As announced in the last issue of CommUnicate, the University is currently implementing a number of major changes in the way it manages student recruitment in the UK and EU and in the structuring of its undergraduate and postgraduate admissions teams.

The Payroll Office announces the introduction of a new-look payslip with effect from December. The new payslips will be clearer to read and smaller than the existing ones. Advances in technology and the recently adopted corporate image for the University have together made this an appropriate time to look to a new design for our payslip. The new format payslips can be more efficiently produced and are therefore less expensive and labour-intensive to produce than those we currently use.

The University has started a project to select and implement a new HR/Payroll system. The present system is over seven years old and showing its age, both in what it can do and the technology it uses. The fundamental benefits that we expect to achieve include improved provision of management information and budgeting required by department managers, devolved access to information, with a web-enabled front-end and an easy-to-use report writer. It is also anticipated that some self-service facilities will be offered to staff in due course.

After over a year of uncertainty and national debate, all but the fine detail of the new framework for the external assessment of universities' teaching quality is now clear.

A report written by Paul Greatrix, former Senior Assistant Registrar (Quality) and Interim Director of NAGTY, currently Director of Student and Ancillary Services, on "How to read League Tables" has been published by UCAS and is available for order via http://www.swotbooks.com/ucasbooks

The University’s new corporate identity will be implemented from 1 March 2002. Following a university-wide consultation exercise before Christmas, the proposals have been revised and the final corporate identity guidelines are now available as a printed manual and on the University web site.

The former Vice-Chancellor, Sir Brian Follett, and Lady Follett would like to thank members of the University for their generous leaving gift: a cheque to enable them to buy a piece of contemporary furniture.

I believe that the members of the present Cabinet, like the Conservatives before them, do not understand what universities are for. They want useful universities — ones that are practical, efficient, and focused on business needs.