High Wycombe: Buckinghamshire New University vice chancellor elected as honorary president of AUA
Professor Ruth Farwell, vice chancellor of Buckinghamshire New University, has been elected as the new honorary president of the Association of University Administrators (AUA).
The AUA is a membership body that exists to advance and promote the professional recognition and development of all who work in professional services roles in higher education, and to be an authoritative advocate and champion for the sector.
Farwell’s role with AUA commenced on August 1 and will last for a period of two years.
She said of the appointment: “It is with great pleasure that I have accepted this role, and I am looking forward to being involved with a well-established, exciting and dynamic organisation which encourages its members to strive for excellence and to develop and enhance their knowledge and skills.
“I hold in high regard what the AUA does for its members and their development. When I describe the importance of staff networking with colleagues from other universities and sharing good practice, then I don’t just think of academics. These principles are important for all staff in universities and AUA plays an important role in delivering them.”
Farwell, who will retire as vice chancellor of Bucks in early 2015, is also an executive member of the HE representative body, GuildHE, having served two terms of office as chair, and is a board member of the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE). She has also served on the board of the Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA), and is a member of the London Mathematical Society and the Higher Education Academy.
Tessa Harrison, Association of University Administrators chair, said: “We are delighted that Ruth has agreed to be the next honorary president. Her experience makes her the ideal candidate to provide us with positive advocacy at a time when the Association is refreshing its strategy and building on its already-strong reputation and standing in the HE sector.”
