A packed lecture theatre in George Square was the scene of the latest ISG All Staff meeting. The three speakers were ISG head Gavin MacLachlan; Gary Jebb, Director of Estates, and Angi Lamb, from the Service Improvement Programme. All three of them stressed how we all need to work at sustaining and improving the student experience. The feedback from the National Student Survey revealed the need for putting students at the centre of our planning and just how much scope there is for improvement. An important recent step was the addition of 358 new study desks in the lower ground floor of the main library. Argyle House Image One concern raised by a member of staff was of ISG being cut off from the University community after the move to Argyle House. Gary Jebb was able to contextualise the move by outlining a vision for an expanded campus, including parts of Quarter Mile and the Museum of Fire building on Lauriston Place, both of which the University has recently acquired. Argyle House may feel a bit removed from the rest of the University at the moment, but it won't in five to ten years time when these new buildings become operational. It is of course currently right next to ECA, which is an integral part of the University. Brexit means...? As a concern that touches on all of us, Gavin was able to demonstrate that the end wasn't indeed nigh. We know that EU students arriving for the 2017/2018 academic year will receive free tuition for the duration of their studies. There was general surprise in the room as we found out that the two biggest recipients of ERC funding per capita were Switzerland and Israel, neither of which are EU member states. Catch! A light-hearted touch was the catch box microphone that Gavin brought along. It added an extra bit of fun to the proceedings by turning audience questions into a game of catch, as the soft cubic microphone was thrown around the room. Publication date 27 Oct, 2016
