The International Entrepreneurship Educators Conference

Sharing experience across contexts:

UK Higher Education Academy Subject Centres

The Higher Education Academy

Mission: To help institutions, discipline groups and all staff to provide the best possible learning experience for

all their students.“If it matters to students, it matters to us”

Access – first year experience – retention – services & support

– e-learning – enterprise –employability – research training

Focus on the Student learning lifecycle:

Academy Key areas of activity

• Influencing policy• Supporting institution’s strategies• Professional development and recognition• Promoting good practice• Supporting subject communities• Undertaking research and evaluation

Subject Centres

Medicine,Dentistry andVeterinaryscience

Bioscience HealthSciences andPractice

Social workand Socialpolicy

Sociology,Anthropologyand Politics

PhysicalSciences

Engineering Psychology Geography,Earth andEnvironmentalSciences

Materials Education inthe BuiltEnvironment

Maths,Statistics andOperationalResearch

Informationand ComputerSciences

Economics LegalEducation

Languages,Linguistics andAreas Studies

English History,Classics andArcheology

Philosophicaland ReligiousStudies

Art, Design andCommunication

PerformingArts

Hospitality andLeisure Studies

Business,ManagementandAccountancy

Education

Subject Network

Higher Education Academy/DfES Entrepreneurship Project 2003 - 2004

Project Aim• The overall objective of this project was to put in place the

background information and materials needed for curriculum development in the field of promoting self-employment as a viable option for graduates. This was in two phases.

• The first phase – reviewing the current situation, gathering intelligence via Market Research, listening to the views and experiences of budding and actual entrepreneurs –lasted until the end of the operational year, March 2003

• The second phase, beginning in April 2004, disseminated materials via the Subject Centre networks.

Subject Centres involved

15 out of 24 Subject Centres submitted bids. 10 were successful:• Built Environment• Engineering• English• Geography, Earth and Environment• Hospitality, Sport, Leisure and Tourism• Informatics and Computer Science• Law• Performing Arts• Philosophical and Religious Studies• Sociology, Anthropology and Politics

Higher Education Academy/DfES Entrepreneurship Project

OutputsThis was a short-term project with a finite budget. The outputs were

therefore precise, realistic and straightforward:1. A review of current interesting and good practice (materials and

processes), leading to:– The development of web-based products which can be integrated

into the academic curriculum - “tools” for the Subject Centres to customise for their subject communities

– Up to a dozen Case-studies or “stories” on student /graduate experiences in considering self-employment. These should be aimed at the student reader, but in a form which can be used by staff in their teaching.

2. A seminar for Subject Centres in March 2004 to update them on the materials and support available for their own dissemination projects

3. A major ‘Expert Seminar’ in February 2005 to publicise the benefits of encouraging enterprise and entrepreneurship among graduates.

Higher Education Academy/DfES Entrepreneurship Project

Monitoring, evaluation and feedback

A Monitoring, evaluation and Feedback model was developed for use with the Subject Centres and by the Subject Centres with their subject communities. It was then be made generally available on the web for use by HEIs and individual departments wishing to monitor their entrepreneurship initiatives.

Current and future work (2005-07)

• Influencing national and regional policy with regard to enterprise through working with NCGE

• Sustaining an enterprise ‘community of practice’ involving 22 Subject Centres

– Supporting 5 collaborative Subject Centre projects• Led by: Biosciences; History, Classics & Archaeology;

Dance, Drama & Music; Physical Sciences; Built Environment

– Undertaking a subject mapping exercise• Co-ordinated by NCGE

• Engaging relevant Centres of Excellence in Teaching & Learning (CETLs) in developing cross-institutional enterprise communities of practice

Further information: www.heacademy.ac.uk/Enterprise.htm