Special interest groups

Special Interest Groups (SIGs)

At FACE we have a number of established and evolving special interest groups (SIGs) designed to bring together professional practitioners, with a common interest and purpose. SIGs are an excellent opportunity to bring like-mind colleagues together, enabling them to share their practice, learn from one another and identify key challenges that are potentially outside the scope of their institutional role but impact on the work that they do.

From our experience, SIGs work best where all of their members are signed up to what the SIG is trying to achieve, and there is a clear direction of travel. This requires one person, or a group of people, to drive the momentum of the SIG and ensuring that its purpose remains clear, with easily identifiable outcomes.

In order to be considered as a SIG within FACE, you should have a clear sense of what the purpose of the group is, what it aims to achieve, and how it supports FACE’s strategic objectives. As a SIG lead, you will be expected to attend and report into the FACE Management Group meetings. You may also be called upon to contribute to policy discussions/ consultations, where the subject is relevant to your SIG.

If you are considering submitting a proposal for a SIG and would like to discuss your ideas with us, please contact us at webmaster@face.ac.uk, where members of our Management Group will be more than happy to chat.

You can submit a proposal for a SIG using this form, which will be considered by the Management Group within 28 days of receipt.

Access and Participation SIG (APPSIG)

The APPSIG provides a supportive forum for colleagues working in Higher Education (HE) institutions across the sector to share, within a safe environment, approaches, challenges and solutions in relation to the strategic development and implementation of Access and Participation Plan (APP) commitments. It enables members to have a the collective professional voice that can inform and influence policymakers in the development of access and participation policy.

The APP SIG:

Enhances practice across the sector by fostering a collaborative environment, sharing knowledge and insight, and identifying challenges in relation to APP development and implementation
Provides a collective voice with which to influence regulatory and institutional APP policy, including in areas such as development, monitoring and reporting
Provides a supportive fora for frank, open and constructive conversations between professionals at different HE providers.

Full APPSIG membership

Full APPSIG membership, as a paying member of FACE, is only open to colleagues who have institutional responsibility for developing and delivering their APPs. If you are interested in receiving the full benefits of the APPSIG through paid membership please visit the join us section of our website.

Once your membership has been confirmed a member of the team will contact you and invite you to email APPSIG@face.ac.uk indicating your request to become an APPSIG member. You will also be invited to add the names of a maximum of 9 colleagues from your institution to receive the benefits of being a FACE member. Your 9 additional members will not be automatically added as a paying APPSIG member unless you explicitly request it. We will then add you and the additional members, where relevant, to the appropriate membership and distribution lists.

Open APPSIG membership

In addition to the normal benefits received as a paying FACE member, the APPSIG also offers open membership which enables free access to four meetings a year, often featuring invited guests. Specifically, we have developed a collaborative relationship with the Office for Students (OfS), and have welcomed the opportunity to speak directly with the Director for Fair Access and Participation and colleagues as we develop and deliver our APPs.

Please contact APPSIG@face.ac.uk if you are interested in open membership.

Student Voice SIG

Student voice is an essential part of a student’s experience at university, so colleagues from the University of Sussex and the University of East London created the Student Voice practitioners’ network. This enables colleagues from across the sector to come together to gain support and knowledge in an informal, dynamic and agile way.

The network has grown to include representatives from over 60 different Higher Education organisations. It is a space to connect with professional peers to discuss common challenges, showcase good practice, troubleshoot, and work in partnership with one another. Members range from those working in student experience and widening participation, to those focused on quality and evaluation.

For further information contact Rosie Jones: rosie.jones@sussex.ac.uk.