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:

v.c.cotter@sheffield.ac.uk