found that Graduates who had engaged in sport at University earn an average of £5,824 more than those who don’t.

Durham graduates are currently ranked:

- 25th in the world by large employers (QS)

- 5th in the UK (Sunday Times).

DID YOU

KNOW…

#MYDUSPORTAfter being awarded this accolade we asked current students, alumni and staff to share with us what sport at Durham has done for them via #MyDUsport. It was great to see so many memories and photos of students, past and present celebrating Durham University.

The results of the Research Excellence Framework 2014 are being announced this month and will have a major bearing on future research funding for Durham University and the other 154 participating higher education institutions.

The REF updates the Research Assessment Exercise, last held in 2008, as a measure of research quality and its outcomes will be used to calculate the ‘Quality Related’ element of research funding for HEIs from 2015 onwards.

It will also influence the various league tables, thus affecting wider issues for the University. Major differences between REF and RAE, most notably the inclusion of impact and the significant reduction in the number of Units of Assessment (UoAs), will make direct comparisons difficult but there will be those that try.

The results of REF2014 will be published on 18 December by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE). This will be followed in early 2015 by the publication of the full submissions for each institution on the REF website.

In Durham, submission spanned 22 UoAs, and 23 academic disciplines, across all three faculties and included data and

documents covering the core assessment period of 2008-2013, and beyond. The majority of eligible staff were included for their research outputs reflecting Durham’s position as a research-intensive university.

THE REF SUBMISSIONThere are three elements of the submission to REF2014 that determine overall scores and will inform future Quality Related (QR) funding. These are:

• Research Outputs (65% of the total): Up to four outputs per staff member could be included. Research outputs could be from books, journal papers, conference proceedings, patents, performances, musical compositions to anthologies of poetry and more. All of the submitted outputs had to be published within the assessment period.

• Impact of research (20% of the total): Each UoA was required to describe their strategy for developing impact and provide several impact case studies demonstrating how Durham’s research had led to societal benefits. Durham University submitted between two and eight impact case studies per UoA, depending on the size of the submission in each.

• Research Environment (15% of the total): Each UoA was required to submit a ‘research environment template’ with details of its past approach and strategy for creating a research environment that is conducive to carrying out excellent research along with data sets on research income and doctoral degree completions in the assessment period.

RED LETTER DAY FOR RESEARCH AS REF RESULTS ARE ANNOUNCED

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PRESENTATION OF RESULTSAll the submissions were assessed by HEFCE via an expert panel of senior academics and other user experts who have been required to award ‘quality levels’ to the submissions ranging from 4* to unclassified.

There are specific definitions for each of the quality levels, as follows:

The results of REF2014 are being published as the percentage of the submission that merits each quality level. Each UoA in each institution will receive percentage scores for its submitted research outputs, impact and environment as well as an overall score.

FUNDING IMPLICATIONS OF REF2014

REF2014 will have a direct influence on the quality related funding that Durham University receives from HEFCE from August 2015 and exact amounts will be based on HEFCE’s prevailing funding formula.

OVERVIEW OF THE UNIVERSITY’S SUBMISSIONDurham University’s preparations for the REF2014 began over two years before the submission deadline in November 2013.

Much of the hard work took place in the departments and schools where the outputs were compiled, impacts identified and evidenced, and environment templates written, and in the faculties where the submission components were reviewed, developed and agreed. The

Research Office led a team of staff from across the Professional Support Services, whose work in support of the submission was vital to compiling the submission. Examples were creating the REF database, providing guidance to staff, data analysis, assessing individual staff circumstances and appeals, validating and collecting outputs for provision to the various panels, supporting case study development and much more.

This collaborative and substantive team effort led to the submission being made a week early.

Professor Claire Warwick has reflected in her new role as PVC Research:

“The University owes its thanks to all of the staff whose hard work and commitment made possible Durham University’s submission to REF 2014. Across the University, we have research excellence leading to high levels of societal benefit. We don’t need the REF to tell us that, although we are obviously hoping that this is reflected in the results.”

PREPARING FOR REF2020

Even before the REF2014 results are published HEFCE has begun to announce some policies for the next research assessment exercise and as a result the University has already started planning for the next REF, which is likely to be 2020 with a submission date in 2019.

Web Link

...

www.ref.a

c.uk

TABLE OF DEFINITIONS FOR EACH OF QUALITY LEVEL

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Spotlight on...Spotlight on...

Who We Are

Featuring over one hundred academic and postgraduates, CNCS membership stretches from universities across the North East, to national and international institutions. We represent twenty-six individual disciplines from Humanities, Social Sciences and Business. In addition to academic staff members, we have a thriving postgraduate and post-doctoral community.

