果冻影院

What is your role and what does it involve?鈥�听

I am Director of Education Services, within Student and Registry Services. Education Services is currently made up of three core teams: Academic Policy, Quality & Standards, Student Casework, and Student Success. My role provides leadership for these teams to make sure we are providing an expert service that develops education and student experience at 果冻影院. I have overall responsibility for the development and management of 果冻影院鈥檚 academic regulation and policy framework, ensuring excellence in education standards, student experience, and compliance with the Office for Students 鈥楤-Conditions鈥�. I am also a member of the Senior Education Team, working alongside other members to embed and operationalise the educational priorities and strategies of the University.听

How long have you been at 果冻影院 and what was your previous role?鈥�听

I鈥檝e been in my current post since May 2023, but joined in 2019 as Director of Education and Student Experience for the MAPS Faculty.听

What working achievement or initiative are you most proud of?鈥�听

That鈥檚 tricky鈥� I am incredibly proud of the work I led to develop 果冻影院鈥檚 Student Support Framework which was launched in September 2022. I think it achieved a lot of great outcomes to enhance our support and mitigations for students facing difficulties, but there is still room for improvement, and I鈥檓 excited by some of the follow-up work we鈥檙e now doing to develop it even further to improve the support and experience for both students and staff.听

Having said that, I think it鈥檚 important to recognise some of the less quantifiable successes, and I will always be incredibly proud of the work I did alongside colleagues in MAPS throughout Covid. I鈥檓 sure many of us remember how difficult that time was, but it was also a time of innovation and collaboration that resulted in some definite improvements to our education that I am proud to have been a part of.听

Tell us about a project you are working on now, which is top of your to-do list鈥�听

Where to start?! There are a lot of changes and various initiatives going on now, but I am most excited about the work happening in the Education Services team. I am incredibly lucky to lead a service full of talented PS staff wanting the best for our students and education provision. Education Services has only existed as a team for a few months, bringing together teams previously sitting in different areas of Registry and VPESE. We have spent some time looking internally at some of our policies, processes, staffing, and most importantly thinking about how we can improve our work with Faculties and Departments.听

Whilst we have already started implementing some of these changes, we are formally (re)launching the service and its teams this week. I鈥檓 really excited about the enhancements the team are going to make to education, student, and staff experience at 果冻影院. Of course, it won鈥檛 happen overnight, and the next few months will be an important transition period for the teams to build stronger relationships with other areas of the University.听

What is your favourite album, film and novel?鈥�听

Favourite album is easy(ish): I鈥檓 Not Dead听by P!nk. Whilst she has many other amazing albums, this was a turning point for her music and made me a lifelong fan.听

Favourite book is really tough, and I don鈥檛 think I could pick. Although I鈥檝e been keeping up with the 'Rivers of London'听series by Ben Aaronovitch for years now and I鈥檓 looking forward to the next one.听

Favourite film is impossible. I watch a lot of films. Familiar faves I鈥檒l always go back to though: Kill Bill (Action), Miss Congeniality (Comedy), The Conjuring (Horror), or Beaches if I just need a good cry.听

What is your favourite joke (pre-watershed)?鈥�听

Two muffins in an oven, one turns to the other and says 鈥渦rgh it鈥檚 hot in here鈥�, the other ones says 鈥淎HHH! It鈥檚 a talking muffin!鈥� 鈥� a terrible joke.听听

Who would be your dream dinner guests?鈥�听

鈥疨!nk, Graham Norton, Ian Mckellan and William and Jordan from the Help I S*xted my Boss podcast. Oh, and I suppose my husband*. I just think it would be a fun night.听

What advice would you give your younger self?鈥�听

It鈥檚 ok to ask for help. Also, that streak of blue in your hair is not as cool as you think it is.听听

What would it surprise people to know about you?鈥�听

I was stuck on this so asked my husband. His response was 鈥渢hat despite the grey hair, you鈥檙e not in your 40s?鈥澨� a friend then chipped in with 鈥渂ut then people will just think you look good for 50鈥� 鈥� so you might be surprised to know I鈥檓 a terrible judge of people.听听

(*now you know why he鈥檚 only begrudgingly invited to dinner)听

What is your favourite place?鈥�听

A nice country pub after a long walk with my dog Badger, husband and friends.听