UCLan Teachers and Staff

At UCLan FoundationCampus you will enjoy being taught by tutors with high academic qualifications and rich life experiences. Here are just a few of them...

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Centre Head

Mary Wade

Tell us about yourself

I started my career as an English teacher in Slovakia and have also taught in Egypt and Turkey. I spent 9 years in Turkey teaching English, Training local teachers and working on projects with the Ministry of Education while working for the British Council.

I can speak Turkish and visit as often as I can.

When I returned home to the UK about 2 years ago I spent time with my parents in Canterbury and working at Stafford House School of English before I moved to Preston to work at UCLan FoundationCampus.

Although the weather can be wet one of my favourite things about the North West of England is the number of great football teams within easy travelling distance – I absolutely love football. There is also spectacular countryside (we less than an hour to the Lake District, one of the most beautiful parts of the UK) and plenty of local pubs and cafes to refresh oneself in afterwards - perfect…

Outside of work I enjoy new challenges and have just taken up climbing with Katie Farnworth (our Student Recruitment and Support Officer). We have a UCLan team goal to climb the three highest peaks of the UK but it is 6 months since we set the goal and we have yet to start on the first.

What do you do?

As the Centre Head I do a bit of everything which is how I like it. I am responsible for the students' welfare while they are here and we work very hard to make sure that students use their time here not only to improve themselves academically but to use this opportunity to learn more about themselves through interacting with others from diverse cultures.

I am also responsible for addressing any attendance or conduct issues which I am pleased to say forms only a small part of my day. I am available to students as much as possible and one of the most rewarding parts of my job is to see the students develop throughout their time with us. I also liaise with staff at UCLan to ensure that our students’ transition from FoundationCampus to their degree is as smooth as possible.

What do you like about the college?

The people that work and study here. The attitude of the staff is so positive and we all pull together to make sure the students have the best experience possible – both within FoundationCampus and in UCLan.

The students who come here also bring so much to the campus and I love the atmosphere as soon as I walk into the building. We recently took a group of students to the Lake District for 2 days and it was such good fun. It is great to see the students forming friendships and growing in confidence and I am confident they will be assets to the University.

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Deputy Centre Head

Bridget Weller (currently on maternity leave)

Tell us about yourself

I graduated from Nottingham Trent University in 1992 with an Honours Degree in European Business. My 3rd year was spent as an International student, studying at the IEDN Business School in Toulouse. After graduating I spent 10 years working in industry; initially employed by an international travel company based in London I was transferred to Newcastle where I set up and managed a new retail office which was a fantastic experience.

My second job was for Proctor & Gamble where I began in the Marketing Department before moving to the new European Human Resources Department where I spent 12 months working in Paris. It was whilst working in HR that I developed a curiosity for Psychology and the role that it plays in Business.

Studying part-time for a Psychology degree my original plan was to become an Occupational Psychologist but a 3 month volunteer placement in Vietnam as a teacher led to a whole new career.Since retraining as a teacher I have taught in Bath, Hungary and Canterbury before moving to UCLAN last summer.

Originally from the North East of England I love the outdoors and am happiest when exploring new places – both at home and abroad.

What do you do?

I am the Deputy Centre Head at UCLAN. I spend part of my time teaching Business and Psychology on the Foundation course and I also teach the International al Business module on the pre-Master course.The rest of my time is spent helping to run the academic side of the school – counseling students about their studies and providing help and support to ensure that they have every opportunity to achieve their potential while they are here.

What do you like about your job?

Everyday is different. The topics we study, the different experiences we discuss in the classroom, the insights I gain into life in another culture from my students – I learn as much from them as I hope that they learn from me.

Studying here is not just about the academic side of life though and I’ve also really enjoyed our trips out to experience British culture at its best. Favourites so far have been admiring the Blackpool Illuminations after a fish and chip supper and eating candy floss at the Bonfire Night party in Preston, plus who could ever forget the spectacular Pumpkin decorating competition.

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English Tutor and Lead Tutor Master’s Foundation Programme

James Martin

Tell us about yourself

My affection for the English Language and a keen interest in travelling to new places led me to take a Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults (CELTA) in late 2003.

After this, I decided to try to find a job in another country and use my new skills, spending the first half of 2004 teaching at Kou'an Middle School, in Jiangsu Province, China.

My first teaching job was an enjoyable experience, and having made the decision that I wanted to develop my teaching skills more, I came to UCLan to complete my studies. During the long summer breaks at university, I spent a lot of time teaching English to teenagers in Poland. My first trip was fantastic and I returned to the same summer school in 2006 and 2007, recruiting teachers and managing all of the English classes.

