They support the ambitions of Professional Services Together and our principles that put people, quality and collaboration at the heart of everything we do. Professional communities enable colleagues to connect across divisional, departmental and collegiate boundaries to develop supportive professional networks and share good practice. There are currently over 20 different communities in our network, and the number continues to grow.
A survey of community members in 2023 found that 84% of participants reported a positive impact on their collaboration with others while 86% considered that their community reflected Professional Services Together’s priority of sharing ideas across divisions (see Testimonials).
You can read the full report and learn about the achievements of different communities.
You can hear from colleagues involved in different professional communities in a presentation recorded at the Professional Services Conference 2023.
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Networks and Communities of Practice
There is a wide and expanding range of professional communities for staff at the University. A distinction is sometimes made between Networks and Communities of Practice:
- Professional networks bring together colleagues in many different roles around a shared area of interest.
- Communities of Practice (CoPs) connect staff with shared expertise, profession and activities, with members often actively collaborating to solve common challenges, work on joint projects and share resources. Several Communities of Practice, such as the Executive/ Personal Assistants CoP and the Finance CoP have worked with their members to develop career pathways to support their members with development and progression.
Please note though that the names that professional communities choose to use don’t always reflect this distinction, so it’s always helpful to read each community’s description before asking to join.
Joining a professional community
All professional services staff are encouraged to join relevant professional communities for their work. Please see the Professional Communities Directory for a list of known communities.
If you’re unable to find an existing professional community that is aligned with your role or area of interest, why not bring together a group of colleagues and start one?
