08:50 - 09:30 

Registration and refreshments

09:30 - 09:40

Welcome address

09:40 - 10:05

Keynote address

10:05 - 11:00 

Delivering positive student outcomes in challenging times

In this opening session, a high-level panel will explore the twin priorities, and the tensions that can exist between them, of driving income growth through student enrolments; and supporting the progression and attainment of all students. Attention will be given to how funding models might adapt to reflect the challenges facing UK universities; and about the role that professional services staff play in enabling business school strategy.

11:00 - 11:30

Break

11:30 - 12:30

Breakout sessions

Student recruitment: trends and future planning

In this session, we discuss current and future trends in student recruitment, particularly of undergraduate and international students. Our panel will share their approach to future planning based on these trends, and how they see student recruitment contributing to universities’ income in the future. 

Navigating university reorganisations and restructurings 

In this session, we will explore how professional services staff are affected by reorganisations and restructurings within universities, which create ‘flows’ of  staff to and from central university teams and schools, department and faculties. A panel will discuss why universities undergo such restructurings, and how to approach their implications and challenges for professional services staff. 

Fostering support for managers

This session will address the specific challenges faced by managers, who typically act as a buffer between senior leadership and staff. Faced with increasing financial pressures, managers are often stretched between finding ways to 'do more with less' and preserving their teams' morale and wellbeing. The panel will discuss how to effectively support this group and ensure their own wellbeing at work.  

Nurturing the professional development of business school professional services staff

This session will address the main barriers to professional development provision for staff, from resourcing and budget allocation, to individual motivation. With increasing financial pressure, we will explore how senior professional services staff can make the case for their team's development, unlock budget, and encourage their teams to upskill. 

12:30 - 13:30

Lunch

13:30 - 13:40

Afternoon opening remarks

13:40 - 14:05

Keynote speech

14:05 - 15:00

Staff recruitment: Getting the right person for the right role

This session will address how senior professional services staff can adapt their recruitment strategies to ensure they attract and secure the right profiles, in light of the recent evolutions in the employment market and business school context. The panel will consider what 'good recruitment' looks like, which processes can be put in place or updated to support recruitment, and how to attract quality candidates.  

15:00 - 15:30

Break

15:30 - 16:30

Breakout sessions

Creating learning environments that cater to diverse student needs

Business school student cohorts are typically very diverse (origin, age, etc.), leading to a wide disparity in student needs, wants and experience. In this session, we consider how best to cater to a broad range of student profiles and foster more inclusive schools, and how this translates into positive student outcomes and supports a business school’s NSS scores.  

Doing more with less: Using emerging technologies to increase efficiency

This session will explore how emerging technologies, including AI, can be used to improve staff efficiency against a backdrop of 'doing more with less'. The panel will share examples of redesigning, transforming and/or automating processes using new technologies, and will consider how to manage the opportunities and challenges that these changes create for their teams. 

Creating communities: Fostering a sense of belonging in staff

This session will explore the role communities play in cultivating supportive and inclusive working environments and promoting staff wellbeing. The panel will discuss how to foster a sense of belonging in staff, and will consider strategies to balance the need for community building with the demands of hybrid and remote working. 

Leading through change: Supporting teams in challenging times

In this session, we discuss how senior professional services staff can best support their teams as the business school landscape undergoes important changes. The panel will consider the impact of change and increasing financial constraints on teams' morale and wellbeing, and will share best practice on leading through these changes to come out on top. 

16:30

Conference close

This years’ conference takes place at:

The Great Hall at the Sutherland Building
Northumbria University Newcastle
Ellison Pl
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE1 8ST

Click for directions

If you have any operational queries then please contact enquiries@charteredabs.org