Issue no 86
NEWSLINK
Spring 2017
Lean and HE
AUA Annual Lecture
Sustaining improvement in our sector
AUA members share experiences
Kia Ora!
Midlands Region Lecture
Kathryn Whittingham represents the AUA in New Zealand
Efficiency Exchange Good practice in HE
The possible implications of Brexit for higher education in the UK
AACRAO
Strategic Enrollment Management
Contents 1
Editor’s introduction
2
Chair’s column
4
Lean and HE
6
Perspectives update
8
AUA Annual Lecture
9
AUA Annual Lecture and Awards Ceremony 2016
11
Top Tips!
Dr Giles Brown introduces Newslink 86
Kathryn Fowler looks back at 2016 and forwards in 2017
Christine Stewart explains how Lean can help sustain improvement in HE
Dr David Law on Perspectives and the 2017 John Smith Group essay prize
Jonathan Dempsey shares his experiences
Trustee Mark Crittenden celebrates the 2016 event
Jan Shine offers some ideas for self development
13 AACRAO
Dr Matthew Andrews explains how SEM focuses on recruitment, retention and research
16
Midlands Region Evening Lecture
18
Kia Ora!
20
Efficiency Exchange
22
The idea of a university: a chronology 1214–2017
23
Events calendar 2017
24
AUA South Wales and South West Conference
26
AUA Good Practice Guide No 44
28
AUA news
Nick Allen, Sandra Mienczakowski and Margaret Jelleyman hear about the possible implications of Brexit on the HE sector
Kathryn Whittingham reports back from the Tertiary Education Management Conference 2016
Rosie Niven shares examples of good practice in higher education
Mike Ratcliffe explores the development of the modern university
Dates for your diary
Vaida Andrijauskaite finds out more about the Welsh perspective on HE
Graham Holland looks at the latest edition
Welcomes and fond farewells
Thank you to our proof-readers: Wendy McDonald MAUA, Executive Officer, Goldsmith's University of London; Liz Buckton, Student Conduct and Appeals Manager, University of Sheffield; Katy Beavers MAUA, Quality Officer, City University London; Lisa Burton MAUA, Assistant Registrar, University of Warwick Cover photo: The Arts Tower, University of Sheffield © Katherine Hodgson https://goo.gl/2tw45t Page 18 photo: Auckland War Memorial Museum © Steve https://goo.gl/9w1j3M
Editorial Dr Giles H Brown FAUA Editor, Newslink
The 2016 Annual Lecture and your Editor's Top Tip for 2017. Welcome to the first issue of Newslink in 2017. In this issue
I have been reading about and musing on technology over the
we celebrate the Association's Annual Lecture at The Royal
past few weeks, and its challenges as well as its advantages,
Society in London last December. The evening encompassed
which are often in competition. So…, who likes meetings? Who
a celebration of achievements by both AUA members and
likes spending an inordinate amount of time in meetings when
institutions with a thought-provoking lecture by Professor
the to-do list sits undone somewhere else? Who feels some
Madeleine Atkins CBE (Chief Executive, HEFCE), detailing
meeting participants are unengaged, and matters have to be
both the current state of HE and the imminent (and still
repeated while the collective intellect present remains untapped
uncertain) changes to the sector. Our Chair, Kathryn Fowler,
and decisions are left to a few people present? Well, here is my
started by launching the new AUA brand, which underpins the
top tip for the issue and for 2017 – give your next meeting your
Association’s values and ambitions, both collectively and for
undivided attention and demand the same from everyone else
individual members. This was followed by the announcement
present – no smartphones on desks, no checking of emails on
of the first two AUA Mark of Excellence awards, a new and
tablets, no smartwatches vibrating. You are there for a reason
timely initiative launched in March 2016 which has been
- your skills and contributions are valued and valuable (if they
well received across the sector. Congratulations to Durham
aren’t, you shouldn’t have been invited!), and you will all be there
University and the University of Bath Academic Professional
for a much shorter period of time, and achieve a much richer
Services. The celebratory part of the evening continued
and valuable outcome, if you keep the technology at bay. These
with the announcement of 21 new Fellows (FAUA) and the
devices are meant to save time but our slavish attachment to
recipients of the John Smith Group Perspectives essay
them too often wastes time, especially when we are actually
prize. All in all, an excellent event in regal and spectacular
doing something else and are contributing to collective
surroundings which was very well attended.
activities. Jonathan Safran Foer, writing in the Guardian (2016), discusses the value of someone’s undivided attention, and that such attention is the “purest form of generosity”. So, be generous to your colleagues; if we all do it we will get more done, have more positive professional relationships, deliver better outcomes, and spend less time in meetings!
References and further reading: French workers get 'right to disconnect' from emails out of hours (available online at www.bbc.co.uk/news/worldeurope-38479439 [accessed 12 January 2017]). Gilroy-Ware, M. (2016), Smartphones are stealing our time. This new year, I want to claim it back, The Guardian, Thursday 29 December (available online at www.theguardian.com/ commentisfree/2016/dec/29/smartphones-time-new-yearapps-resolution-facebook [accessed 29 December 2016]). Safran Foer, J. (2016), Losing Touch, The Guardian, Saturday 5 December (Review, p. 2-3) (available online at www.theguardian. com/books/2016/dec/03/jonathan-safran-foer-technologydiminishing-us [accessed 1 December 2016]). Wu, T. (2017), The internet is like a classic story of the party that went sour, The Observer, Sunday 8 January (available online at www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/jan/08/tim-wuinterview-internet-classic-party-went-sour-attention-merchants [accessed 10 January 2017]). Newslink Spring 2017 - 1
Chair's column Kathryn Fowler FAUA
Chair of the AUA and Deputy Executive Director, Aberdeen Institute of Energy, University of Aberdeen
It is with great pleasure that I take advantage of my regular opportunity to speak directly to you as your Chair. First of all, I want to share my thoughts on the AUA Development
Durham University, the first institution to achieve the Mark, was
Conference and Annual Lecture which was held in December last
represented at the presentation at the Annual Lecture by Sophie
year. It was a real pleasure to see so many colleagues gathered
Sowerby, Claire Tindale and Andrew Unwin, the AUA Advocate.
at the splendid Royal Society premises in London. Our Annual
Sophie and Claire have been the tireless champions of the
Lecture speaker was Professor Madeleine Atkins CBE, Chief
Framework and the Mark, and have driven this process through
Executive of HEFCE, who headlined a superb AUA flagship event,
the University over almost three years, being very generous
and spoke about current issues such as the White Paper, the
in giving their time to the AUA to help us with this first pilot.
transformation of knowledge exchange, globalisation and our
They used the AUA CPD Framework for developing their own
place in the world. The Lecture was linked to our Development
Framework which they call 'Realising your Potential', and which
Conference so those who attended both benefited from many
they developed and cascaded through wide consultation.
perspectives on the sector and the challenges and changes it faces. This is one example of how the AUA offers the opportunity
The University of Bath Academic Professional Services also
to ‘step away from the day job’ for a while to contemplate the
received their award at the Annual Lecture, represented by Iain
bigger, contextual picture together as a professional body.
