Rate My Professor Kristen Allen

Dr Kristen Allen serves as Convenor Enabling Pathways in the Pathways and Academic Learning Support Centre (Sociology) within the Engagement and Equity Division at the University of Newcastle, Australia, and Program Convenor for Open Foundation Newcastle. Her academic background includes a PhD in Sociology from the University of Newcastle completed in 2025, with the thesis "Re-imagining Success: Narratives of Enabling Students in Higher Education," which examines successes of enabling students beyond numerical data and advocates for a more inclusive redefinition of success in higher education. She also holds a Bachelor of Teaching/Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from the University of Newcastle. After her undergraduate studies, Allen taught English and Drama in secondary education before joining the university's Open Foundation program.

Since 2009, Allen has held progressive roles at the University of Newcastle, including Academic Advisor (2009-2010), Course Coordinator for Academic Literacies 1 and 2, Australian Culture and Society, and Introduction to Linguistics (2013-2019), Discipline Coordinator (Humanities) (2014-2015), Deputy Program Convenor (2016-2020), and Program Convenor (2020-present). She has coordinated 16 courses in Academic Literacies, Sociology, and Education, all achieving SFC/SFT/CES teaching scores above the university average. Allen's research specializations are enabling pathways, sociology of education, sociology, and tertiary education. Key publications include "Unravelling the Relationship Between Social Class and Multiple Aspects of Success in Higher Education: A Cross-Institutional Study" (Student Success, 2025, co-authored), "“When does hot become cold?”: Why we should be disrupting narrow and exclusive discourses of success in higher education" (International Studies in Widening Participation, 2020), and "Success from the perspective of the successful: equity, success and completion in higher education" (report, 2022, co-authored). She has received the Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Teaching Excellence and Contribution to Student Learning (2018), Academic Division Awards for Teaching Excellence and Health and Safety Excellence (2018), ELFSC Award for Excellence in Teaching and Learning in Enabling Programs (2015), and Runner-Up Best Presentation at the NAEEA Conference (2019). Allen is a member of the Teaching and Learning Committee (2015-present) and PALS Board (2017-present), and has presented at conferences including NAEEA (2019, 2015, Australia), Youth Studies (2019, Australia), and FABENZ (2018, New Zealand).