Academic Ambassador Toolkit

Welcome to the Timetable Project's Academic Ambassador network.

If you have been selected to represent your Department/Division, you can find guidance on carrying out your role as an Academic Ambassador below.

How will my role as an Academic Ambassador for the Timetable Project benefit me and my colleagues?

As an Academic Ambassador, you will be empowered to help both you and your colleagues prepare for a new way of timetabling; faculty-led collaborative timetabling.

You will help your area to get the best out of the timetable data capture process and help reduce the need for changes to your timetable later in the year by making guidance and support more accessible to colleagues.
You will have a direct route into the Timetable Project to help solve problems, provide feedback, suggest improvements, and be able to help establish new and effective ways of working with School and Scheduling colleagues.
You will be empowered to disseminate communications to colleagues in your area, using local networks ensuring communications travel through the optimal routes and reach as many colleagues as possible.

What activities/periods of activity will Ambassadors be involved in?

February 2023

Ambassadors will be invited to attend an initial welcome brief of around 45 minutes. We will run several of these in order to be available for the greatest number of colleagues.

January 2023 - March 2023

The first key period of activity will be January – March 2023 when academic and technical colleagues will be submitting their timetable requirements to School Programme and Curriculum teams and PGR Services colleagues. During this period the Flexible Working Arrangement survey and Teaching Availability Arrangement applications will be open until 28 February 2023.

April 2023 - May 2023

Across April and May 2023 the Project will be inviting Ambassadors to attend workshops and user testing sessions to trial the new, managed timetable change request process.

July 2023 onwards

From the end of July 2023 Ambassadors will have a crucial role in encouraging colleagues to check their timetables for both Semesters and to feedback essential changes to the School Programme and Curriculum team or PGR services colleagues via the new change request process.

Longer term

Longer term, there are planned sessions to gather feedback and suggestions for best practice. Ideally, Timetable Project Ambassadors will help to publicise these events, attend them and as local experts, also help to facilitate discussion on suggested developments.

What are Ambassadors responsible for?

We hope that being an Ambassador for the Timetable Project will not be time-consuming.

The Project has created a series of resources that can be instantly and easily shared with your colleagues:

The minimal expectation is that you will share these resources with colleagues. As an expert on your area, you can decide on the best way to share the various resources available and use relevant opportunities to bring up the changes to the process with your colleagues.
It is up to you how much time you wish to spend meeting and actively speaking to colleagues to further explain the materials. It is up to you to consider the frequency and direction of your local messaging and which local meetings and committees you could attend.

Your Departmental/Divisional engagement will further support the work already being carried out at a Faculty and School level by the Project and Faculty Scheduling teams. The Timetable Project will be available to help you with any local messaging or engagement sessions that you think will be useful.

Where can Ambassadors access more support?

Emailing the Timetable Project (ttproject@manchester.ac.uk) is your first route for any questions.
You will be invited to join a Teams channel for all Ambassadors where ideas, comments, and quick questions can be shared. It will also hold presentations and links to additional useful content on the Timetable Project website.
The Timetable Project will be available to help you with any local messaging or engagement sessions that you think will be useful.
The Project will invite you to drop-in sessions which are designed so that you can make the most of your own time.