EDUCATION AND QUALIFICATIONS

Aston Comprehensive School (Sheffield), 1973‑80, 12 GCE O Levels, 4 GCE A Levels

University of Manchester: 1980‑83, BA(Econ); 1984‑87, PhD on contemporary Christian worship, including time at the Universities of Chicago and Notre Dame

Leadership Foundation for Higher Education, Top Management Programme 25, 2011-12

Institute for Leadership and Management, Professional Workplace Investigator, 2024

Honorary Fellowship of the United International College, Beijing Normal University, Hong Kong Baptist University, May 2017

EMPLOYMENT

Oct 2022-Date: Director, Martin Stringer Consultancy

Providing advice, support, discussions in Higher Education around Governance; HR Investigations; Equality Diversity and Inclusion; Student Engagement and Learning; Community Engagement.
Professional Workplace Investigator, through CMP Solutions, recognised by Institute for Leadership and Management (ILM).
Visiting Lecturer (Lived Religion) at the University of Birmingham.
Project Lead for HEFCW funded Collaborative Programmes (Wales) Project, working with nine universities across Wales to deliver collaborative programmes.

Aug 2021-Sep 2022: Pro-Vice Chancellor (Education and Civic Mission) at the University of Swansea

Senior Management: I had direct responsibility for two professional service directorates, and four academies. I line managed two Directors, four Heads of Academies and two Deputy PVCs, and oversaw the business planning cycle with responsibility for almost 400 members of staff and a budget in excess of £40million.
Learning and Teaching: I led on all aspects of student experience, learning and teaching across the University. In 2021, Swansea University was 12^th in the UK for overall satisfaction for NSS, 21^st in the UK for teaching and 18^th in the UK for student voice. The QAA led Quality Enhancement Review for the University, in November 2020, offered five commendations and no recommendations. They commended the University on working with students as partners, supporting student experience, the delivery of teaching during COVID, maintaining quality during COVID and portfolio management.
Student Experience: I led the STEP4Excellence programme involving the whole university in a conversation around student engagement. I was the principal contact between the Full Time Officers of the Student’s Union and Senior Leadership Team and support the Student’s Union in many of its campaigns and activities across the University. I led a programme to make sure that there was student representation on all significant committees across the University.
Civic Mission: I instigated a major review of widening access at the University and chair the regional Reaching Wider Partnership that works with HE, FE and schools to increase participation in HE from hard-to-reach students. I worked closely with Swansea County and City, and major employers in the region to develop a regional skills strategy and I developed a Civic Mission strategy for the University. I also led a review of the University’s Cultural Arts strategy.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: I led on EDI across the University. Swansea has an Athena Swan Silver Award and consistently appears in the top 100 of the Stonewall Equality Index. I led on a joint student/staff programme to raise the awareness of racism across the institution. I was invited to sit on a UUK working group to evaluate approaches to ethnicity attainment gaps across the UK.

Sept 2018-July 2021: Pro-Vice Chancellor (Education and International) at the University of Swansea

Senior Management: I led on all aspects of student experience, learning and teaching and student recruitment across the University, and I had strategic oversight of the University’s international strategy. I had responsibility for three of the Professional Service Directorates: Academic Services, Student Support and Marketing, Recruitment and International. I had line management responsibility for the three Directors and oversaw the business planning cycle in the three directorates.
Student Recruitment: I played an active role in the increase in student numbers at Swansea University over four years. In summer 2020 I led on the Clearing Campaign, in extremely difficult circumstances, in which we recruited over 1400 students, one of the largest clearing activities in the UK. I also led the International Recruitment Step Change programme for the University. We have seen an increase of 16% in international applications from 2019/20 to 2020/21 despite the COVID crisis, and a further rise in 2021/22.
Internationalisation: I have led on a programme of development with the Universities of Huston, Texas A&M and Austin as part of the wider strategic link between the University and universities in Texas. I helped initiate a strategic partnership with the University of Canberra and the development of Alumni networks in Nigeria.

