In Scotland, Advance HE continues to work closely with Scottish universities and colleges, and alongside Universities Scotland, QAA Scotland, sparqs, College Development Network, Colleges Scotland, Scottish Funding Council and other sector partner stakeholders. We have a dedicated Head of Membership for Scotland (Laura Coutts) and our Director for Membership (Nick Skeet). The team are also supported by the Director EDI (Interim), David Bass around national stakeholders and policy context. Members will also benefit from a Senior Adviser, Inclusive Institutions, supporting specifically in relation to the Equalities Charters. We also have Scottish and UK-based Associates with expertise in Leadership, Governance, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, Teaching and Learning who understand the Scottish tertiary sector and context.
Contact your Head of Membership
If you would like to speak your dedicated Head of Membership for Scotland Laura Coutts, please click the link below.
Access to our global Member Benefit
Advance HE’s membership offer for Scotland is informed by institutional and sectoral priorities and is structured around our four strands of expertise – teaching and learning; leadership and management; equality, diversity and inclusion; and governance. Member institutions in Scotland will have access to the full range of Advance HE member benefits detailed here. These benefits include participation in themed programmes, access to our portfolio of resources (including reports, webinars and blogs), and access to our online networking platform, Advance HE Connect. Your membership for the coming year has been shaped through consultative conversations with our members and our strategic advisory groups.
Member Benefits Specific to Scotland
In addition to the global member benefits, member institutions in Scotland also have access to a suite of tailored member benefits themed around contemporary challenges facing the Scottish sector.
We will continue to focus on cross-national practice sharing and convening, cascading resources to operational leads through Advance HE facilitated networks including:
- Athena Swan Scotland network
- Scottish Principal Fellows network
- Scottish NTFS and CATE winners network
Events
If you would like to know more about the events, contact the Head of Membership for Scotland, Laura Coutts.
Strategic and Sustainable: Embedding SDGs
2 March 2023, Glasgow (10:30 - 15:45)
Advance HE will host strategic leaders from member institutions to consider how they shape their strategies to drive change in sustainability. Institutions across Scotland have been early and successful participants in the Times Higher Impact Rankings, recognising the value of sustainability to their students and other stakeholders. However, as the number of institutions submitting to the rankings increases, there is a greater need for institutions to ensure all their strategies are aligned to continue to be successful.
This interactive workshop is designed to support the higher education sector promote and utilise the SDGs to drive institutional change by applying a strategic enhancement module to their institutional practices. It will bring together senior university leaders from institutions across Scotland to understand how they can utilise the UN Sustainable Development Goals to drive change across their research, their curricula and their impact on their community. A consultant from Times Higher will deliver a plenary session on the Impact Rankings and their work on TNE and sustainability. Advance HE Lead Consultant on Education, Dr Catherine Hack, will lead all participants in a collaborative workshop session. We will also be joined by other speakers from the sector to discuss embedding student voice in curriculum development. We will also be joined by colleagues from Heriot Watt and Strathclyde who will deliver short presentations on their work on embedding the student voice into SDG curriculum development.
This in-person member benefit event is invite-only to our members in Scotland and will draw participation from executive leadership teams. Lunch will be provided.
Advance HE will host strategic leaders from member institutions to consider how they shape their strategies to drive change in sustainability. Institutions across Scotland have been early and successful participants in the Times Higher Impact Rankings, recognising the value of sustainability to their students and other stakeholders. However, as the number of institutions submitting to the rankings increases, there is a greater need for institutions to ensure all their strategies are aligned to continue to be successful.
This interactive workshop is designed to support the higher education sector promote and utilise the SDGs to drive institutional change by applying a strategic enhancement module to their institutional practices. It will bring together senior university leaders from institutions across Scotland to understand how they can utilise the UN Sustainable Development Goals to drive change across their research, their curricula and their impact on their community. A consultant from Times Higher will deliver a plenary session on the Impact Rankings and their work on TNE and sustainability. Advance HE Lead Consultant on Education, Dr Catherine Hack, will lead all participants in a collaborative workshop session. We will also be joined by other speakers from the sector to discuss embedding student voice in curriculum development. We will also be joined by colleagues from Heriot Watt and Strathclyde who will deliver short presentations on their work on embedding the student voice into SDG curriculum development.
