Our Vision and Values

AHEP  has  a  heritage  of  60+  years contribution  to  UK  higher  education -connecting  and developing HE professionals.

During  2020, the Association completed  a  wide-ranging  strategic  review  supported  by  a  cross-sector project Future HE Professionals. Informed by these insights we are presenting a positive and confident strategic vision in our  diamond  jubilee  year – with  core  commitments  equipping  our  members  to  thrive  in the changing future of higher education.

We are working towards a day when every higher education professional is connected, supported, and developed within a diverse and high-performing community.

Empowering your career journey

At the heart of our membership offer is AHEP’s Professional Framework for HE Professional Services – a dynamic tool which works at an organisational and individual level, for professionals at all career stages, and across all professional roles. 

Improving your professional practice

AHEP is a diverse community of HE professionals in all parts of the UK.  We want to increase members’ access to vibrant local and national networks – driving development and improvement in professional practice.  Our online publications and resources keep you ahead of the agenda and in touch with the latest insights.  Our mentoring programme will connect you with the largest network of HE professionals in the UK, with opportunities to enhance professional learning, personal effectiveness and success.

Supporting your professional development

We want to extend the reach of our development opportunities -supporting members to build skills, qualifications and capabilities fit for the future.  Our development programme will blend face-to-face and online options –a high quality, flexible and engaging offer, anticipating future HE trends and building professional agility and resilience.   

We want to connect and develop HE professionals everywhere. Through our sector relationships and partnerships, we will broaden   AHEP’s networks and extend our collaborations – supporting the HE professional services community across the UK.

Our values:

AHEP champions the following values that are the bedrock of our, and our member’s, activities:

Credible – We take pride in being professional in everything we do. By modelling the professional behaviours defined in the AHEP Professional Framework, we drive credibility for ourselves, our members and the higher education sector as a whole.

Collaborative – We connect individuals on three levels: to their own career, to the wider AHEP network and, via this, to professional services staff working in higher education.

Inclusive – Our members become part of an accessible and diverse community that offers something of value to all professional services staff within the higher education sector. There is an active role available for everyone no matter what stage they are in their career or what career they’ve come from. The true value of the AHEP network lies not in the number of members but in their diversity and the contribution that each member makes.

Personable – When connecting with our members, partners and the wider sector, we ensure to maintain a welcoming, friendly nature through all interactions, fostering positive relationships throughout the AHEP community.

Our values underpin the behaviours of the AHEP Professional Framework.