Ken Sloan Award for Administrative Excellence (2019)

Tell us a bit about your role…

I’m a Programme Manager in Strategic Programme Delivery, leading the Accessing Opportunities and Services Programme. I’ve had lots of different roles at Warwick including managing the Welcome and Student Internationalisation Teams, working in Student Recruitment, in the Centre for Teacher Education, and in the Students’ Union. Across all my roles I’ve always worked on designing and delivering improvements to the student experience at Warwick, a topic I’m really passionate about.

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Tell us about your award-winning project/work…

Last year I (along with an amazing team) managed the University’s inaugural Welcome Week. A massive celebration of everything that Warwick has to offer, this involved coordinating over 1,000 events, managing the complex Arrivals Process, and managing communications to and with our 9,000 incoming students. Since then I’ve moved to Strategic Programme Delivery where I’m leading on the Accessing Opportunities and Services Programme – aiming to co-design solutions to the challenges our students face in accessing the huge range of supportive and developmental services available to them at Warwick.

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How do you feel to have won the Ken Sloan Award for Administrative Excellence?

Proud; it’s great to know that someone took the time to nominate you and to win is both surprising and really motivating.

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Why do you think people should nominate their colleagues for University Awards?

Filling in the form costs nothing but getting the email saying you’ve been nominated really makes a difference. Recognising your colleagues is such a positive thing to do – why wouldn’t you nominate someone?!

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What was a personal highlight for you from the Summer Party on 24th June? (Other than winning, of course!)

Catching up with so many friends and colleagues who you don’t get to see very often. It was great being able to relax and avoid ‘talking shop’ with everyone.

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The University Awards are a great way for the University to improve and learn from staff initiatives over the year. If you could change one thing at the University, what would it be?

More talking and sharing. There’s so much good practice in this organisation that when we face challenges or problems we shouldn’t always come up with new solutions. I’d love to see fewer emails too, I much prefer talking face-to-face or on the phone.

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What would you like to say to the person – or people – who nominated you?

Thank you! It’s an honour to be recognised and I’m very grateful.

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We asked Ken Sloan, former Registrar at Warwick, his thoughts about Chris winning the award:

Chris is exactly the type of person being considered when this prize was established. Chris has drawn from his exemplary experience in Warwick SU, the University and other organisations and demonstrates outstanding professional skills. He also focuses on the success of his team as well as his own success. Finally, everything he does, further promotes the University as a leading institution for innovation and excellence.

"I am delighted to hear that he has won this year’s Ken Sloan Prize for Administrative Excellence."

Chris Luck collecting the Ken Sloan Award for Administrative Excellence at the Summer Party.