Thursday 28 June, 2 - 3.15pm
D1: AISA - The benefits of joining our networking community CANCELLED
Category: Staff support
Come to this interactive session to find out about the benefits of being an AISA member. Find out about the association's new interactive website with useful tools that will aid the sharing of resources and ideas.
Learn about the networking opportunities and training sessions that are provided to support you in your work with international students and improve their student experience.
Presenters: Sarah Sherwin, Senior International Student Adviser,
University of Bristol; Sally Saca, Head of International Student Advice Team, Oxford Brookes University
Sarah Sherwin is a Senior International Student Adviser at the
University of Bristol. She works within the International Student Visa
Advice and Compliance team advising students. Sarah has worked at
Bristol for 10 years having previously worked as an adviser in both FE
and HE since 1999. Sarah has also worked in education as a student
financial adviser and housing adviser. Sarah is currently Secretary of
AISA.
Sally Saca is Head of International Student Advice Team at Oxford Brookes University and is responsible for advice, compliance and the international student welcome and social programmes. Sally has worked at Brookes for 10 years having previously worked in similar roles supporting international students at the University of Bath and the University of Sussex. Sally is currently Co-Chair of AISA.
D1: How to help students lose their BRP! A journey through ‘reverse assumption’ and creative thinking (repeated as E8)
Category: Staff support
"I've lost my BRP!"
"Can I work full-time?"
"Where's my visa?"
"How long will it take?"
Are these familiar phrases? Do you hear yourself responding in the same way? What if you had a different way to reply? What if you tried thinking differently? What if you considered how to make problems worse, or information less clear?!
Intrigued?
This session will be based around the idea of “reverse assumption” and how thinking in new and somewhat strange ways may encourage new and exciting ideas. Often by thinking about how we could make a problem worse (“how can we make sure students lose their BRP more frequently?”), we are forced to consider the issue from a new and unexplored angle.
In a profession where so much of our world is black and white, this session will encourage attendees to explore things differently, and to help develop new and unconventional thinking in order to apply new and fresh solutions to familiar challenges.
Presenter: Robert Young, International Student Adviser, Royal Holloway, University of London
Robert works as an International Student Adviser at Royal Holloway, University of London. He has worked in education since graduating from the University of Hertfordshire and has experience in FE, HE, and students’ unions.
Although still relatively new to the front-line world of immigration advice, Robert is impassioned by international students, and inspired by his colleagues across the UK and their dedication to being there for people that need them when it really counts.
D2: Compliance insights: know your stuff, identify your weaknesses, avoid sleepless nights
Category: Immigration compliance
The interactive presentation will draw on Penningtons Manches' extensive expertise on Tier 4 and will be of interest to heads of compliance, senior management and anyone dealing with compliance in their organisation.
The session will include case studies of compliance issues raised by UKVI and those encountered by the team on their compliance audits and helplines within the last 12 months. It will also cover how to balance compliance and UKVI errors, with international student experience.
The team will be sharing their expert knowledge and providing practical tips, helping delegates acquire knowledge of the compliance areas most commonly encountered in the education sector.
Presenters: Pat Saini, Head of Immigration, Penningtons Manches LLP; Hazar El-Chamaa, Partner, Penningtons Manches LLP; Penny Evans, Associate Director, Penningtons Manches LLP
Pat Saini heads the immigration team at Penningtons Manches and has over 20 years immigration experience. She advises several UK universities, FE colleges and independent schools on risk management, sponsor compliance matters and the immigration aspects of business restructuring. Pat often liaises with senior Home Office officials on behalf of clients. She also has experience of challenging Home Office decisions, where compliance action has been taken against an institution.
Hazar El- Chamaa is a Partner in the immigration team and has over 14 years immigration experience. Her clients include universities, independent schools and FE colleges, whom she assists on all aspects of compliance, risk management, restructuring and business strategies. She also advises on challenges to Home Office decisions which affect sponsors. Hazar is a frequent speaker on immigration law and gives training on compliance with sponsorship licence duties under Tier 4 and Tier 2 as well as with prevention of illegal working legislation.
