Nicola Dandridge

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Nicola Whitmont Dandridge CBE is the Chief Executive of the Office for Students, a post she took up in July 2017.[1]

She was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2015 Birthday Honours List for services to higher education.[2][3]

She was previously Chief Executive of Universities UK.

Early career[]

Dandridge originally qualified as a lawyer, initially working in the City before moving to Glasgow to requalify in Scotland where she worked for 10 years specialising in equality law. She was educated at Oxford, London Metropolitan and Glasgow universities and found them all "completely outstanding".[4][5]

Equality Challenge Unit[]

From 2006 to August 2009 Dandridge was Chief Executive of [6] (ECU) who promote the equality and diversity for staff and students in higher education across all four nations of the UK, and in colleges in Scotland.[7]

Whilst at ECU Dandridge restructured their work to focus on the equality implications of key issues for the higher education sector, such as research assessment, admissions, work placements, governance and internationalisation.[citation needed]

Universities UK[]

On 1 September 2009 Dandridge became the Chief Executive of Universities UK (UUK) replacing Diana Mary Warwick, Baroness Warwick of Undercliffe.[8]

Whilst in post, Dandridge chaired a Taskforce to examine violence against women, harassment and hate crime affecting university students,[9] with a focus on the issue of violence against women and sexual harassment.[10]

Dandridge's support for optional gender segregation in universities received much scrutiny in the British media in late 2013; the shadow business secretary, Chuka Umunna, said in a radio interview that he was "horrified" by Universities UK's position, and promised to make segregation illegal should the Labour Party come to power.[11] Following an intervention from Prime Minister David Cameron, Dandridge announced that UUK had withdrawn their previous guidance which stated that gender segregation should be allowed if requested by the lecturer and students.[12]

Office for Students[]

In July 2017 Dandridge was announced as the inaugural Chief Executive of the Office for Students, a new public body created as part of the Higher Education and Research Act 2017 to regulate the higher education sector.[13] Having previously led the higher education sectors lobbying group UUK, there were questions as to whether her appointment was "poacher turned gamekeeper".[14] Since being in post, Dandridge has been critical within the media of vice-chancellor salaries,[15] grade inflation[16] and unconditional offer making.[17]

Publications[]

  • Age Discrimination at Work. With Patrick Grattan (co-author). London: Institute of Employment Rights. 2006. OCLC 77556389.CS1 maint: others (link)

References[]

  1. ^ "Chief Executive of new Office for Students announced - GOV.UK". www.gov.uk. Retrieved 2017-11-28.
  2. ^ "No. 61256". The London Gazette (Supplement). 13 June 2015. p. B9.
  3. ^ 2015 Birthday Honours List
  4. ^ Our senior team
  5. ^ [1]
  6. ^ [2] Equality Challenge Unit website
  7. ^ Nicola Dandridge named as new Chief Executive of UUK
  8. ^ Universities UK appoints new Chief Executive
  9. ^ Taskforce to examine violence against women, harassment and hate crime affecting university students
  10. ^ There is no place for violence and harassment on a university campus, nor anywhere else, says Nicola Dandridge, the Chief Executive of Universities UK and chair of the taskforce, iGov News, 1 December 2015
  11. ^ Gender segregation not 'alien to our culture', says Universities UK chief, The Guardian, 12 December 2013 (accessed 9 February 2013)
  12. ^ "Universities UK withdraws advice on gender segregation in lectures". The Guardian. 13 December 2013.
  13. ^ "Chief Executive of new Office for Students announced". Department for Education. 5 July 2017.
  14. ^ "University poacher turned gamekeeper sets sights on vice-chancellors' pay". The Guardian. 10 October 2017.
  15. ^ "Vice-chancellor salaries are 'out of kilter', says Nicola Dandridge". 10 January 2018.
  16. ^ "Universities warned to curb 'spiralling' grade inflation". The Telegraph. 19 December 2018.
  17. ^ "Clampdown on luring students with unconditional offers". BBC News. 25 January 2019.
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