Job Shadowing HE

Dr David Gilani is Head of Student Engagement and Advocacy at Middlesex University.  In this episode, David shares more about his leadership of, and thoughts on, student engagement and what that means to support student success. He also reflects upon his own career path to date, and how and why the student engagement professional niche has become so much more prominent across the sector in recent years. David also offers insight about the benefits of being part of an institution’s board, and looks forward to where the sector focus on student belonging needs to be in the next 5 years.   This episode is kindly sponsored by SEAtS One. SEAtS One is a unified platform that helps universities make data-driven decisions to improve student success, retention, and compliance. From monitoring attendance to streamlining workflows and reducing operational costs, SEAtS offer a single, easy-to-use solution for managing student engagement, wellbeing, and institutional efficiency.

Dr Diana Beech is the Chief Executive of London Higher, the largest representative body of its kind in England. In this episode, Diana shares more about the role of London Higher and the type of work that she and her team lead to support the success of HE. She also delves into her career path to date, including her time at the Higher Education Policy Institute, and at the Government's Department for Education where she supported four different Ministers of State.    This episode is kindly sponsored by Anderson Quigley which builds better leaders for a better society. They are industry experts with decades of experience in public sector executive search, interim management and advisory.

Akhil Yerneni and Claire Carter are both partners at the Executive Search firm, Anderson Quigley. In this episode, Akhil and Claire demystify the role of an executive search firm in relation to both permanent and interim roles for HE professional services and academic staff and, amongst other topics, offer advice on how and when to work with firms to maximise engagement.    This episode is kindly sponsored by the Academic Registrars Council (ARC). ARC is the national forum of senior managers responsible for the academic administration of student matters in publicly funded universities and colleges of Higher Education within the UK.

Andrea Bolshaw is an Interim Registrar and Secretary. She started her Higher Education career as a Graduate Trainee, and subsequently carved out a career path through increasingly senior positions that took her to becoming a Registrar and Secretary in a permanent role. In 2023, she took a major professional decision to leave permanent employment and move into the freelance world. Since that time, she’s been Interim Registrar and Secretary at two institutions, and in this episode she shares her experiences and reflections on life as an interim. 

Professor Susannah Quinsee is Vice-President (Digital and Student Experience) at City, University of London and Ian Anderson is Principal Enterprise Architect at Ellucian. In this episode, Ian and Susannah reflect upon many of the themes that have arisen across the mini-series and consider how institutions are managing change. They draw together thoughts on how this might be done while also providing some sense of stability, consider the critical importance of building human connections, discuss the value of recognising success and milestones and provide some inspiration on why we should keep going and be proud of UK Higher Education.   This podcast mini-series is kindly sponsored by Ellucian. Ellucian combines higher education expertise, focused innovation and deep partnership to help institutions navigate transformation. Unlock success with the complete, integrated Ellucian SaaSPlatform connecting people, processes and applications across your institution.

Luke Phillimore is Associate Director of Change at the University of Nottingham and is also the Network Coordinator for the Association of Higher Education Professionals Change Network. In this episode, Luke focuses on why people are at the core of change, the importance of empowering people through the change process and why the most relevant outcome of change is people's acceptance to adopt it. As part of this discussion, Luke also explores the role of the Lean Six Sigma methodology, how to influence people when you don't have authority and the unexpected opportunities that can arise through engaging with external networks.    This podcast mini-series is kindly sponsored by Ellucian. Ellucian combines higher education expertise, focused innovation and deep partnership to help institutions navigate transformation. Unlock success with the complete, integrated Ellucian SaaSPlatform connecting people, processes and applications across your institution.