May 2015–Aug 2018: Pro-Vice Chancellor (Academic, Social Science, Arts and Humanities) at the University of Swansea.

I led on the delivery of learning and teaching across the University, and I had strategic oversight of the College of Arts and Humanities and the College of Law.
I had strategic responsibility for Social Science across all seven Colleges in the University.
I was a member of the senior management team that won the Times Higher Education Outstanding Leadership and Management Team award for 2016.

Jan 2011-April 2015: Deputy Pro-Vice Chancellor (Staffing and Planning) at the University of Birmingham

I was Deputy to the Provost and Vice Principal and had responsibility for a number of areas relating to staffing and planning.
I prepared the University Employability Strategy winning £3.5million investment over five years. Graduate employability figures rose from 74% in 09/10 to just over 83% in 13/14 making Birmingham one of the top five for graduate employability in the country. The ‘Birmingham Model’ was subsequently adopted by a number of other universities across the country.
I had responsibility for the University Single Equality Scheme. Birmingham moved from a position where equality and diversity was not on the agenda in 2011 through to the designation of 2013/14 as a Year of Equality in Employment.
I was responsible for the University Communities Strategy and co-ordinated a number of activities to encourage links with the local community.
I was responsible for redesigning and implementing a new Performance and Development Review (PDR) process for all academic and academic related staff. Support for the PDR scheme rose 18% within the staff survey between 2011 and 2013.

Nov 2009-Aug 2010: Pro-Vice Chancellor and Head of College of Arts and Law at the University of Birmingham

I was responsible for academic delivery (research and teaching), human resources and financial management of 4,500 undergraduates, 800 postgraduates, 435 staff and a budget of over £33m.
I managed the reestablishment of morale across the College following the resignation of the previous Head of College. This included the development of College strategies and vision
In 2009/10, the College met all its targets including a 5% increase in research grant capture, increases in all categories of postgraduate admissions, including a 60% increase in overseas doctoral students.
Initiatives that I began in 2009/10 led to a position in 2012/13 where the University of Birmingham was ranked second for the total value of awards, and fifth for the number of awards made from AHRC.

Oct 2007-April 2015: Professor of Liturgical and Congregational Studies in the Department of Theology and Religion at the University of Birmingham

Director of Education and Deputy Head of College of Arts and Law, April 2009 – Dec 2009

I established the College Learning and Teaching Strategy and initiated a wide-ranging portfolio review reducing the number of programmes and modules across the College.

Head of School of Philosophy, Theology and Religion, Sept 2008 – April 2009

I was responsible for establishing the new School and merging the Department of Philosophy with that of Theology and Religion.

Head of School of Historical Studies, Jan 2008 – Aug 2008.

I managed the School as it merged with the School of Humanities and Birmingham Law School to form the new College of Arts and Law.

Sep 1993‑Oct 2007: Lecturer/Senior Lecturer in Sociology/Anthropology of Religion in the Department of Theology and Religion at the University of Birmingham

Lecturing in the areas of Sociology/Anthropology of Religion, Religion in Contemporary Britain, and Christian Worship

Deputy Head of School of Historical Studies, Sept 2005 – Dec 2007.
Head of Department of Theology and Religion, Sept 2002 – Aug 2006.
Director of Teaching and Learning for the School of Historical Studies, Sept 2000 – Aug 2002.
Chair of the School of Historical Studies Undergraduate Committee, Sept 1999 – Aug 2002.
Deputy Head of Department, Jan 1999 – Oct 1999.
Director of the ‘Worship in Birmingham Project’, Sept 1997 – Sept 2002.
Director of Undergraduate Studies for the Department, Oct 1994 – June 2000.

Oct 1989‑Jun 1992: Tutor in Community Studies and Worship for the Local Ordained Ministry Course with the Diocese of Manchester, and Tutor in Worship for the Manchester Diocesan Lay Readers Training Programme.

