This award relates to our UA principles ‘Democratic & Collaborative’.
This award is for the Team who have demonstrated great collaborative working, respecting and embracing different viewpoints. The last year has placed exceptional demands and pressures on our Alliance teams, but it is the inclusive nature, bolstering supportiveness and kindness of those nominated for the Alliance Award that have kept our institutions working together during the pandemic.
University of Hertfordshire- For their ‘Changed World’ digital archive initiative, capturing the personal and professional experiences of the Covid-19 lockdowns.
Changed World was a university-wide initiative that sought to capture personal and professional experiences of the Covid-19 lockdowns. All students, alumni, and staff, both professional and academic, were invited to share their imaginative, creative, and intellectual responses to the pandemic through video, music, essays, poetry and other forms and media. Contributions have created a digital archive for future cohorts to engage with, materials that are being embedded into our shared academic programmes, and have provided inspiration for a project involving local businesses. The initiative included skills development opportunities that were open to everyone – including our partner university in Malaysia. All submissions were acknowledged at a digital Awards Celebration. The categories were aligned with our University values: Friendly, Ambitious, Collegiate, Enterprising, Student-focused, and – to recognise the excellent team contributions – Building Community. A Changed World captures the spirit of our times and what is unique about our diverse university community.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9k9G00v-4tg
Examples of A Changed World Content:
Harriet Riddell, an alumna of UH ran a sketching class as part of our A Changed World Makealong:
https://www.herts.ac.uk/about-us/a-changed-world/the-collection/harriet-riddell2
Julie Kelly, our Academic Registrar, created a presentation: Who Wants to be an Academic Registrar?
https://www.herts.ac.uk/about-us/a-changed-world/the-collection/julie-kelly
James Hatcher, and undergraduate illustration student created some artwork:
https://www.herts.ac.uk/about-us/a-changed-world/the-collection/james-hatcher
Josh Gaddes, aka Afari, offered songs that he has written:
https://www.herts.ac.uk/about-us/a-changed-world/the-collection/josh-gaddes-aka-afari
Maya Horton, a PhD student, wrote an essay:
https://www.herts.ac.uk/about-us/a-changed-world/the-collection/maya-horton
Surya Maruthupandian wrote a poem:
https://www.herts.ac.uk/about-us/a-changed-world/the-collection/surya-maruthupandian
Teesside University-For the co-creation of their staff Values and Behaviours Framework with over 100 stakeholders. 
Teesside University took an innovative approach to putting values into practice through the creation of the Values and Behaviours Framework. Over 100 stakeholders were engaged from the outset of the development. A series of workshops ensured that different viewpoints were embraced with meaningful engagement in the co-creation activity.
The Values and Behaviours Framework provides a reference guide to help all colleagues understand how the values of the University can be applied within their roles and working practices. The initiative transparently sets out the standards of behaviour expected of all staff, people managers and senior leaders at the University.
The Framework continues to be embedded throughout the employee journey. There is a specific link to the performance of every colleague through the Professional Development Planning & Review process.
Staff Quotes:
“I was really pleased to be included in shaping the framework, and be a representative voice for my peers. I feel that the behaviours we have identified reflect the strong
community we have here and which we want to continue to create.”
“I feel privileged to be working in Higher Education and to be in a position to positively influence lives and careers The values framework is a way of formalising how we should be engaging within our community and will help colleagues new to higher education develop their own professional practices.
“The values and behaviours framework captures the essence of everything we aim to achieve in the manner in which we strive to achieve it. Team Teesside produce fantastic accolades and continually overcome even more complex challenges, we simply couldn’t do that without drawing on the values and behaviours we share.”
“Having a Values and Behaviours Framework means that as an organisation we are recognising that people matter. We may not all agree on things but by setting a standard we have something we can all strive to work towards where difference is respected and embraced within parameters which are safe and realistic.”
WINNERS: Coventry University’s music technology team-For developing an internationally collaborative music creation project.
Reflecting their global outlook, the Music Technology team developed a Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) project for their second year students. They set up a 3-way partnership with HEIs in Hong Kong and Milan, Italy, working with colleagues to devise a challenging and fun brief – to collaborate and make a piece of music that reflected all members of the team’s interests and background. Students worked in groups with peers from each of the other institutes after getting to know each other through some fun activities and challenges. Each team created exciting and original music based on their area of interest, cultural background and musical skills. The music reflected the diversity of the teams and the individual interests. The students shared their work in a Zoom presentation with each group explaining the process and sharing their music. Music included a New York theme, rock band and a singing cat.
Kingston University -For the delivery of their community Vaccination centre.
Kingston University has been at the forefront of the community response to the coronavirus pandemic, working to safeguard the health of borough residents and minimise the spread of the virus. 
Our community vaccination hub has been hailed as an exemplar of collaboration with key civic stakeholders and widely praised by the Universities Minister, MPs and public health officials alike.
Set up in partnership with two local Primary Care Networks, the South West London CCG and Kingston Council, it has supported patients from six of the region’s GP practices and health centres to receive their jabs as swiftly and efficiently as possible. The collaboration has seen part of the campus repurposed to accommodate the 10-station vaccination site, with lecture theatres serving as waiting and observation areas.
Between December 2020 and May 2021, 26,830 vaccinations have been dispensed at the clinic. The highest number delivered in any one day currently totals 2,420.
