Heads of Department Key Activities
There are many important dates, activities and deadlines which run throughout the academic year, many of which Heads of Departments should be aware of to ensure the department runs smoothly. Below are some of the main departmental activities and sources of information:
Key Dates for the Diary
Semester Dates
These are the standard University semester dates for the current session, up until 2015-2016.
Partnership Diary
This is specifically for Heads of Departments and Faculty Directors and enables you to plan ahead, by giving a breakdown of important departmental tasks on a monthly basis. Such activities include Registry, Examinations and Graduations, the SRDS process for staff and departmental financial matters.
Graduations
The Graduation webpages give all details of Summer and Winter ceremonies including dates of Winter Graduations 2013. Dates of ceremonies should be factored into departmental calendars to ensure availability of staff.
Key Departmental Activities
The Planning Round
The Planning Round is the annual, cyclial process of planning across the University which is embedded in Faculties and monitored at University level.
These pages contain information on Academic Planning Projections and where to find your Faculty Planning Support Officer to provide guidance and expertise throughout the Planning Process.
Finance
The finance webpages give information on budgetary matters at departmental level, including the Financial and Budget Management Good Practice Guidance. Further information and guidance can be sought from Faculty Finance Teams in the Department of Finance.
Promotions
In 2012-13 the promotions process has been streamlined ahead of a more thorough review of the University's Reward and Recognition Strategy.
The promotions webpages also give information on Faculty Panels and Departmental Review Panels and an overview of the Promotions process.
SRDS
The following timescales are recommended for completing the annual SRDS process:
| Date | Action |
| April | Agree review pairings Departmental Review Panel first meeting to set and communicate departmental timetable, priorities and standards |
| April/May | SRDS reviews start taking place |
| July | HR supplied departments with their SRDS data spreadsheets (Departments may find these spreadsheets useful in collating and moderating their participation and assessment ratings locally) |
| September | Completion of SRDS round |
| October | SRDS data spreadsheets to be returned to HR (srdsdata@sheffield.ac.uk) |
| January/February | SRDS data analysed and returned to departments |