Rachel joined UCLan as Pro Vice-Chancellor (Academic Development) in 2017. She is responsible for the ongoing development of UCLan’s learning and teaching strategy, ensuring that we deliver an outstanding student experience in a modern learning environment.

Rachel works closely with senior colleagues at UCLan to help shape, develop and deliver UCLan's strategic aims, delivery plans and key objectives and to ensure the smooth day-to-day running of the University.

Prior to joining UCLan, Rachel worked with the Open University, where she held the position of Director of Strategy, Planning and Resources. She had strategic responsibility for student experience and enhancing student employability and career progression.

As well as her experience within higher education, Rachel has delivered major change projects in other sectors. In her role as Head of Curriculum Design and Development for the Police Service, Rachel managed the redevelopment of the national police curriculum and led the work to develop the world’s first professional body for policing, the College of Policing, on secondment to the Home Office.

Rachel brings invaluable leadership skills and experience in large-scale change to the Executive team and is strongly committed to UCLan values and its mission. Together with senior colleagues, Rachel will work in partnership with students to realise our ambition to be sector leading for the quality of our teaching and the student experience.

Rachel has degrees and qualifications from the University of Bradford, Durham University, South Bank University and Oxford University.

Current responsibilities

• Degree Apprenticeship Strategy and its delivery
• Delivering an outstanding student experience and high levels of student satisfaction
• Teaching Excellence Framework
• The sustained achievement of high quality teaching and research in a modern learning environment through the UCLan Learning and Teaching Strategy.
• Strategic Lead for the Lancashire Forensic Science Academy
• Equality and access and participation

Committee membership

• Senior Executive Team
• Student Experience and Engagement Committee (Chair)
• Academic Board (member)
• ASQAC (member)
• Course Planning Committee
• Academic Leadership Group

Representation on External Bodies

• University Alliance Teaching Excellence Alliance
• Lancashire Forensic Science Academy Strategy Group (Joint Chair)

Andrew joined the University in September 2013 as the Dean of the School of Journalism and Communication. In 2014 he was appointed to the position of Executive Dean as the University restructured into Faculties. He then led the Faculty of Culture and the Creative Industries for four years; in that time it won the Times Higher Education Award for Excellence and Innovation in the Arts and Professor Lubaina Himid CBE won the prestigious Turner Prize among other highlights. In March 2018 Andrew was promoted to a new Pro Vice-Chancellor role to provide strategic cross-institutional leadership and vision for the digital and creative industries, overseeing the Faculty of Culture and the Creative Industries and the Faculty of Science and Technology.

Prior to working at the University of Central Lancashire, Andrew worked in the broadcast industry and held a number of academic posts in television production before moving into academic management in the Media School at Bournemouth University. He became a National Teaching Fellow in 2004 for his HEFCE-funded work in group work assessment in media practice.  His research interests include broadcast historiography and re-enactment techniques.

Andrew graduated from Bournemouth University with an Honours degree in Media Production. He achieved a SEDA accredited PG Cert in Professional Development and was awarded a PhD in 2012 entitled Conditions of Time and Space: A Re-enactment Experiment with the British TV Series Doctor Who.

Current Responsibilities

• Strategic academic leadership of digital, creative industries and innovation
• Developing a Digital and Innovation Strategy
• Providing strategic oversight of the Institution’s response to the Knowledge Exchange Framework  (KEF)

Committee Membership

• Academic Board
• Senior Executive Team
• Research and Innovation Committee

Representation on External Bodies

• Member of the HE Academy
• National Teaching Fellow
• In4.0 Board Member
• Member of the Harris Capital Project Steering Group

Professor Crean was appointed as Pro Vice-Chancellor (Clinical and Health) in July 2017. From April 2018 he assumed oversight for Research. He previously served the University in a number of senior academic roles including Executive Dean of the Faculty of Clinical and Biomedical Sciences, Director of Dental Research and Knowledge Transfer, and Dean of the School of Postgraduate Medical and Dental Education.

In his current role, Professor Crean is responsible for building productive networks and relationships with key stakeholders to ensure that the University is well positioned to implement new and innovative opportunities in clinical health business, education and research. By building on the outstanding reputation of the University’s dentistry, medical, nursing and pharmacy programmes, he is ensuring that the University is able to play a major role in combating health inequalities and fostering an integrated approach to the provision of health and care across the North West.

StJohn gained a Bachelor’s degree in Dental Surgery (BDS) from University College London in 1981 before attaining an MB BS (Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery) from University College London and Middlesex School of Medicine in 1992. He later gained a PhD from the University of London in 2000 and a Postgraduate Certificate in Medical Education from the University of Cambridge. He is currently studying an LLM (Medical Ethics and Law) with the University of Edinburgh.

Beyond the University, StJohn is an Honorary Consultant at East Lancashire Hospital Trust and the University of Morecambe Bay Hospitals Foundation Trust. He is currently the Robert Bradlaw advisor in the Faculty of Dental Surgery at the Royal College of Surgeons of England, and Editor-in-Chief of the Faculty Dental Journal (FDJ). He has held the posts of President of the North West Branch of the British Dental Association and Chairman of the Fylde Section.

