The Association for Learning Technology (ALT) is the leading professional body for Learning Technology in the UK. We represent individual and organisational Members from all sectors including Further and Higher Education and industry. We provide recognition and accreditation for all with a professional interest in Learning Technology.
We are now inviting applications from individuals to become the next Chair of the Association.
The current Chair, Sheila MacNeill, is coming to the end of a very successful term and we are looking to appoint a new Chair by May 2020. The new Chair will be supported with a full induction and formally take on the role at ALT’s AGM at our Annual Conference in London, September 2020.
The Chair of ALT chairs the Board of Trustees and is a Trustee of the charity. As such as role is not remunerated. In order to be eligible to apply, individuals must be Members of ALT of at least 12 months standing and UK-based.
Deadline for applications: 14 February 2020.
How to apply:
We invite applications in writing to be sent to ALT’s Board of Trustees, via the chief executive, Dr Maren Deepwell, email to ceo@alt.ac.uk . Informal enquiries or to arrange a conversation about the role should be sent to the same address.
All expressions of interest will be acknowledged in writing and short-listed individuals will be invited to take part in a virtual interview in March with a panel of Trustees and senior staff. The Board of Trustees will make the final appointment.
All Trustee recruitment and selection is undertaken in line with ALT’s aims and values and in accordance with ALT’s policy on equality and diversity.
About the role
What we are looking for
- active engagement in the work of ALT
- an interest in Learning Technology
- experience working with ALT or similar organisations
- proven experience of governance (in the charity or education sectors)
- senior management/leadership experience incl. Strategy development, governance and organisational development
- demonstrable experience chairing meetings face to face and online
- experience of handling complex legal, HR or similar issues
- strategic understanding of the context ALT operates in across sectors
- ability to communicate and collaborate effectively online
- commitment to the Association’s aims and values
What the role involves
- Chair meetings of the Board of Trustees (face to face and online): 3 face to face meetings, and a monthly online 30 min meeting.
- Work closely with other Trustees, supported by the Vice-Chair and Honorary Treasurer as well as senior staff
- Take on the responsibilities of a Chair (mentioned as per Charity Commission) and act as the final port of all for things like the complaints policy, other policies.
- Attend two face-to-face ALT Assembly meetings a year
- Represent ALT at occasional events
- Participate in policy discussions and the production of consultation responses
- Provide input to the annual appraisal process for senior staff, primarily the Chief Executive
- Lead the Board on the ALT strategy;
- Chair sub-committees of ALT or task groups which are set up from time to time.
About ALT
ALT is charitable incorporated organisation (CIO). We are registered charity number 1160039 and we are governed in accordance with our constitution by a group of elected and co-opted trustees.
How we define Learning Technology
We define Learning Technology as the broad range of communication, information and related technologies that are used to support learning, teaching and assessment. We recognise the wider context of Learning Technology policy, theory and history as fundamental to its ethical, equitable and fair use.
Our Members
Since we were established in 1993, our community has grown to over 3,500 Members as Learning Technology has become a fundamental part of learning, teaching and assessment. The pervasiveness of learning technology means that many working in education will be involved with it in some form, so therefore we embrace the diverse range of roles, titles and terminology in Learning Technology across sectors. We believe ‘you don’t have to be called ‘Learning Technologist’ to be one.
Our aims
We aim to strengthen recognition and representation for Learning Technology professionals from all sectors, enhance professionalisation of Learning Technology nationally and increase the impact of Learning Technology for public benefit.
Our overall charitable objective is "to advance education through increasing, exploring and disseminating knowledge in the field of Learning Technology for the benefit of the general public".
Our values
Our values are inspired by our commitment to best represent and support our Members.
We value participation
We encourage Members to take an active part in our governance, volunteer as Editors of publications, help organise events, and work together in Member Groups and the Members Assembly. Members directly shape what we do and full Members elect Trustees and vote at the AGM. We provide professional recognition for peer reviewers and assessors.
We value openness
We provide an exemplar for how open practice can benefit an organisation and its members. Openness helps us influence policy makers, increase the impact of research for public benefit, build a shared vision for the future of professionalisation in Learning Technology and grow our community of Members.
We value collaboration
We support our Members to collaborate, communicate and coordinate their practice and work, both within our national network of Members Groups and beyond. We encourage Members to learn from colleagues from different backgrounds and roles. To support these activities ALT has a small, distributed staff team, who support and manage all aspects of ALT’s operations and report to the Board of Trustees.
We value being independent
We are a trusted, independent voice representing the interests of our Membership. We do not receive any core funding from central agencies. Being independent from government and industry enables us to better represent Members, offer a critical perspective to influence policy development. The Board of Trustees oversees the use of our resources to respond directly to the priorities of our Members in a way that is efficient, transparent and fair.
We work across the UK and beyond
Learning Technology research and practice expands beyond national frontiers, and in order to serve our Membership as effectively as possible we collaborate actively with a global network of partners. We work together with other professional bodies and sector organisations in the UK and internationally in order to achieve our aims and generate the strongest impact for our Members.
ALT is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO), registered with the Charity Commission in the UK, number 1160039. We represent Members from all parts of the UK, including the devolved nations.
Further Information
- Charity Commission homage for ALT including Annual Reports and audited Accounts
- ALT’s 2017-20 Impact Report
- Board of Trustees
- Staff Team