Breaking down the barriers Valerie Cotter Dee MacCormack
Breaking down the barriers
Valerie CotterDee MacCormack
What’s at the centre of the university?
Here be dragons......
forms
more forms
questions deadlines
reminders for deadlines
even more forms
a deadline for responding to the deadline you’ve already missed
Aaarghh!!!!!
CUP - a brief history
• a better understanding of the issues faced by academic departments• a chance to get to know Faculty colleagues better• potential opportunities for service improvement • new projects and developments
CUP is part of a range of staff development activities in Student Services. We began to develop the idea in 2011, with a view to expanding the opportunities available to our staff and at the same time strengthening our partnerships with other departments and services (a key theme of the Student Services strategy).
Aims and benefits
The CUP model
Work-shadowing
Meet the departmentA one-day event providing an introduction to the work of an academic department
Seeing a ‘slice’ of another person’s working life either over the course of a day or as a series of ‘slots’
Working in partnership with the Faculty of Arts and Humanities we ran a pilot version of CUP during 2012.
Resources:Time!Key benefits:• two-way process of sharing• new contacts and enhancing existing relationships• opportunities to work more closely together• pooling resources/expertise
Key points to consider:Spend some time on initial planningMake sure participants are clear about what’s involvedHave one point of contact Get the backing of senior colleagues
www.sheffield.ac.uk/ssd/staff/training/cup
Understanding how academic departments work: the Centre of the University ProgrammeHave you ever wondered what the academic department contact you talk to and email all the time actually looks like?
Or thought that there might be ways to work together more effectively, if only you had the time and opportunity to talk about it?
Do you know whether your team’s priorities, deadlines and busy periods match up with those in academic departments – or are they completely different?
And whether the policies and procedures you’ve helped to put together or implement are understood by, and helpful to, academic departments?
Did CUP have the answers...?
Me and my shadow
What did the participants think…..?
‘I found the experience rewarding – it gave me an insight into how students view the University and the effort that academic departments put into supporting them’
‘Looking at someone else’s work and department helped me to see my own work and role more clearly’.
‘I would like the programme to be extended throughout the University’
What has been happening since CUP?
Student Services and
Faculty of Arts & Humanities
2012
Student Services and
Faculty of Engineering
2013
Faculty of Arts and Humanities and
Corporate Information and
Computing Services
2013
Faculty of Engineering
and Corporate Information and
Computing Services
2013
Developing a wider framework
theSheffieldPROFESSIONAL
Building trustWe consider other’s needs, taking pridein to communicating in a straightforward
and appropriate way• Open and honest
• Good listeners
• Effective communicators
• Prepared to challengeand be challengedCreating
knowledgeWe are committed todeveloping our own
knowledge and skills as wellas supporting world classteaching and research
• Imaginative
• Inspired by working in excellence
• Open to new ideas
• Keen to learn andshare knowledge
One
teamWe create a working
environment based onmutual respect,
trust and team spirit• Supportive of each other
• Collaborative
• Have fun together
• Celebrate success
Playing our partWe care about doing the right thing
for students and colleagues,valuing everyone’s contribution
• Being the best we can be
• Creating opportunities for everyone
• Embracing and welcoming diversity
• Taking personal responsibility
TheSheffield
Professional
Pursue the extraordinaryhttp://www.shef.ac.uk/sheffieldprofessionals/index
Questions for discussion
In what other ways can we encourage colleagues to build bridges not barriers?
What models are likely to be most effective at engaging academic colleagues?
Would this model work in your institution?
Are there other approaches that deliver similar outcomes – please share!
For further information contact: