Role
Sandy is the Academic Practice Development Manager in the Centre for Academic Development and Quality (CADQ) at NTU. Sandy's team provides support, advice, and guidance to encourage high quality teaching at NTU. They support the scholarship of learning, teaching and assessment; the recognition of professional practice; facilitate networking between the schools; and deliver accredited teaching development opportunities for new and established teaching staff.
Sandy manages the following areas; the Professional Recognition Scheme for Fellowships, the Academic Professional Apprenticeship, the Post Graduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education and the Trent Institute for Learning and Teaching. Sandy is also co-chair for the Disability Equality Network (DEN).
Career overview
In the sector, Sandy has co-led one of the pilot institutions that worked with Advance HE (formerly the Higher Education Academy) bringing the UK Professional Standards Framework into the HE sector, and instigated frameworks into three institutions as well as supporting numerous colleagues bring frameworks into their own institutions. Sandy continues to take an active interest in its development.
Having previously been a Chartered Marketer Sandy worked in industry for numerous years before being invited to lecture with early adoption of online business. Working in Business Schools Sandy lectured in Services Marketing, Data Driven Marketing, Internet Trading, E-Business and Information Systems. Sandy has been a Programme Director for a part time MBA, which she successfully project managed to launch on-line. Having been a Faculty Teaching Fellow Sandy led E-Learning and CPD progressing to Senior Teaching Fellow leading the implementation of UK PSF and also been external examiner to two business schools.
Sandy is passionate about supporting staff with effective Learning and Teaching practices who are new into the HE sector to demonstrate how research and teaching are not mutually exclusive in rounded academic practice, and how quality enhancement and quality assurance are both sides of the same coin.
Research areas
Sandy has an active interest in Continuing Professional Development, particularly the notion of ‘professionalism’ in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education. Sandy has a keen interest in looking at research in supporting staff and students on the autistic spectrum, and is currently researching into the effectiveness of the impact that Learning and Teaching interventions have on high NSS results. By developing sector leading scholarship, Sandy believes you can drive the enhancement and recognition of HE practices through professional development which supports staff to consistently deliver a high-quality student experience.
External activity
Sandy is an active member on the Staff and Educational Development Association (SEDA) conference committee, having previously served as co-chair and she is currently a member of the Society for Research into Higher Education, the European Society for the Scholarship of Learning and Teaching, and the International Society for the Scholarship of Learning and Teaching.
Publications
Fox, B. Cope, S. Tate, A. & Breckin, V. (2022) Engaging and empowering Early-career Academics: An Active Learning Curriculum Design for the APA/PGCLTHE , 100+ Active Learning Ideas Book
Fox, B. Cope, S. & Tate, A. (2022) The Digitally Literate Self: Developing Digital Entities in Fox, B., (2022) Developing Digital Literacies for the 21st Century: Teaching and Learning in a Postdigital World, Palgrave MacMillan (forthcoming)
Fox, B. Cope, S. & Tate, A. (2022) How Universities develop their leaders: Barriers to and perceptions of Leadership Development opportunities for women in Higher Education. BELMAS Conference
Cope, S. Fox, B. et al (2022) Bringing Communities Together. EuroSoTL. University of Manchester.
Cope, S. (2021) Keeping Positive Staff Changes: Taking a Chance or by Deliberate Design. SEDA Spring Conference. Online.
Cope, S. (2021) Keynote Speaker. ‘Changes in academic practice during the Covid 19 pandemic.’ Shifting Arts Learning & Teaching Online. University of Wolverhampton.
Cope, S. (2017) Quality learning and teaching with sessional staff. HERDSA guide, International Journal for Academic Development, 22:1, 90-91, DOI: 10.1080/1360144X.2016.1268314
Cope, S. (2013) Plenary Panel Member. ASPIRE Symposium 2013: Dialogue and Courage. Exeter University.
Cope, S. (2013) How can UK University Structures change to assist disabled students? European Conference on Educational Research (European Educational Research Association). Istanbul, Turkey.
Beaton, F., Bradley, S., and Cope, S (2013) Supporting postgraduates who teach. Practice and Evidence of Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education Vol. 8, No. 2, SEDA/PESTLHE Special Issue September 2013, pp. 81-82
Beaton, F., Bradley, S., and Cope, S (2013) Supporting postgraduates who teach: a forgotten tribe? SEDA Workshop 14.2.2013. Aston University. Birmingham.
Cope, S. (2012) Invited speaker: Victoria University, the Research Inspired Teaching Excellence Programme at Aston University, Wellington, New Zealand.
