Mrs Alexandra McDonald

Personal statement

I have been Head of the Centre for Lifelong Learning (CLL) since 2016. Prior to this I held the post of Community Engagement Manager for CLL. My experience in developing and delivering adult learning in a variety of contexts and to a diverse range of audiences runs to over two decades. I am passionate about fair access to learning at any age and stage in life. It is this passion which led me to establish Strathclyde's Age-Friendly Academy in 2017 which is designed to demonstrate the University's commitment to learning throughout the life course. This underpins its founding principle as a "place of useful learning". CLL has an impressive and diverse portfolio including: - the University's two largest online Masters programmes (in Safety and Risk Management and Genealogical Studies) - a large programme of short classes for adults attracting over 3000 students each year including the unique Daytime Programme aimed at those aged 50+. - one of the largest HE-based access programmes in our Pre-Entry Certificate course. - a MOOC in Family History Research which to date has attracted over 65000 learners. I am proud to lead a dedicated team who are committed to putting lifelong learning at the forefront of their work and am keen to engage with internal and external stakeholders to take this message beyond the University's campus to foster collaborative working.