Academic Registrar and Team
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Academic RegistrarAdam ChildAdam started his higher education career at the Higher Education Academy (now Advance HE) shortly after graduating from the University of York. He then spent six years at Lancaster, initially as an Assistant Registrar before moving into a role supporting the Vice-Chancellor and the senior management team. In 2017, Adam moved to Bournemouth University as Head of Academic Quality before becoming Academic Registrar at Surrey in 2020. At Surrey he had responsibility for quality assurance, academic governance, assessment processes, student records (inclusive of statutory returns and UKVI), programme support, student timetabling, fees and funding, appeals, complaints and discipline. Email: adam.child@warwick.ac.uk |
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Departmental AdministratorAlison StephenAlison joined the Academic Registrar's Office in October 2009 as ARO Office Co-ordinator and PA to the Academic Registrar. She previously worked in the Vice-Chancellor’s Office for five years and prior to that spent 15 years at Barclays Bank as a senior PA. Alison now works as a Departmental Administrator for the Education Group & Secretary to Council's Office. Email: alison.stephen@warwick.ac.uk Telephone: 024 765 75683 |
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Personal AssistantMichelle O'KeeffeMichelle started work in the Academic Registrar’s Office in September 2016 as PA to the Academic Registrar. She joined the University in 1992 and worked as Personal Assistant to the University Secretary before moving to the Learning and Development Centre. She joined the Executive Office as Personal Assistant in 2005 supporting the Vice-Chancellor and in 2014 she became PA to two Pro-Vice-Chancellors. Email: AcademicRegistrar@warwick.ac.uk Telephone: 024 765 75679 |
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Director of Student OpportunityRoberta Wooldridge SmithRoberta recently covered a period as Interim Academic Registrar, which also followed an earlier period in the role. For the last three years Roberta has led Student Opportunity, focussing on the enhancement of the University’s co-curricular offer to students, led predominantly by the institutional Employability and Internationalisation Strategies. This comprised responsibility for Student Mobility; Immigration & Compliance; Welcome; Careers; Employer Engagement; Skills and Operations & Information. Roberta previously held roles as Director of Teaching Quality and Director of the Academic Office, building on a career in student and teaching and learning-oriented roles at Warwick. Email: r.wooldridge.smith@warwick.ac.uk Telephone: 024 765 22785 |
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Director of Flexible and Online LearningDr Sam HardyFollowing the successful completion of his PhD in viral immunology, Sam undertook training in technology transfer and went on to establish a spin out company from the University of Warwick to help commercialise University research. Subsequently Sam has held several roles within the University and regional partners, predominantly focused on business and regional engagement. In 2016, Sam co-authored the Strategic Economic Plan for the Coventry & Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership, and during this period he developed a keen interest in the potential for economic development through improved skills provision. In particular Sam's interests were focused on widening access to, and participation in education at Warwick through Apprenticeships. In 2021 Sam was appointed as Director of the new Flexible and Online Learning Division of the University's Education Group, which brings together teams supporting the development and delivery of flexible learning opportunities, including work-based, online and blended learning. Email: Samuel.A.Hardy@warwick.ac.uk Telephone: 024 765 75497 |
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Director of Student Administrative ServicesAndrew HigginsI joined Warwick in 2004, as Director of Academic Services for Warwick Business School. After a period as Department/Campus Manager at Warwick HRI, I then led the University’s Student Recruitment, Outreach and Admissions Teams. This was during a turbulent period seeing the introduction of student fees and an increasingly regulated approach to widening participation. From 2014 onwards I have been responsible for the central teams associated with Examinations, Module Registration, Student Records, Enrolment and Awards Ceremonies. Collectively they form the Professional Service Group, Student Administrative Services. Our aim is to facilitate and improve the student learning, teaching and research experience as efficiently and effectively as we can, whilst supporting academic department colleagues. My background prior to Warwick was in HE Student Systems management across various institutions, having worked my way up from being a temp at University of London’s PhD office. Email: Andrew.Higgins@warwick.ac.uk Telephone: 024 765 24297 |
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Director of Student ExperienceAdele BrowneAdele joined Warwick in May 2022 to lead the newly formed Student Experience Division, focussed on driving up the inclusion of diverse student groups in the wider Warwick experience through collaborative review and re-design of services and opportunities. Adele’s career in Higher Education started at the University of Sussex in 2001, where she managed international exchange programmes and industrial placements for thirteen years, before moving to De Montfort University as Head of Placements and later Head of Graduate Success. In all roles she has held a central responsibility for increasing student engagement and providing effective individualised support. Email: Adele.Browne@warwick.ac.uk |