CNCS is directed by Bennett Zon (Music), and co-directed by Simon James (English). The CNCS Advisory Group is represented by academics, ECRs and Postgraduates from Durham, Newcastle, Northumbria, Sunderland and Teesside. It is supported by several individuals who head up its major committees, including Research: Julian Wright (History); Education: David Craig (History); Engagement: Malcolm Smith (Anthropology); and Postgraduate Helen Davies (English, Teesside).

Interdisciplinary Research

In our inaugural year CNCS organised a range of academic and postgraduate conferences, research conversations and research lunches. An important feature in CNCS’ intellectual landscape is our immensely popular academic and postgraduate Research Conversations, run in tandem through the year. These bring people together for a two-hour interdisciplinary event unified by a particular theme and involving a set of three papers and prepared responses. Research Conversations give postgraduates and lecturers a chance to float ideas in a friendly discussion forum. These conversations have been useful for preparing research for publication, grant application, or dissemination at a conference. Our previous Academic Research Conversations have covered topics as wide-ranging as ‘Legacies: The Place of the Nineteenth-Century in Time, History & Culture’; ‘Cultures of Science and the Intellect in the Nineteenth Century’ and most recently ‘Afterlives’. Our Postgraduate Research Conversations have included: ‘Nineteenth-Century Ideals: Exploring Political Thought and Theory’ and ‘Nineteenth-Century Bodies’.

This interdisciplinary range of topics was reflected in the CNCS inaugural conference held in May 2014: ‘Connecting Disciplines in

the Nineteenth-Century’. Organised like our Research Conversations, ‘Connecting Disciplines’, brought together key scholars and postgraduates working across disciplines to discuss interdisciplinary nineteenth-century studies, and its implications for research today. This included keynote speaker Hilary Fraser, from Birkbeck, University of London, and several CNCS academic staff and postgraduates. The conference was rounded off with an absolutely exquisite performance of nineteenth-century music performed by members of Samling. Building on the success of Inaugural conference, in 2014/15 CNCS will be hosting conferences on ‘Romantic Orientalism’, ‘Progress 1900’ and ‘Urban Transformations in Nineteenth-Century Europe’.

CNCS has a successful policy of hosting events which are complemented by a built-in follow-up conversation, workshop or conference. This captures the fantastic momentum individual activities create, so that members can develop these into genuinely ongoing research activities, like publications, grant applications and networks.

Postgraduate Leadership

Many of our events, including the Postgraduate Research Conversations are created and led by postgraduates. Our very first postgraduate conference, in May 2014 – was ‘Female Voice/s in the Long Nineteenth-Century’, an exploration of the female voice as both narrative concept and physical instrument. This year it will be succeeded by ‘Abnormality and the Abnormal in the Nineteenth Century’, a postgraduate conference investigating what the abnormal can tell us about long nineteenth century constructions of aberration, deviancy, and normality. Postgraduates have been exceptionally successful in capturing grants to support these initiatives. ‘Female Voice/s’ won a grant from the Royal Historical Society, and ‘Abnormality’, a grant from the British Society for Literature and Science.

CNCS is as much about giving the widest possible opportunities to staff as students, and so while its postgraduate community is immensely active it does just not limit itself to academic conferences alone. In October this year our postgraduates organised ‘Resources for Research: Writing, Research and Publishing in Nineteenth-Century Studies’, a fantastically successful day workshop which brought academics and book and journal publishers

The Centre for Nineteenth-Century Studies (CNCS) was founded in 2013 to shape and enhance research in interdisciplinary nineteenth-century studies at Durham University.

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to Durham to discuss key issues in nineteenth-century studies, employability and the academic market place today. Postgraduates are also an essential, integral component in our educational policy – we are currently preparing documentation for an interdisciplinary MA in Nineteenth-Century Studies, due to begin in 2016/17.

Outreach and Engagement

CNCS reaches out to any community or organisation with similar interests. In 2014, CNCS supported the Books for Boys exhibition (curated by Simon James). In March 2015, CNCS will be holding an Irish History and Culture Study Day, hosted at Gateshead Heritage Centre. At roughly the same time it will be hosting a one-day meeting of all major nineteenth-century studies centres or organizations in the UK to discuss ways of furthering regional, national and international collaborations. CNCS is also in the process of establishing long-term links with the Tyne and Wear Museum Archive, Portico Library, Manchester, the Victoria and Albert Museum, as well as the Science Museum, London.

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Find out more...Email: cncs@durham.ac.uk

Web: www.durham.ac.uk/cncs

Membership: www.durham.ac.uk/ cncs/members

Research Conversations: www.durham.ac.uk/cncs/researchconversation

Conferences: www.durham.ac.uk/ cncs/conferences

Find out more about what your Union has to offer at www.durhamsu.com

/durhamSU @durhamSU

Durham Students’ Union are responsible for selecting the Durham University Challenge team each year. During the 2013/14 academic year, the Union introduced some big changes to the team selection process, which ensures that the best individual competitors make it onto the final TV team. Central to this is the addition of wildcard teams, put together by the Union. Here’s a look behind the scenes.

