Professor Liz Jones
Vice-President and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education and Student Experience)
Professor Liz Jones has been Vice-President and Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Education and Student Experience at the University of Exeter since January 2026.
She is responsible for leading the delivery of the University’s Education Strategy and for shaping the Education and Student Experience vision within Exeter’s Strategy 2030.
Liz provides strategic leadership across the taught student lifecycle, from access, transition and induction through to teaching, learning, assessment, and progression beyond graduation. She is committed to delivering an outstanding, inclusive educational experience, and to embedding wellbeing, inclusivity and respect at the heart of the University’s academic practices and culture.
She chairs the Education and Student Experience Executive Committee (EdSEEC) and works closely with the University’s Education Leadership Team, Faculty Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellors (Education), and professional services leads to drive continuous enhancement and innovation in teaching and learning. Liz is a member of Senate and University Council, and works in close partnership with the Students’ Guild in Exeter, the Athletics Union, and the Falmouth & Exeter Students’ Union to ensure that student voice informs institutional decision-making.
Prior to joining Exeter, Liz was Pro Vice-Chancellor for Education at the University of Leicester, where she led the institution to TEF Gold in 2023, and to significant improvements in NSS performance, rising by over 50 places between 2023 and 2025. In addition, she led major institutional initiatives to enhance student belonging, address awarding gaps, and embed research-inspired education across all programmes. She also served as Dean of Education for the College of Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities. Her work has included the development of a curriculum consultant model to embed student partnership in educational change, and institution-wide approaches to inclusive and compassionate curricula.
Liz is Professor of French Studies, specialising in Life Writing and Cultural Geography. Her research explores questions of identity, belonging and place across international contexts, and her publications have contributed to interdisciplinary debates in these fields.
She is an active contributor to national higher education networks and has been an invited speaker on teaching excellence, student experience and inclusive education.
- Russell Group Teaching and Learning Network
- Ministerial Steering Group for LLE
- South West Institute of Technology (SWIoT) Board
- Kortext Advisory Board
Contact
Email: dvc-ese@exeter.ac.uk
Sue Smith (Executive PA) or Mark Plummer (Strategic Portfolio Partner)
Address: University of Exeter, Northcote House, The Queen's Drive, Exeter, EX4 4QJ