Karen Stephenson

Karen Stephenson joined Birmingham City University in June 2016, as University Secretary.

As University Secretary Karen is responsible for all matters of governance, and legal and statutory compliance. She is also Clerk to the Board of Governors and Company Secretary to a number of subsidiary companies. The post has line management for the Governance Team, the Legal & Compliance Team including Equality Diversity & Inclusion, Insurance and DPA/FoI, and the UKVI Team. Karen also has institutional responsibility for compliance with the Prevent Duty, along with being the University lead for University Strategy, the OFS (Office for Students), Business Continuity and Student Mental Health.

Karen is a qualified solicitor with particular expertise in higher education corporate governance and all issues that arise out of the institutional relationship with students.

Immediately prior to joining the University, Karen spent seven years as an external legal adviser in private practice advising a number of HEIs on issues involving corporate governance, strategic management (including faculty, department and course restructuring) and Board matters. She also advised on all aspects of the student/university relationship and management of complex student litigation.

Prior to that she spent 15 years at London South Bank University; nine years as the University Secretary and Principal Solicitor and the previous six years as an Academic Lecturer in Law.

Karen is the sub-editor for the higher and further education section of the Education Law Journal writing regularly on strategic management issues.

Karen is a member of the Law Society and AHUA (the Association of Heads of University Administration).