My research into the experiences of transgender students in UK Higher Education explored how/whether their needs were being met by HEIs. Investigating themes around harassment, bullying and transphobia, representation in the curriculum, and institutional facilities and administration, the study identified changes needed to make HE a more inclusive environment for trans students. As HE professionals there are a number of things we can do – on both an individual and institutional level – to improve the experience of trans students. At a time of high media and political reporting about trans people, it is more important than ever to get this right.

My study aimed not just to make the experiences of trans students bearable, but to ensure they receive the same exciting and amazing experience that all HE students deserve. To do this, HEIs need to be ready for trans students, providing an affirming experience founded on understanding. As HE professionals we can influence decisions and policies that will support trans students. This presentation aims to inform about some of the issues faced by trans students, and address what we can do, as HE professionals, to champion inclusivity for this student group.

In my research, using a transformative paradigm with its emphasis on addressing issues of social injustice experienced by marginalised groups, I investigated the experiences trans HE students and the power imbalance of learning within a largely cisnormative environment, in order to inform practical change. A critical approach provided a powerful framework for understanding disparities as functions of power in education, within both the curriculum and the HE environment. An understanding of cisnormativity in HE and how this privileges cisgender students and makes it harder for trans students, is integral to bringing about change.

Through surveys and interviews with trans students in HE across the UK, this study identified how obstacles encountered by these students lead to feelings of segregation and otherness; it examined the lack of representation in the curriculum, and the particular impact this has when teaching professional health science subjects; it also looked at how the power of cisnormativity influences across student life, from administration and facilities, to the provision of suitable mental health services.

As HE professionals we have the ability and opportunity to question current policies and practices and to improve the experience of
trans students.

This session fits into all of the conference streams. This includes, Engaging in the wider context, Demonstrating responsible practice and personal integrity, Being agile and adaptable and Working together

– Delegates will appreciate the difficulties trans students experience in HE and identify the potential impact of these difficulties on attainment and retention, as well as on individual mental health and wellbeing.

– Delegates will understand the steps that HEIs need to take to improve inclusion of this student group and identify where change is needed in their own HEIs

– Delegates will identify how to become a better Ally to trans students and advocate for that change on behalf of a student group that is often overlooked.

This is a unique coalition of sector bodies – AHEP, ARC, AHUA, AMOSSHE, UHR, SCONUL and Shakespeare Martinau facilitated by Gatenby Sanderson – that has come together for the first time to raise awareness of the lack of ethnic diversity in senior leadership positions in the professional services within Higher Education. The coalition is working towards a four-point programme to not only highlight the challenges faced by colleagues in meeting their professional and career goals but also explore ideas that will break some of those barriers.

This is a presentation/workshop style session that will include elements of storytelling, which is considered a powerful form of conveying difficult messages with relative ease. As a passionate advocate for the advancement of women in leadership roles and actively championing the need for greater representation of individuals from minoritised ethnicities in leadership positions, I intend to represent this Coalition at the wild card session at AHEP

This session fits into the following conference streams: Demonstrating responsible practice and personal integrity, Working together and Engaging in the wider context

– Encourage senior colleagues to initiate a dialogue within their own organisations to raise awareness of the need to promote candidates from minoritised ethnicities in senior positions.

– Create regional networks of HE institutions to work towards improving ethnic diversity in senior leadership positions and share good practice in data collection, recruitment and retention and professional development.

– Delegates will share their personal journeys and empower others in their early careers to aspire to senior positions.

Have you ever found yourself entangled in institutional procedures, trapped in the cycle of ‘But we’ve always done it this way’ or placing challenges in the ‘too difficult’ basket? In 2023, a group of colleagues united to address these challenges and enhance processes, embarking on a journey of learning from one another. 

This transformative initiative, termed a ‘show and tell,’ became a platform for colleagues from Brunel University London, University of Hertfordshire, and beyond to openly share their current status and the challenges they aimed to tackle. The inaugural event focused on Registration, a complex process impacting every student within our institutions, leading to subsequent successful events on various processes. 

This presentation, facilitated on behalf of the Academic Registrar Council (ARC), delves into these events, detailing their structure and effectiveness. Attendees will gain insights into the practical aspects of organizing their process improvement journey events and have the opportunity to pose questions. 

In alignment with the themes of ‘Being agile and Adaptable’ and ‘Working together,’ Lesley will draw on experiences to illustrate that the skills to enhance processes, often associated with Academic Registrars, are valuable and applicable to colleagues in all roles. Join us as we navigate the landscape of change and innovation in higher education amidst the backdrop of political uncertainty stemming from UK elections. 

This session fits into the following conference streams: Working together and Being agile and adaptable.

– Delegates will be able to plan their own process improvement event. 

– Delegates will be able to enhance their working practice through alternative ways of process improvement 

– Delegates will understand how to integrate working with their network in other organisations with their day-to-day work to improve outcomes 

Engaging with the broader landscape of the education sector and collaborating with colleagues in secondary/further education aligns with the conference theme of navigating political uncertainty. Understanding and addressing crises in schools and colleges, such as issues related to absence, funding, recruitment, retention, and wellbeing, especially exacerbated by the pandemic, is crucial. This is essential not only for the immediate challenges faced by schools and colleges but also for the corresponding impact on higher education. The upcoming UK election holds significance as the resolution of these national issues is pivotal in alleviating pressures on colleagues and students.

The exploration and comprehension of pressures on secondary/further education colleagues and students are pertinent to professionals in higher education, given the emerging translational impacts affecting both sectors. The conference session aims to attract graduates and early-career professionals seeking insights into the post-pandemic secondary/further education student experience. Attendees can apply lessons learned to enhance the higher education student experience and network with like-minded professionals interested in student engagement, enrichment, and overall experience. The session will specifically address how we can influence our respective areas, both within and outside the institution, to collaboratively address broader issues and support student experience and career readiness.

The funding, recruitment, and retention crises in schools and colleges lead to reduced capacity for academic and pastoral support, concurrent increases in student absences, and poor wellbeing. The practice of grade inflation can effectively conceal poor academic performance, as evidenced during the pandemic. If not addressed, poor wellbeing can manifest as disengagement in higher education, both within and outside the curriculum, resulting in a subpar student experience and career readiness. As pressures persist, colleagues may face unsustainable demands on professional support service capacity.

This session fits into the following conference stream: Working together and Engaging with the wider context.

– Delegates will understand the pressures on secondary/further education colleagues and students. 

– Delegates will engage with the wider context of secondary and further education and how this translates as emerging trends in higher education

– Delegates will explore how different elements of the education sector can work together, both within and outside the institution, to address national issues and support the student experience. 

Being agile and adaptable is key to moving into and succeeding in senior leadership roles. This session will look at the common challenges faced by leaders while applying for and transitioning into a new senior leadership role and share some strategies and ideas on succeeding in senior leadership roles, with thoughts and inputs collected from senior leaders across the sector. 

