Since being awarded her NTF in 2019, Sarah has supported a successful CATE application and played a key part in an institution-wide curriculum transformation project.
Sarah Flynn provides leadership in support of the University of Hertfordshire’s strategic plan in the development and enhancement of workplace learning and employability, and teaches on the postgraduate programme in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education. Sarah has been Chair of ASET, the Work Based and Placement Learning Association, since 2013.
Sarah went to university as a widening participation student; she was the first in her family to do so, and this experience still continues to have a profound effect on her learning and teaching philosophy. She sees every student as an individual who deserves our very best efforts to help them fulfil their potential. Her academic career began in research at London Metropolitan University before moving to a role focusing on establishing work experience as an option for every student.
Since moving to the University of Hertfordshire in 2003, Sarah has supported partnership activities with further education colleges, developing and delivering over twenty Foundation degrees. She oversaw the significant expansion of the extended degrees in science programme which has enabled hundreds of non-traditional students’ entry into higher education. A subsequent move to the Learning and Teaching Innovation Centre has seen Sarah support strategic developments in placement learning, curriculum design and equality across the institution.
In her current role, she provides leadership in support of the University’s strategic plan in the development and enhancement of workplace learning and employability. This includes taking an important strategic role achieving key performance indicators associated with placements, workplace learning and degree apprenticeships and leading the development of a university framework for degree apprenticeship curriculum design. In addition, she teaches on the postgraduate programme in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, specialising in curriculum design and quality enhancement.
Sarah has been a Trustee of ASET, the Work Based and Placement Learning Association, since 2002, and was elected Chair in September 2013. As Chair she is responsible for the Board of Trustees, oversight of the management of ASET as a charity and leads on strategic direction. Sarah delivers ASET staff development on assessment, widening participation, risk assessment and curriculum-based employability. She is a contributing author to the ASET Good Practice Guides for Work Based and Placement Learning, Health and Safety on Placement, Supporting Students with Disabilities on Placement, and Successful Work Based Learning for Apprenticeships in HE. She is also a Board Member of the World Association for Co-operative Education.