Development

The University offers a wide range of professional learning options for staff through our Organisational Development and Professional Development Unit (OD&PL), including:

You can find our online learning guides, Leadership Excellence Behaviours Framework and general information about our professional development provision and organisational development services on the OD&PL website.

Mentoring

Mentoring involves one person providing support and guidance to another to help them manage their own learning and development. We have a University-wide mentoring scheme at Leeds, and you can find details on the OD&PL website.

Aurora

Developed by Leadership Foundation for Higher Education, Aurora is a leadership development programme that aims to encourage women in academic and professional roles to develop leadership skills and to help institutions to maximise their potential. It's been designed to address the issue of the low number of women in senior posts within higher education.

For more information please contact peopledev@leeds.ac.uk.

Springboard

The University offers female staff the opportunity to attend the Springboard programme. This is an award-winning, three-month personal development programme designed especially for women. It's been created to enable women to achieve greater recognition and influence and to fulfil their potential in both their work and personal lives.

For more information please contact peopledev@leeds.ac.uk.

Research staff

Information about career development and support for research staff can be found on OD&PL's Your Research Practice pages.

Staff networks

If you're a member of staff who identifies with a protected group or if you have specific interests, staff networks can provide a safe, welcoming and practical platform where you can exchange information, generate and share views and express new ideas in an informal environment. These networks also provide peer support, networking opportunities and social activities.

Women at Leeds Network (WaLN)

The purpose of WaLN is to support the personal and professional development of women ithrough:

  • a support network providing mentoring, discussion, role models and advice to help development and advancement at all career stages;
  • providing a voice back into the University on policies and procedures that affect women’s careers; and
  • a regular monthly network meeting, the First Wednesday Club, which gives the opportunity to network with female colleagues from across disciplines, and includes invited speakers to offer advice, support and share their experiences of developing a career.

Please contact Gemma Griffiths or Sarah Ward for more information. 

Leeds11 (black or minority ethnic staff)

We want to provide a positive, supportive and active network for staff that brings together people who identify with a minority ethnic group. The Leeds11 network exists to provide an environment for BME staff to socialise and receive mutual support.

Please contact leeds11@leeds.ac.uk for more information. 

LGBT staff

The University's LGBT Staff Network exists to ensure that the views and concerns of LGBT staff and PhD students are represented and considered at organisational level, and that their interests continue to form a part of the University’s wider equality and inclusion agenda. If you're an LGBT-identifying member of staff, or a colleague whatever your orientation with an interest in LGBT equality, the network provides a safe, welcoming space to meet, socialise, and/or benefit from mutual support.

Please contact LGBT@leeds.ac.uk for more information.

Staff mental health network

The Mental Health network provides a welcoming space for all staff with a personal interest in experiences of distress and confusion, and emotional wellbeing, and a commitment to improving approaches to work and mental health.

The network hopes to generate an increased level of acceptance and understanding of experiences of distress and confusion (and creative ways to deal with this) across all areas of the University. They are also interested in addressing social justice and human rights issues in relation to mental health problems and work.

The network hopes to ensure that the views and concerns of staff who live with mental health challenges are represented and considered at organisational level, so that these will begin to form part of the University’s wider equality and diversity agenda.

Please contact s.kilminster@leeds.ac.uk for more information.

External networks

Leeds Female Leaders Network

This network aims to develop female leaders across the health care and clinical academic sector in Leeds, inspiring women by building on confidence, capabilities and contacts through linking in with other local and national initiatives and developing relationships with established female leaders’ networks from other sectors.

If you are interested in joining the network, please email femaleleadersnetwork@leedsth.nhs.uk.