In Wales, Advance HE continues to work closely with Welsh Government, HEFCW, Universities Wales, the nine universities, and further education colleges with HE provision. Advance HE has a dedicated Wales-based Head of Membership (Joni Alexander) and our Director for Membership (Nick Skeet). Additionally, Welsh members draw support from a range of expert advisers through their member benefits. Our work also draws from a wide and well-regarded team of associates with expertise in leadership, governance, EDI, teaching and learning with a strong understanding of the Welsh context in these disciplines.
Contact your Head of Membership
If you would like to speak your dedicated Head of Membership for Wales Joni Alexander, please click the link below.
Focusing on Welsh HE priorities
Our formal engagement with the Welsh HE sector is through the Advance HE stakeholder group, held biannually with representation from the sector and sector bodies. The Head of Membership also engages with the sector more broadly through relationships with institutions and organising the Advance HE Wales network groups:
- Advance HE WIG (Wales Institutional Group for learning and teaching)
- Advance HE Wales EDI Liaison Group
We also engage with other groups and organisations by invitation. For example, Welsh Clerks and Secretaries; Joint ChUW and Welsh Clerks and Secretaries group; PVC Learning and Teaching Network; PVC Research and Innovation group; NUS Wales; Colegau Cymru; and Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol.
Advance HE’s membership offer for Wales 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 Benefits Specific to Wales
Member institutions in Wales will have access to the wide range of Advance HE member benefits detailed in our Membership 2022-2023 brochure. 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. Consideration of the Welsh context will be embedded into the design of these benefits.
In addition to the global member benefits, member institutions in Wales also have access to a suite of tailored member benefits themed around contemporary challenges facing the Welsh tertiary sector. Consultation is still ongoing with member institutions to finalise these priorities, however, they may include:
Programmes
- Tertiary Sector Evolution
- Focus on cross-nations practice sharing and convening
Events, workshops and webinars
- Developing a strategic approach to embedding sustainability
- Supporting a whole-institution understanding of the Race Equality Charter and its role in the progress
- Collaborative leadership in tertiary education and research space
Welsh networks facilitated or supported by Advance HE
- Wales Institutional Group (WIG) for learning and teaching
- EDI Network Group
- Welsh Principal Fellows network
- OSD Cymru (organisational and staff development)
Events
If you would like to know more about the events, contact the Head of Membership for Wales, Joni Alexender.
Strategic and Sustainable: Shaping strategy for a collaborative tertiary education sector
28 March 2023, Cardiff (11:00 - 14:30)
As Wales continues to differentiate itself as a leader in sustainability and a pioneer in tertiary education, Advance HE will host strategic leaders from member institutions to consider how they shape their strategies to drive change. A panel discussion will explore the future of tertiary education in Wales with a newly created funder/regulator and how this shapes their strategic role in delivering civic mission. A workshop will further explore how institutions can develop strategies and plans that put sustainability goals at their heart to drive institutional and sector change.
This in-person member benefit event is invite-only to our members in Wales and will draw participation from executive leadership teams. Lunch will be provided.
As Wales continues to differentiate itself as a leader in sustainability and a pioneer in tertiary education, Advance HE will host strategic leaders from member institutions to consider how they shape their strategies to drive change. A panel discussion will explore the future of tertiary education in Wales with a newly created funder/regulator and how this shapes their strategic role in delivering civic mission. A workshop will further explore how institutions can develop strategies and plans that put sustainability goals at their heart to drive institutional and sector change.
This in-person member benefit event is invite-only to our members in Wales and will draw participation from executive leadership teams. Lunch will be provided.
Webinar: Developing collaborative leadership within Wales’ early career researchers
May 2023 (Online)
As part of the agenda in Wales’ research and innovation to collaborate to achieve more, Advance HE supports early career researchers to develop leadership skills alongside the policy context unique to the nation. This webinar will combine theory with practice on collaborative leadership whilst signposting to networks and resources.
This online member benefit webinar is for early career researchers at Advance HE member institutions in Wales who aspire to work more collaboratively within and beyond their institutions.
As part of the agenda in Wales’ research and innovation to collaborate to achieve more, Advance HE supports early career researchers to develop leadership skills alongside the policy context unique to the nation. This webinar will combine theory with practice on collaborative leadership whilst signposting to networks and resources.
This online member benefit webinar is for early career researchers at Advance HE member institutions in Wales who aspire to work more collaboratively within and beyond their institutions.
Webinar: Supporting your institution’s work to progress anti-racism
June 2023 (Online)
All universities in Wales are now formally pursuing a whole-institution approach towards race equality and anti-racism. This follows the Welsh Government’s Anti-racist Wales Action Plan published in 2022. This webinar is for institutional staff and students at members of the Race Equality Charter to learn more about the policy context in Wales and what the Charter does to help support it.
This online member benefit webinar is for staff and students not working directly with their institution’s Race Equality Charter team yet want to learn more about the work and they can be involved. Advance HE will open the webinar for registration in spring/summer 2023.
