Michael Farthing
Vice-Chancellor
Strong leadership and teamwork across the University will be key to a positive future for Sussex.
I know that we are seeing good team working between all parts of the professional services, with central teams, Strategy and Operations Managers and staff in the schools coming together to sort issues and find best ways of working. I believe that this cross-University working will prove to be one of the key benefits of change.
Just as our new students are getting used to life at Sussex, I am aware that we have many staff in new roles across the new schools, dealing with tasks and processes for the first time.
With such a degree of change in creating the new schools, this was inevitable. The fact that we have been able to provide a strong welcome and a positive start to the year for record numbers of students is testament the hard work of staff. I want to record my thanks for all these efforts.
As our new heads of school, likewise, find their feet at Sussex they of course have a significant task ahead: the development of academic plans that will provide the growth and the cost savings needed for a secure and positive future.
The professional and trading services are likewise developing plans to ensure good value for money and effective support for the academic mission. And, helping to take this work forward, we will very soon be welcoming our new Registrar and Secretary, John Duffy, to head the professional services.
I know that John is keen to get to know colleagues at Sussex. He is already engaging with senior colleagues – and, when he formally arrives with us, he wants to get out and about across campus.
As Registrar, John will be part of my executive team. That team will soon also include a Pro-Vice-Chancellor (International) for the first time, with Professor Chris Marlin joining us in late November from Flinders University in Australia. This is a significant new role for Sussex, which signals the importance of looking internationally and of delivering our internationalisation strategy.
This third Pro-Vice-Chancellor role will also provide additional leadership support for Sussex, with each PVC working with heads of school across the arts, social sciences and sciences. And our executive meetings with heads of school collectively are already proving helpful – again part of the gains of the new system.
It is through good teamwork and positive leadership that we will make progress. In our new schools the senior management teams are shaping up, with directors and heads of department working with new heads of school.
We are strengthening leadership at Sussex with our leadership development programme, continuing across both academic and professional services.
We will also saying a sad farewell in the new year to Professor Joanne Wright who, in just three years as Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Education), has been responsible for significant change and development at Sussex – across the curriculum and the student experience.
I am keen that we are able to replace her with someone who will play an equally strong and dynamic role as the University develops for the future.
Finally, I hope that the open meetings with staff in November will provide an opportunity for looking forward together to the work that lies ahead.