Academic Portfolio — alanjenks.com
Educator. Researcher.
Institutional Leader.
Teaching that ignites curiosity. Research that advances practice. Governance that shapes institutions.
Three pillars of academic leadership
My work sits at the intersection of teaching excellence, institutional governance, and evidence-based research. Each dimension informs and strengthens the others.
Narrative pedagogy, active learning, and scaffolded assessment — a student-centred philosophy built on 20+ years of real-world clinical experience brought into the classroom.
Teaching Portfolio →Vice-Chair of the University Senate and Faculty of Global & Community Studies — shaping institutional policy, mentoring committee chairs, and overseeing a $33M operating budget.
Governance Record →PhD from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. Lead researcher on the BACE-C international cohort study. Published in European Spine Journal, JOSPT, and Rehabilitation Psychology.
Research Portfolio →Clinician, scholar, institution builder
My path into academia began in practice. After two decades as a chiropractor — running multidisciplinary clinics, directing an international applied kinesiology education organisation across six countries, and building a body of research that would become my PhD thesis — I arrived at the university classroom with something many academics don’t have: a deep reservoir of clinical stories.
I completed my PhD at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam in December 2025, where I led the BACE-C study — a prospective multi-centre international cohort examining the clinical course and management of low back pain in older adults. The work spans treatment outcomes, healthcare utilisation, and costs across multiple countries and jurisdictions.
At Capilano University I teach in the School of Kinesiology, serve as Vice-Chair of the University Senate, and chair the Graduate Studies Committee. I believe deeply that faculty members owe their institution more than their teaching hours — and that the best universities are built by people who show up for governance as seriously as they show up for class.
Teaching philosophy & approach
A student-centred, narrative-driven approach to health sciences education — built on clinical experience, scholarly reflection, and a genuine belief that learning should be transformative.
- Narrative Pedagogy — Every class begins with a story or personal anecdote that bridges abstract concepts and real-world relevance
- Active & Integrated Learning — Lectures and labs as two halves of one experience, with hands-on exploration preceding and reinforcing theory
- Scaffolded Assessment — Final projects with multiple check-ins so students understand how they are improving, not just what grade they received
- Scholarship of Teaching & Learning — Active participation in SoTL workshops and the Centre for Teaching and Learning
- Safe Learning Environment — Real-time formative assessment, active listening, and a classroom where every student feels supported
- Lifelong Learning as Modelling — Curiosity and discovery demonstrated every day in how I teach
Courses taught & curriculum leadership
Four courses per semester, 200+ students annually. Created three new kinesiology courses, revised five, standardised two — driving a 23% increase in student evaluations. Contributed to launching the Bachelor of Kinesiology program and developing a minor.
Motor Control & Behaviour · Functional Anatomy · Lab Techniques in Exercise Physiology
Applied Health Sciences · Community Health & Wellbeing · Kinesiology · Disability and Rehabilitation Studies · Motor Control Behaviour · Functional Anatomy · Health Promotion · Research Methods
Institutional citizenship & academic leadership
Capilano University operates a bicameral governance model. As Vice-Chair of Senate I participate across all subcommittees, mentor committee chairs, and maintain cross-institutional visibility — shaping academic policy at the highest level.
Leadership for 50+ faculty and staff. Oversees $33M operational budget. Participates across all Senate subcommittees. Mentors committee chairs. Leads Envisioning 2030 and Illuminating 2030 strategies. Member, Senate Budget Subcommittee ($41M portfolio).
Co-leads planning for 50+ faculty and staff. Academic planning for 1,100+ students. Introduced three new initiatives improving student success. Reduced assessment review times by 15%. Fiscal efficiency improved 12%.
Chairs nine meetings annually. Represents 7,000 learners as voting Senate member. Graduate protocol reviews with 95–100% compliance. Standardised program requirements across curricula.
Oversight of research ethics protocols and compliance frameworks across the university’s research portfolio.
Directed 13-member board across six countries. Oversaw 100+ certification exams. Conferences with 300+ attendees. 37% improvement in examiner consistency and accuracy.
Active engagement in SoTL, contributing to institutional curriculum quality and pedagogical development.
Publications, presentations & funded research
PhD at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam under Dr. Sidney Rubinstein, Dr. Trynke Hoekstra, and Prof. Maurits Van Tulder. Lead researcher — BACE-C international cohort study.
Peer-Reviewed Publications
-
European Spine Journal · 2022Spinal manipulative therapy in older adults with chronic low back pain: An individual participant data meta-analysisdoi:10.1007/s00586-022-07210-1 →
-
Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy · 2022Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire, Oswestry Disability Index, Quebec Back Pain Disability Scale: Which has better validity and reliability in Older Adults with Low Back Pain?doi:10.2519/jospt.2022.10802 →
-
Rehabilitation Psychology · 2021Psychological interventions for reducing fear-avoidant beliefs among people with chronic back paindoi:10.1037/rep0000394 →
-
Chiropractic & Manual Therapies · 2020Back complaints in the elders – chiropractic (BACE-C): protocol of an international cohort study of older adults with low back pain seeking chiropractic caredoi:10.1186/s12998-020-00302-z →
Awards & Presentations
Peer Review — Journals Served
Strength and Conditioning Journal · Journal of Aging and Physical Activity · Chiropractic and Manual Therapies · Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics · BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders
Inclusiveness & Indigenous Reconciliation
I believe that a university classroom is not a neutral space — it is shaped by the histories, assumptions, and structures we bring into it. As an educator in British Columbia, I have a responsibility to ensure my teaching acknowledges and honours the Indigenous peoples on whose unceded territories we learn and work.
This commitment is not ceremonial. It shows up in how I design curricula, whose knowledge I centre, whose stories I tell, and how I create conditions where every student experiences the classroom as a place built with them in mind.
- Integrating Indigenous perspectives and epistemologies into health sciences curricula
- Centring diverse voices and lived experience alongside peer-reviewed evidence
- Creating inclusive assessment practices that recognise different ways of knowing
- Active participation in institutional reconciliation frameworks and policies
- Building a classroom culture where every student’s identity is an asset, not an obstacle
Download the full CV
A complete record of qualifications, teaching, governance, research, publications, and professional memberships — ready for faculty applications.
Enquiries & collaborations
Whether you’re a hiring committee, a prospective research collaborator, a student, or a colleague — I’d be glad to hear from you.