In this session the team from Nottingham Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council Doctoral Training Programme will explain how they developed, then launched their wellbeing service, events and training to Doctoral Training Programme students during the pandemic. The team will discuss how they worked together using their events and welfare experience to deliver a successful programme of training and support. This received high levels of engagement and excellent feedback from students.

By the end of the session delegates will be able to…
– Deliver events and training to support a cohort successfully online, with consideration for EDI
– Deliver high quality welfare support in an online format
– Consider how to develop new working practices in a hybrid world

Speakers
Mandy Gill, Project Officer, University of Nottingham
Sandra Rose, EDI & Welfare Officer, University of Nottingham
Alice Haslam, EDI & Welfare Officer, University of Nottingham

Session Format:
Interactive workshop

Conference stream(s):
Working practices
Wellbeing

This session will be of interest to those working in, or with an interest in:
Student services | Events | Equality and diversity

This session is aimed at:
New to the sector | General administration | Mid-level management

This workshop offers a hands-on opportunity for delegates to develop together a quality student forum prototype. Bring your experience, ideas, professional expertise, knowledge of local and international practices and eagerness for peer dialogue and quality enhancement. In turn, you will take home not only words and ideas, but also an innovative practical tool for quality enhancement in HEIs. Importantly, you will gain a professional peer network with whom to continue supporting one another and work together towards the implementation of this initiative in your HEI. If this interactive workshop interests you, come along, no matter whether you are a quality assurance/quality enhancement professional, a general administrator or mid-management staff member and regardless of your seniority level.

By the end of the session delegates will be able to…
– Use the collectively identified key features of an effective and inclusive student quality forum as a foundation for setting up this initiative within their institution
– Continue the dialogue and collaboration established during this dialogical session and support each other in the phases of implementation and review of the student quality forum at their respective institutions
– Produce clear and collectively-articulated statements concerning key aspects of quality and student engagement in HE institutions in their daily practices

Speakers
Silvia Brandi, Quality Enhancement Advisor, University College Cork
Marie O’Regan, Senior Executive Assistant, Quality Enhancement Unit, University College Cork

Session Format:
Group discussion

Conference stream(s):
Working practices

This session will be of interest to those working in, or with an interest in:
Quality

This session is aimed at:
New to the sector | General administration | Mid-level management

This group discussion will look at the challenges we are facing leading non teaching/professional services teams balancing the expectations of our students with the expectations with our staff. The promise of dynamic working was very attractive to many staff who are professional services staff but depending on the specific role it is not always possible either as desired, or possible at all. We have to lead our teams as we navigate through these new challenges. This session will look at where we are now compared to where we were in in September 2021 and discuss what the challenges have been and how we have met them through the lens of enhancing the student experience, providing value for money for our students and maintaining staff morale.

By the end of the session delegates will be able to…
– Have an understanding of many of the challenges managers and their teams have been facing this academic year
– Get the best from their staff whilst ensuring the student experience is at the heart of service improvements/changes
– Ensure that students feel they are receiving an excellent student experience from the professional and support services at their institutions

Speakers
Alison Levey, Associate Pro Vice Chancellor Students, Aston University

Session Format:
Group discussion

Conference stream(s):
Work cultures
Leadership

This session will be of interest to those working in, or with an interest in:
Student services | Equality and diversity | International | Registry | General administration

This session is aimed at:
General administration | Mid-level management | Senior management

*This session is fully booked. To see if a place becomes available and to book on, check your event booking.

This session will be an insight into how Academic Voice works within Students’ Unions and ways of using this structure to get an insight into the student voice around your area of administration as well as how to start working with your Students’ Union to get a more diverse student experience when actively investigating student opinions.

By the end of the session delegates will be able to…
– Have a better understanding of student voice systems in Students’ Unions outside of sabbatical officers
– Learn from current practices of incorporating student voice into administrative departments
– Develop an initial personal action plan around how to start incorporating student voice within delegates’ departments

Speakers:
Ashley Storer-Smith, Academic Voice & Policy Manager, Warwick Students’ Union

Session Format:
Lecture/Talk

Conference stream(s):
Working practices
Work cultures

This session will be of interest to those working in, or with an interest in:
Student services | Governance | Quality | Teaching and learning | General administration | Other

This session is aimed at:
New to the sector | General administration | Mid-level management

The Covid-19 pandemic brought an end to large scale gatherings, including Graduation ceremonies, leaving many students feeling deflated and without an opportunity to celebrate their achievements. For some, events were cancelled, for others postponed, and some celebrated online. At the University of Suffolk students were invited to mark their achievement in a different way focusing on an on-campus, personalised experience. The success of these events has set out a new way of graduating in the future.