Forster-Smith, Ann-Marie Hartland and Amanda Harper (Amanda Spencer was also involved in the project, but unfortunately was
The Mark of Excellence has been well received; we are so proud
unable to attend). The University of Bath Academic Professional
to have formally awarded our first recipients, Durham University
Services were involved in the original early projects to use
and the University of Bath, Academic Professional Services.
the Framework and embraced the behavioural approach
2 - Newslink Spring 2017
The Mark of Excellence has been well received; we are so proud to have formally awarded our first recipients, Durham University and the University of Bath, Academic Professional Services.
enthusiastically. They have also made the Framework their
issues of cost which we know is a strain for many of you and will
own, calling it the 'Effective Behaviours Framework'. Every
enable a wider engagement of our members. For those going for
single member of Professional Services Staff within Academic
the first time, we promise a wide range of fascinating talks and
Professional Services at the University have the approach
seminars, the opportunity to network with people doing similar
embedded into their appraisal processes, which they call the
jobs or widely different ones, to browse the exhibition, and take
SPDR+. The high levels of staff engagement through the use of
part in some of our annual fixtures such as the Gala Dinner and
the SPDR+, and the high quality developmental conversations
Sunday Night Social, featuring the infamous Conference Quiz. I
that this has brought about, were highlighted as an area of
hope you all benefit hugely from the Conference if you attend, and
exceptional practice by the panel.
that you avail yourself of the excellent Twitter feeds (#AUA2017). If not, your colleagues will feed back some fantastic juicy morsels(!)
2016 was a year that many of us will probably want to forget. For
and the event will be covered in the next issue of Newslink.
many of us it felt like a pivotal year when so many things changed and when things we might have thought were unthinkable
I have been holding telephone discussions with the Board of
happened; a year of loss and change. Yet, we know that change
Trustees, following up from our February Board meeting, and
can be positive and affirming, so we need to work to create
looking ahead to our next meeting in June. I am thrilled with
opportunities from these shifts. As a profession, we are flexible
these discussions; an excellent example of colleagues sharing,
and inventive, and the AUA will support you, especially through
and working together for the common good of the AUA. You
its networks, to rise to the challenges and opportunities ahead.
are well served by the commitment of your Trustees, who are
I would encourage you all to look to your local Geographical
dedicated to making the AUA work for you.
Networks and to the Thematic Networks to find your peers who are responding with innovation and professionalism.
The Board has reviewed and refreshed the strategy laid out by Tessa Harrison at the 2015 Conference so I look forward to
As you read this, many of you will be preparing for the 2017
sharing details with you at the 2017 Conference.
Annual Conference. We are varying the model a little this year, shortening the length to two days and having a three-year
Remember my open offer to you to get in touch and let me know
residency at Manchester. We hope that this will address the
your thoughts. Newslink Spring 2017 - 3
Lean and HE Christine Stewart
Managing Director, Macresco Ltd
So, what is lean? Well, for me it is a philosophy, a different way of thinking and working. It is not itself a tool or technique, but provides a framework which allows you to apply the right tool or technique at the right time and the right place. It also means that you can shape and change the application of lean to suit your environment, culture and goals. Lean is a tale of two halves. The first provides the framework around which to structure your continuous improvement. This aspect is made up of five principles:
Value Think about who the beneficiaries of what you do are. Then find out what it is they value in your product or service. Now, last time I checked there is always somebody wanting something from us, whether they be external or internal to our institution, external to our department or indeed the person sitting next to us. We need to realise that what they need and what they want from us may not be the same thing, and then use that knowledge to manage their expectations. By doing this we can make sure that we are always delivering what it is that they actually need.
Value Stream Once we understand what it is that our beneficiaries need from us and we have clarified what it is that we will deliver, we then need to check to see how we are actually delivering it today (or not!). The difficulty in HE is unpicking the complexity of our processes and practices to understand this, but with that understanding comes the clarity of how we can ensure we deliver what is needed, when it is needed, and in the easiest and simplest way possible.
Flow This is about making sure that we have removed all the activities that we do that do not add any value either to the beneficiaries or to those who are trying to deliver it! You know those lumps and bumps that get in the way and stop us from thinking “I’ve done the best job I can, despite…”
Pull Pull is about making sure that the product or service is always there, ready, when it is needed. We are very lucky in HE that we have an academic year during which we are able to predict so much of the demand that is put on our processes. What we are, perhaps, not so good at, is matching our resources and processes to make sure that we meet that demand.
Pursue Perfection – or continuous improvement Here we need to recognise that things never stay the same. Processes and practices that work well in the current environment may not be so effective in the future. We need to ensure that we remain flexible and responsive to changes in the world around us and that we are constantly maximising the value for our beneficiaries. Winter 2017 2016 4 - Newslink Spring
LEAN
These five principles provide a very strong guide to what needs to be done with our processes and practices to ensure that we deliver the value that is needed. These five principles provide a very strong guide to what needs to be done with our processes and practices to ensure that we deliver the value that is needed. Plus, that we are doing it in the easiest and simplest way possible. However, following this on its own means we end up committing to lots of projects, one off
Leadership Yes, this relates to the people at the top of the tree but also those in our organisation who we respect, admire and want to emulate. Through adopting lean, leaders live and breathe
improvement activities and, sometimes, change happening to us.
the principles but also respect people, their capabilities, skills,
Therefore, we need to ensure that this framework is linked with
to improve it. More importantly they are able to be part of the
the second half of our lean story, that of people. There has been a lot of research into how to sustain improvement and, whilst it is important to ensure that there is a structured approach to continuous improvement, it has been found that this can only be maintained and developed further through the following:
knowledge and experience. They trust those who do the job solution, to help and support the improvement activity and to make this ‘just the way we do things around here’.
Behaviour and engagement The approach taken by the leaders, as described above, goes a long way to creating a culture of continuous improvement. Through the development, encouragement and respect for all
Strategy and alignment
staff we can ensure that they not only critically review their
This is about using lean principles to develop our strategy for
to continually ensure changes are made to guarantee the
improvement whether that be at institution, faculty, college,
consistent delivery of value.
working processes and practices, but that they work together
school or departmental level; then ensuring that all staff objectives are linked to this. That way we are all on the same bus,
So, by joining the five framework principles with respect for people,
going in the same direction, allowing us to coordinate priorities
not only can our institutions drive improvement, but also sustain
and work together to achieve the vision.
the change and continuously improve to ensure we meet the challenges and demands placed upon us now and into the future.
Further Reading Lean Higher Education: Increasing the Value and Performance of University Processes by William K. Balzer (30 Apr 2010) Lean Thinking: Banish Waste and Create Wealth in Your Corporation by James P. Womack and Daniel T. Jones (7 Jul 2003) Managing to Learn: Using the A3 Management Process (John Shook) Learning to See by Mike Rother and John Shook I Want You to Cheat: The Unreasonable Guide to Service and Quality in Organisations by John Seddon Lean Teaching: A Guide to Becoming a Better Teacher by Bob Emiliani Managing Successful Programmes by Rod Sowden and Cabinet Office LeanHE (www.leanhehub.ac.uk) Bob Emiliani (www.bobemiliani.com) Macresco Ltd (www.macresco.co.uk) Newslink Winter Spring 2016 2017 - 5
Perspectives update Dr David Law FAUA
Principal Editor of Perspectives
2016 John Smith Group essay competition winners AUA members attending the Annual Lecture on 1 December in London congratulated our prize winners in the 2016 John Smith Group essay competition. All colleagues can now read the pieces
Electronic access to published and ‘in press’ articles More of you than ever are now downloading Perspectives articles. As an AUA member you have access to everything we
from that competition that we have selected for publication.
