Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Students): Dr Liz Marr

The PVC Students portfolio has been designed to ensure that the needs and concerns of all students are represented at the most senior level of the University and shared and addressed throughout the University. In addition to the Student Success Priorities (Supported Open Entry, Flexible Study Intensity and Communications to Continuing Students), PVC Students has responsibility for Employability, Student Satisfaction, Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF), Widening Access and Success (WAS), Quality Monitoring & Enhancement (QME) and Quality Assurance (QA). The portfolio works very closely with OUSA on Student Voice and Student Engagement.

Career

Following an ESRC studentship at Manchester University for an MSc, Liz worked at Manchester Metropolitan University for 20 years. She started as a lecturer on a new programme – IT in Society – and eventually ended up in a Sociology department where she undertook her PhD. She then took on a cross Faulty Principle Lecturer role, progressing to Head of Widening Participation before joining the OU in 2009.

Originally appointed as Director of the Centre for Widening Participation, Liz oversaw two mergers, eventually heading up CICP before it was integrated into Learning and Teaching Innovation (LTI). She took up the role of Acting PVC Students on the 1 January 2019. Externally, she has held a number of roles in lifelong learning and widening access national bodies and is President of the European Association of Distance Teaching Universities.