FE News | Dr Maria Allen joins Salford Business School as new Vice Dean of Academic Affairs

University of Salford Business School has appointed Dr Maria Allen as Vice Dean of Academic Affairs (Quality Assurance and Improvement) from September 2024.

Maria, who has over twenty years’ experience in higher education, joins from Manchester Metropolitan University’s (MMU) Business School where she held a number of faculty and teaching positions including Programme Leader, Departmental Education Lead and Faculty Employability Lead. Throughout her career she has had a significant impact on improving student career prospects and graduate outcomes through her work on the curriculum, leading numerous strategic initiatives around work-related learning which have transformed student employability and given them greater opportunities to achieve their ambitions.

Maria comments: “As someone who has proudly lived and worked in Greater Manchester all my life, I am thrilled to be joining Salford Business School, a dynamic and rapidly expanding institution that is committed to local roots and global ambitions. By placing students at the heart of everything it does, the University of Salford reflects my own values ​​and aspirations for its students. It is the perfect place for me to develop and contribute.”

As an Associate Professor, Maria’s research has focused on employee voice, gender, equal opportunity/diversity management policies, and comparative capitalisms and institutions. Her work has been published in leading international journals including the British Journal of Management, International Journal of HRM (Human Resource Management), Socio-Economic Review and Work Employment and Society.

Liz Larner, PVC (Pro Vice-Chancellor) Interim Dean, Salford Business School, added: “We are thrilled to welcome someone of Maria’s calibre to the school. Maria’s experience and career to date is extraordinary. We have seen first-hand the work she has done at MMU and are delighted that she will lead the Salford Business School team as they work strategically to improve learning, teaching and quality, in line with the university’s priorities.

“We have made great progress in recent years in terms of graduate outcomes, with many of our students achieving incredible success. We are confident that Maria will be an excellent addition to the team and her work will further strengthen our work to develop this area even further, ensuring that our students reach their full potential.”

While at MMU, Maria also held positions on the Faculty Executive Group and worked with the Vice-Rector for Education to help implement the university’s educational strategy.

Additionally, Maria has a pre-existing connection with Salford, as her younger sister studied podiatry at the University’s Faculty of Health and Society before setting up her own business.

Maria concluded: “I am looking forward to getting started and delving into the current portfolio to identify strategic opportunities that will further enrich the experiences and prospects of Salford Business School students.

“I am most excited about the opportunity to contribute to the University’s dynamic and ambitious vision. I look forward to working with a diverse, talented and vibrant community to implement innovative strategies that will improve learning, teaching and assessment. It is clear that Salford is committed to high performance through supporting industry partnerships and engaging with the real world to prepare students for life while providing them with a positive and impactful experience and I am delighted to be a part of this.”

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