Reflections on this year’s Professional Services Conference

This year’s Professional Services Conference, focused on the theme Evolving Together, was packed with energy, knowledge exchange, networking and learning. The Professional Services Conference is Oxford’s annual conference for professional services staff. Chris Price, Divisional Registrar, Medical Sciences Division, reflects on the opening sessions: 

Evolving together 

The day started with an enthusiastic welcome from Professor Irene Tracey, Vice-Chancellor, who thanked professional services staff for everything they have done over a ‘terrific year at the University’. She reflected on the importance of the word together as the theme of the conference and of Professional Services Together. For those in the room she also had a clear call to action – to use the day to reflect, meet new people, renew connections and share good ideas. 

Gill Aitken, Registrar, spoke about the progress we’ve made in the last year, echoing Irene’s sentiments that we all make this University work. She spoke at length about the importance of sustainable change to respond to the challenges that we face. It was reassuring to hear that the implementation of the Strategic Review of Professional Services will be integrated with and complement other initiatives. It was clear that University-wide change is being planned and implemented following common principles – collaboration, quality and people – underpinned by shared leadership from across the divisions and services. 

Investing in our people 

The theme of togetherness continued in the Pay & Conditions review session led by Professor Anne Trefethen, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for People and Digital, and Renu Gupta, Director of Talent. The review is about more than just pay; it’s also about culture and how we work together at the University. As Renu emphasised, it is a big commitment to change, but this is not a change taking place in isolation. The team is working with the other change programmes and ensuring alignment with the Strategic Review and the People Strategy to ensure that collectively we are making things better for everyone. 

Managing and navigating change, together 

David White, Divisional Registrar, Social Sciences Division, shares his thoughts on the day: 

‘I really enjoyed this year’s Professional Services Conference. The focus on managing and navigating change was both timely and relevant, and it was inspiring to hear colleagues from across the University speak thoughtfully on these themes from a range of perspectives.’ 

David also led a panel discussion on achieving cultural change, which showcased some success stories from our academic departments. The session sparked some challenging and insightful questions from the audience, prompting us all to reflect on how we can live up to the values we aspire to as an institution. 

An annual highlight 

‘This was another great event and is fast becoming an annual highlight,’ says Stuart Lee, Chief Information Officer, IT Services.  He continues, ‘This was to be a day that not only celebrated our achievements but also the people instrumental in those. Indeed, my itinerary for the day came back again and again to the people-centered approaches which were a recurring theme – highlighting the importance of fostering a supportive and inclusive environment. There is a will and support to develop our staff but also to change cultures where needed.’ 

Connecting with colleagues 

Our contributors all commented on the insightful presentations, covering a wide range of topics that are crucial to professional services. They also noted that the discussions with colleagues during the breaks were invaluable, providing an opportunity to share experiences and ideas. They agree the conference acts as a valuable opportunity to connect with colleagues beyond the day-to-day and for us to take some time to learn and reflect. 

People first 

‘In my equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) role at the University, one of our many mantras is about putting people first. The importance of empathy and collaboration is key to what we do. Whether through the EDI Strategy, the People Strategy or the Professional Services Together framework, it takes every one of us to bring those words to life,’ notes Daisy Hung, Head of EDI, Mathematics, Physical and Life Sciences. 

The scale of activity and collaboration happening across the University was evident in each of the presentations. Daisy, who presented at the Delivering the change we need session with her colleague Amy Hinks, noted that they ‘were able to share information about the mental health awareness activities in MPLS, and I learned about the close partnerships between professional services staff and academics when handling complicated risk assessments for fieldwork, which helped enable a ground-breaking sighting of an echidna!’ 

Change at Oxford, a sleight of hand 

Stuart Lee comments, ‘The closing talk by Professor William Whyte on the University's history was both entertaining and particularly fitting, as it showed how the University has evolved over time, sometimes nimbly adapting to change, and the trick is to make it look like nothing changes. This perspective was a poignant reminder of the importance of balancing progress with continuity in our work. Overall, the conference was a valuable experience that provided both inspiration and practical insights for staff at any level.’ 

As Daisy neatly sums up, the ‘conference was a helpful reminder that we should all have the chance to do the work that we love while helping others, and constantly learn and grow in our workplace’. 

If you were unable to attend, you can catch up on the following sessions from this year’s conference: 

• Registrar’s Update 

• Shifting the dial on our investment in people (Pay and Conditions Review plenary) 

• Bringing Oxford to the world: engagement and dissemination in the digital age 

• The People Strategy, and how it will support our people in the future 

• Achieving cultural change 

• The changing University: a historical perspective (closing plenary)