General Policies

POLICIES & PROCEDURES

Welcome!

Welcome to BERKELEY. Our commitment to research makes us one of the most quality organizations in terms of learning. We look forward to the future with an eagerness to continue our pursuit of excellence. We wish you a productive and enjoyable career at the BERKELEY. This Handbook provides a general overview for all staff. 

Important Contacts

Please contact the administration department to get the list of important contacts.

GETTING STARTED

Maps:

Maps of the BERKELEY buildings and the town can be found on the location page.

Induction and New Staff Essentials

You are asked to attend an ‘all staff’ induction event (held twice a year) where you will have the opportunity to meet senior members of the BERKELEY. In addition, New Staff Essentials courses are held monthly. Your attendance at one of these monthly courses is very important as they include information that BERKELEY is under a legal obligation to provide. To register for these courses and Induction information, please contact the Human Resources department.

ID Cards

A staff ID card is required for identification purposes and for access to various buildings including BERKELEY library. It is also required if you wish to take advantage of offers via the staff discount scheme. New staff should email their ID card photograph ahead of their start date so that it’s ready for their first day of employment; HR will issue the staff ID card on this day. Authorized staff in the Section/ Unit must contact Campus Card Services to arrange specific access for you. If a contract is extended or changed, contact should be made with Campus Card Services to ensure the appropriate access is in place. Contact: Campus Card Services

User Account/Email

A new staff email account will be created for you ahead of your start date. On the morning of your first day, staff entitlements will automatically be activated in terms of email account & Office 365. Where this automated process is not possible, staff will need to attend the IT Service Desk in the Library to activate their user account, taking with them the staff ID Card for identification purposes. For help with email set-up and Other IT help contact the IT department.

New Starter Online Training

As a new starter at the BERKELEY, there are a number of online courses that you may be required to complete. These courses cover important aspects of compliance with external regulations or laws or are important parts of BERKELEY’s governance processes and policies. Information and registration for these courses are available with the training department.

STRUCTURE AND GOVERNANCE

BERKELEY Governance

Information on BERKELEY’s governing bodies and Structure and Governance can be found in the director’s office.

Principal’s Office

Information on personnel in the Principal’s Office can be found In HR Department.

Governance Zone

All BERKELEY policies, procedures and guidance can be found in the director's office. All central policies associated with BERKELEY ’s governance and supporting procedures are now in an authorized, single-source repository, which is supported and proactively developed by IT Services with the policies being linked, as appropriate, to the relevant sections of the BERKELEY website. This means that each policy can be proactively maintained and monitored through, and beyond, its lifecycle, ensuring its currency, validity, and coverage in a consistent way. Policies are now easier to find and access both by users and by owners/maintainers. Potential gaps and overlaps are easier to identify, and BERKELEY is able to demonstrate improved legal compliance with statutory requirements. As mentioned, the Governance Zone is now the single authoritative source of policies– if you possess or know about any older versions of policies, please remove them. Likewise, if you own a policy, guideline or a similar document that you believe should be in the Governance Zone, please email your request to the director's office. Finally, the Digital Communications Team has created re-directs from policies’ operational sites; however, if any policy has slipped through the net and you identify any broken links, we would be grateful if you inform the Digital Communications team via IT help desk, who will deal with the issue appropriately.

Strategic Plan

The BERKELEY strategic plan provides a definitive framework for the many strategic and operational decisions that will occur at various levels across the BERKELEY and identify the fundamental strategic aims for the United Arab Emirates over the next few years.

Planning Unit

The Planning Office ensures coherence and collaboration across the institution to inform and strengthen strategic decision-making. We provide professional expertise for planning, external policy, and data analysis, management information provision, timetabling, and key performance indicators risk management:

Registry

The registry is one of the central academic administrative Units for the BERKELEY. Registry staff manages student records from the point of application to graduation for all main student cohorts: undergraduate, postgraduate taught, postgraduate research, International Education Institute, Summer Section,s and courses. This remit encompasses:

• Curriculum management

• Collaborations and study abroad

• Examinations

• Tuition fees

• Module results

Important Dates

The Academic Calendar: The academic calendar can be found in the table section.