Building on this and linking to this year’s conference theme, the session will include reflections on the role of the senior leader in supporting their institution to continually adapt, thrive, and innovate regardless of the prevailing political landscape and how we might support our institutions to navigate the impact of UK elections on higher education. As well as some thoughts on the essential soft skills needed by senior managers to navigate the intricacies of organisational politics and how to navigate the multifaceted world of politics with a small ‘p.’ 

The session will encourage attendees to think creatively about their own personal experiences, encourage them to take ownership of their professional development in terms of succeeding in a senior leadership role as well as encouraging all participants to share their experiences and insights. 

There will be some honest and open reflections on how to thrive, not just survive! 

The topic will be of interest to HE professionals who are considering a move into a senior leadership role, or those who have recently moved into a senior leadership role. The workshop will provide some inputs, challenges and provocations to attendees as well as provide dedicated time for them to identify and reflect on the actions they need to personally take. 

The session will be guided by the AHEP values and link to the following areas of the AHEP professional development framework: Empowering professional development and Focusing on results and Taking Accountability 

– Delegates will engage with and sift through a range of ideas, reading and tips on transitioning into and succeeding in senior leadership roles and identify one or two areas they want to explore further.

– Delegates will reflect on their own personal journey into senior leadership roles and their priorities for their own personal practice to action following the conference.

– Delegates will have had an opportunity to network and engage with other aspiring or newly appointed senior leaders to share best practice and build their networks.

How can you harness your networks to your own advantage? 

Whether you are a new AHEP member or an experienced member, this workshop will explore the different ways in which you can interact with AHEP and other networks which exist in higher education.  By harnessing your networks across and outside of higher education, you are able to share effective practice and better influence your own roles and institutions during periods of increased uncertainty and change, in order to ensure both you as an individual and your institution are able to thrive regardless of the prevailing political landscape. 

In your own institution, by harnessing internal networks across professional services and with academic departments, you are empowered and enabled to undertake your duties in a more fulfilled and effective way. The speakers will draw upon their own experiences of working in one institution for a sustained period of time, and as a relative newcomer to their institution to show how these internal networks have helped them succeed and thrive.   

For those attending their first conference, the session will provide an opportunity to explore how you can break those initial barriers to making a connection or building a network and identify groups which will ensure you get the maximum benefit from the time and effort being put in.   

The session will be interactive in nature, with delegates taking away an action plan to help harness their existing and likely future networks. 

This session fits into the following conference stream: Engaging with the wider context.

– Delegates will explore the different ways in which members can interact with AHEP 

– Delegates will identify and describe other higher education networks and organisations 

– Delegates will recognise the different ways to undertake and the benefits of effective networking 

Imperial College London is embarking on a new strategic and digital transformation on our student lifecycle. The College is moving towards a holistic approach to proactive student support through the development of a new student customer relationship management system and away from a complex, manual and distributed model.

The College is developing a 360 degree view of student support to provide pre-emptive and proactive support to its students, whilst ensuring a user centred rather system approach to development. The presentation will include what a CRM is and why it is important. This will be followed with some guidance on how to approach a user centric approach to a complex system. There will be opportunity to look at the development of a stakeholder map and understand the basics of business process mapping as well as Q&A as part of the session.  

The presentation will include our journey of discovery through to the planned roadmap of implementation; how a student CRM can support strategic and national drivers; where we are on the journey (at the point of the conference); key considerations from a business change perspective and lessons learnt so far; key outcomes and areas to consider for a CRM – thinking beyond the functional aspects of the student journey; how we have taken a user centric approach from our staff through to our students. 

This session fits into the following conference streams: Being agile and adaptable, Engaging in the wider context, Demonstrating responsible practice and personal integrity and Working together

– Delegates will explore key considerations and approaches when developing a solution for a distributed HE model. 

– Delegates will understand key aspects of a student CRM (not applicant CRM) 

– Delegates will identify the lessons learnt from this project

Developing skills to identify, approach and collaborate with a multitude of stakeholders is essential within higher education and collaboration will help us respond to political uncertainty. With most potential stakeholders being ‘time poor’, deciding how we as higher education professionals create opportunities that will cultivate interest and expertise of others is an important skill. As NCRM’s first Senior Engagement Manager, I have developed and implemented a range of engagement activities and events since 2020, and in the spirit of working together, I’d like to host a collaborative ‘campfire’ to tease out some issues and provide examples to help develop practice.

This collaborative ‘campfire’ will focus on the ways in which we can connect to and influence stakeholders both inside and outside of higher education. In our increasingly complex sector, we have to negotiate and navigate professional relationships with diverse groups of people including policy-makers, (local) governments, commercial partners and the charity sector. This session will involve examples from my own stakeholder engagement practice (note: this is not ‘public engagement’), as well as the opportunity for delegates to reflect upon and share their own examples with the aim of being encouraged and empowered to find solutions for ourselves. 

I am a relationships-first senior leader who has worked in a local authority, the charity sector and most recently higher education. Over my 20+ year career I have developed my practice of stakeholder engagement, which includes with the Government’s Equalities Office, Department of Education, and various local and regional authorities. As such this collaborative ‘campfire’ will draw upon insight and expertise from my professional practice. From my most recent role (NCRM, since 2020), I will utilise my strategic planning and execution to inform the content of the session, sharing ideas for activities and events to create engaging engagement. 

Relationships are a central tenet of effective stakeholder engagement. Having a clear set of strategic priorities helps to assess engagement capacity and resource allocation will help make the work manageable. Understanding the agendas and priorities of others, as well as how they like to be communicated with, is key. Being clear about the benefits of engagement for stakeholders has helped me create successful initiatives, which will be shared during the ‘campfire’. Finally, no matter how hard you try, some people will simply not engage with you or your offer. 

This session fits into the following conference stream: Working together

– Delegates will understand ways of developing stakeholder relationships.

– Delegates will apply new insight to working together through engagement activities.

– Delegates will feel inspired to engage stakeholders in their work

The Warwick Award, launched in October 2023, is an institution-wide student employability skills award at the University of Warwick. During this session, we will explain how, within a 12-month period, Warwick was able to design, develop and implement a new institutional award that engaged over 12,500 students during the first academic year of deployment. The session will explain how this was achieved by deploying a collaborative and innovative sprint-based process that accelerated the development of the award delivery platform with our collaborators, GradIntelligence.  

The case study will be followed by a group discussion focusing on the challenges that others are facing, the emerging issues that are changing the employability landscape, the different approaches other universities are taking to students’ employability, and the ways in which student’s engagement with their own employability can be maintained over the entirety of their time with us.  

