Dan Pullinger (he/him)

Profile

I am an experienced HE manager, librarian and learning developer, and have held various roles at the University of Leeds since 2002.  

Having previously worked in the Library’s Resource Acquisition and Customer Services Teams, I moved to an Information Literacy Officer position in 2006 and was a Faculty Team Librarian (Science & Engineering) from 2008 to 2014.  Since then, I have led the Library’s Learning Development Team. Our key focus is on the development of taught students’ academic and digital literacies, both by embedding these topics in the curriculum and through provision of co-curricular opportunities.  

I work closely with academic and professional services colleagues from across the University and at other institutions in support of our strategic ambitions for student education and the student experience. I am particularly focused on breaking down silos and building effective collaborations across teams, schools and services. For example, I have been actively involved in the development and rollout of the University’s Capabilities Framework and Skills Matrix, which are key tools in support of the Surfacing Skills and Curriculum Redefined initiatives. 

I am Chair of the Digital Capabilities Working Group, which coordinates collaboration between professional services and academic colleagues on the development and promotion of digital capabilities opportunities and learning resources for staff and students. This has included the introduction of the JISC Digital Capabilities Framework as a basis for supporting staff and student development; the implementation and ongoing development of the JISC Digital Capabilities Discovery Tool; and the creation of an open Digital Capabilities Programme for students and staff. 

I was awarded University Student Education Fellowship status in January 2016, as recognition and reward for excellence in teaching and support for student learning.  

Along with several Library colleagues, I was a recipient of the 2020 Digital Award for Information Literacy for our Step Up to Masters online resource. The research that underpinned its development was nominated for the Ross Todd Outstanding Research Project Award (Issued by the Journal of Information Literacy) in April 2023. 

In August 2023, I received Senior Fellowship of the HEA (Advance HE), in recognition of my leadership and influence on the learning and teaching practices of others who teach and/or support high-quality learning.

I am a keen contributor to wider professional networks, and as such was a member of the CILIP Information Literacy Group committee for eleven years until May 2024, in the role of Website Manager.

Responsibilities

• Chair of Digital Capabilities Working Group
• Member of Taught Student Education Board
• Elected member of University of Leeds Senate

Qualifications

• BA (Hons) English Language & Literature, University of Leeds (1995-1998)
• MA English Literature, University of Leeds (2000-2002)
• MSc Information Studies, Leeds Metropolitan University (2003-2004)
• University of Leeds Teaching Award (ULTA-1) (2010-2011)

Professional memberships

• Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA)
• Member of the Chartered Institute of Information Professionals (CILIP)
• Member of the Association for Learning Development in Higher Education

Student education

Core activity: 

• Strategic leadership and line management of the Library’s Learning Development Team, with a particular focus on our digital learning and co-curricular provision 
• Strategic oversight of the Library Makerspace  
• Institutional oversight / coordination of the digital capabilities development of students and staff 
• Strategic input into design and delivery of the Library’s Strategy and Forward Plan 
• Supporting delivery of the University’s strategies and initiatives for student education and the student experience 

Chair of: 

• Digital Capabilities Working Group 

Member of: 

• Library Leadership Team 
• Taught Student Education Board 
• Educational Enhancement and Student Experience Committee 
• Digital Education Steering Group 
• Cross Institution Taught Student Education Committee 
• DES Taught Student Education Committee 
• Digital Education Network Steering Group 
• Surfacing Skills Oversight Group 
• Experiential Learning Oversight Group 
• Student Opportunities and Futures Strategy & Implementation Group 
• Makerspace Working Group 

Elected member of: 

• University of Leeds Senate (August 2019 – Present)