Meet Programme Directors Barbara Waters and Katie Moore
As Programme Directors in the Department of Materials, Barbara (Fashion Business Technology) and Katie (Materials Science and Engineering) play key roles in shaping the student experience and leading programme development. Here they reflect on their work, the value of collaboration and what they’ve learned through implementing student feedback and driving positive change, as well as sharing what they enjoy outside of work.
How long have you been at the University?
Barbara: Well, this is actually my second stint at the University. I worked here previously for three years then went away to Leeds for four. I’ve been back for about six years now and it’s been lovely to see how much the Department has grown and evolved since I was last here.
Katie: I’ve been here since 2014, so 11 years now.
What does a typical day look like for you?
Katie: There’s really no such thing as a typical day. My role as Programme Director involves balancing teaching, research and admin. Even when you plan your day, things can change quickly and sometimes you find yourself firefighting if something unexpected happens. Teaching has to happen regardless of anything else going on, so a lot of our time is spent making sure that everything runs smoothly – whether that’s rearranging teaching for a colleague who’s unwell, responding to student queries or planning ahead for exams and course changes.
Barbara: It’s similar for me. My role combines teaching, scholarship and admin and there’s definitely a lot of juggling involved. Much of my day is spent responding to student queries which can be everything from questions about degree classifications to mitigation or assessment guidance, as well as working on programme updates and improvements.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
Barbara: I enjoy seeing students develop a real sense of community and belonging. We’ve introduced programme socials where we bring students from all years together for activities with a social responsibility theme. They’re always great fun and it’s lovely to see students relaxed and enjoying something outside of their course, and of course the pizza always goes down well! These events aren’t just social – they help students connect across year groups, share experiences and feel part of something bigger, which really strengthens the overall student experience.
Katie: I really enjoy being able to help when something isn’t quite right for a student. Through the Student Voice Committee, we hear directly from students about their experiences and it’s genuinely satisfying to work together to find solutions and make meaningful improvements. Knowing that you’ve helped to make a student’s experience better and getting a thank-you email at the end of it honestly makes your day.
Our success comes from the strength of our wider team… when everyone understands the shared goal and feels supported, it’s much easier to make positive changes that benefit the whole community.
Barbara Waters
You’ve both been involved in implementing the NSS action plan and other improvements based on student feedback. Can you tell us more about that?
Barbara: I think one of the most important things to point out is that we don’t do any of this work in isolation. Our success comes from the strength of our wider team which includes Assessment Leads, Year Managers, PASS Leads and many others who play an essential role in supporting both staff and students. Our Assessment Lead has been instrumental in driving improvements across the programme. Recently, we held a dedicated staff meeting focused on enhancing the consistency and quality of feedback provided to students – a key action arising from our NSS results and other student feedback.
Katie: The NSS action plan in particular was wide-ranging, but that consistency piece was really important. We listened to the previous year’s feedback and made targeted changes, for example, improving how students could see marking criteria and restructuring content to make things clearer. It might sound small, but these changes really helped improve satisfaction. We were also highly commended at the Students’ Union Academic Awards for ‘Staff and Students – Outstanding Student Staff Collaboration or Partnership’, which was lovely recognition for everyone involved. I think that collaborative spirit is a huge part of our success more generally. Our Department is quite unique in bringing together two distinct disciplines, which gives us great opportunities to share ideas and approaches. Barbara and I meet weekly with the PGT Programme Directors and the Heads of Education to share best practice, align our processes and support each other in driving change. It’s that sense of teamwork that really underpins everything we do.
What lessons have you learned through this work?
Katie: The biggest lesson is that you can’t make meaningful change alone. Collaboration gives you momentum and when both teams are pushing in the same direction, you can bring people on board and make improvements that really last.
Barbara: Absolutely. It’s about consistency, communication and teamwork. When everyone understands the shared goal and feels supported, it’s much easier to make positive changes that benefit the whole community.
There’s nothing better than hearing directly from students, fixing something that isn’t working for them, and knowing their experience is better because of it — those thank-you emails truly make your day.
Katie Moore
What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
Katie: This year I’ve taken up tennis. My husband and children all play so I thought I’d better join in. It’s something fun we can all enjoy as a family come rain or shine!
Barbara: My children are grown up now and I’ve got two grandchildren who I enjoy spending time with. My husband and I have a camper van and we love going to festivals and the Grand Prix when we can – it’s a great way to get away and explore.
And finally, if you could only eat one thing forever, what would it be?
Barbara: Pizza – simple but always a good choice.
Katie: It depends on the rules. If I wouldn’t get ill from it, I’d say chocolate. But for something more nutritious, I’d go for a roast dinner – that way you get a bit of variety every day.
