Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor appointments confirmed

Three Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor (APVC) appointments have been confirmed.

APVC is the new name for our former Dean titles, with the exception of Henley Business School’s Dean and Pro-Deans, which remain.

The APVC role holders have responsibility in specific strategic areas, such as research and improving our institutional approaches to workloads and teaching for the benefit of staff and students.

Professor Suzanne Gray in Meteorology has been named APVC Research (Environment). This role replaces the former Research Dean position vacated by Professor Rowan Sutton this summer.

Suzanne is a researcher in weather and storms and will continue with this work alongside her APVC position. She takes on the role as a job share with Professor Tom Oliver, supporting our varied environmental researchers and offering strategic direction to this renowned area of research at Reading.

She is appointed on a four-year term until 31 July 2028.

Professor Carmel Houston-Price will take on APVC Academic Workload alongside her Head of School role for Psychology and Clinical Language Studies.

This new 0.2 FTE position will support the development and implementation of a new model aiming to improve management of workloads for academic colleagues.

Carmel will support Professor Dominik Zaum, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Academic Planning and Resource), who previously was not supported in the same way as other Pro-Vice-Chancellors.

Professor Alan Howard has been made APVC Quality Assurance alongside his academic role in Geography and Environmental Science.

This new 0.2 FTE position will provide advice and support to leadership on practices and risks in teaching and learning at the University.

Alan has experience in this area as an external expert for UK higher education organisation the Quality Assurance Agency, as a quality assessor for the Office for Students, and as co-chair of the University Programme Board.

Improving staff and student experience

All three colleagues start their new roles at the beginning of October 2024.

Professor Robert Van de Noort, Vice-Chancellor, said: “Congratulations to all three colleagues on their new roles. Their experience and insight in these specific key areas will be invaluable.

“Most importantly, all three roles will help enhance the working experience of our colleagues, as well as our high standards of teaching so Reading remains an attractive option for students.”

No appointment was made for the fourth APVC role advertised internally in July – APVC Global Engagement (China) – and next steps are now being discussed for this.