Medical Sciences Divisional Office Staff Induction

The Division comprises 16 departments, and their constituent units, institutes and centres, spread across multiple sites in Oxford (the Science Area and Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, Old Road Campus and hospital sites in Headington) and includes numerous clinical research units in Africa and Asia. Over 9,000 academics, staff, graduate and undergraduate students, NHS clinicians and GPs together contribute to our extensive and exemplary research, teaching and clinical portfolios. Learn more about our Division, research in our departments and our teaching activity.

The Overview of Medical Sciences Division  document, which has much more detail about the Division, will be sent to you separately,

In your first week, you will have an 1:1 induction with a member of the HR team and they will go through policies and processes with you, including your holiday entitlement, options for flexible working, mentoring opportunities and the probation and PDR processes. You should also have an individual induction meeting with your line manager.

MSD IT Services can help you to get up and running quickly. In your first few days, they'll help you to set up your email, provide you with access to personal and shared drives and get your phone working. Additionally, they offer a wide variety of IT services to meet your on-going needs, such as encrypting your laptop and advice on working at home and on the move securely.

You will be added to the Divisional Office mailing list, and will receive Divisional and University announcements via a weekly MSDO Update email (usually delivered on a Friday) and the University Bulletin (weekly, during term time). Staff news is also available on the Staff Gateway where you will also find many other useful resources for staff. The Divisional Office Communications team manage many different communication channels and are here to help advise on all matters of internal and external communication.

We take your health and wellbeing at work very seriously and have many resources available to support you. It's important that you not only get your workspace set up correctly, but that you also know what to do in case of an emergency, and the Divisional Safety Officer or a member of the HR team are here to help and offer advice.

If you are working at home, please also take a look at our special Health and Safety newsletter.

• Apply for your MSD IT account: This is the account you need to access your files and the Divisional Office shared drives as well as to print and access other services.
• Activate your Nexus email: You’ll need to have received an activation code to do this.  Please call MSD IT on 01865 (2)80030 if you haven’t received it.
• Complete the Display Screen Equipment (DSE) assessment: This is to be completed by all staff who use a computer or laptop continuously for more than an hour and  will help us ensure that your DSE is set up correctly. Our Divisional Safety Officer, Graham Ross, is automatically notified once you have completed the assessment and he will then review it. 
• Add your profile to the divisional website: All staff in the Divisional Office have an online profile on the Medical Sciences website. Please discuss your profile with your line manager and a member of the Communications team will follow up with you shortly.
• Read the Communications Best Practice Guidance: We aim to ensure our communications are timely, relevant and targetted, and provide divisional office staff with a variety of communication channels to help them get messages to their intended audience. We also have rules regarding the use of key mailing lists, and provide staff with email guidance. Finally, staff are encouraged to use our signature template in their email.
• Complete the Information Security Awareness Training module: Each of us must take responsibility for our own data, and our online interactions and online presence. Being aware of the issues involved and practising good information security will keep our work secure, prevent problems arising, and protect the University. Please complete this module and secure a pass mark (75%) in your first week at the University. This is mandatory and not discretionary. On completion of the module test, please save a copy of your pass certificate, then please email it as an attachment to iscertificates@sharepoint.nexus.ox.ac.uk.
• Complete the Equality and Diversity briefing: The course introduces you to what equality and diversity mean and why they are important both to the University and to you as an individual. It provides an overview of the legislation, your rights and responsibilities, and guidelines for ensuring that equality and diversity are embedded in your work.
• Complete the Bullying and Harassment training: This training course is designed to give you a better understanding of the legal and moral responsibilities of all staff, as well as knowledge and skills necessary to work successfully as part of a diverse team.

The University of Oxford is a complex and stimulating organisation which enjoys an international reputation as a world-class centre of excellence in research and teaching. The University has a student population of over 24,000 and employs more than 14,000 people - the largest employer in Oxfordshire. 