Events Calendar

All BERKELEY events for staff, students, and the general public are listed in the online Events Calendar. To submit information for consideration on the Calendar check website.

IT Services – here to help

We recognize that IT is likely to be essential to allow you to perform your role at the BERKELEY. IT Services offers a wide range of services and support.

User Account and Email

A new staff email account will be created for you ahead of your start date. On the morning of your first day, staff entitlements will automatically be activated in terms of email account, Office 365, printing, and Library borrowing. Where this automated process is not possible, staff will need to attend the IT Service Desk in the Library to activate their user account, taking with them the staff ID Card for identification purposes. If you require access to your department’s shared email account, your line manager will arrange this for you. The IT Service Desk will send you instructions on how to set the account up in Outlook.

File storage

Save your personal files in your home drive or in OneDrive. Your home drive allows you 5GB of storage on the BERKELEY network which is backed up three times daily. Your Office 365 account gives you 1TB of storage through OneDrive, which you can access from any device. If your Section or Professional Service Unit has shared drives for departmental files, your line manager will arrange for you to get access.

Wi-Fi

There is wireless access across more than 95% of BERKELEY buildings. All IT queries, problems, or requests, should be directed to the IT Service Desk.

Front Desk: Main Library:

You will find details about a range of services from the IT department.

VPN:

When you are away from the BERKELEY, some resources will be restricted, but you can still access BERKELEY resources by using the Virtual Private Network.

Microsoft Office 365:

BERKELEY staff can install Microsoft Office on up to five of their personal devices. This will already be installed on BERKELEY-supplied devices.

Security:

Staff members are responsible for safeguarding their accounts and data by not sharing passwords and reporting phishing emails to training@berkeleyme.com so our IT Security team can investigate.

Service Status:

The status of different BERKELEY systems is indicated on the Service Status page. If a service doesn’t appear to be working, we recommend that you check this page first.

Password Self Service:

Please register for this service. Should you ever forget your password, you can use this facility to reset your password.

Printing:

All Sections and Professional Service Units have a UniPrint device(s) installed. UniPrint is a ‘pull print system’ which holds your print job(s) in a print queue. You can retrieve your print job(s) from any public printer by logging into the printer with your ID card. You can also print from your laptop.

Work telephones:

If you have any queries about your office desk phone or work mobile phone, please contact the Telephone Office.

Consumer Protection

We are in strict compliance of the Consumer Protection Act by ensuring that contracts between consumers and suppliers are fair and transparent. Most significantly we are doing the following:

i. Provide all material information to allow students to make informed choices about their BERKELEY and course;

ii. Ensure that BERKELEY terms and conditions are fair and accessible, with unusual terms clearly communicated to students;

iii. Adopt a fair and transparent complaints procedure that students understand.

BERKELEY has always aimed to provide an excellent academic experience and has Been committed to ensuring a good relationship with our students. We adopt the principles of fairness, clarity, and transparency whilst safeguarding academic standards and the student experience within the BERKELEY.

Technology Enhanced Learning and IT Training

If you are a new member of the teaching staff you will be expected to use the BERKELEY ’s IT Environment. There are two main web-based systems – LMS and Module Management System (MMS) which are integrated through the gateway to web-based services. You will be able to log in to the integrated site or both of these individual systems with your BERKELEY.

Other Technologies

We provide training and support for a wide range of institutional learning technologies, including Lecture Capture, Plagiarism Detection and Clickers. We also train and advise on every aspect of using technology in your teaching, whether online or in the classroom.

All our workshops can be booked through the BERKELEY ’s Personal Development Management System (PDMS) under the Technology Enhanced Learning category. We are also happy to provide bespoke sessions for Sections or teaching teams and one-to-one support.

Contact us

You can keep up to date with what’s happening on:

• Our blog

• Twitter –

• Facebook –

Or contact us via training@berkeleyme.com

For full details on the course including how to register, see our website.

Information Governance and Security

Information is one of the BERKELEY’s most valuable resources and as a member of staff, you have a role to play in how effectively this is managed. There are also, certain statutory obligations which drive BERKELEY’s governance arrangements in the areas of data protection, cybersecurity, and freedom of information.