Penny Evans is an Associate Director and has over 18 years immigration experience. She specialises in providing immigration solutions to education clients, including universities, FE colleges and independent schools with a focus on sponsor compliance issues, auditing and options for graduates. In addition Penny liaises with policy teams within the Home Office to seek changes to the immigration rules.
D3: It's not us it's them: universities and unions changing lives together, for good
Category: Student experience
This is a joint session by Queen Mary University of London and University of Sussex about the benefits of universities and students' unions working together to improve the international student experience.
The session will encourage attendees to think about how, when, why and who they would contact within a students’ union to discuss international student matters. Examples of best practice will be discussed to encourage attendees to begin building similar working relationships.
The session will feature a quiz, dispel some common myths about students’ unions, case studies and a Q&A session.
It is suitable for staff from any role within a university or students’ union especially those that work closely with international students or are interested in enhancing a working relationship with their university’s students’ union and vice versa.
Presenters: Helen Quin, International Student Experience Officer, University of Sussex; Helena Collins, International Student Experience Officer, Queen Mary University; Natalie Sacks, Student Voice Manager, Sussex Students' Union; Sophia MacBlain, Communities Co-ordinator, Queen Mary Students' Union
Helen is an International Student Support Officer at the University of Sussex, with a background in language teaching and education management. She leads on a range of activities and services to enhance the quality of the international student experience and increase integration between home and international students. Her remit includes international student induction, orientation and the coordination of the One World Sussex programme in collaboration with the students’ union. Helen is also currently one of the leads on a university-wide student experience improvement project at Sussex.
Helena, International Student Experience Officer at Queen Mary
University. The ISE team is responsible for addressing specific needs of
international students taking direction from student feedback,
institutional strategic documents and regular staff liaison. She is also
responsible for the development and implementation of the
International/EU Student Welcome programme.
Natalie is the Student Voice Manager at the Sussex Students’ Union, with a background in advice-giving and statistics. She manages the Student Voice team who deal with campaigns and representation; supporting elected officers in achieving their aims by listening and responding to the student voice. She previously coordinated the Buddy Scheme and Language Cafe, two successful initiatives at Sussex focusing on improving the integration between home and international students.
Sophia, Communities Co-ordinator within Queen Mary Students' Union, is responsible for supporting student officers and developing projects for the benefit of international students. She is also tasked with delivering projects that improve relationships with QMSU and the involvement of international postgraduate and foundation students.
D4: Academic Technology Approval Scheme(repeated as E12)
Category: Immigration
ATAS is designed to ensure that those applying for postgraduate study in certain sensitive subjects do not acquire knowledge that could potentially be used in the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs).
Students applying for certain postgraduate courses need to obtain an ATAS certificate before applying for a visa.
This session will provide an opportunity to hear about the scheme from staff who administer the ATAS scheme. Delegates can bring queries they have based on their own students' experiences. It will be suitable for both new and experienced staff.
Presenter: James Stopford, Desk Officer, MTCR and ATAS Policy, Conventional Arms Policy Team, CPACC, Foreign and Commonwealth Office
James is the (new) lead for ATAS policy at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
D5: Students in crisis: balancing compliance and support
Category: Immigration compliance
As institutions we work hard to support the welfare of our students, but as Tier 4 sponsors we also have an obligation to ensure that we remain complaint when it comes to our sponsorship duties.
How do we ensure we can support students through crises such as personal, family, health, financial hardship, and even immigration problems whilst ensuring that we continue to meet our obligations as sponsors?
This interactive session will give participants the chance to discuss best practice and experience in supporting students through crisis.
This session is aimed at compliance, advice and support staff.
Presenter: Christina Peters, Head of International Student Support & Tier 4 Compliance, University of Hertfordshire
Christina has gained nearly 20 years’ experience in international student support through her work at three UK institutions. She has worked in HE and the private sector and has been Head of International Student Support and Tier 4 Compliance at the University of Hertfordshire since 2004.
D6: Compliance isn't just about the UKVI! Creating practical advice tools and systems to comply with OISC requirements
Category: Immigration
Aimed at colleagues offering immigration advice, this session will look at the new advice system Aston University created in collaboration with the OISC and many of the weird and wonderful problems experienced along the way.
Delegates will be encouraged to bring their own advice templates and policies with them for open and helpful discussion.
