Acting Course Leader: BA (Hons) User Experience Design, London College of Communication, UAL (2023–2024)
In September 2024, I was asked at short notice to take on the role of Acting Course Leader for BA (Hons) User Experience Design at London College of Communication. I held the role for one academic year, leading approximately 110 undergraduate students and line managing a team of five academic staff.
At the point I assumed leadership, the course was on special measures. My focus was on supporting staff, rebuilding student trust, and clarifying the course’s pedagogic identity around inclusive, research-led user experience design. Working closely with academic colleagues, professional services, and student representatives, I led the course out of special measures and oversaw a significant improvement in outcomes, including an increase in the NSS overall teaching satisfaction score from 50 percent to 80 percent within one academic year.
Alongside course leadership, I taught across all years, ensuring coherence between curriculum intent, teaching, and assessment. I supported staff through mentoring and curriculum redevelopment, and strengthened systems for feedback, communication, and student support across all years of the course. A particular focus was on the creation of an accessible and welcoming teaching space that met the diverse needs of our students and staff.
In the same year, I received the Outstanding Teaching Award (UAL Students’ Union), nominated and voted for by students on the course. This award is given annually to one member of teaching staff in each UAL college and reflects student recognition of teaching quality and impact.
A key part of my leadership was strengthening external partnerships and embedding live, research-active projects within the curriculum. The course worked with partners including The National Archives, the Ecological Citizens Network (RCA), and the Common Design Studio, an international collaboration between UAL, RMIT Melbourne, RMIT Vietnam, and ELISAVA Barcelona. This work culminated in MYCOCOSM, a collaborative exhibition presented at Melbourne Design Week and Barcelona Design Week, connecting undergraduate teaching with international design research and public exhibition contexts.
