…ance of the Office for Students. Though we didn’t get an inquiry from the Education Select Committee, the HoL Industry and Regulator’s Committee stepped up to the plate. In April, myself and others gave evidence to the committee. The Committee report affirmed many of the issues raised in the evidence-gathering sessions, particularly on the sustainability of higher education funding as it stands. We now look forward to working with the OfS construc…
…A Team swiftly mobilised to move our previous in-person training programme online, developing our Zoom facilitation skills as we went. We’ve hosted four online residential training schools, numerous remote elective sessions and a suite of virtual ‘catch up’ sessions that range from informal coffee socials to DTA Director lead subject discussions that provided academic advice to the DTA community. The training programme now also prepares fellows to…
…ung People. From September 2021 students will have access to 5 interactive online modules which consider the meaning of consent; myths and the law; ambiguities of consent including active and passive consent, and verbal and non-verbal communication of consent. Advice, support and reporting systems within the University, regionally and nationally are highlighted. The modules are not mandatory; however, data will be collected to ascertain how studen…
…We have all helped each other throughout the past twelve months and moving online has been challenging but extremely rewarding. We were definitely up to the challenge. We are still putting on a lot of events and volunteering opportunities but these are now online via MS Teams or Zoom. I have lost count of the number of virtual coffees I have had with students over the past few months! I am now working very closely with our Marketing and External A…
…we do this is by hosting some much-needed social relief such as our recent online Christmas quizzes and an upcoming end of academic year event. Why get involved in the first place? During the first year of my PhD, I encountered many challenges, including moving to a new continent, redesigning my research project and establishing fully remote working arrangements in light of Covid-19. What I have learnt, however, is that a PhD does not have to be a…
…sentation systems While it is great that Student Unions (SUs) cover postgraduate representation, I know from my own experience that undergraduate-focused SUs are not the best place for PhD issues to be actively listened to. PhD students need dedicated representation systems and the issues they raise need to be prioritised by their institutions. We need to see more initiatives like at the University of Brighton, where postgraduate research represen…
…ys disposed of in an environmentally sustainable manner. “Despite the introduction of waste management programmes, regulatory frameworks and policies to address the issue, improper waste disposal remains common practice across Nigeria. This is because these efforts do not tackle the root cause, which is the role society plays in the disposal of waste.” It is the first research of its kind to focus on Abuja and analyses the gap between the major st…
…We believe that the work of our universities – the research we do, the graduates we produce, the jobs we support and the businesses we grow– brings value to our regions, including in such key areas as public services, and major industries old and new. Alliance universities are deeply connected across our civic and local infrastructure, and as we look to recover from this crisis, we can use these connections, and our closeness to public services a…
…eading to a loss of momentum, frustration, higher opportunity costs, and reduced trust in the effectiveness of support programmes – often leading many to abandon their plans. A holistic and collaborative approach Recognising the fragmentation and challenges in traditional business support structures, the University of Hertfordshire has aimed to apply a holistic approach to the business support and innovation services it provides. The ultimate aim…
…ernative part-time or periodic routes, there is the potential for this new framework to be life-changing. Access to modular funding could reinvigorate part-time provision, drawing underrepresented groups more easily into affordable tertiary study. As a group of universities with expertise in skills-based education, it should represent an opportunity for Alliance institutions to build on our reputation for supporting a diverse student body, and mee…
