Possibly the AUDE awards (but then possibly not).
A closer look at the AUDE Awards
The Association of Universities Directors of Estates (AUDE) held its annual conference earlier this month. As part of the event, the AUDE Awards highlight some of the more interesting initiatives over the last year. See below for links to some of the winners' work. The winners of the four main awards were:
AUDE Estates/Facilities Team of the Year: The University of Glasgow Campus Security Team. The team has worked hard to change its traditional security team approach to a student-centric service, adopting new technology and safeguarding strategies. The Estates Team at the University of St Andrews received a 'highly-commended'. The Compliance Team at Loughborough University was also commended.
Anglia Ruskin University won the 'University Impact Initiative of the Year' award for its new campus: ARU Peterborough. The project responds to the need for a higher-skilled workforce across the region. AUDE says that there has been impressive feedback from students, staff, and the community, with the first phase accelerating Peterborough's renaissance (a second phase will open later this year). The Geoexchange Heating System Decarbonisation Project at Oxford Brookes University was highly-commended. Also 'highly-commended' was the collaboration between the University of Liverpool's Environmental Sustainability and Strategic Change Teams. 'New Life into Old,' The Rubrics Building at Trinity College, Dublin, received a commendation.
Nottingham Trent University Estates team won the 'Reaching Higher' Award by creating its new campus in Mansfield. The 1800-student capacity facility offers 'levelling-up opportunities'. The campus was created sustainably via a £5m refurbishment of under-utilised buildings at West Nottinghamshire College. The initiative required a partnership between NTU, the College and local schools and businesses. The Practical Skills Programme at the University of Huddersfield, working with Kirklees College, received a 'highly-commended'. The Guildhall, at the University of York, received a commendation.
Amanda Cook, a Building Management System (BMS) Engineer at the University of St Andrews, won the AUDE 'Emerging Talent' Award. Amanda extended technical monitoring and provided remote visibility of 32,000 managed items across the estate. Her achievements allow the Estates team to react when issues arise, reducing response times and maintenance costs.
AUDE also handed out Summer School Awards for contributions at last year's residential event. Finally, the Award for Long-Term Contribution was presented to Mike Clark, Director of Campus Infrastructure at Trinity College, Dublin, since 2018. Mike started in higher education at London Metropolitan University before becoming Director of Estates at Brighton. Mike has been a foundation stone of AUDE, acting in various positions, and leading the association in 2017.
DfE Further Education Updates
In one of its regular Further Education updates, this week, the DfE reminded the sector about two published guides. The guides, produced by the FE Commissioner Team and LocatED, have been updated to take account of sector reclassification:
Management Accounts: a good practice guide for Colleges
The Estates Planning guidance includes practical hints and tips, including real-life case studies. MabelSpace considers Estates Planning guidance, aimed at leaders and governors, the most comprehensive and useful in two decades. This online resource includes a section on Developing an Estates Strategy (MabelSpace's home turf!) with a reminder that every FE corporation should have one. The strategy should be reviewed at least every three years. Also, last week, the DfE gave guidance on the disposal of fixed assets (this, of course, includes land and buildings).