Principal’s Office – staffing update

Dear Colleagues

I’m writing to let you know about a number of changes that will be taking place in personnel in the Principal’s Office over the next couple of years; and also to alert you to posts that will be coming up within the wider ambit of the Principal’s Office.

Master and Deputy Principal

Professor Garry Taylor will be demitting office as Master and Deputy Principal at the end of January 2019, having served in this office for five years. Garry has been an outstanding Master and Deputy Principal, and of course his period of office has included the nine months in which he served as acting Principal and Vice-Chancellor. Garry will move into a much deserved period of research leave when his period of office completes.

‌The role of Master and Deputy Principal will be assumed by Professor Lorna Milne, currently Proctor and Senior Vice-Principal. Lorna will take up office in December 2018 in a shadowing capacity, so as to overlap with Garry for a good period of hand-over before taking up the role substantively at the start of February 2019.

Vice-Principal Education (Proctor)

Lorna has been Proctor since July 2011 and she has made a superlative and sustained contribution to this important role. Lorna will be standing down from her role as Proctor at the end of May 2018 to undertake a period of research leave before she comes back as Master and Deputy Principal. With effect from 1 June 2018 the title of the Proctor role will change to Vice-Principal Education (Proctor), a title more comprehensible outwith St Andrews, which can be important, but retaining the Proctor designation for use within the university.

‌The initial appointment in this role will be an interim one. Professor Paul Hibbert, the current Dean of Arts and Divinity, will take on the role for a one year period, from June 2018. We are very grateful to Paul for taking this on, and know that he will bring his experience and wide knowledge of the University to bear as Vice-Principal. From June 2019, for an initial four-year period, the role of Vice-Principal will be assumed by Professor Clare Peddie, currently Head of the School of Biology. We are all delighted that Clare, who has so much relevant expertise in the Education area, will be joining the Principal’s Office in this capacity.

Provost, Dean of Science and Dean of Arts and Divinity

These three roles are becoming vacant due to the departures of Professor Andy Murphy to Trinity College, Dublin, and Professor Douglas Philp to explore new research opportunities and through Paul Hibbert’s move into the Vice-Principal Education role. All of us appreciate the excellent start to enhancing the postgraduate experience Andy has made as Director of the Graduate School, and of course we also greatly appreciate his years of service to the English School. Doug’s year as Dean of Science has been characterised by clarity and commitment, and has been much appreciated – as have his years of service to the School of Chemistry. Paul (left) has served as Dean of Arts and Divinity with total dedication and great effectiveness. We thank them all, and wish Andy and Doug well in their new appointments.

Some temporary cover arrangements will be made where this becomes necessary, but we are now moving to the process of advertising each of these roles internally, for appointment as soon as possible after the current post-holders move on during the summer, and would very much wish to encourage staff to consider applying for them if you think your experience is relevant. The job description and application process for the Provost’s role will be advertised on the internal vacancies page later this week, and the Proctor will be emailing with further details about the Decanal positions soon.

Professor Sally Mapstone
Principal and Vice-Chancellor