| Association of Higher Education Professionals | |
| Type: | Professional association |
| Founded Date: | 1961 (MUAAS) |
| Location: | University of Manchester |
| Origins: | Conference of Higher Education Professionals, Association of Polytechnic Administrators |
| Key People: | Thea Gibbs, Chair Keith Zimmerman, President |
| Area Served: | Great Britain and Ireland |
| Focus: | Higher education |
| Homepage: | https://ahep.ac.uk/ |
| Website: | ahep.ac.uk |
The Association of Higher Education Professionals (AHEP), formerly known as the Association of University Administrators (AUA), is the professional body for higher education administrators and managers in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland. As of 2023, its membership comprised several thousand individuals, representing 300 institutions from the UK and 21 countries worldwide.[1]
Following the passage of the Further and Higher Education Act 1992, the association was formed by the merger of the Association of Polytechnic Administrators (APA) and the Conference of University Administrators (CUA) in 1993. CUA traced its history back to the Meeting of University Academic Administrative Staff, founded in 1961. The association marked the golden jubilee of the professionalisation of support staff in UK universities in 2011.[2] In response to the changing UK higher education sector, it adopted the current name in 2023.[3]
AHEP exists to advance and assist in the advancement of education by fostering sound methods of leadership, management and administration in further and higher education by education, training, and other means.
AHEP members are individually and collectively committed to:[4]
These values underpin the nine professional behaviours of the AHEP Professional Framework.
The AHEP Professional Framework is a tool that supports the career development of higher education professionals. It works on an organisational and individual level, for professionals at all career stages, and can be applied across all roles in the sector.[5]
The AHEP Accreditation Scheme provides a clear path for members (entitled to the post-nominal letters MAHEP) to Accredited Membership (AMAHEP) and Fellowship (FAHEP), which recognise a deeper commitment to ongoing professional development and acknowledge the impact and influence of this on professional practice.[6]
The AHEP Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education Administration, Management and Leadership, delivered in partnership with Nottingham Trent University, is a self-directed, independent, work-based learning programme for higher education professionals working within UK higher education administration.[7]
The quarterly journal of the Association of Higher Education Professionals, Perspectives: Policy and Practice in Higher Education, is published by Taylor and Francis.[8]
A series of Good Practice Guides available to members, first published by CUA in 1986, aims to share and promote best practice in HE.[9]
AHEP's annual conference and exhibition is the largest professional development conference in the UK HE calendar, with plenary and keynote presentations and around 100 working sessions.
Internationally, AHEP maintains reciprocal agreements with similar organisations, which allow members to attend partner conferences.
The association is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation, managed and administered by a Board of Trustees.[10] Following election, the Chair-elect serves as Vice-chair of the Association for one year before taking office; upon completion of a term of office, the retiring Chair serves as Vice-chair for a further year:[11]
| Term | Chair | Occupation |
|---|---|---|
| 1994–1996 | Sally Neocosmos OBE | University Secretary, Sheffield Hallam University |
| 1996–1998 | Keith Jones | Academic Secretary, University of Liverpool |
| 1998–2000 | David Allen OBE | Registrar and Secretary, University of Birmingham |
| 2000–2002 | Director of Staff Development, University of Plymouth | |
| 2002–2004 | John Ryan MBE | Registrar, University College Worcester |
| 2004–2006 | Sue Holmes | Assistant Director (Estate Planning), Sheffield Hallam University |
| 2006–2008 | Bruce Nelson | Academic Registrar, University of Edinburgh |
| 2008–2010 | Maureen Skinner | |
| 2010–2012 | Christopher Hallas | |
| 2012–2014 | Matthew Andrews | Academic Registrar, Oxford Brookes University |
| 2014–2016 | Tessa Harrison | Director of Students and Education, King's College London |
| 2016–2018 | Kathryn Fowler | Deputy Executive Director (Aberdeen Institute of Energy), University of Aberdeen |
| 2018–2020 | Dr. Chris Ince | Secretary and Registrar, London Metropolitan University |
| 2020–2022 | Amanda Oliver | Director of College Operations, Brunel University |
| 2022–2023 | Vikki Goddard | Independent Consultant, Vikki Goddard Consulting; former Director of Operations (Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health), University of Manchester |
| 2023-2024 | Dr. Thea Gibbs | Director of Operations (Faculty of Laws), University College London |
The Honorary President of the Association undertakes such activities as may be requested by the Board of Trustees or prescribed from time to time in the bye-laws. The Board is responsible for appointing the Honorary President in accordance with bye-laws established for that purpose:[11]
| Term | President | Occupation |
|---|---|---|
| 2011–2015 | Alison Johns | Head of Leadership, Governance and Management, Higher Education Funding Council for England |
| 2015–2017 | Prof. Ruth Farwell CBE | Former Vice Chancellor, Buckinghamshire New University |
| 2017–2019 | Mary Curnock Cook CBE | Former Chief Executive, Universities and Colleges Admissions Service[12] |
| 2019–2022 | Dame Shirley Pearce DBE | Chair of Court and Council, London School of Economics; former Vice Chancellor, Loughborough University |
| 2022–2024 | Keith Zimmerman | Executive Director for Transformation of Education and Student Outcomes, King's College London[13] |