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Director of Education Policy & QualityDan DerricottDan leads the Education Policy and Quality division’s work as custodians of the University’s academic regulations and policy on behalf of the Senate, as enablers of quality assurance and enhancement processes that drive continuous improvement in education, and in coordinating the implementation of the University’s Education Strategy. As a senior member of the Education Executive and the university’s lead on academic governance, Dan has specific responsibility for ensuring our internal governance and quality assurance systems enable the successful delivery of university strategy and secure our on ongoing compliance with external regulatory requirements. He also leads for Warwick on our partnership with University College Birmingham, which is using the collective power of our two universities to unlock the potential of learners across the West Midlands. Dan has experience across the sector from substantive roles at UCL, the University of Leicester and the University of Lincoln, as well as board director and committee roles with QAA and the funding councils in England (HEFCE, now OfS) and Wales (HEFCW). Dan remains active as an external reviewer of universities and quality assurance agencies (ENQA) across Europe and as Chair of Governors at a large primary school in Leicester. Email: Dan.Derricott@warwick.ac.uk Telephone: 024 765 74034 |
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Head of the Doctoral CollegeRhiannon MartynI lead the Doctoral College team in tandem with our Academic Director (Prof Dan Branch) to support postgraduate research students. The Doctoral College is responsible for scholarships, funding, joint PhDs, PhD examination, researcher development, quality assurance, and supporting the delivery of strategy decided by the Board of Graduate Studies (among many things). We work with all academic departments and many professional services teams across the Education and Research groups. We are also responsible for managing external funding, in particular from the UK research councils. Prior to Warwick I worked in various leadership and management roles at all levels of education, most recently at the Open University. I am chair of governors for a large 11-19 school in the Black Country and also an internal coach. Email: R.Martyn@warwick.ac.uk Telephone: 024 761 50887 |
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Senior Assistant Registrar, Student Complaints and Academic CaseworkDr Nathan MorrisFollowing completion of a PhD in Microbial Genetics, including an internship at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Nathan commenced a career in Higher Education administration. This has involved working in a number of academic departments culminating in being appointed Director of Administration for Warwick Law School in August 2007. Nathan moved into the central administration at the University of Warwick in October 2013 with responsibility for both student and external complaints and the administration of the University's Human Tissue Licence. Nathan joined the Academic Registrar’s Office in October 2017 and currently leads the Student Complaints and Academic Casework Team responsible for: Student Complaints, Academic Appeals, Academic Misconduct, Fitness to Practise, Continuation of Registration Committees and day to day oversight of matters relating to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator. Email: Nathan.Morris@warwick.ac.uk Telephone: 024 765 23773 |
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Head of AdmissionsDr Elizabeth HoughLiz has worked at Warwick since 2013 and returned to her role as Head of Admissions (a post she previously held in 2016-17) in December 2019. Prior to this, she worked in the Strategy Group as Assistant Director of Professional Services Strategic Reform and Senior Assistant Registrar with responsibility for institutional-level strategic projects. Liz has also worked as an Assistant Registrar in University Governance and in the Graduate School on student experience and development. She holds a PhD in Cultural Anthropology from Princeton University. Email: Elizabeth.Hough@warwick.ac.uk Telephone: 024 765 73633 |
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Head of Widening ParticipationPaul BlagburnPaul is Head of Widening Participation at the University providing leadership for our institutional WP strategy and ownership of Warwick’s Access and Participation Plan. The team are formed of five core areas; Evidence, Evaluation and Impact, Academic Engagement and Internal Community, Educational and Collaborative Partnerships, WP Sustained Engagement, and Access and Social Mobility. Prior to joining Warwick in 2013, Paul has worked for universities in London and the North West, as well as local authorities and schools. He is a member of the Education Executive and external to Warwick a Trustee in a multi academy trust in East London. He is passionate about the transformative impact education can have on people’s lives and as a contributor to social mobility. Email: P.Blagburn@warwick.ac.uk Telephone: 024 761 50235 |
Head of Strategic PlanningGemma RichardsonGemma leads the Strategic Planning Team and has responsibility for overseeing all operational activities to achieve the objectives of the academic planning cycle, whilst promoting continuous improvement of processes. Gemma was Head of Operations in the Centre for Teacher Education, immediately prior to joining the Education Group. Gemma has worked in regulatory and public sector bodies in a wide range of administrative and managerial roles and has experience in project management, change management, and governance. She is an advocate of CPD, which has led her to completing an Executive Master of Business Administration programme and also achieving Chartered Manager status through the Senior Leader Apprenticeship with the CMI. |
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Dean of StudentsDavid LeesIn his new role as Dean of Students, David leads on personal tutoring and academic support across the institution. David heads up the Dean of Students Office, a team of academic and professional services staff who work together towards continually improving the academic support systems in place at Warwick. Along with the President of the Students’ Union, David co-chairs the Students’ Union-University Liaison Group. David was most recently the Deputy Chair (Education) for the Faculty of Arts, having previously worked as the Deputy Dean of Students and Faculty Senior Tutor for Social Sciences. David has also recently been the Deputy Head of Modern Languages. His research interests are modern European history and politics. David has previously been a Fellow of Warwick International Higher Education Academy and is currently a Senior Fellow of WIE. In 2019, he won a Warwick Award for Personal Tutoring Excellence. Email: d.w.lees@warwick.ac.uk |