Education and Student Experience

The Education and Student Experience is part of the Principal’s Office and is headed by the Vice-Principal Education (Proctor) who has responsibility for all matters relating to teaching, learning and assessment across the University, as well as Student Services, the Graduate School, student discipline and a range of student-facing areas such as the Chaplaincy and the Students’ Association.

The Proctor is supported by the AVP Dean of Learning and Teaching as well as the Provost and the Director of Student Experience.

Ros’ role is to develop and coordinate a coherent student experience strategy across the University, enabling all of our students to thrive and develop over the course of their studies. She is responsible for the Centre for Educational Enhancement and Development and the Education Policy and Quality team and works in close partnership with academic and professional services teams across the University to develop and deliver a joined-up student experience strategy.

In particular, Ros will:

• Lead the enhancement of our co- and extra-curricular student experience to ensure a cohesive excellent experience for all students through a period of digital transformation.
• Work in partnership with academic and professional services colleagues to ensure an aligned and coherent approach to delivering an excellent co- and extra-curricular experience for all students at all stages of their learner journey.
• Work with our Students’ Association Sabbatical Officers to better understand our students’ experiences and to co-design and deliver activities and opportunities to enhance these.
• Chair a new Student Experience Strategic Management Group.

The Head of Education Policy is a member of the Proctor’s Office management team working closely with Senior Vice-Principal & Proctor and Deans.

• Conduct research for the Proctor preparing briefings and reports for all engagements and/or external meetings.
• Manage special projects and initiatives on behalf of the Proctor and Deans.
• Clerk to the Academic Business Committee.
• Management of the administrative team.
• Liaise with external agencies.
• Strategic policy development.
• Liaison with and working alongside the Planning Unit and Graduate School on policy and institutional matters.
• Lead initiatives in collaboration with decanal team. 

The Administrative Officer supports a broad range of learning and teaching activities in the Proctor’s Office, including:

• Primary responsibility for Academic Misconduct administration, serving as first point of contact for queries, and setting up Boards of Adjudication for University-level cases.
• Maintenance and development of the Learning and Teaching webpages.
• Producing the Education Update
• Administrative and organisational support for the Head of Education Policy and Academic Policy Officers.
• Administrative support for working groups including Education Communications Group, Teaching Infrastructure Steering Group, Widening Access and Participation, and Flexible Learning Pathways.
• Assisting with organisation of the Teaching Excellence Awards ceremony.

The Administrative Officer is responsible for supporting the Proctor’s Office in a broad range of learning and teaching activities.

• Administrative and organisational support for the Head of Education Policy and Academic Policy Officers.
• Maintains and develops the Learning and Teaching websites.
• Provides administrative support to the Associate Deans and Associate Provosts.
• Supporting working groups reporting to Education Strategy Management Group.
• Conducting research to support the development of new or updated academic policies under the direction of the Acting Head of Education Policy and Quality.

The Academic Policy Officer (Quality) focuses on enhancing the student learning experience via a range of projects and events, and implementation of the Quality Enhancement Framework.

• Oversees, participates in, and reports on University-led Reviews of Learning and Teaching.
• Coordinates the Schools’ annual reflection on learning and teaching activities.
• Clerks University committees (Academic Assurance Group and Academic Monitoring Group).
• Designs and facilitates events in collaboration with colleagues to showcase and embed innovative practices in learning and teaching.
• Provides advice, guidance and support to colleagues in relation to quality monitoring/enhancement policies and practices.

The Academic Policy Officer (Research Postgraduate) is responsible for the development and implementation of postgraduate educational strategy and policy within the University.

• Develop and implement the University’s regulatory and policy framework for postgraduate research.
• Advice, guidance and support in relation to research postgraduate policy matters.
• Lead developments to enhance the research postgraduate student experience.
• Clerk for the Postgraduate Research Committee.
• Lead and support institution-wide projects and working groups related to research postgraduate education.
• Maintains an overview of sector developments in research postgraduate education.

