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.
Member Engagement Infographic
Our member engagement infographic provides a visual overview of how colleagues at our member institutions have engaged with our member benefits between 1 April 2021 - 31 March 2022, including the awarding of over 15,000 new fellows, Athena Swan and Race Equality Charter participants totalling over 240 institutions, and the awarding of 69 Teaching Excellence awards. Additionally 4,700 member colleagues registered for our live member-only events, and over 10,000 accessed 135 new publications and resources in our Knowledge Hub.
Connect Benefit Series – Organisational Wellbeing
The latest project in the Connect Benefit Series – Organisational Wellbeing – runs from May to July and will explore the link between healthy and prosperous universities and the wellbeing of staff and students.
This area of focus comprises a range of events and outputs, including blogs, podcasts, a Tweetchat, and the ‘Everyday Ways of Working’ series of recordings – plus an online workshop - offering practical approaches to enhancing wellbeing at work.
In her introductory blog, Advance HE's senior adviser Barbara Bassa explains how the project aims to embed wellbeing as a cornerstone of organisational thinking.
An Organisational Wellbeing Tweetchat took place on 25 May to provide colleagues an opportunity to discuss the importance of wellbeing in higher education.
The Organisational Wellbeing – Everyday Ways of Working series comprises three recordings, each considering practical ways in which we can create more wellbeing at work.
Episode 1 explores how personal wellbeing is affected by our perceptions about work.
Episode 2 focuses on ways to stimulate innovation at work to positively impact wellbeing across the workplace.
Episode 3 – released on 6 June - will explore mindful ways of working with others.
Reflective workshop
To complement the Everyday Ways of Working series, an online workshop will take place on Monday 4 July (11.00 BST) to allow participants to discuss and delve deeper into the approaches set out in the recordings, whilst sharing good practice and examining further ways of working that can enhance wellbeing. You can book your place here.
Connect Benefit Series - Student Success: Assessment and Feedback
The next area of focus in the Student Success series centres on the literature review ‘Impacts of Higher Education Assessment and Feedback Policy and Practice on Students: A Review of the Literature 2016-2021’, conducted by Professor Kathleen M. Quinlan and Dr Edd Pitt of the University of Kent.
In this introductory blog, Professor Quinlan and Dr Pitt reveal the process behind their research.
The review provides an insight into the literature, recognising that assessment and feedback practices are amongst the most powerful levers educators have for improving student learning. The authors advocate a broad conception of assessment and feedback to centre student learning and prompt a rethinking of traditional views of assessment and feedback, providing several recommendations for practitioners, policy makers and researchers.
Professor Quinlan and Dr Pitt will speak to their review at an Assessment and feedback webinar on Thursday 9 June. The webinar will include a general overview of the research, a spotlight on key findings, and a Q&A session on the review, thematic area and broader findings. To accommodate as many colleagues as possible we will be running two sessions: click the time to book your place for either 07.00 BST or 1500 BST.
We will also be conducting an Assessment and Feedback summit on three separate dates to discuss and reflect on the literature review and its place in the overall Student Success Framework Series.
Book here for Monday 13 June
Book here for Monday 20 June
Book here for Wednesday 29 June
A series of Assessment and feedback podcasts will be published in June, and can be accessed via the Assessment and feedback page.
Connect Benefit Series – Inclusive institutions: enabling and supporting culture change
This project addresses the barriers that limit access and belonging, and particularly attention to removing barriers to marginalised groups, can only be created and sustained through an inclusive institution with a culture that is well aligned to purpose, values and goals. The project aims to:
- Stimulate new thinking for governing bodies and senior executive
- Consider wellbeing through the lens enabling culture
- Explore inclusive culture and creating the right conditions for academic staff to be innovative and deliver flexible teaching and learning.
- Identify ‘what works’ examples via case studies and reflections from a range of institutions.
Find out more here.
Athena Swan Charter Intention to Submit reminder
Members are kindly reminded that the intention to submit form for a July 2022 submission closes on 31 May 2022. Applicants planning to submit for the July 2022 round can access the form here.
Call for interest in Race Equality Charter Award Panel roles
We are currently recruiting for Chair and Panellist roles and invite interested colleagues to submit their applications by 13 June 2022 (23.59 BST).
Role descriptions, person specifications and application details can be found on our recruitment webpage here.
International event - Introduction to Principal Fellowship (14 June 16:00 AEST)
This free, open-to-all, 90-minute session is for Principal Fellowship for prospective applicants. It will provide an overview of the benefits of Principal Fellowship, the requirements for applying, and details of the resources and support available to applicants. Book your place here.
Recent and upcoming publications
Student Success: Assessment and feedback literature review: 2016-2021
Conducted by researchers at the University of Kent, this review provides an insight into the recent literature, recognising that assessment and feedback practices are amongst the most powerful levers educators have for improving student learning. Download here.
Podcast: Learning from Students' Union Governance
This podcast focuses on what makes students’ union governance unique and how higher education institutions, universities, colleges, and small and specialist institutions can gain from learning from and engaging with students’ unions. Download here.
Upcoming report: Exploring the impact of Principal Fellowship on individuals and institutions (coming soon)
Advance HE sponsored the University of Plymouth to conduct research with Principal Fellows globally to assess the impact of their award on their roles, individual identity and career, as well as the impact on the institutional enhancement of teaching and learning. This report details the methods and findings of this research which took place between August 2021 and December 2021.