have published in the last two decades, and you can read work
Issue 21 (1) of Perspectives publishes five essays under the
paper copy is sent out. It is also easy to sign up, through Taylor
heading ‘The Challenge of Quality’. Namrata Rao and Anesa Hosein won first prize for their analysis of how professional staff view the provision of learning and teaching information on institutional websites. Michelle Henderson, Rebecca Barnett and Heather Barrett were highly commended for an essay on new developments in transnational education (TNE). Claire Hughes and Helen Thomas tell readers why ‘collaborative provision quality assurance isn’t just red tape’ and Tony Murphy explains
that is scheduled for print publication many months before the and Francis, for an email alert that will let you know when a new paper has appeared online. One of our latest articles is likely to interest many of you: ‘No room at the top? The glass wall for professional services managers in pre-1992 English universities’ by Sue Shepherd. This is planned for publication in print in October, but why wait? It’s there on the website as part of a dozen pieces queued for print publication (mostly in our themed issue on Access and Widening Participation – Issue 21 [2/3]).
how the plans to change the rules for REF2021 may, or may not, tell us more about the quality of research in our universities. Finally, four authors from the USA share their experience of how student evaluation of teaching can improve teaching quality in higher education.
inTouch – a new series of short contributions in Perspectives Finally, the Perspectives Editorial Advisory Board has approved a plan which, we very much hope, will produce more articles written
John Smith Group essay competition 2017 The AUA John Smith Group essay competition in 2017 is for the best work on ‘The challenge of Brexit’. Expressions of interest should be sent, as soon as possible, to perspectives@aua.ac.uk. The closing date for essays of up to 5,000 words is 18 July 2017. We are aiming to publish a set of essays in December 2017 (which we would like to expand into a short book in 2018). To do this we need to receive submissions that are well argued and interesting to read – not just cries of pain! We are hoping to receive a range of views that vary in focus. Some might be concerned with institutional responses whilst others might look at what Brexit might mean for UK HE (or for the devolved systems).
by (and for) AUA members. We want to see those who have been responsible for projects and new initiatives writing up their findings for the benefit of all. A new series of short contributions will be entitled inTouch. We are looking for authors to write from experience and tell us about what ‘works’ and what to avoid. For these pieces we do not expect references to ‘the literature’ or more than minimal footnoting. We have chosen a title that puts stress on action and practical involvement. The headline is intended to convey our commitment to practicality and the dissemination of good practice. We would like AUA members to pass on ideas for solutions to their colleagues in other places. Please contact the journal, perspectives@aua.ac.uk, if you have any thoughts about what you would like to see us focusing on. Commitments to send us a paper will be particularly welcome!
‘Meet the Authors’ event 2017 Prospective authors had the opportunity to find out more about publishing in Perspectives at an event in March. AUA members, and guests who may be considering membership, were invited to a ‘Meet the Authors’ roundtable discussion during the morning of Friday 17 March. This event was organised by the AUA’s International Network and was held at the Centre for Commercial Law Studies, in London. Michelle Henderson and her collaborators provided examples of their findings and discussed the new opportunities that TNE offers British universities. 6 - Newslink Spring 2017
Themed issue and 2017 John Smith Group essay prize The challenge of Brexit The Editorial Board of Perspectives invites submissions to a themed issue, 'The challenge of Brexit’, to be published in 2018. 2017 will be a year of reassessment following the 2016 referendum. Essays may choose to reflect on how the sector might respond. Institutional case studies are also welcomed. Interpretation is part of the challenge, and the main aim is to contribute to and inform policy debate. Supported by the John Smith Group, we have a £1,500 prize fund at the disposal of the Editorial Board. This may be awarded to the winning entry or split to recognise merit. Authors may opt out of the prize competition. Essay Criteria : No longer than 5,000 words The original work of the author(s) Exclusively submitted to Perspectives Focused on UK HE A short expression of interest should be submitted to the Principal Editor, david.law@edgehill.ac.uk, at any time before 18 April 2017. The closing date for full essay submissions is 18 July 2017. Full details are available on the website: aua.ac.uk Newslink Spring 2017 - 7
AUA Annual Lecture Jonathan Dempsey MAUA
Student Support Officer, Kingston University London
I came to the Annual Lecture wearing two hats. The first as a student support officer, the second as a student studying and researching higher education. The lecture from Professor Madeleine Atkins raised the peak on both hats! Firstly, working in student support it most certainly helps to be aware of what students will have to contend with; increasing fees no doubt being a major concern for future cohorts. Furthermore, as an employee, we all know that, whether we like it or not, we will be measured by the National Student Survey (NSS), however imperfect it is. It is not just teaching excellence being measured but the whole student experience. Something we are all definitely involved with. Secondly, as a student, the impending changes could be the largest shift in the higher education landscape for quite some years and this definitely has my work-senses tingling. Listening to Professor Atkins candidly speak about the TEF, REF, Brexit and all
8 - Newslink Spring 2017
the things in between was certainly enlightening; I would go into it some more but Chatham House rules were in play. So not only did my Twitter fingers get a rest for an hour or two but “what happens at TEF club, stays in TEF club!� As an event this is something that is very much worth getting involved with, hearing from the upper echelons of HE undoubtedly gives insight that you would not normally be privy to. Whether nerves were calmed or fears allayed because of the lecture will no doubt remain to be seen, but in the networking session afterwards you could definitely feel a community around you that will be there no matter the outcomes. That is at the very least reassuring.
AUA Annual Lecture and Awards Ceremony 2016 perspectives from a new trustee Mark Crittenden MAUA
AUA Trustee and Student Centre Coordinator, University of Greenwich
Heraclitus of Ephesus is credited for saying that "the only constant is change" and 2016 was a prime example of this. The year saw a series of large scale events and drivers for change, both nationally and internationally, a number of which were unprecedented. These changes have resulted in massive speculation of what the future holds for individuals, the UK and for HE administrators and managers, and what this could mean for the sector more broadly. During 2016 we had to start to consider
in the future - specifically those relating to HE in the UK and the
questions such as “What does Brexit
increasing movement towards a ‘student as consumer’ mind-set?”,
mean and how will the decision to leave the EU impact on us
“How has the AUA been affected by its new identity?” and “How is
individually, professionally and on the institutions we work
the Association now rewarding excellence?”
in and the students and colleagues around us?”, “What could the international implications of the recent American elections
On 1 December 2016 at the 19th AUA Annual Lecture held at the
be on the relationship between the UK and the USA?”, “Will the
Royal Society in London, Professor Madeleine Atkins, the Chief
relationship between the USA and the rest of the world give scope
Executive of HEFCE, presented to members of the Association
for the UK to develop new or existing relationships?”, “What do the
her thoughts on the issues and agenda for the sector, giving us
introductions of political changes mean now or are likely to mean
an opportunity to explore and reflect on some of these ideas. Newslink Spring 2017 - 9
The ability to learn, reflect, celebrate successes and network are some of the key benefits of the AUA and the Annual Lecture never fails to deliver. The lecture also gave members a chance to look at some new
thought-provoking presentation is one of the highlights of the
initiatives from the AUA.