All universities in Wales are now formally pursuing a whole-institution approach towards race equality and anti-racism. This follows the Welsh Government’s Anti-racist Wales Action Plan published in 2022. This webinar is for institutional staff and students at members of the Race Equality Charter to learn more about the policy context in Wales and what the Charter does to help support it.
This online member benefit webinar is for staff and students not working directly with their institution’s Race Equality Charter team yet want to learn more about the work and they can be involved. Advance HE will open the webinar for registration in spring/summer 2023.
Networks
If you would like to know more about the networks, contact the Head of Membership for Wales, Joni Alexender.
Wales Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Network
This member-benefit network convenes practitioners within Welsh higher education working within Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) three times a year through online half-day sessions. The network invites all Advance HE member institutions to nominate up to two participants to join with the group meeting three times during the academic year across each term.
Meetings for 2022/23:
- 12 October 2022
- 8 February 2023 – Race Equality Enhancement Network
- 14 June 2023
To participate in the network, contact your institution’s senior executive with responsibility for EDI.
Meetings for 2022/23:
- 12 October 2022
- 8 February 2023 – Race Equality Enhancement Network
- 14 June 2023
To participate in the network, contact your institution’s senior executive with responsibility for EDI.
Wales Institutional Group (Learning and Teaching)
This member benefit network convenes practitioners within Welsh higher education working within learning and teaching three times a year through online half-day sessions. The network invites all Advance HE member institutions to nominate up to two participants to join with the group meeting three times during the academic year across each term.
Meetings for 2022/23:
- 7 February 2023 – Q&A on the new Professional Standards Framework and a discussion on Employability in the Curriculum
- 13 June 2023
To participate in the network, please get in touch with your institution’s senior executive responsible for learning and teaching.
Meetings for 2022/23:
- 7 February 2023 – Q&A on the new Professional Standards Framework and a discussion on Employability in the Curriculum
- 13 June 2023
To participate in the network, please get in touch with your institution’s senior executive responsible for learning and teaching.
HEFCW Funded Projects
If you would like to know more about the HEFCW Funded projects, contact the Head of Membership for Wales, Joni Alexender.
Wales Race Equality Enhancement Network
This network is dedicated to supporting the Welsh higher education sector make progress towards race equality and supports the Anti-racist Wales Action Plan. All regulated higher education institutions in Wales are invited to participate in the initial four sessions running from February to July 2023.
To participate in the network, contact your institution’s senior executive with responsibility for EDI.
To participate in the network, contact your institution’s senior executive with responsibility for EDI.
Supporting Strategic Practice in Employability symposia and case studies
A series of four symposia with action learning sets will support the higher education sector further develop its work within employability following on from the 2022 report Employability in the Curriculum. All regulated higher education institutions in Wales are invited to participate and with their involvement a series of case studies will be published.
Symposia for 2023:
- 14 February (in person)
- 29 March (online)
- 9 May (online)
- 19 June (in person)
To participate in the symposia or contribute to a case study, contact your institution’s senior executive with responsibility for employability.
Symposia for 2023:
- 14 February (in person)
- 29 March (online)
- 9 May (online)
- 19 June (in person)
To participate in the symposia or contribute to a case study, contact your institution’s senior executive with responsibility for employability.
Student Partnership in Governance
September 2023 (Cardiff)
This one-day in-person event will enable governing bodies to better support and benefit from the contribution of student governors as the higher education sector in Wales seeks to further student partnership. This event will bring together student governors and their students’ union chief executives, along with university chairs and secretaries, to support and commit to learning engagement. This follows on from the Advance HE Guide for Student Governors published in 2022.
What member benefit would you like to see Advance HE deliver bespoke for Wales in the future? Get in touch with Head of Membership (Wales) Joni Alexander.
This one-day in-person event will enable governing bodies to better support and benefit from the contribution of student governors as the higher education sector in Wales seeks to further student partnership. This event will bring together student governors and their students’ union chief executives, along with university chairs and secretaries, to support and commit to learning engagement. This follows on from the Advance HE Guide for Student Governors published in 2022.
What member benefit would you like to see Advance HE deliver bespoke for Wales in the future? Get in touch with Head of Membership (Wales) Joni Alexander.
Towards 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 bring leaders and practitioners together from across these national 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.
Working with the Welsh language
Advance HE is committed to providing a proportional response to the need for resources in the Welsh language, and is engaging with the community to make key resources available bilingually. Applications for Fellowships in Welsh are now supported and we will be welcoming applications to teaching awards bilingually, as well.
Head of Membership (Wales)- Joni Alexander
Joni is Head of Membership for Wales, supporting universities and colleges to shape the future of tertiary education. Most recently, Joni led NUS Wales and NUS-USI (Northern Ireland) as director. Originally from Oklahoma, she worked as a journalist in the USA and then the UK after studying at Cardiff University (MA International Journalism, 2009).
