MVLS 2025

Who is helping facilitate the delivery of the new college & school shape?

A project team will assist with the implementation of the new College and School structures. The team is excited by the College’s vision and will work hard to support the new Schools to realise the plans. This is an ambitious reshaping of the College which offers many opportunities for improvement and a chance for you to influence the operation of you College and School moving forward.

Have School names been agreed? (amended 12/5/22) 

School names were approved by University Court on 20 April 2022. The agreed names are: 

• School of Biodiversity, One Health & Veterinary Medicine 
• School of Cancer Sciences 
• School of Cardiovascular & Metabolic Health  
• School of Health & Wellbeing 
• School of Infection & Immunity 
• School of Medicine, Dentistry & Nursing 
• School of Molecular Biosciences 
• School of Psychology & Neuroscience  

 

 

What College services will support the new structure? (amended 9/5/21)

The College has a number of shared services in operation. These existing services, such as HR, Finance, Graduate School, and Research support, will be complimented by the formation of an Undergraduate Biology Unit to support Coordinators of non-professional UG degree (more details included in the Education strategy). We also believe that some other areas of College business (for example, core facilities and equipment) may benefit from the opportunities afforded by the new structure. With investment via the Research Strategy we will be working towards this in due course. The College will also continue to benefit from and seek to enhance integration with wider University professional services functions.

 

How does the College plan to increase porosity and interdisciplinary partnerships with other Colleges in the University?

We want to position MVLS at the heart of the University’s ambitions over the next decade and beyond. Interdisciplinarity and pan-University research partnerships will play a key role in achieving this and, as such, play a key role in each of our strategies. Cross-cutting research will be at the heart of what we do. More information on this will be available in strategy documents, and we welcome your thoughts and ideas on this issue.

Organisationally, the proposed structure is intended to align with the wider University structure, to drive joint working. This should reduce confusion and increase the ease with which we can work with colleagues across the organisation.

 

Does the College plan to devolve budgetary responsibility?

Delegated budgetary control has been fully rolled out from the 2021-2022 financial year and will continue into the evolved structure. We are also actively trying to simplify our financial management practices to aid efficiency, clarity and transparency.

 

Are there plans to develop the core IT infrastructure?

IT infrastructure is a challenge for the University and although ambitious plans are being developed centrally, MVLS will be investing early to improve the infrastructure across the College. We will be working within the wider University strategy, and will drive ahead investments in areas beneficial to our staff and students. We have, for example, already made investments in our data storage capabilities.

 

What are the plans for Centres of Excellence?

Centres of Excellence are thematically aligned and leveraged against external funding. We want to enhance those Centres that we already have in MVLS and make investments in other Centres that will play a key role in realising our strategies and tackling societal issues. More detail on the Centres are included in the Research Strategy. Centres for Excellence will be embedded within Schools but have nodes in other areas to enable collaboration. The Centres will spur research excellence within Schools and play a pivotal role in delivering our Research Strategy. We will publish more information on Centres for Excellence shortly.

 

What will the thematic School Directors be responsible for? (amended 12/5/22) 

All Schools have a Director for each of our new strategies. The Directors are responsible for the development and delivery of the thematic strategy for their School, and respective links with the wider College. They will work closely with other Directors and the respective Dean. A list of the Directors is available under the ‘Thematic Directors for each strategy’ section above.  

 

Cultural change will be required to enable benefits from the structural changes. How will the College ensure cultural changes are made?

A big risk is that behaviours do not change in conjunction with the structures. The strategies should play a fundamental role in driving forward the cultural change, as they are each designed to bring people together and reduce siloes. Local, School and College management will play an important role, but ultimately we hope colleagues will be inspired by the strategies and invest in their fulfilment. 

What process was used to map staff to the new Schools? (amended 12/5/22) 

1. Staff will transfer to the School that aligns most closely with their current School or Institute. 
2. Where this was not obvious staff were provisionally assigned to the School in which most of their teaching activity will be conducted in accordance with planned degree programme arrangements and / or where was considered most logical following discussion with existing School / Institute leadership. 
3. During December, staff were informally notified of provisional School mapping plans for their area/role.  
4. In February, all staff received individualised notification of their School / Service membership.  
5. Staff had the opportunity to discuss membership with senior leaders and this was able to be amended where, for example, someone’s research aspirations could be better supported elsewhere.  
6. Where necessary, there was an opportunity for cases to be referred to College management for resolution (involving discussion with individual/group in question, relevant Dean(s)/School Leadership Team(s) and Head of HR).  
7. A light touch process for reviewing School membership will be developed to provide colleagues with opportunity to move within the structure (after first year of placement). This will be ongoing rather than periodic to allow for discussion through existing mechanisms such as P&DR.    

 

Will my line manager change? (added 10/6/22)

Most staff in the College will retain the same line manager that they currently have. If your line manager is changing due to the restructure you should receive confirmation directly from your new School/Service management colleagues before August. If you have any doubt about your line management arrangements, please contact your HoPS.

 

How will PDR work this year? (added 22/6/22)

The PDR round is operating as normal across the University during summer 2022, following the same arrangements as last year. For all MVLS staff the PDR form access will commence in the first week of August 2022 to allow the online PDR system to reflect the new School/Service arrangements, including completion status visibility being through the new Head of School/Service. The completion deadline will remain the same as the rest of the University, which gives a 2-month window for reviews to be completed.

The College HR/POD team consult with business units, through the Heads of Professional Services, ahead of the PDR system going live to ensure that local plans for Reviewer arrangements are reflected. Any further Reviewer changes required thereafter can be made by request to College HR.

 

How will PDR work if my line manager has changed as a result of the new College shape? (added 22/6/22)

As PDR looks back over the past year and also forward by setting objectives for the coming year, a change in line management means that additional efforts are required to ensure the Reviewer input is well coordinated.

Where such a change has arisen as a direct result of the new College shape taking effect, given that the existing (pre-August 2022) line manager will have most familiarity with the year past, they would normally be assigned the Reviewer role, and would ensure that the new line manager is consulted and in particular is able to input to and endorse the setting of forward objectives.

 

Will it be possible to be member of more than one School in the future? (amended 12/5/22) 

Staff have been assigned to one School for clear line management purposes.  As at present, it will be possible to denote affiliations with other Schools by the use of Associate status. Moreover, our College and University is underpinned by a commitment to porosity in order that colleagues can collaborate in ways that best align with our strategic priorities and opportunities. Our leadership teams are committed to engaging with staff in exploring how such flexibility can be well supported and enabled, and will continue to welcome such ideas from all staff. 

 

What does the College plan to do around career development and progression for professional services staff?

We aim to reduce barriers around career progression for all staff.  We hope that with the reshaping of the College, there will be greater opportunities for colleagues to engage across our College and University with a diverse range of colleagues, aligned with our collective direction and core business, while also offering stretching professional development opportunities.  A number of initiatives addressing career development are contained in the Education, Research, and Innovation and Engagement strategies.  We look forward to discussing these issues in more depth as part of the phased implementation dialogue.

 

How will future School/Service membership influence how regrading cases are prepared/submitted/assessed? (added 25/11/21)

The regrading process remains available in the normal way for professional services roles across the College. As the regrading process is based on considering the grade implications of agreed, established and permanent changes to the formal responsibilities and duties of the job, there will naturally be the need for due consideration of whether the Job Description content may be influenced by the new College shape. This will be considered by the line and senior managers who contribute to, and sign-off, regrading submissions.

The future School membership will come into effect during Summer 2022 and as such, your existing Head of Professional Services will continue to consider and sign off regrading applications up until this date. Thereafter your new Head of Professional Services/Unit Head, will consider and sign off regrading cases.

 

How will future School membership influence how academic promotion cases are prepared/submitted/assessed? (amended 12/5/21)

The academic promotions process will be followed in the normal way in the coming promotions round (launched early January 2022). New School membership will come into effect from summer 2022 and as such your proposed new School will have no bearing on the promotion application process.  If you feel that you meet the relevant criteria for promotion, you should apply in the normal way, seeking guidance from your existing line manager and a supporting statement from your existing DoI/HoS.  Your existing DoI/HoS will continue in their membership of the College Promotion Committee for 2022 and as such will be in a position to provide any factual information relating to your case, as necessary.

 

Will there be any redundancies as part of the proposed changes? (added 6/11/21)

There is no intention to reduce the number of staff in the College as part of these proposals. This is not a cost saving exercise, but rather a quality enhancing and strategy enabling proposal. We envision all staff in the College playing an important role in the proposed structure. Due to the nature of the higher education sector, there are time-limited roles and grant-dependent positions that will inevitably expire during the implementation of the proposed changes, but no reduction in staff numbers is envisioned directly as a result of the MVLS 2025 remodelling.

 

What scope is there for hybrid roles in MVLS? E.g. academic/professional-services where a role can and does bridge the boundaries? 

We already have roles that are hybrid in nature and expect the need for such roles to increase over the coming years. We have established career pathways demonstrating our commitment to such roles (e.g. expanded pathways for Research Scientists and Technical & Specialist roles).

