How to get involved
There are so many ways you can get involved in the AUA. Detailed here are some ways in which you can use our networks, publications and events to further your professional development as well as contributing to the professionalisation of the Association.
Alongside all the ways shown here, you can get involved by simply telling us what you think. If you have an idea for an event, article, publication, or activity that you think the AUA should do then tell us by contacting the National Office.
1. Postgraduate Certificate in Professional Practice
2. CPD
Professional Behaviours Framework
CPD Pilot Projects
3. Networks
4. Governance
5. Events
6. Publications
newslink
perspectives
Good Practice Guides
Postgraduate Certificate
You may already know about our Postgraduate Certificate in Professional Practice and how you become a participant on the course. Did you also know that you can get involved by becoming a Mentor?
Being a mentor is a highly valuable and extremely rewarding experience. You are not only helping to play a vital role in a colleague’s professional and personal development, but are also giving something important back to higher education.
For more information on becoming a participant visit our PGCert pages, and for more information on becoming a Mentor visit our Mentor pages.
CPD
Professional Behaviours Framework
Our CPD framework is a significant milestone in the development of our profession. For the first time, there is a sector-wide framework to support the development of all professional services staff whose careers lie in higher education. The AUA CPD Framework is unique in that it aims to develop behaviours, not skills sets or competencies. The huge advantage of this means that, not only can it be used by anybody no matter what their role is, it can also be used for individuals, teams, departments or entire HEI’s. And the great thing is that there are plenty of tools on our website to help you develop and maintain your own CPD. Coming on our new Member Area soon will be the opportunity to load all your CPD along with your Personal Development Plan to your own profile on our website.
For more information about our Professional Behaviour Framework visit our CPD pages.
CPD Pilot Projects
Our HEFCE LGM funded CPD implementation project is in its second year. Over the course of the last couple of years we’ve had in excess of 40 projects start using our CPD Professional Behaviours Framework.
The AUA is offering a funded and supported opportunity for these pilot projects to implement the framework. A representative cohort of pilot partners will be supported to identify strategic development issues, design development interventions based on the Framework, and assess the impact of the initiative.
A collection of case studies and CPD tools deriving from these projects will form the basis of a freely accessible archive to support ongoing staff and organisational development initiatives across the sector. Look out for these coming soon.
Don't worry, it's not too late, we'll be taking one final cohort in late 2012 as part of the HEFCE funded project, and we can also offer bespoke consultancy for implementing the CPD Framework. Visit our CPD webpages for more information on the implementation project or contact the National Office for more information.
Networks
Our Networks encompass both geographical and professional interest networks.
Geographical Networks
You can get involved with activities happening in your area, institution or region.
Contact your Branch Coordinator to find out what is happening in your HEI, and if you don’t have one why not contact the National Office to find out more about the role.
You can also find out what is happening in your region and how you can get involved with these activities by contacting your Regional Coordinator.
Find out more about your geographical network and Network Coordinators here.
Interest Networks
Our Professional Interest Networks bring together acknowledged experts, as well as those with a general interest in a particular area, to foster a spirit of professional enquiry and also help create specialist experts of the future.
We have ten interest networks, you can find out what they do and how you can join them by visiting our special interest group pages.
Governance
Board of Trustees
The Board of Trustees comprises 13 Trustees, is supported by the Executive Director and AUA National Office, and is ultimately responsible for leading and executing the overall vision and direction adopted by the Association at its general meetings.
Trustees have, and must accept, ultimate responsibility for directing the affairs of the charity, ensuring that it is solvent and well-run, and delivering the charitable outcomes for the benefit of the public for which it was set up.
Trustees normally serve a term of office which lasts for three years. At least one place on the Board becomes available in August each year, so if you are interested in becoming a Trustee then contact the National Office for further information about the role.
Council
The AUA Council informs the Board’s important decisions and appoints a President to represent the AUA at the very highest level. The Council has 25 members made up from members and external stakeholders.
There are member, Fellow, Branch, Regional and Special Interest Group representatives on the council so if you have a query you would like to raise then you can contact these representatives.
For more information about the current members of the Council and how to contact them, visit the Council pages of our website.
Short Life Working Groups
Our short life working groups (SLWGs) are just that – they are set up with a specific purpose or remit and normally last six months. SLWGs are normally set up at a Board of Trustees meeting, report to the next Trustees meeting, and make recommendations to the Trustees meeting after that. SLWGs are normally made up of National Office, Board of Trustees, experts in the specified area and interested members. When we set up a new SLWG we will normally ask for expressions of interest from members, so look out for our next SLWG.
In recent times we have had SLWG’s for the Golden Jubilee, Membership Recognition and Reward and Strategic Review of Special Interest Groups. Currently we have a Curriculum Development SLWG. For more information about the Curriculum Development SLWG, click here.
Events
You can get involved with our events by presenting working sessions. Every year we ask for sessions submissions for our Annual Conference and Exhibition. Presenting at our Annual Conference gives you many benefits: if you have been involved in a successful process or project, or you’ve become an expert on a specific area, you can share this best practice with your colleagues; you have the opportunity to practise and refine your presentational skills; and of course there is the speaker discount we offer to all our presenters!
If our Annual Conference seems too intimidating for you then we have plenty of one day Conference and Specialist events throughout the years so contact the National Office to find out how you can become involved in these as well. For more information on any of our events visit our Events Pages
Publications
Newslink
Newslink is our quarterly newsletter. We regularly feature articles about developments in higher education, our professional development opportunities and our members. Member articles include regular features such as ‘A week in the life of’, ‘The Case for’ and ‘My PG Cert Journey’ as well as one off special editorials.
If you would like to submit an article for Newslink please contact the National Office.
perspectives
perspectives - policy and practice in higher education, is our quarterly peer reviewed journal and aims to be of practical use to higher education practitioners. perspectives features critical analyses of case studies which draw out lessons for the readers. perspectives is particularly useful to those study on the PGCert and of general interest to all who work in higher education.
For more information on submitting an article to perspectives, contact the National Office.
Good Practice Guides
Our Good Practice Guide series are another way in which members can share their experience of best practice. Our Good Practice Guides are normally short documents covering a specific area, in which the author has relevant extensive experience. All of our Good Practice Guides are now available on the new Members' Area of the website.
For more information on submitting a Good Practice Guide, please contact the National Office.