Launch event – 28 November 2012
The Valuing the Talent of our Professional Staff initiative was launched by the Registrar and Secretary, Dr Philip Harvey, at an event on Wednesday 28 November 2012.
The event gave professional staff from faculties and professional services departments a chance to meet the Registrar and other senior professional staff, to network with each other, and to learn more about how all professional staff contribute to the University’s strategic aims.
Over 100 professional staff representing all faculties and professional services departments attended the two hour lunchtime event, where the atmosphere was intentionally relaxed and informal. Participants sat at café style tables with colleagues they had not previously met to enable networking and shared learning.
Dr Harvey opened the event with a clip from the Royal Shakespeare Company’s production of Hamlet designed to illustrate the large amount of behind the scenes effort and excellence required to bring such a magnificent production to reality. He personally chose this clip as he feels it demonstrates the essential work that professional staff perform and how critical this is to the success of the University.
He also spoke passionately about his own experiences, his vision for professional staff and gave examples of the excellent work already done. Philip’s speech will be published here shortly.
Following the Registrar’s speech a speed dating session took place at each table, from which each table asked the one big question they wished the Registrar to answer. After the event these questions were put to Dr Harvey and his senior team and their answers will appear here shortly.
Participants then took part in an exercise to help inform the development of The Sheffield Professional, a new initiative for professional staff that will work in a similar way to The Sheffield Academic. Information about The Sheffield Professional will be available shortly, along with details of how you can get involved.
The event was a great success with 94 per cent of participants rating it as good or excellent, and many of those who attended commented on the buzz in the room. What struck a number of participants was the excellent standards already achieved, demonstrated in part by the vast number of awards already achieved by professional staff. Participants were also positive about a new lunch and refreshments menu provided by ACS which included warm spiced apple juice, healthy table snacks and a delicious selection of mini salad bowls.
Feedback from the event is summarised on these pages and everyone who attended will be asked to continue to contribute to this emerging initiative.
Similar events hosted by the Registrar will be held every six months, starting in April 2013, where participants will have the opportunity to examine other important issues for professional staff at the University.