End Of An Era
20 September 2011
Chris Hughes has taken over as Chair of the University's Governing Council from Dianne Jeffrey, after her nine years in the role.
Former Chair of the University's Governing Council, Dianne Jeffrey.
The University of Derby begins its new academic year with a different face at the helm of the Governing Council.
Connected talks to its outgoing Chair, Dianne Jeffrey, about her busy nine years in the post and to her successor, Chris Hughes, about his vision for the future.
After nine years as Chair of the Governing Council, calmly helping steer the University through an unprecedented series of changes, it's surprising to hear that Diane Jeffrey was a bit nervous on first arriving here.
"I was chairman of an NHS Trust in North Derbyshire when I heard the University was looking for Governing Council members," she says. "I was persuaded to apply and came for an interview, and I remember being quite nervous.
"I became a council member in 1999 and then, in 2002, I took over from my predecessor Alan Woods as Chairman."
Changing times
Having in turn now handed over the role of Chair to fellow Governing Council member Chris Hughes, Dianne admits she's surprised both by the speed with which her tenure has flown past and just how much has been accomplished during it.
"The pace of change has been quite astonishing," she adds," and it's happened on a number of different levels. There are six times as many applications from students now compared to when I became Chair.
"Students are at the heart of everything we do. The Governing Council and the students are well supported by a Students' Union Sabbatical Team, which is of a very high calibre.
"Our sports facilities provision is magnificent. The Derby Campus sites are greatly improved and we are making major strides at the Buxton Campus.
"On the staff side the University has come on a great deal. It is a place people genuinely want to work at, as I think is shown by the reductions in the levels of staff turnover and sickness absence.
"And those responsible for the University's governance have also changed.
"There was a time when the Governing Council and the Academic Board, although both working towards the University's good, were travelling on parallel paths. Now we work together much more closely and are introducing regular sessions without agendas, where we can explore in depth those issues we don't always have time to discuss at our more formal sessions."
Key appointment
Dianne has no doubt as to the key to Derby's success over the last seven years.
She says: "The best thing we ever did was to appoint Professor John Coyne as Vice-Chancellor. He was the right man at the right time and he knew it. When he came to be interviewed for the post I don't think he ever countenanced not getting it."
Modestly, she believes it is now time for her to step aside to allow another 'right man' to take up the Chair of Governing Council post.
Dianne adds: "It is going to be a different world for the University, especially from 2012 (when the higher education fees structure changes). I'd never say that I had it easy during my tenure but the future is going to require a lot of nerve, not to mention marketing know-how, which Chris's skills are better suited to than mine."
This faith in her successor is hardly surprising, considering that Dianne originally recruited him to the University.
Successor's vision
Chris, a former Managing Director of the Ram FM and Trent radio stations, says: "I was at a health trusts conference when I met Dianne and she asked me if I was interested in becoming a member of the University's Governing Council.
"I had my interview and became a Council Member in 2002. I've been Chair of the Finance Committee and then Vice-Chair of Governing Council. I was in Turkey bird-watching when Dianne called me with the news that I had been successful in my application to takeover from her as Chair.
"Like Dianne I have a very clear vision of my role and the University's need to always put its students first.
"I am passionate about seeing the University grow whilst continuing to be inclusive, offering opportunities for everybody, and that it continually strives to improve the quality of everything it does. I look forward to leading the Council in these changing times as the University of Derby goes from strength to strength."