The Academic Policy Officer (Quality) focuses on enhancing the student learning experience via a range of projects and events, and implementation of the Quality Enhancement Framework.

• Oversees, participates in, and reports on University-led Reviews of Learning and Teaching.
• Coordinates the Schools’ annual reflection on learning and teaching activities.
• Clerks University committees (Academic Assurance Group and Academic Monitoring Group).
• Designs and facilitates events in collaboration with colleagues to showcase and embed innovative practices in learning and teaching.
• Provides advice, guidance and support to colleagues in relation to quality monitoring/enhancement policies and practices.

The Administrator provides administrative support to the Academic Policy Officers, particularly with respect to the University’s key quality monitoring and enhancement processes. These include University-led reviews of learning and teaching, Annual Academic Monitoring, the Enhancement Theme and Enhancement-led Institutional Review (ELIR).

• Provides administrative support to the Head of Education Policy and Quality, and other members of the Academic Policy team as required.
• Supports the Academic Policy Officer (Quality) in all aspects of academic monitoring, in particular the administration of University-led reviews of learning and teaching, and Annual Academic Monitoring.
• Provides administrative support in preparation for, and follow up to, Enhancement-led institutional review (ELIR).
• Schedules and provides administrative support for University Committee meetings.
• Provides administrative support to the Enhancement Theme Lead.

The Personal Assistant to the Vice-Principal Education (Proctor) is the Proctor’s first point of contact with people from both within and outside the University.

• Diary management and meeting organisation.
• Management of the Proctor’s email account, ensuring timely responses, prioritising issues, taking action or referring on issues as appropriate.
• Support the Proctor in the preparations for graduation.
• Support the Proctor in dealing with student disciplinary matters.
• Ensure that the Proctor is prepared for public and ceremonial occasions such as the annual welcome event for new academic staff, and speeches at internal and external events. 
• Clerk to the Younger Hall Project Board, and William and Mary Academic Board.

The Personal Assistant is the first point of contact with people from both within and outside the University for the (Assistant Vice Principal) Dean of Learning and Teaching and Director of Student Experience.

• Diary management and meeting organisation.
• Support the Dean in dealing with student business such as appeals and complaints.
• Support the Director in her role as lead on the enhancement of our co- and extra-curricular student experience.
• Support the Dean in his preparations for graduation.
• Liaise with the Master’s Personal Assistant about decanal representation on academic appointment panels.
• Administers the University’s Higher Degrees procedure.

Previously Director of Student Services for 25 years, managing welfare, counselling and disability services to the student body, Chris joined the Proctor’s Office as a stand-alone Head of Special Projects in 2018.

As such, she is brought in by the University Principal’s Office to focus on predominantly welfare-related areas which have been identified need specialist focus and strategic evaluation. She then follows through outcomes, usually by creating a taskforce to realise identified actions, embed procedures and protocols to guide staff, before referring on to appropriate units in the University for long-term sustainability.

Examples of recent projects include:

• A review of the Residential Support system.
• Conducting an institutional Mental Health Audit, and then designing a Mental Health Training programme for all staff and students.
• Restructuring the Student Discipline Process.
• Establishing a Student Health Hub in the local Community Hospital in collaboration with NHS.
• Creating CATRiS (The Consortium of Anti-Trafficking Research in Scotland). As Executive Director Chris directs and liaises with researchers across Scotland’s Higher Education, working with the drivers of “Trafficking”.  All aspects are considered; Human, Drugs, Arms and Wildlife, with collaborative opportunities identified. The aim is to use shared research to offer insight to Government and Law Enforcement agencies.
• Since September 2020 Chris has established the CRRT (the Coronavirus Rapid Response Team), working with the Asymptomatic Testing Centre, Public Health, NHS, Scottish Government. Chris manages the team who offer in-house support and advice for those who come into potential contact with the virus.