The Association of Higher Education Professionals (AHEP), formerly known as the Association of University Administrators (AUA), is the professional body for higher education administrators and managers in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

and

Republic of Ireland Ireland ( ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 Counties of Ireland, counties of the island of Ireland, with a population of about 5.4 million. ...

. As of 2023, its membership comprised several thousand individuals, representing 300 institutions from the UK and 21 countries worldwide. Following the passage of the Further and Higher Education Act 1992, the association was formed by the merger of the Association of Polytechnic Administrators (APA) and the Conference of University Administrators (CUA) in 1993. CUA traced its history back to the Meeting of University Academic Administrative Staff, founded in 1961. The association marked the golden jubilee of the professionalisation of support staff in UK universities in 2011. In response to the changing UK higher education sector, it adopted the current name in 2023.

Professional values

AHEP exists to advance and assist in the advancement of education by fostering sound methods of leadership, management and administration in further and higher education by education, training, and other means. AHEP members are individually and collectively committed to: * Advancing education for public benefit through sharing professional knowledge and practice * Developing their own and others' professional practice * Actively championing a professional culture of equality, diversity and inclusion * Working to the highest standards of fair, ethical and transparent professional behaviour These values underpin the nine professional behaviours of the AHEP Professional Framework.

Professional development

The AHEP Professional Framework is a tool that supports the career development of higher education professionals. It works on an organisational and individual level, for professionals at all career stages, and can be applied across all roles in the sector. The AHEP Accreditation Scheme provides a clear path for members (entitled to the post-nominal letters MAHEP) to Accredited Membership (AMAHEP) and Fellowship (FAHEP), which recognise a deeper commitment to ongoing professional development and acknowledge the impact and influence of this on professional practice. The AHEP Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education Administration, Management and Leadership, delivered in partnership with Nottingham Trent University, is a self-directed, independent, work-based learning programme for higher education professionals working within UK higher education administration.

Publications

The quarterly journal of the Association of Higher Education Professionals, ''Perspectives: Policy and Practice in Higher Education'', is published by Taylor and Francis. A series of Good Practice Guides available to members, first published by CUA in 1986, aims to share and promote best practice in HE.

Conference

AHEP's annual conference and exhibition is the largest professional development conference in the UK HE calendar, with plenary and keynote presentations and around 100 working sessions. Internationally, AHEP maintains reciprocal agreements with similar organisations, which allow members to attend partner conferences.

Governance

The association is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation, managed and administered by a Board of Trustees.We’re changing our status as a charity
Association of University Administrators (retrieved 11 June 2023) Following election, the Chair-elect serves as Vice-chair of the Association for one year before taking office; upon completion of a term of office, the retiring Chair serves as Vice-chair for a further year:Constitution
Association of University Administrators (updated 1 August 2018) The Honorary President of the Association undertakes such activities as may be requested by the Board of Trustees or prescribed from time to time in the bye-laws. The Board is responsible for appointing the Honorary President in accordance with bye-laws established for that purpose:

References

External links

*
European Association of Research Managers and Administrators

American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers
(International Reciprocal Partner)
American Association of University Administrators
{{authority control Academic administration Education-related professional associations Higher education organisations based in the United Kingdom Organisations based in Manchester Organizations established in 1961 University Administrators Universities in the United Kingdom University of Manchester