Connecting with people

The Education Administration Community of Practice supports the development of a professional identity for those working in education-related professional services roles across the collegiate University.

We believe that creating more opportunities for colleagues to meet with each other to develop and share good practice will foster an increased understanding of the value of education administration in the context of Oxford and the wider UK sector, enhancing the university’s mission to provide students with an excellent academic experience.

The Business Continuity Network is a thriving community for all staff involved in any aspect of business continuity work across the central and collegiate University. Routinely, the network meets via Teams on the first Wednesday of every month and has an in-person Annual Meeting in Trinity Term. In the event of a major incident or disruption, meeting frequency will increase as appropriate.

Teams Meetings last 30 minutes and include: horizon scanning for potential disruptions, business continuity planning guidance, sharing best practice and answering questions. There is a dedicated Teams channel for resource sharing and communication between meetings.

EDU supported networks including:

• BME staff network
• Disabled staff network
• LGBT staff network 

The Equality, Diversity and Inclusion network is for all staff involved in any aspect of EDI work in the University, including Athena Swan, race equality, and staff development and inclusion more broadly.

It is a friendly, informal group which aims to share good practice and provide advice and support to EDI professionals. The group meets four times a year and has a dedicated Teams channel for resource sharing and communication between meetings.

Join the staff network created by the Wellbeing Programme team, a place for all staff with an interest in this area to share wellbeing ideas, resources and best practice across Departments and Divisions.

If you want to take it one step further and contribute directly to wellbeing initiatives throughout the University, apply to become a Wellbeing Champion. 

Supporting Oxford’s communications community through collaboration and capacity building. A weekly Digest email shares campaign information, questions from the community, tools and tips, training opportunities, and job vacancies.

Any member of staff with communications as part of their role can subscribe. To do so, please send an email to communications-officers-subscribe@maillist.ox.ac.uk asking to be signed up.

To send messages to the list, send an email to communications-officers-subscribe@maillist.ox.ac.uk – eligible items will be included in the next Digest email.

More information can be found on our Teams site

Alternatively, please email events@admin.ox.ac.uk

A cohesive community of video makers in Oxford which aims to communicate regularly, share ideas and skills, and collaborate on common goals.

Suitable for those who make videos and audio as a significant part of their work. Friendly to, but not suitable for, those who manage fixed AV assets (eg lecture theatres, events) and those who use video in comms (eg social media managers) – but if in doubt, say hello!

An interconnected community of creatives in Oxford, who talk, share inspiration, ideas and skills, as well as collaborating on common goals and challenges. We encompass print and digital designers as well as illustrators, photographers and we work closely with the Oxford Video makers.

We are here to provide a supportive space, nurture talent and provide a knowledge centre. We also look to connect with the University's wider comms community through Creative Hub sessions and workshops run throughout the year.

If you are a creative working within any part of the collegiate University and using proven industry tools (Adobe Creative Suite, but not limited to), we would love to hear from you.

Please email brandanddesign@admin.ox.ac.uk to find out more.

The Change Community Forum is a network for anyone with an interest in introducing and managing change.  

Membership is broad and currently includes people working in business change and communications, Focus continuous improvement activity, departmental change projects, business analysis and project management. 

We meet every 2 months and are keen to broaden our engagement.   We hold project showcases, hear from guest speakers, and work to share best practice.  

We like to hear how challenges have been overcome and successes achieved so we can learn and improve approaches for future change initiatives.  Someone somewhere is always working through similar issues!  A great place to go with questions, and to talk through challenges in an inspiring, supportive, and confidential forum.

The forum for development, alumni relations and communications staff across the University of Oxford.

Advancing Oxford brings together over 500 staff working across more than 80 different departments, colleges, alumni societies and the overseas offices to engage, to network and to learn – whilst simultaneously showcasing the immense impact of philanthropy across the collegiate University.

The University EA and PA Community of Practice is a growing network of Executive and Personal Assistants dedicated to sharing best practices across professional services.

We warmly welcome new members and regularly organise networking events, professional development sessions, and informal gatherings to foster community and collaboration.

A Teams channel to connect colleagues from a variety of disciplines, including facilities management, safety, compliance, sustainability and building management.

FM Forum members meet termly to receive relevant updates on policies, discuss building management issues and share resources and best practices.

Request to join with this link.

For more information please email estates.communications@admin.ox.ac.uk

Find out more

The GGG is a newly created space (July 2023) in which academic and professional services staff can engage with others involved in governance related work across Oxford.

We aim to share good practice from both within Oxford (UAS, departments, divisions and colleges) and from outside.

A place for debate, sharing of best practice, a forum for seeking advice on those tricky day to day dilemmas that we can be faced with and a source of information for colleagues navigating their way through the Oxford committee structure.

The CRN aims to enable professional services staff across the whole University (UAS, departments, divisions and colleges) to keep in touch with the central Risk & Resilience team and each other, to share best practice and knowledge in an environment where resources are limited and compliance requirements only ever seem to increase.

We meet termly and also have a Teams site for sharing information and seeking advice between meetings.

The Safety Network is an extensive community comprising professional safety advisers and other safety role-holders.

Its purpose is to provide advice and support to all areas of the University.  It also provides direct support to the University’s Safety Executive Group and links with the Consultative Committee for Health and Safety. Safety Organisation | Safety Office (ox.ac.uk).

Members of the Safety Network are connected via a dedicated Teams site and work is coordinated across the Network by a Steering Group.

USHA promotes safety and health in higher education ensuring the wellbeing of university staff, students and visitors.

It produces statistical analysis of the sector’s H&S performance, runs events seminars and conferences, and publishes professional standards and guidance documents. 

USHA leads the way with consultation and lobbying on national policies on the world stage, and offers members a community of support, knowledge sharing and networking.

please email Iris.Hofmann@idrm.ox.ac.uk or matthew.brack@politics.ox.ac.uk