NEWSLINK
Inspiring professionalism in higher education
ISSUE No 84
SUMMER 2016
AUA ANNUAL CONFERENCE AND EXHIBITION 2016 Reports and reflection on another successful conference
THE AUA MARK OF EXCELLENCE
CHALLENGING ESTATES AND ESTATES CHALLENGES
THE SCOTLAND NETWORK
ENGAGING WITH STUDENTS
Developing professional services staff in HE Introducing the new Regional Lead Advocates
Providing high-quality student facilities
Using feedback to inform the development of services
CONTENTS
Inspiring professionalism in higher education
Summer 2016 001-002
Editor’s Introduction Dr Giles Brown introduces Newslink 84 Remembering Lisa L’homme
003
Chair’s Column Tessa Harrison’s final column as Chair of AUA
004-005
The AUA Mark of Excellence and CPD Framework Deepening organisational use of the framework and behaviours
006-007
Goldacre says all AUA members work really hard Dr Chris Ince takes a look at the use of misleading statistics
008-009
Three Nights at the Museum Dawn Turpin assesses the 2016 AUA Conference
010-012
Conference 2016 - A Newcomer’s Perspective Dr Vicky Simpson looks at the impact of the 2016 AUA Conference
013
Reflections on #AUA2016 as Joint Geographic Coordinators Dr Sandra Mienczakowshi and Nick Allen offer their insights
014-015
AUA Annual Awards 2016 This year's winners
016-017
AUA PgCert In HE Administration, Management and Leadership 2016 Celebrating our latest graduates
018-019
Conference 2016 - A Network Coordinator’s Perspective Diane Lloyd and Dr Bronagh Clarke feed back from Leeds
020-021
Efficiency Exchange Rosie Niven talks about sharing good practice
022 023
AUA Good Practice Guides
024-027
Challenging Estates and Estates Challenges Sue Holmes looks at the challenges in providing student facilities
028-029
The Scotland Network Meet the new Regional Lead Advocates
029
AUA Office Updates News from the AUA Office
Engaging with Students to get Feedback - a 2015 Regional Event Presentation at the University Of Nottingham Dominic Holder looks at lessons learnt at this event
Thank you to our proof-readers; Katy Beavers MAUA, Quality Officer, City University London; Martine Somerville MAUA, Assistant Academic Registrar, Leeds Trinity; Liz Buckton, Student Conduct and Appeals Manager, University of Sheffield; Lisa Burton MAUA, Assistant Registrar, University of Warwick.
EDITOR’S INTRODUCTION DR GILES H BROWN FAUA Editor, Newslink
Thought for the Issue: Our roles would probably have been much easier if Wilhelm von Humboldt in the early 19th Century hadn’t proposed the combination of research and teaching in his now widely adopted model for higher education!
The theme of this year's AUA Annual Conference and Exhibition was Creativity, Collaboration and Complexity, which brought together not a group of people “…from a series of separate schools and departments held together by a central heating system and... a common grievance over car parking” (Kerr, 1995 [citing Hutchins]), but a diverse, talented, professional and aspirational group of HE administrators, managers and leaders; aspirational personally and for the sector more generally in challenging times. The things we now have to worry about (over and above car parking, obviously!), which our predecessors perhaps didn’t, include (in a list which is by no means comprehensive!): • • • • • • •
global political instability the UK in (or out) of the European Union devolution (both national and regional) devolved government administrations the performance of the Chinese stock exchange BIS cuts the loss of maintenance grants (it only seems like yesterday that our students started paying their fees themselves) • a Teaching Excellence Framework on top of the Research Excellence Framework • the student as consumer • the impact of Consumer Rights Legislation and interactions with the Competition and Markets Authority Who would have thought, even five years ago, that these would have been of concern to our annual gathering? Yet there we were at the Royal Armouries in Leeds; a modern, reactive professional body fulfilling its mission to “… assist in the advancement of education by fostering sound methods of leadership, management and administration in further and higher education”, interrogating, debating and engaging with these topics. For those unable to attend this year you can benefit from the Conference in a NEWSLINK SUMMER 2016 - 001
The theme of this year's AUA Annual Conference and Exhibition was Creativity, Collaboration and Complexity, which brought together a diverse, talented, professional and aspirational group of HE administrators, managers and leaders; aspirational personally and for the sector more generally in challenging times.
number of ways; through the AUA’s publications (including this Conference-themed issue of Newslink), regional and branch events, and online. Many of these presentations are available (as slides and handouts) in the members’ area of the AUA website (go to the Events section, and click on the Event Slides and Handouts).
The eagle-eyed amongst you will have noticed that this edition of Newslink is different in style to recent issues. This is part of an on-going revamp of this key AUA publication, and is based on the style of this year’s AUA Annual Conference and Exhibition Programme which was well received by those attending. While the style and format are not set in stone, and will shortly be adapted to reflect the new AUA rebranding (which will be detailed in the next issue along with other major changes in how the Association does things), I would very much welcome your feedback on this new look relative to both previous recent issues of Newslink and other similar magazines you may be familiar with. Please send you comments to newslink@aua.ac.uk. Future changes will look at content, and in particular the inclusion of a number of shorter articles covering a range of topics; in this regard I also welcome your comments and suggestions. Kerr, C (1995), The Uses of the University (Cambridge: Harvard University Press).
It is with deep sadness that we relay the death of AUA member, Lisa L’homme. Lisa was an active, well liked and respected member of the Association and it was a shock to the whole AUA community to hear of her passing. Lisa became a member of the AUA in 2005 and committed full heartedly to the Association. Through her membership Lisa demonstrated her professional identity and dedication to her professional development. Perhaps more notable was Lisa’s commitment to the development of others; she regularly gave her time and shared her knowledge and experience. Most recently, in her role as Deputy Director of Student and Academic Services at City University London, Lisa delivered a popular session at our Annual Conference and Exhibition in Leeds and spoke at a local event in Southampton last month, Lisa was also a mentor on the AUA Postgraduate Certificate. 002 - NEWSLINK SUMMER 2016
CHAIR’S COLUMN TESSA HARRISON FAUA
Chair of AUA and Director of Students and Education, Kings College London Well here it is; my final column as Chair of AUA. How incredibly fast the last two years have gone. We have come such a long way together, building solid foundations from which to consolidate our position in the sector as the professional association for staff working in higher education. I firmly believe that the AUA retains its position as the only professional association providing opportunities for staff regardless of their professional specialism, broadening and deepening their understanding and awareness of the wider HE context.
