Alexandra was Vice-Chancellor of Manchester Metropolitan University from 1997-2005. She now chairs the Education Honours Committee and is the first independent Chair of the British Council's Education-UK Partnership.
Other academic appointments include Deputy Chair of the National Learning and Skills Council, Chair of UKCOSA, Chair of the National Quality Assurance Framework Review Group for HE and member of the HEFCE Quality Assurance and Learning and Teaching Committee. She was High Sheriff for the County of Greater Manchester for 2006/07.
