Victoria announces new strategic appointments   11 Aug 2014

Victoria University of Wellington has announced the appointment of New Zealand’s first Provost, Professor Neil Quigley.

“This is the first of a number of strategic leadership appointments at Victoria that signal a change in the way the University operates,” Vice-Chancellor Professor Grant Guilford says.

The role of Provost, increasingly used in top universities elsewhere in the world, will be responsible for ensuring Victoria’s teaching and research programmes are of high quality, unified and relevant to both domestic and international communities. At the heart of the role is the University’s commitment to ensuring student learning is enriched by innovative research.

“Appointing someone of Professor Quigley’s calibre to this high-profile role is a key step in achieving our vision of being a leading capital city university and one of the world’s great civic universities.”

Professor Quigley will take up the role of Provost from 1 October. Professor Quigley has been a senior leader at Victoria for the past 17 years, most recently as the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research).

Professor Guilford also outlined further changes to the University’s leadership structure, in keeping with its goals and the Tertiary Education Strategy.

“A Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Maori) role has been created. This is the most senior Maori role in any university and recognises the importance to Victoria of the Treaty of Waitangi and our partnership with tangata whenua.

“In addition, the reporting line of New Zealand’s first and only Assistant Vice-Chancellor (Pasifika) has been elevated to the Provost, reflecting Victoria’s commitment to Pasifika communities. We have also appointed New Zealand’s first Assistant Vice-Chancellor (Sustainability) underscoring the importance of sustainability to New Zealand’s future. This role will be responsible for leading a University-wide programme on sustainability, resilience and natural capital.

“Lastly, we are currently recruiting for a Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Engagement), a role which will be central to developing partnerships with our communities. It is through these partnerships that we will be able to achieve our ambitious plans as a civic university.”

ENDS

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