About Us

Liz Thomas Biography

Liz is an expert member of the Teaching Excellence Framework panel, recognising her expertise in student retention and success and learning and teaching. Current and recent research projects include:

Understanding a whole institution approach to widening participation, commissioned by the Office for Fair Access, 2017

Creating an evaluation framework for student engagement, commissioned by the National Union of Students, 2016.

Student engagement in the context of commuter students, commissioned by the National Union of Students, 2016, launched 2017

What works? Student retention and success change programme, funded by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation, 2012-2016, launched 2017

Independent learning: Student perspectives and experiences, commissioned by the Higher Education Academy, 2015, published 2016

Effective practice in the design of directed independent learning opportunities, commissioned by the Higher Education Academy and Quality Assurance Agency, 2014, published 2015

Liz researches and writes about widening participation, student retention and success and learning and teaching. She is the author and editor of over ten books, and many journal articles, reports, briefings and practice guides. She regularly delivers keynote addresses and staff development workshops and programmes at higher education institutions in the UK and abroad.

Dr R D Jones biography

Dr R. D. Jones is a researcher in the fields of higher and further education and widening participation. He is the author of Student Retention and Success synthesis published by the Higher Education Academy, www.heacademy.ac.uk/resources/detail/inclusion/wprs/WPRS_retention_synthesis  and the introduction to widening participation synthesis. He has previously worked at the University of Birmingham researching learning and teaching, access to higher education and student retention and success. Rob then took a post at the University of Edinburgh, where he researched knowledge transfer in the context of the Scottish HE sector. He has strong editorial skills, having worked on publications for the Higher Education Academy and as book reviews editor for the journal Widening Participation and Lifelong Learning.