During the summer months the Union contact the college union reps with details about the competition so they can recruit their teams. Most of the colleges hold pub quiz style competitions with University Challenge questions provided by the Union. They pick their best four students, plus one reserve to make up their college team. Their college union reps work closely with the Union throughout the process.

Joely, Activities Officer comments: “as well as undergraduates, we also saw lots of postgraduates participating in the teams, which was great to see.”

STAGE 1: COLLEGE TEAM SELECTION

Introduced as a new stage we invite any student who has not made their college team, or students who didn’t try-out for the college team to come to our wildcard try-outs. We also invite colleges to send two or three of their next best players. Due to the high calibre of contestants this year we made up five wildcard teams.

Joely comments: “this year our wildcard try-outs saw 40 people trying to win a place on the teams. It’s fantastic to see so many talented students getting involved in the competition and testing their knowledge. ”

STAGE 2: WILDCARD TRY-OUTS

This is when the fun really begins as the college teams and the wildcard teams all battle it out. It starts with the group stages and different colleges play host to one another, with each team playing four games. The top two teams from each group then progress through to the knockout stages, which are held in the Students’ Union and open for anybody to attend and watch.

This year the final was between Trevelyan and the Union’s own wildcard one team. Trevelyan College were victorious, taking this year’s crown for the University Challenge inter-college championship, with wildcard one picking-up second place.

STAGE 3: THE INTER-COLLEGE

COMPETITIONS

The scores of individual team members are recorded throughout the process. People who are consistently good, or are top scorers are then invited to open try-outs, to give them an opportunity to still make the final team. Any student, regardless of whether they have been involved in a college team, is welcome to participate in the open try-outs.

The best 20 people are selected from the open try-outs, wildcard and college teams and invited to the first team selection. These are then whittled down to eight people and finally the Union picks a team of four and one reserve.

STAGE 4: OPEN TRY-OUTS AND TEAM SELECTION

Teams are submitted to Granada TV at the end of November. The team members complete questionnaires and then if selected, are invited for an interview towards the end of the year. If they make it through the selection process the filming for the programme starts in March and it begins being aired in August.

STAGE 5: THE TV SELECTION

AND FILMING

UNIVERSITY CHALLENGE TEAM SELECTION: BEHIND THE SCENES

You can tune into the TV show on Mondays on BBC 2 at 20:00.

Dialogue 38 | Dec 2014 / Jan 2015

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DURHAM BRASS BAND

Durham University Brass Band (DUBB) had the honour of welcoming Leyland, the 12th best brass band in the world to Durham in November for a day of music making.

Find out more...To learn more about Durham University Brass Band:

The University has asked students to help improve its services by providing feedback on their student experience here at Durham. This information will help us look for ways to improve and how we might do things differently in the future. It’s all part of delivering a better experience for current and future students.

As a thank you for completing the iGraduate Student Barometer Survey, students have been offered the chance to win some fantastic prizes, including an iPad, a weekend for two in Edinburgh, or one of 50 Durham University hoodies.

There is also a prize of £500 for the College that has submitted the highest percentage of responses to the survey and £200 going to the runners up! Winners will be announced in the next issue of Dialogue.

STUDENT BAROMETER SURVEY 2014 – Student views count

Durham University is committed to making sure that every student voice is heard and has been working with international research company i-graduate to gather feedback from students to help improve the student experience.

Help our students celebrate!

University staff are invited to join in Winter Congregation celebrations which will be taking place in Durham Cathedral on 8th and 9th January 2015. To make the event a success we need staff volunteers to help provide advice and guidance to students and their guests.

Find out more...For more information or to register your interest visit www.durham.ac.uk/ceremonies/congregation/staff

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The day started with a masterclass which not only allowed members of the band to learn from Leyland but was also shared by 40 local residents. The masterclass was led by some of the brass banding world’s leading soloists and teachers.

The day continued in Durham’s historic Town Hall where Durham University Brass Band performed in a Joint Concert with Leyland. Lewis Wilkinson (second Year Music Student) led DUBB in a programme of old favourites, new arrangements and a world premiere. The band was proud to present the first public airing of UniTed by the up and coming Durham Alumni Dave Collins, which was well received by the packed audience. After an interval the redoubtable Leyland band took to the stage to perform their brass in concert programme.

WINTER CONGREGATION 2015

Like us on Facebook: Durham University Brass Band

Follow us on Twitter: @DurhamBRASS

Visit - www.brassfestival.co.uk

Find out more about our new PVC

Research, Professor Claire Warwick

and her ambitions for the role.

