Action Research – Senior Managers

The Engaged University: Issues and Action

A group of senior university managers, whose responsibility it is to set strategic priorities and manage high level demands for a UK higher education institute (HEI). This includes setting strategy for public engagement and other Third stream activity.

The starting question for this group is:

What are the strategic drivers which affect PE and what strategic changes need to be made in order to ensure sustainable public engagement?

The group had its inaugural meeting in January 2010 and will be having another two meetings before the end of July 2010.

Next Academics Group meeting: 21 September

Opportunities still exist to join this important network. If you are interested in participating, or to discuss the work of this group, or any aspect of the Action Research programme, please contact Heather Squires.

Members of the AR – Senior Managers Group

Biographies

John Annette is Professor of Citizenship and Lifelong Learning and Pro-Vice Master for Lifelong Learning and Engagement at Birkbeck, University of London.  He is currently researching and publishing in the areas of citizenship education in schools and for lifelong learning, community based learning and community partnerships in higher education, and on community leadership and involvement in community development and local governance.   His publications include:  Education for Democratic Citizenship (2005), Lifelong Learning for Active Citizenship Through Community Involvement' in 'Old' and 'New' Worlds of Adult Learning (2006), (ed. with Marjorie Mayo) Active Learning for Active Citizenship (2008). He has been active in working in partnership with local communities in north London and facilitating capacity building for community involvement for many years. He is an advisor to the DfES on youth volunteering, to the Civil Renewal Unit on capacity building for citizenship and community development, and to the DfCFS on youth volunteering and citizenship education. He is on the Executive of the Universities Association for Lifelong Learning (UALL) and Chair of the 'Higher Education Community Partnership' national network.  He is a trustee of Student Volunteer, England. He is a board member of CITIZED and also advises the QCA on the community involvement stand of the national curriculum citizenship education subject.  He is an adviser to the London Civic Forum, is on the steering committee of the London Empowerment Network, and is a member of the Advisory Board of the vinspired students programme of the National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement (NCCPE).

Paul Drake is Chair and founder of the Higher Education MIG and is Executive Director of External Relations at the University of Gloucestershire. He worked in local government for over 15 years prior to joining the University in the spring of 1999. He has worked as a play leader, artist in residence, as a further education teacher and as an arts and museums education manager. He was a County Councillor between May 1998 and June 2001 where he led the Labour Group and chaired a number of council committees. He is a Chartered Marketer, an Honorary Fellow of the University of Gloucestershire and an Honorary Alderman of the County Council.

Paul Gough  is Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research, Enterprise and Knowledge Exchange) and has university-wide responsibilities for Research and Development (including RAE / REF, research bidding); Business Engagement (including links with industry; enterprise; incubation; science park, Science City); Public Engagement and Community Engagement; Graduate studies, PGR and CPD, Work-Based Learning and the Shell Award Framework. He is the UWE lead for regional relationships, in such areas as HEIF, ECIF, ERDF. He has executive oversight of four Institutes: Bristol Robotics Lab (with University of Bristol); Institute for Bio-Sensing Technology; Institute for Sustainability, Health and Environment; Countryside and Community Research Institute (with Hartpury College, Royal Agricultural College and University of Gloucestershire). He is Director of the UWE professional support service, Research, Business and Innovation (RBI). For ten years Paul was Executive Dean of the Faculty of Creative Arts, he is the RWA Professor of Fine Arts, and a founding Director of the UWE Research Centre Place. His research interests lie in the processes and iconography of commemoration, the visual culture of the Great War, and the representation of peace and conflict in the 20th/21st century.  As a painter, he has exhibited widely in the UK and abroad. In ten years as a television presenter, researcher and associate producer he worked for ITV, BBC and C4 on a wide range of programmes, including the award winning documentary Redundant Warrior. In addition to occasional work on BBC radio, he has a credit for ‘design research’ in the animated feature film, Chicken Run.

Brigid Heywood is currently Pro Vice Chancellor at the Open University with responsibility for the strategic development of Research and Enterprise.  The research objective is to sustain and develop the Open University’s presence in areas that are nationally and internationally recognised, while expanding research activity which makes a key contribution to the University’s third mission agenda.  Her research interests include the controlled growth of inorganic crystals and how to enhance material properties.  Her main areas of research build on crystal building in optical and magnetic materials, crystal science applied to bulk materials such as cement, and crystallization phenomena affecting particulate processing of chemicals.

Dominic Houlihan is Vice-Principal for Research and Commercialisation. He is a Professor in Zoology and his research interests have been fish growth and metabolism. His career has gradually shifted towards management; firstly as Head of Zoology, then Head of the Faculty of Science and latterly as Vice-Principal for Research. His main responsibilities cover the generation of income to the University from government and non-government funding and in the conversion of research ideas into a form that will attract external funders. Dominic works with colleagues in the University's Research and Innovation group to assist academics to form companies or license intellectual property in order to promote research findings. The University has developed a pipeline of commercial ideas that has led to several new company formations. Dominic has been a member of several Funding Council committees and is a director of several of the spin-outs he has formed. He has spent the last 5 years developing the University's international strategy and is responsible for successful links, particularly in China.

Ray Hudson has been a member of staff in the Department of Geography since 1972 and a Professor since 1990. Ray was Chairman of the Department (1992 - 97) and holds, or has held, various senior positions in the University and is currently Pro - Vice - Chancellor. He has also served as a Vice President of the Royal Geographical Society (1999 - 2004) and on various ESRC committees and boards, including the Training & Development Board (2002 - 06). His research has been recognised in a number of ways, including: a DSc from Bristol and an honorary DSc from Roskilde University; the award of the Victoria Medal of the Royal Geographical Society; and election to the Academy of the Social Sciences to the British Academy and to the European Academy (Academia Europaea). He is a Fellow of the Royal Society for Arb, Manufacturers and Commerce and involved in numerous organisations concerned with regional development. He has acted as Special Adviser to the House of Commons Select Committee on Coalfields Regeneration.

