I am an educational transitions and student experience specialist. Through my consultancy-Higher Expectations- I provide guidance, ideas and advice on improving and delivering a high quality student experience. For more information on my work in this area, contact me by emailing me on mgmorgan8@hotmail.com. I first showcased my Student Experience Transitions Model (formely the Student Experience Practitioners Model) in 2005 at the Association of University Administrators Annaul Conference.
I am currently, Dean of Students at the University of East London. Prior to this, I was Associate Professor and Associate Dean for the Student Experience at Bournemouth University.
In 2016, I completed leading, managing and delivering a £2.7m HEFCE funded project looking at the Postgraduate Student Experience across all transitions in the student journey. The Postgraduate Experience Project (PEP) officially started in January 2014. Details are available on this site or you can visit http://www.postgradexperience.org.The project has received national aclaim with the Chair of UKCGE (2012-15) stating ‘Its legacy sits as one of the most comprehensive reviews of postgraduate taught student attitudes and ambitions and sits as a seminal study of this often overlooked sector of UK University’s portfolios’. Prior to the PEP project, I was Learning and Teaching Coordinator at the University of Kingston.
I have actively been involved in improving the student experience for many years. I was a mature, first generation, working class female student when I entered university. There was no expectation for me to go to university let alone do A levels. It was a real challenge getting through my course. I did not receive the help that I felt I needed to make the transition into and through university, and, to succeed to the best of my ability in my studies. Higher education changed my life. My experience shaped how I operated when I started working in higher education as a departmental administrator.
During my career, I have been a senior faculty administrative manager, researcher, lecturer and academic manager. My various roles have given me a good insight into academic and support practices. I am well known in the field and national and international colleagues tell me that my work is respected and well regarded.
In 2004, I was ‘Highly Commended’ in the Association of University Administrators (AUA) Inaugural National Excellence Awards, in recognition of my ‘outstanding achievements in higher education, management and administration in the field of the student experience’. In 2005, I was presented with a special award by the Students Union at the University of Sussex in recognition of my work in supporting students and their experience. In 2009, I was made a Fellow of the AUA and in 2015 a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. I have presented over 120 national and international papers (of which 40 are keynotes) and have 7 peer-viewed papers in respected national and international journals. I am the editor and contributor to two books that revolve around my Student Experience Transitions Model: Improving the Student Experience: The practical guide for universities and colleges (2011) and Supporting Diversity in Higher Education: A practical guide ( 2013) both published by Routledge. I am an Elected Executive Council member for UK Council for Graduate Education, a CATE/NTF AdvanceHE Reviewer, a Student Minds Mental Health Charter Assessor, and Guardian Newspaper Higher Education Awards Judge 2019 and 2020. I have been an annual conference paper reviewer for the Associate of University Administrators for the past 13 years and I review papers for other national and international conferences.
When I had started working in the field many years ago, I found it difficult to find sites that supported all aspects of the student experience. After completing my first book, I had such a wealth of information that I had accessed and was useful, I decided to share it with colleagues via a website.
My aim behind this website is to pull together good practice across the student lifecycle and provide colleagues with a resource that helps them improve the experience of their students as well as their own. I have been fortunate enough to meet and work with experienced and talented colleagues in the field of the student experience from across the globe. They have given me ideas, support and encouragement. This website is my way of thanking my colleagues and giving something back. The site is funded and supported by myself in my own time.
I hope that you find it useful.
Dr Michelle Morgan