Describe your first few months at Durham University

Hectic but enjoyable: lots of meetings, and a completely

different environment from UCL. I’m very happy to be

working in the north, in this beautiful, historic place. I’ve

been impressed by the variety and quality of work being

done across the University, whether in single disciplines or

as part of interdisciplinary projects.

Tell us more about your area of research

I work on digital humanities. Almost nobody knows

what that is, but my definition is the application of

computational techniques or digital methods to research

in the humanities; or the application of humanities

research methods to digital objects or phenomena.

It should create new knowledge in both halves of the

partnership, and make possible research that could not

have happened without the use of digital techniques.

Digital Humanities is, fundamentally, a team-based field;

I’ve worked in some great groups and with some terrific

researchers of all career stages. I’ve also learned a great

deal from discussions with students. As a result I hope

we now understand more about how digital resources and

social media are used in the humanities and in cultural

heritage, and about digital reading behaviour.

What are your ambitions for the role?

I would like to provide support for researchers across

the University, from PhD onwards, to do research to the

highest standard of which they are capable. I’d also

like Durham to become more internationally visible, so

that other people will come here, and discover, what a

remarkable place this is. To that end, I’m consulting with

colleagues and students across the University, to design a

new research strategy to express the distinctive nature of

what we do here.

What do you like to do in your free time?

I own a horse, and spend as much time with him as I can.

I like good food and wine, ideally in the company of my

husband, and when possible in France. I also like making

cocktails. I am addicted to reading, and positively enjoy

sleeping; although I realise that one may inhibit my ability to

do the other.

Who has influenced you most in terms of your career?

I’ve been very lucky to have several wonderful mentors

during my career. But the two people who influenced my

choice of current role were Professor David Price, the Vice

Provost: Research and Professor Henry Woudhuysen, the

Executive Dean for Arts and Humanities at UCL. The former

provided the ideal model of how to do the job; the latter

was the first person to encourage me to believe I might be

capable of it, much to my surprise. They were unfailingly

helpful, encouraging and patient: I cannot thank them

enough for their support.

But above all the person who gave me the belief that

women could, and should, aspire to senior leadership

positions was my mother. Sadly she died a month after I

started the job, but the inspiration she provided will always

be with me.

Welcoming our new PVC Research

Library13

Library News

and planning for REF2020

This year’s International Open Access Week (20-27 October) was the first since HEFCE announced its Open Access Policy for REF2020. This policy explicitly links the public funding levels of universities to the openness of their research. All Durham academics expecting their outputs/publications to be part of the submission for REF2020 (whether at Durham or elsewhere), should ensure all their publications meet the new requirements:

SCOPE

The HEFCE policy applies to all journal articles, and conference proceedings published with an ISSN, accepted for publication after 1st April 2016.

Note that currently the policy does not apply to:-

• material submitted purely as part of an impact case study

• monographs, book chapters, research data and non-text outputs

However, where an institution can demonstrate that it has taken steps towards enabling open access for outputs outside the scope of the policy, additional credit will be given in the research environment component of REF2020. Although HEFCE has not yet provided detail, this is likely to cover other publication formats including monographs, book chapters and research data, and also may apply to articles published before April 2016.

An author’s final, peer-reviewed manuscript must be:-

• deposited in Durham Research Online (DRO) (or an appropriate open-access subject repository)*

• no later than three months following acceptance of the paper

Depositing in DRO does not mean the manuscript will be immediately, ‘openly’ accessible. DRO staff will ensure that any embargo period set by the publisher is adhered to.

* Depositing in DRO is a requirement of Durham University OA policy and Durham Academic Progressions and Promotions Committee, and will enable departments to more easily plan future REF submissions. However, it is recognised that some departments traditionally deposit in other repositories, such as arXiv.

ACTIONS REQUIRED OF AUTHORS

HEFCE has indicated maximum embargo periods permitted under the policy. Articles which do not meet these embargo periods will not be eligible for submission to REF 2020. Assuming there will be four main panels with disciplinary remits similar to the present REF structure the maximum permitted embargoes are:

• REF Main Panels A and B: 12 months

• REF Main Panels C and D: 24 months

• Authors can contact dro.admin@durham.ac.uk to check the embargo periods required by particular journals or publishers they are hoping to publish with.

Some exceptions to HEFCE’s policy are permitted, particularly where the most appropriate journal for publication has a non-compliant embargo period. However, exceptions must be fully justified and HEFCE expect these to be used in a minority of cases.

For advice on how the library can support you in meeting the Open Access requirements for REF2020, contact dro.admin@durham.ac.uk

EMBARGO PERIODS & EXCEPTIONS

“Authors must ensure they have acted within three months of the date of acceptance for an article, or their article will not be eligible for REF 2020.”

