Our mission and strategy
Find out all about our mission and strategy.
Members only
Benefits
AMOSSHE membership includes a range of exclusive benefits that align with our mission to support, inform and empower our community of Student Services leaders.
Here's all our benefits.
What does being a member do for me?
As a Student Services professional, I’m looking for a professional organisation that will enhance every aspect of my work. What can you offer me?
We’re a not-for-profit professional membership association for all Student Services leaders in higher education, supporting professionals from all around the world. Our members include but are not limited to higher education providers, students, non-profit organisations, consultants, and more.
Our mission is to support, inform and empower our community of Student Services leaders to enhance the higher education student experience and help students fulfil their potential. We do this through collaboration and networking, sharing good practice, enhancing professional development and lobbying for change in higher education policies before the UK government.
Your needs at the centre of our strategy
We created a game that introduces you to three people representing our diverse membership community. Explore the game to follow their journey and see how our strategy supports them.
How can I keep up to date with the latest developments in the sector?
As a Student Services professional, I need to know what’s going on in the sector to ensure I keep up to date with good practice, comply with regulations and remain informed about current issues. How can you help me?
We're here to keep you in the loop with the latest and most relevant news for Student Services professionals.
- We deliver weekly updates to your inbox about policy changes, sector news, events, job opportunities, and funding options, including invitations to tender for sector evaluations, grants for pilot projects and research, and more.
- Our updates are tailored to your interests and include feedback from sector events, briefs from a range of advisory committees, and concise summaries of reports and policy updates, so that you get the most relevant information for your role.
- We make sure the information we share is digestible and comprehensible for you to understand how it impacts your work and the students you support.
Recent updates
Here's a taste of some of the most recent updates we've provided to our members.
How can I make sure that my work is research-informed and benchmarked against the sector?
As a Student Services professional, grounding my work in evidence-based research and applied practice enhances the credibility of my work. How can you help me?
We frequently conduct research by surveying our member organisations to gain insights into the scale and scope of Student Services, as well as looking into emerging topics within the sector. We publish our findings exclusively for our members and highlight how they can influence your work.
As a member you have unlimited access to the resources on our website. Some of our research includes:
- A survey about our members’ approaches to tackling sexual misconduct, including the different types of training offered to students and staff, the systems used for reporting incidents, and the implemented policies and procedures to tackle sexual harassment and misconduct.
- Benchmarking on a wide range of Student Services areas, including international student support, careers and employability, and student mental health and wellbeing. These describe the scale and scope of the services, service evaluations, staffing information, and budgets.
- Members’ reviews of fitness / support to study policies and procedures, where they provided their advice and case studies about how to improve the stages of the process, staff knowledge and training needs, communicating difficult decisions, and more.
AMOSSHE exclusive research
Here’s a peek at some of the exclusive research available to AMOSSHE members:
How do I find out how my services compare to other higher education providers?
As a Student Services professional, understanding how my services measure against my peers helps me deliver high-quality support and better meet the needs of students and staff. How can you help me?
- We’ve collected a variety of resources shared by members to promote knowledge-sharing, which helps anticipate organisational needs and provides tangible trends within the sector. The shared resources are unique to Student Services positions and include organisational charts, job descriptions, and policies.
- Our scope of interest is extensive and encompasses complex issues and delicate topics such as protocols and guidelines related to student death, emergency contacts and more. Our resources are available exclusively to our members to support decision-making, ensuring they have the right tools.
- We offer benchmarking data for various aspects of Student Services, giving you access to detailed information from other higher education providers about the scale and scope of their services. This helps you consider different delivery methods, evaluation measures, and potential changes for your service provision.
- Our members have unlimited access to a range of shared resources from providers of varying sizes. These resources include:
- Shared policies, protocols and guidelines related to everything from emotional therapy animals to safeguarding, mental health and more, showing how different providers handle complex issues and student needs.
- Shared job descriptions grouped by services such as chaplaincy, counselling, disability support, and more to help you create detailed job descriptions for new roles within your team.
- Shared organisational charts as tools to compare and guide team restructuring and planning.
- Not all service provisions in Student Services are comparable from one provider to the next, and we know it’s important for you to make sure you’re joining the right professional network.
