Simona Golshetti

I’ve been immersed in the world of education from a very young age, as my family’s occupational background is in teaching, which has impressed upon me the value of learning and development. I’ve worked in a mix of the education and publishing sector and have extensive knowledge of different types of projects and processes.

I started my Higher Education (HE) career at the University of Nottingham, where I worked in the Student Recruitment department, in an advisory capacity to prospective students, connecting them to academic staff. Being the conduit between students and staff allowed me the unique opportunity to look at HE from both perspectives and be able to support different needs and ambitions. Supporting the relationship between students and academics is something I feel very passionate about to this day.

I subsequently worked as part of the Educational Research and Evaluation Team at Nottingham Trent University, supporting qualitative research and evaluation, aimed to sustain interventions to decrease disparity in attainment and informing the work of course leaders and teams with regards to curriculum design. Through this role, I gained experience of designing and developing interactive educational and training activities, as well as evaluation tools for monitoring and self-reflection. I was also part of a cross-departmental team that provided support with the design, delivery and management of Theory of Change plans produced by each School and Professional Service, assuring that progress was being made in delivery against APP targets. I worked on the delivery of workshops to colleagues across the University on impact assessment and evaluation design of the plans, supported the delivery of innovative pedagogies (such as SCALE-UP) and was involved in the evaluation of interventions to address disparities in student engagement and outcomes.

My most recent experience in HE has been Quality Manager with a focus on Apprenticeships at Staffordshire University. I supported the delivery of the University's academic Strategy, and worked with colleagues in the Academic Quality and Development team to drive more equitable and inclusive learning and teaching, to support our student success goals in the institution's Access and Participation Plan, by ensuring that quality is embedded in all apprenticeship qualifications. As an Academic Developer, my aim is to encourage the development of new and effective ways of working, investigating what my colleagues’ pedagogic needs are and developing pathways for self-development, with the ultimate objective of delivering a high quality and inclusive learning experience to all Staffordshire students. I’m invested in creating an environment where colleagues not only can develop, but can thrive, by exposing them to different ways of perceiving the education system and implementing pedagogical strategies. I aim to be a true critical friend and cultivate in my colleagues a healthy curiosity and the ability to interrogate, defend, challenge and adopt education theory and practice. I am currently involved in a 2-year project on international pedagogy and I look forward to explore and expand on the great work Staffordshire does with its international cohorts. Please get in touch if I can be of any help and even just to have a chat on all things international.