“96% of journal articles submitted to REF 2014 could have been made open access with 12/24m embargo... if authors had deposited their work.”

“Any output submitted to the REF to which the policy applies, but which does not meet the requirements, will be given an unclassified score.”

Find out more... www.durham.ac.uk/research.office/research-outputs/openaccess

Each year the Institute of Advanced Study Fellowship programme brings 20 leading international academics to Durham to collaborate with the Institute and Durham colleagues on our annual research theme. Continuing the theme of Emergence, we will welcome our Epiphany cohort of Fellows in January. Each Fellow will deliver a lecture in collaboration with the Institute of Advance Study (IAS) and Durham’s Colleges. During Epiphany term eight free lectures open to all will take place including ‘Cities, Networks and Infrastructures: the urbanisation of (in) security’, ‘Public Spending in Ancient Democratic Athens and Today’ and ‘Evolution of Vulnerability’.

For a full listing of the lectures and further details

visit: www.durham.ac.uk/ias/events/fellowslectures

Museums and Attractions

The St Cuthbert Gospel, the oldest book in Western Europe to survive in its original binding has returned to Durham after first being shown in last year’s Lindisfarne Gospels.

Bound to Last explores the story of bookbinding and features books from Palace Green Library’s collections, as well as selected loans from elsewhere.

The ‘ready-to-read’ book is a relatively modern concept. Until well into the 19th century, books were sold as loose sheets, produced in monasteries and then commercial printing houses. Binding was a separate stage in the production process, and continued as a separate trade. The binding is not just the cover, but also the construction underneath. Today, we choose between hardback, paperback and e-book to suit our tastes, lifestyle and pockets. Then, the buyer chose between sewing methods, materials and decoration in a similar way.

The exhibition includes a perhaps unexpectedly wide range of books.

A pair of late-medieval jewelled covers, on loan from the John Rylands Library in Manchester, contrast with books finished with pages recycled from earlier manuscripts, whilst a tiny, pocket-sized book of the Psalms is eclipsed by an enormous antiphoner made to sit on a lectern where a whole choir could see it.

FREE entry to Durham University campus card holders www.durham.ac.uk/palace.green

MUSEUMS & ATTRACTIONS LAUNCH A NEW WEBSITEWe are excited to launch a suite of new websites to improve your online visit to the Museums, Botanic Garden, Durham Castle and Palace Green Library. Whether you’re part of Durham University, living locally or just visiting Durham for a day out, our new websites are designed to be welcoming and open to all.

There’s something for teachers too! Visit the new 4schools website where you can find out about the Museums and Attractions’ outreach programme and organise your school visit.

And don’t forget to explore our new What’s On page, which brings together events, exhibitions and activities across all of the University’s Attractions in one place!

www.durham.ac.uk/attractions

History of the Book Gallery, Palace Green Library

4th October 2014 – 4th January 2015

ST CUTHBERT GOSPEL RETURNS TO PALACE GREEN LIBRARY

The Retail Office is well prepared for the winter months with new Durham University branded clothing available now, including; double-zip hoodies, bomber jackets and slouchy sweatshirts. Keep warm during the cold weather with our 100% wool scarves as well as wellington boots for those rainy days!

We are also busy preparing for some upcoming events; Christmas Festival in December and Winter Congregation in

Event Durham, Retail and Catering

Event Durham

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Gold for Durham University at the North East England Tourism Awards!

Durham University had yet another triumphant night at the North East England Tourism awards, coming away as the only University to receive an award and the only organisation to achieve double Gold success.

Event Durham submitted two awards on behalf of the University, in Business Tourism and Sustainable Tourism, and we were delighted to be joined at the awards dinner (Stadium of Light, Sunderland), by Professor Ray Hudson (Acting Vice-Chancellor).

Andrea Cairns, Events and Customer Services Manager, said ‘I am delighted that Event Durham has been recognised for the second year running as the regional leader in the business tourism sector. This is an excellent achievement and the award certainly reflects the dedication and hard work of our team.’

Tara Duncan, Sustainability Manager, said “Durham University is committed to incorporating Environmental Sustainability throughout all of its activities and winning the Gold Award for Sustainable Tourism is testament to this. This is a great achievement and we were very proud to accept the award.”

The University now has the opportunity to be shortlisted further to represent the North East at the Visit England Tourism Awards in May 2015.

Retail

In early December the Botanic Garden visitor centre embarked upon a mini refurbishment with the refurbishment complete on Monday 8th December.

The coffee shop area of the visitor centre received a makeover which will help to ease congestion at busy times. Visitors who want to simply access the garden, will not have to wait in the coffee shop queue.