With less than a year to go until the next election, this session is timely because the election could shape the future of the employability and skills sector. Priorities of the next government are likely to be very different. The Conservatives are considering introducing minimum service levels in universities to combat quality concerns with the PM pledging to stop universities offering ‘low value, rip-off degrees.’ The Education Secretary has also reiterated that ‘university is not the only option’, promising that the Conservatives will seek to deliver a lifelong learning revolution. Alternatively, the Labour Party intends to encourage growth by transforming existing training to address skills demands in the local economy, and new innovations in how education will be assessed to ensure they meet national strategic priorities for economic growth and reskilling. The Labour Party also intends to establish a new body, Skills England, which will become responsible for bringing ‘leadership and ambition’ to England’s skills system and reforming the Apprenticeship Levy into a Growth and Skills Levy. 

The session is relevant to the interests of senior university staff who are responsible for leading the development of new ideas to address strategic objectives. The session will also be of interest to mid-level managers who are responsible for the implementation of new institution wide initiatives. The session will have a wider appeal for university staff who are interested in supporting students’ employability and personal skills development and embedding employability skills in the curriculum.  This may include personal tutors and members of staff with a remit that includes student experience or employability. 

This session fits into the following conference stream: Working together

– Delegates will understand how to identify and enhance the teaching of employability skills within the curriculum.

– Delegates will learn how to engage large volumes of students in the development, recognition, and reflection on their own
employability skills.

– Delegates will be able to discuss the collaborative system development approaches that can be taken to support students’
skills development and career readiness at their institutions.

Is a doctorate just for those in academia, or should professional staff also dive into research? And if so … 

– How much time does it really take? 

– Can you manage it with a full-time job and full-time life? 

– What kind of topics can you explore? 

– And most importantly, is the effort and time worth the outcome? 

Join us as we share our personal stories of doctoral studies and aim to address these questions. 

In this session, each of us shares our personal research journeys, discussing how we balance research with our jobs and day to day lives. 

We will also include insights from peers in the sector who are undertaking or have completed their doctoral studies, sharing some of their own experiences. 

Beyond these practical questions, we will also share our “why” of doing doctoral studies. How it has helped us to engage beyond our own specialisms and engage with the wider HE community, to see how our seemingly small areas of interest impact the bigger picture, and how we adapt to the ever changing political and cultural landscape.  

We’ll wrap up with a Q&A session, giving you a chance to see if this might be a journey you’d want to take. 

This session fits into the following conference streams: Engaging in the wider context and Being agile and adaptable

– Delegates will gain insight into how current professional services staff have successfully integrated doctoral studies into their careers , highlighting strategies for balancing research commitments with professional responsibilities

– Delegates will explore potential research areas and the challenges and rewards inherent in juggling academic and professional roles

– Delegates will assess the potential benefits of doctoral studies, both in terms of personal development and enhancement of professional skills, aiding them in informed decision-making about their academic futures. 

Universities are living systems with multiple interacting parts, influenced by internal and external factors. With the upcoming General Election and the potential for further change coming, understanding the current ways of working is essential to be able to navigate the future.

Lean Thinking is now prevalent in the Higher Education sector with a thriving network of Lean HE professionals nationally and internationally – more and more universities are looking to Lean to give them the answers for how to adapt and improve ways of working. Fundamentally Lean is based on two principles, Respect for People and Continuous Improvement and this session will give a brief introduction to the methodology before focussing on two core Lean Thinking tool kits:

1) standardisation – “without standards there can be no Kaizen” Taiichi Ohno

The session will reflect on what standards are, where do we see them and why they are important in navigating change and answer questions such as “What did Ohno mean when he said that standards were essential for improvement?”

2) problem solving through PDCA – “stamping out fires is a lot of fun, but it is only putting things back the way they were” W. Edwards Deming

The second part of the session will consider problem solving through the lens of a takeaway tool for you to use – Plan, Do, Check, Act has been used widely to ensure that root causes of problems are addressed. You will get the chance to practice this method.

Finally you will get the chance to think about how to take the learning away and apply it into your own context, ensuring you, your teams and institutions are ready for the fun that 2024 is going to bring.

This session fits into the following conference streams: Engaging in the wider context and Being agile and adaptable

– Delegates will understand why standards are important in making an institution resilient

– Delegates will apply a PDCA (Plan Do Check Act) to solve a problem

– Delegates apply learning to their own context

“The world today is every bit as turbulent as the storm… Leaders and their organisations, must have the ability to respond creatively to unpredictable challenges and opportunities. The need for agility has never been greater” (Oliver et al. 2021). 

This workshop will explore the theme of being agile and adaptable and will help delegates to understand how they can adopt an agile business model to thrive in turbulent times, seeing problems as opportunities for creative thinking and innovation. 

Organisations who are adopting agile working practices have a 75% chance of success with only a 30% success rate for those that don’t (McKinsey, 2021). Businesses all over the globe are adopting more agile approaches, such as flatter structures, smaller teams, and empowering staff at the lowest level. In contrast, higher education (HE) is a sector steeped in tradition, highly regulated with hierarchies and bureaucracy strongly embedded. How do we as leaders help our organisations transition to being agile, to ensure successful service delivery in this changing climate? 

This workshop will begin with an overview of agile leadership and embedding the agile business model, using a case-study approach to provide practical examples of how to apply agile approaches to improve service delivery. The case will be on changes made in a Medical School to support career development, meet evolving operational demands whilst underpinning the organisations values of EDI and sustainability. The speaker will introduce the concepts of agile working and share their own journey on developing an agile mindset.  

Drawing on the literature on agile leadership and business models, delegates will build an understanding of basic theory and how to apply it in their context. Examples will include embedding job-shares to support women progressing, the introduction of the apprentice scheme to increase social mobility and introducing the first sustainability technician in the UK. By using practical examples of theory applied in a HE setting, delegates will be able to translate agile leadership into their everyday, through creative thinking. Delegates will then have a group discussion on how to embed agile working into their own context. 

This session fits into the following conference streams: Being agile and adaptable and Working Together

– Delegates will build a basic understanding of agile leadership as a business model and understand how to apply it in their local context.

– Delegates will reflect on their own leadership/ management journey and explore how to move forward to embrace an agile mindset. 

– Delegates will explore how agile principles can be applied in a Higher Education setting and will have practical steps to take away with them.

In this thought-provoking conference plenary, we delve into the transformative potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digital services in addressing the myriad challenges facing the UK higher education sector. As institutions grapple with evolving landscapes, our focus is on presenting actionable insights for professionals working in various roles within higher education professional services.

We will explore the opportunities for reform and reinvention that AI and digital services bring and unravel the ways in which these technologies can serve as powerful tools for navigating the complexities of the contemporary higher education environment. Our expert speaker, Liam Earney, Managing Director HE and Research, Jisc, will share invaluable advice on adapting policies to integrate AI tools effectively and respond adeptly to emerging issues.

Liam Earney is Managing Director of Higher Education and Research at Jisc, where he has occupied a variety of roles over the last 20 years in strategy, product development, vendor negotiations and member engagement. His responsibilities include ensuring that Jisc is developing its portfolio based on a deep understanding of the priorities and challenges facing universities, overseeing the negotiations that Jisc undertakes with a variety of commercial and non-commercial vendors and publishers across teaching & learning, research and operations, its range of research management services, its digital transformation work and finally, its engagement with individual universities, helping them get the most from their Jisc membership. 

