Ms Rachel Dickinson

Rachel Dickinson's career in Higher Education began in the Drama and Theatre Education Department at the University of Warwick. During this time, she grew and led a nationally respected Initial Teacher Education programme for Drama and English teachers, prior to being appointed as a founder member of WBS Create in Warwick Business School. She is Assistant Dean for the Undergraduate programme, developing practice in  partnership, placing importance on the situated and culturally unique learner and the role of the arts and humanities in business education.Impact of work She is Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, Fellow of the Warwick International Higher Education Academy and a Warwick Award for Teaching Excellence holder.  In 2009, she was awarded a prestigious Creativity and Performance in Teaching and Learning (CAPITAL) Creative Fellowship. This fellowship was pivotal in informing and driving the academic shape and content of the nationally successful Post Graduate Award in Teaching Shakespeare. Building on from this she became the Academic Course Director for the international distance learning programme Post Graduate Certificate in Teaching Shakespeare on-line and the Masters in the Advanced Teaching of Shakespeare. In 2013 she pioneered the introduction of a new, innovative compulsory module for over 600 first year students, unique to undergraduate Business Education in the UK. Situated between academic and vocational study, CORE Practice is committed to supporting student transition between formal and higher education and serves as the foundation for a unique learning experience, positioning creative practice and self-knowledge at the heart of personal and professional development. In  January 2017, she will lead on a  new immersive undergraduate module; Acting Responsibly. Plans for the future She has recently completed an MBA in Higher Education Management at University College London, providing her with a platform to further examine the place of creative practice within management and organisational theory. She is currently  using arts-based pedagogies to elicit insights into the impact and interplay of institutional and cultural factors on gender equality, and is working on a verbatim theatre project exploring the concept of the glass ceiling.