Katherine Noren, Supernumerary Fellow at Exeter College and Co-Director of Student Welfare and Support Services at the University of Oxford, has been awarded the Vice-Chancellor’s Support for Students Award in recognition of her outstanding contribution to student development and wellbeing.
The award celebrates colleagues who have made a significant impact on the student experience across the University. Katherine was recognised for her leadership in creating streamlined and effective welfare support services, as well as for championing inclusive disability advocacy and trauma-informed, survivor-centred responses to harassment and violence.
Katherine became a Supernumerary Fellow of Exeter College in 2022 and has worked in student support within Higher Education for more than twenty years. As Co-Director of Student Welfare and Support Services, she has played a leading role in strengthening the support available to students across Oxford and helping to ensure that welfare provision remains accessible, inclusive, and responsive to students’ needs.
With academic backgrounds in Health & Community Development and Psychology, Katherine has also worked in NHS primary care settings, supporting people experiencing a wide range of mental health difficulties. Her extensive experience has informed an approach that places student wellbeing, accessibility, and inclusion at its centre.
Speaking about the award, Katherine said: “It’s truly wonderful for our work in SWSS to receive this recognition. I am also tremendously grateful for the opportunity to benefit from my Supernumerary Fellowship with Exeter, which has provided me with a unique insight into College life over recent years. That perspective has been immensely valuable in my work on University policy and strategy, so in many ways this Vice-Chancellor’s Award is due in part to Exeter as well.”
The Vice-Chancellor’s Awards recognise exceptional achievements by staff across the collegiate University, celebrating excellence, innovation, and impact in support of Oxford’s core mission.
Further information about the Vice-Chancellor’s Awards can be found here.
