NewT Talk is an event for new or aspiring academics, or anyone interested in talking about the joys and complexities of teaching in Higher Education. The event is hosted by Manchester Metropolitan University (Man Met). We welcome two speakers to our next event Dr Theresa Nicholson and Dr Eileen Pollard.

Dr D. Theresa Nicholson will discuss decolonising the curriculum (DtC); what it is, why it is necessary, and some potential benefits from decolonising. She will demonstrate her DtC Toolkit, and share some practical ideas for small steps to begin the process of decolonising your own teaching.

About Dr D. Theresa Nicholson: Theresa is a Reader (Higher Education and Pedagogy) in the Department of Natural Sciences at Manchester Met, where she teaches Physical Geography. Theresa is also a National Teaching Fellow and Principal Fellow of AdvanceHE. She is Equality and Diversity Champion for the Faculty of Science and Engineering and has long-standing research and scholarship interests in inclusive curriculum design, active learning and assessment, and Education for Sustainable Development. Theresa is currently leading the Faculty’s Decolonising the Curriculum project.

Dr Eileen Pollard will share key moments from her HE journey, from being a participant on NewT to leading her first seminar set to becoming a Lecturer at the University of Chester. She will consider the challenges and forks in the road of academic work, as well as her motivation – first truly ignited by NewT – her love of teaching and learning.

Dr Eileen Pollard previously worked as a Lecturer and then as a Senior Lecturer and Programme Leader in English Literature at the University of Chester (2015-2021). She then worked as a Learner Developer at Manchester Metropolitan University for six months (2021-2022). Eileen has over ten years’ experience teaching in HE in varied roles and she joined the University Teaching Academy as a Lecturer in Academic Development in February 2022.