Cope, S. (2012) Invited speaker: Massey University, the Research Inspired Teaching Excellence Programme at Aston University. Palmeston North, New Zealand.
Cope, S. and Zandian, L. (2012) Profiling Techniques used for student support plans with Asperger Syndrome – are we getting it right? Joint Australian Association for Research in Education (AARE), AsiaPacific
Education Research Association (APERA) World Education Research Conference (WERA). Sydney, Australia.
Wheeler, A. Vlachopoulos, P. and Cope, S (2012) Creating a Culture for Critical and Situated Technology Use through Effective Learning Design. Future Challenges: Sustainable Futures. Australasian Society for Computers in Learning in Tertiary Education. (Ascilite) Conference. Massey University, New Zealand. ISBN: 978-0-473-22989-4
Cope, S. (2012) Are we getting it RITE? Recognising and rewarding Research Inspired Teaching Excellence (RITE) in a research-led institution. SEDA Conference. Excellence in Teaching: recognising, enhancing, evaluating and achieving impact. Aston University, Birmingham.
Cope, S. and Gill, J. (2010) Challenges of implementing scholarship to underpin the implementation of the UK Professional Standard Framework. The London Society of Teaching and Learning Conference. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists Regent’s Park London, UK
Cope, S. and Seden, R. (2009) Reflections on a Pilot Study: what have we learnt from implementing our CPD framework? SEDA Special Publication Series. Embedding CPD in Higher Education. Edited by Mike Laycock and Liz Shrives. ISBN-13: 978-1902435459
Crawford, K., Cope, S., Rothwell, A. and Bradley, S. (2008) What Academics Value; A Comparative Analysis of Research into Continuing Professional Development (CPD) in Four English Universities. SRHE Annual Conference: Valuing Higher Education. Liverpool.
Cope, S., Crawford, K, Bradley, S. A, and Rothwell, A. (2008) 'Evidencing CPD: planning for an uncertain future', Credit-bearing Professional Development in HE Learning & Teaching, December 2008, CRA and ESCalate HEA Subject Centre, UK.
Bradley, S. A, Cope, S., Crawford, K, and Rothwell, A. (2008) ‘Formalising the informal implementing a credit bearing framework under a flexible learning scheme’, Credit bearing Professional Development in HE Learning & Teaching, December 2008, ESCalate HEA Subject Centre, UK.
Bradley, S. A, Cope, S., Crawford, K, and Rothwell, A. (2008) 'Leading, Listening, and Guiding for Professional Development: Approaches from three universities', iPED Conference, September 2008, Coventry University TechnoCentre, UK.
Bradley, S. A, Cope, S., Crawford, K, and Rothwell, A. (2008) 'CPD: Who is it For, What is it For, Why Bother?', Staff and Educational Development Association Conference, November 2008, Aston Business School, Birmingham, UK.
Cope, S. and Gunn, M (2008) Understanding and Implementing the national Professional Standards for Teaching: Standard Descriptor 3. A SEDA One-Day Conference in conjunction with the HEA. Sheffield Hallam University.
Cope, S. (2008). Implementing the Professional Teaching Standards into Universities: Managing Professionalism or Competencies? The International Conference for Learning and Educational Development. March, 2008. University of Glamorgan.
Cope, S. (2008) Building CPD Frameworks to Enable Academic and Learning Support Staff to Deliver ELearning in the Workplace. The International Conference on E-Learning in the Workplace. June, 2008. New York.
Cope, S. and Seden, R. (2007). Personal Pedagogies and Professional Standards. Work-based Learning Futures. Edited by Professor David Young and Professor Jonathon Garnett. University Vocational Awards Council. ISBN: 978-0-907311-24-9.
Cope, S. (2007). Implementing the UK Professional Standards Framework. The Centre for Recording Achievement. March 2007. University of Manchester.
Cope, S. and Seden R. (2007) Personal Pedagogies and Professional Standards. Work Based Learning Futures Conference. April 2007. University of Derby.
Cope, S. (2007) An Insight into a Pilot Study: Implementing the National CPD Framework into a Higher Educational Institution – some lessons thus far. The International Conference of Education in a Changing Environment. September 2007. Salford University.
Cope, S. and Seden, R. (2007). Reflections on a Pilot Study: what have we learnt from implementing our CPD framework? Professional Standards and Continuing Professional Development: Ideals and Realities. 12th Annual Conference for Staff and Educational Developers. November 2007.