Throughout my career both in the U.S. and UK, I have demonstrated a keen interest in and track record of supporting staff members’ learning and development in order to help them achieve their goals and feel happier and more engaged at work. I am always keen to share my experience in HR, Recruitment, Operations, and Leadership to help bring out the best in others and to further enhance my own performance, development, and personal wellbeing.

I work with a fantastic group of Champions and colleagues across the College and wider University to design and deliver a Birmingham Professional programme that can support staff development, increase staff awareness and availability of developmental opportunities across the University and how they can take part, as well as increasing wellbeing and engagement.

Please contact me should you be interested in delivering a session for the programme or if you have any ideas of sessions that we could deliver in the future to further benefit and develop CoSS Professional Services colleagues.

As a Birmingham Professional Champion I find myself working alongside enthusiastic and dynamic colleagues. I hope this experience will allow me to develop my own administrative and organisational skills whilst at the same time putting my knowledge and experience of working at the University over many years to good practical use.

My first post in Higher Education was as a Resource Assistant in the Regional RE Centre based at Westhill College (now the Selly Oak Campus). Starting in 1986, I remained at Westhill in various roles including; Centre Administrator, finance assistant, publication sales and programme administrator. I was involved in the introduction of the new student loan scheme and can remember issuing cheques to students on their arrival! Westhill College became part of the School of Education (SoE) in the 1999-2000 academic year and since that time I have worked mainly for the SoE although I have had spells working in the Academic Office, Central Timetabling and the Business School. Current and more recent roles in the SoE include; Extenuating Circumstances Officer (previously mitigations) Reasonable Adjustments Contact (RAC), responding to complaints and appeals, plagiarism and the joys of timetabling. My previous experience helps me immensely in my current post as Welfare Officer. 

Many Professional Services colleagues do not see personal or career development as being something applicable to them or something they aspire too, I hope to use my time on the team to change at least some of those opinions.

The Birmingham Professional programme is an excellent way of meeting colleagues from different schools within CoSS and from across the University.

After working as a filmmaker for a few years after graduating university, I began working at the University of Birmingham; first in the Medical School, then Education, and finally Government & Society, where I have risen to be Undergraduate (Deputy) Manager. My role already involves some events organisation in the Applicant Visit Days I manage, and as this is my favourite part of the job I jumped at the opportunity to become the COSS Champion for Government & Society.

Having attended COSS Birmingham Professional events previously and been impressed by their high standards, I look forward to being involved in helping to deliver similarly diverse and exciting events in the future. I am also looking forward to building more links with colleagues in different departments and colleges, which will allow me to be more efficient in both this role and my regular job.

My current role is PA to the Director of Education and the Director of Research in CoSS. I hope to be able to bring event planning and organisational skills to my role as a Birmingham Professional champion for the College. I would like to be able to develop event marketing skills such as creating and maintaining social media accounts and creating event invitations.  I decided to be a champion because I think it is a good way to contribute to the professional services team and make suggestions for events which I think that they would find useful.

I joined CoSS Birmingham Professional Service Champion Team because I believe the group offers fantastic opportunities to get involved in the wider life of the University, whilst also allowing individuals to acquire valuable interpersonal skills. My previous career in teaching has allowed me to understand the importance of cross-curricular and collaborative working methods which inspired me to join CoSS Birmingham Professional group. Participating in event planning, organisation, management and promotion will undoubtedly provide me with interesting and varied opportunities to work alongside other support staff, academics and students which I feel is an incredibly important part of my professional development within the University.