Annual Lecture. It was possible to be part of discussions where colleagues had different opinions and approaches to TEF, Brexit,
Introductions and a celebration of achievements opened the event.
the ideas of benefits and opportunities as well as challenges they
As the Association is committed to connecting and developing
might face in the future.
higher education professionals, it was great that we were afforded the opportunity to celebrate the successes of colleagues and
The ability to learn, reflect, celebrate successes and network are
showcase how the AUA helps achieve this. As well as celebrating
some of the key benefits of the AUA and the Annual Lecture never
the promotion of colleagues to Fellows of the Association (FAUA),
fails to deliver. This event, which is an exclusive members-only
we were also able to celebrate and recognise the work of members
event, always gives me food for thought and is always brilliantly
from Durham University and the University of Bath, Academic
organised. The AUA Office did a fantastic job - even more
Professional Services, the first two institutions to receive the new
impressive when you remember that on the same day they had
AUA Mark of Excellence. The awards were presented by the Chair
been working on the Development Conference and that the new
of the AUA, Kathryn Fowler, and Professor Madeleine Atkins.
website and the new brand had also been launched (not forgetting all the work leading up to the day). As a new Trustee I am starting
Professor Atkins (under Chatham House rules) then gave the
to learn even more about the work the Office does, and knowing
Annual Lecture, sharing her thoughts on a number of areas, firstly
what they do in supporting the Association generally, the work
acknowledging that it was a busy time for higher education. She
involved with the Mark of Excellence, and all the other work they
highlighted such things as a new Higher Education Bill, consultation
have been and are doing, means I am in awe of them.
on research education, the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF), an Office for Students, the recent Government Autumn
The AUA is committed to connecting and developing higher
Statement, a Green Paper that has implications for social
education professionals and one way members can see this
mobility, the part HEIs play in their communities and also Brexit,
for themselves is through attending the range of events on offer,
all of which show how busy things are at the moment! However,
including next year’s Annual Lecture!
the lecture gave an opportunity (at a time where everything and everyone is so preoccupied) to take a welcome break to reflect on recent changes, as well as providing an introduction for those new to HE to more complex concerns in the sector in which they now work.
eventmapsolutions.com
Professor Atkins addressed concerns about new changes potentially eroding the autonomy of the sector, and the question as to whether or not this would fundamentally change the purpose of higher education. Members heard about amendments to the HE bill and how it links to the social responsibility of the sector. From changes in law and policy the lecture continued to highlight what else is new, such as a consultation on a research education bill and the rationale for both these initiatives. Professor Atkins also gave her initial impressions of a Green Paper that could mean
Timetable. Schedule. Plan.
universities will need to be more involved with the wider education community (such as schools and FE colleges). Following Professor Atkins’ lecture, colleagues were given the opportunity to ask questions and explore some aspects raised, such as her thoughts on the gold, silver and bronze approach within TEF, how this might be seen externally, and if it suggests that universities (and other HEIs) are all part of the same race, chasing common ends (and indeed if this might impact adversely on the independent identity and wider spectrum of university offerings). Another question related to how, after the introduction of the top up fees, the early idea of students as partners and contributors in HE has
Any cloud, anywhere. Truly transformative enterprise-level timetabling and resource planning tools for education.
evolved more and more towards a consumer focus approach. The evening closed with an opportunity to network and to
We provide elegant solutions to complex problems.
VISIT US AT THE 2017 AUA CONFERENCE STAND 5
discuss the issues raised. Talking to colleagues after such a 10 - Newslink Spring 2017
AUA_newslink_advert_V2.indd 1
23/01/2017 11:07
Developing yourself through reflection Jan Shine FAUA
People Development Consultant, Paullus People Development (jan@paullus.co.uk)
This regular series of bite-size articles offers key skills, top tips and even what to avoid! In the following article Jan Shine presents her top tips on developing yourself through reflective practice. Using a reflective process as part of your everyday professional practice can add an extra dimension to your development, in particular through increasing self-awareness, building self-confidence and learning from experiences. This short article will introduce you to the principles and benefits of reflective practice. What does reflection mean in this context? For me, the quote below sums up what reflection in a CPD context means:
"A reflection in a mirror is an exact replica of what is in front of it. Reflection in professional practice, however, gives back not what is, but what might be, an improvement on the original." Biggs (1999)
Reflection is a purposeful thought activity that enables us to: • Stand back and think about the impact of a situation • Gain new perspectives • Make sense of experiences • Raise self-awareness • Move from professional development to professional learning In order to: • Gain new insight • Challenge assumptions • Acquire new understanding • Construct meaning and knowledge that guides actions in future practice
Newslink Spring 2017 - 11
There are three types of reflection: Reflection before action
Reflection in action
Reflection on action
Planning what you are going Thinking about what you are Thinking about what you to do before the event doing whilst you are doing it: did after the event: • Retrospective • Stimulated by the contemplation unexpected in the moment • Clarifying the meanings • Thinking on your feet and of experiences redesigning what you do • Redesigning what you in the present might do in the future Reflection on action involves reflecting on meaningful positive or negative experiences, for example: • An event that highlighted the value of particular skills, knowledge and/or behaviour • An event that had unexpected outcomes • An event that went particularly well • An event that frustrated you • An event where you wanted to improve your knowledge • An event that made you happy, sad, distressed or created a moral dilemma Tools to guide and capture your reflections The most important thing is to find a method and tools that suit you and your particular context/learning preferences. There are many tools available, including models of reflection (e.g. Gibbs [see Figure 1], Kolb, Johns, Atkins & Murphy), journals (e.g. handwritten, electronic, blog, voice recording) and templates (e.g. reflection sheets and learning logs - the AUA’s learning log template is available at: aua.ac.uk/develop/cpd-framework/resources). These tips will help you to get the most out of using reflection as a CPD tool: • Be spontaneous • Express yourself freely • Be honest and open-minded • Set aside time • Be prepared personally • Make it a habit
Description What happened?
Action plan
Feelings
If it arose again what would you do?
What were you thinking and feeling?
Evaluation
Conclusion What else could you have done?
Analysis
What was good and bad about the experience?
What sense can you make of the situation?
Further information and guidance is available at: www.paullus.co.uk/useful-resources/
Figure 1: the Gibbs model of reflection (Gibbs, 1988)
References Biggs, J. (1999) Teaching for quality learning at university. Buckingham, Open University. Gibbs, G. (1988) Learning by doing: a guide to teaching and learning methods. Further Education Unit, Oxford Polytechnic, Oxford.
12 - Newslink Spring 2017
AACRAO Dr Matthew Andrews FAUA
AUA link with AACRAO and University Secretary and Registrar, University of Gloucestershire
Strategic Enrollment (sic) Management, or SEM to its friends, is about the entire student lifecycle from enquiry to graduation. The approach starts with an institution defining what it would like its student population to be (what SEM would call the institution’s “optimum enrollment�) and then addresses the active steps which an institution needs to take to achieve that student population: from how these students are to be recruited to what needs to be done to achieve high rates of successful completion. SEM is not just about numbers: it is about all aspects of the
management that begins with an understanding of the world
student population from academic entry grades to widening
around the institution, anticipates changes, probes institutional
participation demographics. It is therefore about the whole
mission and goals, and leads to coordinated and university-
collection of processes and plans that an institution uses to
wide efforts in such areas as marketing, student recruitment,
define and deliver a student population that fits its strategic
and retention. It also helps to develop the institutional mission,
goals. SEM therefore focuses on recruitment, retention, and
including aspects such as tuition pricing, financial aid, academic
research. It is not simply about what in the UK-context would
support, career guidance, and curriculum development, by
normally be labelled as marketing, recruitment, and admissions
bringing external perspectives to bear on decisions about internal
but extends to supporting students after their enrolment and
priorities. In this way SEM not only enables the delivery of the
throughout their studies to successful graduation.
institutional mission, but informs what the mission should be.
