The vice chancellor of Cardiff Metropolitan University is standing down. Professor Cara Aitchison, who is also president of the university which has more than 25,000 students, will retire with effect from next January.
She joined the university as its vice chancellor in 2016 from Plymouth Marjon University where she was vice chancellor and chief executive.
At the time of joining the university it had around 17,00 students. Under her leadership it has grown revenues from £100m to over £150m with healthy surpluses. In 2018 the university launched its Cardiff School of Technologies.
Prof Aitchison said: “In addition to the transformation in student numbers and finances, I’m proud that over this same period the university has also been deemed to have the highest staff satisfaction of any university in the UK, demonstrating that it’s possible to achieve excellence in performance, outcomes and impact while also looking after our most important asset, our people.
“By the end of 2023, I will be in my 11 th year as a vice-chancellor and in my 36th year of continuous service spanning the length and breadth of the UK, across eight universities and a college it’s the privilege of my life to lead Cardiff Met, particularly during a period of great social and economic upheaval, and I’m fortunate to have worked with such dedicated colleagues, students, board members and partners over the last seven years; it’s now time for me to pass the baton on.”
Chair of the board of governors, John Taylor, said: “Professor Aitchison has led the university with great vision, purpose, dedication and impact during a period of unprecedented social and economic upheaval. Every leader’s ambition is to leave their organisation in a markedly improved state relative to that which they took on.
“Our vice chancellor’s achievements are nothing short of remarkable and she has done an outstanding job for which we are all very grateful. She will be a hard act to follow.”
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