Discover and share good practice for smarter working universities

A SCD workshop at the University of Warwick

Simplify, collaborate, deliver at Warwick

Solving problems doesn't always have to be a job for the bosses. Darren Wallis explains what has been achieved at the University of Warwick by empowering staff to identify and implement solutions directly.

“The Sticky Campus”; improving our students’ sense of belonging through active learning, coffee and...

2018 promises to be an exciting and challenging year for universities and the Higher Education sector. Among the many less than positive news, there are also successful practices that make our universities stand out in the way in which they support their students’ experience, widen access and participation, and support their mental health and wellbeing. The ‘Sticky Campus’ at Abertay University is one such example. As Robertson explains and describes, the concept is simple and yet complex in its operationalisation.

Why Universities Should Be Investing In Lab Sustainability

While there has been some criticism on how universities invest in their estate, there are also example of innovative practices to make buildings more ecological sound and effective. The Lab Sustainability Initiative at the University of Bristol is one of such examples.
gignerbread men

Using service design techniques to map the student journey

Some universities are attempting to map the student journey in order to better understand the student experience. In this blogpost consultant Jean Mutton explains how service design techniques can help to develop a deeper understanding about what is driving students.
university lecture theatre

Lean: taking the strain out of admissions

Middlesex University has boosted staff confidence, reduced mundane tasks and produced a better student experience, simply by improving their admissions system. Karolin Arvidsson sets out how they did it.
The Aber-Bangor Strategic Alliance team

People, process and performance – a model for change in HE?

A project to bring the questions of people and performance together with lean methodologies has been developed by the Aber-Bangor Strategic Alliance with funding from the Innovation and Transformation Fund (ITF). The Alliance’s Chris Drew provides the first in a series of posts by the nine ITF-funded projects.
Sandra Heidinger, Director, Human Resources, University of Strathclyde

Sandra Heidinger: Measuring up at Strathclyde

With a clutch of awards for its business process improvement work, the University of Strathclyde’s achievements are getting UK-wide recognition. The university’s HR director Sandra Heidinger talks to Rosie Niven about how empowering staff is the key to organisational success.

Are students at the heart of our processes?

The University of Leicester has developed an approach to engaging senior leaders with the student experience. In the latest of our blogs from the nine Innovation and Transformation Fund projects, Claire King writes that the university believes it can provide valuable insight for institutions looking to develop similar approaches.

Donna Kendall: striving for success, the Coventry way

Coventry University has been one of the star performers in recent university ranking tables. The university’s pro vice chancellor for strategic development, Donna Kendall, tells Rosie Niven the role she plays in building on this success for the future.

Why We Should Be Engaging Students As Partners In Learning And Teaching

In this blog Dr Catherine Bovill, Senior Lecturer in Student Engagement from the University of Edinburgh, explores the reasons for rising interest in engaging students as partners in learning and teaching in higher education. She examines a range of different rationales and arguments used to support student-staff partnership.