We are currently recruiting new panel members with experience in the sector to serve on the panel from April 2026 for an initial period of three years.
Our Higher Education Advisory Panel (HEAP) provides informal advice to the OIA on issues around how the sector operates, that arise in complaints students ask us to review.
The panel’s input helps us understand common practice among providers as well as the general direction of policies and procedures. The panel also helps us gauge current concerns and identify emerging issues and their impact on complaints. This supports our outreach and stakeholder engagement work.
Now is a particularly interesting time to join the panel as the OIA works towards reviewing its scheme rules to move towards a principles-based approach. Input from the sector will be vital to this project.
We are currently recruiting new panel members with experience in the sector to serve on the panel from April 2026 for an initial period of three years.
Panel members come from a range of providers and student representative bodies. Current members include an Associate Dean, Deputy Chief Operating Officer, Assistant Registrar, Head of Student Complaints, a students’ union Director of Membership Services and a Head of Student Support.
The panel is designed to reflect the diverse membership of our Scheme in terms of type, size, location, student population and course offering.
We are particularly interested in hearing from:
- people with expertise in issues affecting small and specialist institutions,
- Welsh tertiary providers and student representative bodies, due to the forthcoming expansion of our remit in Wales.
- Professionals representing students’ voices and views within a higher or further education setting.
Panel members are asked to attend two meetings either online or in Reading each year and respond to referrals by email and occasionally telephone. Members receive a small honorarium and travel expenses are paid. See our Terms of Reference for membership of the panel.
We welcome applications from people with a wide range of professional experience, but current OIA Points of Contact cannot serve on the panel.
How to apply
Send a short expression of interest and description of relevant skills, experience or expertise to leadershipoffice@oiahe.org.uk by 10am on Monday 23 March 2026. Selection will be by Teams interview, expected to be in the week commencing 6 April 2026.
Please contact us by email (leadershipoffice@oiahe.org.uk) or by phone (0118 959 9813) if you would like us to make an adjustment to this process to support you in making your application.
Successful applicants will be invited to either join the Panel and attend the next meeting on 23 April 2026, in Reading, or to join the Panel from November 2026.