As ever, our member institutions and colleagues employed at those institutions are at the heart of everything we do. In order to make our member benefits as available and accessible to you as possible, each month this summary will provide an overview of recent and upcoming member benefit activity, including the Connect Benefit Series and Fellowship and Accreditation, including the Athena Swan and Race Equality charters.
Advance HE member benefits are open to all colleagues at Advance HE member institutions. Our member benefits are built from services our members have enjoyed over many years, plus new services developed based on your feedback to ensure greater accessibility and engagement.
Collaborative Development Fund
Established to enable collaborations between our members to address challenges within the HE sector, the Collaborative Development Fund (CDF) is supporting twelve projects currently in progress for the 2021-22 member benefit year.
We are pleased to share these updates on the 2021-22 CDF projects.
Inclusive institutions: enabling and supporting culture change
This project comprises four research studies which collate and interpret a range of techniques, approaches and lessons learned from current work to help HEIs transform, enable and support inclusive culture, ways of working, or the delivery of key strategic aims.
Imperial College London, in partnership with the University of Reading, have undertaken a project - Supporting the Identity Development of Underrepresented Students (SIDUS) - highlighting their student-staff partnership approach to co-develop EDI pedagogical materials.
The University of Salford contribution to the project - Inclusive structures driving transformational change - produced an interactive case study emerging from research conducted on ten cultural enablers affecting transformational change within their own institution.
Collaborative Development Fund: Inclusive institutions capstone report
In this report, Advance HE Senior Advisor Kim Ansell reflects on the CDF projects, summarises how inclusivity as a strategic enabler for culture change operates in some HE institutions, and highlights practices and experiences that members can learn from. You can read Kim's report here.
You can read more about the Inclusive Institutions project here.
College-based HE Network: a collaborative space for developing HE culture and practice
This project, conducted by a team from the University Centre Leeds, aims to co-create spaces for leaders of college-based tertiary or higher education across the UK in order to share practices, devise solutions to meet their challenges and opportunities, and build stronger links with the Advance HE community. You can find out more about this project here.
An insights report has recently been published on the CBHE network, providing recommendations for future outputs. Read the report here.
Exploring a holistic approach to equality, diversity and inclusion
This project undertaken by Newcastle University explores the potential of adopting a holistic approach to equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) that will support Advance HE members to focus on those equalities that matter most to them.
Members and colleagues at UK institutions are invited to give their views and feedback on a holistic approach to EDI in an online consultation survey. The survey closes on 16 August 2022.
You can find out more about the project and consultation here.
Outputs from each CDF project will become available from July. You can find more information and updates on all the CDF projects for 2021-22 here.
Member Benefits review 2021-22
In response to our members' priorities for the 2021-22 academic year, we continued to provide practical solutions and support through a number of innovative projects and services.
With members' wishes in mind, we focused our support on the following areas:
- helping to rethink online pedagogy and factors impacting on student success
- creating and sustaining an inclusive institution
- transitions, retention and progression for the ‘Covid generation’
- maintaining and nurturing organisational wellbeing
- developing institutions and staff capability for a post-Covid environment.
Connect Benefit Series
Our Connect Benefit Series addressed contemporary challenges facing our members through a suite of diverse projects:
- Transitions, retention and progression
- Leading change through teams and networks
- Inclusive institutions: enabling and supporting culture change
- Student success
- Organisational wellbeing
Global leadership survey and framework
This project aimed to generate an evidence base for leadership in HE in order to provide a platform for a global leadership framework for enhancement and recognition. You can read more about the project here.
Exploring a holistic approach to equality, diversity and inclusion
This consultation exercise explored the potential of a holistic approach to EDI that will support members to focus on those equalities that matter most to them. Read more about the project here.
Member Benefits 2022-23: a look ahead
Continuing our commitment to helping our members achieve their institutional goals, upcoming projects for the next academic year include:
- Sustainability: Realising the Ambition
- Good Campus Relations and Freedom of Speech
- Beyond Flexible Learning
- Student Outcomes
- Governance Enhancement Projects
- International Higher Education: What Next?
- Leadership for the Future
- Tertiary Education
More information will be available on the 2022-23 projects in due course.
Recent and upcoming publications
Report: College-based HE Network: Insights report and recommendations for future outputs
A new insights report on the CBHE network for Advance HE college-based members across the UK is published providing recommendations for future outputs. Download here.
Imperial College London and University of Reading - Supporting the Identity Development of Underrepresented Students: project outputs
As part of our Collaborative Development Fund: Inclusive Institutions project, Imperial College London, in partnership with the University of Reading, have undertaken a project highlighting their student-staff partnership approach to co-develop EDI pedagogical materials. Download here.
University of Salford - Inclusive structures driving transformational change: project outputs
This project explored cultural enablers that drive transformational change within the University of Salford. The findings are showcased through a range of digital assets providing an evidence base for members seeking to explore and embed inclusive culture transformation. Download here.
Upcoming report: Inclusive institutions capstone report (coming soon)
This capstone report will summarise some of our member’s reflections and insights from their current work to transform, enable and support an inclusive culture.