University of St Andrews Staff Induction

Opportunities for study at the University

admin — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 15:18:25 +0000

Evening Degree

If you would be interested in working towards a Master of Arts (General) degree or a Bachelor of Science (General) degree, at times that would fit in with your job, then please do think to check out the Evening Degree webpage www.st-andrews.ac.uk/eveningdegree

As a member of University staff you would benefit from the staff concession on fees (currently £110 for up to four modules taken in the academic year.) Please do check out the relevant webpage to confirm eligibility. http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/staff/policy/employment/StaffFees/

The University has also put in place “top-up” Part-time Undergraduate Scholarships, so that many Evening Degree students pay no fees at all.

Evening Language Teaching

A wide range of languages can be studied in the evening, either at beginner, intermediate or advanced levels. Please see their webpage for further information, prices and timetable: http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/eveninglanguages/

Open Association

For day-schools, short courses and other non-accredited courses and lectures of general interest, please see the Open Association website: http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/admissions/non-degree/openassociation/

Health

admin — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 09:40:56 +0000

Whilst the University has an Occupational Health Adviser, if you are moving to the area you must still register locally with a Doctor’s Practice. Information about Doctors in St Andrews is here: http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/students/advice/health/Doctors/

We have some private and NHS dentists in town: http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/students/advice/health/Dentist/

If things are more serious and you need emergency health care, details are here: http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/students/advice/health/HospitalsandEmergencyCare/ or if it’s a minor injury you can attend the Minor Injuries Unit http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/students/advice/health/MinorInjuriesUnit/

Being Part of the Community

admin — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 09:29:04 +0000

Working at the University makes you part of a vibrant local community. On average 1 in 3 people you see on the street either work or study at the University. As you would expect, there are many local events and activities to get involved in. University community and wellbeing information can be found here: http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/staff/wellbeing/

This section tells you everything you need to know about settling in socially - what’s on, clubs and societies, where to eat and local services.

Salaries, Pensions and employee benefits

admin — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 07:36:39 +0000

Common salaries questions asked by new staff (and the answers!) can be found here: http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/hr/SalariesandPensions/FAQs/

For P46 forms, personal details forms, salary scales and contact details please see this part of the salaries website: http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/staff/money//Salaries/

To ensure you’re paid correctly at the end of the month, all expenses claims and adjustments to your salary have to be made before the cut-off date, normally around the 15th or 16th of each month. Cut off dates for the current year can be found here: http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/staff/money/Salaries/dates/

You can give money to charity direct from your pay-packet

‘Give As You Earn’ allows simple, tax-effective giving straight from your pay packet direct to a charity or charities of your choice, or into a Charity Account.

Hundreds of charities have registered their details with the Give as You Earn site.

You can learn all about the process via the ‘CAF online’ website, and set-up your donation on-line. The link is as follows, and the University is listed as ‘University of St Andrews’.

http://www.cafonline.org/Default.aspx?page=7026

Finally, you can investigate your range of employee benefits here: http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/hr/employeebenefits/

Human Resources,Policies & Strategies

admin — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 07:26:03 +0000

All the University policies - from maternity leave to flexible working to discipline to retirement - are kept in the Human Resources section of the University website. You can access it here: http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/hr/Policies/

Kathryn Tait, Human Resources Officer, talks about some key HR policies and outlines the Human Resources services for staff at the University.

[See post to watch Flash video]

The University has a ten-year strategic plan which lays out the Organisational Vision. Supporting this plan are a number of further strategies which deal with specific areas in more depth e.g. Academic strategy, financial strategy, staff strategy etc. Linked to these, each School and Unit will formulate their School/Unit strategic plan which, in turn, impacts how each School/Unit operates. The Q6 Review and Development scheme plays a role in helping to align individual staff objectives to their School/Unit strategy. Links to all the strategic documents can be found here: http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/staff/policy/planning/

To find out when session begins and ends (and the holidays inbetween!) see here: http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/semesterdates/

To find out how much annual leave you are entitled to, have a look here:

http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/media/Annual%20Leave%20Guidance.pdf

Staff Development Officer, Lynn Neville, explains about the University’s Q6 review and development scheme for staff.

[See post to watch Flash video]

Once you’re issued with your staff card (normally within your first couple of days of starting work) a whole range of discounts with local shops and businesses await! See what you can save here: http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/staff/money//Staffdiscountscheme/

Working for the University

admin — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 07:11:17 +0000

This section of the site contains all the important information new staff need to know about the University. Practical elements like how to get a car parking permit, how to get set up with a St Andrews email account and how our recycling system works are all covered. There is also information about many of the Schools and Units, and the strategies that steer them as well as information about how you can further your own academic and/or professional development.

If you are coming to work in the UK from another country, or are not a UK national, you may need a work permit. See the information section here: http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/staff/policy/immigration/

Moving to St Andrews

admin — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 18:54:19 +0000

This section is filled with information about the town that should be useful to you in moving here. You can find out about accommodation, travel and the services available within the town. There’s also useful information for moving here to help make the process as easy as possible.

