LONDON, March 30 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news:
Ruth Hannant and Polly Payne have been appointed as the first joint Chief Executives of the Office for Students (OfS).
The pair will lead thehigher education regulatorin protecting students' interests andmaintainingquality across the sector.
Ruth Hannant and Polly Paynebring extensive senior experiencefromacross government,sharingpreviousrolesas Directors General attheDepartment for Culture Media and Sportand DepartmentforTransport, aswell asDirectors of Higher Education at the Department for Education.
They have been appointed to a single Chief Executive role as a job-share partnership, reflecting their proventrack recordofdeliveringtogetherover the last 16 years.
Their appointment, following an open recruitment process, will take effect from15June.They will work closely with the Office for StudentsBoard and thehigher educationsector to deliver the regulator's priorities over the next four years.
To ensure continuity, Josh Fleming- the current Director of Strategy and Delivery at theOfS- will serve as Interim Chief Executive from 1 April,following the departure offormer Chief Executive,Susan Lapworth.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said:
This is a crucial moment for higher education, with universities facing real financial pressures and students needing confidence thattheir courses willhave the quality toequip them for the future.
Ruth and Polly bring the experience needed to lead a strong, effective regulator that holds the sector tohigh standards and delivers for students.
Their leadership will enable the Office for Students to continue its work to protect students' interests and support a stable, world-leading sector.
Chief Executives of the Office for Students, Ruth Hannant and Polly Payne, said:
It is a great privilege to be appointed as Chief Executive of the Office for Students having been part of its journey at the outset.
The Office for Students and its independent regulationplaysa crucial role in ensuring those from all backgrounds canbenefitfrom high quality higher education.
We look forward to working collaboratively with colleagues across the higher education and skills system to deliver for students.
The Office for Students is the independent regulator of higher education in England, responsible for ensuring students from all backgrounds receive high-quality education and value for money.
In recent years, the government has refocused the efforts of the Office for Students towards monitoring the financial sustainability of universities, to help create a secure future for our world-leading sector.
Chair of the Office for Students, Edward Peck, said:
I am delighted that Polly and Ruth are bringing their extensive experience andexpertiseto the leadership of theOfSas we continue our journey towards becoming an exemplary regulator of higher education.
TheOfSBoard and I look forward to working with them as we pursue our strategy focused on being ambitious for students, collaborative with education providers and sector agencies, vigilant about the use of public money and vocal about both the strengths and weaknesses of English higher education.
Disclaimer: Curated by HT Syndication.
