That's Quality! 2022 roundup 22 Sep 2022
That’s Quality! is our annual induction event for new university and college student officers and those who support them. The events are designed to help new officers engage in quality processes at the institutional and national level. To retain the benefits… Read More
A roundup from our 2022 residential event for Course Rep Trainers 22 Sep 2022
The AT/IAT residential has returned! sparqs recently delivered its comprehensive training event for 2022-23 course rep trainers. Back as an in-person event for the first time since 2019, staff and trainees were pleased to gather at the beautiful University of Stirling… Read More
SPOTLIGHT ON... Edinburgh University's Students as Change Agents programme 22 Sep 2022
This ‘SPOTLIGHT ON’ features the Students as Change Agents (SACHA) programme run by the University of Edinburgh. A skills development project open to students from across the university, participants are presented with complex challenges set by external organisations, and are… Read More
Reminder: sparqs' 2022-23 Course Rep Training is open for bookings! 22 Sep 2022
A reminder that bookings are open for sparqs' Course Rep Training during 2022-23! All the information you need is on our main CRT webpage. Please read the booking guidance before arranging your sessions and requesting dates.. CRT delivered by sparqs This year's Introductory CRT is continuing in… Read More
2022-23 SESN and NEON reminder - book now for the first events! 22 Sep 2022
A reminder that we recently published the 2022-23 dates for our staff and officer networks (SESN and NEON), the first meetings of which are open to book! Both networks will be a mix of in-person and online events, with the… Read More
'Talking Student Engagement' Interview with Conor Naughton 22 Sep 2022
In this interview, we talk to Conor Naughton, Educational Developer at Nottingham Trent University (NTU), a post he started in June 2022, where he specialises in student engagement, transition, and course design. Before that, he served two terms as President… Read More
College student board member training, 1st & 2nd September 2022 25 Aug 2022
Training for student members of college boards of management will be delivered online on the mornings of Thursday 1st and Friday 2nd September 2022. There's still time to register - please sign up ASAP if you would like to attend! Boards of… Read More
2022-23 SESN meetings – book now for September! 25 Aug 2022
After consulting our Student Engagement Staff Network members, for the new academic year we are happy to announce that the first SESN meeting will take place in person, kindly hosted by Strathclyde University SA! It takes place on Thursday 29th… Read More
'Talking Student Engagement' Interview with Kirsten Koss 25 Aug 2022
In this interview, we talk to Kirsten Koss, who has just finished a part-time sabbatical as Depute President of North East Scotland College (NESCol) Students’ Association, where she led the SA’s representation at its Aberdeen City and Altens campuses and… Read More
2022-23 NEON meetings – book now for October! 25 Aug 2022
We are excited to invite student officers to the first National Education Officers’ Network (NEON) meeting of 2022-23, which will take place in person, at Fife College’s Dunfermline Campus (Carnegie Conference Centre), on Thursday 6th October 2022. For the coming year,… Read More
sparqs' 2022-23 Course Rep Training is open for bookings! 25 Aug 2022
Bookings are now open for Course Rep Training during 2022-23 ....for delivery from week beginning Monday 19th September 2022 onwards. All the information you need is on our main CRT webpage. Please read the booking guidance before arranging your sessions and requesting… Read More
Meet our Associate Trainer team for 2022-23 25 Aug 2022
We are delighted to introduce our excellent team of student Associate Trainers (ATs) for the coming academic year. The team includes 10 newly-recruited trainers and 6 returners from previous years, including one trainer who is returning for her sixth year… Read More
Our Strategic Conversations resource! 23 Jun 2022
As part of the Developing College Students' Associations (DCSA) project, delivered jointly with NUS Charity, sparqs has designed a Methodology for Strategic Conversations, to encourage institutions and students' associations to carry out a structured strategic conversation when in the process of… Read More
Our new Professional Standards Framework for Student Engagement 23 Jun 2022
sparqs is delighted to announce an important new document that will help articulate the value and impact of student engagement staff posts. Our new Professional standards framework for student engagement is the first such publication to offer a definition of the values,… Read More
sparqs staff news! 23 Jun 2022
As many of you may know by now, we have recently welcomed Stef Black back from maternity leave. We were delighted to welcome Stef back to work in mid-May, and we're very glad to have her back in the team… Read More
Still time to register for That's Quality! Universities 2022! 23 Jun 2022
There's still time to register for That's Quality! Universities, which begins on Wednesday 20th July 2022! The 2022 event is split into three parts and delegates are required to complete all three elements. The first part is a one-day online event, taking… Read More
'Talking Student Engagement' Interview with Lianne Gagnon 23 Jun 2022
In this interview, we talk to Lianne Gagnon, Director of Student Services at Niagara College, in Ontario, Canada. Lianne has been in the field of education for over 30 years. She taught remedial English and Special Education on the traditional territory… Read More
Book now for our That's Quality! 2022 events! 04 May 2022
We are pleased to announce that our annual That's Quality! events for student officers and students’ association staff are now open for bookings! The 2022 events are split into three parts and delegates are required to complete all three elements. The first part… Read More
Measuring project progress of sparqs/NUS support to develop college SAs 04 May 2022
As part of the Developing College Students’ Associations (DCSA) project, we are asking all Scottish colleges and their students’ associations (SAs) to answer some questions about SA activities and plans. The project is operated jointly by sparqs and NUS Charity,… Read More
'Talking Student Engagement' Interview with Jodie McNair 04 May 2022
In this interview, we talk to Jodie McNair, Development Officer at Glasgow Clyde College Students’ Association (GCCSA), where she has worked for almost five years. Her first role in the sector was Sports and Societies Intern for Glasgow Caledonian Students’… Read More
