Shaping the story: Student Services responses to crises and controversies

How can Student Services in higher education communicate strategically and effectively with students, the media and institutional colleagues in times of crisis and about challenging topics?

This professional development event explores how to:

• Ensure that students are informed and reassured when national or international incidents occur.
  
• Work with the media in times of crisis, without compromising how your services respond to the situation.
  
• Think ahead to make your communications strategic rather than reactive to emerging events.
  
• Create effective relationships with marketing and leadership teams to ensure that your mission is aligned to their messaging.
  
• Manage how Student Services aims align with your institution’s identity, reputation and mission, especially when considering challenging topics.
  

This event is for Student Services leaders with strategic responsibility for communications, as well as other institutional colleagues with similar remits (for example, Academic Registrars). Join sector colleagues for ‘Chatham House rule’ discussions about challenges, lessons learned and good practice, and learn from case studies and sector leaders about effective crisis responses, handling the media, reputation risk management, and more.

Location, time and prices

This one day conference takes place at the Jurys Inn Glasgow hotel, 80 Jamaica Street, Glasgow, G1 4QG.

Registration opens at 09:30, and the first session starts at 10:00. The conference finishes at 16:00.

Here are the delegate prices (which include lunch):

• AMOSSHE named member - £175 (log in to access this rate)
  
• Member colleague (non-member, but an employee of an AMOSSHE member organisation) - £190

You don’t need to pay VAT for AMOSSHE events. Before booking, please read our booking terms and conditions.

Programme

Here's the programme for the day:

Time	Session
09:30	Registration and refreshments.
10:00	Welcome and context  Helen McNeely (AMOSSHE Executive Member and Head of Student Affairs at Queen's University Belfast) and Claire Slater (AMOSSHE Executive Member and Deputy Director of Student Services, Residential Life and Wellbeing at University of Bristol) outline the context for the day.
10:10	Crisis communications and media frenzy: learning from the University of Bristol In this case study session Mark Ames (Director of Student Services) and Alicia O’Grady (Director of External Relations) from the University of Bristol discuss their responses to and learning from 2018's high profile media attention, which focused on student deaths at the university. Explore how the Student Services and External Relations teams worked together in a climate of crisis, to ensure that responses to the media were aligned, and that students, their families, and other stakeholders were informed and supported. The session features opportunities for 'Chatham House rule' Q&A to help you learn from Mark and Alicia's experiences.
11:15	Break and refreshments.
11:45	Student support and engagement in the aftermath of a major incident This session explores how to ensure that students are informed, reassured and supported when national or international incidents occur. Polly Smith (Head of Student Support, University of Salford) draws on her experience of responding to the suicide bombing at the Manchester Arena in 2017, to discuss topics including assessing the impact within the university community, initial support actions, communications approaches, responding to media attention, and long-term community support and engagement.
12:45	Lunch.
13:45	Strategic communications: planning ahead In this practical workshop Alicia O’Grady (Director of External Relations, University of Bristol) explores approaches to help you think ahead and make your Student Services communications strategic rather than reactive to emerging events. This includes discussion of how to speak openly about issues and controversial topics with institutional stakeholders in advance of incidents, so that everyone is prepared to respond if or when they occur.
14:45	Break and refreshments.
15:00	All aboard: ensuring a connected and consistent response in times of crisis on campus In this session Ian Munton (Director of Library and Student Services, Staffordshire University) discusses the importance of effective and trusted relationships with institutional comms and leadership teams to ensure that your Student Services mission is aligned with their interpretation and messaging. Explore how to align Student Services aims with your institution’s identity, reputation and mission, especially when considering challenging topics; how to take the floor, always and routinely, when it comes to serious issues and controversial topics; and how to keep your job - or more accurately, how to ensure effective, robust, balanced and proportionate responses / reactions to the worst things we have to deal with.
16:00	Finish.

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AMOSSHE handles your personal data according to our privacy policy. We won't share your personal data with speakers, session leaders or sponsors.

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Photo by Elijah O'Donnell on Unsplash.

Welcome to planet Student Services: find your feet and develop your skills

This professional development event provides an introduction to the context, challenges, resources and networks of Student Services in higher education.