This is without doubt an incredible time to be part of the HE sector. I have written in previous columns about the challenges facing us in our roles. To be an expert in your area of specialism is no longer enough in the increasingly complex world in which we operate. Whatever level we work at we need to be able to lead and manage change, collaborate across professional boundaries and communicate our intentions in compelling and authentic ways that engage our academics and students. I have been privileged over the last couple of years to meet many of you at institutional and regional network events and of course at our Annual Conferences. I am consistently blown away by your passion for the AUA and your commitment and enthusiasm for supporting the personal and professional development of yourselves and your colleagues. I repeat here my challenge to each of you personally to grow the AUA - if every single member recruited one additional member we would double our membership and create the bandwidth to do even more than we do now to support you. As I hand over to Kathy Fowler to lead the next phase of the AUA journey, I want to thank my colleagues in the AUA Office in Manchester who have been an absolute joy to work with and my fellow Trustees who have brought a diverse range of experiences and contributions to the refresh of our strategy and brand proposition.
I repeat here my challenge to each of you personally to grow the AUA - if every single member recruited one additional member we would double our membership and create the bandwidth to do even more than we do now to support you. The AUA belongs to you. It’s a cliché to say that you will get out of your membership what you put into it but it’s true. At this point of transition in my relationship with the AUA all I can do is encourage you to seize every opportunity your membership of AUA presents to be the change you want to see in yourself, your teams and your organisations.
NEWSLINK SUMMER 2016 - 003
At its Annual Conference in Leeds, the AUA launched an exciting new development, the AUA Mark of Excellence in the use of the AUA CPD Framework for the development of professional services staff in higher education.
Mark of Excellence
THE AUA MARK OF EXCELLENCE AND CPD FRAMEWORK The purpose of the new AUA Mark of Excellence for organisations is that it enables higher education institutions to deepen their use of the AUA framework and behaviours and embed it into organisational and staff development provision (www.aua.ac.uk/cpd-12About-the-AUA-Mark-of-Excellence.html). For individual AUA members whose institution signs up, it will bring tangible and comprehensive professional development pathways within their own employer, and add value to their membership. The AUA CPD Framework of Behaviours itself has been used across the sector since 2009 (www.aua.ac.uk/cpd1-Introducing-the-CPD-Framework--Mark-of-Excellence. html). The framework, based on the AUA’s statement of values, and on the nine key professional behaviours, has proved to be a very powerful and versatile tool that has added enormous value, challenging and complementing more traditional skills and competences frameworks. The framework has been entirely refreshed and brought up to the minute for 2016.
The framework, based on the AUA’s statement of values, and on the nine key professional behaviours, has proved to be a very powerful and versatile tool that has added enormous value, challenging and complementing more traditional skills and competences frameworks. 004 - NEWSLINK SUMMER 2016
The core concept of the Mark of Excellence is that the AUA recognises formally that an organisation (or a specific part of an organisation) has met key criteria for embedding the AUA statement of values and CPD Framework into the organisational and staff development provision of their professional services staff. This demonstrates that the organisation has made a commitment to a high standard of professional development for professional services staff, and that it is committed to enabling HE professionals to achieving their potential. It’s a strong signal to potential employees that they will be offered excellent personal and professional development opportunities. In tandem with the Mark of Excellence, the AUA is also expanding its scheme of multiple memberships. For the last year, it has been open to institutions to purchase
multiple memberships on behalf of its staff at a discounted rate. This is now being extended so that institutions which also commit to the Mark of Excellence can do so at a further discounted rate, and staff at those institutions can also receive a discount on their applications for Accredited Membership or Fellowship. The process for achieving the Mark is straightforward. Once an organisation registers for the Mark it is ‘Working Towards’, a development phase during which the organisation works to meet the criteria, with support if required. The timeframe can be anything up to two years. When the organisation feels ready, it submits a formal application by self-assessment against the criteria. Assessment is conducted by an independent assessor and ratified by a panel.
These are exciting times for the AUA, and particularly for members whose institutions decide to get involved. For them it means ready access to a framework for professional and career development, and opportunities to achieve recognition comparable to similar routes available to research staff and academics. Further details are available on aua.ac.uk NEWSLINK SUMMER 2016 - 005
AUA CONFERENCE 2016
Secretary, SOAS, University of London The Opening Plenary at the AUA’s 2016 Annual Conference in Leeds was given by Ben Goldacre (www.badscience.net) on the subject of randomisation and how scientists “misuse evidence to bamboozle the public.”
Now the first thing I must write about, before the content of his amazing talk, is his amazing hair. I have the feeling Goldacre is a Samson-like figure and shorn of his locks he would look and be someone else less impressive. I haven’t had the chance to test this though, certainly not in a controlled way, so this may not (although it may) be true; which brings me on to the topic of the talk… The first part was on how evidence and statistics are used, often in a (deliberately) misleading way. Some of the examples highlighted drew loud laughs from the audience as we had a whistle-stop tour of the bad use of graphs in newspapers, poor extrapolation of data and the difference between causation and correlation. The last was used to ‘prove’ there was a direct link between the number of films Nicholas Cage has appeared in and the number of people drowning in swimming pools. As the phrase goes: lies, damned lies and statistics. The second section focused on the importance of randomised controlled trials and on how these could be used outside medicine. He spoke about how these could be used to provide evidence to support the implementation of Government policy (www.gov.uk/ government/publications/test-learn-adapt-developingpublic-policy-with-randomised-controlled-trials) and a number of questions following the talk covered how these might be used in the HE sector. So, thinking of these two points I decided to undertake a piece of data analysis and commission a related trial.
006 - NEWSLINK SUMMER 2016
CHRIS’S ‘EXPERT’ DATA ANALYSIS AND TRIAL I decided that AUA members might be very interested in how their work habits were affected by other activities and whether any specific factors impacted on their effectiveness. After all, we are all passionate advocates of the value-for-money agenda. During the period between 2007/08 and 2013/14 AUA membership has fluctuated between 3,300 and 3,900 or thereabouts. This is, you will be delighted to know, approximately the same as the number of lawyers in Idaho over this period. I knew this already and didn’t have to look it up…possibly. Next, there is an excellent website that Goldacre referred to (http://tylervigen.com/spuriouscorrelations) where you can compare data sets. Luckily for me it has the number of lawyers in Idaho – who would have guessed? This shows the following graph for a comparison between the number of lawyers (so
let’s just say AUA members) and the number of physical copies of video games sold in the UK. The graph clearly shows that there is an inverse relationship between the two. In other words, the number of members of AUA is inversely proportional to the number of physical copies of video games sold in the UK. What this means is that as we have more AUA members, more people are working hard and fewer games are being bought and therefore played, i.e. being an AUA member means you are hardworking! To test this, I am now playing computer games that I bought on my work credit card all day long at work. Anyone else want to join me in this trial? * some of the points in this article, and indeed the title, may not be factually correct.
