University Information Services - Staff Learning & Development course timetable

Hear an update on recent activities from members of the Digital Presence Programme. You can post your questions in advance and during the event via the Teams Live Q&A feature.

To kick off our first Learning at Work talks, we will hear from Dr. Bonnie Cheuk a Senior Director and Head of Business and Digital Transformation at AstraZeneca. Bonnie will talk about the concept, mindset and importance of becoming a life long learner and share how she has adapted this attidude and encourages her co-workers to develop as lifelong learners.

Jacqui Kemp, Founder of Your People Potential  will talk about the importance and components of emotional intelligence in the workplace. She will also provide tools to understand your own strengths and weaknesses to build your own self-awareness.

On World Accessibility Day, understand why inclusivity and accessibility is important and the University’s plans to increase the accessibility of its online content and things we can all do to improve our documents, publications and online content.

Steve Hoensch, Head of Frontline Services at UIS will share his experience of collaborating with multiple institutions and colleagues with the work that went on to open the Anne McLaren Building as a testing centre facility during the Covid-19 pandemic.

• 14:15: Some Light in the Cloud - Azure at Cambridge Enterprise

Dr. Paul Seabright (Deputy Director) and Matt Whiting (CTO) of Cambridge Enterprise <http://www.enterprise.cam.ac.uk> will share some of the ups and downs of their transition from on-premise to the cloud, which has been more rapid and radical than many of our institutions. As the University's knowledge transfer organisation, Cambridge Enterprise uses commercial avenues to develop the outputs of University research into successful products and services that benefit society. Their lessons and caveats may help others consider the practicalities when implementing a 'cloud first' strategy.

• 15:00: Software Sleuthing - National Frameworks & Software Licence Resellers Agreement (SLRA)

The new SLRA, available via SUPC <https://www.supc.ac.uk/frameworks> and other University purchasing consortia <https://www.ukupc.ac.uk>, provides multiple pre-negotiated agreements (lots) for software and services, working with a range of suppliers to help save institutions time and money. Academia, key supplier for lots such as with Adobe and VMware licensing <https://edu.academia.co.uk/software-slra>, will provide an overview and practical introduction how to make use of the new SLRA.

• 14:15: Web Accessibility

Web accessibility has become essential for better and more inclusive interaction, helping address barriers to effective communication.

• 15:00: TLS Certificate Service

UIS' TLS Certificate Service is changing, to offer a more comprehensive range at no cost, a faster self-service model, in many cases automatic renewal.

In collaboration with stakeholders around UIS, the Service Management Office has produced a new IT Incident Management process. This event is an introduction to the new process with time for questions and feedback.

In collaboration with stakeholders around UIS, the Service Management Office has produced a new IT Incident Management process. This event is an introduction to the new process with time for questions and feedback.

For the first time in UIS, we are offering our new starters the opportunity to be involved in a virtual speed mentoring event. This energetic learning and networking activity will provide the opportunity to speak to some of UIS’ senior leaders and managers from different disciplines.

UIS mentors involved in the event:

• Ian Leslie - Director
• Kate Livingstone - Head of User Research
• Ron Chambers - Head of Business Systems Assurance
• Simon Clarke - Head of Digital Workplace Programme
• Gabriela Ahmadi-Assalemi - Deputy Chief Information Security
• Abraham Martin - Head of Development and Operations

UIS facilitates a mentoring scheme exclusively for the University's IT community and UIS' internal staff.

Mentoring can be a really useful tool in supporting colleagues to develop their professional lives and careers, in both roles as a mentor and mentee.

This is a welcome event (Unit 2) and part of the UIS' Mentoring training journey, for all mentees and mentors enrolled in the 2021-22 programme. This interactive workshop is designed to give an overview and introduction to mentoring, giving the opportunity to explore the key benefits for mentors and mentees, practice some key skills needed for both mentors and mentees, mistakes to avoid and become familiar with some simple models and tools to support the mentoring partnership and maximise its value and impact.

In July's content community session, we look under the hood of email marketing. Whether you're sending newsletters to your staff or event invitations to an external audience, this session is for you, with a blend of the strategic and the operational.

Email continues to defy the prophecies of its impending demise, surviving Slack, instant messaging and even WeChat/Weixin (for the most part). As email turns 50, we'll explore whether iOS 15 will end the newsletter boom, where trustworthiness and personalisation fit in to your email strategy, and if you even need email when there are social media, messenger apps and collaboration tools?

• Liam Morgan will describe how he creates high-quality newsletters that are both effective and audience-centric
• Ashley Coidan will discuss how a strategic approach to the channel can have benefits for recipient and sender alike (and he'll be seeking volunteers to be involved in developing guiding principles for the University's email marketing)