This session will bring together colleagues who currently work in specialist Higher Education Institutions across the UK. The needs of our communities are often different and present their own challenges both in scale and in the nature of what and how we teach our students. I would like to invite colleagues from this area to join a short discussion to gauge the appetite for establishing a SIG within AHEP to help us share best practice and solve the challenges that our specialist delivery brings. 

Specialist institutions have their own challenges in terms of delivery. It would be beneficial for the staff working in those areas to have a network of colleagues to reach out to when they are struggling with particular challenges – or more positively when they have some best practice they are keen to share to benefit the wider community. The session in this way will link to conference theme four – Working Together.  

The session will broadly engage with all of the conference themes. The broad context of arts education in the UK for example is impacting on a number of institutions as well as the creative sector in terms of developing skilled graduates to support the UK economy. The session will also give attendees an opportunity to consider how we as a supportive and collaborative community can respond to an ever-changing sector in a positive, agile and creative way.  

This session fits into the following conference stream: Working together

– Delegates will reflect on the importance of the broader context and its impact on specialist providers. 

– Delegates will explore best practice within this area. 

– Delegates will discuss opportunities to lead and engage in future meetings and workshops 

The Professional Services Early Careers Network (PSEC) at the University of Birmingham is a pioneering staff network created in 2022. Many universities have established early career networks for academic researchers, however early careers professional services staff have not had the same staff networks. PSEC was established to enable professionals early in their careers to widen their horizons at the University. We have done this through increasing connections across the University and allowing our 300+ members to better understand working across a higher education institution.

While early careers are now variously defined, our network has aimed to unify those starting their career in Higher Education regardless of background. Universities are facing greater challenges with tight budgets and the lack of rising tuition fees. Therefore, our network is aiming to help those new to Higher Education understand the larger context of the world they are beginning to work in. We have already done this through our monthly Newsround sessions where our members review articles about current issues within Higher Education and how these affect us. The session we want to run will involve us sharing our experiences of setting up an early career professional services network and its importance to support members in understanding the political power a university has and the issues it faces in the coming year.

This session fits into the following conference stream: Working together and Engaging in the wider context

– Delegates will reflect on one approach to establishing an Early Career Professional Services Network through a case study and how it aims to support the growth of early careers networks at other Higher Education Institutions.

– Delegates will explore the benefits of an Early Career Professional Services Network in Higher Education, including benefits to the members, to line managers, and the institution as a whole

– Delegates will explore, using a case study, how an Early Careers Professional Services Network can create change.

In an era where technological advancements continuously reshape our professional landscapes, the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and generative AI tools in our daily work routines offers unprecedented opportunities for enhancing productivity. This session is an innovative, 60-minute interactive workshop aimed at exploring the practical applications and time-saving potential of AI in diverse professional settings.

The session will commence with an introduction to the topic and the speaker, setting the stage for an engaging and informative journey into the realm of AI. Delegates, grouped into tables representing a mix of professions, will engage in a collaborative exploration of AI’s capabilities. This format ensures a rich diversity of perspectives and experiences, fostering a
comprehensive understanding of AI’s impact across various fields.

The core activity involves each group discussing their current stance on AI for 10 minutes, deliberating on its relevance and utility in their specific professional contexts. The groups will then propose a real-world task for the presenter to execute live using state-of-the-art AI and generative AI tools. This live demonstration serves as a practical and tangible showcase of AI’s efficiency and effectiveness in handling tasks that are part of the participants’ daily workloads.

Following the live task completion by the presenter, each group will assess and rate the potential time savings offered by AI in
their professional lives. The session will culminate in an insightful exercise where the collective time saved for each table is calculated and then aggregated. This final tally will project the total hours that could be reclaimed by the 50 participants, emphasizing the significant impact of AI in freeing up valuable time.

Through this interactive and dynamic session, participants will not only gain a deeper understanding of AI’s practical applications but also visualise its transformative potential in reclaiming time, a precious resource in our fast-paced world. This workshop promises to be a thought-provoking and experiential journey into the future of work, where AI acts as a catalyst for
efficiency, creativity, and personal growth.

This session fits into the following conference stream: Being agile and adaptable

– Delegates will explore the practical applications of AI in professional settings

– Delegates will evaluate the time-saving potential of AI technologies:

– Delegates will explore the broader implications of integrating AI into their work routines, specifically how it can free up time for personal development, rest, and social activities.

Agile ways of working are designed to respond to change during times of uncertainty – they advocate responding to change over following a plan. As such they are ideally placed to respond to political uncertainty and allowing fast pivoting to align with external events. In the commercial world they are used to respond to competition and changes in the market conditions. This session introduces Kanban, a way of working that evolves from your current practice through a hands-on interactive simulation. Agility is a way of working that is collaborative and team based (track 4 working together and track 3 being agile and adaptable). As the agile concept goes beyond software into university professional practice this session gives participants an insight into the Kanban method that is immediately applicable to current processes and practice. In this session we will highlight the fundamentals of agility drawing on the context of our Education, Administration, Continuous Improvement team. In this Kanban simulation, you will design a product from scratch and learn about the Kanban principles and core practices. This session will also have a series of cheat sheets and takeaways alongside instructions on how to run the simulations in your own context.

This session also fits into the following conference stream: Being agile and adaptable and Working together

– Delegates will experience a Scrum simulation, self organisation, prioritisation by value and teamworking through inspection and adaption
(self improvement)

– Delegates will develop a product and use Kanban to manage its production – including the principles and practices of Kanban through
group interaction and a worked example/simulation.

– Delegates will identify agile principles and frameworks, reflect on their potential use and plan an agile experiment within their institutions

Developments in higher education history have always been driven by governmental and regulatory policy direction. From the Robbins Report, the introduction of tuition fees, to the recent creation of the Office for Students, higher education is shaped and impacted by governmental policy. Those individuals and institutions that have adapted quickest to the challenge of a changing sector, have often been the ones who have succeeded in the long term.
Understanding the context of a changing policy landscape, in any role within the sector, can give you the insight to contribute, innovate and progress further with your career. An awareness of how macro policy decision making has a direct impact on your service and the wider university, can give you a cutting edge in your career, a characteristic highly sought after across the sector.

This session will present the benefits of regularly keeping up to date with higher education policy changes, and how a deeper understanding of where key developments come from, and where they are heading to next, can lead to higher fulfilment within your current role and increase opportunities throughout your career.

The session aims to overview an ever-changing sector, the key policy decisions that had an impact on you today, and how an understanding of these issues can contribute to change in the workplace. It aims to give an opportunity for delegates to discuss how staying on top of sector changes can help them progress as higher education professionals, what mechanisms
are available to them, and how networking with colleagues across the country (and beyond) can deepen their insight and compliment their work.

This session intends to encourage recent graduates and early career professionals to embrace higher education, as much more than their current role, but as a vehicle to a rich and rewarding career that has endless avenues to take.