By the end of the session delegates will be able to…
– Reflect on the range of ways in which student achievements can be marked, managing and balancing the expectations and needs of different stakeholders
– Consider approaches to managing resources and budgets in uncertain and changing circumstances
– Feel better equipped to work in different ways, whether this is planned or in response to an emergency situation

Speakers
Laura Pennie, Deputy Academic Registrar, University of Suffolk

Session Format:
Lecture/Talk

Conference stream(s):
Working practices

This session will be of interest to those working in, or with an interest in:
Other

This session is aimed at:
New to the sector | General administration | Mid-level management | Senior management

Aidan will present a summary of the latest findings on student expectations and motivations from research undertaken with the student body at the University of Leeds. This includes both primary data gathered directly from the student body and secondary data from a range of literature and sources used to inform this work. This research is for the purposes of future planning for Leeds University Union and identifies the priority work required to address strategic impact. Aidan will propose how the role of the students’ union might be developing in response to these findings and discuss what this might mean for work alongside other University professional services.

 
About Aidan
Aidan has worked at the University of Leeds for 20 years, firstly as the Director of Membership Services & Development and for the last 12 years as Chief Executive of Leeds University Union. Prior to Leeds he held roles in Further Education and the students’ union at York St. John University. Aidan has served on the National Union of Students Board during a period of turnaround and restructure where he chaired the Finance & Audit Committee. Aidan is in his final term as Governor of Leeds Trinity University where he also chairs the Academic Assurance and Student Experience Committee. Outside Education Aidan is also Chair of Trustees for the Huddersfield Town AFC Foundation and a member of the UK Territory Advisory Board for The Salvation Army. Amongst his voluntary commitments the most important is that he is a Coach/Helper with Norristhorpe Juniors FC Under-10s. 

In his keynote address, Graeme will provide an update on the Teaching Excellence Framework. This session will provide a recap on the proposals for the future TEF framework and outline key themes emerging from responses to the consultation. Graeme will also discuss next steps in finalising the framework and preparing for implementation.

About Graeme
Graeme is the Head of TEF and Skills at the Office for Students (OfS). He oversees the development and implementation of this new scheme for assessing the quality of teaching in UK higher education. Before transferring to the OfS in 2018, Graeme worked at the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), focusing on the evaluation of both teaching and research in UK higher education. He managed the 2014 Research Excellence Framework, from the initial pilot exercises through to its completion. Prior to that he led HEFCE’s teaching quality assessment functions from 2001-06. This included reviewing the QAA audit method, setting up the National Student Survey, and developing new sources of student information about teaching quality. Graeme was also Head of Health Education Policy in 2015. Before joining HEFCE, he undertook a PhD in History at the School of Oriental and African Studies, London.

In a world where some can be quick to complain, are universities doing enough to use student complaints as a form of feedback? Based on research into the complaint-making behaviours of students at one University, this discussion group will consider institutional attitudes to student complaints, what they can tell us about our students, and how we can use the information they provide to enhance services and the student experience. There will be opportunities to consider complaints in an institutional context, but also to focus in on the behaviours and experiences of different groups of students, in particular students from a widening participation background. Finally, we will consider what impact, if any, the pandemic has had on student complaints and make predictions for how this will inform our practice in the future.

By the end of the session delegates will be able to…
– Understand key consumer complaint behaviour theories and how these might apply in today’s higher education setting
– Share good practice and glean ideas from others regarding the effective handling of student complaints and effectively utilising these as a form of feedback
– Consider practical steps they may take back to their own organisation, including opportunities to explore institutional data or changes to process and practice

Speaker:
Laura Pennie, Deputy Academic Registrar, University of Suffolk

Session Format:
Group discussion

Conference stream(s):
Working practices
Work cultures

This session will be of interest to those working in, or with an interest in:
Quality

This session is aimed at:
General administration | Mid-level management

In September 2021 we began a hybrid working pilot whereby the whole team (50+ people) were on campus Tuesdays and Thursdays at least, with additional principals for home working and diary management introduced outside of those times. This session gives an evidenced based overview of this student-centred pilot, including its successes, challenges and evolution.

By the end of the session delegates will be able to…
– Better lead their change processes and personnel issues that arise from introducing new working models
– Adapt their own hybrid working policies after hearing from peers across the sector
– Better consider the needs of students when designing and updating their hybrid working models

Speakers
Emma Moore, Director of Careers and Employability, University of Liverpool
Paul Gratrick, Head of Operations, University of Liverpool

Session Format:
Group discussion

Conference stream(s):
Working practices
Work cultures

This session will be of interest to those working in, or with an interest in:
Student services

This session is aimed at:
General administration | Mid-level management | Senior management

The session will look at the global move to digital awards, and how provision of digital credentials supports students in achieving employment for industrial placements, as graduates or as post grad researchers, while benefitting universities through streamlined working practices and reduced academic fraud.

By the end of the session delegates will be able to…
– Explain how digital awards improve the employability of students, graduates and post-grads
– Understand how digital awards reduce the costs of alumni verifications for both university and alumni
– Understand how digital awards can reduce the rate of academic fraud and consequently, the risk of reputational damage

Speakers
Phillip Dupont, Business Development Manager, Qualification Check Ltd.
Phoebe Taschner-Baldwin, Business Development, Qualification Check Ltd.

Session Format:
Group discussion

Conference stream(s):
Working practices

This session will be of interest to those working in, or with an interest in:
Student services | International | Registry | General administration

This session is aimed at:
New to the sector | General administration | Senior management