About

As well as facilitating the development of students' subject knowledge in the field, I work in partnership with students to support them in the development of professional and academic skills to support their study at the University, and their continued life long learning and career development after leaving our formal programmes.

I work hard to contribute to the Derby Business School vision by offering a challenging but supportive learning experience for all students who work with me. I aim to provide inspirational education through a continual search for new and innovative learning and teaching practices to enhance student learning. I draw on my commercial experience to offer students a practical and applied programme of study underpinned by sound academic knowledge and critical thinking skills. I maintain my own knowledge currency through contact with employers, through professional membership of the Chartered Institute for Personnel and Development, and in teaching roles working with corporate clients.

Teaching responsibilities

• Undergraduate: Understanding People in Organisations. Managing People, Rewarding and Managing Performance, Managing Performance
• Postgraduate: Strategic Talent Development, Investigating a Buisiness Issue from an HR Perspective (CIPD Research Report)

I am also the Academic Lead for Derby Business School students taking a year in work placement between their 2nd and 3rd year of study. Working with our excellent Careers and Employability Service, I provide students with support in securing, managing and returning from placement as well as running the Diploma in Professional Practice qualification students take whilst on their placement.

Professional interests

• Human Resource Management
• Leadership and Performance Management
• Human Resource Development (HRD) and Talent and Learning Development
• Academic and Professional Skill Development

Research interests

I am currently undertaking research around the challenges of managing job transitions during career development.

I also have an ongoing interest in pedagogic research carrying on from my 2015 paper on Assessment Innovation and Student Experience in Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education

Membership of professional bodies

• Chartered Member of the CIPD (Chartered MCIPD)
• Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (HEA)
• Affiliate Member of CMI (Chartered Management Institue)

Qualifications

Undergraduate

• BSc Management Science (First Class), UMIST (University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology)

Postgraduate

• MSc Personnel and Industrial Relations (Distinction), UMIST (University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology)

Recent conferences

• Bevitt S (2016) Supporting role transitions – Employee development as a Complex Adaptive System – paper presented at the CIPD Applied Research Conference, 19 December, London
• Bevitt S (2016) Letting go and holding on: Talent development through the lens of Complex Adaptive Theory, paper presented at the BAM Talent Management HRM SIG event – A Bridge Field, June 1, York
• Bevitt (2013) Leadership and Problem Solving in the HR profession – Discussion paper presented at the British Academy of Management Conference 10-12 September, Liverpool
• Bevitt S (2013) The impact of innovative assessment practices on student attainment and experience, Discussion paper presented at the 2^nd Association of Business Schools Learning and Teaching Conference, 23 - 24 April, Nottingham

Experience in industry

Before taking up my academic post at the University of Derby, I worked commercially across the public, private and not for profit sectors in general management and human resource management roles. This included roles at Royal Mail and J Sainsburys.  

My last position before joining the University was as Head of Human Resources for a not for profit organisation working in the drug treatment sector where my responsibilities included policy and strategic development, including a review and restructure of the HR department to meet the changing needs of the business. This role involved me working in partnership with the Prison Service and included the management of a large TUPE (Transfer of Undertaking Protection of Employment) process.

International experience

I work closely with our collaborative partners to deliver modules in Greece, Germany, Spain, Malaysia, Singapore and Bangladesh.

Additional interests and activities

I am passionate about employee and student development and providing students with a quality education experience that challenges and supports them to learn, develop and grow. I love facilitating hard working students with enquiring minds to be the best they can be, watching their knowledge, skills and confidence grow and moving on to start or develop exciting careers in the business world.

Current activities/Links with industry

I maintain my link with industry through the local CIPD branch network and I am a Co-Chair of Governors at a local primary school. I have also worked with E4E to conduct 'mock interviews' with senior school students in Derby.

Recent publications

• Bevitt S (2015) Assessment innovation and student experience: a new assessment challenge and call for a multi-perspective approach to assessment research, Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, Vol 40 Issue 1, 103-119
• Grugulis I, Bevitt S Investing in People in the NHS - Case Study contribution in Redman T, Wilkinson A (2006) Contemporary Human Resource management, Text and Cases, 2nd Ed, Harlow, FT Prentice Hall
• Grugulis I, Bevitt S (2002) Assessing the Impact of Investors in People, Human Resource Management Journal,Volume 1 number 3