- We work across an extended suite of Student Services service provisions, and as our student communities become more diverse, our connections across services are also changing. This is reflected with the various roles that are represented in our member organisations such as Student Wellbeing, Accessible Learning and Disability Services, Student Administration, Campus and University Life, and Employability and Careers.
Cultivate excellence
We have a variety of calls looking for your expert opinion, knowledge, and stories.
How do I sort through all the information that comes with my role given my already significant workload?
As a Student Services professional, my plate is consistently full, and I find it hard to keep up to date with sector changes and developments. How can you help me?
- We deliver weekly updates to your inbox, which covers policy changes, sector news, events, and job opportunities. Our team carefully reviews each item to make sure it’s relevant to you. We summarise the content and include a link so you can dive deeper, if interested.
- We’re here to help you navigate policy updates. We break down regulations and explain what they mean for Student Services, making it easier for you to understand and use the information in your role.
- We host a monthly online discussion, which is an opportunity to stay up to date with current issues and get advice and insights from your peers about the challenges you’re facing. We encourage members to submit topics that are currently affecting them or will impact them in the future. These discussions are time to share what’s on your plate or what’s coming up in the sector. To avoid scheduling conflicts, the discussion takes place on Mondays during your lunch hour, and we publish the agenda items ahead of time to help you prioritise your attendance.
- Our topical member research explores current issues affecting the sector, leveraging our in-house expertise to produce impactful studies. We analyse challenges and trends shaping Student Services, ensuring our findings and their implications are directly relevant to your work.
How can I make connections with other Student Services colleagues?
As a Student Services professional, connecting with my sector colleagues keeps me informed, broadens my perspective and provides practical solutions to common challenges. How can you help me?
Our members include the most experienced Student Services leaders in the country, dealing with real and demanding challenges every day. As a member, you become part of a supportive community, helping each other out and promoting good practice.
- We connect you with a network of sector professionals both in the UK and worldwide. Through our various channels, you can share ideas and gain diverse perspectives from sector colleagues. These connections offer solutions and insights, helping you tackle challenges and stay updated on sector trends and developments. We provide opportunities to seek advice, foster collaboration, and share good practice with people who truly understand what it’s like to work in Student Services leadership. These opportunities include:
- Our monthly online member discussions, where you can engage with peers about current issues and trends, gaining valuable insights from members from diverse backgrounds and institutions.
- Our national and regional AMOSSHE groups, which address topics specific to your local context, providing targeted support and resources, especially considering how varying regulations affect regions and nations differently. These groups also provide you with direct lines of communication to members in your area who can provide support.
- Workshops and panel discussions during our continuing professional development events, where you can tackle topics practically, exchange experiences, and engage in meaningful conversations with other delegates.
- Two in-person conferences each year that encourage networking with fellow members, attending sessions led by experts, and connecting with others who share similar responsibilities and interests.
We provide members with numerous opportunities to connect
Here's pictures from the different types of events we host for are members:
How do I adapt my skills to match the ongoing changes in student support practices?
As the landscape of student support evolves with new technologies, methodologies and changing student needs, I need to continuously learn, improve and integrate new skills. How can you help me?
- Our newsletter highlights a variety of training, and events related to Student Services provision and leadership and management. We provide you with detailed information, connecting you with key organisations to ensure you have the resources necessary for continuous improvement and integration of new skills.
- Our continuing professional development events are curated by our Executive Committee, ensuring they meet the needs of our members. Guided by member feedback, these sessions ensure that training stays relevant, helping you enhance your skills and better support student needs.
- We provide resources, including detailed case studies to advise your work. Our case studies provide real-world examples and insights into effective practices, allowing you to evaluate different approaches, integrate solutions, and anticipate potential challenges.
AMOSSHE exclusive resources
Here’s a peek at some of the exclusive resources available to our members:
How can I enhance my professional profile to better shape the future of Student Services?
As a Student Services professional, raising my profile helps me influence the sector, strengthen my impact on decision-making processes, and contribute to shaping policy development. How can you help me?
