The International Entrepreneurship Educators Conference Sharing experience across contexts: UK Higher Education Academy Subject Centres

The Higher Education Academy Mission: To help institutions, discipline groups and all staff to provide the best possible learning experience for all their students. “If it matters to students, it matters to us” Access – first year experience – retention – services & support – e-learning – enterprise –employability – research training Focus on the Student learning lifecycle :

Academy Key areas of activity Influencing policy Supporting institution’s strategies Professional development and recognition Promoting good practice Supporting subject communities Undertaking research and evaluation

Subject Centres

Subject Network

Higher Education Academy/DfES Entrepreneurship Project Project Aim The overall objective of this project was to put in place the background information and materials needed for curriculum development in the field of promoting self-employment as a viable option for graduates. This was in two phases. The first phase – reviewing the current situation, gathering intelligence via Market Research, listening to the views and experiences of budding and actual entrepreneurs –lasted until the end of the operational year, March 2003 The second phase, beginning in April 2004, disseminated materials via the Subject Centre networks.

Subject Centres involved 15 out of 24 Subject Centres submitted bids. 10 were successful: Built Environment Engineering English Geography, Earth and Environment Hospitality, Sport, Leisure and Tourism Informatics and Computer Science Law Performing Arts Philosophical and Religious Studies Sociology, Anthropology and Politics

Higher Education Academy/DfES Entrepreneurship Project Outputs This was a short-term project with a finite budget. The outputs were therefore precise, realistic and straightforward: 1.A review of current interesting and good practice (materials and processes), leading to: –The development of web-based products which can be integrated into the academic curriculum - “tools” for the Subject Centres to customise for their subject communities –Up to a dozen Case-studies or “stories” on student /graduate experiences in considering self-employment. These should be aimed at the student reader, but in a form which can be used by staff in their teaching. 2. A seminar for Subject Centres in March 2004 to update them on the materials and support available for their own dissemination projects 3. A major ‘Expert Seminar’ in February 2005 to publicise the benefits of encouraging enterprise and entrepreneurship among graduates.

Higher Education Academy/DfES Entrepreneurship Project Monitoring, evaluation and feedback A Monitoring, evaluation and Feedback model was developed for use with the Subject Centres and by the Subject Centres with their subject communities. It was then be made generally available on the web for use by HEIs and individual departments wishing to monitor their entrepreneurship initiatives.

Current and future work ( ) Influencing national and regional policy with regard to enterprise through working with NCGE Sustaining an enterprise ‘community of practice’ involving 22 Subject Centres –Supporting 5 collaborative Subject Centre projects Led by: Biosciences; History, Classics & Archaeology; Dance, Drama & Music; Physical Sciences; Built Environment –Undertaking a subject mapping exercise Co-ordinated by NCGE Engaging relevant Centres of Excellence in Teaching & Learning (CETLs) in developing cross-institutional enterprise communities of practice

Further information: