The Student Experience and Engagement SIG is counting down the days until this year’s AHEP Annual Conference and Exhibition! We’ve pulled together our highlights from the schedule, featuring our must-see sessions and exhibits.
If you haven’t yet booked your tickets to attend then what are you waiting for? Browse the various packages available and secure your place at the Conference now.
You can also view the full Conference and Exhibition programme, including session descriptions and learning objectives.
Sunday, 1 June
Sunday Social – Sunday, 1 June from 18:00
The perfect start to the Conference – an opportunity to meet other members, enjoy a two-course buffet AND some traditional Scottish entertainment!
Monday, 2 June
Welcome Breakfast: Connect with AHEP Networks & Special Interest Groups – Monday, 2 June from 08:00-09:00
We will be joining the other SIGs and Geographical Networks for a special welcome breakfast to help you fuel up for the day.
110: Supporting student success during a time of austerity in Higher Education – Monday from 10:25
Our very own David Gilani (David Gilani, Head of Student Engagement and Advocacy, Middlesex University) will be joined by Tania Struetzel (Director of Student Success, Southampton Solent University) to dive right into the heart of the overall conference theme: ‘Is Higher Education, As We Know It, Sustainable?’ and provide an interactive opportunity for attendees to discuss how the challenging financial climate faced by most universities is influencing their efforts to encourage student success.
Panel Session: Evolving Student Engagement: Sustaining the University Experience in a Changing Landscape – Monday from 12:00
Join a selection of panelists from across the industry to tackle this pivotal question – how can we adapt our engagement models to ensure sustainability while preserving the essence of the university experience?
210: Do you ever feel like you don’t belong? Exploring social identity and sense of belonging at university: different perspectives and how we engage with them as HE professionals – Monday from 14:10
Higher education, by definition, has a role in providing and improving social sustainability. The UN’s Sustainable Development Goals include ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all (SDG 4). Social sustainability is characterised by a commitment to social justice, equity and fairness – values that are widely reflected in HE providers’ Equality, Diversity and Inclusion policies and central to staff and student wellbeing. This session, delivered by Joanne Tallentire (Doctoral Researcher, Brunel University London) will focus on the theme of social sustainability and reflect on tensions that arise for an HE sector working to meet social and economic sustainability goals within a complex policy environment.
202: Collective Responsibility, Collective Action to Prevent Student Suicide – Monday from 14:10
Join Simon Merrywest (Executive Director for the Student Experience, University of Manchester) to explore in depth new sector-wide guidance focused on the prevention of suicide and near-fatal self-harm and the role all higher education professionals can play in contributing directly to a whole institution approach to prevention.
207: Delivering and enhancing a high-quality student experience vital for a sustainable future – Monday from 14:10
Ruth Burchell (Quality Enhancement and Standards Specialist, QAA) will hold an interactive session to explore the UK Quality Code and how it can enable participants to reflect on their practice and processes and encourage conversations aimed toward enhancement for the betterment of the student experience.
210: Student perceptions of value for money in UK higher education – Monday from 14:10
This workshop, hosted by Paul Gratrick (Head of Operations, Student Experience and Enhancement, University of Liverpool) provides insights from a PhD study into “Student perceptions of value for money in UK higher education” – a first of its kind study.
Tuesday, 3 June
302: Unlocking Student Voice: Using Existing Data to Enhance Professional Services in Higher Education – Tuesday from 10:20
Stuart Grey (Chief Executive Officer, Student Voice) and Bruce Johnson (Managing Director, evasys Ltd) will be hosting an interactive workshop to empower professional service staff to leverage existing data sources, such as module evaluations and the National Student Survey (NSS), to gain actionable insights for service enhancement.
304: Driving HE sustainability in a skill-focused future through integrated employability and work-based learning – a roundtable discussion – Tuesday from 10:20
Alison Benson (Deputy Secretary & Head of Compliance, De Montfort University), Katherine Wass (Governance & Projects Officer, University of Bradford), Luke Phillimore (Associate Director for Change, University of Nottingham) are hosting a workshop that will equip participants with the knowledge and tools to apply Lean principles to governance, improving efficiency, reducing waste, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement.
305: Autistic Voices: towards greater inclusion of neurological diversity – Tuesday from 10:20
As the AViG project enters its second phase, Kelly Jerffery (Engagement Manager, OfS Degree Apprenticeships, Keele University will deliver a session to highlight areas in which autistic students feel they need further support, increase awareness of the difficulties autistic people face and demonstrate some of the training resources we have co-created with our autistic participants. The session will highlight the importance of co-creation, to develop training and resources to ensure autistic learners are supported in a range of settings throughout HE.
309: Post-Abrahart: Cultivating Good Safeguarding Culture in HE – Tuesday from 10:20
Universities face an increasing regulatory burden, with growing attention on compliance beyond the Office for Students, including significant legal and reputational risks. A landmark case in 2022, where disability discrimination by the University of Bristol was found to contribute to a student’s death, marked a turning point in how institutions approach their duty of care. In response, the University of Warwick launched a safeguarding culture change initiative for 2024–25, aiming to embed safeguarding practices across the university, clarify responsibilities, and promote awareness among staff, students, and visitors. This session, hosted by Gabrielle Grant (Quality and Compliance Lead, Wellbeing and Safeguarding, University of Warwick) will share Warwick’s journey, highlight lessons learned, and encourage broader sector-wide dialogue on improving safeguarding in higher education.
402: Can existing personal tutoring models respond to change? Redesigning student support at the University of Nottingham, creating a sustainable and adaptable method of delivery, utilising Lean methodology of continuous improvement – Tuesday from 13:25
In this interactive session, Naomi Bolduc (Lean Practitioner, University of Nottingham) will report on Nottingham’s project to rethink, and implement a new approach to, personal tutoring across the institution.
Buddy scheme
We love the buddy scheme! We’ve all been there – attending a conference alone and feeling somewhat daunted by the thought of not having anyone to discuss new ideas with and help you to make new connections.
If this sounds like you then we recommend selecting the Buddy Scheme option when you are booking. From there, the friendly AHEP team will make sure you have someone to meet up and hang out with at the Conference!