 

How can my role develop flexibly?

The overall aim of the College reshaping is to create a collaborative environment, where roles and teams develop flexibly to address our organisational needs, irrespective of School or Job Family.  While formal contractual matters can continue to be informed by normal University employment policies, we also recognise that our College’s organisational design and culture influences career development opportunities. We will continue to value regular team and individual development discussions, and formal processes like the PDR also help ensure that there are opportunities for all staff to have dedicated spaces to talk about their career aspirations and support wishes.

 

Is College Management liaising with Trade Unions on the proposals? (amended 01/02/22)

We are having ongoing dialogue with Trade Unions throughout the process. College senior management have met with Trade Union representatives several times already to discuss the emerging plans. There will be regular liaison across the phased implementation stages.

 

Will an Equality Impact Assessment be conducted? (amended 01/02/22)

An Equality Impact Assessment exercise has been conducted across the College, showing data to be broadly balanced across units, albeit with some areas having greater representation of particular protected characteristics. The EIA Stage 2 is currently in progress. 

We believe that the planned changes will likely indicate greater balance in the diversity of our Schools and we look forward to reviewing this data more closely based on the Stage 2 EIA feedback. Given the broad reassurances that underpin this change process, it is unlikely that any particular groups will be disadvantaged, albeit it could be that particular groups are more affected by the change.  Whilst we will consider any significant impact identified via the EIA process, it is unlikely the mapping routes themselves will be affected by the data. 

 

What is the College’s strategy for NHS partnerships working and associated clinical academic staff?

Strong partnerships with the NHS are, and will remain to be, a fundamental aspect of College business. The new Schools will include a strong clinical focus and the skills of all clinical academic staff will remain key to our College strategy. Our aspirations around flexible careers have a commitment to enhancing clinical academic career progression opportunities and improving the retention of clinical staff after periods of training.

 

If I am currently on the Learning, Teaching & Scholarship career track, does the increased integration of research, teaching and innovation mean that my job or workload will change?

We are not seeking to change individual roles, duties or location. In most cases staff will continue with the same duties and focus that they currently have. Over time, we imagine that the new structure will enable staff and line managers to work together to decide how roles and workload distribution will change in line with operational needs and individual preferences.

 

Will any additional investment will be made in College technical staff?

As at present, investment decisions can be made at School and College levels as appropriate in line with operational needs and plans. In line with the University’s Technician Commitment action plan, we will put additional efforts into monitoring and reviewing resourcing levels and skills development for technical staff. We are aware of the need to forward plan for technical facility and skills development to ensure that we have the required capabilities. 

 

How will the Post-Doctoral Research Associate community be involved the planned changes?

A lot of thought continues to be put into fostering the careers of early career research staff within the Research Strategy. Developing individuals at all points in their career is paramount to the strategy. We will pay specific attention to our research staff community, ensuring that they have a voice and included in all relevant communications. Dialogue with our College Early Career Researchers Representative Group, which has representation from across our current College structure, has been a part of this consultation.

 

Will my job change?

We are not seeking to make any changes to individual roles or duties as part of this restructure, notwithstanding that all roles evolve over time. As already the case, should any proposals arise to formally change jobs and terms and conditions then appropriate staff and trade union consultation would be involved. As normal we encourage staff and line managers to liaise regularly to address any specific role or development issues arising.

 

Did the staff mapping identify any posts that do not map directly? (amended 12/5/22)  

The staff mapping consultations confirmed that the vast majority of posts map directly, so in most cases there was no need to discuss changes to roles, other than normal general updates. There were a very small number of cases where more notable role changes required discussion. These have now been resolved.  

How will life science degree programmes be delivered moving forward? (amended 5/10/22)

There are no planned changes for teaching delivery. Levels 1 and 2 will continue to be delivered by staff from across the College, and we hope the increased porosity of the proposed structure should make this more streamlined. Students in prehonours, honours will benefit from the bringing together of research and education expertise in each of our new schools.

The Life Sciences Support Team will provide College-wide oversight for the administration and governance of teaching activities across all of the life science degree programmes.

 

What will the Life Sciences Support Team enable? (amended 5/10/22)

We hope to have consistency of approach across PGT and UG offerings. In much the same way as the Graduate School addresses for PGT, the Life Sciences Support Team will coordinate and enhance UG provision across the College. Whilst we seek consistency of approach and administration, degree programmes will be developed and nurtured within a home School. The Life Sciences Support Team will provide oversight for pedagogy and leadership.