Physical copies of video games sold in the UK Lawyers in Idaho
3800 3700 3600
90
3500
80
3400
70
3300
60
3200
Lawyers
DR CHRIS INCE MAUA
Millions of units
GOLDACRE SAYS ALL AUA MEMBERS WORK REALLY HARD*
50 40 30
Correla on: 86% Sources and ABA: tylervigen.com
h p://tylervigen.com/view_correla on?id=40393
NEWSLINK SUMMER 2016 - 007
AUA CONFERENCE 2016
THREE NIGHTS AT THE MUSEUM DAWN TURPIN MAUA
Head of Governance, The Open University A conference innovation with a ‘conversation’ on the forthcoming EU Referendum took place on day two over lunch. This covered what HEIs were doing to encourage students to vote on 23 June 2016 as to whether Britain should remain in the EU or not and what the role of the AUA should be. On the latter it was concluded that whilst the Association should not take a formal position on what would be a personal matter for its members to vote on, it did have a role to play in ensuring its members were informed about the debate and in providing an opportunity to develop that debate.
The Panel Debate, chaired by Ruth Farwell CBE (AUA’s Honorary President) followed, starting with a moment of silence for the events that had taken place in Brussels that morning. Ruth Farwell then introduced the speakers for and against the following motion: ‘This House believes that counter-terrorism duties in Higher Education endanger freedom of expression and contribute to a long-term decline in academic liberty’ The Prevent Duty is contained in Section 26 of the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015 which specifies that authorities, including colleges and Universities, must have “due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism”. Martin McQuillan (Pro Vice-Chancellor [Research], Kingston University), speaking ‘for’ the motion, referred to recent criticism of Kingston University for giving extremist ‘hate’ speakers a platform, noting that the content was similar to that which would appear on Channel 4 or Newsnight. He asserted that the legislation was akin to the Dangerous Dogs Act in being badly framed and vague – red tape for a political purpose. He said that there would be no limit to debate at Kingston as long as what was said was spoken within agreed academic protocol and that the speaker was willing to be questioned. He argued that perceived injustice was the more likely route to terrorism. Dusty Amroliwala (Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Chief Operating Officer, University of East London), speaking ‘against’ the motion, noted that Section 31 of the Act addressed the balancing of the Prevent Duty with freedom of speech and academic freedom in Universities and that most rights in life are qualified. Rights have to be balanced with obligations. In addition, the same duty of care and diligence we expect of doctors, teachers or neighbours should also be expected of university staff. Megan Dunn (NUS President) was unable to attend the debate due to illness, and was replaced by Matthew Andrews (University Secretary and Academic Registrar, University of Gloucestershire, and previous Chair of AUA).
008 - NEWSLINK SUMMER 2016
Speaking ‘for’ the motion Matthew argued that HE was nothing if it gave up its rights. The vagueness of the Duty made it dangerous and might restrict important work being undertaken in our universities. The world looked in envy at our rights of freedom of speech and academic autonomy. Dissent was vital to this. Christine Abbott (University Secretary and Director of Operations, Birmingham City University), speaking ‘against’ the motion, painted a picture of Universities in 2020 where security and compliance were the only academic disciplines to have grown. This would not happen, she asserted. The 100% response rate to the self-assessment report in January 2016 demonstrated the maturity, good sense and even-handedness with which universities were approaching the Prevent Duty. Universities were adept at adapting to change. Their charitable purposes and governance arrangements allowed them to take a long term view, rather than respond quickly, blindly and unthinkingly. Questions and comments from the floor included the impact the Duty would have on administrators who, with the best of intentions, were neither specialist or trained
(unlike doctors or teachers) and who may execute the Duty in a way that was not intended. Referring to the Opening Plenary by Ben Goldacre, a member asked what the evidence base was for the Duty. Another member commented that we were underestimating students’ ability to self-regulate, as demonstrated by the recent student response to the promotion of Donald Trump at Emory University in the US. Summing up, the speakers ‘for’ the motion argued that it was reasonable to expect Universities to address what was a global threat and that whilst there was a place for tolerance, there was also a place for a duty of care. Summing up ‘against’ the motion, the speakers asserted that the Government had overreacted to the terrorist threat, and that universities’ ability to adapt meant there was a danger that they would overreact in a similar way in relation to this Duty. The recent arrest of American academic Paul Hamilton after the expiration of his student visa was cited as an example of over-reaction to immigration policy. The Conference then voted approximately 2:1 in favour of the motion. NEWSLINK SUMMER 2016 - 009
AUA CONFERENCE 2016
CONFERENCE 2016 - A NEWCOMER’S PERSPECTIVE DR VICKY SIMPSON MAUA
Research Administrator, University of Salford I have worked at the University of Salford since 2004. I was initially employed as a researcher in the Centre for Sustainable Urban Futures (SURF) and I moved into the role of Research Administrator of the centre in 2007. In the summer of 2015 I was informed there would be a change in the management structure. Previously my line manager had been an academic and Director of the SURF research group. As my grade was classified within administration, Diane Lloyd, School of the Built Environment Operations Manager, was assigned as my new manager. This change meant that I would also be participating in the electronic trial of the Personal Development Review (PDR) system. From meeting with Diane I become reacquainted (having been a passive member a number of years ago) with the AUA. Diane informed me of the two funded AUA Annual Conference places, one of which I secured via application process.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Logistically the rail links were excellent and the venue was within walking distance of the train station. The various sessions were also located around a square and it was possible to navigate the different buildings and rooms quickly and with ease. The registration process was very well organised and fast. We were given a bag containing a programme, pad and pen. The seminar programme was interesting and diverse and the lanyard with name and session selections on the back proved to be invaluable. I had been able to pick a variety of sessions to meet my own continual professional development (CPD) needs, those of the research centre where I work and the University more widely. The programme was well organised, with frequent refreshment breaks; the lunches were nice and catered for specific dietary requirements. The Gala Dinner was a fun event and it was good to sit with other Salford University AUA members. Again, the food was delicious and was followed by an enthusiastic and entertaining sword fighting display and disco. Overall the atmosphere was friendly and it was good to meet and network with people in similar roles. The hotel (Holiday Inn Express) was clean, comfortable and next door to the main conference building. 010 - NEWSLINK SUMMER 2016
IMPACT OF ATTENDANCE AT THE CONFERENCE ON MY CPD
I found the majority of the sessions extremely useful. They ignited/reignited an interest within a specific area, provided the opportunity to consider new ideas or initiated ideas for further actions. For example:
PRE-CONFERENCE SESSION
Refresh your Approach to Career Planning • This session outlined the nine behavioural competences of the AUA. This gave me a deeper understanding of the new Personal Development Review (ePDR) system at the University of Salford which has incorporated some of these.
