PSS Conference: July 2016

The latest PSS Conference was held on Friday, 1 July at University Place. The Conference opened with the Registrar, Secretary and Chief Operating Officer, Will Spinks, welcoming colleagues from across the University’s Professional Support Services and giving them an update on transformation and change in Manchester.

The first plenary session featured an update on the ‘DevoManc’ agenda with Vicky Sharrock, Associate Director, GM Health and Social Care Partnership talking about how the project is moving on, while Professor Ian Greer, Vice-President and Dean, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences updated colleagues on the vision for the new Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health.

Delegates then attended a number of parallel breakout sessions:

• Student Lifecycle Programme: Tim Westlake
• Communicating Change: Alan Ferns and Mik Sitford
• Professional Support Services: Making a Difference: Julian Skyrme, Rosie Williams, Vicki Foster-Lloyd
• Ready for change? Managing your response and preparing to lead and manage others: Liz Allen, the connectives
• Making the Students’ Union the most student focussed organisation in the world: Ben Ward and Naa Acquah
• Making Meetings Work: How to lead and contribute to meetings that deliver results: Emma Taylor of emmataylorpresents and Jonathan Winter.

The Conference concluded with Will Spinks who outlined progress against 2015/16 priorities and challenges for 2016/17 and Professor Clive Agnew, Vice-President for Teaching, Learning & Students who talked about dealing with change in a climate of uncertainty.

Colleagues who attended are encouraged to complete the feedback survey which will be used to inform the content of next year’s event.