Mr Robert Tumilty

Professional biography

Rob Tumilty joined the Open University in November 2017 as a Lecturer and Student Experience Manager (SEM) in the Business School. Promoted to Senior Lecturer, Business and Management, Rob also held the office of Assistant Head of Student Experience from 2019-2024. In this role he contributed to many pan-University committees and working groups as FBL representative, including the Staff Tutor Liaison Group, Student Engagement and Satisfaction Steering Group, and as Faculty Chair of the Associate Lecturer Staff Development Group.

Rob is currently the Lead SEM for the MBA and is recognised as a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. He holds an MBA in Leadership Practice, an MA in Reflective Practice and Applied Theology, and a BA (Hons) in Informal and Community Education. Rob is also a Chartered Manager and Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute, as well as a Certified Management and Business Educator (CMBE) as a Fellow of the Chartered Association of Business Schools (CABS).

Research interests

Rob's research interests focus on two areas: working with online learners, tutors, and academics to explore theoretical and practical aspects of student wellbeing and change; and reducing barriers to, and creating enablers of, greater Regional Academic participation in Scholarship. He has disseminated this work through various conference presentations, blogs and articles. Rob is currently working on a scholarship project looking at understanding the impact of Associate Lecturers, who hold another OU contract, on student success and retention.

Teaching interests

As Senior Lecturer and SEM, Rob has worked on wide-ranging modules, including 9 at Undergraduate level and 6 across Postgraduate Business programmes, as well as a postgraduate Law School module. He also has experience of working as a Learning Advisor on short courses and MOOCs, and as an Associate Lecturer has tutored on YXM130: Making Your Learning Count since 2019.