Mrs Karen Hilliger

I have enjoyed being part of Christ Church Business School since 2005, during which time I have had academic leadership roles, notably Programme Director for Marketing and then Director of Undergraduate Programmes. This latter role involved me in the daily operations, organisation and administration of all the programmes, the marketing and recruitment activities, developing the curriculum with the academic team and ensuring the quality of all aspects of the student experience being delivered.

I have had considerable programme and subject leadership responsibilities throughout my career; teaching at undergraduate and postgraduate level as well as managing The Chartered Institute of Marketing professional qualifications delivery at a previous HE institution alongside being an examiner for the professional body. I am a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

Previous higher education institutions are: Staffordshire University and Edge Hill University. Prior to this I worked in the airline, banking, commodities trading sector and lived in Bahrain and Dubai.

My academic interests are broad and include international and digital marketing, organisational behaviour, management, academic skills and previously leisure and tourism, wine marketing and critical management studies. These reflect my academic and professional qualifications and life experience.

I am currently enjoying supporting partnership colleges in my role as Subject Chair. I aspire to always encourage and support student achievement and the personal development of students as they journey through their academic experience at Christ Church Business School.

I am a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.  I have had considerable programme and module leadership responsibilities throughout my career and I have taught at undergraduate and postgraduate level. I have also managed The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) professional qualifications delivery at a previous HE institution and been have been an examiner for the CIM.  I have enjoyed teaching modules as a visiting lecturer in China.  I currently lead and teach on the following modules: Academic Skills for Business and Management (level 4) and Managing People in Organisations. I also supervise students on the modules:  Individual Study (level 6) and Research Methods (level 7) I have previously taught and/or lead modules: Level 4: Introduction to Marketing; Foundations of Management; Contemporary Business Issues. Level 5: Marketing Planning, Digital Marketing, Entrepreneurship Level 6: Global and International Marketing, Leisure Management Level 7: Critical Perspectives on Management; Strategic Marketing

My ongoing research activity is focussed on ways to enhance the student learning experience.  For example, embedding academic and professional skills development in order to make them relevant to students; using technology to support synchronous and asynchronous delivery for effective learning; and authentic assessment opportunities.

These approaches require working in partnership with professional library and academic services. One completed example is the COMET (Collaborating and managing through educational technology) project entitled 'HEFCE Good Management Practice Fund for developing a marketing subject website in WebCT' through 2000-2001.

Another is the co-development of a tailored online library induction (OLASK!) for Christ Church Business School students.  

Hilliger, K. and Roberts, S. (2001) Key Skills through collaboration: a Library and Information Services and Business, Management and Leisure Partnership, VINE, No 122, p. 10-17

Hilliger, K. and Roberts, S. (2001) Which Key Skills? Marketing Graduates and Information Literacy, The International Journal of Management Education, Vol. 2, No. 1, p.31-41

Hilliger, K. and Roberts, S. (2001) Combatting graduate exclusion from the workplace: embedding ICT skills within an undergraduate marketing programme, Ethics, ICT and Social Exclusion Conference, Bolton Institute, 8-9February

Hilliger, K and Roberts, S. (2001) Learning and Teaching Strategies for embedding key skills: reshaping a marketing programme, LSTN BEST Conference, Low Wood Hotel, Windemere, 3-5 April

Hilliger, K. (2006) Reflecting and acting upon action research: reshaping courses to incorporate graduate skills, Graduate School Conference in collaboration with The Centre for International Studies in Diversity and Participation. Social Research, Identity and Reflexivity, Canterbury Christ Church University.

I am currently Subject Chair for Christ Church Business School partnerships in the UK and internationally.  As well as being an External Examiner and External Quality Advisor for a university in the United Kingdom.   I am also a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) and member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM), for whom I have been an examiner for the professional qualifications.    Have conducted book reviews, the most recent being for the textbook entitled Essential Study and Employment Skills for Business and Management Students (2022) by Kevin Gallagher. I am an active member of the Parents And Friends’ Association for Ashford School. My knowledge exchange activities relate to the provision of guidance to an international logistics SME in Kent on a range of issues: social media marketing strategy, management approaches to job satisfaction and policy and organisational design, and website testing.