Director of Registry
Dr Rachel Birds
Director of Registry
The Director of Registry’s role is to manage the University's quality assurance, examinations and awards ceremony processes and Rachel is responsible for ensuring the University's regulations are upheld.
Contact
E-mail: R.J.Birds@hud.ac.uk
Originally from Sheffield, Rachel has over twenty years’ experience in the further and higher education sectors where she has been involved in the delivery and management of teaching, research and knowledge transfer activities. She holds a degree in Modern European Studies from Trent Polytechnic and went on to study for a Masters in Management Studies from the University Northumbria and an EdD from the University of Sheffield.
Beginning her career in Belgium as an English teacher, she returned to the UK in 1997 and soon afterwards took up her first administrative role at the University of Northumbria. Over the course of her career she has worked at the Universities of Warwick, Sheffield, Exeter, Sunderland and Bradford and has developed an understanding of the variance in practice and organisational culture across the sector. Whilst working in a broad range of administrative and managerial roles, she has also undertaken research and delivered teaching in higher education. She is currently serving on the editorial board of the Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management and is a member of the editorial board of Newslink, a practitioner newsletter for university administrators.
Rachel is committed to personal and professional development and is keen to encourage others to achieve their full potential. She is a Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute and a chartered manager. A passionate supporter of the Association of University Administrators for many years and graduate of the Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education Administration and Management, Rachel has served as both a Council member and a trustee of the Association.