Meet Our Governors
Each member brings unique expertise, enabling the board to navigate complex
challenges and make informed decisions that drive our institution forward.
Jackie McCoy MBE
Board Member
Zain Kanwal
Board Member
Ann Healey
Board Member
Alex Birks
Board Member
Deborah Trayhurn
Director, Higher Education Skill Works
Dave Wibberley
Board Member
Dr Simon Evans
Board Member
Jackie McCoy MBE
Board Member
Jackie McCoy, MBE, SFHEA, MIoD, is Emeritus Professor of Management Development, former Associate Dean for Development & Partnerships International at Ulster University (UU), and current Chair of the Board of Governors at Victoria College of Arts & Design (VCAD). Professor McCoy is a recognised authority in business and management and has advised government on issues relating to the Northern Ireland economy and skills, enterprise development, business growth, and the advancement of the third sector. She developed and managed international strategic partnerships, oversaw Ulster Business School’s international student intake, safeguarded the student experience, ensured compliance with UKVI regulations, and promoted global mobility opportunities for staff and students. Jackie has designed and delivered a significant portfolio of bespoke management development solutions, including the MSc in Executive Leadership, and has completed extensive national and international consultancy assignments. Her research includes co-investigation in a major international, cross-disciplinary ESRC-funded project under the Global Regional Challenges Fund. Beyond academia, she has served on Community Business Development boards, was a founder member and seven-year Chair of the Belfast International Arts Festival, and was awarded the MBE for services to higher education and the arts by the late Queen Elizabeth II.
Management and Governance Framework
VCAD’s Governance Framework ensures responsible leadership, regulatory compliance, and high academic standards. The Board of Governors holds ultimate accountability for overseeing the College and ensuring that it operated in line with the CUC Code of Governance (2020) and the Office for Students (OfS) Regulatory Framework (2022).
To support effective oversight, the Board delegates specific responsibilities to its subcommittees. This structured delegation enhances transparency, strengthens decision-making, and allows the Board to maintain robust governance while ensuring efficient operational and academic management.
Board Sub-Committees
Audit, Risk & Finance Committee (ARFC)
Provides assurance on financial sustainability, internal control, and institutional risk management.
Nominations & Remuneration Committee (NRC)
Oversees appointments to governance and senior leadership roles and ensures fairness and transparency in remuneration.
Management Governance
Senior Management Team (SMT)
Responsible for strategic and operational leadership across the institution, including; student experience, academic delivery, finance, and organisational performance.
Academic Committee (AcCo)
Leads academic governance, overseeing curriculum approval, academic standards, assessment integrity, and quality of learning and teaching.
Equalty, Diversity & Inclusion Committee (EDIC)
Ensures that institutional practices promote fairness, inclusion, and equitable outcomes for all staff and students.
Sub-Committees
The Academic Committee and Senior Management Team oversee additional committees that support quality assurance, enhancement, and student engagement.
Quality Assurance & Enhancement Committee (QAEC)
Ensures continuous improvement in quality of services and delivery including teaching, learning, and assessment, and reviews the effectiveness of quality assurance processes.
Programme Committees (PC)
Monitor academic delivery at programme level, including teaching quality, student progress, and curriculum coherence.
Student Voice & Experience Committee (SVEC)
Provides a structured forum for student feedback and partnership, ensuring that student insights inform decisions affecting learning, wellbeing, and the wider experience.
Student Voice & Representation
Student insight is embedded across VCAD’s entire Management & Governance Framework. We ensure that students contribute meaningfully to institutional decision-making by placing their perspectives within key committees and the structures that report to them.
Students contribute directly to the work of the Board of Governors, the Academic Committee, the Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Committee, and all sub-committees through formal representation, structured feedback channels, and systematic reporting. Their involvement ensures that issues affecting teaching, learning, wellbeing, inclusion, and overall student experience are reflected at every level of governance.
Student Representation across VCAD Governance:
Board of Governors (BoG)
Receives regular reports on student experience, academic performance, equality matters, and outcomes from student-facing committees.
Academic Committee (Acco)
Considers student representative reports, student survey findings, programme-level feedback, and academic experience data when shaping academic policy, standards, and curriculum development.
Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Committee (EDIC)
Incorporates student-led insights on belonging, inclusivity, access, and equitable outcomes, ensuring that student experience informs EDI priorities and actions.
Programme Committees (PC)
Include student representatives as core members, ensuring programme-level teaching, assessment, resources, and feedback loops are student-driven.
Student Voice & Experience Committee (SVEC)
Serves as the central forum for all student representatives, capturing insights from other committees, surveys, workshops, feeding them into all governance levels.
Quality Assurance & Enhancement Committee (QAEC)
Reviews student feedback trends and incorporates student experience indicators into decisions on quality enhancement and academic improvement planning.
By embedding student participation across all committees and reporting pathways, VCAD ensures that students have a powerful, continuous, and meaningful role in shaping their educational experience and influencing institutional development.