This in-person member benefit event is invite-only to our members in Scotland and will draw participation from executive leadership teams. Lunch will be provided.
Supporting disabled applicants in university admissions
March 2023
This project, in conjunction with Universities Scotland, focuses on the development of a sector statement and high-level principles and commitments in respect of disabled applicants. Several institutions have been piloting the principles over recent months and will feedback on their learning. A public launch of a final report which synthesises the individual and group learning from the pilot with guidance are expected in March 2023.
This project, in conjunction with Universities Scotland, focuses on the development of a sector statement and high-level principles and commitments in respect of disabled applicants. Several institutions have been piloting the principles over recent months and will feedback on their learning. A public launch of a final report which synthesises the individual and group learning from the pilot with guidance are expected in March 2023.
Embedding and Evidencing the Value of Fellowship
May 2023, Glasgow (10:00 - 15:00)
This two-year member benefit project, aimed at Directors/Heads of Academic Development or Learning and Teaching Enhancement, focuses on embedding Fellowships into institutional structures and strategic aims. Consisting of a series of 3 workshops over the period, it will use a case study and Evidencing Value Framework developed by Glasgow Caledonian University, as a basis to explore how Fellowship can be strategically embedded. Workshop participants will use the learning to develop their own institutional frameworks to reflect their own structure and strategic aims.
This invite-only hybrid member benefit will launch in May 2023 with the first in-person workshop. Lunch will be provided.
This two-year member benefit project, aimed at Directors/Heads of Academic Development or Learning and Teaching Enhancement, focuses on embedding Fellowships into institutional structures and strategic aims. Consisting of a series of 3 workshops over the period, it will use a case study and Evidencing Value Framework developed by Glasgow Caledonian University, as a basis to explore how Fellowship can be strategically embedded. Workshop participants will use the learning to develop their own institutional frameworks to reflect their own structure and strategic aims.
This invite-only hybrid member benefit will launch in May 2023 with the first in-person workshop. Lunch will be provided.
Getting to Grips with Principal Fellowship
23 May 2023, Online (9:30 - 15:30)
This online workshop is aimed at strategic leaders wishing to apply for Principal Fellowship or considering an application. This comprehensive workshop allows potential applicants to explore the Professional Standards Framework and how it relates to Principal Fellowship, what a successful claim requires and how best to prepare a submission.
This informal workshop brings together applicants from across Scotland with each member receiving one free place.
This online workshop is aimed at strategic leaders wishing to apply for Principal Fellowship or considering an application. This comprehensive workshop allows potential applicants to explore the Professional Standards Framework and how it relates to Principal Fellowship, what a successful claim requires and how best to prepare a submission.
This informal workshop brings together applicants from across Scotland with each member receiving one free place.
The Evolution of Tertiary
National system-level changes are bringing post-compulsory education together in parts of the world. As this new tertiary sector takes shape in Scotland, Ireland and Wales, collaboration is at its core. Leaders in institutions big and small are forging new networks, navigating new systems and building flexible and inclusive learning and teaching models. Tertiary, in all its moving parts, is centred on the learner and their journey – often nonlinear and lifelong.
Advance HE will follow up our work in 2021-22 to bring leaders and practitioners together from across national and international contexts to share experiences and navigate a way forward together. We will use existing networks to convene targeted conversations, and wider member benefit themes to ensure best practice is shared and lessons are learned globally. Woven through our work is a commitment to build collaboration and develop change agency as a core skill in leaders as they work from within teams all the way to nationwide sectors.
Head of Membership (Scotland)- Laura Coutts
Laura joined Advance HE in March 2022 as Head of Membership supporting member colleges and Universities in Scotland and Northern Ireland. In her previous role as Senior Director of University Partnerships with CEG Digital, she specialised in the implementation, launch and delivery of online programmes with a host of UK partner universities.
