Dr Jan Sellers

Creative Learning Fellow

Dr Jan Sellers

Jan Sellers has worked in the fields of vocational guidance, adult and continuing education for over 25 years, including posts in both further and higher education.

After 14 years at the University of Kent, creating and developing the Student Learning Advisory Service, Jan has moved on to a new role. The award of a National Teaching Fellowship for her work in student learning support (2005) has led to new opportunities to explore aspects of creativity and reflection as part of the student experience. Jan has completed a sabbatical on these themes and is now taking up the role of Creative Learning Fellow. This will include work on the Creative Campus initiative and, within that remit, the Labyrinth Project, a key aspect of her NTF project: bringing a labyrinth to the University to support teaching, learning and the student experience.

Jan’s poetry has been published in a range of anthologies and journals. Her PhD thesis (Kent, 2001) explored the career development and working lives of women part-time lecturers in Adult and Continuing Education. Jan’s background is in vocational guidance, adult and continuing education; she has taught creative writing, study skills and employment preparation in the UK and the USA. At the University of Kent, Jan’s focus has been on student learning development and on student retention and progression, on both the Canterbury and the Medway campuses.

Jan was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts in 2006. She is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. In 2007, Jan was an invited Reviewer (Projects) and Specialist Reader (NTFS  Individual Awards) for the HEA. She is a member of the steering group of the Association for Learning Development in Higher Education (http://www.aldinhe.ac.uk/).

Selected publicatios

  • Sellers, Jan 2007. ‘Imaging ‘Career’: Part-time working, full-time living’ in Pamela Cotterill, Sue Jackson and Gayle Letherby (eds), Challenges and Negotiations for Women in Higher Education. Kluwer.
  • Sellers, Jan 2006. ‘Revision Tactics’ [teaching poster]. University of Kent, Unit for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching.
  • Sellers, Jan 2005a. Issues of Student Participation: Report on the summer vacation component (Phase B) of the University of Kent's student retention 'VALUE' Programme 2003. Technical Report UELT 2005/2 [with 2005 update]. University of Kent, Unit for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching. At: https://www.kent.ac.uk/uelt/learning/value/TechnicalPapers/index.html
  • Sellers, Jan 2005b.'VALUE' Programme Students 2001: The Progression, Graduation and Destinations of Participants on a Student Retention Programme. Technical Report UELT 2005/1. University of Kent, Unit for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching. At: https://www.kent.ac.uk/uelt/learning/value/TechnicalPapers/index.html
  • Sellers, Jan 2005c.‘Walking the Tightrope: experiences of women part‑time tutors’ in Margaret Herrington and Alex Kendall (eds) Insights from Research and Practice. A Handbook for Adult Literacy Educators in Post Compulsory Education. NIACE.
  • Sellers, Jan and Van der Velden, Gwen 2003.Supporting Student Retention [Continuing Professional Development Series n5]. York: Learning and Teaching Support Network Generic Centre (now Higher Education Academy). At: http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/resources/detail/id294_supporting_student_retention
  • Liddiard, Mark and Sellers, Jan 2002. '"Not up to your usual standard": Under-achievement and intervention in undergraduate examinations'. Educational Developments, 3.2, pp.22-23, SEDA.
  • Sellers, Jan 1998. ‘Juggling for a Living: The working lives of women adult education tutors'. In Roseanne Benn, Jane Elliott and Patricia Whaley (eds), Educating Rita and her Sisters: Women and continuing education. NIACE.
  • 1999: Poetry in: Lilian Mohin (ed), Not for the Academy: Lesbian poets. London: Onlywomen.
  • 1998: Poetry in: Spraggs, Gillian (ed), Love Shook My Senses: Lesbian love poems. London: Women’s Press.