To celebrate we will be welcoming Durham University staff with a 20% discount on food and drink and retail purchases from the visitor centre from 8th December 2014 until 31st January 2015. We look forward to seeing staff there to take advantage of this amazing offer!

Don’t forget that Durham University staff and students receive free entry to the Garden on production of a valid campus card.

Exciting developments for the Botanic Garden Visitor Centre the New Year. Please come along to our

pop-up shops at these to see a selection of gifts, clothing, stationery and new local interest collections.

If you are planning your Christmas shopping how about visiting some of the University’s visitor attraction shops; try Palace Green Library for some unusual Christmas gift ideas or the Oriental Museum for some beautiful Christmas decorations.

Or be sure to visit our online shop and blog for more information, daily updates and exclusive online discounts: www.durham.ac.uk/shop

Like us on Facebook: Durham University Retail Office

Follow us on Twitter: @DurhamUniRetail

Follow us on Instagram: @DurhamUniRetail

HR news...

As a new member of staff, I realised that there were many colleagues who missed out on this opportunity. We have updated our induction programmes, and are now running inductions every other month and holding staff information and well-being fairs three times a year.

This was identified as a top three priority by UEC, I established a working group of staff from across a range of staff groups ensuring we had expertise from each key area. We are on target to present our first draft strategy to UEC in January and consult with staff during 2015.

PEOPLE STRATEGY

Many colleagues shared that we had undertaken a staff survey back in 2012 but there hadn’t been any feedback. We have dusted this down, and have now reviewed what was said, what has been taken forward, and what is still to be done. Working with colleagues in communications, in 2015 we plan to develop a more extensive staff engagement programme and share these outcomes.

STAFF ENGAGEMENT & STAFF SURVEY

We didn’t have a comprehensive staff data base, or staff information systems which talked to each other, therefore we have implemented, following a comprehensive set of activities, the CORE Information System, which we have called ‘People+’.

The hard work of many people made this project successful; thanks to colleagues in the project team, HR, CIS and Finance phase 1 was complete in September.

As you will be aware, we are in the midst of seeking to recruit our new Vice-Chancellor. Following a comprehensive staff consultation process, we have now advertised this post, the search company are working hard to deliver a set of candidates of the right calibre.

APPOINTMENT OF NEW VICE-CHANCELLOR

The Equality and Diversity team in HR and I have worked with the Dean for Diversity and Equality, Catherine Alexander, to develop an action plan to tackle gender equality including developing policies and procedural changes. These changes have included broadening our agenda to ensure we support staff across all protected characteristics including diverse representation on key University committees.

GENDER EQUALITY

I have also started to get to know our recognised trade unions, working with our local officers. I feel we have good relationships here at Durham, something we want to continue to nurture and grow.

PARTNERSHIP WORKING WITH OUR TRADE UNIONS

At the start of January, we welcomed our new Director of Human Resources, Clare Curran, to Durham University. Almost one year on – here’s an update from Clare.

STAFF INDUCTION

PEOPLE+

I have enjoyed getting to know many of the external higher education bodies we engage with, including: The Russell Group; UCEA and Universities UK, as well as external organisations with whom we work. This has broadened my knowledge and ensures we are at the forefront of any impacts/changes planned for higher education.

EXTERNAL LINKS

A successful pilot and positive feedback, preceded our roll out to all support staff in professional support services, faculty departments and colleges. This is a really important initiative which I encourage staff to engage with as it provides opportunities to develop in your current and future roles. You should also consider using this to help inform your ASR discussions to identify development needs.

REALISING YOUR POTENTIAL (RYPA)

CIS news...

Like most departments, Computing and Information Services (CIS) find the period from mid-September to mid-October the busiest time of our year. We join with colleagues across the University in welcoming back returning students and supporting new-comers (both students and staff) as they navigate their way through the first few weeks of their journey at Durham University.

As well as our usual start of year activities, we have worked hard to make our services more visible and more accessible (especially for those new to Durham) – including moving the Durham City IT Service Desk to its new home in the Bill Bryson Library and keeping the counter service open for two hours more each day.

This move means:• We are more visible to our students – on average, 2,500 people visit the library each day• We have more physical space, so we can bring in extra people during peak periods and possibly add a seated area for appointments

in the future• We can provide a quicker response to technical queries as the local support team sits close by • We have improved support for the large format printing service, which has moved to the library from the Computing and Maths building.

• 33,726 student devices are safe and authenticated on our network - 18,422 of these were added in the first three weeks

• 32% of all devices connecting are iPhones

• CIS met people to connect 851 machines (726 in Durham and 125 at Queen’s) - four times as many as we logged last year

• A snapshot (at noon on 13th October) found 10,583 machines connected on wireless and 503 by wired. That’s a typical split - so the new, improved wireless service is popular!

