Author: Loretta Gibson -


2019/20 has been quite a year for the AUA (Association of University Administrators) here at Bath. We kicked off the year with the renewal of our AUA Mark of Excellence for the Faculties and School professional services teams.  This highly regarded award recognises the commitment the Faculties and School are making towards embedding the EBF (Effective Behaviours Framework) in our everyday working - from recruitment through to staff development - and commitment to empowering our professional services staff to further their careers as higher education professionals.  We are one of only three institutions across the country who hold this award, highlighting us as an employer of choice for professional services.

But to finish off a year of hard work, we are delighted to announce that our Bath AUA Network has won the 2020 Network of the Year Award.  This is the second time we have won this award in the last three years. This award recognises the drive, enthusiasm and commitment of our network, which regularly delivers learning and development activities, accessible to both member and non-member staff, across Academic Professional Services and beyond. Key to our success on this occasion was the Step Up to Management course we designed around the EBF, which resulted in half of the participants securing a promotion, as well as supporting 18 members to secure AUA accreditation.

Four ladies and a man standing and smiling in front of the projection screen.
Guest speakers provided insights into how to learn from mistakes at one of our AUA Network lunchtime workshops

Upon receiving the award, the Bath AUA Advocates commented:

“This recognition means so much to us. The AUA is an important part of our working lives and we are committed to ensuring our members and colleagues reap the benefits of the work that we do collectively. We have seen first-hand how the positive impact of the AUA has influenced us as individuals, as teams and as an institution. 

Thanks to our AUA Network we have created a sense of community that will become even more important in the coming weeks and months as we support each other through uncertain times. We also see the opportunities presented to us now to make the most of the skills, experiences and different ways of thinking that our AUA activities have inspired”

A screenshot of three females and a male having a Microsoft Teams meeting.
COVID-19 won’t stop the Bath AUA Network from hosting the AUA South West Regional Conference this year – in keeping with our innovative ways of thinking, we will be delivering the first ever virtual AUA Conference.

If you would like to find out more about the AUA, please contact AUA advocates Rachel Acres, Loretta Gibson or Ann-Marie Hartland.

Posted in: Celebrating success, Faculty of Engineering and Design, Staff event, Staff experiences

Learn more about the AUA Annual Awards here