Wilko Luebsen is an experienced higher education professional with over 10 years of expertise in evaluation, student engagement, equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI), learning and teaching, and applied research.
As Evaluation and Insights Lead within the Centre for Equity and Inclusion, he leads the development of institutional evaluation and evidence frameworks that help measure the impact of initiatives across the student lifecycle. His work focuses on enabling evidence-informed decision-making and supporting continuous improvement through the effective use of data and insights.
Wilko provides specialist advice on evaluation, research design, EDI data, dashboard development, and institutional reporting. He has contributed to a wide range of strategic initiatives, including the Access and Participation Plan, Charter Mark work, regulatory requirements, and organisational change projects.
Before joining the Centre in 2020, Wilko worked at London Metropolitan University, where he led the evaluation of the University's flagship Upward Bound widening participation programme and established the PASS (Peer-Assisted Student Success) Scheme.
He has also been actively involved in sector-wide student engagement initiatives, including the national REACT project (2015-2017). For over five years, he convened the Research and Evaluation Special Interest Group for RAISE (Researching, Advancing and Inspiring Student Engagement) and has co-authored several publications on student engagement, evaluation, and higher education practice.
Areas of Expertise: Evaluation and Impact Assessment | EDI | Student Engagement | Access and Participation | Learning and Teaching | Data Analytics and Insights | Institutional Research and Strategy
Publications
Luebsen, W., Sum, K., Lean, J., & Sims, S. (2024). RAISE Special Interest Groups (Early Career Researchers and Research & Evaluation) Collaboration: A Case Study. In Student Engagement in Higher Education: Investigating and Enhancing Practice.
Sum, K., Lean, J., Luebsen, W., & Sims, S. (2024). “Where do we belong?” Collaborative insights from RAISE Special Interest Groups' (Early Careers and Research Evaluation) Writing Project. Student Engagement in Higher Education Journal, Special Issue.
Sum, K., Lean, J., Luebsen, W., & Sims, S. (2024). Q&As: A Conversation with the Editors. Student Engagement in Higher Education Journal, Special Issue.
Warren, D., Luebsen, W., Lowe, T., et al. (2020). Students as Partners and Peer Coaches in Student Engagement. In A Handbook for Student Engagement in Higher Education: Theory into Practice. Routledge.
Sims, S., Luebsen, W., et al. (2017). Exploring the Role of Co-Curricular Student Engagement in Relation to Student Retention, Attainment and Improving Inclusivity. The Journal of Educational Innovation, Partnership and Change, 3(1).
Warren, D., & Luebsen, W. (2017). ‘Getting into the Flow of University’: A Coaching Approach to Student Peer Support. The Journal of Educational Innovation, Partnership and Change, 3(1).
Dunne, E., Sims, S., Luebsen, W., et al. (2017). Realising Engagement through Active Culture Transformation: An Introduction to the REACT Programme. Journal of Educational Innovation, Partnership and Change, 3(1).
Lowe, T., Dunne, E., Sims, S., & Luebsen, W. (2017). Structured Peer Feedback Between Universities: Learning from the REACT Project. Educational Developments, 18(1).