Connected interviews University Pro Vice-Chancellor Professor Liz Barnes
27 September 2010
I have enjoyed my start to life at Derby - it is a very friendly and open environment.
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Liz told us: "We now need to look more closely at enhancing the student learning experience - both in the classroom, the workplace and online."
According to the National Student Survey (NSS), a key driver for student satisfaction is academic delivery - including the richness and breadth of the experience, academic engagement and support.
This focus lies at the heart of work being led by Professor Liz Barnes, the University's new Pro Vice-Chancellor who joined Derby at the start of 2010.
Focus
Liz joined from Teesside University, and has responsibility for the teaching and learning, quality and workforce development agendas and some areas of our international provision.
Her remit includes ADT, EHS, Marketing, UDC and the new LEI - Learning, Enhancement and Innovation Department, with the newly formed department taking the lead in harnessing a culture to maximise quality and opportunity for learners.
Liz said: "I have enjoyed my start to life at Derby - it is a very friendly and open environment. The mission and values of the institution resonate with me in terms of supporting students from all types of background on their academic journey. The Vice-Chancellor sets the tone and the institution's culture and the staff are well engaged."
Liz enjoyed great success at Teesside University with the institution named as Times Higher Education University of the Year in 2009. In 23 years at Teesside, she had nine different roles, her most recent was as Dean of Social Sciences and Law. At one stage, approximately 600 of its students were working out in police forces such as Cleveland and West Mercia Police and in Rwanda - generating a strong police education reputation for the institution.
Workforce Development
Previously she was Deputy Dean in the School of Health and Social Care, working with partners in the NHS and strategic health authorities, the latter being an early ambassador of the workforce development concept nationally. Teesside had a workforce development team promoting the skills the University had to offer other organisations.
Liz's expertise in this area will support Derby's business to business arm - the University of Derby Corporate - with a key objective to promote workforce development through attractive, flexible and fit for purpose programmes to bring worthwhile benefits to partner organisations.
Liz said: "Courses for business must be bespoke - ensuring what is gained has impact in the workplace; bringing added value for the learners and the employer."
University of Derby Corporate's recent work with SENAD has impressed Liz. The SENAD Group manages care homes and schools for children and young people with a range of special educational and care needs. A dozen SENAD staff have studied at Derby, boosting skills such as critical thinking and helping them reflect on their own work to help empower them in their roles and improve the experience of the young people in their care.
On a personal level, Liz heralds from neighbouring Staffordshire, and her husband Chris is a sports scientist with Premier League outfit West Bromwich Albion and a sports performance consultant. He has worked at other professional clubs in the North East. And the student experience is very much in Liz's thoughts as a mother of two. Eldest daughter Samantha has just graduated from Bath studying languages and is about to embark on a Masters' course.
Information
Her other daughter Rebecca is about to study events management at Chester. Liz commented: "We looked online on numerous websites as the course direction Rebecca wanted to take changed half way through the cycle. But with time at a premium we ditched potential universities where we could not find sufficient detailed information about content and modules online.
"It is an important point for Universities to remember when seeking to attract prospective students - time is at a premium for students and their families when making these important choices and the richer the information the better."
So what else lies ahead for Derby? Liz said: "The last five years has seen Derby become financially sound, with time spent on promoting a clear mission, establishing with robust quality processes and procedures and developing a fantastic campus. We now need to look more closely at enhancing the student learning experience - both in the classroom, the workplace and online. We need to be more innovative in strategies to facilitate learning and embrace new technologies."
Liz feels Derby has excellent technology enhanced resources and a strong e-learning environment with developments in multi-media and sees the future in encouraging and enabling more staff to engage with these approaches. The way Psychology has embraced such technologies and the advent of our Virtual Open Days are good examples of best practice she identifies.
Innovative
She is excited by the new LEI department which is innovative - Derby spoke to Bournemouth who have recently implemented a similar structure - but our approach is novel, generating much interest in the sector. The department will be headed up by a new Dean who will provide the department with an academic steer and direction, supporting the dissemination of examples of best practice across the faculties and co-ordinating development.
Other elements for further enhancement include student learning support, access to tutors and one-to-one support and increased communication and learning through the virtual learning environment. Improved feedback on assessment to students is essential.
New staff development sessions are taking place to empower staff in populating virtual environments and using technology more broadly and Liz said: "There will be emphasis on boosting people's confidence to ensure pockets of good practice can be replicated elsewhere. For example, e-learning and embracing these technologies doesn't have to be about podcasts and blogs and wikis - it can be as simple as some internet access in a classroom setting to help bring a point of relevance to life."
Liz is pleased to see some of these new developments taking shape as the new academic year begins and concludes: "The student experience is paramount at Derby. Rather than focusing on our systems and processes in driving and delivering the student learning experience, we must always ensure we put the student at the heart of what we do."
