Staff Handbook

What the handbook is

The staff handbook is the university's written reference for how work is done here. It gathers into one document the expectations, procedures and forms that would otherwise be scattered across notices, emails and word of mouth.

It is not a contract and it does not replace one. It is the practical answer to questions of the form who approves this, what do I submit, by what route, and what is expected of me.

Who it is for

The handbook is written for everyone employed by the university, with sections that apply differently depending on the role.

• Academic staff — full-time and part-time teaching staff, and those supervising student projects.
• Administrative, technical and support staff — for whom the procedural and conduct sections apply in the same way.
• New staff — as the reference given at induction, before the first teaching or working week begins.
• Heads of department and college administration — as the authority for decisions they are asked to approve.

What it covers

The contents fall into three broad areas.

Employment and administration

• How appointment and probation are handled, and who is responsible at each step.
• Attendance, absence and leave: how a request is made, who approves it, and how it is recorded.
• The personal file the university keeps for each member of staff, and how to have an entry corrected or a new qualification added.
• Which office to approach for payroll, contract and certificate questions.

Teaching and academic duties

• Preparing the course description and course file before teaching begins.
• Office hours and availability for student consultation.
• Setting, invigilating and marking examinations, and the moderation of marks.
• Recording student attendance and submitting marks through the proper route.
• Supervising graduation projects and the responsibilities that come with it.

Conduct and responsibility

• Professional conduct with students and with colleagues.
• Confidentiality of student records and of internal deliberations.
• Academic integrity, and what to do when plagiarism is suspected.
• Use of university premises, equipment and IT accounts.
• The grievance and disciplinary procedures, in outline, and where the full text sits.

How to obtain the current edition

1. Ask your college administration which edition is currently in force.
2. Request a copy through that office; new staff are given the handbook as part of induction.
3. Where a published version is available for download, it appears under Documents.
4. Check the edition marked on the front page before you rely on any procedure in it.

Do not work from a copy saved on a personal computer in an earlier year. Procedures change, and an old file will not tell you that it is out of date.

When it changes

The handbook is revised as procedures are revised, and the current edition is the one that applies.

If you find text that no longer matches how something is actually done, report it to your college administration rather than working around it. That is how the next edition gets corrected. General enquiries can be sent through Contact.