- We offer you the opportunity to speak at AMOSSHE events, allowing you to share your insights with fellow members and sector organisations. This visibility not only helps raise your profile but also facilitates meaningful connections and fosters collaboration. Presenting at our events allows you to showcase your expertise, engage with your peers, get informed feedback on your work and explore new opportunities for partnerships and professional growth.
- Each year, we encourage our current members to join our Executive Committee, offering a unique opportunity to shape our organisation's strategic direction, lead our events, and influence sector developments. This role amplifies your voice and raises your profile within the sector.
- You can volunteer to represent AMOSSHE at roundtables and key sector working groups. This provides a platform to directly engage with influential organisations, stay informed about sector trends, contribute to policy discussions, and strengthen your impact on strategic decision-making.
What it's like representing AMOSSHE in the sector
Here's what one of our former Executive Members had to say about their experience representing us in the sector.
Empower our community
Connect and collaborate with your community (members only area).
How do I become a better leader?
As a Student Services professional, becoming a better leader is essential for effectively guiding my team and achieving my service provision goals. How can you help me?
- We connect you to a wide range of perspectives from experienced professionals who understand the challenges inherent to Student Services. This diversity of perspectives empowers you to refine your leadership skills, equipping you with practical strategies and tools to manage your day-to-day operations. Our goal is to support you in guiding your team, enhancing your decision-making abilities, and confidently achieving your service provision goals.
- As an organisation lead, participating in our national and regional leads meetings links you with local peers who share similar responsibilities, offering valuable advice to strengthen your leadership and decision-making.
- Volunteering to represent AMOSSHE demonstrates proactive leadership and a commitment to the sector, highlighting your ability to lead through influence and collaboration.
How do I develop my staff team?
As a Student Services leader, developing my staff is essential if I want to foster a well-functioning and responsive team. How can you help me?
- Our continuing professional development events offer a unique opportunity for your team to lead workshops or share their expertise, which not only enhances their professional growth but also cultivates leadership skills that positively impact your team dynamic.
- Our discounted rates for the AMOSSHE National Conference are designed to make the event more accessible to early career professionals, individuals from underrepresented groups, and those who may not typically have the financial resources to attend. By offering these reduced rates, we aim to foster a more inclusive environment that supports diverse voices and perspectives within the sector.
- We invite local Student Services staff to volunteer at our conferences, providing teams with valuable experience and exposure to the latest developments in the sector. This helps them build skills, network with sector colleagues, and stay up to date on good practice within the sector, all of which are essential for fostering a well-functioning and responsive team.
How can I manage my budget more effectively?
As a Student Services professional, managing a budget effectively is key to providing high-quality support to students while navigating financial constraints. How can you help?
- We provide benchmarking services that offer valuable insights without the high costs associated with consultants. By leveraging our extensive network and sector-wide data, you gain access to comprehensive comparisons and good practice from other organisations, helping you manage your budget more effectively while ensuring high-quality support for students amidst financial constraints. For example, you can discover how services at other providers with similar budgets to yours are resourced and run.
- Advertise your vacancies on our website and in our member newsletter for free as part of your membership. We feature Student Services positions, providing a platform to attract skilled individuals who can help maintain high standards of support. All listed vacancies are sector-related, ensuring that candidates who find a listing through our website are committed to the sector and its purpose.
- We help you manage your personal and team professional development budgets effectively by offering continuing professional development events at a discounted rate. Members save on average 20% to 30% on event fees by attending just two events, compared to non-members attending the same events.
How can I attract top talent to my team?
As a Student Services leader, finding skilled individuals is essential for maintaining high standards of support, adapting to ongoing changes, and ensuring a positive and impactful student experience. How can you help me?
- We advertise job vacancies on our website, providing a platform to attract skilled individuals who can help maintain high standards of support, adapt to ongoing changes, and enhance the student experience. This ensures that you have access to a pool of qualified candidates committed to contributing positively and effectively to your team. You can advertise your vacancies on our website and in our member newsletter for free as part of your membership.
- We offer a collection of shared resources to help you create tailored job descriptions that attract skilled candidates. These resources serve as a reference point, ensuring your job postings align with the sector standards and good practice needed to recruit the right candidate.
- You can send your job vacancies through our email lists, reaching our entire network directly. This allows you to attract skilled candidates who are already in the sector.