Data Protection

The protection of privacy and providing for individual’s rights in the collection and use of their personal data is established through law. The BERKELEY collects and makes use of a wide range of personal data for students, staff, and others who interact with us. It is important that when collecting personal data only the minimum amount of information necessary to complete a task/activity is collected. This personal data should then only be used for the purposes for which it was collected and all reasonable steps taken to secure and maintain the confidentiality of that data.

All members of staff should familiarise themselves with the ‘core’ privacy notices that BERKELEY publishes and maintains; these set out what student and staff personal data are collected, the purposes and uses that will be made of this, and with whom personal data may be shared. Those documents are in effect promises to students and staff; being familiar with how personal data are to be used will help the BERKELEY to meet its stated commitments.

Data protection laws also give a range of rights to individuals. Those rights are qualified and in some instances depending on the BERKELEY ’s basis for making use of personal data they may not apply. For example, if the BERKELEY has a legal requirement to collect information then many of the data protection rights will not be available.

Corporate Communications

Corporate Communications is one of the central administrative services for the BERKELEY. Corporate Communications is responsible for managing and coordinating the BERKELEY ’s press and media relations, public affairs, community relations and public engagement, brand identity, marketing, web content, new media, social media, print and design, and internal communications.

The digital communications team can help with:

• Online accessibility

• Training courses as part of the BERKELEY’s ‘Digital Visa’

• Social media guidance

• Website support and maintenance

• Usability testing.

The Common Room

The BERKELEY Common room supports teaching and research by providing digital and print resources and managing study spaces, our team is committed to providing excellent customer service.

Support and Development

BERKELEY ’s VC for Academic, Professional, and Organisational Development. It aims to promote an integrated personal, professional, and academic development service to all staff and students.

Staff

• Academic Staff Development Course

• IT Training

• Passport to Excellence schemes

• Module Evaluation Questionnaire Service

• Learning Technology Support

• Organisational Development

• Mentoring and Coaching Schemes

• Open course of courses

Students

• Study Skills Support

• Work and Career Skills

• Professional Skills Curriculum (PSC)

• Academic Study Skills Workshops

Career Support

The Careers Centre offers its services to staff members (graduate level), of the BERKELEY (where we are able to help, bearing in mind that our core expertise is with immediate graduate labor markets and further study options Dedicated careers advisers offer specialist advice to early-career research staff.

Lifelong and Flexible Learning

The Lifelong and Flexible Learning team within Admissions offers certification on a part-time basis attending classes delivered entirely in the evening and taught by some of our leading academic staff. Staff can enroll for a full course or choose to take standalone modules as part of your professional development. The course is open to all staff members, their families and friends. To find out more about the course, contact.

Mentoring and Coaching

The BERKELEY has several mentoring and coaching schemes for both academic and professional/support staff.

Wellbeing

The BERKELEY recognizes that it has a moral and legal duty to support the wellbeing of all the people that work with the BERKELEY; staff and learners alike. All the BERKELEY’s institution-wide health and wellbeing activities and initiatives are directed and implemented through the BERKELEY’s Wellbeing. Each month, a different health and wellbeing theme that is relevant to the BERKELEY ’s population is promoted through an information campaign with accompanying activities and courses to develop awareness.

BERKELEY wellbeing related policies – Community and Volunteering:

The BERKELEY has formed contacts with local volunteering groups, who are all very keen to speak to any staff members who may be interested. There is a wide range of opportunities to get involved within the community. As well as internal options (within the BERKELEY ), there is also a range of external organizations that are grateful for staff volunteers helping out. Any volunteer work can be arranged to fit in with your lifestyle and needs.

Health and Safety

The Environmental Health and Safety Services Unit ensures, so far as is reasonably practicable, a safe working environment and also safe processes within the BERKELEY. It provides advice on biological agents, chemical risks, fieldwork risks, fire risks, radiation risks, and any other general health and safety issues. The BERKELEY’s Health and Safety service will also undertake accident investigations.

To raise a safety issue, please contact the Director of the Unit.

The Occupational Health Unit

The full-time Occupational Health Adviser is a qualified General and Occupational Health Nurse. The Unit assesses the effect of work on an individual’s health and the effect of an individual’s health on their work.

Emergency Procedures

All emergency procedures can be found online. In the event of any incident, criminal or otherwise, which may put the safety of the BERKELEY community and/or property at risk, the following action should be taken without delay: First, telephone the police by dialing.

Contact the BERKELEY Security and Response Team for incident reporting and emergency support 24/7

No Smoking Policy

It is the policy of the BERKELEY that all workplaces are smoke-free, and all employees have a right to work in a smoke-free environment.

The No Smoking Policy is applied fairly and uniformly throughout the BERKELEY and is applicable to all members of staff. It also applies to students, visitors, clients, contractors and all others who use BERKELEY facilities.

Alcohol, Drugs, and Substances

The BERKELEY recognizes that its primary responsibility is to ensure a safe, healthy, and productive environment for all employees, students, and visitors. This can be put at risk by the excessive and/or inappropriate use by employees of alcohol, drugs or substances, whether illicit, prescribed or over the counter, in such a way that their health, work performance, work environment, and/or conduct of relationships are adversely affected. The BERKELEY encourages employees with alcohol, drug and substance-related problems to seek help.

Guidance and information are contained within the Policy and Guidance on the Use of Alcohol, Drug, or Substances.

The BERKELEY has worked to develop guidance, procedures, and training to meet this duty predicated on a safeguarding approach, which is the overarching the ethos of the Government’s Prevent strategy.

Security and Response Team

Responsibility for security and personal safety rests with all persons who study, work at, reside in, or visit the BERKELEY. However, should you require help or wish to report an incident the BERKELEY’s Security and Response Team is accessible 24/7.

It may also be necessary to ensure the Police are alerted by dialing.

Environment and Sustainable Development

The BERKELEY ’s Environment Team manages the commitments made in the BERKELEY ’s Sustainable Development Policy. We are all responsible for reducing the environmental impacts associated with the day-to-day activities and long term plans of the BERKELEY, including recycling, consumption of energy and water, and sustainable travel.

We encourage staff to walk, cycle, or use public transport where possible. If you have to bring a car, then you need a permit to park on BERKELEY property.

Recycling

The BERKELEY is aiming to achieve zero waste status. In order to achieve this goal, we need everyone in the BERKELEY to take initiative when handling potential waste. We also encourage members of staff to use reuse alternatives to skips when cleaning out rooms or buildings of unwanted but still functional items.

Business Transformation Portfolio Office

The Business Transformation Portfolio Office provides services to support the successful delivery of the BERKELEY ’s business transformation portfolio and its constituent courses and projects.

Learning and Teaching

For all matters relating to learning and teaching including academic standards and enhancing the student learning experience.

Finance

Financial Operating Procedures

Heads of Sections and Units and all budget holders should be aware of the BERKELEY Financial Operating Procedures, Standing Financial Instructions and the Scheme of Delegation.

Finance Information

General information on all money matters such as ordering goods, paying invoices, raising sales invoices, banking cash & cheques can be found For VAT advice on buying or selling things please contact the tax & treasury team or view the self-help guide at Finance and Support Team.

Procurement

Procurement’s primary objective is to ensure the BERKELEY is obtaining the best value for money whilst supporting the extensive and wide-ranging requirements of all our teaching and research activities within the BERKELEY. The Procurement Strategy is to efficiently support Decentralised Buying throughout the Sections, Units, and Residences of the BERKELEY.

Human Resources

Human Resources is responsible for supporting the BERKELEY through the delivery of a comprehensive HR service that develops and adopts relevant people management strategies, provides a range of professional support, information, and expert advice consistent with employment legislation and best practice.

It is split into five key areas:

• Support & Advice (including management information)

• Recruitment &

• Data & Systems

• Salaries & Pensions

The Annual Leave Policy

The annual leave year runs from 1 August to 31 July each year. Holidays not taken by 31 December following the end of the leave year will be lost. The BERKELEY requires staff to retain three days of annual leave for the closure between Christmas and New Year. For more information contact Human Resources.

Pay Days

You can find the schedule of paydays from HR department.

