Higher Education Academy Subject Centre for Business, Management, Accountancy and Finance (BMAF)

1. Higher Education Academy Subject Centre for Business, Management, Accountancy and Finance (BMAF) Making the most of the new Subject Centre Professor Jean Woodall Associate Dean, Oxford Brookes Business School

2. The Higher Education Academy Subject Network • 24 Subject Centres and Networks covering all disciplines and fields in UK higher education • Originally established by HEFCE in 2000 to support, develop and disseminate good practice in learning and teaching • ‘BEST’ launched for Business as a partnership between 3 HEIs • 2004-2005 restructuring and review • July 2005 Oxford Brookes awarded contract for 4 years - assumed responsibility in August

3. A new Subject Centre for Business, Management, Accountancy and Finance – what’s different? • Higher Education Academy established in 2004 • Subject Centres to be: more than network of enthusiasts source of support for institutions supporting 2003 White Paper objectives for registration and accreditation • BMAF Subject Centre to cover all business disciplines • Focus upon ‘supportingthe student learning experience’

4. What’s special about learning and teaching in Business, Management Accountancy and Finance? • 1 in 7 undergraduates registered for programmes in this field • Taught postgraduate programmes are core (but highly differentiated) element of provision • Majority of international students in the UK opt for this field • Strong involvement in ‘service teaching’ and links with FE • Heterogeneous field with several subject associations, professional and accreditation bodies

5. Business Management Accountancy and Finance Subject Centre (BMAF) - how are we organised? • Location in the Business School, Oxford Brookes University • Academic leadership – part-time Director and full-time Assistant Director • Comprehensive operational support shared with HLST Subject Centre • 8 part-time Regional Liaison Officers (including Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland) • Partnership with ABS to promote BMAF to Business Schools

6. Business Management Accountancy and Finance Subject Centre – what are our aims? • To promote, share and disseminate evidence-based and effective practice • To build upon and expand the existing membership network of institutions and individuals • To expand upon and enhance the current evidence-based pedagogic resources and activities, following consultation • To collaborate with other Higher Education Academy Subject Centres • To promote and disseminate awareness of evidence-based and effective practice with other stakeholders and PSRBs

7. Business Management, Accountancy and Finance Subject Centre – achieving our aims: • Promoting, sharing, and disseminating evidence-based and effective practice • Rebranding and launch • Regular dialogue with senior institutional management – Deans and Heads of Department via their professional associations • Encouraging grassroots membership in all institutions • Enhanced and integrated communications: JISCmail; web site, monthly newsletter, magazine and journal

8. Achieving our aims (continued….) 2. To build upon and expand the existing membership network of institutions and individuals • Visits to Business Schools and Departments • Regular regional meetings with Key Contacts • Collaborative activity with ABS • Collaborative activity with subject associations

9. Achieving our aims (continued….) 3. To expand upon and enhance current evidence-based pedagogic resources and activities • Survey of deans and heads of department to assess needs (November 2005) • Survey of key contacts and membership (November 2005) • Evaluation prioritisation and feedback by March 2005

10. Achieving our aims (continued…) 4. Collaboration with other Subject Centres and projects • Strong links already established with Economics and HLST Subject Centres • Potential collaboration with other Subject Centres with similar agendas – eg. HE for entry to professions or CPD • Systematic communication with CETLs and FDTL 5 projects and dissemination across the community

11. Achieving our aims (continued….) 5. To promote and disseminate evidence-based and effective practice to other stakeholders and PSRBs • regular dialogue with professional and accreditation bodies at officer level • regular dialogue with officers of subject associations and learned societies • Encourage learning and teaching SIGs • promotional activities and involvement at PSRB events (conference keynotes, prizes etc)

12. But what services will be offered to Business Schools? • Workshops on learning and teaching issues (free of charge) • Web-based resources on learning and teaching issues in the different business disciplines (including existing external Examiner Database, TRIBE Project) • Monthly Newsletter, termly Magazine, and a twice-yearly Journal • Regular opportunities for staff networking at regional meetings, and an annual learning and teaching conference • Generous seed-corn funding for Teaching Research and Development Projects • Consultancy advice on challenges in learning and teaching • Professional development programmes (with ABS)

13. How to Contact Us • Jean Woodall (Director) Jwoodall @brookes.ac.uk • Stephen Probert (Assistant Director) sprobert@brookes.ac.uk • JISCmail bmaf@brookes.ac.uk • Direct Telephone Line 01865 485670