sparqs supports a network for student officers in universities and colleges who have an education-focused remit. The National Education Officers’ Network (NEON) was created in Autumn 2019 to provide an opportunity for officers from colleges and universities across Scotland to discuss and work on key sector issues together. It was set up in response to feedback from student officers who expressed the need for a national officer network with members from both universities and colleges.
The network engages participants in discussions around key learning, teaching and quality related sector developments, provides an opportunity for officers to share best practice, and allows for cross-institutional working on initiatives and projects. After the success of sparqs’ Tertiary Quality Student Expert Group (TQSEG) last academic year, we carried out a review of the purpose of NEON, also considering the latest changes in the sector. We want to ensure that officers have access to ongoing training and support throughout the year, therefore in 2024-25 NEON meetings will focus on officers’ development, building on what they have already learnt during That's Quality! and ensuring that they are further equipped in engaging with the new review method.
Suggestions are always welcome for topics for NEON meetings. If you would like to propose anything, please contact Gloria Laurini.
Following feedback from previous officers, we created a NEON mailing list so that you can easily contact each other between meetings. Please sign up to the NEON mailing list to keep yourself in the loop!
2024-25 NEON meetings
As noted above, following a review of the network, this year's meetings will focus on officers’ development, building on what they have already learnt during That's Quality! and ensuring that they are further equipped in engaging with the new review method.
There will be two or three online NEON meetings, taking place on Zoom, and a final in-person meeting with SESN and JAG in May 2025. More dates will be advertised soon - the next NEON date will be set soon, and please save the date for the joint May meeting....
- Tuesday 10th December 2024 - via Zoom, 11.00am to 12.30pm.
- see the event page to view the materials from the meeting. - Tuesday 25th February 2025 - via Zoom, 10.30am to 12.30pm.
- see the event page to view the materials from the meeting. - Wednesday 7th May 2025 - joint meeting with SESN and JAG, in-person at QMU, 10.00am to 3.00pm.
- see the event page to view the materials from the meeting.
.
2023-24 NEON meetings
- Monday 18th September 2023 - via Zoom, 11.00am to 1.00pm.
- see the event page to view the materials from the meeting. - Thursday 5th October 2023 - in-person 'Planning for the year ahead' meeting, jointly with SESN and JAG members - 2.00pm-5.00pm at SKYbar, Doubletree by Hilton, Edinburgh.
- see the event page for further details and thanks to everyone who joined us and contributed. - Wednesday 6th December 2023 - via Zoom, 10.00am to 1.00pm.
- see the event page to view the materials from the meeting. - Thursday 15th February 2024 - via Zoom, 10.00am to 1.00pm.
- see the event page to view the materials from the meeting. - Thursday 21st March 2024 - via Zoom, 10.00am to 1.00pm.
- see the event page to view the materials from the meeting. - Wednesday 8th May 2024 - in-person joint planning meeting with SESN and JAG colleagues - 10.00am to 3.00pm at Queen Margaret University.
- see the event page for further details.
.
2022-23 NEON meetings
- Thursday 6th October 2022 – 10.00am-3.00pm at Fife College, Dunfermline campus (Carnegie Conference Centre).
- see the event page for materials from the day. - Thursday 8th December 2022 via Zoom, 10.00am-1.00pm.
- see the event page for materials from the meeting. - Thursday 9th March 2023 via Zoom, 10.00am-1.00pm.
- see the event page for materials from the meeting. - Thursday 4th May 2023 - joint, in-person, strategic planning meeting with SESN and JAG, 10.30am-3.00pm at Queen Margaret University.
- see the event page for further details.
.
2021-22 NEON Meetings
We continued to hold these meetings more frequently during 2021-22, to give officers a chance to meet regularly during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. The meetings are all took place online from 10.00am until 1.00pm.
- Thursday 30th September 2021
- see the event page for further details and materials from the meeting. - Thursday 11th November 2021
- see the event page for further details and materials from the meeting. - Thursday 9th December 2021
- see the event page for further details and materials from the meeting. - Thursday 3rd February 2022
- see the event page for further details and materials from the meeting. - Thursday 3rd March 2022
- see the event page for further details and materials from the meeting. - Thursday 7th April 2022
- see the event page for further details and materials from the meeting.
.
2020-21 NEON Meetings
The network usually meets three times each academic year. However, during 2020-21, to give officers a chance to meet regularly over the coming months, we ran more frequent NEON events during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis:
- NEON informal catch-up for university officers - Thursday 20th August 2020
A catch-up for the network's university officers only, as college officers already had our two-day That’s Quality! Colleges event during August and we were mindful of the significant time commitment which that already involved.
- see the event page for more information and to view the materials from the catch-up. - NEON event for both college and university officers - Wednesday 7th October 2020
- see the event page for further information and to view the materials from the session. - NEON event for both college and university officers - Tuesday 24th November 2020
- see the event page for more information and to view the materials from the day. - NEON event for both college and university officers - Thursday 21st January 2021
- see the event page for more information on the session. - NEON event for both college and university officers - Thursday 18th March 2021
- see the event page for more information and materials from the session. -
NEON event for both college and university officers - Thursday 20th May 2021, 10.00am-1.00pm.
- see the event page for more information and materials from the session.
.
2019-20 Meetings
.
- Thursday 14th November 2019 at Glasgow Caledonian University
- see the event page for materials from the inaugural meeting. - Wednesday 19th February 2020 at Fife College, Dunfermline Campus
- see the event page for materials from the second meeting. - Thursday 7th May 2020 - online event due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic
- see the event page for further information and the materials from the third meeting.
For more information, or any queries related to the network, please contact Gloria Laurini.