His ongoing research interests include the safe management of medicalised patients in dentistry and the role of oral bacteria in systemic disease, with a focus on neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease.  He has over 100 peer reviewed publications and receives regular invitations to speak to learned societies and conferences.

Current Responsibilities

Responsible for building productive networks and relationships with key stakeholders in order to ensure that the University is able to implement new and innovative opportunities in clinical health business, education and research. He will support the Vice-Chancellor and Senior Executive Team by leading the University's continued growth and development of its provision in these areas with support from the Executive Deans.

Committee Membership

• Academic and Business Enhancement Board (ABEB)
• Academic Board (AB)
• Academic Leadership Group (ALG)
• College of Professors and Readers Committee (CPRC)
• Degree Apprenticeship Steering Group
• Distinguished Collaborator Programme
• EIC academic group
• Ethics and Integrity Committee (EIC)
• Honorary Academic Awards Committee
• National Centre for Remote and Rural Medicine (NCRRM)
• One Health Leadership Group
• One Health Strategy Group
• Senior Executive Team (SET)
• Space Strategy Group
• UCLan Hong Kong
• UCLan Technology Shenzhen
• University Business Services Limited (UBSL)
• University Mental Health 5-year Strategy Group
• Westlakes Research Limited (WRL)

Research

• Animal Welfare and Ethics Review Board (AWERB)
• Environment Working Group (Chair)
• Human Tissue Working Group - HTWG
• Peer review, Faculty of Clinical and Biomedical Sciences.
• PVC Research Strategy Group
• REF Equality and Diversity Subpanel
• REF Steering Group
• Research and Innovation Committee – Cyprus (RICC)
• Research Governance IRAS review panel
• University Research and Innovation Committee

External

• Academic Health Science Network (AHSN)
• AKS Local Governing Body
• AUC
• BDA (Fylde section) and NW Branch Council
• Blackburn and Darwen Borough Council – Employment and Skills
• Copeland Borough Council – Future Opportunities in Copeland Group
• Dalton Cumbrian Facility – RAMP
• East Lancashire Hospital Trust
  • ELHT/UCLan Strategic Board
  • University Status Task Group
  • Research and Development Strategic Group
• Healthier Lancashire
  • CCIO-CIO Board
  • Digital Health Board
  • ICS Partnership Forum
  • Work Force and Skills Development for Healthier Lancashire
• Innovation Agency -Partnership Board
• Lancashire Digital First Primary Care.
• Lancashire Teaching Hospital - Quarterly UCLan/LTHTR
• LLS UTC Governor
• Myerscough Strategic Development Group
• Northern Health Science Alliance(NHSA) Associate Member/UCLan Representative
• Northern Schools Trust - UTC LLS Trust Governor
• Recovery College, Lancashire Care Foundation Trust
• Research and Education Committee – Alder Hey
• Royal College of Surgeons England Faculty of Dental Surgery FDJ Editorial Board
• Royal College of Surgeons England Faculty of Dental Surgery Postgraduate Committee
• Samuel Lindow Research Ltd Board
• Sellafield Sites – Education Opportunities Board
• St. Catherine’s Strategic Development Group
• University Alliance – R&I Network
• West Lakes Multi - Academy Trust Board

Representation on External Bodies

• General Association of Dental (and Medical) Educators in Europe, (ADEE, AMEE)
• Home Office – Establishment License Holder

Ebrahim has been Provost for UCLan’s Burnley campus since 2017.  However, his relationship with UCLan is a long-standing one and he has held a number of positions including Senior Lecturer, Ambassador for Students, and Strategic Coordinator for Student Retention, amongst others, since 1997.  During this period he has also served as a member of the University Board and the Board’s Nominations Committee.

As the Assistant Vice-Chancellor (Student Experience) at the University of Bolton, Ebrahim had responsibility for student retention and satisfaction and the TIRI Interdisciplinary Research Centre.  His research interests continue to focus on key dimensions of the student experience.

Ebrahim has a growing public profile as the Deputy Leader of Bolton Council and is closely involved in the Northern Powerhouse project through his association with the Greater Manchester Combined Authority where he serves as the Deputy for Economy and Internationalisation.  He is also a Board Member of the Growth Company, a member of the GM Growth Board and a shareholder of the Manchester Airport Group.

Ebrahim has served at a national level on the UK Government’s Commission on Integration and Cohesion and has worked as an Independent Expert Adviser to the Audit Commission.

Current Responsibilities

• Responsibility for all aspects of the University's Campus in Burnley
• Chair – University Ethics and Integrity Committee
• Vice-Chancellor’s Nominee – Student Complaints

Committee Membership

• Senior Executive Team
• Academic Board
• Academic Leadership Group
• Student Experience Committee
• Research and Innovation Committee
• ASQAC
• Learning and Teaching Strategy Senior Programme Board
• National Student Survey Working Group
• (Chair) Burnley Campus Operational Group

Representation on External Bodies

• East Lancashire Strategic Steering Group
• Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy