University Services - the changeover

Published: 27 June 2017

From today (1 August) University Services make the changeover to eight directorates. The intention is to provide a more focused, streamlined service.

The way in which the University's administrative, managerial, technical and operational services are organised changes from this week. From 1 August University Services will be restructured into eight directorates. The intention is to provide a more focused, streamlined service that will be better able to support and help implement the University’s overall strategy.

A period of team discussions and consultations followed the original announcement in June. The move to the eight directorate structure has been broadly welcomed with staff from many different areas of the University acknowledging the benefits of bringing units together to form coherent services. The aspiration was first published in the University Strategy for 2015-2020 Inspiring People - Changing the World which spoke of world-class administrative, managerial, technical and operational services. 

The directorates will be as follows:

  1. Human Resources

    Which will remain largely unchanged.

  2. Estates & Commercial Services

    This service began restructuring earlier this year with the amalgamation of two formerly stand-alone departments.

  3. Information Services

    This will combine the Library and IT Services, and will be focused on the implementation of a coherent information strategy, the provision of user-centric services for students and staff, the provision of first-class learning spaces and the optimal use of enterprise systems and technology as a whole.

  4. Student & Academic Services

    This new directorate will bring together the current Student Services team, most of the Senate Office functions and the Learning Enhancement & Academic Development Service; it will also lead on relations with the student bodies and will have responsibility for student mobility (with the exception of Study Abroad function). Student & Academic Services will provide professional support for the relevant Vice Principals.

  5. External Relations

    The External Relations directorate will take in the existing MARIO team and the Development and Alumni Office and Open Studies. This new directorate will work closely with the Communications and Public Affairs Office, and with Planning and Business intelligence – both of which will remain in the Strategy and Planning directorate.

  6. Research & Innovation

    The Research Services directorate will provide high-level support to the VPs for Research and Innovation & Knowledge Exchange. It will be key to the development of strategy and policy and will support preparation for the next REF as well as continued growth of research income.

  7. Finance

    The Finance function will remain largely as is.

  8. Strategy & Planning

    The eighth directorate will cover strategic planning, business intelligence, governance, compliance, communications and public affairs. This directorate will work closely with, and support, the Principal, Senior Vice-Principal and other senior officers in developing strategy.

The Director of the Hunterian Museum will continue to report directly to the Chief Operating Officer, Dr David Duncan.

Excellent Services - Empowered Staff - Enabling Culture (Inspiring People - Changing the World, University Strategy 2015 - 2020)

Dr Duncan outlined the reasons behind the changes: "The University of Glasgow is a leading, research-intensive institution with a global reputation and ambitious plans for the future. While our success will depend primarily on the excellence of our teaching and research, the professional support services have a vital role to play in ensuring the University achieves its aspirations. To this end, we need to make sure that the University Services are optimally organised. The high-level restructuring we are about to undertake will help us to do this."

First published: 27 June 2017

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