• In total, we handled 1,235 incidents and requests during Induction Week (our usual weekly average is 580)

• Of those, over 500 were logged at our new counter

• 3,400 campus cards were printed and sent out in advance to colleges or departments ready for our new students

• A further 2,400 cards were printed out on their arrival

These stats give an idea of the volume of work undertaken by our IT Service Desk, with support from the whole CIS team at the start of a new academic year, and shows our students are already taking full advantage of the more accessible service.

If you don’t have a campus card you can still reach the Service Desk using the machine at the left of the entrance – just enter your username and password to receive a day pass.

New year, new term, new home for the IT Service Desk!

Find out more...visit www.durham.ac.uk/cis

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Our start of term in numbers: DURHAM CITY IT SERVICE DESK – The Key Facts

LOCATION Second floor of the Bill Bryson Library, just turn right after the entrance (past the front desk).

Don’t forget, you’ll need your campus card to get into the library (or you can use the machine!).

COUNTER SERVICE OPENING HOURS 08:00 – 18:00 Monday – Friday

HOW WE CAN HELP Queries and issues about University IT, issuing campus cards, A0 (large format) printing services.

Procurement

Supplier Recognition Event

The annual Supplier Recognition Event was held on 17th September 2014 at the Lindisfarne Centre. The event recognises suppliers who have made an outstanding contribution to the University during the course of the year. Nominations were sought from University staff, and for the first time suppliers were able to self-nominate. The award categories along with the successful suppliers are listed below:

OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO STUDENT EXPERIENCE

Winner – MITIE who have environmental and social responsibility embedded firmly in their business. Their social responsibility covers apprenticeships and work experience; volunteering; community investment and hold a gold certificate for their leading processes, strategies, policies and procedures.

OUTSTANDING CORPORATE SOCIAL ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY (CSER)

Winner - ARRIVA NORTH EAST for introducing a new mobile phone app that shows live feeds of bus locations on a map and estimated arrival times at designated stops.

Highly Commended – PLAYERLAYER

OUTSTANDING CUSTOMER SERVICE

Winner - BC ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES who consistently deliver an outstanding service above and beyond contract requirements, and are always looking to improve the service they provide.

Highly Commended - PETERLEE FIRE COMPANY

OUTSTANDING ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT AND SUPPORT

Winner - UPNORTH ENGINEERING SERVICES for finding the right solution to a problem, and ensure that problematic jobs are remedied efficiently and in a timely manner. They undertake analysis to determine if equipment is beyond economic repair, to ensure we receive best value from the contract.

Highly Commended - STEPHEN CHARLES PAINTING

OUTSTANDING COMMUNICATION

Winner - DAWSON AND SANDERSON who always respond in a timely manner, advising the travel booker of the most cost

effective itinerary, whilst also giving alternatives. Travel bookers are kept informed at all stages of the enquiry.

Highly Commended - WENSLEY ROOFING

OUTSTANDING ONE-OFF CONTRIBUTION Winner - DURHAM CITY COACHES who helped to get Collingwood College out of a difficult situation, where the College had obtained quotes for coaches for 600 students for their summer ball but then did not go on to formalise the booking. Subsequently Durham City Coaches no longer had resource for this, but spent time ringing around other coach companies to ensure that the students got to their summer ball.

Highly Commended - FISHER SCIENTIFIC

MOST INNOVATIVE SOLUTION OR PROPOSAL

Winner - WENSLEY ROOFING who researched and developed the use of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle in relation to surveying roofs. This development will have an outstanding contribution in relation to cost, health and safety, and operational effectiveness. They are also looking to develop this further so that it has thermal software, which will be a benefit to the Energy Team.

Highly Commended - ENTERPRISE RENT A CAR

MOST IMPROVED

Winner – WATERSTONS for implementing organisations changes to address the Durham University Business Schools’ needs and expectations. This has been evidenced in the quality of delivery in all aspects of the contract.

Highly Commended - BELLS DECORATING GROUP

ABOVE AND BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY

Winner - DAWSON AND SANDERSON who are mindful of reducing our carbon footprint and have recently organised an exhibition at the University for travel bookers to meet with the suppliers they use. In addition, they often exceed their service levels in order to help travellers out.

Highly Commended – MITIE

The event proved to be a success and a special Outstanding Customer award was presented to John Turner, Community Executive Chef. Full details of the event including the shortlisted suppliers can be found at:

www.durham.ac.uk/procurement/suppliers

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Greenspace...

