June 2021 News
New Advance HE Institutional Aurora Champion
Lorna Walker, Director of Strategic Organisational and Human Resources Development takes over as Advance HE Institutional Aurora Champions, following the retirement of Fiona Larg. Aurora champions work directly with Advance HE Aurora team, taking part in networking events; sharing expertise across the sector and working to embed engagement and enhance participation in Aurora within the University and the wider sector. Existing Aurora Institutional Champion Ann Tilbury is delighted that Lorna accepted her invitation: “Lorna will bring a wealth of expertise and experience to the role of UHI’s Aurora Institutional Champion - I’m sure she will support the continued development of Aurora within the university”
Certificates, email signatures and badges in the post for 2020/21 UHI Aurorans
UHI Aurora participants were delighted to receive an Advance HE Aurora digital certificate in recognition of their completion of the programme. They were also pleased to be provided with an email signature to highlight their continued role as a UHI Auroran. The six UHI Aurorans completing the virtual programme will not miss out on receiving their Aurora badges. They are currently being wrapped up and sent in the post!
Sharing the UHI Aurora story
In May 2021, Ann Tilbury, alongside Melanie Armstrong, Organisational Development Specialist, Glasgow Caledonian University presented at a recent Advance HE Aurora Champions Network event for Scottish universities. Focusing on building a sustainable UHI Aurora community and highlighted the small, incremental steps taken to build momentum since 2018, key themes shared with participants were designing collaborative approaches to developing leadership practice; increasing visibility through celebrating the UHI Aurora story and using evaluation and research to inform wider institutional agendas.
Nicola Smith, Elizabeth McHugh and Rosemary McCormack presented a Pecha Kucha session at the recent Learning and Teaching Symposium on their experiences of completing Aurora and becoming UHI Aurorans.
A chapter on the university’s engagement in Aurora is included in the forthcoming e-book celebrating International Women’s Day 2021. Entitled: Implementing the Aurora Leadership Development Programme in the University of the Highlands and Islands: Insights and implications, the chapter draws on feedback from UHI Aurorans and explores participants experiences of the programme within the university and in the wider context of leadership development and gender inequality with the education sector.
Moving on....
Katie Masheter, 19-20 Aurora Programme Participant, leaves the University to take up the post of Marketing and Communications Manager at Lathallan School. We wish Katie all the best in her new post and look forward hearing how Katie has taken her AURORA experiences to her new role!