ACDS T&L Conf 2017 The Wrapup

Session 1: Leading Uptake Beyond Individual Innovators Strategies for engaging Heads and Deans Change is inevitable, race to be known for ‘best practice’ Benchmarking with other schools/institutions Indicate savings or revenue, addressing attrition Innovation needs to be incentivised New role: AD (strategy & innovation)??? Scaling up: Peer observation needs to be embraced Showcasing best practice to the ‘middle ground’ Where seed funding is being used, is it being used well?

Session 1: Leading Uptake Beyond Individual Innovators PD and training: Embrace a cultural of ongoing PD. Delivered by ‘central’, or ‘in-house’? Frame narrative around ensuring ‘best practice’ Value of informal PD – The open classroom Integrated PD into workload Educational technologies Technology is the means and not the end Need for better tech in some areas Technology as an enabler, not to increase workload Support! More suited to central support?

Session 2: Supporting Session Staff Is TA Training Important? Yes!! Gerry Rayner: Models for customised and continual PD and training. Need to rethink the argument for cuts. Aishling Flaherty: Invest in sessional staff, and change their self-perception to empower them. Inherently changes the way they perform. Impact of student retention and quality. Mauro Mocerino: Provide proper training. Worth investing in. Career Development The value proposition of a strong sessional workforce A 4 year PhD Scholarship that incorporates TA allocation?

Session 3: Pathways for Leaders in Science Education Future leaders regularly come through first year programs New T&L leaders don’t always enter these roles well prepared (policy/procedures/leadership), but have the drive, motivation, management skills to succeed. The ‘accidental leader’. Potential future leaders need to be identified early, and nutured, provided opportunities. Deans need to consider succession planning Perception exists it can be the poison chalice. Genuine concerns for some if research outputs suffer. What are the incentives for the next leaders, given that so many are driven by a pure desire to ‘improve things’.

Session 4: Work-Integrated Learning WIL Group conversation Group: Deans HoS – How we enable the WIL agenda Some placements are well organised, but some are bespoke and wide spread: eg IT education Should the chief scientist get involved in STEM WIL? A new role? AD (WIL)??? Adjunct and alumni – are we co-ordinating to leverage this? Are we embedding WIL in the curriculum?   Group 1. Challenges: Biggest challenge – developing, maintaining a list Use professional organisations to help build this list Importance of a strong institutional framework – HR and Technical, within the university – administrative and academic. Think WIN WIN – collaboration and partnership – the more we address strategies the better Standardised contracts Challenges working with small business Central or faculty based – faculty based Scaling up takes time What to do with students who are difficult to place Group 2. What can Faculty leaders do to advance the WIL agenda? Provide fabulous support Encouraging everyone to use every relationship, linkages projects, using returning students Importance of drawing on alumni relationships – giving alumni a reason to stay in contact Look for real problems to address in the curriculum Faculty leaders to hire and do it as their job Asking alumni to give back not just give money

Session 4: Work-Integrated Learning Group 1. Challenges: Biggest challenge – developing, maintaining a list – and that scaling up can take years Using professional organisations to help build this list Importance of a strong institutional framework – HR, Standardised contracts etc. Challenges working with small business What to do with students who are difficult to place

Session 4: Work-Integrated Learning Group 2. What can Faculty leaders do to advance the WIL agenda? Really think about WIL as a collaboration between us and industry Encouraging everyone to use every relationship, linkages projects, using returning students Importance of drawing on alumni relationships – giving alumni a reason to stay in contact Look for real problems to address in the curriculum Asking alumni to give back not just give money We need to start the WIL conversation with students from Year 1 onwards …

Session 5: FYiS network What are the top 5 issues identified by this group? Transition to university Diversity of Student Backgrounds Admin, organisation, management (getting data, id at-risk) Retention Engagement But how does this align with what FYCs themselves think?

Session 5: FYiS network Potential role of FYiSM network Giving staff space to share perspectives Networking forum – formal and informal sharing Sharing variety of ways in which unis create/structure this type of role Combining/sharing best practice, strategies, resources to engage students more effectively This allows discussion of consistency and timing of assessment, as well as supporting innovation and sharing Create sense of identity – validation and confidence Needs to be a structured way of feeding positive outcomes back to Deans etc

ACDS T&L Conf 2017 The Wrapup