Resources and services to support efficiency.
Amazon Web Services via Janet network
Provides improved connectivity and reduced bandwidth charges for Janet members connecting to the AWS cloud.- Big change vs small changeExaminations at Edinburgh Napier used to be a complicated process. This cartoon case study on redesigning the university's examination process shows how a series of small changes saved time for students and staff while improving security.
- Brunswick agreementsTemplate agreements for use between institutions with reference to materials transfer, research collaboration and studentship. Produced by the Brunswick Group.
- Cloud and Data Centre Framework
Cloud computing and the co-location of systems and services for data storage can help institutions drive down costs and drive up performance. Jisc provides advice and guidance on selecting solutions and suppliers of cloud and data centre services. - Cloud Services for Education AgreementsIncludes exclusive amendments and due diligence on contractual documents for Microsoft Office 365. We are also preparing to offer due diligence on Google Apps.
- CREST – Consortium for Research Excellence, Support and TrainingProvides an innovative model for how to further research excellence and promote institutional and interdisciplinary collaboration.
- DARE – Digital Academic Records ExchangeSecure online delivery of degree certificates, transcripts, Higher Education Achievement Reports (HEAR) and other student data. A Digitary service hosted at ULCC.
- Digital Curation CentreCentre of expertise in digital information curation. Provides advice and practical help for storing, managing, protecting and sharing digital research data.
- Digital Preservation and Data Curation Requirements and SolutionsSolutions and practical help for tackling everyday digital preservation issues.
- Dropbox for TeamsCloud-based storage service to sync teamwork across all devices. We are negotiating a special price for the research and education sector.
EDITORIAL. Never Alone: Universities’ key role in supporting students’ wellbeing and mental health
Among the many issues universities are currently concerned about, students’ mental health and wellbeing have become a core concern. According to a YouGov’s survey (2016) a quarter of our students suffer mainly of depression and anxiety, or, mostly, both combined. The need to perform, financial worries, and being in a different and new social environment can all contribute to making students feel overwhelmed at times. The IPPR study Not by Degrees (Thorley, 2017), however, paints an even more disturbing picture.- Equipment sharing: how to make an impact (and evidence it)
Dr Hamish McAlpine from the University Bath and Dr Steve Trowell from the University of Exeter talk about the simple steps we can take to become more efficient in how we support equipment through its life. These steps are also very amenable to measurement, offering the opportunity to benchmark and improve over time. - ESISS: sharing information security expertise
Universities reap the benefits when information security expertise is shared ‘by the sector for the sector’, reports Dr Andrew Rothwell of Loughborough University’s Centre for Global Sourcing and Services. He talks to Matthew Cook, Ian Griffiths and Peter Darby about the Education Shared Information Security Service (ESISS) as a shared service. - G-CloudProcurement programme and online catalogue of government approved cloud computing commodity and support services.
- G-Cloud: universities can use new online marketplaceG-Cloud is a UK Government initiative to encourage the adoption of Cloud Services across the whole of the Public Sector as well as the higher education sector. It aims to simplify how the Public Sector buys and delivers services by creating a marketplace of pay-as-you-go commodity services that can be easily scaled up or down, based on the changing needs of an organisation and its users.
- GeM – the online store for HE and FEeMarketplace and contracts repository for Higher and Further Education sectors offering sector negotiated and approved contracts.
- HE Shared LegalSubscription-based legal guidance service for UK HE institutions. Includes help desk and assistance with engaging legal advisers. Operating on a pilot basis, with HEFCE funding.
- Janet products and servicesJanet provides advice, services and brokerage for networking, cloud, collaboration and connectivity.
- Janet VideoconferencingEnables communication and collaboration at a distance.