This session fits into the following conference stream: Engaging with the wider context

– Delegates will identify the importance of higher education policy and its impact on all roles across the sector.

– Delegates will explore the importance of knowledge exchange between institutions and sectors to develop your university and yourself as a higher education professional.

– Delegates will explore the different routes for professional service staff to progress through their careers, with the help of an in-depth understanding of political and sector developments.

This session introduces delegates to the process of peer reviewing journal articles. Led by members of the editorial board of Perspectives: Policy and Practice in Higher Education, this hands-on session explains what peer review is; why you may want to become a peer reviewer; and how to write a good review. Session participants will have the opportunity to see illustrative examples of reviews before getting stuck in themselves, and work together on writing a peer review of a sample article.

Within higher education, peer review of articles may seem an activity that is relevant to those working in academic roles. This session explains why peer review can be a valuable and rewarding development activity for those working in professional roles. It will explain the peer review process, as this can often seem opaque to those who do not regularly participate in academic publishing. The presenters will also unpack some of the benefits of becoming a peer reviewer.

Perspectives is a practitioner focused journal publishing articles on higher education management and practice. It is important
the articles are relevant to the members of AHEP, and as such, AHEP members are well placed to undertake reviews .

Attendees will be given some real-life examples of articles published in Perspectives, and the reviews that were given to them that improved their quality. This will clarify the components and hallmarks of a good review. For the second part of the session, attendees will work in small groups on a sample article, and work together to draft a review for this article. There will be an
opportunity to share learning with other delegates. At the end of the session, delegates will understand what a peer reviewer does; why peer reviewing can be a valuable development activity; and feel equipped to successfully review articles.

This session fits into the following conference stream: Engaging with the Wider Context.

– Delegates will identify what the role of a peer reviewer entails

–  Delegates will explore the components of a good peer review

– Delegates will be equipped to undertake the peer review of an article for Perspectives

In an era characterised by significant political shifts, particularly in the wake of the UK elections, the need for emotional intelligence (EI) in the academic workplace is paramount. This concise, one-hour interactive workshop, titled “Harnessing Emotional Intelligence in an Hour: Navigating Political Uncertainty in Higher Education,” aligns with the conference theme, ‘Pioneering through Political Uncertainty: Navigating the Impact of UK Elections on Higher Education.’ It offers a focused exploration into how EI can be effectively utilised to manage the challenges arising in the higher education sector due to these political changes. 

The workshop is tailored for higher education professionals who are grappling with the impacts of political uncertainty on their roles and institutions. Recognising the time constraint, the session is designed to be highly engaging and practical, providing participants with essential insights into EI and its relevance in the current political context. 

The session will kick off with a brief introduction to the concept of emotional intelligence, highlighting its five core components: self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills. This segment will offer a quick self-assessment tool for participants to gauge their EI levels, facilitating an understanding of personal strengths and areas for development. 

Following this, the workshop will directly address the challenges posed by the UK’s political landscape. Through a combination of short presentations and interactive discussions, participants will examine how political uncertainty affects decision-making, staff morale, and student engagement in higher education. This segment aims to foster an understanding of how EI can be a strategic tool in navigating these challenges, ensuring effective leadership and collaboration amidst change. 

In the final part of the workshop, attendees will engage in scenario-based activities. These activities are designed to simulate real-life situations in higher education that have been impacted by political shifts. Participants will apply EI strategies to navigate these scenarios, focusing on empathetic communication, conflict resolution, and team cohesion. This practical application will empower attendees with actionable skills and insights that can be immediately implemented in their respective institutions. 

The workshop will conclude with a brief Q&A session, allowing participants to clarify concepts and discuss how to integrate EI strategies into their daily professional practices. 

Overall, this workshop aims to provide a rapid yet rich exploration of emotional intelligence in the context of political uncertainty in higher education, equipping participants with the essential tools to enhance their EI skills in a time-efficient manner. 

This session fits into the following conference streams: Working together and Being agile and adaptable

– Delegates will employ a more extensive emotional vocabulary, able to identify, label and use a wider spectrum of emotions to describe their state in order to exercise greater control and accuracy for self-management and social awareness.

– Delegates will use listening vs assertiveness strategies to better maximise their interactions with others and develop stronger, more balanced working relationships.

– Delegates will recognise their triggers and blind spots, and be able to employ the STOPP Strategy to gain some distance between distressing thoughts and feelings, reduce the physical reaction of emotion/adrenaline at times of high stress, and help them to find some calmness to help them think more logically and rationally.

As higher education professionals – in this context, specifically in the field of international education – we are often impacted by the decisions of our government and how it operates on a global stage, never too far from Politics with a capital P – and yet, often it is internal politics that most immediately impact our day-to-day operations and relationships. Using student
mobility as our specific context, we will dive into how we define, support and deliver our objectives through cross-functional collaboration in a large, complex organisation where institutional silos are long-established and difficult to overcome, as a basis for inviting participant discussion.

We are established but relatively early career professionals and would particularly encourage professional staff who or new or at a similar level, and who are interested in exploring and developing soft skills for navigating institutional politics, such as collaboration, problem-solving and conflict resolution. Often, we are not the decision makers and can therefore be caught by
competing or even opposing demands. How do we balance competing priorities and facilitate collaborative problem-solving? What is within our ability to control, influence, or accept?
We both have experience working in central services and now working at ‘School’ and ‘College’ levels. Through our experience with these three levels of our university’s organisation, we will present methods we have employed to build relationships across boundaries within the specific context of student mobility, which is by nature cross-collaborative (or, at
least, should be).

We will reference recent research into cross-functional collaboration, including resources for further reading, though the focus will be the facilitated discussion. We will encourage this first through a presentation of our own experiences followed by a reflective activity and group discussions.

Our experiences have shown us that intentional relationship maintenance and concerted efforts in building cross-functional connections are key to successfully navigating our own institutional politics. Interpersonal communication, conflict resolution, team working, and leadership skills have allowed us to wield influence and foster meaningful collaboration. Within our contexts, we have improved lines of communication, developed new resources, decreased duplication of effort, and built positive working relationships. While this has been successful, there is still room for improvement. We recognise the importance of self-reflection bolstered by peer support, and that the process of developing soft skills is one of continuous lifelong improvement.

This session fits into the following conference stream: Working together

– Delegates will describe immediate areas of control, influence and concern, using these to consider how they might balance competing priorities in a complex higher education environment with conflicting demands.

– Delegates will articulate essential soft skills in early career development for navigating institutional politics (e.g. communication, team working, and problem solving)

– Delegates will analyse and draw lessons from the presenters’ experiences in cross-collaboration in order to identify and apply effective approaches in their own contexts

Attitudes towards apprenticeships have evolved over recent years and are increasingly recognised as a viable alternative route to university often opening doors to those who wouldn’t have considered university as an option. According to government apprenticeship and trainee figures (October 2023) 41,340 apprentices started degree apprenticeships to Bachelors (Level 6) and Masters (Level 7) standards in England during the academic year 2022/23. However, with this increase also comes greater complexity in delivery and a need to maintain key working relationships with external partners and employers.  