• The session provided space to reflect on areas that I am good at and areas that need improvement. From completing the behavioural chart I realised I had been over-focused on the needs of the research centre (i.e. achieving results, delivering excellent service, finding solutions and using resources effectively) whilst neglecting my own development through engagement with the wider context of my working environment (the School of the Built Environment and University).
• I now understand the importance of being more visible within the University of Salford and specifically the School of the Built Environment, with career progression being based on a combination of good work performance, image and exposure. I also intend to increase my visibility outside of the University (for example by creating a LinkedIn profile). • The need to identify a mentor from within the University, possibly someone who has moved from academia into a senior administrative role. • To submit an application for the AUA Fellowship scheme.
WORKING SESSION 1
Writing for Publication (Perspectives)
• I really enjoyed this session as it reignited an interest in writing (having previously co-authored a REFreturned book chapter and journal article). The academic world is quite competitive and I never really enjoyed this element of my previous research roles. In this session we had to think about writing an article for publication by using the structure of ‘although – nevertheless – because’; for example, although research support has become more centralised in universities - nevertheless there is still the opportunity to create new niche roles (i.e. in relation to capturing research impact or knowledge exchange and dissemination by using new social media techniques)
- because more professionals with academic backgrounds are moving into administrative roles. • I was enthused by the session and have already emailed the Principal Editor of Perspectives, David Law, to see if I can write a book review on something similar to Celia Whitchurch’s book ‘Reconstructing Identities in Higher Education: The rise of ‘Third Space’ professionals’. • I have communicated with Giles Brown, editor of AUA Newslink, to see if I can write a short article on my experiences of attending my first Conference, (which as you can see has come to fruition).
WORKING SESSION 2
The History of HE in England
• This session was fascinating and provided me with a good understanding of the history of universities and why they were formed. It highlighted the importance of knowing the history of the sector in which we work. • A significant outcome of the group activity in this session was that I realised I did not have an in-depth
understanding of the history of the University of Salford. I had an awareness that its heritage was based around the time of the industrial revolution and the demand for skills for the textile industry (which was thriving due to the building of the Manchester ship canal), but little more. I therefore decided to spend some time researching the University of Salford’s historical background. NEWSLINK SUMMER 2016 - 011
PLENARY
AUA CONFERENCE 2016
Keeping Universities Transformational - Professor Dame Julia Goodfellow • This session was extremely informative in relation to the future expectations of universities to be more responsive, more relevant, more effective, more competitive, more local and more international, and the new challenges they face. I realised that whilst I had a good understanding of the issues affecting research (as I work within a research centre), I need
to understand the teaching landscape and the issues teaching staff face.
• In response to the latter I will undertake some research to increase/improve my knowledge on areas affecting HE i.e. the Teaching Excellence Framework, the HE bill and the England Green Paper.
WORKING SESSION 4:
Emotional Intelligence and Collaborative Teams • Attendance at this session introduced me to an area I had never consciously considered before. Whilst I have always thought that I am a helpful, kind and supportive team player, I had not really evaluated how my behaviour is perceived by others. This is definitely an area I can develop. Emotional self-awareness is very important and Aristotle stated “knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom”. • The session made me evaluate how my emotional and social skills influence the way we perceive and express ourselves, impact on, develop and maintain social relationships with others. A quick assessment
pointed to the need to work on self-perception, selfexpression and decision making, specifically impulse control. I also identified the need to be optimistic about the future, ensuring I project and express myself in a positive way. • Following on from the latter I have decided to develop myself in this area through further training and research. I will explore articles such as Vanessa Druskat and Steven Wolff's Harvard Business Review paper entitled 'Building the Emotional Intelligence of Groups' and will order a copy of 'Emotional Intelligence' by Daniel Goleman.
KEY NOTE ONE
Transforming Lives: Universities with High Impact - Professor Sir Pete Downes • Sir Pete promoted the University of Dundee and explained how it successfully engages with and impacts on its locality. I realise that I need to be able to tell a similar story about Salford and promote its
research and teaching from other areas too. I need to understand how Salford engages with the city, what cultural and social opportunities for development it offers and how it contributes economically.
GOING FORWARD
I would like to become more involved in the AUA Salford branch. Future actions include: a) continue to attend AUA Salford Branch Meetings and become more involved i.e. organising a panel Q&A session on the different job opportunities available at Salford b) explore starting a new AUA research focused virtual sub-group, and c) explore what is involved in AUA advocacy. Would I attend the AUA Annual Conference next year…definitely yes! References: Druskat, V and Wolff, SB (2001), Building the Emotional Intelligence of Groups, Harvard Business Review (https://hbr.org/2001/03/ building-the-emotional-intelligence-of-groups) (accessed 15 April 2016) Goleman, D (1996), Emotional Intelligence (New Edition, Bloomsbury Publishing PLC), 368pp.
REFLECTIONS ON #AUA2016 AS JOINT GEOGRAPHIC COORDINATORS DR SANDRA MIENCZAKOWSKI MAUA
Deputy Director (Academic Administration), University of Nottingham
NICK ALLEN MAUA
Executive Officer, University of Northampton Between us, Leeds was our twentieth Conference and one to remember for all the right reasons. We both attended the pre-conference session for Network Coordinators and Advocates run by Board of Trustee member Sam Bayley and the Project Officer: Networks and Membership Matt Maloney from the AUA Office, (who provides excellent service to Branch Networks). This provided a great opportunity to meet up with other volunteers from our region and beyond, who are committed to supporting AUA at the local level in order to share effective practice and to learn more about the review of networks and regions being undertaken by Sam on behalf of the Trustees. After the formal session, Sandra and I had a meeting of Midlands Advocates, which was a great opportunity to thank them for their continued hard work, to update them on current developments and events, and to ask them to consider what AUA activities they might wish to organise and run during the forthcoming year. The remainder of the Conference provided an opportunity to catch up with other Advocates who were unable to join the pre-conference session and to support delegates from our own institutions. The role of a Geographical Coordinator and Advocate is to make members, new and old, feel welcome at the Conference and to provide introductions. The aim is for our newest members and first time Conference attendees to get the most out of the experience and the networking opportunities on offer. Particular highlights for us were; the opening plenary by Ben Goldacre and the PgCert graduation ceremony, which included five graduates from the Midlands Region (Nick’s mentee Oliver Cooper, from the University of Warwick,
received his award); the Quiz, in which a team of past and present Midlands members attempted to answer the questions correctly; the Gala Dinner, where Rachael Barnes and Lisa Burton from the University of Warwick won Member of the Year and Volunteer of the Year respectively; and the closing plenary from Sir Anthony Seldon, the Vice-Chancellor from a near-neighbour of the Midlands, and an institution with which South East Midlands Network members have worked, the University of Buckingham.
