Deputy Vice Chancellor, with responsibility for all professional and administrative services.

I was a tutor on a number of courses including: ‘The Arts Past and Present’, ‘Start Writing Poetry’ and ‘Start Writing Fiction’ at level one; and ‘Creative Writing’ at level two. I also lectured, ran workshops, and gave presentations and conference papers for The Open University.

As maternity cover, I report to the Chair of the University’s governing body externally and to the Vice-Chancellor’s senior team internally. I am the point person for the University Chancellor, and the members of the governing body, the University Council. The Secretariat for which I am responsible manages all the senior committees of the University, including the Senate, the Court and the Council (I am Clerk to each); my office is also responsible for governance strategy and planning.

In charge of the University’s development, recruitment and liaison in a significant part of the USA.

In addition to a number of ongoing responsibilities as listed below, my duties included:• the administration of the University Senate, its committees and subcommittees;• student academic appeals, complaints and discipline;• overall charge of Graduation, its ceremonies, Honorary Graduates, and University functions;• academic policies and planning, including UKBA Points-Based System visa implementation;• academic strategic guidance, training and advice across the University college and student body;• overall charge of tuition fees.

Reporting to the Vice-Principal (External Relations), I was responsible for the line management of over twenty staff who make up the main central administrative unit of the University, providing services in the following areas: • Student records;• Curriculum management;• Examinations and timetabling;• Statistical reporting.As the Fees Officer, I was also responsible for the setting and approval of all the tuition fees and all fee-related matters across all undergraduate and postgraduate taught and research courses.

Chief of Staff to the Principal & Vice-Chancellor. Providing executive support to members of the Principal’s Office in their roles as the University’s senior managers. Organising major University events internally and externally. Managing communication, information, and processes efficiently, and developing effective working relationships with the Principal’s Office, the University’s staff & students, the University’s governance (Court) & wider community (alumni & town). Responsible for managing Principal’s Office support staff, including the Principal’s & Vice-Principals’ PAs.Responsibilities included:• organising University ceremonies, functions & academic formalities, such as graduation, installations, receptions, lectures, presentations, reviews, official visits, opening ceremonies, naming functions, commemorations, congresses and conventions;• monitoring, and advising the Principal and his Office on the implications of externally generated higher education policy issues;• being Secretary to Principal’s Office meetings, the Planning and Resources Committee, the Management Group, and other meetings, committees, and groups related to University senior management and governance;• carrying out research on policy and related issues for the Principal and members of the Principal’s Office;• managing correspondence, and drafting papers, articles, speeches and letters for the Principal;• monitoring, and managing distribution of, papers and circulars of funding & governmental bodies;• managing the information gathering phases of the strategic planning process, and assisting the University Court in production of the Strategic Plan;• monitoring implementation of operational plans that flow from the Strategic Plan;• ensuring effective communication of appropriate information from the Principal’s Office to the wider University;• being the liaison officer for the Chancellor;• representing the Principal’s Office and University at functions.

I organised and taught poetry and prose creative writing workshops for students and staff. I tutored for the School of English in first and second year modules (‘Voice and Vision’; ‘Tragic Forms’; ‘Medieval & Renaissance Texts’; ‘Comedy & Society’) and third and fourth year Honours modules (‘Aspects of Modern Poetry’; ‘Aspects of Modern Fiction’; ‘Contemporary Fiction’). I also gave first year class lectures.

Following an internal restructure, I took over from the Customer Relations Manager and reported directly to the Board of Directors. I was responsible for running the department of over 20 staff. Projects in this new rôle included providing costings for a confidential customer initiative, acting as consultant on the associated Project team, researching and writing a monthly analysis report to the Board, and initiating the installation of a new customer response system based on an IT solution. I was responsible for drafting all the replies of the Chairman, the Chief Executive, and the Managing Director to customers. Since taking over, I initiated a wide-ranging review of policy and procedure; restructuring the department, increasing productivity, putting together dedicated training packages through which to lead the team, improving lines of communication internally and externally, travelling throughout the country presenting to all Area and Branch Managers, benchmarking the department against best practice externally, representing the company at corporate functions.