1. Opportunities and Challenges
Working in Consortia
Opportunities and Challenges
Sue Starbuck: South East DTC

2. About us
Consortium of 4 universities: Kent, Reading, Royal Holloway and Surrey managed by Surrey
DTC Manager based at Surrey (financed by partners)
DMG: 2 senior social science academics from each partner, student reps and senior administrators
“Pathway leads and co-ordinators” i.e. subject representatives at each partner
Administrative, Finance and e-learning contacts at each partner

3. Opportunities Access to Wider Expertise: Academic and Managerial
Community: Wider and more diverse
Cohort: Larger and more diverse; greater support
Networking and External Engagement: Both Student and Staff
Training: Wider range and greater rationalisation
Greater opportunity to Add Value
Time: Stability

4. Challenges: Part 1 Community: Building a community
Cohort: Creating a sense of belonging in students
Culture of the organisation, direction from above
Communication: Practical and emotional
Resistance of individuals to new processes and to involvement or “interference”
Cost

5. Challenges: Part 2 Coordination Complexity Time: speed of reaction
Studentship process
Allocation of studentships across institutions
Bidding for extra funding
Alignment of policies and procedures
Financial
Logistics of Training : distances; numbers
Time: speed of reaction

6. Minimising the Challenges
Attitude
Engagement
Support
Creativity
Choosing the right partners
Developing a good working relationship
Building the right foundations

7. Contact details Sue Starbuck Charlotte Ayling: DTC Manager
Charlotte Ayling: DTC Manager
Professor Nigel Fielding: DTC Director