Oxford is the oldest University in the English-speaking world, with a rich history that has contributed to its unique collegiate structure. The University is composed of Academic Services, University Collections (including libraries and museums), University Administrative Services and four highly devolved academic divisions (which oversee roughly 100 departments). In addition, students and researchers are associated with individual colleges. Find out more about the structure of the University

The University is spread across sites in Oxford. Many colleges, departments and administrative services are located in the city centre, with further scientific departments located around the Old Road Campus and the hospitals in Headington. Other departments are located around the Radcliffe Observatory Quarter in Jericho, to the west of the city centre. Find your way around. 

As a new starter you probably have lots of questions, so we recommend you spend some time during your first few weeks exploring the New to the University webpages. You may also find the University Staff Handbooks and the online induction for new staff useful. If you have moved to Oxford from overseas, please also see information for international staff. New staff are also encouraged to register for the termly Professional Services Staff Induction.

A wide range of resources and benefits is available to all staff, for both work and personal life. The University offers staff a competitive rewards package, alongside many initiatives to encourage a healthy work-life balance, such as family-friendly schemes and well-being activities. Additionally, you'll have opportunities to meet like-minded people through one of our many networks, or further develop yourself at one of our training centres. Outside of work, you might like to take a walk in Wytham Woods, a swim at the Iffley pool, or catch a performance at the Sheldonian Theatre. With so much available, you are encouraged to explore what's on offer (we've included some of the more popular offerings and resources below).

• Staff Gateway: Your one stop shop for up to date news, events and important announcements from across the colleagiate University. Also includes a helpful Staff Directory. Vist the Staff Gateway.
• Training and Development: The University offers many opportunities for training and staff development. Browse the list of providers to find courses and development opportunities
• Childcare: The University has excellent childcare services with five University nurseries, as well as University-supported places at many other private nurseries.
• Family-friendly benefits: The University subscribes to The Work + Family Space (formerly My Family Care), which offers staff access to support for family-related issues, including emergency back-up childcare and adultcare, a 'speak to an expert' phone line, and a wide range of guides and webinars.
• Disability: We are committed to supporting staff with disabilities or long-term health conditions. For further information, including how to make contact with the University Staff Disability Advisor, please visit Support for Disabled Staff webpages.
• Staff Networks: The University has a number of equality-related staff networks, including the BME, LGBT+ and Disabled Staff networks. Additionally role-based networks (sometimes called Communities of Practice) also exist in many professional areas. Speak to your line manager to find out more about these professional networks.
• University of Oxford Club and Sports Facilities: The University Club provides social, sporting and hospitality facilities, including a gym. Staff can also use University Sports Centre on Iffley Road at discounted rates, including a fitness centre, powerlifting room, and a swimming pool.
• Discounts: University staff can benefit from discounts at various outlets. Additionally, staff based in hospital Trust sites will also receive an NHS card, making them eligible for NHS discounts (including a discount at the John Radcliffe canteen).
• Transport Schemes: The University is committed to helping staff choose ways of travelling that make the least impact on our environment, and support a number of schemes to make sustainable travel affordable, accessible and easy to use. These include interest-free season ticket and bike loans schemes.
• Gardens, Libraries and Museums (GLAM) and Colleges: The University boasts several world-renowned galleries, libraries and museums, as well as outstanding natural outdoor spaces and architecturally interesting colleges, which staff can generally access for free.
• Oxford University Newcomers' Club: The volunteer-run Newcomers' Club aims to help the newly-arrived partners of staff settle in and provides an opportunity to meet people in Oxford.
• Daily News Alert: A round-up of mentions of the University in the media, produced by the Public Affairs Directorate. Sign up to receive the alert by emailing news.office@admin.ox.ac.uk.
• Glossary: Don't know your Michaelmas from your Hilary Term; Confused by that invite to Eights; Thought that Mods went out of fashion decades ago...Then don't fret, consult the Oxford Glossary to help you decipher our University's unique jargon (also contains many useful abbreviations relation to Higher Education).

• Make an expense claim
• Raise a Purchase Order
• Book a room
• Book catering
• Book a taxi
• Use HR Self-Service to view and print your payslip/P60
• Use Teamseer to make holiday bookings and record sickness absence
• Use the Chorus telephone system
• Get IT help