Sandra has been celebrated for her contributions to learning development and a career dedicated to widening access to higher education.
Date: 12 May 2026
Associate Professor Sandra Sinfield has been recognised for her services to higher education with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Association for Learning Development in Higher Education (ALDinHE).
Sandra started working at London Metropolitan University in 1990 as an Associate Lecturer and is now a University Teaching Fellow and Associate Teaching Professor at the Centre for Teaching Enhancement (CTE).
Her career has been dedicated to an unwavering commitment to educational justice and Sandra has championed students facing barriers to higher education.
On Sandra’s win, Professor Nona McDuff, Deputy Vice-Chancellor at London Met, said:
“At London Met, we’re incredibly proud of our staff’s dedication to changing lives through education, and Sandra’s work is a wonderful example of that. She has brought our social mission to life through her work in learning development, helping students flourish at university and approach their studies with confidence.
“Her contribution through the Centre for Teaching Enhancement has had a lasting impact on both our students and staff, and we are delighted to see her receive this well-deserved Lifetime Achievement Award.”
Sandra’s award not only recognised her long service at the University and across the sector but also celebrated a lifetime of values-led practice and impact that has helped shape learning development as a field.
Debbie Holley, Emerita Professor of Learning Innovation at Bournemouth University, has worked alongside Sandra on multiple projects and said:
“Sandra’s generosity as a collaborator is striking. She creates environments where ideas can flourish, where risk-taking feels safe, and where everyone involved is encouraged to contribute meaningfully.
“There is always a sense, when working with Sandra, that the work matters. Not just academically, but ethically and socially. Her influence extends far beyond any single project.”
Her impact can be seen across learning development scholarship, widening participation, staff development and mentoring, and in the successes of countless students and colleagues.
She is the co-author of Teaching, Learning and Study Skills: A Guide for Tutors and Essential Study Skills: The Complete Guide to Success at University (5th edition) and is one of the co-founders of ALDinHE.
Reflecting on her career so far and her recent award win, Sandra said:
"My work at London Met and beyond has always been driven by a passion for widening access to higher education and celebrating the brilliance of students whose voices have too often been unheard or side-lined. For me, learning development is a joyful, rigorous field — one that asks how we can best support students not just to succeed, but to thrive, belong, and transform their worlds.
“It is an honour to receive this award and it stands testimony to the inspirational friends, colleagues and students I have been privileged to work with. Thank you all, especially the wonderful Tom Burns and the amazing Sandra Abegglen with whom I have worked, laughed and written for many years.”
Sandra Sinfield (pictured) started working at the University in 1990 as an Associate Lecturer and is now a University Teaching Fellow and Associate Teaching Professor in the Centre for Teaching Enhancement (CTE). Sandra advances the work of the Centre through providing expert, research-informed leadership and support in the design and delivery of innovative and creative staff professional development in teaching, learning, assessment and curriculum development, and pedagogical research and publication.