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Transparency, openness and consultation will underpin Liverpool Hope University’s efforts to appoint a new Vice-Chancellor, the institution’s Council has confirmed.

In January this year Professor Gerald Pillay, Hope’s Vice-Chancellor and Rector, announced plans to retire at the end of 2022. 

In a letter to the entire Hope family, Professor Pillay thanked the University community for its ‘support and collegiality over these many years’. 

professor pillay speaking at foundation day 2022

(Professor Pillay, speaking at Foundation Day 2022, above)

 

And Revd Canon Peter Winn, Chair of University Council at Hope, says that same community spirit is being kept firmly in mind as the process to install a new Vice-Chancellor now begins in earnest. 

He explains: “This isn’t a case of a new Vice-Chancellor being scouted for and appointed behind closed doors - far from it. 

“And both I and the wider Council would like to assure everyone at Hope that you will not be kept in the dark. 

“An extensive consultation process will begin in May involving all university stakeholders - which includes staff, students and outside organisations. 

“This is a chance for everyone to have their say, to celebrate what makes Hope so unique, and to form a definitive plan for what we want to achieve in the future.”

That consultation process will include a specially-created ‘microsite’ - an online portal that exists separately from the main Hope website - where stakeholders can share their thoughts or voice their concerns. 

There will also be face-to-face meetings on campus, where the Hope community will be invited to come and provide their input.

When that consultation process is completed, a detailed person specification and job description will be created.

And then it’s the role of an executive search agency to go out and scour the entire globe for suitable candidates. 

A shortlist of up to 20 applicants will be invited to Hope learn more about the University and its distinct ethos. 

And the University is aiming to make an appointment by September of this year, by way of a special Council Selection Committee, which includes a wide range of people from the Hope community, including student representation, university academics, and a Vice-Chancellor from another local university. 

Revd Winn adds: “While there’s obviously sadness about one era coming to end, there is also great excitement about the new phase that’s about to begin. 

Peter Winn speaking at foundation day 2022

(Revd Peter Winn, speaking at Foundation Day 2022, above)

 

“The Council is really optimistic that because of the stuttering two years we’ve endured thanks to the global pandemic, we’re going to find great candidates who have lots of pent-up energy and enthusiasm, and who are ready to take on new challenges. 

“The new Vice-Chancellor will inherit something very special here at Hope, and will build on the fantastic work and the great platform that Professor Pillay will leave behind.”


Published on 01/04/2022