Let's Build Bridges

Let's Build Bridges
There are many bridges we can build

Thursday 28 November 2013

Knowledge Transfer


The purpose of this project is to connect the students and Alumni, to allow knowledge transfer among other goals.
 
For an example of the process, just go to the Facebook page below ('Let's Build Bridges')and look under my post on knowledge transfer, or click the link on the right hand side of this page:
 
 

Monday 18 November 2013

Challenges So Far, and Solutions

Points So Far


At the University of Birmingham (England), research will now be conducted to determine which students or student societies would be in favour of networking with Alumni, and if so, how they would like to network. If you are a student of this university, you are also welcome to bring your views to this blog and the related Facebook and LinkedIn pages. Student engagement will certainly be critical to the success of early networks. I agree with the advice given so far, that networks cannot and must not be forced upon students without their consent and co-operation.

It is important to bear in mind the students’ point of view. Having been a student, and on student committee’s I remember that we considered ourselves as the elected authority to make the decisions, and would have regarded proposals made by other authorities (no matter how benign) as interference. Also, while I understand that from our point of view, the mentoring scheme is meant to be a two way process, from the students point of view, it can seem like a one way street. Students may feel patronized to submit to someone else’s guidance: and this is an important psychological aspect to bear in mind, for the challenges that we face.

Empowerment of student committees is therefore of the utmost importance. We must regard student committees as the existing authorities, and work with them as equals. Careful, two way negotiations should determine each set of arrangements. It makes sense to ensure good relations with the committees, because if they decide to help, they can deploy large number of students, and their cooperation will save us considerable time and effort.


Further challenges raised so far in relation to student-Alumni networking include:


  • That Alumni and students want to discuss privately when talking online.

  • That in the past, networks have been underused, and participants to mentoring have not always honoured their agreements.

  • That students and Alumni may each go into a different career path from their field of study, or profession.

To address the first point: this is precisely why I recommend a closed LinkedIn format. For example, engineering students who begin their studies could be offered a special LinkedIn network, that connects them directly to Alumni who are in the engineering profession. The network would be closed to the public, allowing both students and Alumni to discuss engineering issues, mentoring, and job opportunities in confidence, under the university's supervision. That said, I am more than happy to compromise, in favour of any kind of online connection, as long students and Alumni are connected online. The LinkedIn network is an option that could come later on. We could start with one to one connections by email, and then build on existing arrangements to develop a more sophisticated way of networking.

For the second point; to those who doubt that students and Alumni can be made to honour their agreements all of the time, I have a good example of how commitment can be maintained: the Guild Musical Theatre Group. In this student society, all members were volunteers who were fully committed to the performing arts, even though they all came from many different departments of our university. The student committee always took the business of putting on shows very seriously (I know because I was on it.)
Shows were always to a professional standard (and still are).  Members knew that they always had to put the effort in to be in shows: as it was made clear to them that, regardless of their membership, that all auditionees start from square one. So if you didn’t make the effort, someone else would take your place. Use it or lose it, it was as simple as that. And while many people did it for fun, there were those I knew with a burning desire to perform on stage for a living: and a some did just that, despite coming from different schools of study. Had they been offered to join a network with professional performing artists, I know that the ambitious ones would have seized the opportunity there and then.

This is how I would recommend that commitments be honoured between students and Alumni who agree to network online. Admins appointed like a committee, would ensure that the students who signed on were left in no doubt that access to Alumni is a privilege, and an integral part of their learning experience. Timescales and agreed schedules could be set, for who will discuss what with whom: like existing mentoring schemes. The difference would be that any students who did not conform to their agreed timescale would be removed from the network, and their place given to others. Alumni who did not honour their agreements could be similarly removed from mentoring, and their slots offered to others.  Before long, it would start to become clear, that a place on the network was something important to strive for, and I think students would realise they needed to make the effort if they committed themselves to it.

Thirdly, it is true that students may decide to change their degree while in higher education; or to go into a different career from the one they studied for. Likewise, Alumni may opt for a career change so many years down the line. That is why I suggest going by area of interest. At New York State University, there is an excellent 'Constituent' scheme to enable students and Alumni to do this. Students, student societies and Alumni of similar interests are encouraged to network together and share connections and information.