Between us, Leeds was our twentieth Conference and one to remember for all the right reasons Overall, it was a great Conference for us both; the contributions from Midlands members to the conference programme (a presenter from one of our institutions delivered at each of the four working sessions) and the recognition and successes of individuals with qualifications and awards was the icing on the cake. We are both looking forward to returning to Manchester in April 2017 for the next Annual Conference.
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AUA CONFERENCE 2016
AUA ANNUAL AWARDS 2016
A real highlight of the Conference each year is when we recognise and celebrate the achievement and commitment of our members, and this year was no exception. Congratulations to...
MEMBER OF THE YEAR
RACHAEL BARNES
Rachael Barnes has been engaged with the AUA at many levels. An AUA PgCert graduate, Rachael has clearly demonstrated a commitment to her own professional development. But Rachel’s commitment does not stop there, she actively encourages the same focus in others and has recently volunteered to be a PgCert Mentor. Rachael is always keen to promote the benefits of AUA membership, but it is clear that the Association also benefits from having Rachael as a member. Sponsored by Electric Paper
ADVOCATE OF THE YEAR
IAIN FORSTER-SMITH
The panel were particularly impressed by Iain’s successes in making sure senior staff are on board with the purpose and aims of AUA. All new members of staff at the University of Bath are given information about AUA at marketplace induction events. Iain’s enthusiasm has resulted in growing numbers of members and their experience of membership is enhanced by having Iain as their advocate. Sponsored by Electric Paper
VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR
LISA BURTON
Lisa Burton is an AUA Advocate at Warwick, a graduate and mentor of the PgCert, a former member of the PgCert Board of Studies and a former member of the Perspectives Editorial Advisory Board. In short, Lisa is involved in a lot! All volunteers need to be enthusiastic, but Lisa’s success seems to be down to her remarkable ability to instil that enthusiasm in others. Sponsored by Electric Paper
NETWORK AWARD
ST ANDREWS UNIVERSITY BRANCH
The University of St Andrews has seen a staggering increase in activity over the last few years. The awards panel were impressed by the rapid membership growth at the institution and how engaged all these new members have been. The institution has hosted events which have attracted members from across the Scotland Network and the newly formed NE Scotland sub-region will no doubt see further fruitful developments. Sponsored by Electric Paper
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PERSPECTIVES ESSAY PRIZE 2015
ANDREW FISHER
In 2015 the Editorial Board of Perspectives established, for the next three years, an annual essay competition sponsored by the John Smith Group. This competition calls for an original piece of work of no more than 4,000 words on a specific topic; for 2015 this topic was ‘Managers and Markets’. The 2015 winner was Andrew Fisher for his article ‘Towards an orderly exit regime in English higher education’. Sponsored by the John Smith Group
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AUA CONFERENCE 2016
AUA PGCERT IN HE ADMINISTRATION, MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP 2016 Congratulations to all of our PgCert graduates of 2016! Julie-Ann Airey Cardiff University Lyndsey Austin Southampton Solent University Melanie Birch Newcastle University Holly Bowen University Campus Suffolk Pauline Buck Cranfield University Emma Cavell Birmingham City University Ruth Coombe Cardiff University Oliver Cooper University of Warwick Fiona Crichton Plymouth University Sarah Dhupar Regent’s University London Connie Greening Cranfield University Robert Herniman University of Chichester Ruth Harrington University of the Arts London The PgCert is a specialised programme designed for the needs of the sector, aimed specifically at professional managers and administrators in UK higher education. It is validated at level 7, and contains both a substantial element of professional development and academic rigour. It requires a genuine commitment to learning and professional development, and ultimately enables recognition of professionalism and dedication to the sector. 016 - NEWSLINK SUMMER 2016
Sian Haynes University of Oxford Ranjit Judge Aston University Catherine Jury Royal Academy of Music Helen Kealy QAA Jelena Miljanic London School of Science & Technology Geraldine Riches Norwich University of the Arts Michelle Smith Cardiff University Stephen Walford King’s College London NEWSLINK SUMMER 2016 - 017
AUA CONFERENCE 2016
CONFERENCE 2016A NETWORK COORDINATOR’S PERSPECTIVE DIANE LLOYD FAUA
North Wales and North West AUA Network Coordinator and Operations Manager, School of Built Environment, University of Salford I have been a member of the AUA since 2003, and a Fellow since 2014, and have attended many Annual Conferences over the years. However, this year was the first Conference in my capacity as the North Wales and North West Network Coordinator, having only taken on the role in July 2015. This year, as well as attending the usual Conference sessions, I was able to participate in the pre-conference session for Advocates and Network Coordinators that took place on the Monday afternoon, which was a great opportunity to meet the geographic and thematic advocates/coordinators as well as take part in a ‘Meet the Networks’ session on the Tuesday morning. This provided an opportunity to catch up with members and new advocates within my network who I hadn’t yet had a chance to meet in person. I also attended the AGM where I was able to find out more about the AUA’s financial position and learn about the AUA’s future strategy and its proposed implementation. This year was also the first time that I had been involved in presenting a session at the Conference, which I did alongside two other colleagues (Jayne Langlands and Joanne Caldwell) and which focussed on the work that we have been doing at the University of Salford to reinvigorate AUA activity. The session was aptly named ‘How to win AUA members and influence AUA colleagues’. Our session was delivered on the Monday afternoon which meant I could relax a little from then on and enjoy the rest of the Conference! I am happy to say that I did surface relatively unscathed from this experience (for anyone who hasn’t yet given a presentation but thinks they may like to at future events!) and the informal feedback received so far suggests that participants went away feeling as if we had given them plenty of ideas on
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how to enhance AUA activity in their own institutions, which made it all worthwhile. I always appreciate the opportunities to network that the Conference brings. I’ve met some very interesting people over the years and have forged some valuable professional relationships. The Conference is also useful for keeping up to date with what’s happening in the sector. I would encourage members who have attended this event to find time to provide a feedback session to their colleagues especially for those members who might not have had an opportunity to attend the Conference this time around.
