Ian White - Introduction to Staff Induction

As Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Institutional Affairs, may I start by thanking you for using this online facility. I hope that you find it helpful. If you’re new to the University, then you’re particularly welcome and I very much hope that you will find the University to be a stimulating and interesting place to work and your experience here will be both worthwhile and enjoyable.

The University of Cambridge, of course, is one of the world’s great universities. It has a great heritage and a reputation for transforming ideas and enhancing the quality of life. Not only locally but also nationally and internationally. This, of course, is the result primarily of its people, staff and students, past and present, who have built the University’s reputation. It is because of them that the University has now a world leading reputation for teaching and research and it is by us also that the future reputation of the University will be determined.

As a colleague, we hope that you will enjoy exploring all the opportunities, both personal and professional the University provides. Because of the scale of the University, we aim to provide you with as much information as we can for your benefit being aware of the wide range of background experience and needs that University members have.

Much of the information and advice that you will need will best be provided by the colleagues and friends working with you within your department and we do hope, in particular, that you will make use of the Induction Schemes and Mentoring available. In addition, the University provides central termly events to support those who just joined and we would be delighted to welcome you to these.

We are, however, aware that even so you may still have questions across a wide range of topics, hence hope that this online package will provide further assistance. In it there is an introduction to the University, its missions and values, its activities and governing structures, along with guidance on matters that you might wish to address in your first few weeks here. We would be grateful if, in particular, you would note key information relating to Health & Safety and the wide range of support services and opportunities available. To give you a flavour of the University, you can also hear directly from existing members of staff, themselves with a wide range of roles, backgrounds and experience.

If the package leaves some of your questions unanswered, please don’t hesitate to seek the assistance of your Departmental Administrator. Please also feel free to pass on any suggestions for making improvements using the online facility.

May I finally wish you every success in your role at Cambridge. Thank you.