The Association of Heads of University Administration (AHUA) held its Spring Conference on 20 and 21 April 2026 at the University of Exeter’s Streatham Campus, hosted by Mike Shore-Nye, Senior Vice President, Registrar and Secretary at Exeter and Deputy Chair of AHUA.
The two-day event brought together registrars, secretaries, chief operating officers and senior professional services leaders from across UK higher education, convening at a moment of significant pressure and change for the sector.
Transformation as the Central Theme
In his welcome message, Shore-Nye set the tone directly, pointing to the questions he believes the sector must now confront, what makes a change programme truly transformational, and whether higher education has the leadership capabilities to deliver real change in an increasingly complex environment. He observed that the political, technological, economic and social pace of change means the skills required to drive transformation today are fundamentally different from those of even a decade ago.
This framing gave the conference a sharper edge than a conventional sector gathering. The agenda was designed not simply to survey the landscape, but to help senior leaders examine how their own roles are evolving.
An Agenda Built on Peer Experience
The programme blended high-profile external speakers from sector bodies, associations and business with member voices and case studies drawn from Exeter and peer institutions, exploring what registrars, secretaries and COOs are doing to thrive in a challenging context. This balance of strategic perspective and practical peer learning has become a hallmark of AHUA conferences, and the Exeter edition appeared to carry that tradition forward with particular purpose.
The Broader Sector Context
The conference took place against a backdrop that will have resonated deeply with attendees. UK universities are navigating a period of acute financial strain, with many institutions undergoing restructuring, redundancy programmes and fundamental reviews of their operating models. The financial sustainability of the sector, the role of senior professional services leadership in managing institutional risk, and the implications of continued policy uncertainty from government are live issues for every member in the room.
AHUA has been an active voice in sector-level debate, contributing to Universities UK’s White Paper on the future of higher education and engaging regularly with the Department for Education on the financial impacts being felt by institutions. That advocacy work formed an important backdrop to conference discussions.
Looking Ahead
The Spring Conference also served as a key moment for AHUA’s own organisational development. A constitutional review, begun ahead of the conference, was expected to report its findings to Spring 2026 delegates, reflecting a wider effort by the Association to evolve its governance and membership structures to better reflect the breadth and seniority of professional services leadership across the sector.
For those in attendance, the University of Exeter offered not only an intellectually ambitious programme but, as Shore-Nye promised, warm hospitality befitting one of the sector’s most active host institutions.
Supporting Transformation: How Convene Board Portal Can Help
The themes at the heart of this year’s AHUA conference, effective leadership, institutional efficiency and governance under pressure, are exactly the challenges Convene is built to address.
For registrars, secretaries and COOs managing complex governance structures across multiple boards and committees, Convene Board Portal streamlines every stage of the meeting lifecycle. From agenda building and board pack distribution to minute-taking, action tracking and secure document management, Convene replaces fragmented, time-consuming manual processes with a single, intuitive platform accessible on any device.
In a sector where professional services teams are being asked to do more with less, Convene reduces the administrative burden on governance teams without compromising on quality or compliance. Board members and senior leaders gain instant, secure access to the papers and information they need, while secretariat teams reclaim time to focus on the strategic work that matters.
As universities navigate continued transformation, having the right governance infrastructure in place is not a peripheral concern. It is foundational. Convene gives institutions the tools to run their boards with confidence, consistency and the professionalism that the current environment demands.
To find out how Convene can support your institution’s governance, book a demo today!
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