May 1989‑Jul 1991: Part‑Time Tutor in Social Studies for the Department of Extra Mural Studies at Manchester University.

May 1988‑Aug 1993: Project Worker for the ‘Ardwick Deanery Young Families Project’.

Jan 1988‑Apr 1988: Postdoctoral Research Assistant in the Faculty of Theology at Manchester University.

Oct 1987‑Jun 1993: Part‑Time Tutor and Honorary Research Fellow in the Department of Social Anthropology at Manchester University.

Oct 1983‑May 1984: Assistant Administrator at Muheza Hospital, Tanzania

MEMBERSHIP OF BOARDS AND TRUSTS

2024-date Trustee of Oriel Science, Swansea

2024-date Trustee of Chaplaincy Support Services, University of South Wales

2023-date Council Member for Birmingham Newman University

2023-date Trustee of Church Action on Poverty

2023-date Governor of the King’s School, Worcester

2019-2022 Director of Dylan Thomas Prize, Swansea (Chair of the Board).

2019-2020 Director of Swansea College University Skills Partnership (Chair of the Board).

2018-2021 Member of the Council of Swansea University.

2016-2021 Member of the UCAS Council.

2011-2015 Member of the Pension Fund Management Sub-Committee of the University of Birmingham Pension and Assurance Scheme.

2011-2014 Trustee of the Thinktank Museum of Science at Millennium Point, Birmingham.

2008-2015 Trustee of the ContinU Educational Trust, Kidderminster.

2002-2015 Trustee of the King Charles I School Foundation, Kidderminster.

POSITIONS OF ACADEMIC RESPONSIBILITY

2024-date Editor of the Journal of the British Association of the Study of Religion, and member of the Committee

2021-2022 Member of UUK sponsored Closing the Gap VC/DVC/PVC Group

2021-2022 Member of All Wales Post-16 Mental Health Strategy Group

2020-2022 Member of the UUK sponsored Mental Health in HE Advisory Group

2020-2022 Chair of the South West Wales Regional Learning and Skills Partnership

2019-2022 Director of Dylan Thomas Prize, and Chair of the Board

2019-2020 Director of Swansea College University Skills Partnership

2018-2021 Member of the Strategic Leadership Forum for the Campaign for Social Sciences

2017-2022 Universities Wales representative on the QAA Strategic Advisory Committee.

2016-2021 Member of the UCAS Council.

2015-2021 Member of the HEFCW Student Opportunity and Achievements Committee.

2015-2018 Assessor for the European Research Council Marie Sklodowska-Currie Fellowships.

2014-date On the Editorial Board of Congregational Music Studies Series with Ashgate Press.

2012-2015 Member of the AHRC Peer Review College.

2011-2014 Trustee of the Thinktank Museum of Science at Millennium Point in Birmingham.

2009-date On the Advisory Board of the ‘Yearbook for Liturgical and Ritual Studies’, Instituut voor Liturgische en Rituele Studies.

2009-2014 On the Advisory Board of the HEFCE funded Religious Literacy Programme based at York St John University and Goldsmith’s College

2008-2010 External advisor to The University of Wales on academic equivalency

2006-2009 Editor of ‘Anaphora’, the Journal of the Society for Liturgical Study

2002-2015 Trustee of the King Charles I School Foundation, and the ContinU Foundation Trust Kidderminster

2002-date On the Editorial Board of ‘Quaker Studies’

2002-2006 Critical friend to the Department of Theology and Religion at Cardiff University

2000-2002 Assessor for Theology and Religious Studies for QAA

1998-2000 Consultant with TQA Consultants helping Departments of Theology & Religion prepare for QAA

1992‑1998 Secretary of the Society for Liturgical Study.

1988‑1993 Editor of ‘Rubrics’ a Journal of the Manchester Diocesan Worship Committee

1985‑1993 Founder of the Cuming Seminar for Liturgical Study at the University of Manchester and Secretary for 1985‑87 and 1988‑93.