- Jisc SSL certificate service
Here at Jisc, we have been helping customers protect their websites through our certificate service. The service allows customers to obtain secure socket layer (SSL) certificates which are a vital part of internet security. - Kit-Catalogue – making sharing easier
Kit-Catalogue is a online database that can help universities to keep track of equipment, internal and external technology gaps and also to identify equipment sharing opportunities. Developed by Loughborough University and funded by Jisc, promotes better use of assets within and between institutions and makes them available for public and commercial application. - Model letter of agreement – equipment loansModel letter of agreement for equipment loans between institutions, developed jointly by Cambridge University and the Association of University Practitioners.
- Model letter of agreement – facilities sharingModel agreement for sharing facilities between institutions, developed jointly by Cambridge University and the Association of University Practitioners.
- New online resources available as part of ARMA’s training programme
The Association of Research Managers and Administrators has launched a webinar series, providing members with a new training route on a broad range of topics and issues - Performance for allPerformance management software service used by over 50 universities.
Procurement as a strategic asset – report for Efficiency Exchange – July 2013Report commissioned by the Efficiency Exchange to gather material to showcase the strategic value of procurement to the sector and how it can raise its profile, especially at senior leadership levels.- Shared Data Centre SpaceShared data centre space for research and education, connected by the high speed Janet network.
- Sharing IT services and the law – Jisc LegalIncludes contractual implications, sharing personal data, ownership and Freedom of Information.
- Sharing research equipment boosts industry in the north
The N8 Research Partnership has improved and updated its equipment-sharing database. This will make it easier to share apparatus from the region’s most research-intensive universities. Nick Goldspink, interim co-director at N8, explains how the database's improvements will be a massive step forward to academics and to Northern industry, saving money, boosting efficiency and aiding research. - Sharing research equipment: how can we do it better?
Last year staff from Jisc set out to better understand institutional and researchers' needs around sharing research equipment. Senior co-designer Daniela Duca reveals the team's findings. - Strategic sourcing in UK universities: becoming ‘intelligent customers’Universities are beginning to discover the benefits of new business models in their dealings with suppliers, say researchers at the University of the West of England. They argue that institutions should become ‘intelligent customers’, which will involve investment in new skills, changes in culture and raising the profile of procurement and supply professionals.
- SUPC – supporting sustainability procurement
While sustainable procurement is no easy task, it is becoming increasingly important to higher education institutions in the UK. As a key service provider of collaborative procurement solutions to the higher education sector, SUPC is exploring ways to support members in the procurement of goods and services that provide value for money, benefit society and the economy, while also minimising damage to the environment. - Tax in higher education institutions
BUFDG has produced a concise, accessible briefing on Tax in Higher Education Institutions. It uses non-technical language, and is written in a way that is clear and accessible to those who aren’t tax experts. It’s aimed at anyone involved in the management, leadership, or governance in HEIs. - The Keepers Registryinformation about the archiving arrangements for electronic journals.
- The Procurement Journey: a ‘how to’ guide from HEPA
The Procurement Journey gives procurement professionals and wider institutional buyers access to a comprehensive 'how to' guide to procurement, including a wealth of useful materials, standardised documentation, up-to-date legislation information, and references to appropriate external advice websites. It has been professionally reviewed, and is now available online for use across the sector. - Universities Scotland: Working smarter – progress report 2013
This report from Universities Scotland reviews progress against the action plan developed by the Universities Scotland Efficiencies Taskforce in 2012. It reflects on the success of the sector across four themes: procurement, shared services and business process improvement, estates management, and ICT. - University of London Computer CentreServices include hosted Moodle VLE, business systems, infrastructure services and digital preservation.
- Using technology to innovate: new MOOC from the Association for Learning Technology
The Association for Learning Technology (ALT) and its members organised a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) earlier in 2013 to help managers and teachers use technology in Higher Education. - Value and Impact Toolkit
This project aims to develop a holistic approach to understanding and evaluating the value and impact of services that support students. Outputs can be used to assess the value and impact of the student services that universities offer. - VAT exemption for cost sharing groups: new guidance from Hefce
HEFCE has published guidance on VAT exemption for cost sharing groups delivering shared services. It includes illustrative examples of cost sharing groups and alternative delivery structures.
