Engagement with Subject Centres

1. Engagement with Subject Centres • Cathy Gerrard • Centre for Academic and Professional Development • University of Paisley • Tel: 0141 848 3714 • Email: catherine.gerrard@paisley.ac.uk

2. Areas covered • What we are trying to do here at University of • Paisley regarding Subject Centres • The issues involved/arising • The way forward • The Implications for Subject Centres

3. The Paisley Agenda • Raise the profile of the Subject Centres within • our 7 Schools: • Social Sciences • Education • Computing • Health, Nursing & Midwifery • Languages, Media & Music • Engineering & Science • Business School

4. Raising Profile of Subject Centres within Paisley • Establish key contact for every relevant Subject • Centre : Present situation – 10 key contacts* • Active role for key contact* • Network of key contacts within University • Establish how we can best support our Key • Contacts • 3 way – not 2 way relationship • Expand knowledge about SCs throughout University • - integral to CAPD activities

5. Present Profile of SCs within Paisley • Range of responses from existing key contacts: • “I am but all I do is send out the information to anyone whom • I think may be interested, I don’t actually attend anything” • “Am I really?” “When did that happen?” • “Who put me down for that”? • “ What’s a key contact?” • “I’m trying to give it up and get someone else to do it”. • “ I gave it up ages ago, I think *** may have taken that on” • “What’s an HEA Subject Centre? Oh, you mean the LTSN • Subject Centre” • “No, I don’t know anything about being a key contact for HEA • Subject Centre but I am a LTSN Subject Centre Co-ordinator” • However…………

6. On the positive: • “I would really like to get more involved or get other colleagues involved”. • “I think it’s a really good resource – I wouldn’t like to see it • disappear” • “ It would be quite nice to meet with others from the same subject area – find out what they are doing” • “ I used to meet up with other people from my subject area through the SC – we once had a ‘subject’ dinner but I haven’t seen anything like that for a while”. • “ I feel I get a sense of identity within my own subject area from the SC”

7. Issues Arising • Main reasons for lack of engagement : • Lack of time • Perceived lack of funding • Lack of ‘presence’ in University’s learning and teaching activities • Lack of recognition • Sense of belonging – missing? • = Role needs to be resourced

8. Issues Arising • Although lack of engagement – positive attitude • about Subject Centres remained amongst key • Contacts: • Willingness to : • remain as key contact • get more involved • keep receiving information • Take advantage of any networking opportunities, attend events, etc.

9. The Way Forward • More recognition and formalisation of the • Role. • More engagement with Subject Centres • through CAPD activities: • 3 day new lecturers course, • E-learning programme • Pg Cert in HE • To introduce a network of Paisley key contacts

10. Implications for Subject Centres • Positive image – something to offer • Need to be current and up-to-date: • Key Contact Information • Information offered on website • Consistency & Uniformity? • Data Protection Act • One-way traffic – how is information sent to SC? • How is information sent out from SC being used?

11. Conclusion • Overall Aim : • To Forge better links between key contact, • subject centre and university (CAPD) by: • Providing support • Identifying where subject centre engagement can be promoted in our learning and teaching activities • Create a better identity for Key Contact role within University • Provide networking opportunities