Rachel Bynoth
News
Nurturing home-grown talent at BSU
Tuesday, 7 January, 2025Bath Spa University has a reputation for home-grown talent, with students often staying on to pursue further study or securing roles within the wider University. With a community of 13,000 students and 1,100 staff, many of the people who make BSU what it is today are alumni themselves.
Rachel Bynoth is the perfect example of BSU’s commitment to creating a community unlike any other. Often referred to by students as their ‘home from home’, the University’s comfortable and inclusive culture has drawn graduates back to its grounds since it was founded in the 1940s.
We caught up with Rachel, whose career journey has been tied up in BSU since she began her undergraduate degree in 2011.
Rachel is a Senior Lecturer in Design (Historical and Critical Studies) and has experienced many facets of the University. She has worked across SU as a Representation and Advice Co-ordinator, in the wider University as a Library Helper, a Resident Tutor, and alongside the Accommodation and Security Teams.
After graduating with a BA (Hons) History, Rachel went on to study for her MA, monopolising Bath’s rich history and connections to Jane Austen with a course on Jane Austen’s England.
Discussing her early work across the University, Rachel said:
“Working at the SU was such a fun and fulfilling role. I worked with students, empowering them to represent their courses, and with Sabbatical Officers to enact further change.”
After completing her PhD, Rachel began teaching on undergraduate modules, eventually developing content and module structures leading to her current role.
Her time at BSU has opened doors to the publishing industry, and Rachel has seen work from her MA and other offshoots from her PhD in print. Now in the early stages of preparing her PhD to be turned into a book, she credits the opportunities available at BSU for building her success.
With early ambitions to become a lecturer, the University offered opportunities to teach throughout Rachel’s PhD, both as an Associate Lecturer and on a first-year history module.
Discussing these opportunities, Rachel said:
“I loved it so much and I was able to integrate some of my PhD research directly into the module, which offered such a rewarding perspective on my work from the students. I haven’t stopped teaching since and now here I am!”
She continued:
“This role has enabled me to develop my leadership skills. I’ve just completed my PGCHE and I’m so grateful to have had the chance to consider my teaching practice in more depth. I have certainly had the full graduate experience here at BSU!”
Interested in pursuing a career at Bath Spa University? Take a look at our current vacancies and join the BSU community.