Nottingham Trent University appoints Professor Rebecca Hodgson as Pro Vice-Chancellor for Education and Student Experience
Nottingham Trent University (NTU) has appointed Professor Rebecca Hodgson to its University Executive as its new Pro Vice-Chancellor for Education and Student Experience. She will take up the role in February 2027.
By Sarah McLeod | Published on 19 October 2026
Categories: Press office;
Professor Hodgson joins NTU from the University of Manchester, where she is Professor of Higher Education and Associate Vice-President for Curriculum and Quality, providing institution-wide leadership across curriculum, assessment and academic quality. She joined Manchester in 2023 as Associate Dean for Teaching, Learning and Student Experience in the Faculty of Humanities.
Before joining Manchester, she spent 18 years at Sheffield Hallam University, latterly leading the education portfolio as Associate Dean for Teaching and Learning in the College of Social Sciences and Arts. Across these roles, she has led major curriculum and assessment reform, portfolio review, academic quality and student-experience improvement at scale.
As a member of the University Executive Team and Pro Vice-Chancellor for Education and Student Experience, Professor Hodgson will provide strategic leadership of education and student experience across NTU, including curriculum, assessment, academic quality, student success and outcomes.
Professor Dave Petley, Vice-Chancellor and President of Nottingham Trent University, said:
"It is great news that Rebecca has agreed to join NTU as our new Pro Vice-Chancellor for Education and Student Experience.
"Rebecca brings a wealth of experience, expertise and enthusiasm to this important role. She has a strong commitment to enhancing the student experience, ensuring the quality of academic programmes and understanding the wider opportunities that help students thrive at university.
"I am greatly looking forward to welcoming her to NTU."
Joe Cormack, President of Nottingham Trent Students' Union, said:
"On behalf of Nottingham Trent Students' Union, we are really pleased to welcome Rebecca to NTU.
"Throughout the recruitment process, Rebecca demonstrated a clear passion for delivering an inclusive and welcoming student experience alongside high-quality, accessible education. She engaged openly with students and showed a strong understanding of the issues that matter most to them.
"I look forward to working with Rebecca to ensure students remain at the heart of decision-making across the University."
Professor Rebecca Hodgson said:
"I am delighted to be joining Nottingham Trent University as Pro Vice-Chancellor for Education and Student Experience. NTU's combination of educational excellence, inclusive opportunity and commitment to student success strongly aligns with my own values and priorities.
"It is a privilege to succeed Professor Jane McNeil and to build on the strong foundations she and colleagues have established. I am looking forward to working with staff and students across the University to shape the next phase of curriculum, assessment and student experience, ensuring every student has the opportunity to succeed and thrive."
Professor Hodgson succeeds Professor Jane McNeil, who retires at the end of 2026 after more than 25 years with NTU.
Notes for Editors
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About Nottingham Trent University
Nottingham Trent University (NTU) has been named UK ‘University of the Year’ five times in six years, (Times Higher Education Awards 2017, The Guardian University Awards 2019, The Times and Sunday Times 2018 and 2023, Whatuni Student Choice Awards 2023) and is consistently one of the top performing modern universities in the UK.
Students have voted us first in the UK for course quality, top five in the UK for employability and third best University in the UK (Uni Compare 2027). We are ranked in the top 25 universities in the country (The Guardian University Guide 2026).
We have over 35,000 students and more than 4,000 staff located across five campuses. It has an international student population of over 5,000 and an NTU community representing over 160 countries.
NTU owns two Queen’s Anniversary Prizes for outstanding achievements in research (2015, 2021). The Research Excellence Framework (2021) classed 83% of NTU’s research activity as either world-leading or internationally excellent.
NTU was awarded GOLD in the national 2023 Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) assessment.
NTU is a top 10 for sport (British Universities and Colleges Sport league table 2025) and was named as Sports University of the Year (Daily Mail University Guide 2025).
NTU is a holder of the University Mental Health Charter, recognising the commitment an institution has shown towards continuous improvement in the area of mental health and wellbeing.
NTU is the most environmentally sustainable university in the UK and third in the world (UI Green Metric University World Rankings, 2025).