Alyson Dickson
Job Title: Head of School
Location: Lancaster
Email: alyson.dickson@cumbria.ac.uk
Professional Profile
Before coming to work in higher education in 1992, I worked for 10 years as a nurse within the NHS and in private industry. My clinical background is primarily in medical and intensive care nursing.
My initial post within higher education was as senior lecturer in nursing and course leader for the post-registration BSc Nursing studies course and specialist critical care courses. I have a longstanding interest in quality assurance and enhancement within education and was a QAA reviewer for Major Review. Currently I chair the Faculty’s Academic Standards Committee and am a chair on the University’s standing validation panel.
I have extensive experience of APL (accreditation of prior learning) and work-based learning and these are incorporated within my current Faculty role. In 2008 I was instrumental in the development of the Faculty’s framework for Foundation degrees and our associated collaborative and franchised provision of these courses.
I am the University’s representative on the Furness 14-19 Partnership and am a member of the Lancaster and Morecambe Network group for the Society, Health and Development Diplomas. I also lead an Aimhigher funded project working with schools in West Cumbria to raise young peoples’ aspirations and achievement towards graduate careers in health.
Personal interests
I am interested in design and particularly in garden design. I enjoy walking and spending time with my family.
Teaching Specialisms
Work based research
Current Research
Study into the effectiveness of structured selection interviews and scoring in predicting students retention and performance on pre-registration courses.