I graduated with a First in 2007 and then began a research-based MA in the field of Applied Linguistics, combining my studies with teaching EFL on various courses at UCLan. I joined FoundationCampus in September 2008 and as well as teaching, I am currently collaborating on a piece of research with some former colleagues of mine from UCLan's School of Languages & International Studies.

It is a continuation of my MA thesis and looks at teaching common language patterns based on high frequency words.

Away from work my interests are music and food; I enjoy going to see bands and am often found trying new recipes in the kitchen (not always successfully!).

What do you do?

I am the Pathway Leader of English as a Foreign Language. I teach all of the English content on the Pre-Master course and a few sessions with the Undergraduate Foundation students. I am also responsible forwriting the curriculum for all of the English courses, and running regular English assessments to help us provide the best possible support for every student on the campus.

What do you like about the centre?

I like the fact that teaching is so unpredictable. With such a variety of cultural backgrounds and personalities in each classroom, teaching is very much a process of learning at the same time. The college has a very positive atmosphere, and working here is always enjoyable.

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Student Support

Aimee-Louise

Tell us about yourself

My name is Aimee-louise Smith, I am 23 years old. I studied at The University of Chester for three years on a BA (Hons) Degree in Events Management. I have lived in Preston all of my life so I have a large group of close friends who have been my friends for years, so during my spare time I am usually busy doing something interesting with them, whether it be a night out in Preston or one of the many cities close by, going to the cinema or going out for meals. I am also a member of my local gym where I train to do some of the charity events such as ‘Race for life’ or the ‘Great North Run’ which are close by in my area.

What do you do?

My job title here at FoundationCampus is ‘Student Support Assistant’. My job role at FoundationCampus is to organise social events for our students and help in the office with any welfare issues. I love hearing new ideas from the students and here are some of the activities we take part in, such as:

• Having a Halloween day in the Centre – with a pumpkin lantern workshop and competition, Apple Bobbing and fancy dress
• Taking some of the students to a haunted house in Blackpool and being chased by scary characters with chainsaws
• Students who do well at the Centre will also have a chance to be taken to various events
• Going to Lancaster to see a Firework display at Lancaster Castle where there is a BBC Roadshow and fairground
• Shopping Trips to Manchester and other Cities within the UK
• A weekend trip to the Lake District, where various adventurous activities take place
• A trip to Blackpool to see the Blackpool lights
• Our involvement within the international society and their events throughout the year.

There are lots more things we do during the year and we are always open to ideas from students who think that they would like to do something and involve other students. We have even had a student who has suggested doing Sky Diving!

What do you like about your job?

The best part about my job is being able to socialise with the students and organise their social events. I enjoy organising these events and hope that it impacts their experience while studying in Preston at University. It is a great experience for me to work with a wide range of international students as I get to learn about different cultures that I didn’t know too much about before and I hope that I have some influence on the students that come to our Campus in being able to show them more about British Culture.

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Business Tutor and Lead Tutor International Diploma Programme

Graham Garforth

I'm responsible for teaching and developing all of the business courses here. You'll find me in the main office if you have any questions about these courses.

I really enjoy teaching Business here because we have such a wide variety of experience from around the world in our classes. I graduated from The University of Nottingham with a first class Bachelor of Arts honours degree in Management Studies and went on to teach Business in central London for a few years before moving to the North West. I have a special interest in organisational behaviour and sociology related topics.

I'm also an examiner for a major exam board and I'm currently studying for a PhD in Education at The University of Nottingham.

Outside the classroom I teach first aid and Swimming; I also have a keen interest in walking, especially in the Lake District which is nearby.

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Curriculum Information Officer

Ruth Harrison

About yourself

I have recently joined FoundationCampus UCLan from the International Office at the University. Before this I taught English as a Foreign Language in Poland and in various parts of the UK and I have worked in a number of administrative roles in the past.

In my spare time I try to be as active as possible and enjoy climbing, walking and swimming. I am a keen traveller and like to visit new places when I can, both around the UK and abroad, but also enjoy relaxing at home with a good fiction novel, cooking and having a drink in my local pub with friends.

What do you do?

As the Curriculum Information Officer I deal with all aspects of the curriculum, including timetabling lessons and exams and ensuring all students are in the right class at the right time. I am also responsible for monitoring students’ attendance in line with UKBA requirements.

What do you like the most?

Working with a great team in a great atmosphere and I really appreciate that students coming to do a foundation year with us at UCLan will finish with the knowledge and opportunity to go on and realise their potential in higher education and beyond.

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