My appointment as Vice Dean (Education) was announced last month, and it is a great privilege to be asked to lead our community of creative and inspiring students and education staff. Since the Dean asked me to take on this role, I have been thinking about how I can best support those in the Faculty of Medicine involved in education.
We are in a time of great change and opportunity. As you know, we are currently involved in a comprehensive undergraduate and postgraduate curriculum review. We are also about to make a significant investment in our pedagogy and digital education capacity (initially funded through the Learning and Teaching Strategy). Furthermore, for the first time, there is a clear path to academic promotion based on a person’s scholarly and educational activity.
It is obvious that I cannot manage all this change alone. I propose two things:
The first is to strengthen the strategic component of the Faculty Education Committee. This Committee will now be the place where the Faculty’s educational strategy is discussed and agreed. All departments will have representation on this committee, alongside a number of other important stakeholders.
Second, in order to implement our strategy, I am also creating an educational cabinet. This will be a group of people who will guide and help me progress the quality and diversity of our educational offer and improve the experience of our students. The cabinet, listed below, will also seek to improve the experience of education staff.
- Professor Mary Morrell – Head of MBBS Years 1 and 2
- Dr Jo Harris – Deputy Head of Undergraduate Medicine
- Professor Alison McGregor – Director of Undergraduate Science, Head of MBBS Year 4 (BSc)
- Professor Ken MacLeod – Head of MBBS Year 4 (BSc) Assessment
- Dr Sophie Rutschmann – Academic Lead for Postgraduate Taught Programmes
- Ms Susan English – Director of Education Management
- Mr Chris Harris – Head of Programme Management
I believe education to be one of the greatest contributions we can make to society and the future. In the words of Nelson Mandela; “Education is the most powerful tool which you can use to change the world.” The combination of our academic and scientific excellence, our history and geography, plus our access to the NHS gives us unique strengths. It is why we are a world-class Faculty of Medicine, and why hundreds of aspiring scientists, doctors and healthcare professionals put their trust in us every year.
I look forward to working with you in my new role and thank you for your support.
Martin Lupton
Vice Dean (Education) and Head of Imperial College School of Medicine