DR BRONAGH CLARKE MAUA
AUA Ireland Network Coordinator and Department Manager, UCC Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Cork University Hospital There was an elephant in the room...and it was wearing armour… this wasn’t something I expected to encounter at the AUA Annual Conference! Fortunately, the beast in question was a fullsize model on display at Leeds Royal Armouries. The Conference location certainly made an impact! We experienced a thrilling sword fight at the Gala Dinner, where we learned that a fallen knight could be back on his feet in a matter of seconds despite the encumbrance of armour. To be agile in spite of constraints was an appropriate message for AUA members.
in which he called for HE leaders to be reflective and to focus on the happiness of staff and students. In bringing representatives from different institutions together, the AUA Annual Conference creates a space for collaboration in an increasingly complex landscape. While we may need metaphorical armour and weapons in our roles as university administrators, this peace banner, with its message of hope and solidarity, made me see what is most important to focus on in building a network. Shared concerns, not mutual enemies. Doves, not armoured elephants.
This was my first conference since becoming Ireland Network Coordinator. The pre-conference programme included a Network Coordinators and Advocates session, which was a great opportunity to meet other coordinators and to contribute to the AUA’s ongoing development of network roles and activities. While the Conference theme was ‘Creativity, Collaboration and Complexity’, the necessity of critical thinking was also a key message. Presenters stressed that while complex information about trends may be a useful weapon for the university administrator, it is important to maintain the armour of critical thought. The opening plenary by Ben Goldacre was a passionate but humorous exploration of the concept of randomised trials. Illustrated with graphics showing spurious correlations between unrelated phenomena, the lecture demonstrated that critical thinking is vital in order to ensure that we interrogate data thoroughly before we put it to use. Critical thinking was also evident in the panel debate, where speakers discussed the issue of counterterrorism duties in Higher Education, and the fear that these might endanger freedom of expression and lead to a decline in academic liberty. As I walked around the Royal Armouries after the conference closed, I discovered an exhibition celebrating peace. On display was a banner donated to the Greenham Common anti-nuclear protesters by the city of Cork. I thought of Anthony Seldon’s closing plenary NEWSLINK SUMMER 2016 - 019
FEATURE ARTICLE
EFFICIENCY EXCHANGE ROSIE NIVEN
Content Editor, Efficiency Exchange The Efficiency Exchange (www.efficiencyexchange.ac.uk) enables university professionals to discover and share good practice for smarter working universities. In this issue of Newslink, EE’s content editor Rosie Niven selects some recent stories from the website that will be of interest to AUA members.
EXAMS SIMPLIFIED AT EDINBURGH NAPIER When Edinburgh Napier University piloted a streamlined approach to producing exam papers they expected the changes would save some time for staff. But the benefits produced went further than that, as Louise McElhone and Steve Yorkstone explain: www.efficiencyexchange.ac.uk/8664/ first-class-results-delivered-in-examlogistics-process-improvement-project/ The Efficiency Exchange service is delivered by Universities UK and Jisc, in partnership with HEFCE and the Leadership Foundation.
HELLO TO HEIDI PLUS Last November Jisc and the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) launched a new business intelligence service called Heidi Plus to help university staff make the most of the data available to them. HESA’s Jonathan Waller explains the benefits: www.efficiencyexchange.ac.uk/8123/ meet-heidi-plus-hesas-new-businessintelligence-service/ Since then institutions have been collaborating on a sister project, Heidi Labs, to create a series of business intelligence dashboards. University of East London’s Gary Tindell describes how this has enabled his team to analyse widening participation trends on a national scale: www.efficiencyexchange.ac.uk/8682/ using-business-intelligence-techniquesfor-collaboration/
FITTER FOR THE FUTURE When it comes to efficiency in human resources the dreaded ‘R’ word usually comes to mind. In this post UCEA’s Laurence Hopkins explores how institutions are advancing efficiency and effectiveness through human resources policies that are about much more than redundancies: www.efficiencyexchange.ac.uk/8246/fitter-for-the-future
LEADING CHANGE IN UNIVERSITIES A previous issue of Newslink featured the Innovation and Transformation Fund projects, which are designed to bring about transformational change. The HEFCE and Leadership Foundation funded programme for 2015 is now complete and most of the teams have published their outcomes and blogposts. You can find this material here: www.efficiencyexchange.ac.uk/workstreams/innovationand-transformation-fund/
MAPPING THE STUDENT JOURNEY Until recently the student journey has been about as well charted as parts of the Arctic. But, where Google cannot go, Lancaster University can. A small team in the University has developed a London Underground-style map showing the different stages on the student journey. In this post the project’s head, Claire Povah, explains how the map came about: www.efficiencyexchange.ac.uk/8620/the-road-is-long-withmany-a-winding-turn/ Claire’s colleague, Chris Dixon, writes about how the map informed the development of apps to give students a smoother start to academic life: www.efficiencyexchange.ac.uk/8649/developing-the-toolsto-navigate-the-student-journey/
EFFICIENCY CAN MAKE THINGS MORE INTERESTING Efficient working practices can save money and time, and can also help to make the working lives of university staff more interesting, says the University of Salford’s chief operating officer, Vikki Goddard: www.efficiencyexchange.ac.uk/8272/vikkigoddard-you-have-to-be-able-to-challenge-thingsin-the-right-kind-of-way/
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HERBI SHARED SERVICES TOOL GOES LIVE February saw the launch of a web-based tool that allows higher education institutions to model the costs and benefits of sharing services. In this post, project manager Simon Perks explains how the Higher Education Realisation of Benefits Interactive (HERBi) tool can be used to explore ‘what if’ scenarios of sharing services: www.efficiencyexchange.ac.uk/8401/herbishared-services-tool-goes-live/
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AUA GOOD PRACTICE GUIDES GOOD PRACTICE GUIDE NO.41 PRINCE2 OR NOT PRINCE2
by Dr Christopher Sarchet FAUA Successful project management is achievable and can be a very rewarding enterprise if you are flexible, cunning, have good organisational skills and can persevere. This Good Practice Guide reflects on the experience of managing projects and provides some guidance: it is not a critical review of PRINCE2 or a project method training manual.
GOOD PRACTICE GUIDE NO.42 COPYRIGHT
by Chris Morrison MAUA and Jane Secker This guide provides administrators at all levels with practical advice on how to avoid common mistakes and how to make best use of copyright material to enhance their work, and that of the institutions in which they work. This guide uses nontechnical language to explain the relevance of copyright awareness to all university employees. It provides information on where to find out more about copyright as well as advice on how to seek further advice from in-house copyright advisors and external legal advisors if necessary.
AVAILABLE NOW... GOOD PRACTICE GUIDE NO.43 PROCESS IMPROVEMENT IN HE: USING LEAN TO MAKE YOUR PROCESSES EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT by Rachel McAssey MAUA
External and internal drivers for change are putting pressure on university processes. This Good Practice Guide will give you an overview of lean methodology and a step-by-step guide to making process improvements. It also contains case studies of HE processes that have benefitted from lean improvements.
All AUA Good Practice Guides are available on the members’ area of the AUA website (members. aua.ac.uk). Members can order hard copies of Guides 38-42 by contacting the AUA Office. If you have a wealth of practical experience that you would like to share with the AUA community, then authoring a Good Practice Guide could be for you. Please contact Kim Mellor (kimberley.mellor@aua.ac.uk) at the AUA Office to express your interest. 022 - NEWSLINK SUMMER 2016
FEATURE ARTICLE
ENGAGING WITH STUDENTS TO GET FEEDBACKA 2015 REGIONAL EVENT PRESENTATION AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM DOMINIC HOLDER MAUA
Student Administration Manager, University of Nottingham The University of Nottingham Branch Advocates organised a Regional Event on 25 November 2015, attended by colleagues from the University of Nottingham, Nottingham Trent University, DeMontfort University, the University of Northampton and the University of Wolverhampton. At the event AUA member Charlotte Owen (Student Experience Specialist, University of Nottingham) gave an excellent presentation on how to use feedback on the student experience to engage successfully with students.
In addition to its UK campus the University of Nottingham has overseas campuses in China and Malaysia. Charlotte explained the logistical and practical issues of seeking student feedback to inform development of student services from three campuses, two of which were not in the UK. Following visits to those campuses, Charlotte reported cultural differences regarding student attitudes to providing or offering services. Generally Chinese students preferred to think of improvement ideas for the future, rather than commenting on the existing ways of doing things. Charlotte went on to demonstrate MyNottingham, a newly designed portal that is similar in many ways to an online prospectus, allowing prospective students to look up the courses offered and see the various pathways that a student can take whilst at Nottingham. This will hopefully be extended to registered students in the future. She also briefly talked about Sharing Student Insights, a staff networking group created to share and discuss feedback obtained. Once Charlotte had completed her presentation there was opportunity for group discussion and activities based on the presentation. It was a further opportunity to network with regional colleagues, sharing best practice and ideas, whilst enjoying a splendid lunch. NEWSLINK SUMMER 2016 - 023
FEATURE ARTICLE
CHALLENGING ESTATES AND ESTATES CHALLENGES SUE HOLMES
Director of Estates and Facilities Management Oxford Brookes University, former Chair of Association of University Directors of Estates (AUDE) and former Chair of AUA Change is the only constant, and no matter how we plan for tomorrow and strive for quality, flexibility and a little headroom in our estates, the challenge changes rather than being achieved. The UK estate sector size is just over 20,000,000 m2 of gross nonresidential space with a further 6,000,000 m2 of gross wholly owned residential space in a sector worth over £73bn to the UK economy (www.aude.ac.uk/resources/ems/).
The UK HE sector saw over £2.5bn invested in nonresidential estates projects in 2013/14 with almost 80% of the estate reported in excellent or very good condition. Further, there has been an increase in the number of refurbishment projects rather than a focus on just new build. We also see that students learn differently and have fewer boundaries and a more imaginative, integrated and open approach to formal and informal learning. We have seen more integration of teaching with research given the high investment cost required and a focus on more effective use of resources and space. Expectations start at (or before) an open day and only increase, and we all aim to be ‘the university of choice’ for students with more of us moving to be recruiting rather than selecting universities. We strive for distinctiveness and quality and whilst being ‘business-like’, being a ‘business’ is often a step too far for many. This in turn adds pressure on the quality of space and residential options. In my own university students only see space as real social learning with an embedded café.
students using post-qualification application as the norm also means the demands on the physical estate are often less well planned, especially if accommodation is seen as key to clearing. How much of our space do we allocate in the pre-‘A’ level process and how much do we save for post result applicants?
The world of compliance and legislation is ever more complex and we need to keep on top of this to assure the safety of students, staff and premises. So the reality for estate and facilities directors is the need to deliver a sustainable estate in an environment of increasing revenue and capital costs, while generating surpluses for investment; this is now a norm, rather than a nice-to-have. Our day jobs are becoming more complex and we are required to juggle expectations and manage costs.
Driven by the need to demonstrate efficiency and effectiveness we need to scrutinise our total property costs and certainly compare our own Estate Management Record (EMR) data with other public data. For example, in the last year, although our 40% carbon emissions reduction target to 2020 is looking very challenging, we know carbon emissions were down by 8% from the previous year. This has been a real estate success story – innovation and development making financial savings, improving environmental sustainability and helping meet carbon targets. However, energy costs have increased and a proportion of staff and students are calling for more control of more natural environments, although this doesn’t necessarily apply to residential accommodation where enormous quantities of heat and hot water are still used. As a sector we geekily analyse positive trends in energy efficiency, looking to see what works best and where we can improve. Some colleagues have great success with staff and student awareness projects; others have a less positive experience. In our own homes we are much
We aim to provide all of our students (and staff) with an excellent experience and high quality facilities and services and we know from recent reports that 77% of students say that facilities play a role in their university choice, with the only factor marginally more important reported as the course itself (AUDE, 2014).
...we are working with a real drop of 8% in fees, since these have been capped at £9k since 2010 whilst wages, services, products and utility costs have all risen more than this.
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Amongst the current sector challenges and conflicts we are working with a real drop of 8% in fees, since these have been capped at £9k since 2010 whilst wages, services, products and utility costs have all risen more than this. We know that the sector funding methodology is not sustainable, creating concerns about the future. Demographics show that the number of 18 year olds will decrease until 2030, creating a smaller pool of home students. Further, how many international students will be put off by visa requirements and the politics within the EU is not yet clear. If we have dedicated programmes or residential accommodation for specific groups we need to be ready for change. The growing shift to NEWSLINK SUMMER 2016 - 025
Some universities make better use of office spaces by sharing with commercial partners or developing more shared spaces between departments or staff who would not have historically shared.
about whole life costing: how long does equipment last? What is the cost of maintenance? Is product ‘a’ more reliable and easier to maintain than product ‘b’? Who of us hasn’t tripped over students charging devices from cleaners’ sockets on corridors? I’ve been challenged by my own senior colleagues on how I reduce usage of utilities – I could fully control environments to reduce usage but that reduces personal choice. It’s not an easy or comfortable choice.
