Making sense of higher education – modules
The ten modules
Ten live online modules, one hour each, from October 2026 to April 2027. Each session combines current challenges, emerging opportunities, effective practice and practical guidance, delivered by Team Wonkhe with special guests. Each are recorded and shared with everyone on the course afterwards if you can’t make it on the day.
Free introductory session
Making sense of Making Sense
Wednesday 16 September 2026, 12 midday
A free introductory session, open to anyone thinking about booking or already booked. Meet the team, see the shape of the programme, and ask questions before the main programme begins.
MODULE 01 · Jim Dickinson
Making sense of public value
Wednesday 7 October 2026, 12 midday
What universities contribute to society – civic, economic, regional, cultural and skills contributions – and how to articulate, protect and enhance that value in a contested environment.
MODULE 02 · David Kernohan
Making sense of funding and finance
Wednesday 28 October 2026, 12 midday
The financial and regulatory landscape: how funding flows, what regulators expect, and how institutions manage their finances while navigating constraints and opportunities.
MODULE 03 · Debbie McVitty
Making sense of teaching and learning
Wednesday 18 November 2026, 12 midday
Quality in practice: pedagogical approaches, policy frameworks, student expectations, and what “good” looks like.
MODULE 04 · Jim Dickinson
Making sense of student experience and outcomes
Wednesday 9 December 2026, 12 midday
The full student journey from recruitment to graduate outcomes: understanding what shapes success, what prevents it, and how institutions respond.
MODULE 05 · James Coe
Making sense of research
Wednesday 13 January 2027, 12 midday
The research ecosystem demystified: funding, impact, culture, and how research connects to other parts of the institution, including its importance to mission and strategy.
MODULE 06 · Michael Salmon
Making sense of internationalisation
Wednesday 3 February 2027, 12 midday
Navigating global engagement: opportunities, risks, regulatory complexity and strategic approaches in a volatile world.
MODULE 07 · Debbie McVitty
Making sense of strategy and transformation
Wednesday 24 February 2027, 12 midday
Planning for change: how institutions develop, communicate and deliver strategic change, and what makes transformation stick (or fail).
MODULE 08 · David Kernohan
Making sense of data
Wednesday 17 March 2027, 12 midday
Building data literacy for planning, decision-making and governance – and understanding what good data practice looks like, and who it serves.
MODULE 09 · Jen Summerton
Making sense of people and culture
Wednesday 7 April 2027, 12 midday
The human dynamics of higher education: what enables institutional effectiveness, wellbeing and cultural change, and the risks of not getting it right.
MODULE 10 · Jim Dickinson
Making sense of leadership and governance
Wednesday 28 April 2027, 12 midday
How universities are governed and led – boards, senates, councils, executive teams – who’s accountable for what, and how to make governance work better in practice.