Nicola Smith
- Position: Associate Professor
- Areas of expertise: Teaching and learning & Organizational Behaviour
- Email: N.M.Smith@leeds.ac.uk
- Phone: +44(0)113 343 0566
- Location: G.17 Charles Thackrah Building
Profile
Nicola joined LUBS in 2014. Her work focuses on Taught Postgraduate Students though she teaches and tutors at all levels. She is also carrying out her PhD in Organizational Behaviour at the Workplace Behaviour Research Centre alongside her work as Deputy Departmental Director of Student Education and Programme Director for MSc Management. Her research is in organizational behaviour.
Nicola has expertise in teaching and learning, and is interested in students’ personal and professional development and enhancing the experience of students, specifically taught postgraduates. She has a particular interest in the development of academic literacies. She is also experienced in programme design and the development of new delivery models.
Roles and Responsibilities:
- Deputy Director of Student Education (Management Department)
- MSc Management programme director (2016 to present)
- LUBS/Law Transformation Programme Flagship Module Leader
- LITE Transformation Fellow
- University Student Education Fellow
- Member of LUBS Rankings Committee
Previous Roles & Responsibilities:
- Management Department Academic Integrity Representative from 2017 to 2020
- Overseas recruitment and conversion activity representing LUBS and the wider university (Thailand, China, Taiwan, South Korea & Germany) from 2015 to 2019
- UG work placement tutor from 2014 to 2020
- Co-Lead of the Enhancing Management Learning Subject Group from 2019 to 2022
Nicola has introduced several innovations into the MSc Management programme including:
- a new block teaching model to enhance student engagement
- the introduction of gamification (via a simulation game) into teaching
Selected activity:
Smith, N. & Hill, L. (2021) Supporting International Students through Personal Tutorials. Open University Access Participation & Success Conference. (Invited speaker)
Smith, N. & Viragos, A. (2021) A mismatch between degree & interests; what can we do to help? UK Advising and Tutoring Conference.
Connected Coaches Community of Practice, 2020. Invited speaker on topic of Goals & Motivation to a national group of professional equestrian coaches.
LUBS Pedagogic Research Retreat, 2019 (co-lead with Alice Shepherd and Dr Iwi Ugiagbe-Green)
University of Leeds Teachmeet, 2019. Invited speaker on topic ‘Peer Reviewed Formative Essays’
Hill, L & Smith, N. (2019) Tutoring Matters – Supporting International Students through Personal Tutorials. 12 December. [Online]. Available from https://www.ukat.uk/events/webinars/archive/supporting-international-students-through-personal-tutorials/
Smith, N. (2018) Off to a flying start; academic skills training for PG students. UK Advising & Tutoring Conference. Derby.
Hill, L. & Smith, N. (2018) ‘Yes, I am interested in you!’ – Enhancing Chinese Students’ Experience through Personal Tutorials. Chartered ABS Learning, Teaching and Student Experience Annual Conference. Glasgow.
Smith, N. (2018) Pick 'n' Mix: building multicultural teams to enhance peer support, student wellbeing and employability. NACADA: The Global Community for Academic Advising International Conference. Dublin.
Work history:
Following a degree in Environmental and Resource Science and a PGCE qualification, Nicola’s career began at the University of York in 2004 where she worked on a variety of projects related to public engagement with research and research impact, ultimately working in a communications role on a Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation funded project. She them moved to work on a large EPSRC-funded, cross-institutional project developing the public engagement and communication skills of doctoral students. Following this, in 2014, she moved to LUBS as the Professional Development Tutor for the Management Department, ultimately moving to an academic role in 2015.
2014 to present - Leeds University Business School
2011 to 2014 - University of Leeds & University of Nottingham (EPSRC Energy Doctoral Training Centres and Midlands Energy Graduate School)
2004 to 2011 - University of York
Responsibilities
- Deputy Director of Student Education (Management Department)
- MSc Management Programme Director
Research interests
Research interests include goals, motivation, goal hierarchies
Qualifications
- PhD (ongoing), University of Leeds (Organizational Behaviour)
- MRes - Business And Economic Studies (Management - OB focus), University of Leeds
- PGCE, Manchester Metropolitan University
- BSc (Hons), Applied Environmental & Resource Science, University of Salford
Professional memberships
- Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)
- Certified Management & Business Educator (CMBE)
- Academy of Management (AoM)
- Management & Organizational Behaviour Teaching Society (MOBTS)
- UK Advisors and Tutors (UKAT)
Student education
Nicola is module leader for Management in Practice (a PG-level professional practice module) and a large, cross-programme PG dissertation module.
Nicola supervises UG & PG Dissertations, particularly those focused on Organizational Behaviour topics using quantitative methods.
Research groups and institutes
- Workplace Behaviour Research Centre