2011 Annual Conference, "Credit in a Cold Climate - a New Dawn?"

The 2011 SEEC annual conference was held on December 9th 2011 at 15Hatfields.  The theme was "Credit in a Cold Climate -a New Dawn?

This year’s SEEC Conference offered practitioners an opportunity to reflect on the current external HE policy climate and the challenges and opportunities it offers institutions at a time where they are developing their responses to the new agenda. The recession, the policy and funding changes proposed in the White paper and the focus on the learner as consumer, demand new solutions to rapidly changing and uncertain circumstances. The conference examined the contribution that credit and innovative curriculum design can make to these issues.

The programme.  The conference opened with a keynote presentation from Dr Geoffrey Copland, who was the Vice- Chancellor of the University of Westminster from 1996-2007. Now retired, he is Chair of Thomas Wall Trust, President of ASET and Chair of the HEFCE Sustainable Development in Higher Education Steering Group.  His presentation focused on the current policy agenda. The second keynote of the day was by Dr Phil Cardew, who is currently Pro- Vice Chancellor of London South Bank University and he discussed the issues involved in providing flexible study opportunities that potentially challenge traditional course structures such as funding, concepts of level and progression. There were a number of workshops to choose from, delivered by practitioners, offering an opportunity to network and benchmark current practice. 

For details please see the programme and the conference report attached.