Arriving by car

From south
Cross the Forth Road Bridge (A90) and proceed north along M90 to Junction 2a. Follow the A92 until just before Cupar, then join the A91 to St Andrews. Alternatively, take M90 to junction 8, then A91 to St Andrews.
From south-west
Either go east along the M8 to the Forth Road Bridge and then by route (a), or by Kincardine Bridge and A977 towards Kinross, joining M90 at Junction 6 and exiting at Junction 8, then by A91 to St Andrews.
From north-west
Leave Perth on the M90 then by the A913 to Cupar and St Andrews.
From north via Dundee
Cross the Tay Road Bridge on the A92 and after 1 mile via the A919 to Leuchars, and then A91 to St Andrews.

Alternatively, you can plan your route to St Andrews here: http://rp.rac.co.uk/routeplanner

Arriving by train

The closest railway station to St Andrews is Leuchars. It is approximately 6 miles from St Andrews, and there is a connecting bus service to the town (as well as a taxi rank just outside the station).

You can plan your rail journey here: www.networkrail.co.uk

Arriving by bus

Stagecoach is the local bus operator and the St Andrew’s bus station is in the centre of town, only a short walk from most University buildings.

Local bus timetables can be found here: http://www.stagecoachbus.com/timetables.aspx?serviceid=&locationId=156&from=&to=&locval=174

Finding a home

admin — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 17:16:07 +0000

This section contains four posts relating to:

Renting a property
Living outside St Andrews
Buying a property
Finding Temporary Accommodation

Scroll down to read information about each of these topics

Cinema

admin — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 11:31:22 +0000

St Andrews only has one cinema, the New Picture House. Always popular, it shows a mixture of blockbuster, mainstream and some arthouse releases. NPH also hosts late night showings of previously released films at 11pm on a Wednesday night. The programme is here: http://www.nphcinema.co.uk/index.html

There are large multiplex cinemas in Dundee -
Cineworld: http://www.cineworld.co.uk/cinemas/19

Odeon: http://www.odeon.co.uk/fanatic/cinema_information/s86/

Alternatively, you could visit Dundee Contemporary Arts. This arthouse cinema shows a wide range of films, as well as live screenings from the likes of the National Theatre and the Met Opera House: http://www.dca.org.uk/. On top of that, DCA also hosts a variety of workshops, exhibitions, talks and events.

If your taste for film is still not satisfied, the Edinburgh International Film Festival takes place in Edinburgh each June. Now in its 65th year, the festival runs a vibrant programme of films and events.

Theatre

admin — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 11:29:22 +0000

St Andrews has been home to the Byre theatre since 1933. The Byre Theatre was established by local freelance journalist and playwright A.B. Paterson in a derelict cow-byre. It now operates from an attractive and modern building on Abbey Walk. A range of local, national and international productions are showcased at the Byre. It plays host to a huge variety of performances and festivals throughout the year, indcluding student work, music, comedy and poetry events. Check out what’s currently playing here: http://www.byretheatre.com/whats-on.php

St Andrews is also home to the Barron Theatre, a dedicated student theatre. It is located on North Street and houses a 60 seat black box studio theatre. Many student pieces are put on at the Barron throughout the academic year, and the venue is also available for hire by other groups. You can see upcoming events here: http://yourunion.net/barrontheatre/events

If you’re willing to venture a little further afield, there is a lot of world class theatre to be enjoyed. Dundee Rep is home to Scotland’s only full-time resident company of actors and contemporary dancers. Located in the centre of Dundee, it can be accessed on public transport from St Andrews. Visit their website for more information and to see what’s on: http://www.dundeereptheatre.co.uk/

Should you want to go even further to visit the Theatre, have a look at The Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh at http://www.lyceum.org.uk/index.php, The Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh (Scotland’s new writing theatre) at http://www.traverse.co.uk/, or if you’re looking for touring shows and musicals, Edinburgh’s Playhouse: http://www.edinburghplayhouse.org.uk/index.asp?venueid=93. During August, much of Edinburgh is turned into a stage for the Edinburgh International Festival, and the vast Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the largest arts festival in the world. To see what’s happening this August visit: http://www.edfringe.com/about-us.

If you aren’t content to sit in the auditorium, you could get in touch with the St Andrews Play Club - http://www.standrewsplayclub.org.uk/ - they welcome anyone over the age of 16 who is interested in getting involved in any part of productions. Alternatively, if you see yourself as more of a writer, have a look at the Byre writers - http://www.byretheatre.com/education-outreach-byre-writers.php - who meet on Saturday mornings and concentrate on drama scripts for theatre, film, radio or television. If you have children or young adults who want to get involved in theatre, the Byre Youth Theatre run 5 weekly classes during school term time for those between 3 and 18 years: http://www.byretheatre.com/education-outreach-byre-youth-theatre.php.