Professor Karen Stanton takes up her position as the new Vice-Chancellor of Solent University today (Monday 3 February).
“I have already been really impressed by Solent’s strong and growing reputation, not only for teaching excellence, but for providing the skills, experience and real-world learning students need for their future success,” says Professor Stanton.
Speaking about the job ahead, she says, “I will be focusing on the next phase of the University’s development, building on the tremendous progress made so far.
“In creating the University’s new strategic plan, with its focus on Student Success, People Experience, Research Impact, Community Engagement and Environmental Sustainability, we will be forging new ways to achieve our mission and vision – delivering an exceptional student experience, supporting the regeneration and growth of our communities, and making a significant contribution to society as a whole.”
Professor Stanton joins Solent from her role as Vice-Chancellor at York St John University, where she has delivered clear strategic leadership, driving improvements in the student experience and student outcomes, and providing strong external representation and institutional sustainability.
Prior to that role, Professor Stanton was Deputy Vice-Chancellor at Glasgow Caledonian University and has also held positions at King’s College London and at the universities of Nottingham, Birmingham and Sheffield Hallam.
She is a Fellow of the RSA and until December 19 was Chair of the Cathedrals Group of Universities and Vice Chair of GuildHE. She is currently a member of UUK’s Taskforce on the Public Impact of Universities, a Patron of the Philosophical Society, the Island Charity for children from difficult backgrounds and the Guildhall Orchestra. She is an ambassador for the Social Enterprise Goldmark and has previously chaired the boards of various charities and foundations with a range of functions with a focus on widening access to higher education and social justice.
Her previous areas of responsibility have included Director of the Centre for e-Research, a globally ranked research team based at King’s College London, and international leadership positions at campuses in New York, Oman and Bangladesh and as a member of the United Nations Alliance-UK.
Professor Stanton gained her first degree in History from the University of Sheffield and her postgraduate qualification in Information Science from Manchester Metropolitan University.