If you're new to a Student Services management role, contemplating such a role, or new to Student Services in the higher education sector, join us to:

• Learn about the culture of higher education from a Student Services perspective, including regulation, governance, stakeholders and networks.
• Explore the current trends and challenges for Student Services.
• Develop the skills and values you need to succeed in your role.

Location, time and prices

This one day event takes place at The Studio Manchester, The Hive, 51 Lever Street, Manchester, M1 1FN.

Registration opens at 09:30, and the first session starts at 10:00. The conference finishes at 16:15.

Here are the delegate prices (which include lunch):

• AMOSSHE named member - £175 (log in to access this rate)
  
• Member colleague (non-member, but an employee of an AMOSSHE member organisation) - £190

• Non-member (individuals, not-for-profit organisations and higher education providers not associated with AMOSSHE) - £225

• Corporate non-member - £255

You don’t need to pay VAT for AMOSSHE events. Before booking, please read our booking terms and conditions.

Programme and speakers

Confirmed sessions include:

• Student Services in higher education: trends, challenges, skills and business models
  This session, led by Fay Sherrington (Director of Student Services, Edge Hill University), Kirsteen Coupar (Director of Student Services, London South Bank University) and Benjamin Parsons (Head of Engagement, AMOSSHE) gives you a national overview of Student Services in higher education, including trends, challenges and hot topics, key professional skills and approaches, and the mission and value of Student Services as a business model as well as a moral good.
• Skills, attitudes and personal approaches for Student Services
  In this session David Dickinson (Director of Student & Academic Services, Falmouth Exeter Plus) helps you understand how your personal skills and approaches can enable you to succeed in your Student Services role. Explore your motivations for working in this sector, where you’re heading, your personal resilience and professional boundaries, and the value of leadership, collaboration and integrity.

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AMOSSHE handles your personal data according to our privacy policy. We won't share your personal data with speakers, session leaders or sponsors.

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AMOSSHE National Conference 2019

The AMOSSHE National Conference 2019 is the UK’s foremost opportunity for Student Services leaders to share expertise and good practice, develop strategy and skills, and build professional networks.

Building communities and strengthening collaboration are key themes for the conference, with a focus on evidence-based practice.

With so much experience and expertise in one place (over 280 Student Services and sector leaders from 150 higher education providers and sector organisations) this is the ideal forum to explore how to develop supportive, productive higher education communities that empower and enable students, and to nurture strong partnerships with peers and colleagues across the sector and beyond.

The conference features a broad range of insightful sessions, alongside opportunities for networking and celebrating success. This is your time to think big, reach further, and innovate in our shared mission to enhance the student experience.

So join us at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole in Birmingham, UK from 3 to 5 July 2019 for the flagship event of the Student Services year!

The call for session proposals will open soon, and booking for the conference will open in spring 2019. Watch this space for more information!

Call for session proposals

AMOSSHE wants your proposals for informative and stimulating workshops and presentations that will engage delegates at our National Conference and contribute to everyone’s understanding and professional development. Find out more and submit your proposal here: National Conference 2019: call for session proposals.

Prices

 Booking for this conference opens on 1 April 2019 

The cost of the conference depends on whether the delegate is associated with AMOSSHE. Early bird discounts are available until 15 April 2019.

	AMOSSHE named member	AMOSSHE member colleague	Corporate	Non-member
Residential (early bird rate until 15 April 2019)	£587	£689	£850	£765
Residential (full price)	£643	£750	£999	£831
Three days non-residential	£444	£520	£650	£576
Wednesday only	£133	£163	£250	£194
Thursday only	£240	£281	£370	£316
Friday only	£133	£163	£250	£194

Residential places are for all three days of the conference, including accommodation for two nights at the conference venue with all meals, and all evening events.

Non-residential day places include lunch and refreshments only. You can attend the evening events on 3 and 4 July for an extra charge. If you choose not to book a residential place, AMOSSHE can't arrange accommodation for you.

Non-residential day delegates can attend the evening networking events for an extra charge as follows:

• Wednesday 3 July (networking meal) - £55
  
• Thursday 4 July (gala dinner) - £60
  

These events includes dinner, drinks and entertainment.

You don't need to pay VAT for AMOSSHE events. Before booking, please read our booking terms and conditions.

Your data

AMOSSHE handles your personal data according to our privacy policy. We won't share your personal data with speakers, session leaders or sponsors.

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