It therefore takes a whole-student-lifecycle viewpoint. This makes
SEM itself is a concept deeply embedded within the structures
SEM a broad, dynamic approach to student-focused institutional
of many North American higher education institutions, from
JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort and Spa
Newslink Spring 2017 - 13
SEM itself is a concept deeply embedded within the structures of many North American higher education institutions, from large, researchintensive prestigious four-year colleges to smaller community colleges.
San Antonio Riverwalk
large, research-intensive prestigious four-year colleges to
position analysis, strategic programmes of customer relationship
smaller community colleges. It was established by the American
management, well-defined and market-informed intake goals,
Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers
and targeted retention measures. But to understand SEM
(AACRAO), one of the AUA’s closest international partner
is to appreciate that it is more than the sum of these parts.
organisations, with the first SEM Conference being held in
SEM cannot simply be defined as a series of activities which
1990. Since then AACRAO has developed a journal, the AACRAO
practitioners need to master (though that is part of it) but as an
SEM Quarterly, and an Endorsement Program (sic, again!) that
active and managed approach to the creation of an academic
provides a well-defined, self-paced professional development
community that starts with a good strategic vision.
program and career advancement track for SEM professionals. The conference sessions reflected this diversity and therefore As the link between the AUA and AACRAO, I was able to attend
ranged from specific and detailed sessions, such as ‘How to Write
the 26th annual AACRAO SEM Conference that was held in San
a SEM Plan’ delivered by Tom Green of AACRAO Consulting and
Antonio, Texas, in November 2016. The programme offered four
Karen Miller (Cuyahoga Community College), and ‘Using Net Price
days of plenary and parallel sessions, starting on a Sunday, and
Calculator Data to Guide Student Recruitment’ presented by Melanie
including early morning breakfast plenary sessions with high-
Weaver (Ohio Northern University) and based on her doctoral
profile key note speakers starting at 8.30am.
research, to the more general like ‘The Art and Science of Student Success: Using Design Thinking and Data Science to Help Students
Many of the elements or initiatives that can be found in a SEM plan will be familiar to a UK audience; things such as good 14 - Newslink Spring 2017
Learn Well and Finish Strong’ by Mark Milliron (Civitas Learning).
Trends such as the use of new technologies, and video and pictures over text, were seen as key ways to engage more students throughout their studies.
San Antonio Riverwalk
The opening plenary was delivered by Ben Castleman, Assistant
The SEM Conference already attracts a number of UK delegates,
Professor of Education and Public Policy, University of Virginia,
and it is well-worth the journey. There is much we can learn from
who delivered some sobering statistics about higher education
the experience of the highly competitive US higher education
in the USA. His presentation reminded delegates of some critical
sector, and with a little effort in translation there is much practice
junctures in the student experience that created behavioural
which can be applied in the UK context.
bottlenecks where students dropped out. This included three out of ten students who had a place but never enrolled in higher
If you would like to learn more about SEM, you could look into
education (known as ‘summer melt’), two out of ten students
attending the AACRAO SEM Conference in 2017. The 27th Annual
who gained good results during their first year but did not refile
Strategic Enrollment Management Conference runs between
their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA, ie students
Sunday 29th October and Wednesday 1st November 2017 at the JW
who dropped out at the point of financial aid renewal), and three
Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge, Phoenix, Arizona, USA. AACRAO
out of ten students who when near the point of successful
has also published widely on SEM, including: Strategic Enrollment
completion withdrew without gaining a degree. SEM practices
Management: Transforming Higher Education, by Doris Ingersoll,
help higher education professionals identify such points, and
Bob Bontrager, and Ronald Ingersoll or Handbook of Strategic
then use best practice to develop support mechanisms for
Enrollment Management, by Bob Bontrager and Don Hossler.
students and to review processes. Trends such as the use of new technologies, and video and pictures over text, were seen as key ways to engage more students throughout their studies.
Newslink Spring 2017 - 15
Midlands Region Evening Lecture Brexit and implications for the HE sector Nick Allen MAUA
Joint Midlands Network Coordinator and Executive Officer, University of Northampton
Sandra Mienczakowski MAUA
Joint Midlands Network Coordinator and Head of Academic Processes, University of Nottingham
The AUA Midlands Network was very pleased to welcome David Morris, the Deputy Editor of the higher education policy website WonkHE, to deliver an evening lecture on the topic of Brexit and implications for the HE sector. At the event, held in Birmingham, David spoke for over 45 minutes on a range of issues including the process of the United Kingdom exiting the European Union, politics and lobbying, the challenges arising from Brexit, and wider lessons for the UK and its universities. The dependence of higher education business models on the European Union was outlined, and we learnt that 60% of research papers had a European co-author with universities receiving approximately £100m of European Social Investment Fund monies. Those institutions likely to be worst affected by Brexit were outlined, and there was the suggestion that some projects based in the UK might relocate to allow continued collaboration with European partners. It was felt that the reduction in research funding might lead to further concentration and specialisation by higher education institutions seeking to gain a competitive advantage and it was reassuring to note Universities UK’s position and the work they are championing on behalf of the sector. David provided an interesting account of how educational attainment was a predictor of voting and we learnt about the positive relationship between those parliamentary constituencies who voted Remain and having a higher education institution nearby. The current higher education landscape was also explored, particularly in light of the difference of opinion between the nations contributing to the United Kingdom and further exploration of a possibility of further restrictions on international student visas. The lecture was most interesting and insightful and David joined an illustrious list of former AUA Midlands Network Evening Lecture presenters including Nick Hillman, Director of HEPI and Smita Jamdar from Shakespeare Martineau.
16 - Newslink Spring 2017
Although to some extent we already feel ‘Brexited’ out, the still unknown impact will bring changes for us to deal with in higher education.
Margaret Jelleyman MAUA
Accreditation and Rankings Manager, University of Birmingham
If you have managed to get to this line of my article you have made it through the Brexit word - well done! When I first saw the event title I thought “not another Brexit talk”; however, we all know that Brexit is going to impact on our working lives and being informed gives us the best opportunity to prepare. This informative lecture covered topics close to our hearts, though of course there are still many unknowns. David Morris, Deputy Editor of WonkHE, provided background information on Brexit, and the complexities that the government (and UK) will need to steer through on our journey to exit the European Union. For example, the large numbers of individual trade agreements to be negotiated, and the development of a national infrastructure to support these. The lecture then flowed into the direct impact on universities due to our dependencies on the EU for funding, collaborative working partnerships and student recruitment.
A linked impact on student recruitment will be the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF), and David spoke on how the results of the TEF may impact on recruitment of international students if the Home Office uses it as the measure of ‘best universities’ and ‘lower quality’ courses. This has the potential to impact on our EU student recruitment, depending on the Brexit agreement terms. He provided examples of top universities that may struggle to achieve Gold, or even Silver, under the current proposals regarding TEF metrics. How will this reflect on the perception of the UK higher education provision? Although to some extent we already feel ‘Brexited’ out, the still unknown impact will bring changes for us to deal with in higher education. The evening provided an opportunity to share conversations with colleagues from other institutions on their particular challenges; with so many similarities the opportunities to meet through the AUA, no matter what the occasion, is most certainly a good use of time. Our Midlands Regional Coordinators do an excellent job in organising events on a wide range of topics. I must end with a name check for WonkHE. For those of you who have not yet discovered WonkHE please visit wonkhe.com; here you will find lots of news articles relevant to everyone working in higher education. From this WonkHE page you can sign up for a weekly digest email which is a great way to keep updated on what is happening in our ever changing world.