Selected conference papers and presentations

  • 2008: ‘Time and Space for Reflection: Bringing a Labyrinth to the University of Kent’. Poster at Learning Development in Higher Education Network Symposium, University of Bradford, March 17-18.
  • 2008: ‘A Labyrinth for Kent’. Guest speaker, University of Kent Chaplaincies AGM, March 12.
  • 2007: ‘Creative Takeaways/Plats Créatifs à Emporter. Supporting student learning’ bilingual workshop sequences 1-2 and 3-4. LINKS+II European Project Creativity in Learning and Teaching Conference, University of Sussex, June 21. At: http://www.links-interreg.net/
  • 2007: Invited speaker. ‘Developing Study Skills: Exploring Kent’s ‘VALUE’ Programme. Universities UK/Guild HE, Student Retention and Progression in Higher Education Conference, London, February 26.
  • 2006: Keynote speaker. AimHigher East London and Thames Gateway, Student Retention Conference, London, March 21.
  • 2005: ‘Learning in Teams’ seminar. European Council for International Schools Conference, The Hague, Netherlands, November 17-20.
  • 2005: ‘Encounters with Inspiration’ workshop. Inspiring Learning: Diversity and Excellence, SEDA/AISHE Joint Spring Conference, Belfast, April.
  • 2005: Keynote speaker. ‘Reflective Learning: Student Retention Initiatives at the University of Kent’. Student Success and Satisfaction Conference, Middlesex University Business School February 23.
  • 2005: Co-presentation (workshop). ‘Sharing Good Practice in Student Retention’. Workshop. Working for Students’ Success, LDHEN Symposium, University of Northumbria.
  • 2004: Invited speaker (case study of good practice). Innovate to Retain: The Student Experience. Conference. University of the Arts, London. November 5.
  • 2004: Invited speaker. ‘Student Retention’. University of East London Staff Development Seminar, Expert Speaker Series. November 24.
  • 2004: 'Student Retention Support at the University of Kent'. Workshop. Staying Power: Supporting Student Retention and Success Conference, University of Teeside.
  • 2004, co-presentation: 'Supporting Educational Development in an Academic Department': Workshop. Linking Strategy and Students: Making connections through educational staff development SEDA Spring Conference, Cardiff.
  • 2004: 'The Use of Structured Interviews in Supporting Students at Risk of Failure': Paper. 3rd Holistic Approaches to Student Support and Guidance Conference, University of Central Lancashire.
  • 2003: Co-presentation: 'Keeping Students in Higher Education’. Workshop. 2nd Holistic Approaches to Student Support and Guidance Conference, University of Central Lancashire, June.
  • 2003: Staff development seminar. 'Qualitative Data Analysis and Use of QSR NUD*IST Software'. Seminar for research and data analysis team, UCAS, Cheltenham, February.
  • 2002: Co-presentation (workshop). ‘Value Added Learning? The University of Kent's Summer School'. ILTHE Conference, Edinburgh, July.
  • 2002: Poster. 'A Summer School for Stage I students'. Symposium: Supporting Failing Students (2), University of Lancaster, June.
  • 2002: Co-presentation (workshop). 'Adding Value: The University of Kent Summer School'. Supporting and Evaluating Change: enhancing the practice and scholarship of learning, teaching and assessment, SEDA/AISHE Conference, Dublin, April.
  • 2001: Paper with Dr. Mark Liddiard, presenting results of study funded through SEDA small grants scheme. '"Not up to your usual standard"': Under-achievement and intervention in undergraduate examinations'. SEDA Conference, Manchester, November.
  • 2001: Seminar paper 'Quilting a Career'. Women in Higher Education Network (WHEN) Conference, University of Coventry, May.
  • 2000: 'Women and Career Development'. Postgraduate Research Seminar, Centre for Women’s Studies, University of Kent, November.
  • 2000: Seminar paper 'Key Skills Developments'. Learning Development Network, University of North London, June.

Media

Email: J.G.Sellers@kent.ac.uk
Tel: (+44) (0)1227 828883
Location: Medway Campus - Room DB033

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