Mrs Claire Hughes

Claire is an experienced HE Senior Leader and is leading innovative education initiatives at the University of Southampton in her most recent role as the Assessment Consultancy Lead, as part of the Advancing Assessment Strategic Major Project.  This works champions accesible, inclusive, compassionate assessment with a student co-design ethos.  This includes introducing programatic level assessment, transparency in learning and teaching (TILT) and the Southampton's Transformative Assessment Re-design with Students (STARS) projects all aimed at advancing assessment to provide an excellent student experience.  Claire has worked in HE for nearly 16 years and is a Senior Fellow.  During her careers she has worked across both professional services, within Quality Assurance and UK and International Partnerships.  She has also been an academic senior leader and was Head of the Solent Business and Law Schools at Solent Southampton University, during which time she was part of the senior management team who successfully were award GOLD TEF.  Across the courses that she has managed she has led the curriculum innovations, including TESTA, and these course areas have been shortlisted for awards such as the National Undergraduate Awards, CABS Small Business Charter Excellence Awards for Enterprise and Higher Education Provider of the Year Chartered Management Institute as well as receiving >90% across NSS in a variety of programme areas.  Claire has also worked across many university committees including Academic Board, Teaching and Learning Committee, Academic Quality and Standards Committee and Chair of the Department of Business and Law Quality Committe.  She has also worked on the Professional Recognition Committee for Advance HE Fellowships,  been the internal moderator and mentored and asssesed a wide variety of fellowship applications.  To support peers she has also set up several academic forums to support HE Leadership development. Claire has spoken at a variety of national conferences on curriculum and assessment innovations, including WONKHE’s Expresso Education Café on the pedagogy of play.  Her research interests are centred around teaching and learning, including papers and book chapters around supporting and enhancing the student experience.