Sickness Absence Policy

The wellbeing of any organization is directly related to the wellbeing of the people who make up the organization. The BERKELEY wishes to develop and maintain policies that provide all members of staff with appropriate support in relation to their health. In the event of illness, follow the procedure below:

• Report your absence to your Head of Section/Unit/Designated Officer within one hour of your normal start time on the first day of absence.

• Give the reason for your absence.

• Keep your Head of Section/Unit/Designated Officer informed if your absence is continuing beyond three calendar days and where possible give a likely date of return.

• Provide medical certificates to cover absence over seven calendar days.

For further details relating to long-term illness, you can view the full sickness policy.

Adverse Weather Policy

The BERKELEY will be deemed to be open unless a specific announcement is publicized via the BERKELEY website, local radio (e.g. Radio BERKELEY, Kingdom FM, Tay FM) or via a message from the CEO’s Office or the Director of Human Resources.

Equally Safe

Review and Development Processes

The BERKELEY currently has separate staff review processes.

Equality and Diversity

Equality and Diversity in liaison with HR is responsible for ensuring compliance with equalities law including ensuring policies and services are compliant meeting funding expectations, inclusion for people of different backgrounds, signposting to services, and equalities training, with online modules on Diversity and Unconscious Bias available. Equality and Diversity also provides guidance and support on inclusive recruitment and selection, developing an inclusive curriculum, and progress on diversity.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy

The BERKELEY is fully committed to respect and fair treatment for everyone, eliminating discrimination, and actively promoting equality of opportunity and delivering fairness to all.

Conferences and Events

The conference team assists members of the academic community planning to host conferences to raise the profile of departments, the relevant associations, and the BERKELEY. The experienced professional conference organizing team remove the stress and strain of planning a conference. They can support you in various aspects of the event or the entire project and aim to ensure all details are arranged to your requirements and budget.

Student Services

Student Services provides support to students and also to staff working with students. We are open Monday to Friday from 9am to 7pm during term time (9am to 5pm at other times).

Student Services also offer an emergency out of hours service to students in halls of residence and private accommodation. Staff with concerns about a student’s welfare outside normal business hours can access assistance by calling the BERKELEY’s Security Team and asking for the Warden on duty.

Student Services provides support in the following ways:

• An information for students

• advice and support for students with disabilities

• wellbeing, counseling, and mental health

• international and immigration advising

• advice on money and finances

• advice on academic issues

Development

Development is responsible for BERKELEY ’s developing strong relationships with alumni and friends throughout the world.

General Information

Mail Room: Information on opening times and collections/deliveries can be found at the operations department.

Repairs: For information on how to request a building maintenance repair, please call administration department

Reasonable Adjustments Procedure

• Reasonable adjustments in respect of marking and the identification of work from students with disabilities affecting written expression.

• Alternative forms of assessments and standardised adjustments in written examinations.

• A number of reasonable adjustments to examinations are already permitted as standard on the basis of a needs assessment being carried out by the BERKELEY and supporting evidence being provided. These are:

i) Extra time (up to 30 minutes per hour)

ii) Rest breaks (up to 10 minutes per hour)

iii) Use of a scribe and/or reader

iv) Use of a computer

v) Exam scripts to be flagged to marker

vi) Alternative format for exam papers

vii) Use of own equipment

vii) Provision of an adjustable chair and/or desk/footrest/writing slope.

• Where the mode of assessment puts a disabled student at a substantial disadvantage when compared with students who do not have that disability and the standardized adjustments to examinations are not effective in preventing the disadvantage, BERKEELYME will consider other alternative modes of assessment, where it does not impact on the competency standards.

• Requests for consideration of an alternative mode of assessment will be for exceptional cases and will be considered on a case-by-case basis by the BERKELEY who will liaise to assess what is possible and does not compromise competency standards.

• In deciding on the appropriateness of an alternative mode of assessment the School will need to be guided by the competence standards for the programme. The program specification should provide the basis for determining them.

• It may not always be possible to provide an alternative mode of assessment, for example, where the mode of examination and the competence standard are inextricably linked. However, where a request is declined, the reasons for this decision will be stated with reference to the key competencies of the program.