From decision to delivery: workload, capability and progression in professional services
Description
Most institutional change is decided at senior level. It is team leaders, heads of service and practitioners who make it work. The Invisible Majority heard from 450 people across UK higher education, and 65% said change over the past five years had affected them negatively. The report sets out why, and what institutions could do differently.
This interactive webinar brings those findings to the people who make institutional change work. It covers three areas: managing workload through change, making coordination work visible to decision-makers, and routes to development and progression.
Attendees will leave with:
Evidence to bring to conversations with senior leaders about capacity and workload
Practical approaches from peers leading teams through change
A clearer view of development routes for themselves and their teams
What attendees raise will also feed into The Invisible Majority panel session at the ARC Annual Conference in Manchester on 2 November.
Lineup
Jo Coward | Academic Registrar & Executive Director of Student & Academic Administration, University of Hertfordshire & Chair of Academic Registrars’ Council (ARC)
Jo has been at the University of Hertfordshire since December 2024, prior to which she held senior higher education roles in the public and private sectors. Jo enjoys leading the Academic Registry Team which allows her to work with both staff and students across the three campuses. Jo develops strategy and vision for the creation and operation of high-performing cross-functional professional services teams at university level, to support the student journey from admission to graduation. She focuses on developing effective student engagement and achievement. She is experienced in all aspects of quality assurance and enhancement. Jo takes pride in providing creative and agile solutions to complex situations created by either internal or external environments. Jo delivers and leads highly effective, motivated teams with a clear focus on meeting strategic and operational objectives. Jo has extensive external professional commitments, including as Chair of the Academic Registrars' Council (ARC) and where she previously chaired the ARC Assessment Practitioners’ Group. She is currently Chair of the SLC Operations Group, a member of the SLC Stakeholders' Forum, and the Standards Assessment and Classification Working Group. She is also a member of the Project Board for the QAA Collaborative Project on the Future of Exam Boards. Jo is also Chair of the Board of Governors at The Galfrid School, Cambridge; and a Director on the Board of Directors for The Margaret Beaufort Institute of Theology.
Amanda Owen-Meehan | Consulting Director, AHEP Consulting
Amanda is a strategic leader and consultant with significant experience in developing teams and services across Further and Higher Education. She has held leadership roles with The University of Birmingham, Birmingham City University, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, and Coventry University. Her expertise spans the student lifecycle, with a particular focus on student success, institutional compliance and transforming the effectiveness and efficiency of student-facing professional services teams. Since founding her consultancy business in 2018, she has partnered with clients including the University of East London, Cardiff Metropolitan, University of Warwick, and University of Arts London. Amanda combines HE consultancy projects with her work as an accredited leadership development coach, specialising in advancing women’s progression into senior leadership roles. As an external Trustee to Newman Students Union and a mentor at The University of Birmingham and The Social Mobility Foundation, she is deeply committed to sector wide professional development.
Matt Brindley-Sadler
After nearly 20 years in a variety of commercial sector roles, Matt undertook higher education study as a mature student before commencing a new career within and entry level Admissions role. Further study followed whilst juggling an ever-changing set of roles from part-time lecturing followed by academic positions culminating in Associate Deanship before returning to professional Services with Directorship of a London satellite campus. A change of institutions brought Academic Registrar opportunity and Matt is currently responsible for core student administration as well as being the delivery lead for strategic objectives within curriculum, regulatory and student experience projects. Some of which include all things consumer protection, new curricula and assessment frameworks, revised academic calendar and multiple policy and regulation developments.
John Britton
John Britton has over 25 years’ experience in higher and further education roles. Formerly a Director of Strategic Planning and Governance, and a Student Experience Programme Manager, his experience includes academic governance, quality enhancement, student experience and the use of data to improve services. As a consultant, he guided a TEF submission that achieved Gold and developed the delivery strategy for Wales’s National Learner Mental Health Programme, now called Telyn. He has also participated in several institutional quality enhancement reviews in different capacities. He works with institutions and sector bodies on strategy, governance and organisational improvement, and is co-author of the HEPI/AHEP report The Invisible Majority, exploring professional and support staff experiences of change, workload and career development in UK HE.
Kevin Rogers
Kevin is an Academic Registrar at Southampton Solent University and a Chair of the Academic Registrar's Council Admissions Practitioner Group.
Tickets for good, not greed Humanitix dedicates 100% of profits from booking fees to charity