Message from Professor Jenn Hallam

30 Jan 2026

A message from Jenn Hallam, Vice-President for Teaching, Learning and Student Experience, on strategy and the launch of the National Students Survey (NSS)

It has been energising to see Manchester 2035 move firmly into its delivery phase. I hope you have had a chance to explore the Delivery Handbook and start thinking about what the strategy means for you, your teams and the students we support. What excites me most is seeing how quickly our ambitions are coming to life through the creativity, care and expertise that define our teaching, learning and student experience community.

A brilliant example of this momentum is our new collaboration with Microsoft. Over the coming months, 65,000 colleagues and students will receive full Microsoft 365 Copilot access and training, making Manchester the world’s first university to provide equitable access to this technology across its entire community. This is a bold step towards our future-focused vision, and one that will open up new possibilities for how we teach, learn and work together. I would love you to join Duncan Ivison and members of our University leadership at the townhall on Tuesday 10 February, 3–4pm, to hear more and be part of the conversation.

I am also delighted to welcome three new Associate Vice-Presidents who will play a key role in delivering our Manchester 2035 ambitions for teaching, learning and the student experience. Professor Rebecca Hodgson joins us as Associate Vice-President for Curriculum and Quality, leading the development and enhancement of our taught portfolio. Professor Rob Appleby, Associate Vice-President for Students, will provide academic leadership across the whole student journey, championing wellbeing, belonging and success. Professor Sarah Dyer, Associate Vice-President for Teaching Excellence and Innovation, will drive forward teaching quality while supporting colleagues to innovate and embed new approaches that directly benefit our students. I look forward to the impact they will make across our community.

Another major moment for us is the launch of the National Student Survey, which will soon open to our final-year students. Thank you for the enthusiasm and commitment you bring every year to encouraging students to share their experiences. Their feedback really matters. It helps us celebrate what is working well and focus our energy on where we can be even better, ensuring we continue to deliver an outstanding education in line with our strategic ambitions.

To make things easier, we have created a dedicated NSS Hub on StaffNet with slides, posters and ready-to-use templates that you can quickly adapt for your area. A small reminder from a trusted colleague can make all the difference in helping students recognise the value of having their voice heard.

We are already seeing fantastic interest in the new premium prize tier, especially the VIP backstage Parklife tickets. When you pair this with the fact that every completed survey triggers a donation to local Manchester charities such as food banks and community hubs, it becomes a powerful story about collective impact as well as individual voice.

I am always inspired by the creativity across our community, so please do share the inventive ways you are promoting the NSS in your areas. We would love to spotlight these ideas in future newsletters so colleagues can learn from one another.

Thank you for everything you do to support our students and each other. The delivery of Manchester 2035 is not something happening somewhere else. It is happening because of you, and it is already making a difference.