It will look at the OISC rules, the systems developed and the discussions the team had with the OISC. It will then demonstrate interactive advice templates and show how they can be adapted.
Presenter: Gemma Zebedee, Senior International Student Adviser (policy), Aston University
Gemma has spent her career undertaking advice work with charities and not-for-profit organisations and has been based at Aston University for almost 14 years. During this time she has advised across a wide variety of fields which include immigration and EU case work. She has worked within student services offered by both students’ unions and universities across three different institutions in the West Midlands.
D7: Navigating the enrolment journey: remaining compliant while cutting the queues
Category: Immigration compliance
This is a joint session by the University of Southampton and Northumbria University.
First impressions are important so how can you manage an efficient and lean enrolment process while ensuring that your new arrivals feel welcome?
Discover the secrets to our successful enrolment process, which includes BRP collection (ACL), university ID card collection and police registration appointment booking.
In this session we will give an overview of our use of technology, targeted communications and co-ordination between teams across the university to plan, run and improve the enrolment process for our students. We will particularly focus on our use of barcodes, checklists and online appointment booking to enable students to fly through our enrolment event.
Presenters: Rachel Hay, Visa Compliance Coordinator, Northumbria University; Alison Russell, Welfare, Funding and Immigration Adviser, Northumbria University; Emily Zieba, Student Visa & Immigration Advisor, University of Southampton;
Hazel Carling,Iimmigration Advisor, University of Southampton
Rachel works as a coordinator in the Visa Compliance Team at Northumbria University. The team plays a key role in the development, maintenance and assurance of immigration compliance required by the Home Office in order for the university to fulfil its duties and obligations as a Tier 4 Sponsor.
Alison works as a Welfare, Funding and Immigration Adviser in the Student Support and Wellbeing department at Northumbria University. Her main role is to provide advice to staff, students and stakeholders as an Immigration and Funding specialist.
Emily has worked as a Student Visa and Immigration Advisor at the University of Southampton since December 2016. Before working in immigration advice, Emily worked in related roles as an English Language teacher and as a Graduate Project Officer in a Student Office at the University of Exeter.
Hazel has worked at the University of Southampton for 10 years, initially as a Customer Services Advisor dealing with general students queries before becoming an immigration advisor specialising in Tier 4.
D8: How do Higher Education institutions make their own assessment of English language?
Category: Immigration compliance
In line with current Tier 4 policy Higher Education Institutions (HEI) are able to make their own assessment on an applicant’s English Language, if the course is degree level or above.
This session provides the open forum to explore universities approaches to assessing English Language, from all overseas markets, in accordance with Home Office policy and through the experiences/assessments of Tier 4 audits by the Home Office Higher Education Assurance Team.
As added value Non-SELT providers will incorporate how their English Language Assessment is a viable option for this level of entry to study at a HEI.
Presenters: Sara Smith, Assistant Registrar (UKVI Compliance), University Of Portsmouth; Sandy Bhangal, Associate Director, ETS Global; Petra Olsson, Cambridge Assessment English; Fleur de Haas, Recognition Services Manager, Pearson Test of English Academic
Sara Smith leads on immigration compliance at the University of Portsmouth and achieved a successful Tier 4 HEAT Audit in early summer 2016. Sara is a qualified TEFL teacher, she utilises her skills and knowledge to incorporate and review English Language policy, with country specific analysis at both her former and current institution. Sara is an active member of the ARC UKVI practitioners group and is co-chair of the Immigration Compliance Network for London and SE region.
Sandy Bhangal, associate director for ETS Global Client Relations, is responsible for all outreach and communications in the UK, working closely with institutions of higher education and further education, educational advisors and English-language teachers. In this role, Sandy has worked predominantly within the TOEFL® client relations team to raise visibility among test takers, educators and admissions officers that accept the TOEFL test to meet their English-language assessment needs.
Petra Olsson is responsible for the relationships with universities and other stakeholders. Since joining Cambridge Assessment English in early 2013, she has supported and guided many HEIs in the region with their requirements for C1 Advanced and C2 Proficiency through visits and presentations.
Fleur de Haas is Recognition Services Manager for the Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic). Fleur is responsible for recognition of PTE Academic on a university and governmental level.