On 28th May each 10k Steps Challenge participant received a ‘pulse’- a small pedometer which tracked the number of steps taken each day for 100 days. And the teams from Durham University found all new ways to be innovative - taking their pulse to all corners of the globe in a bid to compete against their friends and colleagues, but to also transform their way of life: their exercise, their health and their carbon footprint. Pulses were taken to swimming pools, dance classes, sporting events - even to a camel ride in Egypt by one competitor. At the end of the 100 days Durham University had excelled itself, each team boasting a huge step average, meaning Durham finished 3rd of the all the Russell Group Universities that participated in the event.

Overall, the step average for all the participants was a staggering 14,038, well above the target of 10,000 steps set at the start of the event. That is the equivalent of each person crossing the Sydney Harbour Bridge eight times every day.

As well as the clear benefits to health, the 10k Steps Challenge also had an impact on the environment; participants reduced their car journeys both to work and across the University Estate, opting to walk further and more often, thus reducing their carbon footprint.

Durham Student Registry, were the winning team, with Kate Teasdale the winning Captain. The School of Medicine, Pharmacy and Health had the most improved team, who were led by Dee Corbett. As well as these two awards, there were plenty more prizes for those who had achieved significant goals throughout the 100 days.

There is one final benefit to the 10k Steps challenge that cannot be measured, that of the feeling of achievement that each competitor gained from the ongoing support and motivation from their team-mates, as well as the personal changes they made.

DURHAM UNIVERSITY JOINS THE 10K STEPS GLOBAL CORPORATE CHALLENGE 100 day journey is at an end. For over three months, 16 teams of seven, made up of employees at Durham University, have together travelled over 62,000 miles during the Global Corporate Challenge (GCC) 10k Steps Challenge.

@Durham_Uni

Dr Pippa WhitehouseNERC Independent Research Fellow, Department of Geography

Have you got any pets? Yes, a large black furry cat called Worf. He’s a former stray and is definitely head of the household.

What are you reading at the moment? The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion - highly amusing, especially if you are an academic….

Which historical figure would you most like to be? A 19th century female explorer (presumably disguised as a man).

What was the first record you bought? The Immaculate Collection by Madonna.

What achievement are you most proud of? Making the first ascent of a mountain in Greenland.

What was your best subject? Maths.

When was the last time you laughed and why? I laugh quite a lot, but most impressively my husband can make me laugh even when I’m feeling really down.

What did you want to be when you were a child? An Olympic champion.

Where will you be going for your next holiday? Rock climbing in Morocco.

What skill or talent would you most like to acquire? Efficiency at dealing with paperwork.

Give me a picture of your ideal day: Wake up as the sun rises over the perfect bivvy spot. An hour’s walk through a deserted valley to the foot of an undiscovered 200m high cliff. Climb all day on perfect rock and once I reach the top be magically transported home to a tasty dinner.

On a scale of 1-10, how much do you care what other people think of you? 7.

What’s your favourite film? I have a penchant for mildly depressing/thought-provoking films, so something like ‘Running on Empty’, but I loved the humour in ‘Little Miss Sunshine’.

What’s the worst job you’ve ever done? Teaching fencing to 10-year-olds, I had a few crowd-control issues…

What’s your favourite place in the world? Joshua Tree, California.

Tell me a secret I am distantly related to Hubert Parry, who wrote ‘Jerusalem’.

What luxury item would you take to a desert island? My husband.

What’s your greatest indulgence? Weekend lie-ins.

Pass the Buck: James Bisset, Library.

For more information on University events go to www.durham.ac.uk/whatson

www.thedurhamdiary.wordpress.com

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December Christmas CrackersSaturday 20th & Sunday 21st December, 1pm – 3pmPalace Green Library

Celebrate Christmas by making a Christmas cracker in this festive family activity.

JanuaryThe Art Studio: No stigma attached16th January – 19th AprilOriental Museum

Members from Sunderland-based mental health organisation the Art studio exhibit works they have created that reflect the museum’s collections and their own personal journeys and experiences.

Vietnam: A nation not a war Saturday 31st January - Sunday 26th AprilPalace Green Library

This exhibition mixes historic and contemporary objects from Vietnam with works by British artist Anthony Key, to explore national identity, migration, cultural diversity, faith and belonging in Vietnam.

The Establishment: and how they get away with it Durham Castle Lecture SeriesWednesday 21st January 2015, 7:45pm Great Hall, Durham Castle

Guest speaker, Owen Jones, Commentator, Columnist for The Guardian and Author of ‘Chavs’, delivers this lecture as part of this year’s Durham Castle Lecture Series.

Cry God for Harry: Music from the court of Henry VTuesday 10th February, 7:30pm Music School, Palace Green

To mark the anniversary of the Battle of Agincourt, vocal sextet The Clerks, perform works associated with the reign of King Henry V, as part of the Musicon Concert Series 2014/15.