Report on the interviews with representatives from Staff Development Units (SDUs) in the DEMOS Universities 

Mike Wray
Project Coordinator
DEMOS Project
24 January 2002
http://www.demos.ac.uk/

Introduction
We have been engaged in various activities from the start of the Demos project to ascertain the overall picture of disability-related staff development within the Greater Manchester universities.  In order to obtain a clearer picture of the possibilities for embedding the project outcomes, it was considered relevant that current provision from within the Staff Development Units (SDUs) of the universities should be investigated.

Method
A representative from each of the SDUs in each of the four DEMOS universities was interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire (see Appendix 1).

Responses to questions
What sessions are run each year by the Staff Development Unit at your university?
Due to the extensive lists of staff development events available in each institution responses to question 1 are reported separately in Appendix 3a,b, c and d.  Please note that most of the events listed are taken from the training ‘handbooks’ that are circulated to staff at the beginning of the year.  These represent only a portion of the total number of events that are delivered during the year.  Further events are organised as needs arise and requests are made.

How do you decide what course to run? Have you carried out an analysis of need?
A variety of approaches are used to decide upon a programme of events. The University of Salford have an involved process of development.  For example, results from feedback forms are collated and themes identified, a focus group is facilitated by an outside consultant and section heads are interviewed.
All the universities use a network of formal and informal contacts from which to draw information, such as the Staff Development Forum at MMU.
UMIST has carried out a formal analysis of need in the past but this hasn’t been repeated recently.
All the universities remain aware of local and national policy issues so that events can be organised to disseminate relevant information.
There is little direct use of the appraisal systems due to sensitivities around this process. There are also difficulties collecting information and collating results.

Are events run in liaison with other departments?
All four SDUs liaise with other departments in the delivery of staff development. Information systems staff are widely used to deliver training on computer software packages. The disability units are also used to deliver specific disability-related training.

How are sessions advertised?
A variety of methods are used.  Manchester, MMU and Salford publish programme handbooks.  Programmes of events are published on websites and online booking is used. Email is used to remind staff of upcoming events.

How many academic staff attend staff development events?
The response to this question was varied. Academic staff do attend centrally organised events if the events are seen as targeted at them.  For instance if they relate directly to teaching or have intrinsic value in them, such as information on Subject Review if they are about to undergo a review. Online technology related workshops appear particularly popular at the present time.  The formation of Teaching and Learning Support Units means that more academic-focused events will now evolve across the universities.

Responsibility for academic staff development is often devolved to the departments, as departmental specific training can be expensive for central departments to organise.  There are also events such as the Certificate in Teaching Practice which in some cases is compulsory for all new staff so high attendance is expected.  Some events are more popular than others but demand varies from year to year so programmes have to be flexible and varied on an annual basis.

Participants often book onto an event then fail to turn up. However, this can be extremely costly; for example at the University of Manchester, the Certificate in Teaching costs approximately £500 per head to deliver and therefore non-attendance is significant if someone else is on a waiting list. The University of Manchester enters attendance on a database so that they can now actively chase up non-attenders if required

How do you measure the effectiveness of staff development events?
‘Happy sheets’ are used across the universities. Some follow-up work is carried out, such as collation of results and feedback to session presenters. Effectiveness of events is fed back into the cycle of review and planning activities each year.

There is very little formal in-depth evaluation on areas such as return on investment (ROI) or behavioural change.  These areas of evaluation are often difficult and resource intensive activities to carry out.  However, other means of feedback such as appraisal were mentioned.  

When and for how long are workshops delivered?
Events are often half-day or full-day workshops. Some series of events such as the disability-related workshops are run during lunchtimes where possible. Some courses are over a number of days such as management training.

Appendix 1

Semi-structured questionnaire used in interviews with representatives from Staff Development Units in the Demos Universities

What staff development activities take place each year in your institution?
Please state number of sessions, length of sessions, approximate number of attendees, nature of event (workshop, lecture, induction talk), staff group, what areas where covered in each event?

Has an analysis of training needs been carried out? (How do you decide what courses to put on?)

Do you liaise with other departments?

How many academic staff attend staff development events?

How are the sessions advertised?

What events are planned for the forthcoming year?

Is staff development/training requested?

How do you decide what content is covered in each session?

How do you assess the usefulness of the sessions?