In much the same way, I suggest that we connect students by their current field of study, to Alumni currently in the same profession, and student societies with the same interest. For example, students currently studying medicine could be connected to Alumni of that university or college, who are currently practising doctors and nurses. Student societies whose interest is in medicine, health or sports science could be given special passwords to access the network, and share ideas with the medical students and Alumni. Their insight will be useful: for it is worth noting that there are many young people who wanted to go into a profession, but may not have felt it was a sustainable career. Their interest in a student society of that career path should still be supported.

Alumni who began their career in other professions, but who changed their career paths to practise medicine, could be offered to join the medical network. Likewise Alumni who left the profession could be offered places in other networks suitable for their new line of work. An Alumnus who has retired from the medical profession, but has been in other professions also, could be offered a choice by the university of which network they would like to join.

Therefore, to conclude the points made so far, I invite all experts and veterans of student-Alumni networking schemes to contribute their views on any of these ideas, so that we may develop the best possible way to connect the students and Alumni.


Best Regards,

James McGarry
Voluntary Project Co-Ordinator

 

Monday 11 November 2013

Project Report, Novermber 2013


 
Introduction

Thank you to all who attended the meeting dated Friday the 8th November, and I will send this message to those who were unable to attend, but wanted to be kept informed. A number of points were raised at the meeting, and the appropriate responses are given in this document. The points raised at the meeting dated Friday the 8th November include:

·         That the project should be concentrated on a specific university of choice.

·         That there should be a clear timeline of events

·         That it should be established exactly what the students themselves want.

·         That the university’s own interests as an organisation should be respected.

Therefore, to ensure maximum results, the first 3 universities of focus will be the University of Birmingham, Oxford and Cambridge. Sanctuary staff and others, who are Alumni of these universities, are invited to join the project, to offer their advice and participation.

The first university of choice will be the University of Birmingham. As an Alumnus of this campus, I am working with the university’s Alumni Office to find out exactly which networks and mentoring are offered to the students, and what could be improved upon.  To respect the university’s interests as an organisation, it is best to ensure that both the students and Alumni of that university support an integrated network, before one is implemented.

There is clear evidence that both students and Alumni  at the University of Birmingham have demanded closer online networking throughout the year,  according to the findings of the university’s Volunteer Relationship Manager, Kerri Holland.  In a recent poll taken on Birmingham University’s Alumni network, a clear majority have voted in favour of networking more closely with the students:


I have also asked a representative from the NUS to contact the Student Executive, so that we may hear the students’ point of view. It is likely that the students will agree on some kind of closer online networking. I will wait to hear the university’s Student Executive’s thoughts on this.

Once it is clear and where any improvements need to be made and what the students want, my fellow Birmingham Alumni and I will go with student volunteers to the university’s Careers Network, to make the case for more networks and mentoring.

Online Networks as the Solution

I believe that an online network of fully interconnected students and Alumni, is the best possible way to ensure both mentoring and knowledge transfer. It is true that both students and Alumni are very busy with work, study and family commitments: and that is precisely why I recommend an online network as the best option, to allow members to contribute at their convenience.

 Initiatives such as the Knowledge Exchange and Enterprise Network (KEEN), (see www.worcester.ac.uk ), have proven that direct knowledge transfer from graduates can be used effectively for the benefit of all enterprises. The work of all regional Local Enterprise Partnerships is further proof of successful collaborations between the academic and business sectors.

Successful collaborations between universities and other organisations to integrate their services, have led to clear results; a perfect example of this being The Hive at Worcester, as a successful collaboration between the University of Worcester and Worcestershire County Council : http://www.thehiveworcester.org/ From these examples,  I argue that integrated online networks will provide an effective means for us to continue this trend on a permanent basis.

As per the advice given, I agree that the most effective model of would be an integrated LinkedIn network  - I would argue within each department of the university -  to link the students and Alumni of that profession.  For example, engineering students and Alumni in the engineering professions could be connected by a closed LinkedIn network, owned by the university. This would allow members to discuss their profession in confidence, supervised directly by the university, and would allow mentoring, knowledge transfer, networking and job creation, as well as job opportunities.

