Our Special Interest Groups (SIGs)
Since September 2023, the number of AHEP Special Interest Groups has increased significantly! Over this time, we have seen the start of the following SIGs:
– Education Administration and Management led by Lucy Gaunt. We also welcomed Emily Downing to the coordinating team this year.
– Digital coordinated by Darius Akhavan-Hezaveh and Clare Baxter. With Darius’ recent departure, we are pleased to announce Charlotte Armstrong as a new coordinator.
– Registry and Records kickstarted by Louise Tomenson with further recruitment welcoming Timothy Francis to the team.
– Early Careers and New to HE Collective founded by co-leads Emelie Helsen and Sandra Mikosinska. The SIG also welcomed deputy coordinators Jennifer Thompson and Nicola Tagoe to the team this year.
– Policy with lead coordinator Martin Lowe and deputy coordinator Liam Conway
– Researching HE is our most recently launched SIG with lead coordinator Charlotte Verney and deputy coordinator Jonathan Dempsey.
We have also reinvigorated existing SIGs with new coordinating teams:
– Equity, Diversity and Inclusion now led by Dr Arun Verma with deputies, Aabida Patel and Alexandra Wooster.
– International HE has only recently recruited four new coordinators. The SIG is now led by Emma Marku and supported by deputies Gosia Drewniok, Rebecca Swindell and Aubrey Bierwirth
– Independent Providers now led by Laila Burton and deputy coordinated by Shane Horwell
SIG Events
The SIGs have hosted some amazing events this year. We kicked off the year with a series of goal setting events from the Operations, Student Experience and Engagement, and Digital SIG. These sessions set the tone for a year full of collaboration, innovation and community spirit.
Collaboration is at the heart of AHEP’s values, and our SIGs have truly embraced that this year. The Operations and Equity, Diversity and Inclusion SIG got together to host an inclusive recruitment event. joined forces to deliver an insightful event on inclusive recruitment. We also saw some great crossovers between SIGs and our Geographical Networks. The South Network teamed up with the Change SIG provide an introduction to Lean & Continuous Improvement and later partnered with the Student Experience and Engagement SIG to deliver ‘Applying coaching to enhance students’ autonomy, confidence and independence’.
Our newest addition, the Policy SIG, made a strong debut by collaborating with the Academic Registrar’s Council (ARC) and the Quality Strategic Network (QSN) to deliver a timely event on Freedom of Speech, complete with a Q&A for members.
Throughout the year, several SIGs kept the conversation going with regular informal catch-ups that create a safe space for networking and sharing best practice. These included the Digital, Student Experience and Engagement, Operations, Governance, Early Careers and New to HE Collective, and the Education Administration and Management SIGs.
All AHEP SIGs came together at the end of 2024 to host a fun-filled festive quiz. With the success of this quiz, we are hoping to continue this as an annual tradition. We hope to see you at the next one!
Fancy getting involved in delivering something for one of our SIGs? SIGs thrive on the passion and expertise of our members, and we’re always looking for contributions. Whether you’d like to deliver a short talk, showcase a recent project, or share a success story, we’d love to hear from you:
- Stay current with emerging issues and best practice in your area of interest.
- Gain practical insights from peers facing similar challenges.
- Contribute to sector-wide learning and spark valuable conversations.
- Get feedback and fresh perspectives on your project or idea.
- Support your own development goals, including evidence for CPD and appraisals.
- Inspire others by sharing your journey, challenges, and successes.
Your insights could inspire others and help shape the future of our community. Our coordinators are always happy to receive suggestions, so please do get in touch with AHEP or the coordinators directly.
Reflections from our SIG coordinators
SIGs are led by amazing AHEP members who volunteer their time to create a designated space for networking and development. In this section, we hear reflections from some of our coordinators.
Louise Tomenson, Lead Coordinator, Registry and Records SIG
It’s approaching 20 years since I started working in HE – not sure where the time has gone! The sector is certainly different to how it was when I joined in 2006. One thing that is constant is the amazing support, commitment and collaboration of colleagues. That openness and willingness to share information, support through challenges and simply the opportunity to network with like-minded colleagues is the thing that has kept me motivated to remain working in HE. This was also my driver for getting involved with AHEP; not just as a member but as a student on the PgCert programme and, since last year, as Lead Coordinator of the Registry and Records Special Interest Group.
My HE career began in a student registry role. Fast forward several years, including role changes, promotions, changes of institution and a side step to work in project management (whilst also studying), in 2023 I found myself back in a registry role, as Student Records Manager at York St John University.
Returning to a role in a registry team, one of my immediate thoughts was – I need to connect with others in similar roles! My first port of call was of course AHEP and I scoured the Special Interest Groups (SIGs). Despite the amazing work being done by the SIGs, there wasn’t one that specifically met what I was wanting i.e. a chance to connect directly with people working in registry based roles, tackling the same systems constraints, keeping on track with the changing landscape whilst doing what we are passionate about doing – supporting students. It was suggested that since there wasn’t such a group, I might want to set one up and I couldn’t think of a reason not to! So, approximately a year ago the Registry and Records SIG was launched. Working with my fabulous deputy coordinator Tim, it is fair to say it has taken time to get established. We’ve already done a couple of sessions and are brimming with ideas, but it can be challenging to find the time, something we can probably all relate to.
