AMOSSHE appoints a new Executive Member
We’d like to thank Dr Sarah Sweeney (Lancaster University), who’s stepping down from her role as Chair, as she’ll be starting a new position outside of the sector. Sarah has been involved with the community for the last six years, including five years on the Executive. Many thanks to her for everything she’s contributed to AMOSSHE. As a result of Sarah’s departure, we’ve taken the steps to bring the Executive Committee back to full strength, in line with our rules of association.
Our current Vice Chair, Dr Aleata Alstad-Calkins (Director of Student Support & Success, University of Roehampton), has accepted to step into the Chair role, starting Monday 9 March 2026, for the remainder of the office term, which will conclude on 31 July 2027.
As the current Vice Chair will become Chair for the next two years, the Vice Chair role becomes vacant for one year. Our rules of association state that the Executive Committee can appoint a member from the current Executive team to any vacant Chair or Vice Chair role.
So, the Executive team has elected Andy Shanks (Director of Student Wellbeing, University of Edinburgh) for the remainder of the 2025/26 academic year, as the role of Vice Chair is open for election for the 2026 to 2028 term. This creates a vacancy for the remainder of the academic year for an Executive Member role. Based on the election results, Ann Duncan (Deputy Director of Student Experience, University of Strathclyde) was the next highest-ranking candidate, so she’ll take on the Executive Member role for the rest of the academic year.
Here’s the nomination statement for our new Executive Member.
Ann Duncan
Ann Duncan is Deputy Director Student Experience at the University of Strathclyde. Here’s Ann’s nomination statement.
I remain deeply passionate about the role our work plays in helping students thrive both academically and personally.
My journey spans a range of Student Services leadership roles, and I’ve been a proud AMOSSHE member for over a decade. The organisation has profoundly shaped my professional growth, thinking, and approach— and now, I feel it’s time to give back.
I’ve led several strategic initiatives that have reshaped our student experience provision: from launching an out-of-hours multi-disciplinary support team, to introducing on-campus Rape Crisis support, developing a suicide prevention strategy, and driving work to address gender-based violence. I’m also leading the development of Student Services on our new Bahrain Campus. Central to all of this is my belief in co-production: shaping services with students, for students.
At a national level, I represent AMOSSHE on the Scottish Government’s Equally Safe Core Leadership Group, contribute to the Ministerial Roundtable on Spiking, and sit on the Universities Scotland Student Mental Health Group.
What drives me is impact— making a meaningful difference to a student, a colleague, a team, or the sector. I’m energised by the opportunity to contribute strategically to AMOSSHE’s future, and I bring a wealth of well-rounded leadership experience, a collaborative ethos, and a commitment to inclusivity and innovation.