The university of Cumbria has been delivering apprenticeships since 2018 and currently supports over 2000 apprentices across 16 programme disciplines, with plans to further develop our portfolio to meet regional and national workforce needs. However, as the programme continues to grow so does the need to ensure our apprenticeship programmes are effective and efficient, so learner and employer experience is one of positivity with intended outcomes being achieved. 

In this session we aim to outline how we are making best use of data to drive forward programme improvement strategies and adapt a more robust administrative model that positively impacts learner progress and performance across a growing and diverse apprenticeship provision. In the session participants will consider how they can use a data driven approach to maintain and enhance employer relations through constructive conversations in a complex regularity environment.  

On attending this session, we aim to link the importance of data in improving student outcomes and retention rates and how employers can make best use of this as part of their recruitment strategies. The session will encourage delegates to consider the importance of employer relationships and the need to positively engage with a range of employers to meet the needs of the workforce of both today and the future. 

This session fits into the following conference stream: Engaging with the wider context

– Delegates will identify how data can be used to make informed decisions and enhance service delivery 

– Delegates will appraise the benefits of working collaboratively and how collaboration can be used to support apprenticeship development and growth

– Delegates will identify how to make the best use of opportunities to enhance external relationships 

Fostering an engaging and motivating working environment in the face of external unpredictability has perhaps never been more challenging than in the post-pandemic era. In the higher education sector, managers are currently facing the complex task of navigating political uncertainty; balancing the need for strategic decision-making amidst changing policies with the crucial responsibility of providing steadfast support to their teams.

To navigate this turbulence, we invite higher education professionals to explore a paradigm shift which departs from problem-centric thinking and the traditional deficit-based model of fixating on weaknesses. Through adopting a strengths-based lens, managers and professionals can learn to amplify their inherent strengths and what’s is already working well within their organisations to boost resilience, motivation and performance. In this transformative approach, participants are encouraged to explore the unique talents, skills, and capabilities within themselves and their teams, leaving them better equipped to navigate the uncertainties of the higher education sector.

This interactive session serves as a guide for managers and individuals keen on initiating a strengths-based approach within their teams. Using empirical evidence, case studies and interactive exercises, participants are invited to build their understanding of the foundational principles of positive psychology and the benefits of adopting a strengths-based approach within higher education. Attendees will gain practical strategies for identifying and leveraging individual and collective strengths to cultivate higher engagement, innovation and performance at work.

Throughout the session, emphasis will be placed on practical applications and real-world examples to ensure participants leave with actionable insights. The goal is to inspire attendees to initiate the journey towards a strengths-based approach within their teams or organisations, fostering a positive and empowered workplace culture.

This thought-provoking and uplifting session is a must for managers eager to lead with impact in today’s ever-evolving work landscape, creating teams that thrive amidst challenges and unlock their full potential. Join us for an inspiring journey toward organisational excellence and heightened leadership effectiveness.

This session fits into the following conference streams: Being agile and adaptable

– Delegates will develop a deep understanding of the strengths-based approach and its direct impact on team engagement and innovation.

– Delegates will understand how to systematically identify individual and collective strengths within their teams to improve engagement and performance.

– Delegates will explore practical strategies for embedding a strengths-based culture within your work.

Being agile and adaptable is key to moving into and succeeding in senior leadership roles. This session will look at the common challenges faced by leaders while applying for and transitioning into a new senior leadership role and share some strategies and ideas on succeeding in senior leadership roles, with thoughts and inputs collected from senior leaders across the sector. 

Building on this and linking to this year’s conference theme, the session will include reflections on the role of the senior leader in supporting their institution to continually adapt, thrive, and innovate regardless of the prevailing political landscape and how we might support our institutions to navigate the impact of UK elections on higher education. As well as some thoughts on the essential soft skills needed by senior managers to navigate the intricacies of organisational politics and how to navigate the multifaceted world of politics with a small ‘p.’ 

The session will encourage attendees to think creatively about their own personal experiences, encourage them to take ownership of their professional development in terms of succeeding in a senior leadership role as well as encouraging all participants to share their experiences and insights. 

There will be some honest and open reflections on how to thrive, not just survive! 

The topic will be of interest to HE professionals who are considering a move into a senior leadership role, or those who have recently moved into a senior leadership role. The workshop will provide some inputs, challenges and provocations to attendees as well as provide dedicated time for them to identify and reflect on the actions they need to personally take. 

The session will be guided by the AHEP values and link to the following areas of the AHEP professional development framework: Empowering professional development and Focusing on results and Taking Accountability 

– Delegates will engage with and sift through a range of ideas, reading and tips on transitioning into and succeeding in senior leadership roles and identify one or two areas they want to explore further.

– Delegates will reflect on their own personal journey into senior leadership roles and their priorities for their own personal practice to action following the conference.

– Delegates will have had an opportunity to network and engage with other aspiring or newly appointed senior leaders to share best practice and build their networks.

Come and meet the Change Special Interest Group and help us set a future vision and scope for the group. This is the largest AHEP SIG and it’s time to wake the sleeping giant so that it can add value to you, your institutions and the wider sector. 

During the session there will be some scene setting before using the time to connect with other Change colleagues, discuss the issues and opportunities we are all facing before identifying key actions that the SIG can do to enable positive change in the sector…… 

• The long history of Higher Education in the UK 
• Consider the impact of COVID and the legacy its left 
• The financial uncertainty the sector is in 
• The upcoming General Election and what a change in government may cause 

 
This will be an interactive session where you can help steer this important SIG – we aim to have you walk away feeling invigorated about the opportunities ahead and ready to face the challenges with a smile on your face 
 
All are welcome to join us for a stimulating and engaging discussion! 

This session fits into the following conference stream: Working together, Being agile and adaptable and Engaging in the wider context

– Delegates will collaborate in creation of the Change SIG vision 

– Delegates will communicate with higher education Change professionals 

– Delegates can develop their understanding of what the Change SIG can offer

This session will demonstrate how multiple services can come together to deliver a seamless student-facing service. Our collaborative approach to service delivery brings together internal partners, as well as external third sector organisations in an approach recognised by the OfS as being key to increased equality of opportunity.

Students will often need input from multiple specialist services to enable them to navigate HE in the current climate of an increase in mental health and wellbeing support needs, the impact of the cost of living crisis and changes to the student visa programme. We will demonstrate the value of our approach in providing a single front door for students which can provide tailored advice and guidance and coordinate their access to specialist teams where appropriate.  Our PATHways approach offers both a drop-in and appointment based service, available to all students who can, and do, present about anything and everything.