Newslink Spring 2017 - 15 17
Kia Ora!
AUA at the Tertiary Education Management Conference 2016, New Zealand Kathryn Whittingham MAUA
Head of Student Administration, Macquarie University
I was honoured to be asked to represent the AUA at the 2016 joint conference between the Association for Tertiary Education Management (ATEM) and the Tertiary Education Facilities Management Association (TEFMA), branded as TEMC (the Tertiary Education Management Conference) which was held at the SkyCity Conference Centre in Auckland, New Zealand. The conference brings together over 900 delegates from Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific and beyond, and comprises three days of workshops and practice-based presentations, interspersed with key note presentations, refreshment breaks, and an exhibition hall for sponsors and other companies associated with the tertiary sector. Sound familiar? The format would certainly resonate with AUA colleagues... just with fewer pommie accents! Kia ora is a Māori greeting that is now commonly used in New Zealand, and literally means ‘be well/healthy’ or ‘thank you’. (It is also the origin of the brand name for the orange drink, popular in the UK in the 1970s). Delegates were certainly given a very warm welcome on the first night by a trip to the impressive Auckland War Memorial Museum for drinks, nibbles, and a traditional haka display by a local Māori group. The theme of this year’s conference was ‘From Rhetoric to Reality’ with concurrent sessions in property infrastructure, strategic alignment, opportunity, challenges, leadership, engagement, and technology. As with all these events, it was necessary to do some research before selecting session options in order to choose wisely. It was a shame that a few of them were not repeated through the conference, however, delegates are able to receive copies of presentations afterwards. The size and diverse nature of a joint conference such as this does perhaps limit opportunities for networking and collaboration, something I know the AUA has grappled with in the past in relation to our own Annual Conference and Exhibition. However, it was interesting to slip into a couple of facilities sessions and hear about the challenges faced by colleagues coping with the soaring cost of energy, the need to embed sustainability in all manner of things to do with the estate, and delivery of a university’s master plan.
16 Winter 2016 2016 18 Spring 2017 020- -Newslink NEWSLINK SUMMER
The conference brings together over 900 delegates from Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific and beyond.
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) to recognise different personality types and how, in particular, introverted teams, seemingly common in our industry, can put the ‘oomph’ back into university administration. I introduced the talk with a brief history of the AUA, its membership and professional development activities, including the PgCert, and this seemed to be of interest to a number of the delegates, along with the implications for the UK following the Brexit vote. Many thanks, AUA, for giving me the opportunity to hop ‘across the ditch’ and represent our organisation at a ‘sister’ conference. Kia ora! As part of my sponsorship, I delivered a presentation entitled ‘My brilliant career? Why nobody wants to be a University Administrator’, which suggested that ‘university administration’ is not a career that (m)any people choose from a young age. Often, we fall into it by chance, or just stay on as an extension of casual employment whilst a student in our own university or college. This I have found to be true in both the UK and Australasian HE sectors, and I described some work I have been doing with my own department at Macquarie, using the
17 Newslink Spring 2017 - 19
Efficiency Exchange Rosie Niven
Content Editor, Efficiency Exchange
The Efficiency Exchange (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 might be of interest to AUA members. 2016 saw a redesign for Efficiency Exchange with the aim of making it simpler to discover ideas, good practice and resources relevant to your work. We now have dedicated sections for people working in professional services, teaching and learning and research, with separate sections covering finance, and innovation and change. You can find out more about the redesign here: efficiencyexchange.ac.uk/9343/making-it-easier-to-discover-new-approaches-to-efficiency The Efficiency Exchange service is delivered by Universities UK and Jisc, in partnership with HEFCE and the Leadership Foundation.
20 - Newslink Spring 2017
Pain points in the student experience
Rethinking student services
Every journey has its tricky points and the student journey
agenda at the University of Salford, which completely
is no exception. A project by Jisc sought to identify ‘pain
redesigned its student services to bring three dispersed
points’ on the student journey in institutions across the UK
facilities together. One year in, and students can access
and one of the consultants who worked on it shared some
finance, visas and immigration, registration, counselling
of the findings on Efficiency Exchange. In her blogpost,
and wellbeing, careers and employability from one location,
Jean Mutton said many institutions lack “the wherewithal,
benefitting both staff and students. You can read about the
the right focus or just fail to see how to really put the
project in a blogpost and case study:
student at the heart of what they do”: efficiencyexchange.ac.uk/9559/finding-pain-pointsstudent-journey
Lean thinking Over the Autumn of 2016, Efficiency Exchange ran a series on lean methods in higher education. Among the contributors was the University of Strathclyde’s John Hogg who outlined five key behaviours for leaders that will help to foster lean in higher education: efficiencyexchange.ac.uk/10191/lean-leadership-fivesteps-get-best-others The series kicked off with an introduction to lean techniques and covered a range of subjects relating to continuous improvement in higher education in areas including research, teaching and learning:
The student experience has also been at the top of the
efficiencyexchange.ac.uk/10100/rethinking-studentservices-salford
Raising the bar through collaboration Jisc’s Heidi Lab, part of a joint Jisc-HESA business intelligence (BI) project, offers an example of cross-sector collaborative working that adds value to institutions and generates sector-wide efficiencies. The project brought professionals from a range of universities together to create dashboards for the sector’s new Heidi Plus BI service. One of the team leaders, Ann Buckle wrote about how the projects developed could have a sector-wide impact and boost collaboration skills: efficiencyexchange.ac.uk/9990/raising-bar-collaboration
efficiencyexchange.ac.uk/organisations/lean-he
How do you feel about hot-desking? The University of
What happens when the dial turns red?
Northampton’s Vice Chancellor Nick Petford is a fan and
Finally, when learning analytics data shows that a student is
along with the three other senior members of staff in the
struggling, how should universities respond? In this blogpost,
University, was among the first to abandon separate offices
Brian Hipkin urges academics and their professional services
and dedicated desks. You can read about his experiences in
colleagues to work together more to understand the student
this interview:
lifestyle from the student’s perspective:
efficiencyexchange.ac.uk/interviews/nick-petfordseismic-shifts-northampton
efficiencyexchange.ac.uk/9984/happens-dial-turns-red
Some like it hot
Newslink Spring 2017 - 21
The idea of a university -
a chronology 1214 - 2017 Mike Ratcliffe FAUA
Interim Head of Student Administration, Department for Continuing Education, University of Oxford
Our higher education sector is both old and durable. In order to demonstrate this, the Carnegie Commission noted in 1968: “Taking as a starting point 1530, when the Lutheran Church was founded, some 66 institutions that existed then still exist today in the Western world in recognisable forms. [These are] the Catholic Church, the Lutheran Church, the parliaments of Iceland and the Isle of man, and 62 universities.” Although we recognise these 62 (five of which are British) as old and durable, it doesn’t mean that they don’t change. The danger of timelines is that they can emphasise ‘progress’ on a single track: an inevitable march to a state of perfection (which the optimist thinks is in the present and the pessimist thinks happened 20 years ago). I think they should help us to reflect that we aren’t at the end of the timeline and that change will continue into the future. A key reason why universities have survived goes all the way back to 1214 when the Legate paved the way for autonomy for universities. In 2017 respecting that autonomy has been a key theme of the debate on the Higher Education and Research Bill, which shows that, as well as change, some issues are constants in HE.
1214
1265
1410
1592
First State consumer protection in higher education
First State ruling on competition and 'market exit'
St Andrews
Higher Education as Colonialism
Papal legate formally settles dispute
Henry III orders the closure of
Rather than rely on sending students to foreign countries (such as England), the Scots start their own university.
