HE Professional Annual Conference 2024

Tuesday 8th October 2024
9:30 am - 2:20pm
Virtual Conference

The HE Professional Annual Conference will explore institution-wide solutions for delivering high impact, joined-up services that maximise student outcomes amid unprecedented demand and funding pressures.

The Conference will explore solutions on:

  • Leading organisational transformation to maximise service impact

  • Managing workload and complex demand across higher education professional services

  • Delivering services effectively amid unrivalled funding pressures

  • Adopting new approaches to enhancing the student journey across an institution

  • Breaking down silos and supporting meaningful collaboration across services

  • Horizon scanning: What will professional service delivery look like in 2030 and beyond?

Headline Speakers Confirmed for 2024

Professor Edward Peck
Vice Chancellor and President, Nottingham Trent University
Higher Education Student Support Champion

Dr Sammy Li
Assistant Director of Student Affairs (Postgraduate and Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion)
University of Birmingham

Dr Brooke Storer-Church
Chief Executive
Guild HE

Why Attend the Annual Conference?

Real solutions on service design and delivery

Discover fresh thinking from across the HE Professional network

Plan and prepare your team for the service demands of the future

Agenda

09:30 am

Chair’s Welcome Address

Kelli Wolfe
Deputy Academic Registrar
University of Roehampton (CONFIRMED)

09:40 am

HE Professional Annual Keynote Address: Designing An Evidence Based Approach for Improved Student Support

  • Understanding what works and the foundations for re-designing student support

  • Operationalising the Student Needs Framework

  • Developing solutions to improve transitions across the student journey

  • The next steps on developing impactful student analytics that supports meaningful interventions on engagement and wellbeing

Professor Edward Peck
Vice Chancellor and President, Nottingham Trent University
Higher Education Student Support Champion (CONFIRMED)

10:00 am

How Do We Deliver Impact Amid Unprecedented Funding Pressures?

  • The state of play on financial sustainability and the risks facing the sector

  • The big decisions on service delivery amid funding constraints

  • How service leaders can continue to drive innovation and be ambitious on student outcomes in this context

  • How can the higher education sector demonstrate its effectiveness to policy leaders and be bold on reform?

Dr Brooke Storer-Church
Chief Executive
Guild HE (CONFIRMED)

Lynda Brady
Pro Vice-Chancellor (Student Experience) & University Secretary
Edge Hill University (CONFIRMED)

Dr Michelle Morgan
Dean of Students
University of East London (CONFIRMED)

Professor Lesley Haig
Vice Chancellor
Health Sciences University (CONFIRMED)

10:50 am

Break and Networking

11:10 am

Solutions on Overcoming Workload Complexity

Professor Damien Page
Deputy Vice Chancellor
Buckinghamshire New University (CONFIRMED)

11:40 am

From Surviving to Thriving: Professional Development When There's No Budget for Training

  • Invisibility of professional services staff 

  • Empowering individuals to own their own professional development

  • Disrupting definitions of success and progression

  • Creative ways to find, recognise and evaluate development opportunities

Rachel Reeds
Senior Admissions Manager (Faculty Operations), Anglia Ruskin University
Author, Surviving and Thriving in Higher Education Professional Services: A Guide to Success

12:10 pm

Break and Networking

1:00 pm

Breaking the Deadlock on Professional Service Diversity

  • Examining the persistent lack of diversity in senior professional service roles in higher education

  • What needs to change to support progression for underrepresented groups

  • Unlocking diverse thinking to improve decision-making

  • Challenging the system barriers and what all of us can do to drive advancement of diverse leaders

Dr Sammy Li
Assistant Director of Student Affairs (Postgraduate and, Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion)
University of Birmingham (CONFIRMED)

1:20 pm

Reimagining Service Delivery in Lean Times

The University of Leeds is, like many other universities, facing strategic challenges to improve efficiency and drive down costs.

In this session, we will share with you some of the specific challenges we are facing including institutional complexity, process standardisation and consistency in approach.

Our presentation will highlight a combination of tactical and strategic interventions which, together, will enable us to realise our aspirations of improved service efficiency and effectiveness in support of our academic mission.

The first half of the session will focus on the tactical – the immediate measures we are undertaking right now; and we will provide insight into our longer-term strategy to redesign services, processes and digital infrastructure and embed a culture of continuous improvement, in the latter part of the session.

Sarah Mulholland
Deputy Chief Operating Officer (Student Education and Experience)
University of Leeds (CONFIRMED)

Stewart Ross
Deputy Chief Operating Officer
University of Leeds (CONFIRMED)

1:50 pm

From the Ground Up: Building a Belonging Framework with Students

Dr Tom Ritchie
Director of Student Experience
University of Warwick (CONFIRMED)

2:20 pm

Annual Conference Close

*Programme subject to change

Audience

This Annual Conference is open for free to all HE Professional Premium Members. Tickets will also be available for the wider sector, those in attendance will include:

  • Academic Registrars

  • Chief Operating Officers

  • Directors of Library and Student Support

  • Directors of Strategic Planning

  • Directors of Student Services

  • Directors of Teaching and learning

  • Heads of Academic Services

  • Heads of Careers Services

  • Heads of Complaints and Conduct

  • Heads of Digital

  • Heads of Faculty Operations

  • Heads of Learning Enhancement

  • Heads of Marketing and Admissions

  • Heads of Quality Assurance and Enhancement

  • Heads of Reporting and Evaluation

  • Heads of School or Faculty

  • Heads of Student Experience

  • Heads of Student Success

  • Heads of Student Wellbeing

  • Heads of Widening Participation

  • Pro Vice Chancellors

Attend with a HE Professional Subscription

HE Professional is an annual renewal subscription package allowing you to attend all our events over the next 12 months for just £395 + VAT.

As a member you also gain exclusive access to our premium content, allowing you to explore the latest practice, innovation and ideas for professional service leaders in higher education.

Secure Your Ticket

Non Member (HE)

£345 + VAT

Attendance to HE Professional Annual Conference

Private Sector

£395 + VAT

Attendance to HE Professional Annual Conference

Premium Member

Free

Free as part of a premium HE Professional subscription

For group discounts and enquiries about your registration please contact us on enquiries@heprofessional.co.uk