معرفی
Professor Jackie Potter serves as the Dean of Academic Innovation at the University of Chester, a position she assumed in 2022. In this role, she leads the Centre for Academic Innovation and Development (CAID), a university-wide unit responsible for educational enhancement, curriculum development, and academic practice across the institution. With fifteen years of experience leading educational change in the UK and Ireland, Professor Potter brings extensive expertise to her position. She previously served as Chair of the national network, Heads of Educational Development Group (HEDG) from 2020-2023, and has held various leadership roles including Trustee for SEDA (Staff and Educational Development Association) and past Chair of their Papers Committee. She also serves as a Visiting Professor at Oxford Brookes University and as Deputy Chair for the Education Studies Subject Benchmark Statement Advisory Group for the Quality Assurance Agency.
Professor Potter holds a PhD from the University of Manchester, a BSc from the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and a Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching and Learning from the University of Liverpool. She is also a qualified coach who works with higher education professionals to achieve workplace success.
Professor Potter's research focuses on the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL), with particular emphasis on Developing Teaching Expertise, Students' Perceptions of Teaching Excellence, Leadership in Higher Education, and Educational Change. Her work explores how educational practices can be transformed to create more inclusive and flexible curricula that respond to diverse student needs. She has pioneered research on gender stereotyping in student evaluations of teaching and has examined how identity formation occurs among new teaching staff and students within higher education contexts. Her research consistently addresses the question of who shapes curriculum and how educational change can be effectively implemented across institutions.
Her recent publications reveal a clear trajectory toward understanding the institutional dynamics of educational change, with increasing focus on how universities themselves have become key 'authors' of curriculum during the pandemic era. Her work spans theoretical explorations of academic identity and practical frameworks for implementing flexible and inclusive teaching approaches. The interdisciplinary nature of her research bridges educational theory, leadership studies, gender studies, and organizational change management, reflecting the complex ecosystem of modern higher education.
Professor Potter has received significant recognition for her contributions to higher education, including:
- Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (Advance HE)
- Senior Fellow of SEDA (Staff and Educational Development Association)
As an academic supervisor, Professor Potter has guided seven PhD/EdD students through their research journeys, with recent and current students investigating identity among new teaching staff and students, and the notion of 'becoming' within higher education contexts. She serves as Principal Investigator on two research projects examining Future Skills for Chester students and developing SoTL practitioners, and is Co-Investigator on a QAA-funded collaborative development grant focused on competence-based assessment. Her grant portfolio demonstrates a consistent commitment to understanding and improving educational practices at both institutional and sector-wide levels.
While not leading a traditional laboratory, Professor Potter oversees the Centre for Academic Innovation and Development (CAID), which functions as a hub for educational innovation across the University of Chester. CAID serves as a creative catalyst for educational enhancement, bringing together faculty, educational developers, and students to co-create innovative teaching approaches and curriculum designs. Under her leadership, CAID has become instrumental in shaping the university's response to educational challenges, particularly during the pandemic when rapid adaptation of teaching and learning approaches was required.