Elizabeth I founds
between town and scholars in Oxford,
a university in Northampton,
confirming rent protection and
Oxford's influence persuading the
Trinity College and
legal immunity. The legate's Bull is
king that the 'university should
Dublin. In major
the oldest document in the Oxford
be moved from the town for the
part this is to stop
archives, it proves that the University
utility of the English church and
students going
existed before a major dispute
the advancement of students’.
to universities in
the University of
in 1209, when scholars shut the
Catholic countries
University, and some relocated
and becoming
to Cambridge.
‘evil subjects’.
22 - Newslink Spring 2017
Events Calendar 2017 10-11 April
AUA Annual Conference and Exhibition
Manchester
11 May
Introduction to the CPD Framework
Birmingham
11 May
Community of Practice Day
Birmingham
June
Aspiring Academic Registrars
London
8 June
Introduction to HE
Manchester
9 June
CPD Tools for HE Professionals
Manchester
16 June
Programme and Project Management
London
30 June
Managing Change
London
27 September
Once More with Impact
Manchester
12 October
Lean Thinking
Nottingham
1636
1642-1651
1689
Higher education as Colonialism again
Civil Wars
Act of Toleration
The universities are
After the Restoration, many college
A College is founded in Massachusetts by English settlers. When he dies and leaves them his money, they name it after John Harvard. They also change the name of the town to Cambridge.
closely involved in the
fellows are expelled for being too
religious disputes,
Protestant. They are prevented from
with Oxford's
preaching or teaching. James II expels
Chancellor Archbishop
some fellows for being Protestant, and
Laud executed.
introduces Catholics into their places.
Oxford becomes the
William & Mary’s Act of Toleration allows
King's capital, but
limited freedom of religion, confirms
the Bodleian refuses
religious tests at Oxford and Cambridge,
to lend the King any
but tolerates 'dissenting academies'.
books. During the Protectorate, many college fellows are expelled for not being Protestant enough.
Newslink Spring 2017 - 23
AUA South Wales and South West Conference Vaida Andrijauskaite AAUA
Young Actors Studio Coordinator, Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama
The AUA’s South Wales and South West Regional Conference promised expert speakers, in-demand keynote sessions, interactive workshops and invaluable networking opportunities. Held in the heart of Cardiff city centre on 3 February 2017, the Conference also offered an excellent opportunity to introduce the new AUA brand to the Network. There was a buzz from delegates as they arrived who, like me, were looking forward to sharing caffeine enhanced quality time together, and taking advantage of the day’s opportunities to enhance their individual personal development plans. Networking is one of the biggest payoffs of attending events and, without delay, I rushed into a teeming crowd to meet fellow advocates, share institutional challenges, and exchange creative solutions. Angela Pater (AUA Network Coordinator for South Wales and South West) opened the Conference with a warm welcome and invitation to engage with the AUA’s values and professional behaviours throughout the day. This was timed perfectly to mindfully reflect
and actively engage in strengthening my professional practice in the wake of Brexit and the uncertain future for HE. The morning opened with Lisa Newbury’s (Universities Wales) plenary, which deliberated on complex Welsh HE perspectives and the relation to the changes to the Europe Union. Indeed, I was curious to hear that Brexit could potentially result in 17 pieces of new legislation! The second plenary speaker, Victoria Holbrook (HEFCE), expanded further on the ever changing Welsh HE landscape for 2017, continuing with the effects of Brexit on the future of EU staff and forthcoming issues with the available talent pool to supply universities with high quality research staff. Clearly, the prospect of attracting research funding is very much uncertain. The financial health of the sector is also in peril due to increased borrowing
1836
1848
London
Women allowed in
In the 1820s the metropolis gets higher education for
Queen's (1848) and Bedford (1849) colleges offer courses of
'mechanics' (Birkbeck) and then the 'middling rich' (UCL)
higher education for women. In 1866 Emily Davies argues that
without any religious test or education. King's offers a religious
women should be able to take university exams to help focus
alternative, but none of this leads to degrees. In 1836 the
their learning. Girton College (1869) allows women to follow
Government agrees a compromise of a university to set exams
the Cambridge course (but not get a degree).
for students, at first from these colleges but later from other
Gradual rise of co-education.
colleges, or students who studied independently. This enables colleges to be opened to teach for these exams, in cities such as Manchester, Birmingham, Liverpool and Leeds, but also across the Empire. The federal 'examining' university model is used in Ireland, Wales and northern England.
24 - Newslink Spring 2017
and over reliance on international students. Victoria closed her session asking delegates to reflect on their personal contribution to the sector and roles we all play in this ever changing agenda. Next up, I was excited to join the career management session run by Esther Williams (University of the West of England) to further my career planning. I am aware of the importance of five and ten year plans, but when it comes to actually making them, things become less clear. To my pleasant surprise, the session used effective reflecting techniques to compare myself to high achievers in HE and provided fertile ground to strengthen my career progression and aspiration by honestly addressing the issues of personal authenticity, risk taking and finding the right role model to aid my development. This session offered very actionable, forward-thinking advice. The ‘just-after-lunch’ session is always a difficult one to deliver, but Steve Egan CBE (University of Bath) delivered a personal and humbling story that lifted and inspired delegates. I’ve seen people give grand talks about their career, but Steve’s secret of appreciating the learning journey, rather than focusing on a destination, lifted spirits. His story also referenced moral fundaments, such as doing your best at every opportunity to reap fruitful merits in return. Indeed, this powerful message is echoed by many present business leaders; too much time is spent focusing on the future, meticulously planning it to the last detail and sacrificing the present moment for some illusory sense of happiness. Steve suggested that it might be time to gain a different perspective on our career planning and consider the benefits of living more in the present moment by pushing oneself out of our comfort zones to experience current opportunities.
By this point the cleverly designed Conference agenda had offered a Welsh HE perspective, delivered brilliant storytelling and enabled me to reflect on new ways to think about my professional development to get ahead. The final afternoon workshop brought me to a practical career management masterclass led by Sara O’Keefe (Cardiff University). Her myth-busting session shattered any postprandial slump with innovative methods to career management, regardless of where you stand on the love/hate job continuum. Building a career is no longer simply ‘work hard and wait to be promoted’. Promotions are harder to find, competition is intense, organisations are constantly changing workforce plans, and the market is less predictable. Sara’s career planning toolkit and ingenious tips offered great suggestions to help advance your career goals with advice from enhancing your applications to avoidable cover letter mistakes. I know that professional development is important, but when it comes to figuring out exactly what that means, the AUA is one place where I return repeatedly for inspiration and advice. I have nothing but praise for all who organised and attended the AUA South Wales and South West Conference in Cardiff. Vaida Andrijauskaite is an Accredited AUA member having completed the PgCert in HE Administration, Leadership and Management in 2016. She is also an Institutional Advocate at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.
1903
1914-18
1943
The rise of the modern universities
War
War again
The War has a major impact on universities,
Although the numbers of students were boosted
emptying them of staff and students. It does
after the First World War, economic depression
confirm the usefulness of universities: their
means that they stagnate in the 1920s and
After Birmingham is awarded its own charter, the City of Liverpool asks that its college can become a university. The Privy Council agrees a change of approach, moving from federal 'examining' universities to civic 'teaching' universities, with the break-up
graduates become officers; their buildings
1930s. In 1943 the UGC plans for post-war
become hospitals; and their research facilities
expansion, both for those returning from service
support war effort from textiles, munitions
but also for the increased number obtaining
and technology for the gas war. Government
secondary education. Charters are awarded to the
confirms regular grants, which are continued
remaining university colleges and UGC approves
after the war, administered by the University
new colleges which will have their own degree
Grants Committee (UGC).
awarding powers – approving Keele and Sussex and then inviting bids for six more greenfield sites.
of the Victoria University (Manchester, Liverpool and Leeds) and then charters for Bristol and Sheffield.
