GEES Subject Centre Departmental Change Event
7 - 9 September 2009 - Dalton Ellis Hall, Victoria Park Campus, University of Manchester
Report on the GEES Subject Centre Departmental Change Initiative: Bringing about Change in Learning and Teaching at a Departmental Level (533KB Word Doc)
The event: overview
The GEES Departmental Change Event was intended to support participating departmental or school teams in the development of a specific learning and teaching project/initiative. This event provided teams with the opportunity to work together, with facilitators and with other participants, during a 48-hour retreat held over 3 days.
Benefits to participating departments/schools
The event was intended to be intensive, and its success was dependent upon the full commitment by all members of each team to the whole Departmental Change programme. The intended benefits were:
- rapid advancement in the development of a project and a team
- personal development of a set of individuals in understanding and leading change
- experience of working effectively in a team
- networking with others within the GEES disciplines and experts in departmental change issues
Suitable projects/initiatives could be based on issues or opportunities confronting participating departments in their own institution: for example, designing the curriculum for a new degree programme, embedding enquiry-based learning throughout the degree, revising the department's fieldwork programme or enhancing the transition from school to university. Ideally, the projects/initiatives best suited to this event were suggested as those in the early stages of planning and development.
Participants were encouraged to think not only about specific tasks within their project/initiative, but also about both the philosophical and logistical aspects of change as a process, and how they could best support the long term development of their work.
Each project/initiative was also supported by discussions with lead facilitators both prior to and post- the Departmental Change event itself.
The event ran from 2pm on the 7th of September through to 12 am on the 9th of September 2009.
Teams were required to bid for a place at this event, and there was a charge for attendance, although it was heavily subsidised by the GEES Subject Centre. See below for costs.
Applications required full support by Heads of Department
Further Information
Expert facilitatiors
Facilitators provided input about change, creativity, team development and engaging others, as well as advice on the team's particular project. Professor Michael Bradford (Manchester) and Professor Mick Healey (Gloucestershire) led the facilitators, with support from Professor Carolyn Roberts (Gloucestershire). The three lead facilitators all have experience of strategic planning within universities and have undertaken roles as heads of departments and directors of national teaching and learning programmes.
The teams
Team leaders were encouraged to include staff at different levels, with different roles in the department/school, including a student where the project/initiative affected the experiences of students. Any student participants had their registration paid for by the GEES Subject Centre. Capacity was for 24 people in 6 teams, with a team would normally comprise of four people (with the possibility of one extra if another team was accepted with the minimum of three people).
Preparation and support
The team leaders were supported in selecting an appropriate team, in the preparation running up to, and in developments after, the event. This longer term engagement was aimed at ensuring the teams made the best use of participation.
Costs
The GEES SC provided a significant subsidy for the event, including free registration for any student participants. The cost for each member of a successful team was £175, covering accommodation for two nights, dinner on the evenings of the 7th and the 8th, and lunch on the 8th.
How to apply & timeframes
To apply on behalf of their departmental/school team, leaders were asked to fill in the proposal form (50kb MS word doc). Any information provided in your proposal acted as a basis for the selection of successful participant teams for the GEES Departmental Change Event, 2009. The assessment criteria used to select bids, and information on the selection process itself, can be found on the proposal form.
All submissions were acknowledged by a confirmation email and applicants informed of the outcomes of the bidding process by Monday 23rd March.
More information
The event is also supported by the Centre for Active Learning (Geography, Environment and Related Disciplines) at the University of Gloucestershire.