A clear shared purpose and a rich diversity

I thought it might be helpful (for me if nobody else!) to write down some of my reflections from my first month in the Executive Director role with the Association. Incidentally, reflection number one was that people are unsure of how to say AHUA. Whether trying to form it into a single sound like a bird with a dry cough or perhaps sounding out the initials, frequently gently mumbled to hide the lack of confidence or accuracy about the chosen letters). It is clearly challenging phonetically and possibly opaque in understanding and my choice of ‘The Association’ for now doesn’t solve the issue of being explicit about our membership but is at least easy to say. 

Listening, listening, listening 

Inevitably the induction period is rightly an opportunity to listen. To hear the perceptions, priorities, concerns and interests of people as widely as possible. That starts foremost by listening to our members, whether the executive, our new members (welcome!), the myriad of steering groups we have, our regions or those kind enough to share their expertise, blogs and questions with me. Beyond the members I have spent time listening to our small but very talented and committed staff and associates. I have also tried to engage with perspectives and thoughts of the wide range of partners and organisations with whom we might intersect whether that’s other professional associations (thanks HESPA, AHEP, AMOSSHE, CUC, UHR, UUK, BUFDG and others) or other sector bodies and organisations (thanks Advance HE, OfS, Wonkhe etc). 

A strength or a weakness? 

As I listen there are some key things I hear or observe and the first, and perhaps most clear, is a recognition about the diversity of voices that exist within our membership. The portfolios of our members differ significantly, the size and structures of their institutions are varied. The backgrounds of our members are diverse (though with some glaring omissions on certain demography) and role titles increasingly eclectic. This diversity is challenging for some people whether it’s grappling with common language, difficulties around translating operating context (and size) or even acknowledging privilege (perhaps between mission group or personal background). Yet the diversity can’t be a weakness. We must harness it to become a strength. The fact that the Association might be able to reflect in our work an understanding of a wide range of institutions, portfolios, backgrounds and experiences should be our superpower. An opportunity to share a purpose and be proud of our rich diversity. We can’t allow clarity of purpose to be dependent on a lack of diversity amongst our membership and / or predetermined by a narrow plurality in views and opinions. One of the ways we might do that is by making diversity central to our vision.

The foundations of change 

In many ways the foundations for action on diversity already exist. We have just launched the advertising for our second cohort of reciprocal mentoring following a successful pilot year. I have spent some time this month working with a panel to consider research proposals about how we work with a partner to understand the barriers to people of colour to senior levels within the professions we serve. We launched a pilot bursaries program for people from global minorities to participate in our Aspiring Registrars and COO’s Program. At our conference we will debate the potential to expand from 2 to 3 the number of individual members per member institution.  All of these are examples of how we are trying to change the demography of our membership, open it up and hear different voices in the Associations work.

And another thing 

It’s worth saying the need to embrace and use to positive benefit a greater diversity reaches beyond AHUA. The challenges that exist for the sector right now need some collective endeavour. Putting ego’s to one side and being willing to be open to different perspectives about the solutions to, not just the causes of, the current sector challenges will need different people and organisations to work together cooperatively and creatively.

It’s clear to me that AHUA has significant convening power, not just within our membership but across a range of sector partners, professional associations, and organisations responsible for aspects of the HE environment. We need to harness that to share some responsibility and build cooperative solutions to the challenges of the current HE landscape. Strengthening the ability of, for example, Chairs, Registrars, VC’s, and others to share a combined sense of how we navigate a path forwards seems to be critical right now. That’s about ensuring some clarity and purpose in the direction of travel so we can set positive and proactive agendas as well as respond to them. It’s about helping us understand different perspectives and engaging in them and harnessing some diversity of view point so that we can invent new solutions to long standing challenges. Feedback from some of the key sector bodies I have spoken with over the summer suggest that they welcome AHUA’s ability to provide a breadth of experience and opinion when we respond to their requests for feedback. If they wanted a single response from a specific institution they are quite capable of getting it but by establishing a relationship with AHUA they are seeking a quality that comes from being able to articulate and synergise a range of voices from a diversity of institutions, perspectives and backgrounds. 

Thanks to all those who have been generous with their time and sharing their thoughts with me. I’m very grateful for the encouragement, impressed by people’s willingness to share their time despite huge demands on their time and I welcome the diversity of opinion that can become a valuable feature of our work.