We carried out desk-top research into this topic by exploring if and where other comparable services exist within the HE sector. We investigated and tested this idea, both in the early stages of the previous iteration of the service (known as ‘triage’), when it funded via an Investment Fund Bid provided by our VC. We did so again more recently, before the re-launch in the Summer of 2022. We tested our ideas with our customer-base, via staff consultation and student feedback. 

From our research, we learnt that although there are some variations on a theme of this service provision, no other competitor seems to be able to demonstrate the impact of the service in its accessibility across the broad range of the student population, based on a such a collaborative approach of service delivery. 

This session fits into the following conference stream: Being agile and adaptable and Working together

– Delegates will be able to identify the benefits (and pitfalls) of a matrix approach to service delivery

– Delegates will be able to gain an insight into the added value for staff and students of working together in an agile way. 

– Delegates will be able to assess if the PATHways approach to service delivery is the way forward for them in offering a non-stigmatising service, open to all. 

The session presents research which indicates that the Office for Students’ (OfS) statistical model for identifying ‘unexplained’ attainment intrinsically embeds harmful expectations about the academic performance of students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds and minoritised ethnic groups. Increased attainment within these groups is disproportionately branded as ‘grade inflation’, most habitually when in attendance at lower-tariff universities. This ideological position is fundamentally incompatible with the OfS obligation to “improve equality of opportunity for underrepresented groups to access, succeed in and progress from higher education.”

This workshop will highlight the challenges faced by universities with the most diverse groups of students when tackling the ideas of ‘grade inflation’. The key idea presented within this session is that the rise in attainment during COVID-19 and related no-detriment policies was not ‘grade inflation’ but the removal of the deficit model, allowing students to perform to their abilities without artificial barriers being presented.  Delegates are encouraged to think how elements of no-detriment policies can be utilised in future practice to support students with significant challenges in accessing and thriving in university.

This research was undertaken as part of my MA dissertation at Bath Spa, for which I was awarded a distinction. It has been through thorough ethical approval processes and is based upon mixed-methods research, utilising publicly available data, FOI requests to institutions and semi-structured interviews with participants working within academic and professional roles in universities. These various datapoints were used to triangulate and support the findings of the research project.

The data presented by the OfS in support of the narrative of grade inflation is misleading, the lack of transparency making it difficult to draw conclusions. Utilising statistical analysis, I have found significant correlations between the prevalence of specific demographic groups at institutions and increased rates of ‘grade inflation’. No-detriment policies and practice during COVID-19 significantly reduced the ethnicity awarding gap, though the picture is more complex when data is disaggregated
into specific ethnic groups. Universities should consider maintaining some of these principles post-COVID, to support students in their university journey.

The workshop will be run as a world café, with an initial presentation briefly summarising my research before delegates are split into groups to discuss the topics raised. Delegates will also have the opportunity to feedback their discussion, considering what methods can be implemented in universities to help tackle the awarding gap for certain groups.

This session fits into the following conference stream: Demonstrating responsible practice and personal integrity and Engaging with the wider context

– Delegates will be able to analyse the inequities embedded within the OfS model of grade inflation

– Delegates will consider what mitigations can be implemented within your own institution to support students from a diverse range of backgrounds to succeed in higher education.

– Delegates will evaluate the effects of no-detriment policies upon different demographic groups.

Change makers, agitators, critical friends. Words not often heard in the same sentence as ‘quality professional’. But are we missing a trick?

Historically considered a ‘support function’, the identity and impact of quality professionals remains criminally under-theorised. And yet, these colleagues are increasingly leant on to capture, interpret and pivot to meet policy formed by our outputs-driven regulator.

Framed within the political context of the upcoming general election, this session will encourage participants to consider the evolving responsibilities and competencies of those regularly navigating the space between government and teaching. From consulting and chairing, to writing and negotiating, the workshop will bring AHEP’s values of increasing collaboration and inclusivity within the HE workforce to life.

By the end of the workshop, participants will have questioned the limiting belief that quality is “simply” ‘administration’, and gained insights into how we can realistically continue to develop colleagues bridging the gap in an increasingly observed, diverse and complex political environment.

This session fits into the following conference stream: Being agile and adaptable.

– Delegates will explore the changing role of quality and policy professionals in higher education institutions (HEIs). These groups of colleagues often remain under-valued ‘clerks’ and yet are highly influential in the change, and increasingly innovation, landscape within HEIs.

– Delegates will develop a forward-thinking mindset to anticipate and, therefore, prepare for future challenges in the skillsets of their teams and colleagues.

– Delegates will consider how to more effectively resource, plan and develop staff who are responsible for curating academic policy alongside students and academic staff. Attendees will leave with a digital ‘time capsule’ with some actionable steps to either facilitate the development of their teams or influence their own development plans.

This session will explore how the HE sector in the UK has developed over time, in response to changing political, social and economic pressures, illustrating the discussion with vintage postcards showing scenes for higher education.

The presentation will help to illustrate how broader societal change impacts upon higher education, helping participants understand and contextualise the relevance of current political discourses.

Universities are long-run institutions: understanding their historical context helps higher education professionals more effectively respond to, and shape, the present. This session will enable professional staff within higher education to better understand the history of the higher education sector and their own institution. This will help people to better understand strategy and policy within their institution, as well as better understanding
organisational cultures and values.

The higher education sector has always developed to meet societal needs, whether for particular industries or trades/professionals, or for greater social inclusion (eg women’s access to higher education). This understanding enables one to better anticipate future developments.

This session fits into the following conference stream: Engaging with the wider context

– Delegates will examine the historical development of the UK HE sector

– Delegates will explore how values and culture shape higher education institutions

– Delegates will locate their own institutions within the broader context, enabling a better understanding of organisational culture and values

Good governance is critical to success in higher education. In today’s turbulent environment all HE providers need high-performing boards that are equipped to determine the strategic course of the organisation, safeguard its sustainability, and assure standards. Governance in higher education must respond to and proactively plan for wider political and policy developments that may result in a change of direction for the higher education sector, institutional strategy, and impact on professional services staff at all stages of their career. Recent examples include the change from a higher education funder to
a higher education regulator in England, the change to a tertiary model in Wales.

This session will build upon the findings of Advance HE’s 60+ governance effectiveness reviews over the past 5 years to present the key findings, share unique trends in self-reporting benchmarking data, our recent collaborative work with Universities UK, GuildHE and the Committee of University Chairs on academic assurance and examine the diversity of governing bodies in higher education from our sector leading Diversity of Governing Bodies in HE Report. It will build on Advance HE’s understanding of wider political and policy developments and where that will have implications for higher education governance.

The session will place recent developments in line with future potential developments spurred on by examining trends in the higher education sector that will ask participants to scenario plan based on potential future developments in the medium to longer term. Delegates will get the chance to work together in small groups to design and respond to future scenarios and
how they would design and imagine university systems and processes to meet future needs. It will support early career professionals to understand what good governance looks like and how it may develop. It will be of particular interest for those who wish to progress to management or senior management positions and will need to consider how to work within higher education governance to support career development.