better at energy management, yet somehow at work does it matter if we leave windows open or lights on? Do we understand the huge variations in control and settings and do we have time to find out? As a sector we do trial new technologies as well as approved and tested solutions and share our feedback, both positive and negative, and champion reuse and retrofit. Buildings are being built for a 40-50 year life, creating more challenges with usually higher development costs. The world of compliance and legislation is ever more complex and we need to keep on top of this to assure the safety of students, staff and premises. With finances controlled this often leads to difficult decisions. Compliance isn’t a choice but backlog maintenance may 026 - NEWSLINK SUMMER 2016
have to be deferred to comply. Issues just stored for a future challenging decision? Another AUDE development in the last 12 months has been the Green Scorecard; a system that will allow us to demonstrate more effectively the choices we make on a daily basis. Do we need to or do we have to focus on elements such as carbon emissions, utility costs, transport, waste biodiversity or procurement with each of us able to set realistic, albeit stretching, targets that fit into other business requirements and still demonstrate improvements. If we develop a large research area that is power-hungry what matters is the research adds value and the energy is as green as we can make it, not that we are simply using more power. We also have to think
One way of demonstrating our efficiency and effectiveness has been AUDE’s support of Ian Diamond’s second Efficiency, Effectiveness and Value for Money Report (Universities UK, 2015). We have given examples of energy improvements, green building projects, reducing or eliminating waste and using space more effectively. Space is an emotive subject and we may reduce space by better design, using space guidelines, creating more shared office spaces or looking at how we increase income per square metre. We need spaces to be adaptable with a long life/loose fit approach as we see spaces being used 24/7 (with the wellbeing and security challenges that brings) and development of additional spaces for social learning or flipped teaching. Somehow the older designed spaces don’t disappear. Some universities make better use of office spaces by sharing with commercial partners or developing more shared spaces between departments or staff who would not have historically shared. The community of research often leads the way on this but if we want to maintain single offices we need to generate an income to support this model. Universities with shared office spaces often release additional funding to improve other elements such as materials, additional staff or research time. Whilst we value our differences there are examples that
will help many of us be more efficient and effective by using some variations of the developments we see. AUDE is putting together a database of good practice that will allow colleagues to look at financial savings but linked to development of opportunities, service improvement or financial savings. We hope this databank will illustrate good practice to government and allow us to continue to learn from each other. We continue to see strong demand for residences provided either in-house or via external partners. Again there is great variation in the sector; some universities are able to manage all needs through partners, and others are restricted by planning and land values (though the private sector is less well regulated). Ultimately, students want quality, value and convenience. Many of us manage facilities such as soft Facilities Management (FM), catering, conferencing, shops, commercial leases, sports and transport. These need a different set of skills and mean that the role of director of estates and facilities management is varied and challenging. Is that why I love it? References: AUDE (2014), HE Estates Statistics Report (www.aude.ac.uk/ news-and-events/news/aude-to-publish-he-estates-statisticsreport-2014/)(accessed 15 April 2016) Universities UK (2015), Efficiency, effectiveness and value for money (www.universitiesuk.ac.uk/highereducation/Pages/ EfficiencyEffectivenessValueForMoney.aspx#.VxC83mNUPzI)(date accessed 15 April 2016).
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THE SCOTLAND NETWORK RECENT APPOINTMENTS Recently the Scotland Network Coordinator Wendy Cairney, Finance Coordinator, Institute for Informatics & Digital Innovation, Edinburgh Napier University, advertised for and recruited three Regional Lead Advocates. In this article each of the new appointees reports briefly on their motivations for applying for the role, and their aspirations for the role and the region. A longer article on the future plans for the Scotland Network will appear in a subsequent issue of Newslink.
Inspiring professionalism in higher education
NORTH EAST GILLIAN BRUNTON MAUA
Administrative Manager, University of St Andrews gm39@st-andrews.ac.uk
Taking on the role of NE Scotland Lead Advocate seems the next natural step in my AUA career, having been Advocate of the St Andrews Branch for the past three years. Having demonstrated enthusiasm, leadership and professionalism at St Andrews, winning awards and increasing membership there, I feel well placed to advise and assist where needed and to share best practice across all NE Scotland institutions in an aim to bolster membership and interest in branch activities.
SOUTH WEST MORAG BRATCHIE MAUA
School Service Delivery Manager, University of the West of Scotland morag.bratchie@uws.ac.uk
As School Service Delivery Manager at the University of the West of Scotland I am responsible for the line management of a large School service delivery team, setting operational service delivery standards and processes that support the School’s education, research and enterprise, and international strategies. I am a great believer in self-development and welcome the opportunity to undertake any relevant training to enhance my knowledge and fully support the university’s objectives. I have worked in HE now for over 15 years and one of my main reasons for applying for the Lead Advocate role is not only to allow the promotion of AUA to my University colleagues but to assist others in their recruitment and networking across all other institutions. I joined AUA about two years ago and feel I have not embraced it as much I would like to; my new role will allow me the opportunity to be far more involved and work closely with Branch Advocates as well as current and new members.
AUA OFFICE UPDATES NEW STARTERS BRYAN ARCHER NORTH WEST VAL INNES MAUA
SQA Coordinator, University of the Highlands valerie.innes@uhi.ac.uk
I saw the role advertised and thought ‘that’s interesting’, but didn’t think about applying at first as I thought I was busy enough. However, I thought about two things: how much I benefitted from my AUA membership and how little I actually knew about the Lead Advocate role! I realised this was the ideal opportunity to become more involved and hopefully help others engage with the AUA in the process. 028 - NEWSLINK SUMMER 2016
Project Manager: CRM and Web Upgrades, AUA Office
I am here to organise the procurement and implementation of two systems central to the successful operation of the AUA for its members, the customer relationship management system (CRM) and the AUA website. If all goes according to plan, which is always a big IF, then it will all be done and dusted before the end of December. After many years designing and implementing systems for the NHS, it is a refreshing change to work within an academic environment, especially as I attended Manchester University.
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The AUA exists to advance and promote the professional recognition and development of all who work in professional services roles in higher education, and to be an authoritative advocate and champion for the sector. As an organisation, we exist for our members. We offer support to help you enhance careers, boost your job prospects and create valuable networking opportunities. In short, we empower our members to take control of their career development. Feeling inspired? If you would like to submit an article for future issues of Newslink or recommend areas you would like to see covered, please get in touch with us at: aua@aua.ac.uk Follow @The_AUA on Twitter and join our members group on LinkedIn for all our latest news. We appreciate your thoughts and feedback on Newslink and your comments help us to develop future issues. If you would like to provide any comments or feedback, please send to: aua@aua.ac.uk
The views and opinions expressed in Newslink are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of their institutions, or of the Editor, nor should they be considered as expressions of opinion or official policy of the Association of University Administrators (AUA). AUA Office University of Manchester, Sackville Street Building, Sackville Street, Manchester, M60 1QD +44 (0)161 275 2063
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