SEDA Spring Teaching, Learning and Assessment Conference 2014

***As of 7/5/14 we can only take bookings for day delegate places. Delegates can make alternative accommodation arrangements***The 2014 Teaching, Learning and Assessment Conference will focus upon the theme of ‘engagement’. We invite proposals for sessions exploring this theme from both staff and student perspectives across the further and higher education sectors in the UK and internationally. We are interested in exploring research and reflections around engaging staff and students in teaching and learning as well as practical ideas for enhancing the engagement agenda in our universities and colleges.Follow discussions about this and other SEDA conferences on Twitter using #sedaconf.Keynote speakersColin Bryson, Director of the Combined Honours Centre, Newcastle UniversityColin Bryson is an advocate and practitioner of student engagement and partnership. He has been researching that for ten years now. He strives to put that into practice at Newcastle University and adopt the disposition of letting go and sharing ‘control’ and has been aided immensely in that endeavour by a host of super-engaged students. Colin is the co-founder and Chair of RAISE and was awarded an NTF in 2009 for his work.Dan DerricottDan is a graduate of the University of Lincoln’s Business School and was formerly Vice-President (Academic Affairs) of the Students’ Union at Lincoln. He is currently studying part-time by distance learning towards an MA in Public Policy and Management with the University of York.Dan’s role as Student Engagement Officer at the University of Lincoln has responsibility for implementing, developing and monitoring the University’s policy and strategy on student engagement, on behalf of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Teaching, Quality and the Student Experience). Dan leads on a number of initiatives resulting from the Student Engagement Strategy 2012-16 at an institutional level and supports staff and students in responding to the strategy locally within Colleges and Professional Support Departments.Dan is active as a reviewer for QAA, the European Universities Association (EUA) and the European Network for Quality Assurance (ENQA). He works with the European Students’ Union developing student engagement in quality assurance at a European level and represents them on the Steering Committee of the European Quality Assurance Forum, a major annual conference of higher education leaders and policy-makers from across Europe and beyond.As the one of the two student members of the QAA Board, Dan co-chairs the QAA Student Advisory Board and was previously a member of its predecessor, the Student Sounding Board, for two years. Dan is also a Trustee and Vice-Chair Finance of the British Youth Council, which supports young people to engage with democratic processes at local and national levels.Liam JarneckiLiam Jarnecki has been the Director of The Student Engagement Partnership since August 2014.

From 2004 he was Director of Thames Gateway Further and Higher Education Action Group, later the Thames Gateway Skills Alliance.

This role was based in the Department of Communities and Local Government (formerly ODPM) working across Government departments, closely liaising with further and higher education providers in the region. A central function was briefing and advising Ministers on skills strategies and investment for the largest regeneration project in Europe. This strategic collaboration chaired by five consecutive HE Ministers, led to significant central support being made available for initiatives such as the new Ravensbourne campus on Greenwich Peninsula, the new Birkbeck/UEL site at Stratford, the ‘multiversities’ in Medway & Southend as well as numerous sector skills academies.

From 1998-2004 he was Director of NUS Scotland, working with SHEFC to set up Sparqs in 2003 in order to drive forward student participation in quality and academic governance. He also led the organisation’s work in the Scottish Parliament around tuition fee abolition and the Cubie report. He went on to become responsible for all other devolved areas and NUS UK’s Press and Public Affairs Unit.

He is a proud B.Sc. psychology graduate from the former North East London Polytechnic at which he enrolled in 1987 when it was under LEA control and the Principal was Gerry Fowler. By 1991 during the CNAA/ HMI investigation into academic standards in Independent Study Liam was SU President and a Governor. He was one of the first students in the UK to be directly involved in review and validation.

He has been involved in Stonewall FC, the world’s leading LGBT football club, since 1992 and has been Chairman since 2007.