Krissi Sanft is Managing Director of Portare Solutions, a boutique consultancy firm focused on change and transformation. Portare Solutions has a strategic partnership with Ellucian to accelerate, support and enhance the transformation to Software as a Service (SaaS) student information systems for HEIs. In this episode, Krissi provides an overview of her career path and the work of Portare Solutions, reflects upon the similarities and differences in managing change in HE compared with other sectors, discusses how to keep people front and centre within the transformation process and what steps can be taken to mitigate some of the challenges that accompany change.   This podcast mini-series is kindly sponsored by Ellucian. Ellucian combines higher education expertise, focused innovation and deep partnership to help institutions navigate transformation. Unlock success with the complete, integrated Ellucian SaaSPlatform connecting people, processes and applications across your institution.

Greg Sheridan is Senior Registry Digital Manager at the University of the West of Scotland. In this episode, Greg shares his experience of the cyber attack on his institution in July 2023. He explores both the rapid and longer-term change that he needed to progress to build back better the student record system, and how that process was as much about people, mindsets and decision-making, as it was about the system.   This podcast mini-series is kindly sponsored by Ellucian. Ellucian combines higher education expertise, focused innovation and deep partnership to help institutions navigate transformation. Unlock success with the complete, integrated Ellucian SaaSPlatform connecting people, processes and applications across your institution.

Louise Savage is Head of School Operations in the School of Education at the University of Nottingham. In this episode, Louise talks about her experience of engaging with change from a school perspective including in her roles as both a stakeholder and a leader. She explores navigating that often delicate balance of local and institutional needs, discusses how effective consultation, engagement and networks can create better outcomes and delves into why retaining the art of conversation is so important. This podcast mini-series is kindly sponsored by Ellucian. Ellucian combines higher education expertise, focused innovation and deep partnership to help institutions navigate transformation. Unlock success with the complete, integrated Ellucian SaaSPlatform connecting people, processes and applications across your institution.

Helen Langley is Project Manager in the Change Support Unit at City, University of London. In this episode, Helen provides an overview of the projects she has and is managing at City to enhance the student experience. She also shares more about how she got into project management, offers insight into the project framework used by City and reflects upon the downs and ups of being a project manager in a fast-paced and changing environment.    This podcast mini-series is kindly sponsored by Ellucian. Ellucian combines higher education expertise, focused innovation and deep partnership to help institutions navigate transformation. Unlock success with the complete, integrated Ellucian SaaSPlatform connecting people, processes and applications across your institution.

Ben Rogers is Director of Registry Services at Cardiff Metropolitan University and is also Chair of the UK's Academic Registrars Council. In this episode, Ben talks about being the co-sponsor of an institution-wide change project at Cardiff Met to review student journey processes from enrolment through to graduation and the implementation of a new student records system. He shares background to the project, its costs and benefits and the approach to getting buy-in. He also delves into supporting colleagues through change, including his approach to communication and engagement as well as supporting himself through the more challenging moments of change.  This podcast mini-series is kindly sponsored by Ellucian. Ellucian combines higher education expertise, focused innovation and deep partnership to help institutions navigate transformation. Unlock success with the complete, integrated Ellucian SaaSPlatform connecting people, processes and applications across your institution.

Professor Mairi Watson is Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the University of Hertfordshire, prior to which she was Pro Vice-Chancellor for Education and Student Experience. In this episode, Mairi offers a senior leadership perspective of leading change, the importance of ambition, the scope for taking risks and being brave, and why supporting colleagues' readiness for change is such a vital part of leading change well.  This podcast mini-series is kindly sponsored by Ellucian. Ellucian combines higher education expertise, focused innovation and deep partnership to help institutions navigate transformation. Unlock success with the complete, integrated Ellucian SaaSPlatform connecting people, processes and applications across your institution.

Susannah Marsden introduces her new podcast, Job Shadowing HE, where guests from across the Higher Education sector talk about their roles, their career paths and how to get in and get on in those jobs.

Yemi Gbajobi is the Chief Executive Officer of Arts Students' Union at the University of the Arts London. In this episode, Yemi talks about her role and career path, discusses the pushes and pulls of the relationship between students' unions and universities, shares how she navigates the intersectionality of being a younger, Black, female leader in Higher Education, reflects upon how she learns from working with other organisations, and considers how to plan for students of the future.    This episode is kindly sponsored by Blackbullion, the platform for students to learn about money and apply for more money in the UK’s largest hub of student support funds, scholarships and grants, with an app to help them manage their money with confidence. The platform also houses the UK’s leading end-to-end funding solution for staff to manage university funds and make instant payments to students.

