Leeds Beckett and York St John v-cs to retire

Susan Price, vice-chancellor of the recently renamed Leeds Beckett University (formerly Leeds Metropolitan University), will retire at the end of September 2015, having led the institution since 2010.

She said it had been “an honour and a privilege to lead the university through such an exciting chapter in our development”. 

“Our continued transformation is testament to the commitment and dedication of colleagues across the university, and I’m extremely proud that we have been able to achieve such significant success during my tenure, with strong student recruitment, quality outcomes and financial results.”

The interim chair of Leeds Beckett’s board of governors, Steven Webb, said: “The contribution Professor Price has made to this institution cannot be emphasised enough and, on behalf of the board, I would like to offer her our thanks for the significant role she has played in ensuring Leeds Beckett’s bright future.”

Meanwhile, York St John University’s vice-chancellor David Fleming has announced that he will also retire at the end of next September, due to ill health.

Professor Fleming, who also joined the university in 2010, has for some time been managing a chronic kidney illness and his consultant has advised him to retire.

The university has grown considerably under his tenure and has invested heavily in its campus while seeing significant improvement in its student achievement and retention.

Professor Fleming said: “I have been privileged to work with a high-achieving community comprising talented and committed students and staff. I am enormously proud of everything that has been achieved.”

Ann Green, chair of the university’s board, said: “My colleagues, past and present, are immensely appreciative of David’s leadership and insight, as well as for the ambitious developments which he and his team have overseen so successfully.

“We look forward with great optimism but we, along with many others, will be extremely sorry to see him go.”

paul.jump@tesglobal.com