Meri Huws  is Pro-Vice Chancellor [Innovation, Community and Skills]at the University of Trinty St David and was appointed in August 2009. Meri was educated at Ysgol Uwchradd Abergwaun in Fishguard, before reading Law and Politics at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth and studying at Oxford University. Meri appointed Chair of the Welsh Language Board in August 2004, reappointed for a term of three years in April 2007 and prior to that was a member of the Board between 1993 a 1997. After returning to Wales, she worked as a Social Worker in the Sgubor Goch area of Caernarfon and during this period was also Chair of Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg (the Welsh Language Society) from 1981 to 1983. From Caernarfon, Meri Huws went to lecture at Coleg Normal in 1984, the University of Newport from 1989 to 1997 before moving to the Academic Office in Dublin City University until 1999. She then worked as Pro-Vice-Chancellor at the Bangor University before being appointed as Pro vice Chancellor at the University of Trinty.

Geoff Layer is Deputy Vice-Chancellor (DVC Academic) of the University and Professor of Lifelong Learning. He took up office as DVC in December 2008. He is responsible for the academic development of the University across its Teaching, Research, Knowledge Transfer and High Level Skills activity. He is currently the champion of the University’s Ecoversity initiative. Between 2000 and 2006 he was the Director of Action on Access, an agency established to advise HEFCE on its Widening Participation Strategy. In this role the team contributed to 10 HEFCE policy documents, produced 50 publications, provided 52 seminars and 7 conferences. He has been a consultant to Universities UK, Higher Education Quality Council and many universities in Widening Participation and Learning and Teaching strategies. He was also Director of the HEFCE Innovations Co-ordination Team from 2000-2002. He was involved in the background work to the ESRC Research initiative in widening participation.

Judith Petts is currently the Pro-Vice-Chancellor with responsibility for Research and Knowledge Transfer at the University of Birmingham and is a member of the Senior Management Group representing those issues. Her responsibilities to the Vice-Chancellor cover the coordination and guidance of research efforts at Birmingham. An important part of this work is maintaining an effective dialogue with research sponsors such as research councils and charities with the aim of shaping our research ambitions. Promotion of the research activity at Birmingham is another central role for this post. This entails the definition of policies which encourage excellent research at Birmingham and develop staff in their research interests and skills. Judith was Head of the School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham from 2001-2007, she is also Director of the Centre for Environmental Research and Training, and holds the Chair of Environmental Risk Management.  Prior to joining Birmingham (1999) she was Director of the Centre for Hazard and Risk Management, Loughborough University.

Ella Ritchie has been Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Teaching & Learning at Newcastle University since July 2004, and was previously Postgraduate Dean in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences.  She has been actively involved nationally in the development of Research Masters and Doctoral programmes, and was a member of the Postgraduate Training Board of the Economic & Social Research Council (ESRC) from 2000-2004.  She also played a key role in the development of the doctoral cycle of the Bologna process.  Since 2009 she has chaired the Rugby Team that assesses the impact of skills training on Early Stage Researchers.  She is a member of the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) Strategic Committee for Teaching, Quality and the Student Experience.  She leads the national ‘Realising Opportunities’ project that aims to develop a common scheme for widening access to 13 research intensive universities.  As Pro-Vice-Chancellor at Newcastle she has responsibility for Teaching and Learning, the student experience, the skills and employability agenda and internationalisation.

Peter Slee is Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the University of Huddersfield and responsible for planning and resources. He joined Huddersfield from Northumbria University where he was Pro Vice Chancellor with responsibility the staff and student well-being.  Peter began his career as a research fellow in history at the University of Manchester and has worked at Durham and Aston Universities and the CBI. He is a member of UCEA’s Communications Committee, Chair of the CASE Strategic Marketing Institute and a recent winner of the CASE award for Teaching Excellence 

Steve West is Vice-Chancellor of the University of the West of England.  He was educated and trained in London as a Podiatrist and Podiatric Surgeon and worked clinically in the NHS and private/commercial sector from 1980.    He entered academia in 1984 as a lecturer, and in 1992 was appointed Dean of the School of Health & Behavioural Science at Huddersfield University.  He moved to Bristol in 1995 as the Dean of the Faculty of Health & Social Care at UWE.    In 2007 he was appointed Acting Vice-Chancellor at UWE and in May 2008, at the age of 46, appointed Vice-Chancellor.  He is a Fellow of the Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine.  He serves on a number of national education and research committees advising on the future funding and contracting for health-related programmes and research in England and has continued to develop his research interest in the Diabetic.    He is a non-executive director of the South West Strategic Health Authority.

Sarah Worthington is the LSE’s Pro-Director for Research and External Relations, and a Professor of Law.  She is a practising barrister and a member of the LSE Court of Governors and Council. As Pro-Director, her areas of responsibility include research and academic innovation, promotion and development of the LSE’s public engagement activities and strategic alliances and fostering of alternative income streams.

Michael Worton is UCL's Vice-Provost (Academic and International). He is responsible to the Provost for developing, implementing and coordinating UCL's global policies and strategies, heading UCL's team of five global Pro-Provosts. Michael is also the point of contact for matters relating to those global areas not covered by any of UCL's global Pro-Provsts;