To ensure that signatories commit to using this network, a select group of students and Alumni would be encouraged to help administer the network. They would be responsible for the recruitment of new members, organising and agreeing on discussions, and ensuring that members adhere to the university’s rules.

The admins should think of themselves as a committee or admin team, and allocate their roles accordingly. They should arrange for successive admins to be available, when it is time to hand over their responsibilities. In this way, the process of mentoring and knowledge transfer will become self-sustaining, and it should no longer be necessary to ask for student and Alumni volunteers: as they will be actively recruited by the network’s admin team, under the university’s supervision.

Therefore, I assert that online networks to connect students and Alumni will be the best possible means to ensure both mentoring and knowledge transfer, and I challenge those who disagree to prove me wrong.  If it is proven beyond any doubt, that all bridging networks are already in place, or that there are a sufficient number of Alumni, who mentor the students of every department at each place of higher education, then the aim of this project will have been achieved. However, I suspect that when the information is compiled by the volunteers, this will not be the case.

Timescale and Budget

The creation of new online networks, such as LinkedIn can normally be done free of charge. In most cases, this would involve a reshuffling of students and Alumni who are members of other online networks elsewhere, into new ones created to connect them with one another. However, an invitation alone to join such networks may not be enough. There needs to be a sufficient number of students and Alumni who interested, to justify establishing new, integrated networks for them. Therefore, it may be necessary to hold a networking event to bring large numbers of students and Alumni together, who can then be offered a place in a new network, created for their field of study (see below for notes on this process).

According to the estimates made so far, the average cost of a campus-wide event would be around £1000. In most cases, the university’s Alumni Office and Student Executive should be able to cover most of the overheads. However, it is unlikely that they will be able cover all costs and resources in all cases. Therefore, it is prudent to set aside a reserve fund of sorts, to be put towards  events when necessary. Given that Sanctuary tenants have access to funding for Fixers projects, the best solution appears to be for student tenants to apply for funds to put towards events held at their university of study. In this way, funds could be targeted only at campuses where networks and mentors were not already in place, which would be cost effective and accurate.

The first of the events was to be an X-Box/Console Tournament of choice this Christmas, at the University of Birmingham. This exciting event should attract a diverse range of students and Alumni of all disciplines, who can then be offered new networks prepared for them, or be invited to become the admins of the university’s existing LinkedIn network. However, it is now more likely to be held early next year, given the short time left before Christmas. I will discuss this further with both the Alumni Office and Student Executive, to see what can be achieved. It is my intention to have new networking arrangements or new integrated networks in place for all fields of study, by the end of the first quarter of 2014.

Sanctuary will also benefit from the transparency of this project. The online networks for Let’s Build Bridges are purposefully open ones, to give them two advantages. The first is to make the project accessible to all willing volunteers. The second is to demonstrate the expertise of Sanctuary and other volunteers to both the business and academic communities, who will follow these networks closely as the project gains momentum.

Summary

The nature of our work at the Sanctuary requires us to be proactive and to influence change. This I believe is one change that is clearly worth influencing. For reasons given so far, I argue that online student-Alumni networks will be the most effective way for Sanctuary to help students’ employability in this project. It would help not only the mentoring of students by Alumni, but also facilitate knowledge transfer for the benefit of the students, their universities and institutions, and will in turn, benefit Sanctuary as an organisation. Therefore, with immediate effect, I will endeavour to concentrate on the networks at the University of Birmingham as the first example, and I invite fellow Alumni of this university, as well as the universities of Oxford and Cambridge and any willing volunteers to join me. Together, we will demonstrate Sanctuary’s expertise to improve students’ employability and future. Let’s make this happen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Further Information

 

·         Evidence and opinion poll in support of student-Alumni support for integrated networking at the University of Birmingham: http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=118866&trk=my_groups-b-grp-v

·         Example of a successful knowledge transfer arrangement, the Knowledge  Exchange and Enterprise Network (KEEN): www.worcester.ac.uk ; enquiries: wbs@worcs.ac.uk

·         The Hive, Worcester, a successful example of collaboration for an integrated service for both students and Alumni: http://www.thehiveworcester.org/

·         Links to main online networks for this project Let’s Build Bridges: