Rate My Professor Sally Ashton-Hay

Dr. Sally Ashton-Hay is an Adjunct Lecturer in the Centre for Teaching and Learning at Southern Cross University, where she supports students with learning strategies and serves as a Teacher Educator and Editor. Her career at the university includes roles as Lecturer (Teaching Scholar) in the Learning Experience Team, Office of the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Students), and managing Academic Skills in the Centre for Teaching and Learning. Previously, she taught at Queensland University of Technology and worked with the U.S. Department of State. Ashton-Hay holds a Doctor of Philosophy in ESL/EFL education from Queensland University of Technology, a Master of Education in TESOL from Queensland University of Technology, a Graduate Diploma of Education (Secondary), a Certificate of TESOL, and a Bachelor of Arts from Eckerd College.

Her research interests focus on academic language and learning, student success and retention, bilingual learning strategies for English as an Additional Language (EAL) students, ESL/EFL pedagogy, translanguaging practices, student voice in teaching improvement, and online academic skills support. Key publications include 'International student transitioning experiences: Student voice' (Journal of Academic Language and Learning, 2016), 'Preparing Chinese international business students for the transition to undergraduate study in Australia' (Journal of Research in International Education, 2015), 'Student success and retention: What's academic skills got to do with it?' (Journal of Academic Language and Learning, 2021), 'Just when I needed you most: Establishing on-demand learning support in a regional university' (Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 2020), 'Voices from the coalface: teaching in a highly diverse postgraduate tourism program' (Journal of Hospitality, Leisure, Sport & Tourism Education, 2019), 'How managers influence learning advisers’ work-integrated learning experiences' (Journal of Academic Language and Learning, 2023), 'Artificial intelligence and authorship editor policy: ChatGPT, Bard Bing AI, and beyond' (Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice, 2023), 'Using academic skills to improve teaching' (book chapter in Re-imagining Teaching Improvement, 2024), and 'Student Voice: Reviewing two decades of the literature to guide the next 20 years' (Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice, 2025). In 2022, she presented innovative bilingual teaching methods at a global forum. Ashton-Hay has held the position of Vice President of the Association for Academic Language and Learning (AALL).