Rachel Reeds is Senior Admissions Manager at Anglia Ruskin University. In this episode, Rachel talks about about the twists and turns of her career path, discusses the lynchpin role admissions professionals play in supporting students' HE journeys, shares her views on authentic leadership and provides insight into what she's gained from studying on the PG Certificate in HE Administration Management and Leadership run by AHEP. Rachel also tells more about the book that she has written to support HE professionals, due to be published in the coming months.    This episode is kindly sponsored by Blackbullion, the platform for students to learn about money and apply for more money in the UK’s largest hub of student support funds, scholarships and grants, with an app to help them manage their money with confidence. The platform also houses the UK’s leading end-to-end funding solution for staff to manage university funds and make instant payments to students.

Kerry Matthews is Chief Student Officer at the University of Surrey, and holds strategic leadership responsibility for the seamless student journey.  In this episode, Kerry shares insight into her role and career path to date, talks about her approach to leading cultural aspects of change, delves into what it's like to be a member of a University Executive Board and reflects upon why it's important to never forget why you do the job you do. 

John Schless is Head of Student Experience at the Royal College of Art.    In this episode, John shares his leadership experience at the Royal College of Art as well as the transition to his current post from previously being Chief Executive of the Students' Union at the University of Greenwich. With the benefit of leading the student experience from 'both sides', and having perspectives from a large post-92 Students' Union, a world-leading postgraduate specialist medium-sized institution as well as an earlier career background in fundraising, John explores leading through change, the importance of influence and his ultimate motivation in making a difference to people's lives.

Rebecca O'Hare is Deputy Director of Residential Services at the University of Leeds. In this episode, Rebecca shares more about how student accommodation is a central part of the student experience, talks about her career path in different types of student accommodation jobs and highlights the role she took in response to the national Living Black at University report, commissioned by Unite Students and carried out by Halpin Partnership. Rebecca also discusses how her background in fine art influences her approach at work, and how social media has supported her professional presence and development.  This episode is kindly sponsored by JSS Search, a boutique recruitment agency prioritising and cultivating long-term relationships grounded in sector understanding and a diversity of needs. Their Higher Education team, comprising expert consultants in professional services areas such as student operations, change and transformation, finance, procurement, and HR, is committed to providing UK-wide support. This includes executive search, contingent recruitment or interim solutions. JSS actively supports sector development through networking events and webinars. Emphasising EDI and Social Mobility, they extend their impact beyond recruitment, making a positive contribution to the Higher Education community.

Ashleigh Hope is Head of Access and Participation at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama and James Rew is Access and Participation Manager at Leeds Conservatoire.    In this episode, Ashleigh and James discuss the HE conservatoire setting, the benefits of working in a small specialist institution and how they have each developed their access and participation career paths to date. They also look at the backdrop of leading access and participation work in conservatoires when there is significant declining opportunity for young people to access early performing arts experiences in parts of the primary and secondary state education sector.

Josh Gulrajani is Director of Planning, Performance and Student Statutory Returns at Aston University.    In this episode, Josh explains the remit of a planning director and, with my episode co-host HE consultant David Marks, delves into the topics of student number planning, the broader planning process and recent sector experience of Data Futures. Josh also shares his career path so far, discusses the value of engaging with wider professional activities and offers advice on getting into the planning profession.   This episode is kindly sponsored by Dixon Walter. Dixon Walter is a Search and Selection Firm devoted to the appointment of outstanding leaders within Higher Education. Since 2015, they have been delivering successful appointments across the full spectrum of senior Professional Services and Academic Leadership positions throughout the UK and across all mission groups. Hallmarks of their service include the supportive and insight-driven approach leading to innovative, diverse, and inspirational appointments that regularly exceed the expectations of both clients and candidates.