About Æß²ÊÖ±²¥'s UK Validation Services team
Æß²ÊÖ±²¥ (Æß²ÊÖ±²¥) has a rich and mixed portfolio of UK Collaborative Provision (UKCP) activity which adds intrinsic value to the Æß²ÊÖ±²¥ brand and offer. Æß²ÊÖ±²¥ has a long-standing history of engagement in UKCP, and the development of the university’s collaborative portfolio over the last thirty years has enabled the university to establish regional and national presence and visibility, and contribute to the widening participation and access agendas.
Æß²ÊÖ±²¥ values UKCP as an integral component of its strategic mission and vision, and recognises the mutual benefits of such collaboration to the university, its partners, students, staff and the local community. In this context, Æß²ÊÖ±²¥ will actively pursue engagements with a range of high-quality, relevant, and appropriate, regional and national partners whose work is complementary and compatible with Æß²ÊÖ±²¥, and whose values align to those of the university, bringing tangible and sustained benefits to staff and students of all institutions.
The UK Validation Services team at Æß²ÊÖ±²¥ are responsible for UKCP, and act as a service provider in the scoping, planning, approval and monitoring of UKCP. Executive responsibility for UKCP sits with the Pro Vice-Chancellor (PVC) Education.
T: 0116 207 8030
E: UKVS@dmu.ac.uk
Meet the team
Bobby Upple, Head of UK Validation Services
Bobby leads the UK Validation Services team at Æß²ÊÖ±²¥, with responsibility for the development and management of all UK academic partnerships.
Bobby joined Æß²ÊÖ±²¥ in September 2015, having worked in Further Education (FE) and affiliated organisations for 20 years. He held various roles in FE including lecturer, programme area manager, senior policy manager, E&D projects manager, Chair of Governors, and prior to joining Æß²ÊÖ±²¥, as a director with two sector organisations.
Since joining Æß²ÊÖ±²¥, Bobby has managed both UK and international partnerships, and has represented the university internationally and nationally, promoting Æß²ÊÖ±²¥, and the city of Leicester, as a destination for students. Across his career, Bobby has worked in partnership with education institutions in South Africa, India, China, Hong Kong, Denmark, and Abu Dhabi.
Bobby is a graduate from Nottingham Trent University, where he studied Mathematical Methods for Information Technology, and has a teaching qualification from the University of Greenwich. He is an Advance HE Associate, PRINCE2 Practitioner, and a trained mentor.
T: 0116 207 8030
E: bobby.upple@dmu.ac.uk
Fay Kelham, UK Validation Services Officer
As an officer within the team, it is Fay’s responsibility to support the delivery of Æß²ÊÖ±²¥’s UK-based collaborative educational partnerships. Fay provides account management services to a variety of collaborative partners to ensure the quality and standards of provisions delivered through the University’s UK collaborative partners network is maintained and enhanced. This is to ensure that all students and staff at collaborative partners have the same high-quality experience at collaborative partners that they would experience on campus at Æß²ÊÖ±²¥.
Fay joined the professional services team at Æß²ÊÖ±²¥ in 2009 as a Æß²ÊÖ±²¥ alumni having graduated in BA (Hons) Marketing with HRM in June 2000. She is a Prince 2 Practitioner and a qualified professional coach. Fay joined the team in May 2020 after gaining over 10 years’ experience in the provision of Executive Education to working professionals. She recently graduated from the Æß²ÊÖ±²¥ Digital Champion programme to provide ongoing support to enhancing ways of working using new and emerging technology.
T: 0116 250 6026
E: faymkelham@dmu.ac.uk