Burnley College has appointed a new dean for the university centre to continue building up the success of the campus's degree courses.

Nina Parkin has taken up the post as the dean for Burnley College University Courses (BCUC) and has shared her plans for the future of accessible university-level education at the college’s £100 million campus.

The university centre, which is on the college campus in the heart of Burnley, welcomes people leaving college or sixth form as well as those returning to education after a break.

Nina says: “I am proud to be leading BCUC on the next stage of its mission to bring about real and lasting change to the lives of individuals, employers and our communities. I will work tirelessly to ensure that BCUC continues to reflect the needs of learners and the business community – now and in the future.

“I can fully relate to the challenges so many of our current BCUC undergraduates face in combining their degree-level studies with their work and family commitments. I can also relate to the passion and determination they have for making a change in their lives and doing something different. I have been on that journey, too.

“I am committed to ensuring the degree-level education is available to all in our region and our graduates will be the leaders of tomorrow, changing lives and influencing industry for years to come.”

Nina enjoyed a successful career as a business development manager with a regional chemical engineering firm while studying for degree-level qualifications in business, before gaining her teaching qualification through part-time evening study alongside raising a family.

Following this, she has enjoyed a 15-year teaching career at Burnley College, guiding school leavers to A Level and vocational qualifications in business; working with GCSE business students from local schools, as well as supporting the professional development of individuals through the Institute of Leadership and Management courses.

She held both programme leader and curriculum manager roles before becoming head of the School of Business and Management at BCUC, which has a growing reputation for the industry expertise of its lecturers.