Universities take baby steps towards diversity

Cara Aitchison 

Cara Aitchison is vice-chancellor of St Mark & St John University in Plymouth 

The Guardian - Thursday 3 September 2015 

Since its foundation in 1583, there have been only 33 principals of the University of Edinburgh. Oxford University, on the other hand, has installed nearly 300 vice-chancellors in almost 800 years. But while the post-holders of the top job in Scotland’s and England’s top universities might differ in number, they share in common one salient fact: all 300-plus have been men.
But now, at last, there is a growing list of UK universities which have recently announced the appointment of their first female vice-chancellor, including the University of Oxford, where professor Louise Richardson will take up the post in 2016.
Higher education is an increasingly crowded, commercialised and competitive global market, and the sector is undoubtedly entering an era of greater diversity. The leadership skills required by vice-chancellors are more varied than ever, and the relationships between vice-chancellor, board of governors (university court in Scotland) and internal and external stakeholders are complex.
Steps towards diversity
The concern about the lack of diversity in choosing vice-chancellors is now mirrored by fears that the lack of diversity on university boards may stifle innovation and hinder the development of the ethical and sustainable relationships required to deliver successful global businesses.

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