What guides/information have you produced? Booklets, websites, leaflets etc.

Appendix 2

Names of interviewees

Name
	Institution	Department	
Bland Tomkinson	UMIST	Staff Development Unit

Bernard Lisewski	University of Salford	Educational Development Unit
	
Mike Littlewood	University of Manchester	Training and Development Unit
	
Brian Simpson
Alison Laithwaite
	Manchester Metropolitan University
	Development and Training Unit

Appendix 3
Programme of Events Organised by SDUs

Appendix 3a
UMIST 
Autumn/Winter 2001
Appraisal Training 
Assertiveness for men
Assertiveness for women
Health and Safety for Managers
Time Management
Recruitment and Selection
Central Service seminars
	Personnel
	Finance
European Computer Driving Licence

Further details can be found at: -
http://mulder.umist.ac.uk/web/scripts/tigger.pl?right=http://mulder.umist.ac.uk/staff/sdu/default.htm

Appendix 3b
University of Salford

The Education Development Unit produces a programme of events brochure each academic year.

Almost 200 courses are listed in the schedule for 2000/01.
These are a mixture of short sessions (1-2 hours) run during lunchtimes, am or pm sessions and full day sessions.
Areas of coverage:-
Induction
Briefings
Academic Enterprise
Admissions
Communication and Information Technology
E-learning
Equal Opportunities (includes disability-related sessions)
Health, Well Being and Personal Safety
Management and Supervision
Middle Management Development Programme
Personal and Professional Effectiveness
Quality
Research Management and Development
Salford Key Skills Project
Student Issues
Teaching and Learning Practice
Assessment Matters
Widening Participation

Other activities include:-
Post Entry Training Scheme
The ILT membership Developments
Postgraduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education
Various staff development networks
Staff Open Learning Resource Centre
The Institute for Supervisory Management Certificate
AIS Computing Tutorials
Languages for All
Study Skills programme for Part time Students

Appendix 3c
University of Manchester

The Staff Development Programme contains each year’s information. Courses were offered during 2000/01 on the following topics.

Teaching and Learning
Teaching and Learning course for new academic staff -  three x three-day course that has to be completed to fulfil probationary requirements.

Course title								Length
Large group teaching skills 						3 hrs
Small group teaching 							3 hrs
Handling personal problems in academic tutoring and supervision	2 hours
Voice management						30 minutes each person
Graduate teaching assistants/demonstrators				 7 hours
Computers for teaching, learning and assessment			3.5 hours
Handling student complaints						3 hours
Teaching and learning in groups			1x 2-day plus a 1x 1-day course
Seminars on preparation for ILT  					1.5 hours
The e-university 							1.5 hours
The way forward project with information systems			1.5 hours
Learning and teaching strategy					1.5 hours
Problem based learning 						3 hours

Research Development
Research student supervision						6.5 hours
The PhD oral examination						3 hours
Writing research grant applications					1.5 hours
Research funding opportunities					1.5 hours
EU funding/framework v 						1.5 hrs
Research contract negotiation						1.5 hrs
Ethical aspects of research						1.5 hours

Quality Enhancement
QAA quality assurance – the new approach				1.5 hrs
Peer review								1 hr
Disability awareness							1.5 hrs
Staff mentoring							1.5 hrs

Student support and guidance
A series of stand-alone events take place in this area but staff who attend a number of different events can gain a Professional Development in Higher Education (PDHE) award recognised by SEDA.

Understanding student support and guidance roles within the institution 	4 hrs
Key issues experiences by first years						2 hrs
Maintaining students’ motivation						2 hrs
Different styles of teaching and learning 					2 hrs
Implications of the new QAA code of practice for disabled students	2 hrs
Meeting the needs of specific groups of students				2 hrs
Implementing personal and academic programmes in the curriculum	2 hrs
Maximising use of student support services					2 hrs
Handling student complaints							2 hrs
The skilled helper								2 hrs
Handling personal and academic development issues			2 hrs
Supporting students transition from HE to employment			2 hrs
Addressing the needs of distance learners					2 hrs
Reviewing of student support and guidance roles				2 hrs

Disability Awareness

Departmental disability coordinators						1.5 hrs
Dyslexia and the student experience in HE					1.5 hrs
Welcoming disabled people and improving access				1.5 hrs
Disability support at the University of Manchester				1.5 hrs
Enabling technology used by disabled students				1.5 hrs
Making information and teaching materials accessible			1.5 hrs
The DDA and provision of goods and services				1.5 hrs

Management and supervisory training

The DDA and Accommodation services					1.5 hrs
Managing professional teams							7 hrs
Basic supervisory skills							7 hrs
Certificate in Administrative/management studies (BTEC/NVQ award)
4 hrs per week for a year

Recruitment and selection seminars						3 hrs
NVQ assessor training							7.5 hrs
Training in equality and diversity issues					3.5 hrs
Time management skills							6 hrs
Stress management 								3 hrs
Team-working									7 hrs
The essential guide to successful interviews					45minutes
The essential guide to successful CVs and application forms		45mins
How to win at the CV and application game					3 hrs
How to win at the interview game						3 hrs
Dealing with difficult and aggressive behaviour				3 hrs

Appraisal
Staff appraisal training							6 hrs
Appraisee awareness								2.5 hrs

Business and Finance
Introduction to purchasing skills						6 hrs
Understanding contracts							6 hrs
Competitive tendering								6 hrs
Marketing your department or services					8 hrs
Paper management								7 hrs
Customer care									6 hrs
Departmental accounting officers						7 hrs
Reception and telephone skills						7.5 hrs
Getting things done in meetings						2 hrs
Commercial negotiating skills						6 hrs
Dealing with sales people							1.5 hrs
The data protection act							1.5 hrs

Health and Safety
Fire extinguisher practicals							2.5 hrs
Lifting and Handling in safety						2.5 hrs
Safety in offices								3.5 hrs
Safe use of centrifuges							3 hrs
High pressure gases								3 hrs
Scaffolding and platforms							8 hrs
Dealing with violence and aggression					7 hrs
Personal protective equipment						2 hrs
Managing safely								8 hrs
Departmental safety advisors							3 hrs
Portable electrical equipment testing						6.5 hrs
Principles of risk assessment							3 hrs
COSHH assessment								3 hrs
VDU assessment								3 hrs
Manual handling risk assessment						3 hrs
Guidelines for dept. safety self inspections					3 hrs
Emergency First Aid								8 hrs
Safety on filed trips and work placements					2 hrs
Minibus training					
Safe use of genetically modified organisms					2 hrs
Safe use of ladders and steps							2.5 hrs
PUWER 1998									3 hrs
Accident investigations							3 hrs
Confined spaces awareness for responsible persons				7 hrs
Vessel/enclosed space entry							7 hrs
Design and print								7.5 hrs
Introduction to camcorders							6.5 hrs
Introduction to non-linear video editing					7 hrs

Induction 									4 hrs
Pre-retirement course								7 hrs

Appendix 3d
Manchester Metropolitan University

The handbook ‘University Staff Development Programme for 2001’ lists the following:-
Skills development
Presentation skills training
Conducting Staff Discussions
Telephone training
Committee servicing
Mentoring skills 
Management development
	Constructive resolution of Performance Issues
	Leading and Managing Teams
	Professional Development and Review Scheme
		Academic Staff
		Support Staff
	Sickness management
Learning and Teaching
	Online learning
	Making the most of technology based teaching
	Facilities in Lecture theatres
	Formative and summative assessment in HE
	Appropriate use of media
Information Systems
	Outlines of courses and aims
	Schedule of courses
Equal Opportunities
	Harassment policy training
	Equal Opportunities awareness training
	Recruitment and selection
		support staff
	Interviewing skills
Stress management
	Stress and the manager
	Enhancing personal effectiveness
	Survival skills
Student services
Academic Administration
	Introduction to course leadership
	Course leader’s briefings
	Chairs of Boards of Examiners
	Admissions tutors
	Equal Opportunities Issues for admissions staff
	UCAS Entry profiles
	Human Rights Act for Admissions Staff
Financial Administration
	Purchasing procedures
	Budget Management and Administration
	Negotiating skills
	The University financial regulations
Developing your career
Building Research Capability
	Getting started in research
	How to make a bid for research funding
	Management skills for research supervisors
	Career planning for contract researchers
Conducting professional development and review discussions for contract researchers
Getting the best from your PDR
Health and Safety Training
	Health and safety training course
	Basic health and safety
	Basic food hygiene
Welcome Host
Personal Record of Attendance