Newslink Spring 2017 - 25
AUA Good practice guide No 44: Writing clearly by Richard Booth and Steph Tallis-Foster
Graham Holland,
AUA Web Development Officer
One of my favourite Blackadder episodes is Ink and Incapability from Blackadder the Third, in which ‘renowned brainbox’ Dr Samuel Johnson, compiler of the famous Dictionary of the English Language, meets George, the Prince Regent. Johnson: I celebrated last night the encyclopaedic implementation of my pre-meditated orchestration of demotic Anglo-Saxon. George: Nope - didn't catch any of that. Johnson: Well, I simply observed, Sir, that I'm felicitous, since, during the course of the penultimate solar sojourn, I terminated my uninterrupted categorisation of the vocabulary of our post-Norman tongue. George: Well, I don't know what you're talking about, but it sounds damn saucy! Blackadder: I believe, Sir, that the Doctor is trying to tell you that he is happy because he has finished his book. If only the good Doctor had been introduced to the AUA’s Good Practice Guide No. 44! Written by Steph Talliss-Foster, Acting Director of Student Services at Birmingham City University, and Richard Booth, Student Casework Manager at Birmingham City University, the Guide to Writing Clearly is an invaluable guide to anyone who wants to learn how to write in plain English.
1963
1969
1988
Robbins Having regularised the
Designation of the Polytechnics
Rise of the higher education corporation
payment of fees and
Anthony Crosland, Secretary of State for
Polytechnics and Colleges have been treated as
Education and Science, announces a 'binary'
departments of the LEA, subject to local control and
policy, where a public sector of higher
all the restraints of public expenditure. As separate
grants by local authorities, the Robbins Committee looks at the whole HE sector. Recommendations include promoting Colleges of Advanced Technology into universities, offering more taught postgraduate courses.
26 - Newslink Spring 2017
education under local authority control will
corporations, they become self-administering; able
offer degrees through the CNAA (Council for
to keep surpluses and borrow money. Many former
National Academic Awards).
polytechnic directors consider this to be more important than the university title which comes in 1992.
The guide starts by defining what ‘plain English’ is (writing that is clear and concise, with the correct tone) and explaining why it’s important (it makes the writing quick and easy to read, and easy to understand). In the guide, Steph and Richard place the subject into the context of HE administration, focussing on how to draft and re-write policies, documents and procedures. They walk the reader through the writing process from start to finish, covering everything from what the document should be called, who its audience is, how to consult others, and how to let go at the end. The section entitled ‘So how do you do ‘plain English’?’ provides a selection of policy statements showing what they looked like before being rewritten and after. Also covered is best practice in the use of diagrams and flow charts, jargon and technical terms, and fonts and layout.
In the ‘Practice’ section we’re presented with a paragraph of text which explains to students the rules around resitting exams. The original text is convoluted, requires an extra level of concentration in order for it to make sense, and is quite typical of many policy documents in HE and beyond. The authors take this paragraph and show, line by line, how it can be rewritten. The first pass supplants replaces words and phrases with simpler alternatives, the second pass through the text removes all of the extraneous words, and the third pass tidies it up. Although the Good Practice Guide to Writing Clearly is clearly aimed at people whose job includes writing and revising documentation within higher education, the guidelines and examples would benefit anyone wishing to improve their use of plain English for anything from writing emails and composing press releases to scripting speeches and compiling reports. And if you do manage to successfully put this guide into practice, may I be the first to take a leaf from Mr Edmund Blackadder Esq’s book and offer you my most enthusiastic contrafribbliarities! All AUA Good Practice Guides are available to read and download at members.aua.ac.uk. If you have a wealth of practical experience that you’d like to share with the AUA community, then authoring a Good Practice Guide could be for you. To express your interest, please contact the AUA Office.
1993
1997
2004
2011
Merger of CUA and APA The abolition of the binary line means bringing
Paying for HE again
Paying for HE again
Paying for HE again
many functions together; funding, quality, student
The Dearing Committee
The fee regime changes,
The fee regime
numbers. It also means merging representative groups (CVCP (Committee of Vice Chancellors and Principals) and CDP (Committee of Directors of Polytechnics) emerge as UUK) and professional associations – the CUA (Conference of University Administrators) and APA (Association of Polytechnic Administrators)
settles many issues
but only after such major
changes, but only after
about the new sector,
ructions that they show
such major ructions that
including a compact of
the Commons vote live on
Nick Clegg apologises in
who should contribute.
BBC2 in case Tony Blair
order to avoid resigning.
They suggest graduates
has to resign.
should contribute.
become the AUA. Some mergers are slower; such as the trades unions, and some, like pension schemes, remain mostly separate.
Newslink Spring 2017 - 27
AUA office news AUA leavers GRAHAM HOLLAND
MATTHEW WARD
Web Development Officer
Administration Assistant
It's all change at the AUA, and after 13 months with the Association it's time for me to
The last year as Administration Assistant
move on. My fixed-term Web Development Officer post is morphing into a new Digital
at the AUA has completely flown by!
Marketing Officer role, and is being filled by our talented new team member Monica
I have had some fantastic opportunities
Mihai who comes to us from the University of Manchester's IT Services department. I'm
during my time with the Association, from
sure you'll all make her feel just as welcome as I was made to feel when I first joined. With Monica joining from the University of Manchester, I'm moving in the opposite direction to become an Alumni Officer
improvements to the membership process, running the Managing Change event in London, and assisting
(Events and Communications), a post
with the brand and
that will enable me to put my joint
Customer Relationship
skills of event management and online
Management (CRM)
communications into practice.
system. I would like to take this opportunity to
I'd like to thank the AUA team based in Manchester for making my 13 months so enjoyable, and I wish them and the
thank all my colleagues for making the experience one to remember.
Association that they work so hard to support all the very best for the future.
Book at aua.ac.uk
Introduction to Higher Education
CPD Tools for HE Professionals
8 June 2017 Manchester
9 June 2017 Manchester
28 - Newslink Spring 2017
AUA starters GRACE BULLAS
MONICA MIHAI
Administration Assistant
Digital Marketing Officer
I am joining the AUA as the Administration Assistant after
I have joined the AUA from the University of Manchester IT
recently graduating from The University of Manchester studying
Services department. In my new role I will be responsible for
English Literature. After lots of varied international experience
developing the AUA’s digital marketing strategy, as well as
this will be my first office posting and I couldn’t be happier
overseeing our social media presence, website and e-mail
to work for an institution and Association which I know promotes such a positive and engaging environment. In this post, I hope to help as much as possible
marketing campaigns. I’m really looking forward to my new role here at the AUA and the new opportunities it will bring. If you have any ideas of how you
where I can, so please
would like to engage
do not hesitate to get
digitally with the
in touch with me for
AUA, please don’t
any advice or support.
hesitate to get in touch with me.
AUA Annual Conference and Exhibition
Manchester Book at aua.ac.uk
10 - 11 April 2017 Newslink Spring 2017 - 29
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