It has just been announced that Professor Dame Julia Goodfellow, Vice Chancellor of the University of Kent, is to be the next President of Universities UK. She won an election contested by Colin Riodan (Cardiff) and Simon Gaskell (Queen Mary University of London). Unusually for this election, the names of the candidates in the running leaked to the press when the process began. Candidates are usually common knowledge on the sector’s lively gossip circuit, however this election had a greater degree of visibility than normal.
This is an interesting development for HE sector kremlinologists.
Firstly, Julia Goodfellow will be the first ever woman to hold this post. Since 1918, the Presidency has been held by men despite there having been numerous women vice chancellors over the years – albeit very much in the minority. She was also the first ever woman CEO of a research council when she took over BBSRC, making this the second highly visible sector glass ceiling that Dame Julia has broken – and there are probably others we don’t know about.
Secondly, The University of Kent is not in the Russell Group and Dame Julia will be the third consecutive UUK President not to hail from the Russell Group following Chris Snowden (Surrey) and Steve Smith (Exeter) who was the first since Ivor Crewe (Essex) – although Exeter is of course now a member of the Russell Group.
Internal critics of UUK often point to Russell Group dominance of positions and agendas inside the representative body. Now with three consecutive Presidents that are not from the Russell Group, it is possible that this tide of opinion might change. Although Surrey and Kent are not a million miles away in approach or agenda from some of the Russell Group, sitting in the now defunct ‘1994 Group’ taxonomy of UUK institution (and Exeter was 1994 Group and now is in the Russell Group). It will however likely be several more years before the head of an alternative provider or specialist institution holds the top job.
Now for the most important thing. Dame Julia will hold the Presidency in one of the most critical moments facing UK higher education in modern history. Over her two years in office she will face a far ranging spending review, the possibility of major new HE legislation, possibility of fee cap shifting up, down or disappearing altogether, a possible EU referendum, (I’m probably still missing things) all set against the backdrop of political instability, economic uncertainty and fundamental questions of the shape and design of the UK on the table.
Do not underestimate the importance of the role of UUK President in such discussions as they impact on HE – they are often called to high level negotiations with Government, sometimes at a moments notice, and often have to represent the sector through an incredibly complicated issues under significant political pressure – internal and external.
Running the ‘UK’s European University’ presents credibility and connections that will serve Dame Julia well if and when she is called to spearhead the sector campaign to stay in the EU, which should ramp up next year – it is quite likely that this weighed heavily on the elector’s minds.
Dame Julia’s experience running a research council will also be helpful in the spending review negotiations to come, and many will be depending on her political nous to steer her way through the high-stakes period ahead.
Professor Dame Julia Goodfellow begins her two year term of office from August 2015