 

Will there be any changes for students when they register and enrol? (added 21/6/22)

Students registration and enrolment will continue as normal. There will be no change from the UG or PGT student point of view. There will be administrative changes behind the scenes, but this will not impact the process for students.

 

How will the College ensure that management continue to allow staff to teach in other disciplines? (updated 23/2/22)

Our intention is to bring people together, and the concept of interdisciplinarity underpins much of the Education Strategy. The leadership team in each School will be responsible for delivering the three thematic strategies. For Education, each School will have a Director for Education, who will be responsible for ensuring that staff are working with other Schools. The Head of School and Education Director will be obliged to work alongside other Schools on the delivery of teaching.  

A more collaborative approach to teaching is key to our vision of continued educational excellence. Whilst a specific School will host a programme, it is expected that teaching on the programme will continue to come from staff across the College. This is part of our broader plan to move away from siloes to a more inclusive approach to help fulfil our strategic priorities. 

 

Who will have authority for each degree programme?

The outer years of a degree programme will ultimately decide the School in which a programme sits. The College will provide centralised governance and administration via the Life Sciences Support Team to ensure consistency across the College. A review of all UG programmes is planned for the near future, and this will be cognizant of the new structures.

 

What plans are there for PGT programmes?

PGT programmes are currently overseen by the Graduate School and this will remain the case in future. The Graduate School has brought standardisation of programme governance and is a great example of what is achievable through a central educational hub. We are investing in increased support for PGT delivery and plan to identify where this resource is most needed. 

 

How will the College ensure that the new structures will not have a detrimental impact on the delivery of UG programmes?

Much of the Education Strategy is focussed on developing the good practice that permeates the College already. We also want to share good practice and learn from colleagues in other areas. The new structure will enable that. Breaking down Job Family divisions will engage more staff who are currently research-focussed into the design and delivery of programmes. With increased expertise and research-embedded curriculum content, we hope our programmes will only benefit from the proposals.

Will staff have to move office or building?

In the short and medium term, it is unlikely that many people will move office/building locations. Any such moves are likely to be few and based on suggestions from teams and staff members themselves. The proposed reorganisation is about the more general organisational shape rather than geographical arrangements. We hope that long-term we can attract significant investment in our physical infrastructure, and our organisational shape may of course influence how we plan office/laboratory/building space. The more detailed decisions that might be necessitated in the short and medium term would be part of the phased implementation plans.

What are MVLS’s sustainability ambitions?

Sustainability is a crucial issue and will be woven into every strand of our planning going forward. We will work hard to fulfil the University’s green framework but will also embed sustainability in our cross-cutting strategic priorities moving forward. More information on our sustainability objectives will be captured in our thematic strategies.

Why are the changes being made?

The world has changed considerably over the past decade and will do so with increasing pace post-pandemic. To succeed in this new, dynamic environment, we need to anticipate opportunities and be agile in our responses and ensure our College continues to provide the best opportunities and experience for our community of staff and importantly our undergraduate and postgraduate students. One of the key changes in our reshaping is to bring researchers and educational experts together, in doing so we believe that we will be enhancing the educational and research environment for our students.

 

How will this impact progression in my undergraduate studies or postgraduate research?

The changes in the College have been made with careful consideration to ensuring that there is no disruption to our student experience. There shouldn’t be any impact on your studies or progress of your degree. Maintaining the continuity of your degree progression has been of paramount importance to us. Looking to the future it is envisaged the changes may provide new opportunities for education and postgraduate research.

 

Will the staff and locations of my lectures change?

There will be no changes to lecturing staff and locations of programmes. You are encouraged to continue to use the UofG Life App for up-to-date timetabling information.

 

I am a Life Science Student - who do I contact to get help or support with enrolment or anything else about my degree courses next semester?

We recognise the important role played by our professional services team in supporting students at all stages of their degree. Life Science students will continue to be supported by the Life Science Degree Portfolio Support Team and their advisors of studies.

 

Will the title of my degree change?

No, all degree titles with remain the same.

 

Who are the new leadership team in my school?

The leadership teams in each of the new Schools will soon be finalised and published here on this webpage. The makeup of the leadership of each school will ensure that students and the student experience are central to the school’s activities.

 

Will there be any changes to the Graduate School?

No, the Graduate School will remain a point of contact and assistance for all PGT/PGR students.

 

Where has the UG degree I am studying been mapped to?

You can find where your UG degree has been mapped to in the section below, or by clicking here.

 

Where has the PGT degree I am studying been mapped to?

You can find where your PGT degree has been mapped to in the section below, or by clicking here.

