Alison Johns, MA

Biography

Alison is an experienced CEO and board member. She is the CEO of AdvanceHE which is home to the Student Success Framework and delivers Athena Swan, the Race Equality Charter, the National Teaching Fellows scheme, the Professional Standards Framework for Teaching and Learning in HE, with over 160,000 teaching fellows worldwide, the Top Management Programme for HE and AURORA the leading women’s development programme in Higher Education (HE). She is a longstanding champion for advancing equality, diversity and inclusion and excellence in leadership and governance. Alison successfully led a self-funded merger of three national HE agencies to create AdvanceHE which is a UK wide HE body. All universities in Scotland are in membership and consequently Alison is familiar with the Scottish HE system in order to serve the Scottish university sector.

She has spent most of her career in HE and previously has been a career civil servant, run her own business and has worked in the private sector as a consultant. She has extensive experience of working and leading at senior levels in highly complex environments both nationally and internationally.

She has worked in a university, for the then national funder and regulator (HEFCE) where at that time she coordinated the four UK nations policy and funding for leadership, governance and management of higher education initiatives. Her work has given her a wide ranging experience across the board covering areas including strategic leadership, financial planning and risk, business development, human resources, student wellbeing, sustainable development, procurement, organisational change and project management. Alison has a track record in attracting funding and sponsorship and she also understands, and has experienced the intense public scrutiny and accountability which HE institutions attract.

She is currently working with the UK HE Student Support Champion, Professor Edward Peck, to identify strategies to provide better support for students in terms of their mental health and wellbeing.

Alison has extensive experience of working internationally and has been described by others as an international expert in higher education. She has spoken in over 30 countries on four continents particularly in the area of HE system reform, leadership, governance, regulation, policy development and advancing equality in HE. She has personally advised government ministries and ministers on how to deliver HE reform in numerous countries, for example Australia, Pakistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and India.

Particular examples include an evaluation of the LH Martin Institute, University of Melbourne, and advising the Australian Government on their strategy for investing $AUS55m to promote teaching and learning excellence in the Australian HE system. This led to the establishment of the national Office for Learning and Teaching in Australia.

In 1999 she was elected as the youngest Chair of the Association of University Administrators (AUA) and the only person to hold both offices of Chair and President (2010 to 2014). She has held many board and committee positions. She is also an assessor for the Queen's Anniversary Prizes, The Welsh Learned Society, and an Honorary Fellow of Cardiff Metropolitan University.

Election statement

As a member of Court since August 2021 I am delighted to have been selected for this election. St Andrews is a world leader amongst the most well-known and respected of the great and ancient universities. Its longevity, traditions and ability to be relevant for today and for the future is one of its great distinctions. I have learnt during my time on Court just how special St Andrews is, above and beyond the metrics and the league tables.

With a career spanning three decades in higher education as a university employee, regulator and funder and most recently as CEO of two national HE bodies (alongside children who have gone through the HE system and my husband who is an academic), I believe I have a deep understanding of the pressures St Andrews faces.

Within that context I am clear that role of the Senior Lay Member is about helping St Andrews and the Court achieve the very best it can, for every member of the University from first year students to experienced academics, its professional and support staff, its stakeholders, local, regional and global communities and alumni. In addition to Court, I sit on the Governance and Nominations Committee and am leading on the Court Effectiveness Review. I would bring to the role of Senior Lay Member:

  1. A proven track record of strategic leadership in complex organisations.
  2. Extensive experience and knowledge of governance and governing.
  3. Global knowledge and experience of the higher education environment.
  4. Respect and credibility within the HE sector.
  5. An extensive network.
  6. Experience outside of higher education.

I fully support the ambition of St Andrews as a university and for an inclusive culture which creates an environment where all can excel and reach their potential. I have seen clearly the genuine care for the St Andrews 'family' and I feel deeply a strong sense of connection and a shared sense of values.

I grew up next to the sea and feel very much at home in St Andrews. I didn’t take the traditional route into HE, completing my Masters in Management and Leadership at Lancaster as a part-time mature student. Throughout my career my work has regularly brought me to Scotland where I have many connections both professionally and personally. My appreciation of the best of St Andrews does not make me at all complacent. With our motto 'ever to excel', if elected, I would work hard to draw the best from the Court and executive, ensuring we provide appropriate support and challenge so that St Andrews can continue to excel in an increasingly competitive environment.

I am keen to take an active and visible engagement in all aspects of university life and community. I want to get to know you better and understand more about our context and your needs so that I may serve the University in a manner consistent with both its traditions and its progressive ambitions. It would be an honour and privilege to undertake this role.