University of Kent reacts to Vice Chancellor stepping down

KentOnline / KMTV

Karen Cox, who has been in charge of the university since 2017, has been a controversial figure, bringing in the Kent 2030 vision that has seen course cuts and job losses.

Transcript

00:00 Nearly seven years in the job, now stepping down.

00:04 Karen Cox had announced today that she'll be resigning her role as Vice-Chancellor

00:08 at the University of Kent next month.

00:11 It follows the University's announcement it will be closing seven courses

00:16 across Canterbury and Medway as part of a consultation she helped lead.

00:21 The Chair of the University Council says the plan won the support of key internal and external stakeholders.

00:28 But a reaction to her stepping down has been mixed.

00:31 Bit of a shock to be fair. I don't think we'd be expecting it.

00:35 Equally I wouldn't be surprised in the sense that there's been a lot going on in the background recently,

00:39 especially regarding the course closures, which have got quite a bit of backlash, understandably.

00:45 Since she took over in 2017, the rankings have slipped.

00:49 Much of the eateries and commercial facilities on campus have declined.

00:54 The quality of food, for example, just isn't as good.

00:57 To be honest, I don't really know a lot about her or what she does.

01:01 Yeah, I feel like, I don't know, I feel like it doesn't really affect that many students.

01:06 So I don't know. I guess it's a mixed opinion.

01:09 Don't get me wrong, I do appreciate that, you know, with Brexit and many of the other changes in the uni,

01:16 it's really difficult. You know, the uni has been losing less money.

01:20 So I agree more so with some of the other changes they made.

01:24 But some staff say that it wouldn't be fair to blame the vice chancellor solely for the university's current situation.

01:31 No individual can be entirely blamed or praised for that matter,

01:39 for the situation that an institution such as a university is in.

01:48 There have been many factors and we have seen that there is a crisis across the sector that is affecting many, many universities.

01:57 Many of my colleagues, I can't speak for everyone, of course,

02:02 see her as a part of the machinery that was responsible for Kent 20, 30, but not the main architect, I would say.

02:16 In a farewell statement, the vice chancellor acknowledged why the sector has faced challenges,

02:21 seeing students achieve their ambitions and going to make the world a better place remains as moving as it always has been.

02:29 She states that she is and will remain an advocate for the power of higher education as a driver of social mobility.

02:37 A recruitment process will now take place to appoint the university's seventh vice chancellor.

02:42 In the meantime, the university's deputy chancellor will take over in a temporary capacity at the end of May this year.

02:50 While some may welcome the outgoing vice chancellor's achievements, for many on campus, her legacy will be a controversial one.

02:58 Oliver Leeds and Sacks reporting for KMTV.

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