D9: Using Attachment Theory to understand student beginnings and endings (FULL)
Category: Student experience
This session will introduce the principles of Attachment Theory and use these to understand how individual students manage beginnings and endings.
Attachment theory links early life experience, in particular how secure or stable early care experience and bonding is, to how an individual manages later connections. When international students arrive in the UK, they are separating from the familiar environment and are required to form new relationships and bonds, with peers, staff, the institution, the location. For some this will be easier than for others. Similarly, on leaving bonds get broken and what was once the familiar home environment may feel more distant.
The session will help participants to recognise different attachment 'styles', what they might evoke in the advisor and what approach may be helpful.
It will also address wider considerations for the service and the institution in supporting students effectively.
The session is aimed at any staff in face to face contact with international students, for example in an advisory, wellbeing, academic or administrative role. It is suitable for new or experienced staff.
Presenters: Alison Barty, Senior Student Counsellor, SOAS, University of London; Emma Nabavian, Head of Student Advice and Counselling, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
Alison Barty is Senior Student Counsellor at SOAS, University of London where she was previously Head of Student Advice and Wellbeing. She has worked with international students for many years and is a regular trainer with UKCISA on courses on Basic Advisory Skills and on Frontline Skills in Responding to Mental Health Issues for International Students. She is a qualified counsellor and psychotherapist with a particular interest in intercultural meeting. Outside the university she is a yoga practitioner and teacher with a growing interest in mindfulness.
Emma Nabavian is currently Head of Student Advice and Counselling at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, having originally started out in student welfare. She is also a qualified psychotherapist and counsellor, and is experienced in providing counselling to students. Emma is particularly interested in how counselling skills and theory can be applied to helping relationships, such as advice work, and she has delivered numerous training sessions around this theme. In her spare time she plays the violin and dabbles in amateur ceramics.
D10: international student experience and the importance of a positive housing hunt
Category: Student experience
This is a joint session by student.com and the University of Sussex.
Student.com
This session aims to share practical experience of how the process of finding the right place to live impacts on the wellbeing of all students, particularly those from overseas.
Drawing on our experience of helping students from over 130 countries, we'll give an overview of the impact the process of finding and settling in to a new home has on student satisfaction and their relationship with their institution, mental health, and retention.
Working with institutions and private providers gives us a unique insight into the efforts of both sectors in putting student wellbeing first, which we can share, together with success stories and best practice.
This session will benefit all those working directly with international students, as well anyone involved in planning overall student experience.
University of Sussex
With recent political and legislative changes in the UK around Right to Rent and Brexit, coupled with the removal of the recruitment cap, international students could potentially be facing new challenges when it comes to renting accommodation in the private sector.
This session aims to share the key findings from our research, funded via a UKCISA grant, with current University of Sussex students, who have shared their experiences of searching for, securing and living in the private rented sector in Brighton and Hove and surrounding areas.
Objectives of the session include:
- Understanding what the key issues are, have there been any Right to Rent barriers faced?
- Discussing any unexpected challenges that students experienced
- Looking at how we will update and tailor our resources to better help international students
Presenters: Luke Nolan, Founder and CEO, Student.com; Rebecca Nash, Housing Services Manager, University of Sussex; Lucy Walker, Housing Officer, University of Sussex
Luke is Founder and CEO of Student.com, the world’s largest marketplace for student
accommodation. An entrepreneur at heart, Luke had the idea for a student accommodation
marketplace when friends in Asia asked for help finding accommodation while they studied
abroad. An initial platform - Overseas Student Living - was created in 2011 and became the
first online marketplace for Asian students to access student accommodation in the UK.
Luke quickly realised there was an opportunity to help a rapidly increasing global community
of international students. In 2014, the company re-branded to Student.com and became the
largest accommodation marketplace for international students studying abroad.
A keen businessman, Luke was involved in the Chinese real estate sector prior to founding
Student.com. Before moving to Asia, where lived for over 10 years, he had first-hand
experience of being an international student, both in London where he received a bachelor’s
degree in Banking and International Finance from Cass Business School and in Milan,
where he received a Master’s in International Economics and Management from SDA
Bocconi.
Though born in London to Irish-Portuguese parents, Luke grew up in Antwerp, Belgium so
considers himself a truly international entrepreneur, speaking English, Chinese and
Portuguese.