The table below highlights the School where your undergraduate degree is mapped to:

School of Molecular Biosciences	School of Infection & Immunity	School of Medicine, Dentistry & Nursing	School of Cardiovascular & Metabolic Health	School of Psychology & Neuroscience	School of Biodiversity, One Health & Veterinary Medicine
Biochemistry, BSc	Immunology, BSc	Medicine, MBChB	Physiology, Sports Science & Nutrition, BSc	Psychology, BSc	Veterinary Medicine & Surgery BVMS
Genetics, BSc	Microbiology, BSc	Intercalated Degrees	Physiology & Sports Science, BSc	Psychology, MA	Veterinary Biosciences, BSc
Molecular & Cellular Biology (Biotech), BSc		Dentistry, BDS	Pharmacology, BSc	Psychology, MA(SocSCI)	Marine & Freshwater Biology, BSc
Molecular & Cellular Biology (PlantSc), BSc		Nursing, BN	Human Biology & Nutrition, BSc	Neuroscience, BSc	Zoology, BSc
Molecular & Cellular Biology, BSc		Nursing (SIT), BSc	Human Biology, BSc
		Anatomy, BSc	Physiology, BSc

The two tables below highlight the School where your postgraduate taught degree is mapped to.

Table 1:

School of Molecular Biosciences	School of Infection & Immunity	School of Health & Wellbeing	School of Medicine, Dentistry & Nursing	School of Medicine, Dentistry & Nursing (Continued)
Biotechnology, MSc	Infection Biology, MSc	Global Mental Health, MSc	Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, MSc	Health Services Management, MSc
Biotechnology and Management, MSc	Immunology and Inflammatory Disease, MSc	Global Mental Health (ODL), MSc	Clinical Pharmacology, MSc	Critical Care, Leadership & Management, MSc
Stem Cell Engineering for Regenerative Medicine, MSc	Bioinformatics, MSc	Primary Care, MSc	Endodontics, MSc	Clinical Critical Care (ODL), MSc
Chemical Biology, MSc		Primary Care (ODL), MSc	Doctorate in Clinical Dentistry (Ortho)	Clinical Critical Care & Leadership (ODL), MSc
Biomedical Science, MSc/MRes		Population Health Sciences (ODL), MSc	Oral Sciences, MSc	Postgraduate Certificate in Advanced Lymphoedema Management
Food Security, MSc		Master of Public Health	Advanced Practice in Healthcare, MSc	Anatomy, PGCert
		Master of Public Health (ODL)	Advanced Nursing Science, MSc	Medical Visualisation & Human Anatomy, MSc
		Health Technology Assessment (ODL), MSc	Postgraduate Certificate in Healthcare Chaplaincy	Medical Genetics and Genomics, MSc
		Developing and Evaluating Interventions, MSc	Postgraduate Certificate in Health & Social Care (ODL)	Genetic and Genomic Counselling, MSc
		Digital Health Interventions, MSc	Health Professions Education (ODL), MSc	Clinical Genetics, MSc
		Postgraduate Certificate in Positive Behaviour (ODL)	Health Professions Education (with Research), MSc
		Doctorate in Clinical Psychology	Doctorate in Health Professions Education
		Applied Neuropsychology, MSc	Human Nutrition, MSc
		Clinical Neuropsychology Practice, PGCert	Clinical Nutrition, MSc
		Clinical Neuropsychology, PGDip	Medical Physics, MSc
		Clinical Neuropsychology Knowledge & Practice, MSc	Critical Care, MSc

Table 2:

School of Cancer Sciences	School of Cardiovascular & Metabolic Health	School of Psychology & Neuroscience	School of Biodiversity, One Health & Veterinary Medicine
Palliative Care (ODL), MSc	Cardiovascular Sciences, MSc	Brain Sciences, MSc	Ecology and Environmental Biology, MRes
Cancer Research and Precision Oncology, MSc	Diabetes, MSc	Psychological Sciences, MSc	Quantitative Methods in Biodiversity, Conservation and Epidemiology, MSc
	Precision Medicine with Pharmalogical Innovation, MSc	Research Methods in Psychology, MSc	Animal Welfare Science, Ethics and Law, MSc
	Sport and Exercise Science & Medicine, MSc	Psychology (ODL), MSc	Conservation Management of African Ecosystems, MSc
	Sport and Exercise Science & Medicine (ODL), MSc		Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases and Antimicrobial Resistance, MSc
	Precision Medicine with Specialisms, MSc		One Health (ODL), MSc
			Animal Nutrition (ODL), MSc
			Advanced Practice in Veterinary Nursing (ODL), MSc