I’d love to say a huge thank you to all our members for signing up to be part of the SIG so far and please bear with us – we promise that we have plans to create a fabulous network.
P.S. For anyone interested in joining Tim and I we have a vacancy for another Deputy Coordinator so if you are reading this and feel you would like to be part of the SIG please do reach out.
David Duell, Lead Coordinator, Operations SIG
One of the great lessons we have learned in the Operations SIG (and touched on here in our reflections after turning One) has been about the power of collaboration and community. The Ops SIG community is a warm and engaged bunch, and it’s been really rewarding to see colleagues sharing wisdom, advice, and holding space for one another at virtual coffee mornings, in events, or in our Teams area. One of the reasons we started the Operations SIG is that, although we are often very well-networked as generalist professionals, operations can be a lonely gig – one is often working behind the scenes and/or is uncategorisable. As a generalist it’s sometimes hard to demonstrate value and impact until one is noticed by ones absence. Bringing the community together and seeing people connect and thrive is so energising for us, and it really feels like we’re doing what we set out to do.
On the collaboration front, it’s been fantastic to work with other SIGs (especially the EDI SIG, on our Inclusive Recruitment event back in October) to exchange ideas and discuss ways to bring our respective (and often overlapping!) communities together and share insights. We’re really looking forward to broaden our activity in the future, and we’re also really keen to hear from SIG members about what they might value!
Gosia Drewniok, Deputy Coordinator, International HE SIG
I wanted to join AHEP for a while and the final nudge to do so came when a colleague of mine and a long-term member of AHEP flagged to me vacancies for the International HE SIG coordinators. I became a member and applied.
I knew I wanted to get involved as much as I could, and the International HE SIG seemed like a natural place to do so. I applied for the role of Deputy Coordinator and was invited to an informal conversation with Chynna-Lea and Ella. I enjoyed learning more about the SIG and the context, and was able to talk about my background and how it could contribute to the SIG. I came to the UK as an international student and have worked in UK HE in the international context since 2008, first in teaching roles and then in leadership. So I was very happy to hear I was offered one of the roles!
The application process and the onboarding were very smooth, and Chynna-Lea’s support was fantastic throughout. She made sure to introduce the coordinating team to each other prior to the conference – as a result, we were able to connect and start planning and then finally meet in person in Glasgow. We made the most of the SIG session during the conference; it was an excellent opportunity to meet other coordinators and learn about other SIGs.
I’m very much looking forward to working with the other coordinators to reinvigorate the SIG and take it into a new chapter. I’m also planning to promote it at my own institution.
Annual SIG Survey
Thank you for completing the SIG Survey issued this summer. We hope to continue to annually survey members to help us continuously improve our offer. We are currently working through your comments, and will update you on our actions at the start of the next academic year, but we promise, we have some exciting updates coming soon!
We are pleased to read some of the below comments from the survey:
Thank You
As we wrap up another fantastic year of SIG activity, we want to take a moment to thank the incredible individuals who make it all happen—our SIG coordinators. These communities wouldn’t be what they are without the dedication, creativity and leadership of the people behind the scenes. We’re so grateful for everything you do.
With the end of the year also comes a few fond farewells. We’re saying goodbye to some of our cherished coordinators and want to extend a special thank you for their contributions.
After four years of leading the Student Experience and Engagement SIG, David Gilani is stepping down as Lead Coordinator. David has played a huge role in shaping the SIG and supporting the wider AHEP community. We’re sure you’ll join us in thanking him for his leadership and commitment.
With David’s departure, we are pleased to celebrate the appointment of Siobhan Dumphy as Lead Coordinator for the Student Experience and Engagement SIG. Congratulations!
Following their well-deserved recognition as 2025 SIG of the Year, Naomi Lewis and Daniel Black are also stepping away from coordinating the Change SIG. Thank you both for your energy, ideas and the fantastic initiatives you’ve brought to the SIG over the years. wish you all the best for the future.
Want to get involved in one of our SIGs as a coordinator?
Coordinators play an important and fundamental part in maintaining and developing the Association and its activities. There are fantastic personal and professional development opportunities available to our coordinators, and we have some opportunities for you to take your development further in one of our SIGs:
- Governance – Deputy Coordinator(s)
- Quality and Standards – Deputy Coordinator
- Independent Providers – Deputy Coordinator(s)
- Digital SIG – Deputy Coordinator
- Registry and Records – Deputy Coordinator
If you are interested in these roles and would like to find out more, please contact chynna.taylor@ahep.ac.uk.
As a coordinator, you’ll gain valuable experience in leadership, collaboration, and strategic thinking. It’s a great way to expand your professional network, raise your profile within the sector, and gain insight into national conversations shaping higher education. Many coordinators also tell us the role boosts their confidence, helps them develop new skills, and brings a real sense of community and shared purpose.
Our coordinators are a friendly bunch and would always be happy to talk about these coordinator roles, so please feel free to reach out to them directly if you wish. Looking forward to the next academic year, we are already working on exciting new initiatives, and we can’t wait to share these with you. We wish our members a wonderful summer.
Looking forward to the next academic year, we are already working on exciting new initiatives, and we can’t wait to share these with you. We wish our members a wonderful, restful summer. See you soon!
Summer 2025
The latest from AHEP: