About Jess
Academic governance, quality and pedagogy for online higher education | SFHEA, FSEDA, CMgr FCMI, FRSA
What I do
I lead academic governance, quality assurance and pedagogy for online postgraduate degrees. My work covers both the processes that assure academic standards, such as programme approval, validation, review and regulatory compliance, and the curriculum, assessment and student support that those programmes deliver.
How I got here
My career has moved from software engineering into university teaching, programme leadership and academic management.
- Software engineering. I spent seven years building and leading the development of web systems, latterly as Head of Technical Development, and trained non-technical teams in information security.
- Lecturing and research. At the University of Salford I taught information systems and app development, completed my PGCAP and began my PhD, alongside a British Academy-funded study of how people experience digital technology.
- Programme leadership. At Wrexham Glyndŵr University I led a suite of online MSc programmes, responsible for their quality, delivery and the experience of the students on them.
- Academic leadership. Since 2021 I have been Director of Academic Practice at CEG Digital, leading academic quality and pedagogy across online postgraduate degrees delivered with UK university partners.
My current role
As Director of Academic Practice at CEG Digital, I lead the academic strategy, quality assurance and programme development of online Master's degrees delivered in partnership with UK universities. This includes making sure provision meets each partner's academic regulations and the expectations of the OfS, the QAA and professional bodies.
Academic governance and quality
- Leading programme design, approval, validation and continuous enhancement across business, STEM and social science disciplines
- Directing academic input to accreditation and review, including MBA reaccreditation
- Shaping academic policy and governance structures for online and transnational education
Pedagogy and academic development
- Building frameworks for online pedagogy and assessment design, including assessment and academic integrity in the age of generative AI
- Mentoring and upskilling academic staff so they can teach confidently and effectively online
- Leading the Academic Study Skills project, which supports part-time online postgraduates through one-to-one support and a self-diagnostic study skills tool
Research that shapes my practice
My research covers information quality, student success and the regulation of online technologies.
- Information quality. My PhD in Information Systems developed the Informative Web Content Guidelines (IWCG), an empirical model for how well online content informs the people who read it. It complements accessibility standards such as WCAG, and it informs how I structure digital learning so students can find, understand and retain complex material.
- Student success. My study skills work with online part-time postgraduates, presented at the University of Hull Teaching & Learning Conference in 2025 and 2026, tests practical ways to improve outcomes and retention.
- Regulation and technology. Two funded projects for the Institute of Alcohol Studies and Alcohol Change UK examined age-assurance technologies for restricted online sales.
The full list is on my publications page.
Mentoring
I have mentored aspiring academic governance professionals, both within my organisation and at other institutions, helping them understand process, policy and regulation in UK higher education. I focus on how the pieces fit together in practice: how regulations, quality processes and committee decisions connect, and how to use evidence when advising colleagues and academic leaders.
Current interests
My current professional interests include:
- quality assurance processes that support the enhancement of teaching
- assessment design and academic integrity policy in the context of generative AI
- the professional development of academic governance staff
- student support and engagement in online and part-time study
Professional recognition
- PhD in Information Systems, University of Salford, with the IWCG
- SFHEA: Senior Fellow of Advance HE
- FSEDA: Fellow of the Staff and Educational Development Association
- CMgr FCMI: Chartered Manager, and Fellow of the CMI
- MA (Cantab) in Computer Science, MSc in Information Security and PGCAP in Academic Practice
Let's connect
Whether you are working on academic governance, online provision or learning and teaching, or would like me to speak, review or collaborate, I'd love to hear from you.