University of Salford Business School has appointed Dr Maria Allen to the role of Associate Dean Academic (Quality Assurance and Enhancement) from September 2024.
Maria, who has over twenty years鈥� experience in higher education, joins from Manchester Metropolitan University鈥檚 (MMU) Business School, where she has held various departmental and faculty positions, including Programme Leader, Departmental Education Lead and Faculty Employability Lead. Throughout her career, she has had a significant impact on improving students鈥� career prospects and graduate outcomes through her work on the curriculum, spearheading numerous strategic initiatives on work-related learning that transformed the employability of students and gave them a greater chance of achieving their ambitions.
Maria comments: 鈥淎s someone who has proudly lived and worked in Greater Manchester my entire life, I am excited about joining Salford Business School, a dynamic and fast-growing institution that prioritises local roots and global ambition. By placing students at the heart of everything it does, University of Salford echoes my own values and aspirations for students. It is an ideal place for me to contribute and grow.鈥�
As an Associate Professor, Maria鈥檚 research has focused on employee voice, gender, equal opportunity/diversity management policies, plus comparative capitalisms and institutions. She 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: 鈥淲e鈥檙e thrilled to welcome somebody who is as well respected as Maria to the School. Maria鈥檚 experience and career to-date is outstanding. We鈥檝e seen first-hand the work she鈥檚 done at MMU and we鈥檙e excited for her to lead the Salford Business School team on its strategic work in enhancing learning, teaching and quality assurance, as aligned to the University鈥檚 priorities.
鈥淚n recent years we鈥檝e made a great deal of progress on graduate outcomes with many of our students going on to be incredibly successful. We鈥檙e confident Maria will be an excellent addition to the team and her work will further enhance the work we鈥檝e been doing to advance us even further in this space, ensuring our students are reaching their full potential.鈥�
During her time at MMU, Maria also held positions on the Faculty Executive Group, and she collaborated with the Pro Vice-Chancellor for Education to help deliver the University鈥檚 education strategy.
In addition, Maria has a pre-existing connection to Salford, with her younger sister having studied Podiatry at the University鈥檚 School of Health and Society, before going on to practice within her own business.
Maria concluded: 鈥淚 can鈥檛 wait to get started and am looking forward to immersing myself in the current portfolio, to identify strategic opportunities that will enhance yet further the experience and prospects of students at Salford Business School.
鈥淚 am most excited about the opportunity to contribute to the University's dynamic and ambitious vision. I am looking forward to working with a diverse, talented and vibrant community, to implement innovative strategies that will enhance learning, teaching and assessment. It鈥檚 clear Salford prioritises high performance by fostering industry partnerships and real-world engagement to prepare students for life, while ensuring they have a positive and impactful experience and I鈥檓 delighted to be a part of this.鈥�
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