Registrar Ken Sloan thanks all colleagues who participated in the Warwick Network Day staff conference in December 2012 and shares his thoughts on next steps:

"It was a stimulating and enjoyable event. From the feedback received, people’s experience of the day was very positive. I am extremely grateful to all colleagues who were involved.

I am well aware that it can be difficult to take time out from day to day office duties but the contribution of staff from across the University was excellent: organising the day, providing key services such as catering and signposting, facilitating sessions and participating in the plenaries. I must also thank everyone who participated in the morning and afternoon sessions. Your questions, ideas and experiences were invaluable in making the day as productive as it was and a number of key themes and ideas will be taken forward.

With my administrative senior officer team, I have spent some time reflecting on the feedback received and ideas generated on the Network Day. The images captured by the graphic recorder, Nick Payne, show a number of themes resonated with all the morning break-out sessions.

The key ideas that emerged from the day are these:

Working culture

There was huge enthusiasm across the administration to work more collaboratively and more creatively. This isn’t an end in itself or something 'extra' to try to fit in, but a way of working that will maximise what we are able to achieve for the University and deliver outcomes which would not necessarily be easily achieved through our usual departmental structures. This approach will be reflected in the administrative strategic planning guidance which will be circulated to departments shortly to support their preparation of strategic and financial plans.

We also need to showcase what works – if you’re involved in a project you think people can really learn from, why not propose a Window on Warwick session or a workshop for example? We need more opportunities – virtual and physical - to come together to share information and ideas, to find out more about different parts of the University and to think differently.

The professional services networks I am developing will play a key part in this: as well as taking forward some of the ideas you had, they will give opportunities over time to really garner the energy created at the Network Day and generate the toolkits we need to work more collaboratively across local and central departments. It is early days but think what you might contribute and what you might gain. You will have opportunity to register your interest online in one or more of the networks shortly.

The Learning and Development Centre (LDC) is working on software for Professional Skills Match – a tool for staff to capture their key skills and professional interests for colleagues to search and use to network, find ways of becoming involved in projects, work shadowing, finding common experiences and sharing ideas.

We will also organise further staff events like the Network Day over the course of the year to bring people together – particularly staff in grades 1 to 5, and to engage in Warwick’s academic priorities.

Capturing and enhancing the Warwick student experience 'package'

You said we need better data to underpin our strengths and weaknesses to help us to celebrate and promote what works and plan how to address what doesn’t. Ideas include a Warwick student account for campus or course services, and initiatives such as parent ambassadors or a parent forum to help parents in supporting children in the transition from school to university. The Student and Academic Services Network will take discussions of these ideas forward, and there are plans to enhance our management information on student services.

Improving campus infrastructure

In a number of forums recently the variety, availability and quality of food on campus have been discussed. At the Network Day, you said the food experience on campus and the experience of navigating the campus and campus services were of huge importance. With the appointment of a new Strategy Director for Food shortly, we will start to see real changes here. Broader ideas around the staff and student experience of campus services will be taken forward by the Campus and Commercial Services Group."