Law Lecturer, Charlie Seager’s career covers a vast range of areas. From receiving her undergraduate degree, LLB Law with Spanish, to her masters in Healthcare Law and Ethics, her extensive knowledge spans various areas of the law. After satisfying her own thirst for knowledge, Charlie realised her true passion lay in educating the next generation of legal professionals.
Alongside teaching, she is also currently dedicated to enhancing the student experience, as the School Lead for Student Experience and Engagement here at Salford Business School.
We recently caught up with Charlie to find out more about her career to date, the research she has in the works and of course, the best place to grab coffee near campus. This is what she had to say…
How did you get into academia as a career path?
After completing my LLM in Healthcare Law and Ethics at the University of Manchester, I began my career working in industry. While the work was rewarding, I quickly realised that my true passion lay in the research of legal principles and training, as well as mentoring new recruits. I thrived in an environment where I could teach, support and guide others, which led me to consider academia as a career path.
I reached out to my former mentors at the University of Salford to gain undergraduate teaching experience and from my very first session, I knew I had found my calling—I fell in love with teaching. Now, eight years on, I am a recognised Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, a full-time Lecturer in Law, and the School Lead for Student Experience and Engagement at Salford Business School. The transition to academia has been the most fulfilling decision of my career, allowing me to combine my love for research, teaching and student support. I have never looked back.
Why did you choose to work at the University of Salford?
The University of Salford is in my blood. I completed my undergraduate LLB Law with Spanish degree here at Salford in 2015 and loved every second of my higher education journey at this University. I enjoyed the programme, the campus, the people, the support and the city! Having lived down south, the move to Salford was a huge decision for me and from my first day at this institution I felt welcomed and at home. Having studied at other institutions, I do think there is something special about Salford and when I decided that I wanted a career in academia I didn’t think twice about where I wanted that career to start.
What’s the best thing about being an academic at Salford?
The best thing about being an academic at Salford is, without a doubt, the students. Every day I have the privilege of working with incredibly diverse, curious and talented students, each of whom bring their own unique perspectives, experiences and ambitions. Seeing them grasp technical legal concepts, which they may have been nervous about to begin with and seeing them grow in confidence is truly the most rewarding part of my role.
I also love being part of a school with an unwavering commitment to the student experience. I valued my own experience at Salford Business School so greatly when I was a student, that I love being in a position now where I am so involved in enhancing the student experience for our current students. Salford does so much to support its students and foster that sense of belonging; being a part of that feels like giving back.
Can you tell us about any of your career highlights to-date?
The greatest achievement within my career to date has been having the honour of leading on the academic personal tutoring pilot at Salford Business School. This has involved the creation of a new team who specialises in personalised one-to-one academic support for our undergraduate student cohort. I’m extremely proud of leading on this pilot as it directly links to our goals of enhancing the student experience, which I care deeply about. Seeing the impact this pilot has had on our students so far, has been incredibly rewarding and has offered me the opportunity to pursue active research in an area that is meaningful to me.
What’s your current research focused on?
My current research focuses on the impact of academic personal tutoring on student experience and engagement. I am looking at whether a personalised, one-to-one approach to academic support has any bearing on a student’s sense of belonging, confidence and therefore their experience, as well as whether there are any links that can be drawn between tailored academic intervention and certain higher education metrics.
Do you have any published papers we can read?
I have a couple in the pipeline, the abstracts of which are the basis of two conferences I have been invited to present at this April, around the impact of academic personal tutoring – so watch this space!
And finally, the all important question, where in Manchester or Salford is best to grab a coffee?
Moose Coffee has just opened up in Salford Quays right by our MediaCity Campus and the coffee (and brunch) options there are great! If you’re around our main campus, my go to is always the Old Fire Station where the coffee is great and the pastries even better.