Rebecca Nash is a Housing Manager at the University of Sussex. The team is responsible for the development and delivery of projects focused around bringing students and local residents together to improve relationships, managing a successful Homestay accommodation programme and providing private sector housing advice and support to all students at Sussex.
Lucy Walker is a Housing Officer at the University of Sussex, within the Communities and Development team, offering private renting advice to all students at Sussex through drop-in sessions, events and working with local partners to identify current issues affecting the sector.
D11: Making the most of Tier 1 Graduate Entrepreneur route
Category: Immigration
The London Business School and the University of Edinburgh have been successfully sponsoring an increasing number of students under the Tier 1 Graduate Entrepreneur Scheme since 2012.
In this session, they will cover their experience of working with this immigration route, focusing on the policies and processes they have put in place, and on the challenges and the successes they have come across. They will also discuss how the scheme has been valuable in raising their institutions’ profiles.
Presenters: Helen Foley, Associate Director of Visa Compliance and Financial Aid, London Business School; Avani Sawant, International Compliance Manager, London Business School; Erika Sella, International Student Adviser, University of Edinburgh; Alison Gee, Enterprise Development Manager, University of Edinburgh; Paulo Coelho Mendes Bueno Barbosa, Tier 1 graduate entrepreneur, Founder, Serendipity Lab Insight Technologies
Helen works as the Associate Director of Visa Compliance and Financial Aid at the London Business School. Overseeing a small compliance and advice team, Helen provides support for the School's 1,500 non-EU students from the moment they apply through to their post-study work, with lots of interesting challenges in between.
Avani works as the International Compliance Manager at London Business School. Avani is responsible for ensuring institutional and student visa compliance across Tier 4 and Tier 1 Graduate Entrepreneur. She also provides key support for US students through compliant (and challenging) administration of the US Federal Aid loan scheme.
Erika Sella works as an international student adviser at the University of Edinburgh and has been supporting Tier 1 graduate entrepreneurs for over a year.
Alison Gee joined Launch.ed, the University of Edinburgh's free support service for University of Edinburgh student and recent graduate entrepreneurs in April 2013. She has the role of providing business creation support and advice to students and recent alumni through one-on-one business support, workshops and clinics.
University of Edinburgh alumnus turned Tier 1 graduate entrepreneur, Paulo Barbosa is the founder of Serendipity Lab Insight Technologies - an early stage B2B startup leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI) & Machine Learning to help companies find untapped opportunities.
D12: Tier 4 Pilot: considerations and challenges
Category: Immigration
The Tier 4 Pilot was introduced in July 2016 to a very small group of institutions selected by the Home Office. Staff
in those institutions have been working closely with the Home Office on the implementation of the Pilot and
working with Home Office Analytical staff to monitor the outcomes. The pilot is now being rolled out to a further 23 institutions.
This session will provide an overview of the scheme and the initial roll out, highlight issues and what the original institutions in the pilot scheme have learned along the way. There will also be an opportunity to discuss best practice and ask questions.
The session will be of particular benefit to those working in institutions who will be included in the Pilot this year.
Presenters: Lizzie Huckle, Head of International Student Support, Imperial College London; Jessica Scott, Head of Student Immigration, University of Bath
Lizzie Huckle has worked with international students in higher education since 1999, with a particular focus on the provision of immigration advice. Since 2006 Lizzie managed the International Advice Service at City University London, and in March 2016 moved to Imperial as Head of the International Student Support Service. She currently serves on the UKCISA Board of Trustees and works closely with UKCISA and the University of Nottingham in contributing to teaching on the Legal Frameworks module of the Post Graduate Certificate in International Student Advice and Support.
Jessica Scott was appointed as Head of Student Immigration in June 2016 following a restructure of student immigration roles at Bath and the subsequent formation of a single Student Immigration Service.
Having commenced her time at the University of Bath as an International Student Adviser in 2005, Jess went on to be Team Leader for the International Student Advice Team in 2012. She has also spent a year during her time at the university in the role of Compliance Manager (Student Immigration). Prior to working at the University of Bath, Jess worked at the then City College Brighton and Hove in international student admissions.
Jess is also a member of the AISA Executive Committee and acts as regional co-coordinator.
