Forming the idea for my ARP has been more challenging than expected. I’ve come up against a few roadblocks such as timetabling, the complexity of my original idea, and the reality of being a fractional member of staff. I’ve also found it difficult to align the course requirements of this unit with the more natural and evolving nature of a project about community.
My original plan was to run cross-year crits, as a way of enhancing the students’ curriculum and experience. However, this has proven hard to plan and implement within the short timeframe of the unit. At the heart of this idea was the building and strengthening of the course community, so I’ve decided to centre my ARP on that goal and work with the students to create an environment they feel not only part of, but also co-curators of.
One of the most challenging aspects so far has been managing the expectations of completing a full, measurable ‘study’ within the PgCert structure, especially when the nature of my project is ongoing, informal, and student-led. Elements like the institutional/corporate tone of a ‘consent form’ feels at odds with the open, conversational approach I’m taking. This isn’t a one-time event, but the beginning of a longer-term shift in how community is fostered on the course.
Whether or not a formal session happens before the end of this unit, the conversations I’m having with students already feel valuable. Their input is shaping how we think about community on the course, and it’s also pushing me to reflect more critically on how and where community is built, beyond formal sessions or traditional models of engagement. It’s made me question how student voice can play a more central role in shaping course culture, not just content.
This PgCert project has given me the opportunity to focus on an area that our course team has recognised as important for a long time but haven’t had the capacity to prioritise due to workload pressures. I hope the work I’ve started on the ARP can lay the groundwork for ongoing, positive change and eventually become part of the course’s wider structure.