Richard has over 35 years of experience in higher education, including four years as Deputy Vice-Chancellor. He has a proven track record of strategic leadership and transformation, with achievements including improving student satisfaction scores, employability outcomes, and doubling enterprise income. Richard is now an independent consultant offering strategic and interim support to higher education institutions.

1. M: 07872 379411 Prof Richard Blackwell E: richard@richardblackwell.com
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In 35 yearsinHigherEducation (HE),includingfourasDeputyVice-Chancellor,Richardhasline
manageddeansof facultyandservice andledstrategicchange that transformedthe student
experience. In2014 & 2015 he achievedthe beststudent satisfactionscoreseveratSolent
University andhis employabilityandenterprisestrategy wascommendedby QualityAssurance
Agency (QAA) in2013. Previouslyatthe HE FundingCouncil (HEFCE), he led14collaborativeprojects
worth£107m, contributedto policy formationandundertookstrategicreviews. Experience includes
leadingbroadrange of policyareasand oversightof large programme (£100m+), faculty(£18m) and
organisational (£3.8m) budgets andinfouryearshe doubledinstitutional enterprise income. In
2015 he beganofferingexecutive-level interimsupportandconsultancy throughhisowncompany.
SalientSkillsand Experience
Specialist General
Teachingexcellenceand qualityenhancement Strategydevelopmentandauthoring
Employabilityand enterprise strategy Strongleadership andrestructuring
Fast learnerwho‘hitsthe groundrunning’ Senior line and budget management
Analytical,evidence-basedinterventions Excellentcommunicator&influencer
Collaborativepartnershipworking Board membership&representation- Academy
Trust, FE College &variousHE.
Successful,creativesolutionseeker Resilientself-starter
HE policy engagementandinsight National networkingandinfluencing
Headline RecentAchievements
Developed new employabilityandenterprise strategy andrestructured organisational units,focusing
on embeddingemployabilityandstudententerprise inthe curriculum. Improvedproportionof
graduatesin ‘goodjobs’after6 months by9% absolutely (5% relativetobenchmark) andreduced
courses 5% or more belowsubjectbenchmarks from28 to 11. Doubled enterpriseincome and
achieved top20 rank for studentstart-ups(onall three survey measures)
£1m collaborative projecttotestmodelsof higherapprenticeship,includingdegree apprenticeships
and an industry‘trail-blazer’,increative industries(5HE institutions,CreativeSkillset). Locally,
enabledthree newintensivedegrees,consolidatingmarketpresence inareasof ‘soft’demand and
positioningUniversityforfuture opportunities. Ledonacquisitionof HEFCEfundingandchaired
steeringgroup http://creativeskillset.org/news_events/news/3378_a_degree_more_employable
Career-longengagementwith teachingexcellence fromcourse development(Coventry) tonational
policyrole (HEFCE).Leadershipof 4national enhancementprojects(HEA) andPhDstudyof practice
improvement. In2 years 2014 & 2015 responsible forstudentsatisfaction(NSS)achieved20th
& 11th
bestimprovementsnationally, 6%improvementinoverall satisfaction,by learningfrombest
practice elsewhere andfocusingoncourse management &curriculumchange
Career Synopsis
Dates Main Roles Organisation
2015- Director RichardBlackwell &Associates
2010- 5 DeputyVice-Chancellor SouthamptonSolentUniversity

2. M: 07872 379411 Prof Richard Blackwell E: richard@richardblackwell.com
2
2003-10 Regional Consultant&Head of Teaching and
Learning(T&L)
HigherEducationFunding
Council forEngland (HEFCE)
2000-03 SeniorAdviser HigherEducationAcademy
1991-00 Directorof Staff Development Universityof Nottingham
1980-90 SeniorLecturer, BusinessSchool andcontract
researcher
CoventryUniversity;Oxford
University;Roy.Inst.Pub.Admin.
Other CareerHighlights
 Instrumental insettingupand fundingSolentCreatives, anagency thatin4 years supported
705 studentprojectsandintroducedfreelancingandbusinessplanning units(320 studentsenrolled
in2014-5) and ran 10 projectswith Chamberof Commerce memberstoimprove productivity.In
2014 the Which?StudentSurveyputSouthamptonSolentUniversityinthe top6 forcreative
subjects www.solentcreatives.org
 Social innovationinitiativesincludingSECoastal Communitiesprojectinvolvingnine HEIs
and worth£6m (http://www.coastalcommunities.org.uk/businessCase.html),acquiringUnLtd
funding2009-14, introducingincubationspace,andsupportingSIFE/ENACTUSatSolentUniversity
(‘bestnational citizenship’award2012 & national awardsforleadership 2015)
 5 yearsinvolvementindevelopment of national knowledge exchangepolicyandHE
innovation funding(HEIF), fourassurance reviews of HEIscontrol environmentsandthree strategic
reviews (includingof alternative provisionandHEregulation)
 Managed the falloutfromthe suddenannouncementof the closure of chemistryat Sussex
Universityin2006. ComplimentedbyaParliamentarySelectCommittee onhandlingof crisis.
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200506/cmselect/cmsctech/1011/1011.pdf
 Duringcareer, line managed Human Resources,ledextensionof staff appraisal toall staff
(consultationwithTradesUnionsetc.) andrepresented5claimantstoIndustrial Tribunals (1980s)
 InterimPro VCfor 3 monthsin2009 (part of year-longcareerbreak),obtaining£560K from
‘Future JobsFund’forapprenticeshipsinthe ‘SouthamptonSkillsDevelopmentZone’
Awards & Professional Development
Professorship “Higher Education Policy and Practice” (2014), emeritus from 2015
FellowshipsRoyal Societyforthe Arts(2015), HigherEducationAcademy(2007), CharteredInstitute
of PersonnelandDevelopment(1994)
PhD “Staff DevelopmentandQualityEnhancementinHigherEducation”,Middlesex University
(2006) basedon 19 publications of mainly change-orientedactionresearch over10 years
Society for Research into Higher Education: Trustee 2002-10 and currently network co-convenor.
Editorial board of Higher Education Quarterly and edited special issue on employer engagement
MA Industrial Relations Universityof Warwick(1979); BA (Hons) Politics University of Exeter (1978)
Continuous leadership, management and skills training, coaching, mentoring and 20 years action
learning. ‘Top Management Programme’ of Leadership Foundation in HE in 2011
Summary
An experienceddeputyvice-chancellorengagedwithpolicynetworksandfocusedonstrategic
change, witha track record of pursuingteachingexcellence whilstenhancingstudentexperience and
outcomes at institutional level. Richardisa resilientself-starterandfastlearnerwithsubstantial
seniorline andbudgetmanagementexperience.