Review panel

An expert Accreditation Review Panel, made up of academics and geographers working in the public and private sectors, assess all applications for programme accreditation.

The Accreditation Review Panel normally has a minimum of four and maximum of eight members, invited from:

• Geographers who hold teaching and learning leadership positions at a senior level in Higher Education     

• Geographers working in industry, at least one of whom will be a Chartered Geographer;

• Others with recognised expertise in teaching and learning in higher education geography, at the invitation of Vice President for Research and Higher Education

The Panel may draw upon the expertise of the Society’s Research and Higher Education Committee. All members will have experience of approvals and quality assurance and be expected to be up to date with current practice in higher education. We will maintain a list of suitable members of the Panel each year. We are committed to equal opportunities and endeavour to appoint a Panel representative of the community. Further information about, and guidance for, the Accreditation Review Panel may be found in the Programme Accreditation Handbook.

 

Current panel

Panel chair

• Professor Robert Francis: Professor in Ecology; Pro-Dean (Academic Portfolio) for Faculty of Social Science and Public Policy, King's College London

Panel members

• Professor Jane Hart: Professor in Geography and ESD Research Group Leader, University of Southampton

• Professor Alan Howard: Professor of Geography and Co-Chair of University Programme Board, University of Reading

• Dr Lloyd Jenkins: Lecturer in Historical and Cultural Geography, University of Birmingham

• Dr Niall Majury: Senior Lecturer (Education), School of Natural and Built Environment, Queen’s University Belfast

• Dr Alison Matthews: Geomatics Manager, Environment Agency

• Dr Lucy Rushmer: Senior Engineer, Arup

• Dr Fiona Smith: Lecturer, Geography and Environmental Science, University of Dundee

• Dr Lynda Yorke: Senior Lecturer in Physical Geography, Bangor University

 

Interested in joining the panel?

We are now looking for new members for our expert accreditation review panel, which reviews all applications to the scheme. In particular, we’re looking for representatives of employers in the public and private sectors since a key element of the application process is for universities to articulate how they prepare their students for the world of work, including how they engage with employers.

 

What’s involved

Each programme accreditation application consists of a written document (max. 4,000 words) along with supporting evidence (the majority being programme and module specifications), and each review period concludes with a face-to-face panel meeting to discuss and agree outcomes.

We expect that you would need to commit around six to eight days per year to panel-related work, depending on the number of applications received. This is split across two application deadlines, and includes reading applications, commenting on them and attending meetings in London.

Direct experience of university teaching and learning is not required, but we would expect you to be up to date with current practice in higher education.

The position is not remunerated, but agreed travel expenses will be reimbursed.

 

Apply now

If you are interested, please send a letter of application expressing your interest in being part of the review panel and outlining any relevant experience, and a current CV, to accreditation@rgs.org. Please do share this opportunity with any colleagues who may be interested. We are committed to equal opportunities and endeavour to appoint a panel that is representative of the community.