The session will aim to demystify higher education governance, the behaviours, cultures and values that define it alongside the enabling structures and processes that support it. The session will provide delegates with a chance to reimagine where things may need to change and develop across multiple scenarios driven by wider sector context and political developments
and how governance can impact across the whole university.

This session fits into the following conference stream: Engaging with the Wider Context.

– Delegates will develop an awareness of corporate and academic governance in universities and the systems and
processes that support them.

–  Delegates will explore key trends in higher education governance, including external political influence, and where this may develop in the future

– Delegates will have a greater understanding of University governance and where it has the potential to interact and impact across all levels of career stages within higher education.

“The world today is every bit as turbulent as the storm… Leaders and their organisations, must have the ability to respond creatively to unpredictable challenges and opportunities. The need for agility has never been greater” (Oliver et al. 2021). 

This workshop will explore the theme of being agile and adaptable and will help delegates to understand how they can adopt an agile business model to thrive in turbulent times, seeing problems as opportunities for creative thinking and innovation. 

Organisations who are adopting agile working practices have a 75% chance of success with only a 30% success rate for those that don’t (McKinsey, 2021). Businesses all over the globe are adopting more agile approaches, such as flatter structures, smaller teams, and empowering staff at the lowest level. In contrast, higher education (HE) is a sector steeped in tradition, highly regulated with hierarchies and bureaucracy strongly embedded. How do we as leaders help our organisations transition to being agile, to ensure successful service delivery in this changing climate? 

This workshop will begin with an overview of agile leadership and embedding the agile business model, using a case-study approach to provide practical examples of how to apply agile approaches to improve service delivery. The case will be on changes made in a Medical School to support career development, meet evolving operational demands whilst underpinning the organisations values of EDI and sustainability. The speaker will introduce the concepts of agile working and share their own journey on developing an agile mindset.  

Drawing on the literature on agile leadership and business models, delegates will build an understanding of basic theory and how to apply it in their context. Examples will include embedding job-shares to support women progressing, the introduction of the apprentice scheme to increase social mobility and introducing the first sustainability technician in the UK. By using practical examples of theory applied in a HE setting, delegates will be able to translate agile leadership into their everyday, through creative thinking. Delegates will then have a group discussion on how to embed agile working into their own context. 

This session fits into the following conference streams: Being agile and adaptable and Working Together

– Delegates will build a basic understanding of agile leadership as a business model and understand how to apply it in their local context.

– Delegates will reflect on their own leadership/ management journey and explore how to move forward to embrace an agile mindset. 

– Delegates will explore how agile principles can be applied in a Higher Education setting and will have practical steps to take away with them.

Given the prevalence of discussions around student belonging within the sector in recent years, it’s easy to overlook the need that we all have as professional staff to feel a sense of belonging in our universities. Staff belonging can be a challenge for many different reasons. Some staff will be new to their institution, job role or higher education altogether and may not know
yet how they fit in. Other staff may be located in areas of their university which mean that they don’t really have a ‘team’ around them to connect with. Some more senior staff may be facing new challenges and no longer have peers at their level to share these issues with.

To address the importance of staff belonging and come together to counter staff isolation, the Student Experience and Engagement Special Interest Group is developing an action learning set scheme for anyone involved with the network. This session will act as the official in-person launch for the action learning sets – a practice commonly used in many professional
development programmes to bring together participants to help collectively problem solve and enhance connections.

This session itself will split into two halves. The beginning of this session will feature an introduction from the Special Interest Group team. This introduction will feature some insights into the literature around student and staff belonging and the connections between the two, as well as practicalities for how the action learning set scheme will run. The second half of the session will then be focused on initial conversations within action learning sets, so that delegates will get an opportunity to meet each other in person.

To ensure that we can make the best use of the time in this session, all delegates will be required to register for the session in advance, so that action learning sets can be established that take into account delegates institutions and areas of work.

The action learning set scheme will then continue beyond the AHEP Annual Conference. The Student Experience and Engagement SIG will provide resources to all action learning sets, to help encourage ongoing connection.

This session fits into the following conference stream: Working Together

– Delegates will gain a clear understanding of how belonging amongst staff is crucial for effective universities and for the wellbeing of each of us.

– Delegates will explore the purpose of an action learning set and the basic rules of engagement to make sure that all participants benefit.

– Delegates will establish who will be in their action learning set and how to engage with others in their set:

Change is a constant in the HE sector, yet everyone has an anecdote or an apocryphal story of when change went wrong in their organisation. We are bombarded with methodologies, process improvement techniques and analysis. We are all encouraged to be flexible/agile/adaptable/resilient – whatever buzzword you dress it up as, one thing is certain – change and the drive for more efficiency and effectiveness across Universities and particularly in professional services, is not going away.

This session is intended to give an opportunity to reflect on the realities of managing and being involved in change and change programmes in complex environments. It will explore, at a high level, some of the different approaches that have been used in the sector, and reflect on the pros and cons of these, based on the experiences of two consultants who have recently been senior managers in Universities.

The areas that will be covered include:
• Planning, delivery and success
• Consultants: their role in the process
• Organisational culture and how it impacts on change programmes
• Change support structures: offices, teams and governance

This is intended to be an interactive session where delegates are encouraged to share and reflect on their own experiences of change, what has worked well and the challenges faced in Institutions.

This session fits into the following conference stream: Working together

– Delegates will identify different approaches to change and recognise the benefits and challenges these might bring

– Delegates will reflect on what would work well within their own Institutional culture

– Delegates will be able to take a more informed view of what is happening in different institutions and take back ideas to their own institutions with reference to the experience of other participants

Despite being deeply entrenched with higher education, the issue of class is rarely acknowledged and even more rarely discussed. This session will reflect on my personal journey from a traditional working class background to executive leadership, drawing out the challenges faced by many colleagues in the university sector. But it will also be hopeful, foregrounding the potential of a collective approach and the aims of the new Working Class Leaders in Higher Education Network and how it can support career progression for academic and professional service colleagues and increase the number of working class leaders within the sector.

Before joining Buckinghamshire New University as Deputy Vice Chancellor in 2023, I had various roles in advertising and recruitment. I began my education career in Further Education, working as a Lecturer at Lewisham College teaching English and communications before moving into leadership, overseeing a diverse set of courses, from Access to entry level construction as well as leading e-learning innovations such as the Academy of e-Business.

I then joined Linking London Lifelong Learning Network at Birkbeck, University of London, forging progression routes between FE and HE and commissioning teaching and transition innovation projects, before joining the University of Greenwich as a Senior Lecturer in post-compulsory teacher education. After progressing to Head of Department of Education and Community Studies, I was then appointed as Dean of the Carnegie School of Education at Leeds Beckett University, creating a strategy founded upon social justice and inclusion.

I then became Dean of the Faculty of Education, Health and Wellbeing at the University of Wolverhampton, a full member of the university Executive, as well as being the Executive Lead for research and Knowledge Exchange. I’m also an active researcher specialising in organisational behaviour in education settings.