New teaching and learning head at The University of Nottingham Ningbo China

Professor David Greenaway, Vice-Chancellor of The University of Nottingham said: “Professor Sanders is ideally placed to take on this key role.

“Alongside her Director of Teaching, Dr Jo Robinson, she already leads several ground-breaking initiatives within the School of English aimed at enhancing teaching and learning through the development and implementation of innovative approaches. That, together with her experience as a head of school and her standing as a scholar of international repute, make this an outstanding appointment.”

The School of English has pioneered the use of visual and audio feedback with undergraduate students and was recently awarded a prestigious Teaching Development Grant by the Higher Education Academy for ‘Embedding Employability in English’, a work-related learning project that provides opportunities for students to develop vocational skills and experience in the creative industries.

In March, the School of English won the Oscar for ‘Best School/Department’ in the University Staff Oscars and was cited for its responsiveness to students and in particular what it does for international students, such as holding an international day and introducing a buddy system for Ningbo students.

Professor Sanders was honoured by the British Academy this summer, winning the Rose Mary Crawshay Prize, one of the most prestigious awards in international women’s scholarship

Student experience is crucial

Professor Sanders said: “Teaching and learning is close to my heart and I believe the student experience should be at the centre of our approach. We need to recognise that every student is unique and develop a range of teaching and assessment strategies that allow for different learning styles whilst enabling each individual to achieve their full potential.

“I am very excited about working at the Ningbo China campus. It is a young and dynamic environment offering opportunities for the introduction of new blended learning solutions alongside some of the more traditional methods. China is a technologically advanced country and many of our students are ‘digital natives’ which means expanding the use of e-learning and developing more electronic materials such as podcasts and videos will be essential.

“I am also keen to explore new models of delivery such as summer schools, and part-time and distance learning to meet the growing demand for postgraduate study and provide viable solutions for those who may find a conventional route challenging due to domestic or geographical constraints.”

Leadership for teaching and learning

As a member of the senior management team at The University of Nottingham Ningbo China (UNNC), the leadership role of Vice-Provost (Teaching and Learning), is pivotal in ensuring the continued success of the teaching, learning and student experience related dimensions of the Universities strategies. The post holder is also responsible for quality assurance and leading UNNC’s focus on the achievement of excellence in teaching and learning nationally and internationally.

Professor Nick Miles, Provost and CEO at UNNC, said “On behalf of the University I would like to express our thanks to Andrew Marton. He was instrumental in driving forward the quality and standards of UNNC’s taught programmes during a period of great expansion and we wish him well in his new role.

“We are delighted that Professor Sanders will be joining the team at the Ningbo China campus. Her vision and passion for teaching and learning will enable us to meet the challenge of providing an outstanding experience to a diverse body of students throughout their time at the University.”

The appointment of senior and experienced staff reinforces the University’s commitment to teaching and learning across all its campuses. Professor Sanders completes a triumvirate that also includes Professor Stephen Doughty at the University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus and Professor Wyn Morgan at the UK campus.

Professor Hai-Sui Yu, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Nottingham’s international campuses said: “The exceptional quality of our teaching and learning is one of the key reasons behind our international success.

“Nottingham is a university with a global outlook but we also recognise the importance of understanding the local context and having the flexibility to adapt what we offer to meet different students’ needs. We are continuing to invest heavily in improving the student experience in all our campuses and the addition of Professor Sanders will further strengthen our commitment at the Ningbo China campus.”

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Notes to editors: The University of Nottingham, described by The Sunday Times University Guide 2011 as ‘the embodiment of the modern international university’, has 40,000 students at award-winning campuses in the United Kingdom, China and Malaysia. It is ranked in the UK's Top 10 and the World's Top 75 universities by the Shanghai Jiao Tong (SJTU) and the QS World University Rankings. It was named ‘the world’s greenest university’ in the UI GreenMetric World University Ranking 2011.

More than 90 per cent of research at The University of Nottingham is of international quality, according to the most recent Research Assessment Exercise. The University’s vision is to be recognised around the world for its signature contributions, especially in global food security, energy & sustainability, and health. The University won a Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education in 2011, for its research into global food security.

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