Working Together Task Group

Pursuing our academic mission while providing the conditions for a positive environment where everyone feels supported to thrive and give of their best is an ongoing challenge. Members of our community at Imperial undertake world-leading research, transformative education and impactful innovation. We are truly proud of this endeavour.  

We are committed to working in a way that is respectful of each other, making sure workloads, work environment, work-life balance and incentives are reasonable and appropriate, and we have made significant progress on these issues over recent years. However, 2020 was a year of exceptional additional pressures that the pandemic – and the central role of our community in fighting COVID-19 – placed on an already hard-working and high-achieving community, and on each of us as individuals. 

As we continue to work at pace on vital work for our communities and the wider world, we recognise there are many more challenges to come. We are also mindful of the need to pay attention to how we work together, how we communicate and how we listen and gather views, so that we can make decisions that are best for the institution. Our work demands an environment where everyone is able to contribute their best. 

In addition to ongoing work on improving governance and communications, the President’s and Provost’s Boards has asked that a dedicated task group to help us understand the needs of our staff and student community and the most critical barriers to working effectively. This group will work with members of our community from across the College guided by an experienced independent facilitator to inform what operational practices and policies the College should put in place. 

The recommendations of the task group will be heard and attended to at the highest levels of the College and will complement ongoing communications and the considerable work that is already in progress.  

We look forward to working with the College community over the months ahead to support and enable our vital work together as a vibrant academic community. 

Professor Ian Walmsley 

Provost 

Professor Peter Openshaw 

Senior Consul

The Working Together Task Group has a specific focus on listening to our community and delivering concrete proposals that will contribute to building a positive working environment and culture for our staff and students. Working through the spring and summer terms 2021, reporting to President’s Board and Provost’s Board, it has the following terms of reference. 

Aim  

To identify and propose practical measures that will be effective in building a positive, supportive environment enabling the community at Imperial to thrive and give of their best in order that the College can pursue its mission as a globally leading university. 

Remit 

Engage colleagues across the College community, and listen to their ideas in order to improve our ways of working and culture. This process will specifically:   

The group will use external and internal facilitators as appropriate to make sure the widest range of views can be heard. 

A report and set of recommendations, reflecting the discussions of the working group and key themes raised in the facilitated conversation sessions, has been approved by President’s and Provost’s Boards and is available to download.  A full action plan is being developed for the autumn term. 
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