What do you do over the summer?

Well, we're really back into the thick of it now. Only a week and half till Freshers Week, and the race is on to get everything up and ready for them.  Our voice and data team are working like mad to get wireless into all of our student residences - we've had it in some of the main social areas such as bars already, but every bedroom had a wired connection. When we put the network in, we thought that was the best way to go, and students loved the fast connection they could plug their desktop PCs into. Now the world has changed. They don't have PCs anymore but laptops, smart phones, tablets, and they don't want to be tied to their desk to use them (that's if their device has  even got a network input), they want to sit on their beds, or chairs, or be social in the communal living areas and use them there. So, major project this summer to get every bedroom wireless. Some easier than others - the new ones are fine, but in the old buildings we have the thorny issue of asbestos to contend with. But we're getting there, and the majority of rooms will be ready for when the students arrive.

Another major project is our new managed desktop - moving to Windows 7. All of the applications  - around 300 - have had to be repackaged and installed, and we're racing against time to get this complete as well. Some sterling work from the team, and some great help from our IT staff from academic departments, 5 of which have been working with us to do this. Some great collaboration between central and devolved staff.

We're also continuing to introduce changes to our on line registration system so students can do more before they arrive, and the module add/drop period should also be online at the start of the year.

Our new VLE has completed its roll out this this summer, and we'll be piloting personal student timetables in google calendar was well.

That's on top of replacing hundreds of student PCs and refurbishing many of the teaching rooms over the summer as that's the only time we can do it.

I'm sure I've missed some things out, but it does always make me smile when people ask us what we do over the summer, as it must be so quiet when the students have gone.  Actually, it's one of our busiest times!